Inflation has jumped to 3.2% in the year to September, from 2.1% in June, as waning government subsidies feed through to a spike in household power bills. Any lingering chance of a rate cut next Tuesday – or potentially this year – was squashed after the Australian Bureau of Statistics figures also confirmed the first rise in underlying inflation in …

The first “tipping point” for the Earth has been reached, according to an international report from 160 scientists in 23 countries. Tipping points occur when environmental changes and impacts become difficult to reverse. The world’s warm water coral reefs are the first of 25 vulnerable Earth systems to have reached a tipping point, according to the Global Tipping Points Report. They’ve …

The world’s warm water corals, including at the Ningaloo Reef in WA, are under pressure of dieback from global warming. In short: The latest Global Tipping Points Report suggests the world’s coral reefs are at risk of mass dieback. More than 80 per cent of coral reefs worldwide have bleached in a marine heatwave in the past two years. What’s next? …

The internet seems unamused with a bizarre selfie of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and US President Donald Trump taken during a quick catch-up in New York. Albanese posted the picture to social media after snatching a moment with Trump at the US president’s welcome reception for world leaders attending the United Nations General Assembly. The prime minister and Trump came …

Who do you call when you’re stuck in a traffic jam? For Emmanuel Macron, the obvious answer was Donald Trump. The French President, who is in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly meeting, found himself trapped behind the US presidential motorcade on Monday night. He got out of his car to speak with a New York Police …

Australians wanting to buy their first home are about to find that already-tricky task even more difficult, with house prices set to rise by as much as $154,000 by the end of next year. Westpac has forecast that dwelling prices will increase by 6 per cent this calendar year before a further 8 per cent hike in 2026, thanks in part …

US President Donald Trump has not included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his 24-hour itinerary in New York for the UN General Assembly. Trump’s diary announcement all but confirms the two leaders will not have their first face-to-face meeting while Albanese in the US. However, Albanese has been invited to a “welcome reception” hosted by Trump for more than 100 …

The Albanese government will spend $12 billion on building a submarine and naval shipbuilding facility under AUKUS, as doubts linger over the agreement’s future. For months, the Trump administration has been pressuring Australia to lift defence spending, while the Pentagon reviews AUKUS against Donald Trump’s “America First” agenda. The government’s new multi-billion-dollar funding commitment, to be announced on Sunday, will support the …

Australia and Papua New Guinea’s military forces will become “totally integrated” as part of a landmark defence treaty between the two nations, the ABC can reveal. The major security agreement is expected to be signed on Monday, the day before Papua New Guinea marks 50 years of independence. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Defence Minister Richard Marles, Foreign Minister Penny …

The head of the authority that issues permits for working with children in New South Wales has been sacked after intervening to lift a ban despite a significant conflict of interest. Steve Kinmond was removed as the children’s guardian on after an inquiry found he failed to disclose his frequent contact with a person whose interim bar he overturned. The …