Penny Wong responds to photo of Daniel Andrews in China
Sarah Basford Canales
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has weighed in on that photo of former Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, in Beijing in close proximity of dictators Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, along with leaders of Iran and Belarus.
Speaking from Tokyo this afternoon, the minister was asked what Andrews’ presence in the group shot did for Australia’s image and whether it played into Chinese propaganda.
Wong responded:
I don’t speak for private individuals, but I would so hope that we all should be mindful of the message that our presence and engagement sends, as I certainly am.
That photo. Photograph: Sergei Bobylev/APShare
Updated at 08.06 BST
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Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg says the markets have already decided net zero debate
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has said the net zero debate has already been “overcome” by the markets but has dodged questions on what the Coalition’s policy should be.
Bragg has been interviewed on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program today, where he was asked in detail about renewed debate within the Coalition over whether Australia should uphold its commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
A growing number of Coalition MPs have been agitating for the target to be dumped altogether, as the opposition’s internal tussle over the climate crisis continues.
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
Bragg would not answer directly when asked on the ABC this afternoon whether his message to his party was that Australia should stick to its net zero pledge, saying:
Well, Australia is a serious country. We take our international obligations seriously but we also want to protect domestic industry and Australians.
There is a good way to do net zero and there is a bad way to do net zero and Labor is taking us on the bad path and we should adopt a smart way which protects industry, which respects regional communities and is cognisant of our economic and environmental obligations.
He said the debate on having net zero was “overcome in the sense that the capital markets had made up their mind” and:
That’s why the former Coalition government signed Australia up, because this is where the world is going.
But there are different views on how you can achieve that, and that’s a debate that we having.
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Updated at 08.21 BST
Patrick Commins
S&P Global Ratings downgrades ACT’s credit rating and projects $19.7bn of debt in 2028
S&P Global Ratings has downgraded the ACT’s credit rating, which it has blamed on the territory’s ballooning debt and deficits.
In a major indictment of chief minister Andrew Barr’s fiscal management, the international agency cut its rating on the ACT’s debt to AA from AA+.
In its newly issued report, the agency said:
We expect (the) Australian Capital Territory’s operating accounts to remain in deficit until fiscal 2027 due to rising health costs.
Additionally, higher capital spending will weigh on overall cash deficits, driving the territory’s debt above that of all rated Australian states except Victoria.
Including these capital costs, deficits will reach 10% of total revenue over the coming two years, the report said.
That higher capital investment included “a new convention and entertainment center precinct, as well as an aquatic center”, with the prospect of further extensions to the light rail project threatening further damage to the budget.
The fiscal projections are grim.
S&P analysts forecast the ACT’s total debt will jump from $12.9bn in 2024 to $19.7bn in 2028.
And paying for this bigger debt pile will be a growing burden on the territory’s taxpayers.
Between the 2024 and 2028 financial years, interest costs will more than double to 8.8% of operating revenue, S&P said.
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Updated at 08.01 BST
NSW treasurer says Jacinta Price should apologise to Indian-Australian community
The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says the Indian-Australian community would welcome an apology from Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after her “utterly wrong” comments about their migration.
Price has sought to walk back inflammatory claims she made on ABC TV earlier this week that the federal Labor government was promoting migration by specific ethnic groups, including Indians, to grow its electoral support.
Mookhey has been asked about Price’s remarks in an interview on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program today after the Sydney Morning Herald published a story in which he condemned what the firebrand conservative senator had said.
Mookhey told the ABC:
I have made a statement and mainly because I am Australian of Indian heritage and maybe one of Australia’s most senior politicians who have Indian heritage.
I thought these comments were wildly insensitive. They were utterly wrong.
Mookhey said the Liberal party should rethink its decision to have Price headline a fundraising event in Sydney tonight, “in the wake of her rather divisive comments”.
Asked if he thought Price should apologise to the Indian community, Mookhey said:
I think the Australian Indian community would welcome that.
NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShare
Updated at 07.48 BST
Penny Wong responds to photo of Daniel Andrews in China
Sarah Basford Canales
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has weighed in on that photo of former Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, in Beijing in close proximity of dictators Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, along with leaders of Iran and Belarus.
Speaking from Tokyo this afternoon, the minister was asked what Andrews’ presence in the group shot did for Australia’s image and whether it played into Chinese propaganda.
Wong responded:
I don’t speak for private individuals, but I would so hope that we all should be mindful of the message that our presence and engagement sends, as I certainly am.
That photo. Photograph: Sergei Bobylev/APShare
Updated at 08.06 BST
Sarah Basford Canales
Richard Marles says Australia on track to finalise $10bn frigate deal with Japan by early next year
The defence minister, Richard Marles, says he expects Australia and Japan will finalise a $10bn deal to acquire three Mogami-class frigates by the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking in Tokyo following a defence and foreign ministers’ meeting this afternoon, Marles said the deal, announced last month, was a subject of the conversation today and that both sides were eager to settle the negotiations quickly.
The defence minister said he expected the first frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would be received by Australia in 2029.
Marles said:
This is really breaking new ground in terms of the defence industry cooperation between Australia and Japan. Japan is a technologically advanced economy, and we see that there are enormous opportunities across the defense industrial base here for us to cooperate more broadly on.
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Updated at 06.33 BST
Catie McLeod
Hi, I hope you’ve had a great day, wherever you are. I’ll be with you on the blog for the rest of the afternoon.
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Updated at 06.18 BST
Caitlin Cassidy
Shots allegedly fired in western Sydney
NSW police have provided an update after shots were allegedly fired in greater western Sydney today.
Just after 12pm, officers were called to Victor Street, Greystanes after reports of shots fired from a BMW towards a Suzuki Swift. The two vehicles then left the scene.
Police said a short time later, a man returned to the scene uninjured:
Initial inquires have led police to believe two people – including the man – were in the Suzuki Swift when the incident occurred. The man is currently assisting police with inquiries. A short time later, a BMW was located on fire on Targo Road, Toongabbie; and the Suzuki Swift was located with damage on Whalans Road, Greystanes.
The fire was extinguished by NSW Fire and Rescue officers. Police have established a crime scene at all three locations and investigations are underway.
There have been no reports of injuries.
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Updated at 06.20 BST
With that, I will pass the blog into the hands of Catie McLeod.
Thanks so much for reading.
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Skull formally identified as that of alleged SA murder victim
A skull found by a bushwalker has been formally identified as the missing remains of Julian Story, with a former reality TV star facing charges over his alleged murder.
Authorities had been searching for Story’s head since the 39-year-old’s dismembered body was discovered in the South Australian town of Port Lincoln on 19 June.
The skull was identified after it was discovered in scrubland by a person pursuing a wandering dog in the town on 31 July and underwent testing.
Police said the remains were forwarded to Forensic Science SA for a detailed scientific examination which confirmed the identity.
“Police extend their gratitude to the many members of the Port Lincoln community who have come forward with information to aid this investigation.”
Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser, 34, a former Beauty and the Geek contestant, has been charged with Story’s alleged murder.
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Updated at 06.25 BST
August weather data: wet in WA but southern states record well below average rainfall
Rainfall patterns across Australia in August varied dramatically in different parts of the country, the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update has revealed.
Western Australia recorded its wettest August since 2005, with area-averaged rainfall 67% above average, while New South Wales was 12% above average. But conditions were much drier further south. Tasmania had its driest August since 2014, with rainfall a third below average, while southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia also recorded well below-average falls.
Year-to-date rainfall deficiencies have eased in WA but persisted in the south-east. Long-term deficits in soil moisture and streamflow remain, particularly in Tasmania and Victoria. Streamflow at some southern sites was the lowest on record for August. Water storages in parts of the south and east are down by as much as 50% compared with this time last year.
The bureau noted that while above average winter rainfall has softened deficiencies in some regions, drought recovery requires many months of sustained rainfall to replenish deep soil moisture, groundwater and storages.
Looking ahead, the September–November outlook points to above-average rainfall for much of eastern Australia. Warmer than average days are likely in northern and south-eastern regions, with nights expected to be warmer across most of the country.
The bureau said climate trends show a long-term shift towards drier conditions across southern Australia during the cool season. Since 1994, April–October rainfall has been below the long-term average in 24 of the past 31 years.
Heavy rain in Sydney on 21 August 2025. Photograph: Steve Markham/AAPShare
Updated at 05.53 BST