Welcome, readers, to Afternoon Update.
Australia’s population grew to 26.8 million in September thanks to a larger than expected rate of immigration, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
The bureau said net overseas migration was 548,800 in the 12 months to September 2023, helping to swell the country’s population by a record 659,800 people. The record net annual increase in overseas migration comes despite the Albanese government’s forecast reduction in migration levels, from 510,000 to 375,000 a year by June 2024.
Top news
Vaping ban bill introduced | The health federal minister, Mark Butler, has introduced a bill that would outlaw the sale, supply, commercial possession, advertising and manufacture of vapes in Australia. While the bill has been strongly supported by public health experts, political pressure remains with resistance from the Nationals and the Greens.
PwC refuses to share tax leaks scandal investigation | The firm’s global chairman, Bob Moritz, has refused to comply with a request from the Australian parliament to share a copy of an investigation used to contain the tax leaks scandal to Australia.
Tech detector dogs deployed in search for Samantha Murphy | Victoria police have deployed specialist technology detector dogs in their search for the missing Ballarat woman. The renewed search for Murphy, 51, zeroed in on bushland at Buninyong, south of Ballarat, on Wednesday. The search focused on the last known position of Murphy’s mobile phone.
Neuralink shows brain-chip patient playing online chess | A livestream has shown Noland Arbaugh, a 29-year-old patient who was paralysed below the shoulder after a diving accident, was playing chess on his laptop and moving the cursor using Elon Musk’s Neuralink device.
Drone coalition | Australia will join with the UK and Latvia in providing drones for the Ukrainian effort to repel Russian forces, as part of a “drone coalition” agreement. The defence minister, Richard Marles, made the announcement in a joint press conference with the UK secretary of state for defence, Grant Shapps.
The desperate plight of Australian children trapped in Gaza | Mohammed Almassri, 43, speaks from the comfort of his Sydney home as he describes the plight of his children Hamza, Amani and Waleed, whose current address is a displaced people’s camp in the besieged city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Vale M Emmet Walsh | The character actor, who appeared in more than 220 film and television roles including Blade Runner, Knives Out and the Coen brothers’ films Blood Simple and Raising Arizona, has died aged 88.
Assange plea deal | The US government is reported to be considering a plea deal offer to Julian Assange, allowing him to admit to a misdemeanour, but his lawyers say they have been “given no indication” Washington intends to change its approach.
Hot cross bun taste test | The results are in … We put this season’s hot cross buns to the test, and one clear winner emerged.
In pictures …
The great supermarket stitch-up: it’s not just fun and games
Not-fun for the whole family! Cartoon by Fiona Katauskas
What they said …
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“The foreign minister was very positive about putting bilateral difficulties behind us as he was encouraged by the government’s efforts in restoring appropriate equilibrium between our two countries.” – Former prime minister Paul Keating
Keating has praised his face-to-face meeting with China’s foreign minister as “pleasant and engaging”. He labelled the hour-and-five-minute sit-down as “a big-picture discussion”, one that included geostrategic balances and influences in the world.
In numbers
The economy added 116,600 jobs – two-thirds of them full-time roles – in February compared with economists’ forecast for a net gain of 40,000 positions.
The unexpected surge in employment lowered the jobless rate from 4.1% in January to where it was half a year ago, said Bjorn Jarvis, ABS head of labour statistics. A shift in the way people were entering the market affected the February result.
Before bed read
No, you’re the threat to democracy: Trump’s latest alternate reality attack
A month-by-month look at Trump’s evolving language as he attempts to assert it’s Biden who will endanger the nation – and not him.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: DIV. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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