‘Conflicts of interest’ behind Australian parliamentary official’s $315k retirement payment, report finds

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Barrister finds ‘multiple procedural failures’ in payment to Cate Saunders, who had ‘close’ relationship with former DPS secretary

An independent “fact-finding mission” into a $315,126 retirement payment to a senior parliamentary department official has found “multiple procedural failures” including overpayment, a disregard for specialist advice and “excessive pressure” applied in the payment’s timing.

The report by Sydney barrister Fiona Roughley SC, released Thursday, found there were “conflicts of interest” and “conflicted persons” within the Department of Parliamentary Services involved in the decision-making process.

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From protest laws to deaths in custody, Minns’ rush to claim the conservative high ground is clumsy and costly

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At almost every opportunity, the NSW premier chooses a conservative path: get the cops on side and let nobody fault Labor’s toughness on crime. It’s not working

There is a lesson for Chris Minns in the NSW supreme court’s declaration that police powers to deal with protesters near places of worship are invalid: laws curtailing civil liberties should never be rushed.

They should certainly not be pushed through in an atmosphere of panic and incomplete facts such as existed in the fevered days after the now notorious Dural caravan incident.

Anne Davies is Guardian Australia’s NSW state correspondent

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Queensland’s 10-cent container refund scheme referred to crime and corruption commission

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Parliamentary inquiry into Containers for Change recycling program reveals allegations of bullying and conflicts of interest

Ten allegations against Queensland’s container recycling scheme have been referred to the state’s corruption watchdog after a parliamentary inquiry on Thursday revealed allegations of bullying and conflicts of interest.

A parliamentary committee revealed claims that the board coordinating the state’s Containers for Change is “dominated” by Coca-Cola and Lion, with several submissions to the inquiry claiming that the two beverage companies have an incentive to reduce the number of containers being recycled in order to lower their costs.

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Nestlé to axe 16,000 jobs as new chief targets sales growth

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Almost 6% of global workforce will be cut over next two years, including 12,000 white-collar professionals

Nestlé has said it will cut 16,000 jobs over the next two years as the owner of KitKat and Nescafé attempts to reduce costs and increase sales.

The Swiss-headquartered multinational said the cuts would include 12,000 white-collar professionals and 4,000 in its manufacturing and supply chain, close to 6% of Nestlé’s global workforce.

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The Long Road to Peace and Trump’s Short Attention Span – The Bulwark

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  1. The Long Road to Peace and Trump’s Short Attention Span  The Bulwark
  2. What Donald Trump gets right in the Middle East  The Economist
  3. To Democrats, Trump is Hitler. To Israel, the president's a hero. What gives? | Opinion  USA Today
  4. Brooks and Capehart on Trump’s focus on reaching the Gaza peace deal  PBS
  5. Column | Trump declares a new ‘dawn’ in Middle East. It could be a false one.  The Washington Post
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Three Australians accused of premeditated murder in Bali villa could face the death penalty

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Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was fatally gunned down in a Bali villa in June

Three Australians accused of shooting a Melbourne man in a Bali villa are set to be charged with premeditated murder, an offence punishable by the death sentence.

Melbourne man Zivan Radmanovic, 32, was fatally gunned down in the bathroom of Villa Casa Santisya near Munggu Beach, in Bali’s Badung district in June.

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Australians took more than $1.4bn from their super last year for everything from weight loss to dental work

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Watchdog says some business and practitioners are taking advantage of the compassionate release of superannuation process

Australians withdrew more than $1.4bn from their superannuation accounts for compassionate reasons in the last financial year, with much of that used to fund medical procedures ranging from dental work to weight loss treatments.

Of the 112,400 applications in 2024-25 for compassionate super access, 93,500 were made on medical grounds, up from 71,900 the year prior. There was a particularly sharp rise in applications to use superannuation to fund dental services, with the number doubling in two years to 32,875 requests.

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Australia’s rainforests are releasing more carbon than they absorb, warn scientists – BBC

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  1. Australia's rainforests are releasing more carbon than they absorb, warn scientists  BBC
  2. Australian tropical rainforest trees switch in world first from carbon sink to emissions source  The Guardian
  3. Aboveground biomass in Australian tropical forests now a net carbon source  Nature
  4. One of Earth’s most vital carbon sinks is faltering. Can we save it?  New Scientist
  5. Australia's tropical trees emit more carbon than they absorb: study  Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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Hamas accuses Israel of breaching ceasefire by ‘killing at least 24 people’ since Friday – as it happened – The Guardian

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  1. Hamas accuses Israel of breaching ceasefire by ‘killing at least 24 people’ since Friday – as it happened  The Guardian
  2. LIVE: Aid ‘critically low’ in Gaza a week into ceasefire amid Israeli delay  Al Jazeera
  3. Israel, Hamas trade blame over truce violations amid delay in return of dead hostages  Reuters
  4. Two said killed by Israeli fire in north Gaza; IDF: suspects crossed ‘Yellow Line’  The Times of Israel
  5. Israel’s Mounting Ceasefire Violations in Gaza  The Intercept
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‘Gen Z’ protesters lead global wave of generational discontent – AP News

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  1. ‘Gen Z’ protesters lead global wave of generational discontent  AP News
  2. Frustrated Gen Z Threatens to Topple African Governments  The New York Times
  3. The Gen-Z Movement: This is why we’re risking our lives to protest  Amnesty International
  4. Is Gen Z Reshaping Africa’s Political Landscape?  Foreign Policy Research Institute
  5. Young people around the world are leading protests against their governments  The Conversation
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Jim Bolger, former New Zealand prime minister who drove reconciliation with Māori, dies at 90

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Tributes flow from across political spectrum for man known for high ideals but also remembered for controversially slashing welfare and health spending

Former New Zealand prime minister Jim Bolger, whose political legacy was defined by his deep commitment to reconciliation with Māori as well as his brutal cuts to welfare and deregulation of the labour market, has died aged 90.

Bolger died peacefully surrounded by his wife, Joan, nine children and 18 grandchildren, his family said in a statement on Wednesday. Bolger suffered kidney failure last year and had been undergoing dialysis.

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A reward to Gazans for locating hostages’ bodies and the fear of ‘civil war’: This is what is happening in Gaza now – Ynetnews

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  1. A reward to Gazans for locating hostages' bodies and the fear of 'civil war': This is what is happening in Gaza now  Ynetnews
  2. As Gaza ceasefire hinges on returning remains, Waltz says U.S. to help find the missing, including Americans  CBS News
  3. Mediators said seeking pressure on Israel to advance Gaza talks before bodies returned  The Times of Israel
  4. Official: U.S. to offer cash rewards to Gaza civilians for helping locate hostage remains  Haaretz
  5. Israel, US and Arab Partners Launch Task Force To Recover Bodies of Deceased Hostages  The Media Line
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US may take strategic stakes in rare earths companies to tackle China ‘power grab’

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Treasury secretary Scott Bessent raises possibility of taking more direct stakes in companies to protect national security in wake of Beijing’s curbs on rare earths exports

The Trump administration has criticised China’s increased restrictions on rare earth exports as a threat to global supply chains, and said it would seek to tighten control over strategic sectors by taking more stakes in key companies to counter Beijing.

Treasury secretary Scott Bessent told an event on Wednesday that China’s dramatic new restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets demonstrated the need for the US to be self-sufficient in critical materials or rely more on trusted allies.

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Xi directs quashing of Chinese feminists even as he praises advances at women’s conference – The Guardian

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  1. Xi directs quashing of Chinese feminists even as he praises advances at women’s conference  The Guardian
  2. China Hosts a Summit on Women’s Rights, While Stifling Activism  The New York Times
  3. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun’s Regular Press Conference on October 9, 2025  fmprc.gov.cn
  4. Ghana's former First Lady hails China's leadership in women's empowerment  People's Daily
  5. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous concludes the official visit to the People’s Republic of China, strengthens global partnerships for gender equality and women’s empowerment  UN Women Asia and the Pacific
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French Socialist party to fight for wealth tax as it seeks to capitalise on crisis

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Party has promised to stand back as weakened prime minister prepares for crucial no-confidence vote

The French Socialist party says it will fight to introduce a flagship wealth tax to raise revenue by targeting France’s richest people, as the divided parliament prepares to begin debating next year’s budget.

Boris Vallaud, the head of the Socialist party grouping in parliament, said on Wednesday that taxing very high-wealth individuals in France was “one of our principal battles and we’re going to put all our energy into it”.

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Agnes Wanjiru’s niece urges Labour to extradite ex-soldier while still in power

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Esther Njoki says family has seen ‘big change’ under Labour, after long fight for justice over aunt’s 2012 death in Kenya

The niece of Agnes Wanjiru, who was killed in Kenya, said she hopes the former British soldier charged with her aunt’s murder will be extradited while the Labour government is still in power.

On her first trip outside Kenya, Esther Njoki travelled to London, where she was invited to parliament to meet the defence secretary, John Healey, whom she urged not to delay the potentially years-long extradition process.

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