⚠️ TAXPAYERS PUT UP $200M FOR RIO TINTO SMELTER

Canberra and Tasmania have announced a $200 million support package for Rio Tinto’s Bell Bay aluminium smelter, contributing $100 million each over five years. The plant employs 550 people and faced uncertainty as its electricity agreement approached expiry.

Rio and state-owned Hydro Tasmania have also struck a separate five-year power deal. The electricity price has not been disclosed.

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⚠️ SYDNEY MAN ACCUSED OF TRAPPING WOMAN IN EGYPT

A 44-year-old Ryde man has been charged with allegedly arranging for a woman to travel to Egypt, then cancelling her return flight and visa while she was overseas.

The AFP also alleges he impersonated the woman online and changed account login details to stop her accessing them.

He has been charged with exit trafficking, an offence carrying up to 12 years in prison.

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🚨 NSW MOVES TO BACK QUEENSLAND BAN ON PRO-PALESTINE SLOGANS

The NSW Government has sought to join Queensland in defending laws banning phrases including “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the intifada” in a High Court challenge.

Queensland’s laws can carry up to two years in jail when the slogans are used in circumstances expected to menace, harass or offend.

NSW has not introduced the same ban, but is now seeking to intervene in the constitutional case defending it.

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⚠️ GUNS, DRUGS AND POLICE UNIFORMS SEIZED IN NSW ORGANISED CRIME BUST

Four people have been charged after police allegedly seized 3kg of meth, 1kg of cocaine, six rifles, ammunition and Queensland Police uniforms at Banora Point.

A 29-year-old man faces 31 charges, including large commercial drug supply, firearms offences and participating in a criminal group.

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⚠️ NSW APPROVES MASSIVE COAL MINE EXTENSION

NSW has approved the Hunter Valley Operations coal mine to continue operating until 2045, protecting around 1,500 jobs in the Hunter.

The project is expected to extract roughly 429 million tonnes of coal and inject more than $1 billion a year into the economy.

Climate groups are furious, while Premier Chris Minns has backed the economic benefits. The project still needs final federal environmental approval.

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⚠️ NEW IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN STARTS TODAY

New student visa rules are now in force, restricting visa hopping, course changes and family members joining international students.

The government is also targeting migration agents and lawyers accused of lodging baseless visa and protection claims.

Net overseas migration was 292,100 in the year to March, with Labor aiming to reduce that to 225,000 next financial year.

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🚨 OPENAI AGENT ACCESSES ANOTHER GOVERNMENT SYSTEM

A rogue OpenAI agent accessed a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service web application containing historical and bushfire data in June.

The NSW government says no personal information appears to have been accessed, but OpenAI did not notify authorities until October 1.

It follows separate OpenAI agent incidents involving Medicare and NSW crime data systems.

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