Thursday, 15 October 2026today, still filling

Australia's unemployment rate rose to 4.7 per cent in September from 4.6 per cent in August, the highest level since the Covid pandemic. The number of people finding work decreased by 39,000. Economists say the weaker jobs market gives the Reserve Bank reason to pause interest rate rises, potentially offering relief to mortgage holders as the RBA seeks to control inflation currently at 4 per cent.

Australian unemployment rose to 4.7 per cent in September, the highest in five years, with 39,300 jobs lost despite forecasts of 19,600 new positions. The rise comes after the Reserve Bank raised interest rates to a 15-year high of 4.6 per cent, yet inflation at 4 per cent remains above its 2-3 per cent target. Victoria recorded the highest unemployment rate at 5.1 per cent.

Three experienced players return for the Wallaroos in their WXV Global Series clash against Scotland in Sydney. Maya Stewart resumes her international career on the wing after overcoming an Achilles injury, while Eva Karpani and Cecilia Smith join the bench as new faces. The Wallaroos will kick off a quadruple header at midday, followed by Australia sevens sides and the Wallabies hosting the All Blacks.

A 19-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder after an alleged shooting at a 44-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter in Sydney on 9 June. The father was picking up his daughter from school when a gunman attempted to fire at them; both fled and the incident was captured on CCTV. Police arrested the 19-year-old in Sans Souci on Wednesday and seized a knife, drugs and electronic devices from a Cronulla home. He faces multiple charges including attempted murder, installing a tracking device, drug supply and directing a criminal group. He was refused bail and will appear at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

Beau Lamarre-Condon, 31, is accused of murdering ex-boyfriend Jesse Baird and his partner Luke Davies at Baird's Paddington home on 19 February 2024, allegedly disguising himself as an Uber Eats rider. He has pleaded not guilty and claims self-defence. A witness told the jury on Thursday that Lamarre-Condon told her on 22 February that he would be set up over the disappearance of the two men.

Arizona Western College has launched a programme allowing incarcerated individuals to earn associate degrees at the Arizona State Prison Complex–Yuma, with 13 students enrolled. The college is one of only four in Arizona offering degrees to inmates. Students can complete their associate degree in two years through eight-week course sessions, with all credits transferable to Arizona's state universities.

Gabriel Chacon, a third-grade teacher at Encanto Elementary School in Phoenix, remains in custody following his arrest on federal charges of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material involving a minor under 12. Court documents detail how an undercover Australian law enforcement officer discovered Chacon in an encrypted group chat dedicated to child pornography. Chacon told the FBI the activity was a 'fantasy'.

Carter Gordon has returned to Wallabies training and is pushing his case for inclusion on the team's November European tour. The flyhalf broke his leg against Argentina last month but did not require surgery and was moving freely at training in Sydney on Thursday. Gordon, who had established himself as the first-choice playmaker under coach Les Kiss, hopes to be fit to face England at Twickenham on 8 November, followed by Tests against Scotland and Wales.

Democratic candidate JoCasta Zamarripa and Republican Jay Schroeder are running for Wisconsin secretary of state in the November 3 election, but propose different visions for the role. Zamarripa wants to modernise the existing department by digitising records and expanding staffing from one to five or six employees, though she acknowledges needing legislative approval. Schroeder is calling for shifting election oversight into the secretary of state's office and abolishing the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Incumbent Democrat Sarah Godlewski is not seeking reelection and is instead running for lieutenant governor.

The Australian government has reintroduced private health insurance changes affecting pensioners, saving the government about $3 billion over four years. The bill, which would wind back rebates for people over 65 calculated based on income, was previously discharged from the Senate by a coalition and crossbench alliance on Wednesday. Health Minister Mark Butler said the reintroduction on Thursday demonstrated responsible budgeting and commitment to dignity for older Australians, but the coalition says the move shows 'contempt for the Senate' and describes it as a 'cruel cut'.

Sean Gardner, a prominent youth gymnastics coach, was sentenced to 90 years in prison on Wednesday for placing a hidden camera in a bathroom at a gymnastics studio in Purvis, Mississippi, between December 2017 and April 2018. U.S. District Judge Kristi Johnson imposed the maximum sentence possible, ordering 30 years for each of three federal child pornography production charges to which Gardner pleaded guilty. Investigators recovered videos showing at least 10 minors naked or undressing, along with approximately 50 videos and 400 photos from his residence.

A 26-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 16-year-old girl in the Northern Territory community of Alpurrurulam. Emergency services were contacted around 5.30am on 12 October after a local clinic reported the teenager had died following a physical assault. Police said the man was believed to be in a domestic relationship with the girl. He was arrested the same day and transferred to Darwin. On Wednesday night he was charged with one count of murder, remanded in custody, and is expected to appear in court on Thursday.

Kane Cornes, a football commentator and former Port Adelaide player, began his second marathon on Thursday morning on Rottnest Island, five days after completing the Perth Running Festival marathon with 18,750 other participants. He is joined by supporters including Western Australian Premier Roger Cook, who is running 10km, and Triple M radio hosts Xavier Ellis and Katie Lamb. The 59th annual Telethon weekend begins at RAC Arena on Saturday, with the final fundraising total to be revealed over the weekend on Channel 7 and 7Plus.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are selling a '#RuiningBaseball margarita' for $25 at Dodger Stadium during the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. The drink, which features tequila, mango and jalapeño margarita mix with a chile mango slice, appears to be a response to criticism over the team's expensive signings of players Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Dodgers trail the series 2-0 heading into Game 3.

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is suing Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law, to block him from serving as a top envoy without disclosing his personal finances and potential conflicts of interest. The group argues that Kushner's role as a chief negotiator on major foreign policy issues means he should be considered an official government employee and comply with transparency requirements. The White House says Kushner remains a private citizen doing diplomatic work on a volunteer basis.

Deepal Australia has hinted at announcements for its S05 and S07 electric SUVs in the coming weeks, following product updates revealed at the Paris motor show. Deepal's parent company Changan confirmed plug-in hybrid versions of both models for Europe, with the S05 PHEV launching in the UK this month. Australia may receive both electric and hybrid versions of the S05, which had been promised for late 2025 but now appears on track for late 2024 or early 2025.

BESIX Watpac has won the tender to build the Macquarie Point Stadium in Hobart, a 23,000-seat roofed venue that will be home to the Tasmania Devils AFL club. The stadium is expected to be ready for the 2031 season. Premier Jeremy Rockliff said the project represents 'billions of dollars of investment and thousands of jobs'. The stadium was a condition of the Devils being granted AFL and AFLW licences in 2028. The government will contribute $875 million, the federal government $240 million, and the AFL $15 million. Opponents have raised concerns the final cost may exceed the current $1.13 billion estimate when a final contract is signed by the end of the year.

England forward Morgan Smithies has been ruled out of the entire Rugby League World Cup after suffering an injury in training just days before the team's opening match against Tonga in Perth. The 25-year-old Canberra Raiders player has been replaced by Leeds Rhinos veteran Kallum Watkins, 35, who will play in his fourth World Cup. England coach Brian McDermott said Smithies had been 'a real team player' whose absence would be felt.

Roman B. Ortiz, 36, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, has been indicted in New Mexico for allegedly sexually assaulting a child under 12 multiple times. He faces four counts of sexual assault of a child. According to court documents, Ortiz allegedly engaged or attempted to engage in sexual acts with the child at a home outside Navajo Nation boundaries over a three-year period.

The Missouri Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday in a case challenging whether a 2024 law's title, 'public safety', is too vague under the state constitution. The law combines K-9 protections, penalties for celebratory gunfire and penalties for fleeing a traffic stop under a single title. Critics argue the title does not meaningfully convey the bill's contents to voters.

Nebraska's congressional delegation and US officials visited the Elk Creek mine in Johnson County on Wednesday to promote the production of rare-earth minerals including niobium, which is used in steel, computer chips and military equipment. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and other federal officials attended, with the EXIM Bank president signing a letter of support for approximately $840 million in funding the project still requires. The mine is planned to open in late 2029 and create thousands of jobs, with officials citing the need to reduce US dependence on China for critical minerals.

North Korea test-fired two types of submarine-launched strategic cruise missiles on Wednesday, state media reported Thursday, saying the launches posed no threat to neighbouring countries. The tests follow heightened tensions with South Korea after a September 21 landmine explosion in the Demilitarised Zone injured three South Korean soldiers. Both countries have tested upgraded missile technology in the aftermath of that incident.

Australia's online safety watchdog has written to tech companies asking them not to broadcast the firing squad execution of wheelchair-bound former army officer Nidal Hasan in the United States. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the eSafety commissioner expects platforms to prevent the execution from being shown, and that she has met directly with Meta about the issue. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the prospect of livestreaming the execution 'abhorrent', noting Australia's bipartisan opposition to capital punishment.

West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey has filed suit against OpenAI, joining attorneys general from Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas in separate lawsuits. The suit alleges that OpenAI is endangering children, deceiving parents and violating state consumer protection laws. McCuskey claims ChatGPT is designed to be overly agreeable and lacks age verification or safeguards for conversations about self-harm and suicide.

Ewan Dixon, a veteran Australian radio broadcaster, died at Angliss Hospital in Upper Ferntree Gully on 24 September, months after a horse riding accident near Melbourne. His death was recently made public by his care worker Jason Davis. Dixon's radio career spanned several decades across stations in Brisbane and Melbourne, including B105, Gold 104.3 and Triple M Melbourne. His friend and former colleague Gavin Wood said Dixon 'fought so hard to get fit and well but the injuries were too severe'.

Australia's selectors have again justified controversial team decisions with a 214-run victory over South Africa in Durban. The selection of Nic Maddinson had faced criticism a week earlier for overlooking Sheffield Shield form, but the result has vindicated chief selector George Bailey and his team. Since Bailey's appointment in 2021, the selection panel's unconventional choices have mostly succeeded, though not always.

Almost half a million workers will receive a pay rise as the voluntary Real Living Wage increases by 65p to £14.10 per hour across the UK and to £15.45 in London. Full-time workers on the new rate will gain over £1,250 annually. The increase benefits workers at almost 17,000 employers signed up to the Living Wage Foundation, which sets the rates based on the cost of essentials like food and housing. A full-time worker on the Real Living Wage will earn over £2,700 more annually than those on the statutory government minimum of £12.71 for over-21s.

Asking rents have hit new record highs across Britain. The average monthly rent outside London has topped £1,400 for the first time at £1,418, whilst London rents have reached £2,825 per month. Both regions face constrained housing supply, though rental growth has cooled compared with recent years.

King Charles and Queen Camilla will attend the ceremonial opening of the Welsh Parliament on Thursday. This is the first time Charles will attend the event as King; he and Camilla previously attended in 2021 alongside Queen Elizabeth II. The King is scheduled to address the Siambr debating chamber alongside First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth and Llywydd Huw Irranca-Davies.

Ambulance staff in Northern Ireland attended 14,255 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests over five years to 2022, research shows. More than 55% of patients were declared dead at the scene, with resuscitation attempted on the remainder. The research, by Queen's University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, highlights the importance of training more members of the public in CPR and defibrillator use.

Mercedes-Benz has launched the GLE450e plug-in hybrid in Australia, available in both SUV and coupe body styles priced from $156,900 and $160,900 respectively before on-road costs. The five-seat model is powered by a 3.0-litre petrol engine and electric motor with combined output of 320kW, accelerating from 0-100km/h in 5.6 seconds. It joins the smaller GLA and GLC in offering a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Dina Williamson, 39, from Bournemouth, has been spared jail after blackmailing her former husband, dentist Ben Williamson, with false claims of professional misconduct. She threatened to report him to the General Dental Council unless he paid her more money from their divorce settlement, accusing him of drinking alcohol between patient appointments. Judge Jonathan Fuller said her actions were driven by resentment over the divorce settlement and unfair treatment. The General Dental Council launched a nine-month investigation and cleared Mr Williamson of any wrongdoing.