Million-dollar public servants: 11 staff at Australia’s Future Fund paid significantly more than the PM

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One executive received a $1.5m package last year, while 10 other staff received remuneration exceeding $1m each

Nearly a dozen federal public servants were paid more than $1m last year, with one receiving a $1.5m package worth more than double Anthony Albanese’s base salary.

The generous remuneration – which includes bonuses and allowances – has been criticised as insulting during a cost-of-living crisis and amid job cuts across the public service.

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Anthropic pushes for opt-out model for Australian content as ABC warns of ‘cannibalisation’ of news

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Maker of Claude claims AI could transform economy but ABC and SBS say the technology should be subject to media regulations

AI giant Anthropic has urged the Albanese government to consider giving “conditional approval” for big tech to train its models on Australian copyrighted works under an opt-out model, after conceding it won’t secure a blanket copyright exemption.

But Australia’s public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, have strongly criticised AI firms, calling on the government to enact strict new rules to compensate media organisations and protect public interest journalism.

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EU turns page on Ukraine’s $27bn deficit, says all needs are covered – Euronews.com

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  1. EU turns page on Ukraine's $27bn deficit, says all needs are covered  Euronews.com
  2. Ukraine’s war chest is running low at the worst possible moment  politico.eu
  3. EU Shuts Door to Early Loan Payout for Kyiv and Demands Reform  Bloomberg.com
  4. Ukraine's 2026 budget, defence needs are covered, EU says  Reuters
  5. Ukraine Races to Finish 25 More Resolutions by Oct. 15 or Risk Losing Part of $29.5B in Foreign Aid  Kyiv Post
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Global bond sell-off intensifies, as UK long-term borrowing costs pass 6%

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Fears that US deficit is unsustainable drive yields on Treasury bills and UK gilts to multi-decade highs

The turmoil in global bond markets has intensified amid fears the US deficit is reaching unsustainable levels, helping drive UK long-term borrowing costs to a 28-year high.

The threat of a renewed round of inflation from the persistently high cost of oil has spooked investors, who believe central banks will be forced to raise interest rates in the coming months to prevent price increases from becoming embedded.

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Japan Raises Residency Fees 2,000 Percent Amid ‘Anxiety’ Over Foreigners – The New York Times

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  1. Japan Raises Residency Fees 2,000 Percent Amid ‘Anxiety’ Over Foreigners  The New York Times
  2. Japan officially overhauls permanent residency rules  japantimes.co.jp
  3. Japan’s Takaichi Touts Sweeping Changes in Immigration Rules  Bloomberg.com
  4. Japan's harsher permanent residency rules, hiked visa fees begin, sparking xenophobia worries  毎日新聞
  5. Japan raises permanent residency fee by 20 times  bbc.com
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Russia targets busy bridge in central Kyiv – bbc.com

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  1. Russia targets busy bridge in central Kyiv  bbc.com
  2. Russian air strikes hit Southern Bridge in Kyiv again, mayor says  Reuters
  3. Kyiv closes Pivdennyi and Paton bridges after Russian attack, restricts traffic on Metro Bridge  Українська правда
  4. Two Drone Strikes Hit Kyiv’s South Bridge, Metro and Surface Traffic Suspended  Kyiv Post
  5. Russian drones once more hit key bridge in central Kyiv, damage reported  The Kyiv Independent
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Finnish PM says suspected break-ins at MPs’ homes could be work of foreign power

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Police investigating reports of politicians’ homes being broken into in last year with nothing being stolen

The Finnish prime minister, Petteri Orpo, has said a foreign power could be responsible for a series of suspected break-ins at the homes of several members of parliament.

Police said on Thursday they were investigating multiple reports of MPs’ homes being broken into in the Helsinki area in the last year in which nothing was stolen but subtle signs of breaking and entering were left.

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Jet-powered drones outpace Ukrainian defenses as manufacturers race to build new interceptors – AP News

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  1. Jet-powered drones outpace Ukrainian defenses as manufacturers race to build new interceptors  AP News
  2. Ukraine rolls out drone-stopping razor fence to thwart attacks  newscientist.com
  3. Ukraine’s Air Defenses Have No Answer for Russia’s New Jet Drones  IEEE Spectrum
  4. Zelenskyy expects 400 jet-powered drone interceptors to be produced in October, but their effectiveness varie  pravda.com.ua
  5. Ukraine's interceptor tech outpaced by Russia’s jet-powered Geran-5 drones  The Kyiv Independent
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Russia expels Hungarian diplomats as Budapest breaks with Orbán era – Euronews.com

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  1. Russia expels Hungarian diplomats as Budapest breaks with Orbán era  Euronews.com
  2. Russia expels Hungarian diplomats in tit-for-tat move  Reuters
  3. Press release on retaliatory measures following the expulsion of Russian diplomats from Hungary  mid.ru
  4. Russia expels Hungarian diplomats, warns NATO of nuclear response to military buildup  PressTV
  5. Russia Expels ‘Group’ of Hungarian Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move  The Moscow Times
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Russia’s methodical use of starvation in Oleshky – The Kyiv Independent

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  1. Russia's methodical use of starvation in Oleshky  The Kyiv Independent
  2. Oleshky: How Russia Governs Through Humanitarian Decline  Institute for the Study of War
  3. Ukraine uses drones to deliver food to Russian-occupied Oleshky  Reuters
  4. Russian troops confiscate Ukrainian drone-delivered food in occupied Oleshky as civilians injured by mines while fleeing, officials say  The Kyiv Independent
  5. Food, medicine shortages deepen in Russian-occupied Oleshky  Yahoo
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Social media harms democracy by spreading rumors, survey shows – Reuters

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  1. Social media harms democracy by spreading rumors, survey shows  Reuters
  2. Across the Globe, People Increasingly Say Social Media Is Harming Democracy  Pew Research Center
  3. Pew survey finds Americans remain unusually negative about social media and democracy  fingerlakes1.com
  4. Concerns about social media’s negative impact are growing  Social Media Today
  5. 23% Indians Believe Social Media Is 'Bad' For Democracy; Lower Than Global Average: Pew Survey  NDTV Profit
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Tourette syndrome campaigner John Davidson to watch Bafta Scotland awards in separate ‘relaxed’ space

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Decision follows independent review into handling of February ceremony, where his involuntary tics caused a BBC crisis

John Davidson, the Tourette syndrome campaigner whose outburst at the British Academy film awards in February led to a crisis for Bafta (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and the BBC, will attend the Bafta Scotland awards and watch the ceremony from a separate “relaxed” space.

In a letter sent to Bafta members on Thursday, the organisation’s chair Sara Putt and CEO Jane Millichip said that, after an independent review, Bafta had “strengthened and centralised our safeguarding, risk assessment and compliance processes” and had made arrangements in consultation with “safeguarding and inclusion experts” for Davidson’s attendance at the awards ceremony organised by Bafta’s Scottish branch, which is due to take place in November.

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Trump and his allies credit deportations with record low crime. Experts disagree

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Administration says increased immigration enforcement led to fewer homicides, but they have been on the decline since Joe Biden’s term

Over the last year and a half, the US has seen a historic drop in homicides. Researchers and reporters are still puzzling through the complex set of reasons why - from the easing of pandemic-era stressors and the Biden administration’s investments in community-based violence prevention to policing and other factors.

But for the Trump administration, there’s one easy explanation: increased immigration enforcement. As the midterm elections approach, the White House has been doubling down on this message, saying its crackdown against immigrants is why US crime rates are now falling.

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Viral Google Maps Images Shared Widely This Week Show Gaza Ruins. We Obtained More Recent Satellite Imagery – Bellingcat

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  1. Viral Google Maps Images Shared Widely This Week Show Gaza Ruins. We Obtained More Recent Satellite Imagery  Bellingcat
  2. New Google Maps images reveal massive scale of devastation in Gaza  The Guardian
  3. Satellite images show Gaza in ruins three years into Israel’s genocidal war  Al Jazeera
  4. Gaza before and after: New Google Maps imagery shows destruction of the Strip  EL PAÍS English
  5. Satellite Images Show Scale of Gaza Devastation After Years of Israeli Strikes  Haaretz
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Police dismantle KillSec ransomware gang allegedly led by 16-year-old – bleepingcomputer.com

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  1. Police dismantle KillSec ransomware gang allegedly led by 16-year-old  bleepingcomputer.com
  2. Police Arrest 16-Year-Old Suspected of Running KillSec, Seize Ransomware Leak Site and Servers  The Hacker News
  3. Teenagers suspected of leading ransomware group arrested during international operation  eurojust.europa.eu
  4. Europol: Leader of 'KillSec' Ransomware Group Is a 16-Year-Old  Yahoo
  5. Police Shut Down KillSec Ransomware, Identify Alleged Teen Leader  SecurityWeek
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