Source : the age
Welcome to the national news live blog for today, Thursday, October 29. Here’s a look at today’s biggest stories:
- At least 68 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in Spain after two high-speed trains crashed south of Madrid. The two trains, departing Madrid six minutes apart, were carrying 500 passengers combined, at the time. Officials have warned the death toll could rise, as rescue workers scour the crash site. Spain will enter three days of mourning.
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The man accused of running down Helen Haines claims he had no grudge against the politician and that striking her repeatedly with his car was entirely accidental. Two sources familiar with the case, but unable to speak publicly, said Nugent has said he never intended to drive into Haines and that his behaviour at the scene was caused by panic. Haines, 65, is in a serious but stable condition after losing both legs in the attack.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is under renewed pressure after inflation rose in September, all but guaranteeing another cash rate rise on Melbourne Cup Day. The 4.3 per cent headline inflation rate, and 3.6 per cent underlying measure, were described by Reserve Bank deputy governor Andrew Hauser as too high. The Reserve Bank has lifted rates four times this year, with another threatening to lift the cash rate to an 18-year high of 4.85 per cent on Tuesday.
The prime minister is urging the Senate to get behind Labor’s digital duty of care, which passed the lower house yesterday.
“It is vital that this get the support of the Senate,” Albanese said at a press conference in Canberra, where he also touted Labor’s budget tax reforms and gas reservation scheme, also working their way through parliament.
He said the digital duty of care would make big tech accountable for the content on their platforms, and empower Australians to have control over what they see on their phones.
Albanese said the EU free trade agreement was also on the agenda this week, which he argued would increase supply and put downward pressure in prices.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino has defended the ATO after the commissioner conceded the tax office failed to adequately consult small business before announcing its credit card ban.
Labor was forced to intervene and delay the ban after the tax office caught businesses off guard by saying they would not be able to pay their tax bills with credit cards, after the Reserve Bank banned passing on surcharges to customers.
Taxation Commissioner Rob Heferen told Senate estimates last night that it should have consulted small business more before the announcement.
“The commissioner gave very thoughtful and forthright evidence last night. I think the situation was a complex one,” Mulino told Radio National.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino said the government was already acting on grocery prices, after Labor backbencher Ed Husic said the government should consider introducing price caps on basic grocery items such as eggs and milk.
“We just can’t have this profiteering in the system and not have any sort of action,” Husic, a former minister, told ABC TV yesterday.
Mulino pointed to Labor’s grocery code of conduct and boosting of the ACCC’s powers to crack down on price gouging.
“There’s a whole range of measures that we’ve taken, and that’s an approach that I think is very much to the advantage of consumers,” he told Radio National.
Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino has defended the government’s record on inflation, saying the ongoing conflict in Iran was continuing to drive up fuel prices.
“We’re seeing higher inflation than expected right across the advanced economy world, so Australia is not immune from that,” he told Radio National.
“You look at automotive fuel prices having gone up over 9 per cent in the last quarter and over 23 per cent over the last year, so that’s the primary driver.”
Mulino said Australia’s low unemployment rate made the country more susceptible to higher inflation compared with other nations.
“A lot of other economies have not been anywhere near as successful as Australia in terms of their labour market outcomes. We’ve managed to navigate this global economic inflationary impulse with very strong employment growth, around 1.3 million jobs created during the course of the government.”
He said the government was delivering budget savings and would continue its “very responsible fiscal management”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is not aware of any Australians impacted by the train crash in Spain that has taken at least 68 lives and injured dozens more, Education Minister Jason Clare has confirmed.
“As you’d expect, we’ve got consular officials in Spain who stand ready to help any Australians or any Australian families if they are affected,” he told ABC TV moments ago.
“I think the whole country is in shock at the moment, seeing these images on our screens, [they’re] just horrific.”
The two trains, departing Madrid six minutes apart, were carrying 500 passengers combined, at the time. Officials have warned the death toll could rise, as rescue workers scour the crash site.
Independent MP Dai Le has encouraged Pauline Hanson to rein in party brass after it distributed controversial colouring books to children at shows in Brisbane and Mount Gambier.
The colouring books contained illustrations that appear to show Bluey and Robert Irwin being held at knifepoint, along with unflattering depictions of rival politicians. Hanson refused to address the book at a press conference yesterday, making a swift exit from the conference shortly after it was raised.
“Anything produced by the party has to be authorised by the leader, maybe she has to have a talk to her party, members and executives, and get them to really focus on cost of living, small business,” Le told Seven’s Sunrise moments ago.
“Let’s focus on what’s important for families, for small businesses and for the nation, at the moment.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced three days of national mourning following the deadly train crash, vowing to investigate the disaster and address any safety failures.
“All of Spain is in mourning,” Sánchez said during a televised address near the crash site south of Madrid.
He said the government would investigate the cause of the crash, which has killed at least 68 people, and take action if negligence or safety failures were uncovered.
“If there was negligence, we will find out,” Sánchez said, speaking after travelling to the crash site. “If there have been failures in the security system, we will respond decisively.”
The man accused of running down Helen Haines claims he had no grudge against the politician and that striking her repeatedly with his car was entirely accidental.
Haines, 65, is in a serious but stable condition at Melbourne’s Alfred hospital after losing both legs in the incident outside her Wangaratta electorate office on October 19.
Two sources familiar with the case, but unable to speak publicly, said Nugent has said he never intended to drive into Haines and that his behaviour at the scene was caused by panic.
The 43-year-old has also dismissed suggestions he may have held a grudge against Haines or her politics, saying he had previously voted for the House of Representatives member for the seat of Indi. She was first elected in 2019 and then re-elected in 2022 and 2025.
Welcome to the national news live blog for today, Thursday, October 29. Here’s a look at today’s biggest stories:
- At least 68 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in Spain after two high-speed trains crashed south of Madrid. The two trains, departing Madrid six minutes apart, were carrying 500 passengers combined, at the time. Officials have warned the death toll could rise, as rescue workers scour the crash site. Spain will enter three days of mourning.
-
The man accused of running down Helen Haines claims he had no grudge against the politician and that striking her repeatedly with his car was entirely accidental. Two sources familiar with the case, but unable to speak publicly, said Nugent has said he never intended to drive into Haines and that his behaviour at the scene was caused by panic. Haines, 65, is in a serious but stable condition after losing both legs in the attack.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is under renewed pressure after inflation rose in September, all but guaranteeing another cash rate rise on Melbourne Cup Day. The 4.3 per cent headline inflation rate, and 3.6 per cent underlying measure, were described by Reserve Bank deputy governor Andrew Hauser as too high. The Reserve Bank has lifted rates four times this year, with another threatening to lift the cash rate to an 18-year high of 4.85 per cent on Tuesday.
