AGP Executive Report

Rugby League: Australia opened its World Cup defence with a 24–22 win over New Zealand, Jack Bostock scoring a hat-trick on debut; Kiwi star Kalyn Ponga left with a suspected broken arm. Jobs and Rates: September unemployment rose to 4.7%, a five-year high, after employment fell — cooling expectations of an interest-rate rise. Online Safety: The federal government introduced its Digital Duty of Care bill, proposing stronger protections for children and a way for users to switch off social media algorithms. Energy: Labor’s gas reservation bill would require exporters to supply part of their production to the domestic market, aiming to improve supply for households and manufacturers. Mining and Jobs: BHP plans to cut about 300 roles in Western Australia as it reshapes its iron ore business. Heritage: A court ruling overturned an Aboriginal heritage order blocking a major gold mine, renewing questions about how cultural authority is handled in project approvals. Pacific Security: Australia will give Fiji long-endurance maritime drones to help monitor its waters and tackle drug trafficking.

Jobs and Rates: Australian employment fell by 39,300 in September, while unemployment held at a five-year high of 4.7%. Markets sharply cut bets on another Reserve Bank rate rise this year. Online Safety: Labor has introduced its Digital Duty of Care bill, requiring platforms to act on serious harms and better protect children. Minister Anika Wells says the government is open to letting users sue tech companies. Defence: A recording device found aboard HMAS Leeuwin has prompted an investigation; claims that cameras were found in women’s showers remain under scrutiny. Cruise Industry: Carnival will pull two ships from Australia in 2028, halving its local fleet, citing operating conditions and regulatory uncertainty. Cost of Living: A new poverty analysis finds more than three-quarters of JobSeeker recipients face poverty risk, with some turning to food queues. Sport: Australia opens its Rugby League World Cup campaign against New Zealand, after a 214-run Test win over South Africa.

Cricket: Australia swept Bangladesh 3-0 in the women’s ODI series, with Megan Schutt taking four wickets in the final match. The Kangaroos face New Zealand in Thursday’s Rugby League World Cup opener. Food and Culture: South Australia’s first Michelin Guide awarded stars to 11 restaurants, including two for Magill Estate. Veterans’ Affairs: Federal police searched four sites in an investigation into allegedly fraudulent medical reports used in veterans’ compensation claims. Technology: The government plans to introduce legislation requiring tech platforms to let users switch off recommendation algorithms. A cyber security chief also warned outdated government systems face rising AI-driven attack risks. Energy: The government is preparing a bill to reserve 20 per cent of gas for domestic use, amid claims the measure could ease prices. Security: A Lowy Institute expert warned Australia should not assume the US would send troops to defend it in a conflict with China. Housing: Older Australians say apartment living brings convenience and less upkeep, but stamp duty and other costs can deter downsizing.

Defence Investigation: A recording device found aboard HMAS Leeuwin has prompted a military police investigation, after claims it was in women’s shower facilities and footage may have been posted online. High Court Ruling: A Queensland prisoner has won the right to apply to freeze her eggs, with the court finding the procedure was not prohibited assisted reproductive technology. Mining and Heritage: The Federal Court overturned a protection order blocking Regis Resources’ McPhillamys gold project, citing procedural errors; the heritage application will return to the environment minister. Jobs and Markets: BHP plans to cut 300 jobs at its Pilbara iron-ore mines as prices fall and costs rise. Australian shares also slid after the RBA warned inflation could stay high, keeping another rate rise in play. Energy Policy: New laws would require gas exporters to reserve a share of supply for Australia from 2028, with the government saying the plan will ease prices and industry warning of risks. Older Australians: The Senate removed proposed private health insurance rebate cuts for older Australians from its agenda. Child Safety: New research points to a sharp rise in violence and sexual harm against children, with advocates warning the situation has reached crisis point.

Economic Pressure: The IMF warns Australia could face the developed world’s sharpest rise in unemployment next year, while mortgage stress reached about 450,500 households in the third quarter. Gas Supply: Labor plans to require gas exporters to reserve 20% of exports for domestic use, with tighter rules and more transparency. Child Safety: University of Sydney researchers say violence against children rose sharply from 2014 to 2024; sexual assault rates increased 51% for girls aged 10–17 and 60% for boys. Cricket: Australia opened its Test series in South Africa with a 214-run win in Durban. Josh Hazlewood took 6-49, while Matt Renshaw scored 190 and 82.

Cricket: Australia are six wickets from a Durban Test win after setting South Africa 421 to chase; Steve Smith returned to the field after concussion checks. Egg Prices: The ACCC has taken 12 major suppliers to Federal Court, alleging they coordinated supply and production to limit competition. Health: Emergency departments are struggling to manage an ageing population, with older patients facing sharply longer waits for hospital beds. Economy: The IMF warns Australia faces sluggish growth, rising unemployment and persistent inflation, while markets weigh the prospect of another RBA rate rise. Energy: NSW is seeking new gas-fired backup as coal plants close, ruling out most batteries in its latest reliability tender; Shell has criticised the proposed gas reservation plan. Online Safety: Anthony Albanese says the government will do what it can to stop a planned US execution livestream being shown in Australia, though the eSafety regulator says it lacks the power to block it. Diplomacy: Jordan’s King Abdullah is in Australia for a two-day state visit, during which Australia returned a 12,000-year-old Jordanian archaeological artifact.

Durban Test: Australia are six wickets from victory after setting South Africa 421 to win; the hosts closed day four at 102-4. Matt Renshaw followed his 190 with 82 and claimed his first Test wicket. Steve Smith is being monitored after a blow to the helmet. Emergency Care: Emergency doctors warn hospitals are unprepared for an ageing population, with only 54 per cent of older patients admitted within eight hours in 2023–24. Iraq Release: Australian engineer Robert Pether is free to leave Iraq after five years in detention and is heading home. Travel Warning: Australians have been told to avoid Riyadh after deadly missile strikes hit the Saudi capital’s airport.

Test Cricket: Australia resumed day four of the Durban Test with a 139-run lead over South Africa, after Matt Renshaw’s 190 and Steve Smith’s record-breaking catching helped put the visitors in command. Northern Territory: Police are investigating the alleged assault death of a 16-year-old girl in a remote community. Travel Warning: Canberra urged Australians to avoid Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport after deadly Houthi attacks, and advised against non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia. Canberra: Parties across the political spectrum opposed plans to livestream a US execution in Australia, as Parliament debated new rules for social media companies. Climate and Energy: NSW approved the Hunter Valley coal complex to operate until 2045, despite acknowledged climate impacts. Markets: Australian telecom shares fell after SpaceX’s US spectrum deal fuelled fears of satellite competition; investors are also watching RBA minutes and jobs data for clues on interest rates. Pacific Partnerships: Australia is deepening security and development ties with Palau, while a parliamentary committee examines a proposed cooperation pact with Vanuatu.

Test Cricket: Australia lead South Africa by 139 runs in Durban after bowling the hosts out for 284. Steve Smith set a Test catching record, while Matt Renshaw’s 190 helped rescue Australia from 124-6. Bad light has cut short all three days. Digital Safety: Labor dropped a clause giving ministers power to ban online content, clearing a path for its bill to make platforms protect under-18s from harmful material. National Readiness: RSL president Peter Tinley will urge the government to appoint a national preparedness adviser and make resilience planning a formal duty. Telecoms: Complaints to the industry ombudsman fell 6.5% to 53,834, but claims for compensation over financial loss jumped 61%. Migration: Domestic violence advocates warn visa crackdowns could give abusers more power to threaten partners with deportation. Music: Powderfinger have confirmed an 18-show Australian reunion tour, starting in Brisbane in September 2027.

Cricket: Matt Renshaw’s career-best 190 lifted Australia to 390 in Durban, and the hosts were 45-1 in reply on day three. In Brisbane, Bangladesh’s Sobhana Mostary hit 118 against Australia, sharing a record 195-run stand with captain Nigar Sultana. Afghanistan Anniversary: Australia marked 25 years since its first deployment, honouring more than 35,000 service members who served in the conflict. Darwin Housing: The city’s largest short-stay accommodation facility has closed, moving some residents 100 kilometres south and raising concerns about access to essential services. Housing Market: Auction clearance rates stayed below 50 per cent for a second week as higher interest rates weigh on buyers. Missing Hiker: Melbourne trekker Jordan Yap, 30, has been found dead after going missing on a remote trail in Peru.

Cricket: Matt Renshaw’s career-best 190 lifted Australia to 390 against South Africa in Durban; the hosts were 27-1 at stumps, trailing by 363. Rugby: New Zealand crushed the Wallabies 50-19 at Eden Park to retain the Bledisloe Cup for a 23rd straight year. Football: South Melbourne made history, becoming the first National Premier Leagues club to win the Australia Cup after beating Melbourne Victory on penalties. Justice: Three men were found guilty of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend on a Mexico surf trip in 2024. Universities: International student numbers are falling well short of allocated places, with regional institutions hit hardest and warnings of job cuts and financial strain. Wildlife: A proposed national plan would renew efforts to curb fox predation, a major threat to Australia’s native animals. Australia Post: Christmas parcel deadlines are set, with customers urged to send early ahead of the busy festive season.

Mexico Murders: Three men were convicted over the 2024 killings of Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend Carter Rhoad. The judge found the murders were premeditated; sentencing is pending. Bledisloe Cup: Australia suffered a 50-19 defeat to New Zealand, extending the All Blacks’ Cup run to 24 years and ending the Wallabies’ six-match unbeaten streak. Cricket: Australia ended day one of the Durban Test against South Africa at 187-6 after a top-order collapse, with Matt Renshaw and Pat Cummins leading a late fightback. Steve Smith moved past Steve Waugh to become Australia’s third-highest Test run-scorer. At home: Two men were injured when a light aircraft crashed near Perth; a teenager was seriously wounded in a Canberra shooting, with a 29-year-old man charged. Fuel policy: Energy Minister Chris Bowen ruled out Russian diesel imports, saying Australia does not need or want the fuel.

Test Cricket: Australia ended day one of the Durban opener at 187-6 after South Africa’s quicks tore through the top order. Nic Maddinson’s comeback ended in a 33-ball duck, but Matt Renshaw (46 not out) and Pat Cummins (33 not out) steadied the innings. Steve Smith passed Steve Waugh to become Australia’s third-highest Test run-scorer. Women’s Cricket: Phoebe Litchfield’s 77 powered Australia to a seven-wicket ODI win over Bangladesh; Megan Schutt claimed her 150th ODI wicket. Wallabies: Australia face New Zealand at Eden Park in the Bledisloe opener, chasing their first Cup win in 22 years. Business and Science: AI data-centre firm Firmus shelved its planned Australian IPO amid weak investor demand. CSIRO and Moderna launched a five-year partnership to speed research into pandemic and biosecurity threats, beginning with Hendra virus vaccine research. Matildas: Australia fell 3-1 to world No. 3 Germany in a friendly.

Test Cricket: Australia chose to bat first against South Africa in Durban, with Nic Maddinson making a remarkable return after a decade away from Tests and recovering from cancer. Kagiso Rabada is out for the hosts with a hamstring injury. Markets and AI: Nvidia-backed Firmus has scrapped its planned multibillion-dollar ASX float, citing market volatility and weak demand — a setback for Australia’s shallow listing pipeline. A parliamentary inquiry heard that building local AI capability could boost productivity and resilience, with calls for stronger AI education. Housing: Home values fell across 82 per cent of Australian suburbs in the past three months, pointing to a broadening downturn. Mexico Trial: A verdict is expected in the case of three men accused of murdering Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson and their American friend during a surfing trip in 2024.

Nepal Aid: Australia pledged a further A$15 million for flood relief and recovery, adding to A$11 million in earlier assistance. Test Cricket: Australia return to South Africa for the first Test since 2018’s ball-tampering scandal. Pat Cummins says his side must grind out results; Kagiso Rabada is out of the opener. Climate and Mining: The High Court blocked a Hunter Valley coal expansion, ruling regulators must consider emissions from Australian coal burned overseas. Housing: Rent growth slowed to 0.5% nationally in the September quarter, while Sydney rents fell as affordability pressures and rising vacancies reshape demand. AI and Government: A parliamentary inquiry heard that Australians’ view of AI is too narrow, amid scrutiny of an incident in which AI agents accessed government systems. Abuse Scandal: Former Bishop Christopher Saunders was jailed for 6½ years for sexually abusing Aboriginal men.

Climate Ruling: Australia’s High Court blocked a major coal mine expansion, requiring climate impacts from exported emissions to be considered—a decision with wide implications for fossil-fuel projects. Aged Care: New figures show 6,436 older Australians waiting for home-care funding died in 2025–26, about 17 a day and 34% more than the previous year. Mining and Markets: Fortescue’s cash fell 37% in the September quarter as it navigates talks with Chinese iron-ore buyer CMRG; the update dragged Australian shares lower. Public Safety: Former bishop Christopher Saunders was jailed for sexually abusing Indigenous men, in a landmark case involving one of Australia’s most senior Catholic figures. Bushfire Risk: Researchers link British colonisation and the suppression of Indigenous fire management to denser, more combustible forests in southeastern Australia, pointing to cultural burning as one tool to reduce fire risk. Australia Abroad: Australian rights advocate Tran Hiep is being held in a notorious Vietnamese prison after disappearing during a trip to Cambodia.