Latest / NewsCard® Australia Daily News / Australia unemployment hits five-year high, Ukraine to strike Russian oil refineries, West Bank violence
Transcript
- [warm] This is NewsCard Daily for Saturday October 17, 2026 ... the biggest stories from Australia and around the world in just minutes. — — [serious] We begin in Canberra where unemployment is rising to a five-year high of four-point-seven per cent. The jobs market is weakening as inflation remains stubbornly high ... putting pressure on the Reserve Bank to consider another interest-rate rise. That would increase mortgage stress for households, even as economists warn higher rates could further slow the economy. — — [serious] Also in federal politics ... Greens Senator Jordon Steele-John is taking leave from the party room while the party investigates allegations of inappropriate comments and behaviour towards women. Senator Steele-John denies the allegations. The inquiry adds pressure on the Greens, and raises fresh questions about standards and accountability inside parliament. — — [urgent] In Sydney’s inner west, police call in the riot squad after a gunman reportedly flees the scene. Details remain limited, but the incident prompts a major response and concerns for residents in the area. Police are urging people to avoid the location while investigations continue. — — [curious] In the aviation industry, the owner of failed Australian carrier Bonza pleads guilty in the United States to a fraud plot worth five hundred million US dollars. The case centres on alleged deception involving lenders and investors. For Australian travellers, it is another reminder of the financial risks facing airlines after Bonza’s collapse. — — — — [serious] Overseas in Europe ... Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country will resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. The move comes as frustration grows over the war’s direction and international support. Attacks on energy infrastructure could deepen pressure on Russia ... but also increase fears of wider escalation. — — [urgent] In the Middle East, violence continues in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest. Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and journalists, using slingshots to throw rocks from nearby hills. The incidents highlight the daily danger faced by communities ... and the fragile security situation across the region. — — [warm] That’s NewsCard Daily. For more top stories and quick summaries that keep you informed in minutes, download NewsCard ... available in the App Store.