☕️ Australia-first alcohol bill

Here is your reminder that you officially have one week (ok fine, one week and one day) to do your tax return.

Remember, that's the deadline if you’re lodging your tax return by yourself – if you plan to do it through a tax agent, you just need to engage them prior to 31 October.

Next Friday is also Halloween, so all you have to do is remember the three T's - trick, treat and tax!

“There is no doubt that that the [U.S.] President made a bit of a goose of Kevin Rudd… I think, though, that the call for Kevin Rudd to resign or stand down, the call for his position to be untenable now, is probably a little bit churlish. ”
Liberal Senator Jane Hume speaking to Sky News about Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s calls for former Prime Minister and current U.S. Ambassador Kevin Rudd to stand down. Rudd had been openly critical of U.S. President Donald Trump prior to his re-election, leading to a tense moment in New York City earlier this week.

46.1ºC
The hottest temperature ever recorded in October in Queensland, registered on Tuesday in Birdsville, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. NSW town Bourke also recorded an October peak of 44.8ºC on Tuesday afternoon.

"All I know is it was Sandra Bullock."
A comment left on our video about the major heist of crown jewels from the Louvre. It was closed to the public on Sunday. Bullock appears in the 2018 jewel-heist film 'Ocean’s 8'.

The ACT Government has proposed more restrictions on same-day alcohol delivery services, in an effort to minimise harms linked to “easy and rapid access to alcohol”.

The Australia-first bill would ban alcohol deliveries after 10pm, and mandate a two-hour delay between when an order is made and when it is delivered.

Advocates have called it a step towards reducing alcohol-fuelled and gender-based violence.

The bill, introduced by ACT Attorney-General Tara Cheyne, would apply to bottle shops, online retailers, and independent delivery contractors.

Delivery drivers for these services would be required to complete Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training.

Customers would be able to block themselves from alcohol-delivery services, in a system similar to the national gambling self-exclusion register.

Under the proposed changes, alcohol deliveries would only be permitted between 10am and 10pm, with a mandatory two-hour “pause” between purchase and delivery.

New offences would apply to providers who deliver to minors, restricted locations (such as schools), or people who are intoxicated.

The Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) welcomed the proposed bill.

FARE CEO Ayla Chorley said: “We know that violence gets more severe late at night, when alcohol is being delivered into homes. This... would make a real difference”.

However, the organisation said there was more to do, including restricting alcohol marketing.

The Labor Government needs the support of the Greens or independents to pass the bill.

Reporting by Achol Arok

Queensland nurses and midwives will receive better pay and working conditions after the union voted to approve a new offer from the State Government.

It follows lengthy negotiations between the Qld Nurses and Midwives Union (QNMU) and government officials.

The deal includes three pay rises between 2025-2027, and is expected to impact 57,000 nurses and midwives across the state.

During a meeting on Thursday, 83% of QNMU members voted to accept a State Government proposal.

Under the deal, staff will get a 2.5-3% pay rise at least once a year until 2027.

The first pay increase (3%) will come into effect soon, and be back-dated to April 2025, according to the union.

Nurses and midwives will also receive more compensation for overtime hours, including minimum payments and guaranteed double-time for additional hours worked on Sundays.

Thousands of public health nurses and midwives joined in strikes and work stoppages following a breakdown in pay negotiations earlier this year.

QNMU Secretary Sarah Beaman said the state’s nurses and midwives should be “very proud” of the agreement.

“For months, QNMU members across the state have shown what true collective strength looks like... It was your action, your unity, and your determination that got us here,” Beaman explained.

State Health Minister Tim Nicholls said he was “pleased” that both sides had “worked constructively” on a deal “which is focused on attracting, retaining, valuing and respecting nurses and midwives.”

The deal must now be signed off by the state’s Industrial Relations Commission.

Beaman said the process “normally takes a few weeks”.

Reporting by Lucy Tassell and Emma Gillespie.

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🍊 An Aussie cricket bonanza is underway. Who’s playing?
🍊 The NBA season has begun, with 14 Aussies on the court.
🍊 Australia and England have set their teams for the rugby league Ashes.
🗞️ Also in the Sport Newsletter: tennis, soccer, and more…

Conservation scientists with the Nature Conservancy (TNC) say “the humble oyster” could hold the key to addressing the toxic bloom and protecting our oceans, “for generations to come.” Oyster reefs are natural filtration systems, which act as the “kidneys of the sea,” according to TNC Australia’s Director of Oceans Dr Michaela Dommisse. A joint SA and Federal funding deal will see around $10 million allocated to shellfish reef restoration, using recycled oyster shells “to create a natural habitat for new oysters and marine life.” Dommisse called it an encouraging first step, but said more investment is required to “future-proof” coastlines nationally. Through large-scale habitat restoration, “we can fix” the current crisis,” she said.

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

Reporting by Emma Gillespie.

Staff at a zoo in the U.S. found a wild bear visiting the bear enclosure.

In a social media post, staff at Sequoia Park Zoo in Northern California said they had observed the wild black bear interacting with their three resident bears through their habitat fencing.

How the bear entered the zoo is unknown, with officials noting the zoo’s fencing was “intact and secure”.

After some coaxing, the bear exited the zoo and safely returned to the adjacent woods.

Reporting by Rosa Bowden.

$157 million.

That’s the value of the jewellery stolen from the world’s most-visited museum, the Louvre in Paris, last Sunday.

All up, the heist took less than ten minutes. And it was all done in broad daylight with visitors in the museum.

In a story that resembles a Hollywood movie, today we’re breaking down what really happened — and how thieves pulled off a heist that’s left authorities stunned and raised serious questions about security at the Louvre.