Friday, 6 November 2026today, still filling

The Big Bash League's leading run-scorer Chris Lynn has had a one-month drugs ban revealed two months after serving it. The 36-year-old tested positive for cocaine's metabolite benzoylecgonine during England's T20 Blast finals in July, which he helped Northamptonshire win. Lynn admitted to using the drug days earlier and successfully argued the use was an out-of-competition violation unrelated to sporting performance, receiving a ban backdated to July 31 to August 30.

Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault on a nurse at Thomas Embling Hospital in Fairfield, Victoria, which occurred on Monday. The alleged assault is believed to have been carried out by a patient at the facility, which treats people found not guilty of serious violent crimes due to mental illness. WorkSafe Victoria is also making inquiries into the incident.

Rohingya Muslim refugees who fled persecution in Myanmar now struggle to belong in Malaysia, a Muslim-majority country that does not legally recognize refugees. Around 700,000 Rohingya fled a military crackdown in 2017, with about 126,000 now registered with the UN refugee agency in Malaysia. The challenges extend beyond immigration status, as many struggle to practise their faith and find belonging.

Virgin Australia is reopening its exclusive Beyond Lounge service in Perth early next year, a service that closed during the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline is also undertaking a multimillion-dollar refurbishment of its Brisbane domestic lounge, to be completed by mid-2027, which will add 100 seats and include new furniture and upgraded facilities. Chief executive Dave Emerson said the investments reflect the importance of the lounge experience to frequent business travellers.

Anthropic may struggle to proceed with its planned November IPO as potential investors raise doubts about the proposed $US1.5 trillion valuation. Following a sharp technology stocks selloff and geopolitical uncertainty, investors are demanding more attractive terms and a bigger discount to commit to the offering. The company has reported quarterly losses and made large commitments to AI partners.

Japan's Nikkei stock benchmark tumbled more than 6% when trading opened on Friday. The decline followed a widespread sellout of artificial intelligence-related stocks on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 fell 4.4% on Thursday, its worst day since April 2025.

Asia's tech-heavy markets fell sharply on Friday as fear of regulatory scrutiny and a slowdown in AI development triggered the steepest fall in US stocks since 2023. South Korea's KOSPI dropped more than 8 per cent, halting trading for 20 minutes, while Japan's Nikkei fell 5 per cent. The Nasdaq sank 5.5 per cent and $3 trillion was wiped off S&P 500 companies as investors worried that Democrats, who swept midterm elections this week, will apply the brakes to the AI boom.

Port Augusta City Council is seeking clarification from Firmus Technologies and the South Australian government over a proposed 1300-megawatt data centre in the mid north. The council has raised several concerns including water usage, noise pollution and potential impacts on road infrastructure. The company says the development would use 345 megalitres of water annually, with greater demand during hot weather.

Australia's Competition and Consumer Commission has been tasked with developing nationally consistent safety rules for e-bikes and other e-micromobility devices as part of a $4.3 million safety initiative. Assistant Productivity Minister Andrew Leigh said injuries and fatalities from e-bikes cost the economy at least $28 million annually, with the new standards aimed at addressing dangerous devices described as 'motorbikes with a battery'.

The new-generation BMW iX3 electric SUV has received a price increase of $2,600 just four months after launching in Australia. The iX3 50 xDrive M Sport is now priced at $112,500 before on-road costs, up from $109,900 announced in March 2026. BMW said the increase reflects market conditions and portfolio positioning, with no equipment changes to the vehicle.

Sara Lee's one-litre ice cream tubs have disappeared from Coles and Woolworths shelves. Coles delisted the five-flavour range in October following a review of its ice cream range, while Woolworths stopped stocking it about two years ago. Sara Lee said the ice cream is now exclusively available at selected independent retailers. Shoppers expressed disappointment on social media, with some questioning the decision to delist an Australian-made product.

Keighley Albion look set to play in the Challenge Cup for the first time in 25 years. The club, which won the National Community Rugby League Yorkshire A title in 2026, revealed the news in a now-deleted Facebook post that included tournament dates the RFL had not yet announced. The post stated the round one draw would take place on 30 November, with matches played on 16–17 January.

Socceroos veteran Awer Mabil has stated he is happy to travel to the Middle East for friendlies against Qatar in Doha and Jordan in Amman next week, despite some players being reluctant to go. The trips come after the Asian Football Confederation postponed the Asian Cup from January to December 2027 following an attack on Riyadh airport by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Mabil, 31, said he trusts the Football Federation's security measures and views selection as an honour regardless of location.

Coles has halved its chief executive's short-term bonus to $800,055, from $1.6m, following a series of scandals and falling sales. The supermarket fell behind rival Woolworths for the first time in almost two years on a sales basis, wiping $2bn from its value. The board cited worker underpayments and a misleading marketing case in the Federal Court as factors in the pay cut.

Two motorcyclists were seriously injured in separate crashes in Arizona on Thursday. One crash occurred near Ray Road and McClintock Drive in Chandler around 3:30 p.m., involving a motorcycle and a car; the motorcyclist was hospitalized with serious injuries while the car driver sustained minor injuries and declined hospital treatment. Another crash happened near 22nd and Kolb in Tucson around 1:45 p.m., leaving a motorcyclist seriously injured. KOLD reports this was the tenth serious motorcycle crash in southern Arizona in just over a month, with a fatal motorcycle crash in Oro Valley occurring hours after the Tucson incident.

Sir Mark Rowley, head of the Metropolitan Police, will warn that policing is 'heading for failure' without urgent reform. He is proposing to replace the current structure of 43 forces with eight to ten regional police forces, supported by local policing commands and a new National Police Service tackling the most serious crimes. Sir Mark argues that organised crime groups, fraud networks and cyber-criminals increasingly operate across borders, while current police structures remain locally organised. He says merging forces would reduce duplication and free up thousands of roles for frontline policing.

China's GWM will launch the Haval Jolion Max SUV in Australia in the first quarter of 2027 with both electric and plug-in hybrid versions. The EV model will feature a 58kWh battery with approximately 400 kilometres of driving range and 150kW of power, while the PHEV will have a 19kWh battery offering about 100 kilometres of electric driving and 240kW of engine power. Both versions will be front-wheel drive only and sold in Lux and Ultra trim levels, positioned between the existing Jolion Hybrid and H6 PHEV models.

GWM Australia has confirmed its first V8-powered model will arrive in 2027 without plug-in hybrid technology. Chief operating officer John Kett said the model will be a pure V8. The company is expected to bring the Tank 700 off-road SUV to Australia, which GWM global chairman Jack Wei said will offer a V8 engine to meet demand from markets including Australia and New Zealand, reversing the trend towards electrification in China.

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway staged Forged, a theatrical event during Bonfire Night. Passengers boarded a steam train at the recently-restored Grade II listed Keighley station after dark, with carriage lights dimmed to red and an actor playing a superstitious railway fitter explaining they were bound for the Forge. As the train climbed towards Oxenhope, the Furnace Crew visited passengers with spooky railway tales and local history. The event concluded at Oxenhope Carriage Shed, the southern terminus, where passengers were greeted by a stern-looking railwayman.

Property website Zoopla has identified more than 30 towns across the UK where homes can be bought for less than two years' household earnings. Across 929 towns analysed, the typical home costs £299,100, equivalent to 4.3 times annual household earnings. Shildon in County Durham was named the most affordable town, with homes costing 1.15 times two full-time annual wages.

Ellis Feldon, a baby from North Devon, has been diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, a rare genetic blood disorder that almost exclusively affects boys. His parents Matt and Caitlin are seeking a stem cell donor to give him a transplant, but no suitable matches currently exist on the international register. The condition impairs the body's ability to fight infection and causes symptoms including severe eczema, easy bruising, bloody diarrhoea and prolonged bleeding.

The Public Accounts Committee has warned the Crown Estate should prohibit sub-letting as standard, following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's rental income from cottages at his former Royal Lodge home. The committee found the Crown Estate did not learn specific lessons from the Royal Lodge arrangement and was reluctant to explain how it would apply them. MPs also called for the Royal Household to establish consistent rent-setting policies after Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie adjusted rents based on outdated valuations.

UK shopper footfall fell 4.7% year-on-year in October, worsening from a 2.9% drop in September, as stormy weather and rising household costs combined to deter consumers. High streets were hit hardest with visits down 5.2%, while retail parks fell 3.6% and shopping centres 4.1%. Wales saw the steepest decline at 6.3%, followed by England at 4.6%, Scotland at 4.3% and Northern Ireland at 3.1%.