Wednesday, 28 October 2026today, still filling

Australian inflation surged to 4.3 per cent in the year to September, above the 4.2 per cent economists expected, driven by rising fuel and building material costs. Core inflation, the Reserve Bank's preferred measure, remained at 3.6 per cent. The data comes ahead of the RBA's November meeting next week, with markets expecting another rate hike by February.

A 17-year-old boy has been charged with arson, joy riding and property fraud after a fire destroyed a home in Abbotsford, Sydney's Inner West, about 4am on Tuesday. An 88-year-old woman was rescued from a balcony by police and a 49-year-old civilian using a ladder. Three occupants were treated for smoke inhalation. Investigators deemed the fire suspicious after a neighbour saw a male in a balaclava allegedly spreading accelerant before the blaze. The boy was arrested about 11pm the same day at a home in Merrylands, near Parramatta, and was treated for burns to his hands and legs.

Australia's headline inflation rate has accelerated to 4.3%, with underlying inflation at 3.6% annually to September. The Reserve Bank of Australia's preferred measure of underlying inflation rose to 3.7 per cent on an annual basis, exceeding economists' forecasts and remaining above the central bank's 2 to 3 per cent target range. Most economists expect another interest rate rise when the Reserve Bank meets on 3 November. The official cash rate already stands at 4.6%, its highest level in 15 years, after four increases this year.

A Tasmanian lawyer was ordered to pay $10,000 in legal costs after collaborating with a child sexual assault perpetrator to draft a medical expert report on the victim. The arrangement risked harming the victim's mental health through a biased brief.

Mazda USA has discontinued the CX-70 five-seat SUV from its lineup, with the model no longer continuing into the 2027 model year. The CX-70 will be replaced in the US by five-seat versions of the CX-90, which were previously available only in seven- and eight-seat configurations. Mazda Australia has confirmed the CX-70 will remain in Australian showrooms with no plans for removal, and it will also continue in Canada for 2027.

Social media videos believed to be produced with artificial intelligence and linked to Russia are misusing real people's names and photographs to spread disinformation about Democratic Senate candidates Sherrod Brown in Ohio and James Talarico in Texas. The videos target the candidates in the final stretch of midterm voting, demonstrating how foreign adversaries attempt to influence American voters on which party controls Congress.

Nearly 150 researchers from over 30 countries are calling for climate change to be declared a global health emergency, citing accelerating health harms. Heat-related deaths have surged dramatically since the 2015 Paris Agreement, with extreme heat responsible for over 710,000 fatalities in 2023. The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change, led by University College London and the World Health Organisation, found that health risks from global warming have escalated faster in the decade after Paris than before it.

The updated Chery Tiggo 4 features improved styling and a new turbocharged 1.5-litre hybrid engine that delivers strong performance. However, reviewers who sampled the new variant in China prefer the less expensive petrol model. Australian pricing for the turbo hybrid has not been announced, but the current hybrid commands a $6000 premium over the petrol-only version.

The Public Accounts Committee has branded the Sizewell C nuclear power station at Leiston, Suffolk, a 'terrible deal' for UK taxpayers. The committee warned that the project exposes taxpayers and consumers to significant financial risk while offering private investors protected profits. Estimated construction costs are between £40.5 billion and £47.7 billion, with full operation expected by 2039.

Scotland's renewable energy industry supported an estimated 49,200 jobs and generated £14.9 billion of economic output in 2024, according to research by the University of Strathclyde's Fraser of Allander Institute. Offshore wind provided the most employment with 18,800 jobs, followed by onshore wind with 17,825 jobs. Scottish Renewables called on the UK Government to back Scotland's renewable pipeline ahead of the autumn Budget and remove barriers to investment.

Animal welfare concern reports have soared by almost 175% in a year, according to the USPCA charity. The organisation received 327 reports between April and September 2026, up from 119 in the same period in 2025, comprising 200 animal welfare reports and 127 from investigative activity. Neglect was the most frequently reported issue, accounting for 92 cases, with suspected malnourishment and alleged mistreatment also common. Dogs featured in 42% of reports, while horses, ponies and donkeys accounted for nearly 30%.

A poll by More In Common found that 53 per cent of people in Northern Ireland believe Northern Ireland Secretary Sir Chris Bryant was right to ban the Drumcree parade on the Garvaghy Road in October. Nationalists and Alliance voters overwhelmingly supported the decision, while Protestants were divided: 54 per cent thought the ban was wrong, and 28 per cent that it was right. The online poll of 1,019 adults followed Sir Chris's intervention to block the parade after a stand-off with Garvaghy Road residents and large crowds of protesters.