Trump’s war, not government spending, is driving Australia’s inflation

Australia’s moderate level of inflation is being driven by the increase in the world price of oil, which was caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel attacked Iran. More recently, the boom in data centres has been pushing up prices of construction and energy.

Higher interest rates will do nothing to slow either of these causes of inflation, and nor will cuts in spending.

The six ideas make a lot of sense (mostly) but I'm disappointed there's no mention of AUKUS.

American voters sent a warning about what happens when governments lose sight of citizens' daily lives. Aussie voters want affordable groceries and housing, better aged care, and a secure future for our kids and Country. If Anthony Albanese keeps telling us those things are too expensive while continuing to waste billions on AUKUS, an electoral reckoning will follow.

Anglicare's annual Rental Affordability Snapshot has revealed key professions can only afford a small percentage of rental listings across Australia.

Of 16 occupations surveyed, only three saw an increase in affordability since last year.

Anglicare is calling on the federal government to deliver more social and affordable housing.

Join us for a special community screening of Nature – The Call for Reconciliation, a powerful cinematic experience connecting global environmental challenges to local action—presented as part of Citizen COP Australia 2026.

Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Nature – Pour une réconciliation (Nature – The Call for Reconciliation) is a visually breathtaking and deeply moving documentary exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Through stunning aerial imagery and poetic storytelling, the film invites us to reflect on our place within Earth’s living systems—and the urgent need to restore balance between people and planet. At a time when climate and biodiversity crises are accelerating, Nature offers both a powerful wake-up call and a message of hope: reconciliation is still possible.

Presented in French with English subtitles, this is a rare opportunity to experience this extraordinary film on the big screen.

Millions of dollars of food grown in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank has been shipped to Australia labelled as “produce of Israel”, a new analysis of trade data has shown.

The human rights legal organisation Global Echo has analysed commercial documents and official trade data from the Israeli government and the Australian Bureau of Statistics, showing at least US$5m (A$7.2m) of organic dates grown in illegal settlements across the West Bank have been shipped to Australia over the past eight years.

Global Echo analysed 132 agricultural shipments from Israel to Australia between August 2018 and August 2026. Of those, 85 – or 64% – contained settlement products.

The proportion of settlement goods is higher in more recent years. Between January 2025 and August 2026, 20 of 24 shipments of dates to Australia analysed by Global Echo were sourced from settlements.

Israel’s settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law.

The vast majority of Australians support immigration and multiculturalism despite more feeling poorer – and increasingly pessimistic and distrustful of government, the annual Scanlon report on social cohesion has revealed.

People are more worried about artificial intelligence than climate change or going to war, but a global economic downturn and cost-of-living pressures are Australians’ key concerns.

Economic pain is also changing the way people vote, with people suffering hardship jumping ship to One Nation, according to the report, which is one of the country’s most extensive social research projects.

But, despite rising concern about antisemitism and Islamophobia, social cohesion in Australia has actually remained steady. The lead author of the report concedes many findings are cause for concern, but notes support for multiculturalism and diversity remains high, as does the sense of connection Australians feel to their communities.

In 2023, the Victorian government promised $4.7 million for a dedicated wildlife hospital in southwest Victoria. They've broken their promise.

Today, injured and orphaned wildlife across the region are heavily dependent on Mosswood Wildlife, the area's only dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. Run entirely by volunteers, Mosswood cares for hundreds of animals each year, including koalas, seabirds, and penguins, but it is already stretched beyond its limits.

Wildlife faces constant threats from disease, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, bushfires, and habitat loss. Now that bird flu has reached our shores, the need for a dedicated hospital in this coastal region has never been more urgent.

A purpose-built wildlife hospital would provide the specialist care animals urgently need while supporting the volunteers working tirelessly to protect them.

With the Victorian state election approaching, now is the time to act.

In 2023, the Victorian government promised $4.7 million for a dedicated wildlife hospital in southwest Victoria. They've broken their promise.

Today, injured and orphaned wildlife across the region are heavily dependent on Mosswood Wildlife, the area's only dedicated wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility. Run entirely by volunteers, Mosswood cares for hundreds of animals each year, including koalas, seabirds, and penguins, but it is already stretched beyond its limits.

Wildlife faces constant threats from disease, vehicle strikes, dog attacks, bushfires, and habitat loss. Now that bird flu has reached our shores, the need for a dedicated hospital in this coastal region has never been more urgent.

A purpose-built wildlife hospital would provide the specialist care animals urgently need while supporting the volunteers working tirelessly to protect them.

With the Victorian state election approaching, now is the time to act.

...the takeaway from our synthesis of the strongest available evidence is that social media restrictions alone may not successfully address the mental health crisis.

Researchers and policymakers also need to explore other potential causes and solutions. Other factors under active investigation include the changing academic pressures young people face, as well as inequality, job insecurity, housing stress, climate change and substance use.

Of course, increases in mental health problems rarely boil down to one cause, but are likely due to a complex interaction of such factors.

There is also growing interest among researchers in young people’s increasing awareness and evolving concepts of mental health and mental illness. A young person today may seek a diagnosis for levels of distress that, in previous decades, might have gone undetected. This potentially affects how young people self-report mental health, as well as the treatment they receive.

Australia’s social media restrictions for under-16 year olds are an important opportunity to test the impact on young people’s mental health. However, we cannot assume they will stem the tide of growing mental health problems.

The rideshare behemoth Uber has suffered a bruising loss in Australia’s high court that will cost it more than $80m in unpaid taxes.

The court on Wednesday dismissed Uber’s claim it was not liable to pay payroll tax in New South Wales after it argued that it does not employ drivers and claimed that money paid to its drivers were not wages under state law.

In a six-to-one decision, the high court found that Uber is liable to pay $81m for the tax years from 2015 to 2020.

But the ruling is likely to leave the multinational with a significant bill for subsequent years, pushing the total well over $100m.

Cannot say I'm unhappy about this.

The article mentions a large student demonstration in Australia on 12 November. If anyone knows about it please post any details as I can't get through the paywall for The Advertiser in the link.