TRANSCRIPT
- Inflation grows to 2.3 per cent for November.
- Australian politicians react to Meta abandoning fact-checking.
- In tennis, Nick Kyrgios' Australian Open return at risk after new injury.
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The Australian Bureau of Statistics has announced the inflation rate has risen up to 2.3 per cent in November, up by 0.2 per cent from a month prior.
It comes after consecutive drops to the consumer price index, which has seen it fall to the Reserve Bank's target range of between two to three percent.
Underlying inflation has seen a small drop, falling to 3.2 in November from the previously recorded 3.5.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers says these low figures are all due to the government's hard work.
“This means that headline inflation has now been in the Reserve Bank's target band for four months in a row, and it's been at the lower half of that target range for three months in a row for the first time since 2021. These new numbers are an important reminder of the very substantial and very sustained progress that we have made in the fight against inflation."
But Opposition Treasury spokesman Angus Taylor has accused the government of cherrypicking the data.
"This government is more interested in hiding inflation than fighting inflation. If you looks t the individual numbers, headline inflation is up for the month. Core inflation is stubbornly above three per cent. Well above where we need it to be."
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Australian politicians are reacting to an announcement from Mark Zuckerberg, owner of social media company Meta, that the platforms will abandon their fact-checking processes.
The billionaire tycoon says the move will be rolled out in the United States first across company's social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram.
Fact-checkers are set be replaced with community notes, a feature used on the Elon Musk-owned platform, X.
The decision has raised fears about the potential spread of fake news across the platform.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has called for the government to create new laws that will force social media companies to abide by the nation's rules on misinformation.
"(It) really shows the urgency for Australia to get on with legislating a Duty of Care on tech platforms. These big tech platforms must have a responsibility to make their online spaces safe for everyone. Not just young people, not just older people, not just women, not just men, but for everybody."
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Panama's Foreign Affairs Minister says the nation has no interest in negotiating over the ownership of its world-famous canal.
It comes after recent statements by US President-elect Donald Trump who said he would use 'any means necessary' for his country to acquire the popular trade route.
But the Panamanian Foreign Minister Javier Martinez-Acha has stressed that the waterway will always be part of his country.
"Our canal's sovereignty is not negotiable and is part of our history of struggle and an irreversible conquest. Our canal has the mission to serve humanity and its trade. That is one of the values that Panamanians offer to the world, giving guarantee to the international community not to take part, nor be an active part of any conflict. The only hands that control the canal are Panamanian, and it will continue to be so."
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Western Australian police have launched an investigation into the cause that led to a plane crash in Rottnest Island.
Three people, including the 34-year-old pilot were instantly killed in the crash, with the other two being a 65-year-old Swiss woman and a 60-year-old man from Denmark.
The privately-owned plane was carrying seven people in total, with the four remaining passengers being pulled from the water.
Three of them were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Western Australian Premier Roger Cook has praised the efforts of those who aided the survivors.
"Every Western Australian knows that Rottnest is our premier tourism destination. For something so tragic to happen in front of so many people, at a place that provides so much joy, especially at this time of the year, is deeply upsetting. I want to formerly acknowledge all members of the public on several private vessels that were in the area and acted immediately to help."
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In tennis,
Nick Kyrgios' return to the Grand Slams could be facing a major setback after the Australian suffered an abdominal injury.
The 29-year-old is gearing up to make his grand return in next week's Australian Open.
Kyrgios has already taken part in the Brisbane International in which he participated in the doubles tournament with Serbian ace Novak Djokovic.
The former world number 13 was set to appear in another exhibition event on Thursday alongside the multi-time Grand Slam winner.
But in a post on Instagram, Kyrgios has said he has suffered an injury and has been ruled out of the game.
He says he remains hopeful he will be able to return to full fitness in time for the Australian Open, with round one set to begin on Sunday.
