☕️ Prince Andrew gives up royal titles

Have any big meetings this week?

So too does Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is in Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump today.

It will be the pair’s first formal in-person meeting, after several other planned talks fell through.

Trump’s famous press conferences in the Oval Office with foreign leaders haven’t always gone smoothly, so we’d say there will be a few nerves on the long trip over.

“My relationship with the leadership of the Nationals ... has unfortunately, like a sadness in some marriages, irreparably broken down.”
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce in a statement to members on Saturday confirming he will not stand for his seat of New England at the next election. It has been widely reported that Joyce is considering joining Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.

$6.3 million
The street value of illicit drugs discovered at a vehicle stop in south-west NSW. The 30-year-old driver has been charged with seven offences.

1973
The Sydney Opera House was opened in Circular Quay, after 15 years of construction. Queen Elizabeth II attended and opened the iconic building to the public.

The national library of the UK, the British Library, has honoured Irish writer Oscar Wilde by “symbolically reinstating” a reader’s card in his name.

The celebrated novelist, poet and playwright was excluded from the library's reading room in 1895 after he was charged with “gross indecency”.

The physical pass was officially handed over to Wilde’s only grandson Merlin Holland, who this week celebrated the launch of his new book “After Oscar”, which follows his grandfather’s legacy in the time since his death.

Oscar Wilde is regarded as one of the greatest writers of the Victorian age.

Wilde’s reader pass was first revoked following the trial and conviction he faced as a result of legislation at the time that criminalised acts of "gross indecency" between men.

He was sentenced to two years of hard labour and was released from prison in 1897.

In 2017, Wilde was among up to 100,000 men who were pardoned for homosexual acts that were no longer considered offences in the UK.

The British Library said they hope the tribute will not only “honour Wilde’s memory” but also acknowledge the “injustices and immense suffering he faced as a result of his conviction.”

Wilde’s grandson Merlin Holland, who collected the card on his behalf, called it a “lovely gesture of forgiveness”.

“I'm sure his spirit will be touched and delighted,” he said.

The date of Oscar Wilde's death, 30 November 1900, has been used as the new card's expiry date.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released its annual report on Australia’s wellbeing.

It shows Australians’ satisfaction with their lives is declining, and two in five have recently felt loneliness.

The AIHW draws on data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and various national surveys to track how well Australians are living.

Here’s a breakdown.

The AIHW cited a poll from ANU which showed around 40% of Australians reported experiencing loneliness at least some of the time in April 2025, up from 35–37% in 2023.

On average, Australians rated their life satisfaction 6.5 out of 10 in 2025, declining from a recent peak of 7.0 in 2021.

Australia currently has a low unemployment rate, though the latest ABS data shows it is trending upwards.

The AIHW found the overall growth in employment was driven by increasing women’s workforce participation, which has risen from 46% in 1978 to 74.4% in June 2025.

However, employment gains haven’t always translated into financial security. Around one in five people aged 15 and over reported experiencing financial stress in 2023, the highest level since 2012.

The AIHW said housing is a major issue, calling it “central to the health and wellbeing of individuals and families.”

It found housing is a key concern for young Australians.

In 1971, 50% of people aged 25–29 owned a home, compared to 36% in 2021.

An estimated 1.26 million low-income households experienced housing stress in 2024/25, meaning they spent more than 30% of their income on housing.

The report found Australia’s ageing population is reshaping welfare demands.

The number of people aged 65 and over has grown from 2.1 million in 1994 to 4.7 million in 2024. The group is projected to make up 24% of the population by 2064.

More people are now using in-home care than residential aged care, with 275,000 using home care in 2024, up from 142,000 in June 2020.

The AIHW cited findings that Australian students record higher-than-average scores across science, reading, and maths on international tests.

Over the last decade, the proportion of people with a Year 12 or equivalent qualification has increased, with 79% of people aged 15–74 having finished school.

However, school attendance is slipping. Rates have declined since 2015 for students in Years 1–10, and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Between 2011 and 2023, the number of First Nations students enrolled in university increased from 11,800 to 23,300.

Employment has also improved. In 2022/23, 57% of First Nations people aged 15–64 were employed, up from 46% in 2012/13.

Despite these gains, several welfare gaps remain. The report found 41% of First Nations households had experienced food insecurity due to not having enough money for groceries in 2022/23.

Reporting by Elliot Lawry.

Got a bunch of people to thank, celebrate or just show some love to?

GroupTogether has made gifting way easier. Their new Bulk eGift Cards let you send 1 or 1,000 digital gift cards in minutes – no awkward group chats or last-minute scrambles.

Each person gets an AnyCard they can swap for 100+ Aussie favourites like Woolies, endota or Rebel. You can personalise the message, add your logo, and even track who’s opened theirs. Whether it’s for work, uni clubs or mates, GroupTogether makes gifting feel thoughtful and effortless.

Launched in 2019, GiveOUT Day supports causes working to improve outcomes for LGBTQIA+ people and communities. The organisation received a record $580,000 in donations for its 2025 GiveOUT Day on 16 October, with funds to go towards 134 causes and community groups. CEO of Rainbow Giving Australia, the not-for-profit behind the fundraiser, Em Scott, said “GiveOUT Day is proof that collective generosity is powerful. This year’s result shows that when communities come together, we can achieve extraordinary things.”

Want more good news? Sign up to our weekly Good Newsletter here - we promise it’ll make your week better!

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Ever put something down and gone back for it five minutes later, only to discover it’s nowhere to be seen?

Well, let’s just say that’s a universal experience… only with this story, there’s a bit more on the line.

Spanish police are investigating the apparent disappearance of a small Picasso painting, worth over a million dollars, which vanished while being transported from Madrid to an exhibition in Granada (another Spanish city).

The movers dropped off the boxes and unpacked the exhibition. It was only the next day, when the curator noticed one small piece was missing. A Picasso, nonetheless.

The foundation hosting the exhibition said: “We have also put ourselves at the disposal of those investigating, and we have complete faith that the case will be properly resolved.”

This week marked 40 years since a major milestone in Aboriginal land rights history. In October 1985, the Federal Government returned the title deeds of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to the traditional custodians of the region, the Anangu people.

Four decades on, celebrations began in London last week, where King Charles met with First Nations leaders ahead of more anniversary plans on country this week.

Today we'll take you through what led to the handback, its significance, and where First Nations issues stand four decades on.