The Flashwire

This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.Independent MP Helen Haines was critically injured Monday afternoon when a white Toyota LandCruiser struck her outside her electorate office, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called it “a deliberate act.” Victoria Police arrested a 43-year-old man from Tarrawingee and said they found a knife in the vehicle. The joint counterterrorism unit has been activated, but Albanese said it is too early to give a motive. Haines was flown to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.Got a News Tip?Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theregisterau.substack.com/subscribe

This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.Australia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.7 per cent in September, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said Thursday. The number of employed people fell by 39,000, while the number of unemployed people rose by 9,000.The employment to population ratio fell 0.3 percentage points to 63.6 per cent, and the participation rate fell 0.2 points to 66.8 per cent. The underemployment rate rose 0.1 points to 6.3 per cent. Hours worked rose 0.1 per cent: part-time hours fell 1.5 per cent, and full-time hours rose 0.4 per cent.The trend unemployment rate stayed at 4.6 per cent. The ABS said a new survey model may leave a small residual effect on the September seasonally adjusted figures, and it recommends trend data as the best measure of the underlying labour market. ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said a higher proportion of people stayed unemployed this September than in recent years.Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.Got a News Tip?Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theregisterau.substack.com/subscribe

This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.The Federal Court has ordered insurer Hollard to pay a $2 million penalty after it admitted serious failings in handling a home insurance claim from a regional Victorian family. ASIC said Hollard breached its duty of utmost good faith after a storm damaged the family’s roof in October 2021. The insurer accepted the claim, then took 15 months to reverse course and reject it. In that time the home became so affected by moisture, mould and decay that it was ultimately deemed a total loss. ASIC Chair Sarah Court said it is the first civil penalty ordered against an insurer for breaching that duty.Hollard admitted a recommended engineering assessment did not happen until August 2022, and that it made no final decision until April 2023. The family was offered $1,000 as a goodwill payment in late 2022 and complained to the Australian Financial Complaints Authority in April 2023. Hollard eventually paid $1.55 million, more than three years after the claim was lodged. Justice Button said the family was “given the runaround” while their home deteriorated.Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.Got a News Tip?Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theregisterau.substack.com/subscribe

This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced on Friday that the federal government will fund the cost of credit card surcharges so the Australian Taxation Office can delay its ban on card payments for tax bills. The ATO had said last week it would stop accepting cards from December, in response to the Reserve Bank’s surcharge ban. Mr Chalmers said the delay gives the tax office more time to consult with businesses and “get it right.”The ATO had argued absorbing the fees would cost about $200 million a year, and that only 5 per cent of small businesses pay their tax bill by credit card. The plan drew backlash from business groups, crossbench MPs and several government ministers. The cost of the extension will be finalised in the mid-year budget update, due in December..Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.Got a News Tip?Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theregisterau.substack.com/subscribe

This piece is freely available to read. Become a paid subscriber today and help keep Mencari News financially afloat so that we can continue to pay our writers for their insight and expertise.Firmus Technologies has withdrawn its application to list on the ASX, scrapping what was set to be Australia’s biggest float in decades after a poor reception from investors, the company said Friday. The AI data centre operator had been heading for a valuation of about A$44 billion, which would have made it the biggest ASX listing since Telstra in 1997.In a statement, Firmus said its board concluded the terms on which the offer could proceed would not reflect the strength of the business, citing recent market volatility. The company said going ahead was not in the best interests of the company and its shareholders. It will now pursue capital from private markets, consider other public and private options, and update shareholders as those progress.Follow us across all major podcasting platforms and social media channels for updates that matter. Your support keeps independent journalism alive!For more in-depth coverage on these stories and other news affecting Australia and the world, subscribe to readmencari.com. Support our independent journalism by listening to our podcasts on all major platforms and considering a subscription to help us continue delivering fearless reporting free from financial and political influence.Got a News Tip?Contact our editor via Proton Mail encrypted, X Direct Message, LinkedIn, or email. You can securely message him on Signal by using his username, Miko Santos.The Mencari readers receive journalism free of financial and political influence.We set our own news agenda, which is always based on facts rather than billionaire ownership or political pressure.Despite the financial challenges that our industry faces, we have decided to keep our reporting open to the public because we believe that everyone has the right to know the truth about the events that shape their world.Thanks to the unwavering support of our readers, we’re able to keep the news flowing freely. If you’re able, please join us in supporting Mencari.Join over 1000 readers. Sign up here.We’d love it if you could share the email with your friends! Just (copy the URL here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theregisterau.substack.com/subscribe