NSW police continue search for alleged vandals of Sydney’s Anzac memorial
The cost of vandalism to the Sydney Anzac memorial has been estimated by police at around $10,000.
Addressing the media this afternoon, the chief inspector of the Sydney City Police Area Command, Gary Coffey, said CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly vandalised the memorial would be released to the public in an effort to apprehend them.
He said about 12.20pm on Thursday two unknown men believed to be in their 50s or 60s were captured on CCTV spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac memorial in Hyde Park.
He said police were contacted a few hours later and attended the scene, with CCTV showing more than 20 pictures that had been marked. Conservation experts have since taken a sample of the substance.
They made their way inside the memorial, walked around the memorial, appeared to have small bottles in their hands and they’ve deposited this oil based substance at various locations.
He said the damage was still visible on Friday, adding it would take time to restore the heritage-listed site.
We are absolutely desperate for someone in the community to identify these two individuals and make sure they’re held accountable for their actions.
The war memorial is a sacred site for our community and to do this is absolutely disgusting.
Key events
Sarah Basford Canales
Foreign affairs minister responds to controversial photo of Daniel Andrews in China
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 scenes, as I certainly am.
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.
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.
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.
With that, I will pass the blog into the hands of Catie McLeod.
Thanks so much for reading.
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.
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.
Atlassian to buy The Browser Company in $934m deal
The Australian-American tech giant Atlassian will acquire The Browser Company of New York – the startup behind the Arc and Dia browsers – in a deal worth about US$610m (A$934m). Atlassian shares fell about 2% after the announcement.
The companies plan to build what they call “the browser for knowledge work in the AI era”. Atlassian says Dia, The Browser Company’s AI-native browser, will be refocused for workplace use.
The New York-based startup’s Dia browser, which was launched earlier this year, faces tough competition from the likes of Nvidia-backed Perplexity’s Comet and Brave’s Leo.
Atlassian co-founder and co-chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes said “today’s browsers weren’t built for work, they were built for browsing”.
By combining The Browser Company’s passion for browsers with our understanding of knowledge workers, we see a huge opportunity to transform the way work gets done.
Dia will be designed to provide context across email, project management and design tools, while integrating AI features and personal memory.
The Browser Company, founded in 2020, has gained millions of users with Arc and Dia. Its co-founder Josh Miller said Atlassian’s reach would help them “move faster, dream bigger” in building an AI browser tailored for work.
Atlassian, which counts more than 300,000 customers including 80% of the Fortune 500, will fund the deal from cash reserves. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of its 2026 financial year, pending regulatory approvals.
Australians turning away from sugary drinks, ABS data shows
Fewer Australians are drinking sweetened drinks than a decade ago, new data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found.
James Eynstone-Hinkins, the ABS’s head of health statistics, said the data gave a comprehensive snapshot of Australia’s nutrition, including what we’re eating, our energy intakes and the types of diets we follow.
The proportion of people who drank sweetened beverages fell from 49.2% in 1995 to 42.2% in 2011–12 and then to 28.9% in 2023. Nearly three in four children drank sweetened beverages in 1995. This fell to one in four children in 2023.
Sweetened beverages are an example of “discretionary choices” in our diets, which are food and drinks that are high in energy, saturated fat, salt or sugar and have low levels of essential nutrients.
One-third of daily energy intake came from discretionary food and drinks in 2023, down from 35.4% in 2011–12, the data found.
Eynstone-Hinkins said the leading foods contributing to discretionary energy came from cereal-based mixed dishes, including foods such as burgers and pizza. This was also the most popular food group – eaten by more than half, or 52%, of people on a typical day.
The data also found almost one in eight households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, including 34% of lone parent family households.
One in four people 15 years and over were following a diet.
NSW police continue search for alleged vandals of Sydney’s Anzac memorial
The cost of vandalism to the Sydney Anzac memorial has been estimated by police at around $10,000.
Addressing the media this afternoon, the chief inspector of the Sydney City Police Area Command, Gary Coffey, said CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly vandalised the memorial would be released to the public in an effort to apprehend them.
He said about 12.20pm on Thursday two unknown men believed to be in their 50s or 60s were captured on CCTV spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac memorial in Hyde Park.
He said police were contacted a few hours later and attended the scene, with CCTV showing more than 20 pictures that had been marked. Conservation experts have since taken a sample of the substance.
They made their way inside the memorial, walked around the memorial, appeared to have small bottles in their hands and they’ve deposited this oil based substance at various locations.
He said the damage was still visible on Friday, adding it would take time to restore the heritage-listed site.
We are absolutely desperate for someone in the community to identify these two individuals and make sure they’re held accountable for their actions.
The war memorial is a sacred site for our community and to do this is absolutely disgusting.
Body found in search for missing diver off NSW coast
A body has been located during the search for a diver who was last seen off the mid north coast of New South Wales on Wednesday morning.
Just after 10.50am, emergency services were called to Myall Lakes national park at Seal Rocks after reports a spearfisherman hadn’t returned from water.
Police were told the 32-year-old man dived into the water near Skeleton Rock about 10.20am and failed to resurface.
Officers, with assistance from Marine Rescue NSW, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, NSW Ambulance and Surf Life Saving, began a multi-agency search to find the man.
About 11.30am today, police divers found the body of a man nearby. While yet to be formally identified, the body is believed to be that of the missing spearfisherman.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Shots fired in western Sydney, police say
A police operation is underway after shots were fires in Greystanes, a suburb in greater western Sydney, today.
Just after 12pm, officers were called to Victor Street after reports of shots fired from one car towards another.
The two vehicles then left the scene, police say:
Police are at the scene and inquiries are under way.
Members of the public are urged to avoid the area.
Man caught riding motorbike at 218km/hr in rural Queensland, police say
A man has been fined nearly $2,000 after he was caught riding a motorbike at 218km/h in a 100km/h zone on a highway in rural Queensland, police say.
Queensland police have issued a statement saying they stopped the 51-year-old yesterday afternoon in Warwick, a town about 130km south-west of Brisbane.
Police said they had allegedly observed him speeding on the 2025 BMW S1000RR motorcycle on the New England Highway south of Warwick in The Glen about 12.50pm.
The highway patrol officers who stopped the man fined him $1,919 and issued him with eight demerit points, police said.
The Warwick patrol group inspector, Kelly Hanlen, said:
There’s no excuse for travelling at excessive speed anywhere, any time but even more so on roads where there are several additional road hazards to deal with.
This includes road conditions like loose gravel and narrow lanes as well as wildlife encounters, reduced visibility from dust or fog, reduced lighting and increased risk of driver fatigue.
Hanlen said the incident coincided with rural road safety month, a national awareness campaign run in September by the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
Andrew Messenger
Brisbane park heritage listed ahead of 2032 Olympics
The entire inner-city Brisbane park set to host the 2032 Olympics has been heritage-listed by the Queensland Heritage Council.
Victoria Park will be home to two stadia, including the city’s biggest, built for the games. It was gazetted as a park in 1875, but most of the park spent the last century as a golf course. Part of the park had been listed already. The amendment expands its listing to cover the whole park.
The council judged that it should be listed under five different criteria including the aesthetics of its 1920s-era electric substation and its importance to Queensland’s history. The listing won’t prevent the stadium from being built.
The heritage council said it was satisfied that “while change is likely to occur at the place through the planned construction of the stadium … there is a reasonable probability the cultural heritage significance of the place can be conserved”.
Heritage law also no longer applies after the state government passed legislation in May to exempt Olympics venues from any heritage, planning or Indigenous heritage laws on the basis of urgency while also increasing planning regulation on windfarm development.
Vice-chancellor of University of Melbourne urged to sacrifice 10% of salary to save Meanjin
More than 700 people have signed an open letter requesting that the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne (UoM), Prof Emma Johnston, sacrifice 10% of her current salary to save the literary journal Meanjin.
After 85 years, Meanjin, run by the university’s subsidiary Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), will publish its final edition in December. Although the journal’s editor, Esther Anatolitis, worked her last day at Meanjin on Thursday, the spring and summer quarterly editions of the journal are already at the printers.
The letter, penned by novelist and poet Alan Fyfe, says writers and literary workers are “saddened and distressed by the closure of one of Australia’s longest standing literary journals, Meanjin”.
We understand the financial pressures of modern academies, and that thrift must be found somewhere. With this in mind, we approach you with a simple proposal: a small voluntary pay cut of 10% of your current salary would save the university $150,000, an ample amount to keep a literature journal running and publishing.
This would still leave you with the handsome payrate of $1,350,000 per annum; and with all accommodation and other expense perks intact. We understand that the job of Vice Chancellor of a leading university entails some hard work that deserves fair compensation. A 10% salary cut, however, would leave you still over $341,000 (converted to AUD) better off annually than the Vice Chancellor of The University of Cambridge.
Johnston was approached for comment.
Sydney’s Anzac Memorial allegedly damaged by two men
NSW police are appealing for information after alleged “malicious damage” to Sydney’s Anzac Memorial.
In a statement, police said about 12.20pm yesterday two unknown men were seen spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.
One man was seen to spray the substance on to the eastern walls and northern steps of the memorial, while the other man was seen to spray a substance on to the southern steps.
Shortly after, both men were seen to leave the Anzac Memorial and walk together in a northern direction through Hyde Park.
Officers from Sydney City Police Area Command have begun an investigation into the incident and have released images and CCTV vision of two men who might be able to assist with inquiries.
Both men are described as being Caucasian appearance, about 50-60 years old, one with a large build and black and grey hair and one with a solid build and shaved head.
Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce secures final $3.8m bonus
Jonathan Barrett
Alan Joyce has secured a final bonus worth $3.8m, two years after the prominent Qantas chief executive left the airline after a series of corporate decisions sparked a reputational crisis.
While Joyce’s various incentives were reduced due to several scandals occurring under his watch, the final payout was linked to a 2023-25 incentive plan that is now vesting.
The airline’s share price is at record highs, which has lifted the value of the incentive.
Qantas was previously found to have illegally sacked more than 1,800 workers, and agreed to pay a $100m civil penalty after striking a deal with the consumer watchdog for allegedly selling tens of thousands of tickets to flights that had already been cancelled in its system.
The airline lodged its annual report today, which showed that his successor, Vanessa Hudson, received $6.3m last financial year, up more than 40% on the prior year.
Hudson had her short term bonus reduced in response to a major cyber attack on Qantas customers.
