4.58am BST
Prime minister’s plane back in the air after crew member’s medical emergency
Following an unscheduled stop in Missouri due to a crew member’s medical emergency, Anthony Albanese’s official jet is back in the air and headed back toward Australia.
An RAAF crew member suffered an injury. Just a few hours after taking off from Washington DC, en route to Sydney, the plane diverted to St Louis to allow the service member to be helped off the plane and taken for medical attention.
Neither Albanese, his travelling party, nor members of the media onboard the plane were harmed. The jet stayed around two hours on the ground, to allow for some refuelling.
The plane is now heading east, back toward Australia’s east coast.
4.55am BST
That’s all for me. Penry Buckley will take over from here. Take care, and stay hydrated.
4.48am BST
China lobs accusations at Australia after flare incident
China has accused Australia of attempting to “cover up” illegally entering its airspace over a disputed territory in the South China Sea on the weekend.
On Monday, the Australian government alleged a Chinese fighter jet had released flares dangerously close to an Australian aerial surveillance plane conducting a flight over international waters near the Paracel, or Xisha, Islands. The acting prime minister, Richard Marles, said the act was “unsafe and unprofessional” and could have resulted in harm to personnel and damage to the aircraft.
But China’s defence ministry has hit back at the statements, claiming Australia “confuses right and wrong and shifts the blame to China in an attempt to cover up the despicable behaviour of its military aircraft illegally invading Chinese airspace”.
China’s defence ministry spokesperson, Jiang Bin, said its fighter jet’s actions were “legitimate, lawful, professional, and restrained”.
Australia, in its infringing and provocative actions against China, falsely accuses China’s rights protection actions of being ‘unsafe’ and ‘unprofessional’. Such fallacies are unfounded. We urge Australia to immediately cease its infringing and provocative actions and propaganda, strictly restrain the actions of its frontline naval and air forces, and avoid damaging the relations between China and Australia and between the two militaries.
Yesterday, the defence industry minister, Pat Conroy, said China’s claims Australia illegally entered its airspace were “factually incorrect”.
4.41am BST
Sydney temperatures climb 10C in 90 minutes
Weather observations at Sydney’s Observatory Hill show the mercury has climbed more than 10C in a period of 90 minutes.
Temperatures were 26.5C at 12.30pm, and had reached 37C just before 2pm.
The heat was expected to continue to rise as winds increased and pushed heat towards the coast, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
If Sydney CBD gets to 39C as forecast, the city’s October heat record of 38.2C, set in 2004 at Observatory Hill, would fall.
More here:
Related: Sydney set for ‘blistering’ weather as record heat shifts east and BoM warnings for winds to blast Melbourne and Victoria
Updated at 4.48am BST
4.19am BST
Home affairs issues direction preventing staff from bragging about security clearances online
The secretary of the home affairs department, Stephanie Foster, issued a new direction to public servants and contractors prohibiting them from disclosing or alluding to their access to security classified material online.The new direction came after the Asio director general, Mike Burgess, warned in August that public servants and security contractors with access to sensitive national security information were making it easy for spies to target them, including by posting on LinkedIn.
In the new direction, Foster states there is a “pressing need” to address the issue. She said:
Security clearances afford personnel privileged access to Australian Government security classified information and resources. Public disclosure of security clearance information and indicating or alluding to access to security classified information makes personnel, and the entities they work for, vulnerable to targeting, including cultivation and exploitation, or cyber and physical security compromise, by foreign powers.
The home affairs department will work with social media providers to “access publicly available data to identify non-compliance” the direction states.
Online platforms covered by the direction include all publicly accessible websites, social media, and other platforms like LinkedIn, but would exclude Hansard.
Non-government entities under the direction must by 1 December establish a similar policy prohibiting disclosure of information about security clearance online, and train staff on foreign interference and espionage as part of annual security awareness training.
3.57am BST
Temperatures now above 36c in Sydney CBD
Temperatures shot up more than 8 degrees over the last hour in the Sydney CBD. It’s now 36.8 degrees, according to readings from Observatory Hill.
The Bureau of Meteorology says Parramatta is 38.5, Coogee is 38.2, Richmond is just above 38, and Canterbury is 37.3.
Updated at 4.00am BST
3.52am BST
‘A perfect coincidence’: rare red lightning captured in New Zealand skies
A trio of photographers in New Zealand have captured images of “red sprites”, or red lightning, one of the rarest light phenomena in the world, in which luminous crimson flashes appear in the sky.
Related: ‘A perfect coincidence’: rare red lightning captured in New Zealand skies
New Zealand photographer Tom Rae and Spanish photographers Dan Zafra and José Cantabrana set out to shoot the Milky Way over the Ōmārama Clay cliffs in the South Island on 11 October when they chanced upon the extraordinary event.
The photographers thought they would be lucky to get clear skies that evening, but their night turned into “an unforgettable one”, Rae told the Guardian.
Updated at 3.55am BST
3.36am BST
Lawyer says NSW police have spent ‘enough time, money and resources on these charges’
Dr Josh Pallas, the legal director of Climate Defenders Australia, who is representing 50 others who were charged under the same section of the act as the four protesters who had their charges dismissed, said yesterday’s decision was “decisive and clear”:
Following the court’s decision, we call on the police to promptly withdraw all s 214A charges against the Rising Tide arrestees.
The police have spent enough time, money and resources on these charges. The police as prosecutors must act in the public interest, and the public interest – and the interests of justice – can only be served if these charges are withdrawn.
Last year’s protest had faced multiple hurdles from the police and the government before going ahead. The court sided with the police’s decision to knock back the protesters’ form one, which would have protected the protesters from being charged under the anti-protest laws and Summary Offences Act.
The New South Wales government had also imposed a maritime exclusion zone around the port which restricted anyone entering the water over a four-day period in a bid to stop the protest. However, Rising Tide challenged this in court, which found the move invalid and an improper use of the act.
Updated at 3.38am BST
3.26am BST
Lawyer for protesters who allegedly tried to block coal ships says charges should be dismissed
A lawyer representing 50 protesters who allegedly attempted to block coal ships in the port of Newcastle last November has called for the charges against them to be dropped after four others had their charges dismissed yesterday.
133 people were arrested and charged during a protest demanding greater climate action held last year, which will again take place at the end of November. At least 50 of those people are facing charges under section 214A of the Crimes Act, which makes serious disruption or obstruction of a major facility an offence and carries a maximum penalty of 2 years in prison.
Four protesters – Noah Bruce-Allen, Roisin McSweeney, Andrew George and Joanna Gardner – had the 214A charge against them dismissed in Newcastle local court yesterday after a magistrate found there was a lack of reliable evidence over whether they had yet entered the shipping lane at the time of arrest.
They are the first of the 133 protesters charged at the protest, which was held by Rising Tide, to have their matters finalised in court.
Related: Courts, politicians and police in the sea: the many battles for climate activists at NSW’s Rising Tide protest
Updated at 3.29am BST
3.11am BST
Scott Farquhar praises Tech Council CEO’s contribution to the sector
Since Kassabgi became CEO, the tech council has taken a prominent role in public debate over the role of artificial intelligence in Australia.
Most recently the council’s chair, billionaire Scott Farquhar, has been pushing for the federal government to give AI companies an exemption to copyright law that would allow AI to be trained on the works of creatives without paying them for the privilege.
Kassabgi said in the note that under his leadership that the TCA had expanded and has been set up in a stronger financial position for the future.
I’ll always be one to promote and support the TCA in any capacity, especially as we change the conversation on AI, and ensure we take our piece of the innovation pie. I’ve never been more confident about the future of Australian tech, especially with the growth of emerging companies in climate and health.
Farquhar said in a statement that Kassabgi has been a valued contributor and asset to TCA and the Australian tech sector.
Updated at 3.12am BST
2.54am BST
Tech Council’s chief executive resigns 16 months into the role
Damian Kassabgi, the chief executive of industry lobby group the Tech Council of Australia, has resigned from the role just 16 months into his tenure, citing difficulty in work-life balance while living in regional northern NSW.
Kassabgi told members in a note on Wednesday that he intends to resign as CEO, but will remain in the role until “well into the new year” when a new CEO is found. He said:
The reality for me being in regional Australia with a young family means that I am looking to find a better and healthier balance (than being on planes all the time).
As many of you know, I love the sector and always saw this role as giving back to an industry that has been good to me and my career. I am looking to stay in the role as the board finds a replacement to ensure a smooth transition.
Updated at 2.58am BST
2.36am BST
Sydney CBD temperature still in the mid-20s as western suburbs start to heat up
City workers, including those at the Guardian’s Sydney office, have been watching the temperature amid forecasts for extreme heat. But the mercury has hovered in the mid-20s here most of the day.
That’s going to change soon, the Bureau of Meteorology says.
Dean Narramore, a senior meteorologist with the Bom, said several Sydney suburbs are already hitting very high temperatures, but a weak north-easterly wind is keeping that heat from the CBD for now.
Every time we’re talking about heat everyone’s watching it like a hawk.
Right now, we’ve got just a very weak north-easterly, but the heat has already hit [the] western suburbs. It’s 37 in Richmond, Terry Hills 35, Olympic park 35, Canterbury 34. …
As we move through the day, the winds will push towards the coast [and bring the heat with them].
Narramore said the high temperatures were “almost in the city”, and the CBD should be boiling in the mid to late afternoon. Sydney International airport is currently sitting around 31c.
Updated at 2.41am BST
2.17am BST
Queensland nurses vote to accept pay deal
Nurses and midwives have voted to accept a Queensland Health pay deal after an “epic ten-month” negotiation process.
The secretary of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union (QNMU), Sarah Beaman, said 83% of nurses voted to take the agreement. She said the offer was worth about $1.8bn to the 60,000 nurses and midwives in the state’s public health system.
Nurses took industrial action for the first time in 23 years during the negotiations. Beaman said:
I note Queensland Health repeatedly threatened to strip nurses and midwives of backpay if they took protected industrial action to improve wages and conditions.
Because you stood strong, you and thousands of your colleagues will receive considerable pay increases, back pay and improved conditions. You will know your actions helped guide and protect the future of free care and the wellbeing of Queenslanders state-wide.
The EB12 agreement will now go to the Queensland industrial relations commission for certification, which is expected to take a few weeks. Nurses will receive backpay from April once the agreement is certified.
Updated at 2.19am BST
2.01am BST
Prime minister’s plane makes unplanned stop in US after crew member requires medical attention
Anthony Albanese’s official jet has made an unplanned stop in St Louis, Missouri, after an accident involving an RAAF crew member.
Albanese’s jet – carrying members of his staff, public servants and members of the media – set off from Washington DC several hours ago, to arrive back in Australia on Thursday. But an RAAF member required medical attention following an accident on board, prompting an unplanned stop in the American midwest.
Albanese and other members of the official party are well, and there seem to be no other issues with the plane. It’s expected the plane will continue on to Australia as planned.
Updated at 2.34am BST
1.49am BST
Here’s how to protect your pets in a heatwave
Parts of Australia are set to swelter through a scorching Wednesday, with temperatures in Sydney predicted to approach 40C and high fire danger forecast across most of Queensland.
While many will be taking to air-conditioned offices, shopping centres or beaches to escape the rising mercury, pets can struggle to keep their cool in a heatwave.
The RSPCA recommends several ways that pet owners can minimise the risk of their animals experiencing discomfort or even heatstroke.
Read more here:
Related: As eastern Australia prepares to swelter, here’s how to protect your pets in a heatwave
Updated at 1.50am BST
1.28am BST
First renders of Victoria’s Suburban Rail Loop stations released
The Victorian government has chosen its preferred builder to build Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill stations on the Suburban Rail Loop, as it released the first renders of each.
The minister for the project, Harriet Shing, on Wednesday announced Place Alliance – a consortium which includes John Holland, Kellogg Brown and Root and Arup Australia – as the preferred bidder, meaning it will now be party to negotiations to build the underground stations.
She said the consortium had “deep experience delivering major and transformational infrastructure projects”, including Melbourne’s Metro Tunnel, Sydney Metro and WestConnex.
The two other shortlisted bidders Connexus and ESPA will now compete for the second stations contract for Cheltenham, Clayton and Monash.
Shing also announced on Wednesday that Terra Verde, the construction group selected to tunnel the northern section of twin tunnels connecting Glen Waverley and Box Hill, has moved on to the construction site at Burwood.
The $34.5bn SRL East will travel from Cheltenham to Box Hill, with 26km of twin tunnels connecting six new underground stations. The government has said it will be completed by 2035.
Updated at 1.46am BST
1.12am BST
Legal challenge against Queensland’s ban on gender-affirming care in public hospitals begins
Supreme court of Queensland Justice Peter Callaghan will hear a challenge that, if successful, would overturn a health service directive which limits prescription of puberty-blocking hormones to transgender children in state hospitals. Cisgender children continue to have access to the treatment.
In January, the sex discrimination commissioner, Anna Cody, denounced the decision as “discriminatory”, saying it “has the potential to harm the physical and mental wellbeing of children in Queensland who are currently awaiting care”.
Related: Queensland’s puberty blockers ban has potential to cause harm, sex discrimination commissioner says
There were 491 children on the Queensland gender clinic’s waiting list at the time the ban was put in place.
Guardian Australia revealed earlier this year that director-general David Rosengren held just 21 minutes’ consultation on the directive – a legal requirement under the act – at the same time the minister announced the decision. That will form the basis for one part of Wednesday’s challenge.
The court is expected to hear several witnesses today. The challenge was launched on behalf of a mother of a transgender child; neither can be named for legal reasons.
There is also a separate human rights and anti-discrimination class action challenge against the decision currently before Qcat.
Related: Queensland government held 21-minute consultation on puberty blocker ban at same time it announced decision
Updated at 1.15am BST
1.02am BST
Victoria police commissioner says it was ‘wrong decision’ to charter police chopper to conference
Victoria police’s chief commissioner, Mike Bush, has admitted it was the “wrong decision” to use a police helicopter to travel to a conference in Tasmania instead of taking a commercial flight.
The Herald Sun on Wednesday morning revealed Bush travelled to Hobart using the Victoria police air wing on Monday afternoon to attend the annual Australian and New Zealand Police Commissioners Forum.
Police said Bush was joined on the flight by two support staff and the New Zealand police commissioner. They said the group did not take the police plane “due to strong winds in Tasmania”.
The chopper ended up being grounded in Hobart on Monday night after a mechanical issue. It flew back to Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, Bush said:
It was the wrong decision. We should have looked harder for a commercial flight. While there were no impacts on community safety or financial costs to Victoria Police as the flight fell within our contracted hours with the Air Wing provider, it creates a poor impression at a challenging time for our organisation.
Updated at 1.05am BST
12.43am BST
NSW rural fire service urges people to be prepared, and take care during extreme heat
Trent Curtin, commissioner of the NSW rural fire service, urged people in the state to be prepared in case any dangerous fires break out today, or during the coming fire season.
Curtin spoke to ABC News, saying the service was asking everyone to “think about those conditions and pay attention to those conditions” as NSW braces for an extreme heatwave. He said:
Serious and potentially extreme fire danger conditions [exist] across New South Wales and into Sydney, the Illawarra and the Hunter regions.
Those highly populated areas in Wollongong, Newcastle and right across the Greater Sydney area could see extreme fire danger conditions this afternoon.
We’re asking everyone to think about those conditions and pay attention to those conditions.
Curtin said the unseasonably warm weather today “is a really good reminder that these conditions can come up really quickly and people should have their homes prepared for these types of circumstances”.
12.23am BST
US senators say they hope relationship with Australia ‘continues to grow’ under Aukus deal
US senators Jeanne Shaheen and Jim Risch, the ranking member and chair of the Senate foreign relations committee, said they hope the reaffirmed Aukus submarine deal will only continue to grow the relationship with Australia after Anthony Albanese’s visit to Washington DC this week.
The senators, a Democrat and Republican respectively, said in a joint statement the Aukus deal would help counter China’s influence in the Pacific and benefit both nations:
It was our pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Albanese to the Capitol today. Australia has long been a true friend of the United States, and it is our sincere hope that our relationship only continues to grow, most notably with the continuation of the Australia-United Kingdom-United States (AUKUS) agreement and the recently announced critical minerals deal.
Together, we will push back against adversaries like China that threaten us and our allies in the Indo-Pacific. We will work to ensure our critical mineral supply chains are free from Chinese coercion. And we will continue to bolster our security and economic cooperation for the benefit of both the Australian and American people.
Updated at 12.28am BST
12.03am BST
Where did this record-breaking October heat come from?
As Sydney heads for a possible 39C on Wednesday, the weather bureau says Wednesday’s two extreme weather stories are connected – with a low pressure system and strong winds in the south driving the heat east.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s senior meteorologist, Dean Narramore, explained that heat had built up through parts of Western Australia, inland Northern Territory and northern South Australia over the past few weeks, and was now being pushed east by the low pressure system moving across southern states.
This really strong weather system moving across the south has finally captured and dragged that heat across the country.
That’s why we’ve seen record heat over the weekend through WA and SA, and then that record heat is now moving to New South Wales and Queensland yesterday and today, as that system continues to drag that heat towards the east coast.
Further south [in southern SA, Victoria, and Tasmania] near to that low, that’s where we’re seeing widespread rain, and we’re going to see the really strong and damaging winds on the backside of the low.
Updated at 12.06am BST
11.46pm BST
Melbourne man charged after $9,000 in Labubus seized
A man in Melbourne was charged with four counts of burglary and two counts of theft after he allegedly stole $9,000 in Labubu dolls earlier this year.
Victoria police said they executed a warrant at a property on Tuesday, where they allegedly found 43 Labubus, including some that were special limited editions valued at $500 apiece.
The police said the dolls were allegedly stolen during four separate burglaries from a shopping centre in July.
The man was released on bail and will appear before court next year.
Updated at 12.56am BST
11.33pm BST
NSW health minister urges people to stay cool and hydrated today
The NSW health minister, Ryan Park, is urging residents to take steps to protect themselves today.
Park said people should ensure they are hydrated and stay cool, avoiding the outdoors when possible and keeping your home cool by closing doors, windows, curtains or blinds. He said in a statement:
Let’s also look out for another, our older friends and family; babies and young children; and pregnant women.
Signs of heat-related illnesses include slurred speech, loss of consciousness, muscle twitching, rapid breathing or a rapid pulse. Emergency departments see more presentations during times of high temperatures.
Updated at 11.35pm BST
11.14pm BST
BoM says parts of Sydney could ‘flirt with 40 degrees’ today as state gets steamy
Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, said parts of Sydney could “flirt with 40 degrees today” as major heat settles over the state.
Hines said in a new release:
Sydney is forecast to reach 39 degrees today, a blistering day for the state capital, and all of the suburbs around the Sydney metro area are forecast to reach the high 30s.
And certainly not out of the question that parts of the city could flirt with 40 degrees today, and we will be very near record temperatures around the Sydney area for this time of year.
North of the city, Gosford and Newcastle are predicted to reach 39, while in Wollongong to the south residents should brace for a high of 37.
Parts of the NSW tablelands and western slopes are expected to be 12 to 15 degrees higher than their usual October temperatures.
Updated at 11.18pm BST
10.54pm BST
US company Air T enters bid to buy Rex Airlines
A US company has made a bid to buy Rex Airlines, administrators confirmed last night, more than a year after the airline entered voluntary administration, Australian Associated Press reports.
North Carolina-based Air T – which operates a number of aviation businesses in the US – has entered a sale and implementation deed with EY, the administrators of Rex.
“The sale and implementation deed is subject to customary conditions precedent for a transaction of this type including receipt of regulatory approvals and approval by creditors,” the administrators’ announcement said.
The estimated return to the airline’s creditors is being determined.
No return to shareholders is expected and the company is no longer listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
The federal government has been propping up the airline to ensure regional and remote communities remain serviced, buying $50m in debt and loaning up to $80m.
Catherine King, the federal transport minister, said last night’s announcement marked a positive step to bringing the airline out of voluntary administration.
The government has also entered an agreement with Air T around the restructure of financing arrangements in connection with the acquisition.
“This will allow Rex to keep flying and maintain critical aviation links for regional communities,” King said.
Rex went into voluntary administration in July 2024, after a failed bid to compete with rival airlines on capital city routes.
10.43pm BST
Police find body believed to be missing hiker in Tasmania
Tasmania police have recovered the body of a man believed to be missing hiker Daryl Fong, who went missing in the state’s Mount Field national park on Sunday 12 October.
Police said this morning search and rescue crews discovered the remains at 6pm yesterday after a lengthy search. Teams worked in difficult conditions, including waist-deep snow and gale-force winds during the effort.
Fong set out earlier this month on a solo hike, with the intent of photographing the Tarn Shelf circuit.
Insp Luke Horne said in a statement:
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all search crews, particularly the volunteers, who worked tirelessly in these extreme conditions. Their dedication and resilience are a vital part of our rescue capability and consistently go above and beyond.
Daryl’s family and friends have requested privacy during this difficult time as they come to terms with the loss of their son and friend.
No suspicious circumstances have been identified.
Updated at 10.46pm BST
10.25pm BST
Mayor of inner Melbourne council charged with assault
Stephen Jolly, the independent mayor of Yarra council in Melbourne’s inner north, has been charged with one count of common assault following an alleged incident at an election celebration party in November last year, which he claims was gatecrashed by masked intruders.
Speaking to Guardian Australia, Jolly called it a “bullshit charge” and said he would “vigorously, vigorously defend myself” should the matter go to court, saying he had numerous witnesses to back up his version of events.
In a statement on social media, Jolly wrote:
As this matter may go before a court, there are legal restrictions about what I can say other than I am totally innocent and look forward to vigorously defending myself, if I end up needing to. I will not be diverted from my job of representing the people of Yarra.
10.07pm BST
Rudd doing ‘a fantastic job’, Albanese maintains
Anthony Albanese is doing a round of breakfast TV appearances on his way out of the US. On ABC News, he said he’d had a “terrific meeting” with Donald Trump and his cabinet, saying he’d spent around three hours with the president.
“We have a very good relationship, and we can talk with each other at any time,” Albanese said.
In an earlier press conference, Albanese said Trump had given him a tour of the Oval Office, White House and its grounds, including seeing the president’s plans to build a new ballroom at the property.
Albanese said Australia would continue to “respectfully and diplomatically” make the case for US tariffs to be dropped, and that he’d tried making this case to Trump directly – but indicated the lack of such movement didn’t really sour his visit.
Nor did the altercation between Trump and the Australian ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd. Albanese said “it was fine”, noting Trump told Rudd that he was forgiven, and dismissing the president’s comments as “some banter”.
“It wasn’t, certainly, a significant moment … all’s good. Kevin Rudd’s doing a fantastic job,” Albanese said.
Updated at 10.14pm BST
9.54pm BST
Brittany Higgins drops defamation appeal – reports
Brittany Higgins has dropped her appeal against the Western Australia supreme court decision that she defamed Linda Reynolds in a series of social media posts, according to reports.
In August the state supreme court judge Paul Tottle ruled that the former defence minister’s reputation was damaged by a 2022 social media post from David Sharaz, which Higgins responded to, and an Instagram story published by Higgins in July 2023.
Tottle found Higgins had defamed Reynolds in an Instagram story on 4 July 2023, which shared a screenshot of headlines publicising Reynolds’ intention to refer Higgins’ $2.445m personal injury settlement to the federal anti-corruption body and accused her of mishandling her alleged rape and waging a campaign of harassment.
Higgins was ordered to pay Reynolds $315,000 in damages with an additional $26,109.25 in interest. She was also found liable for Reynolds’ court and legal fees which could amount to more than $1m
Higgins filed an appeal notice against the court’s judgment in September, but the ABC reported last night that she filed a notice to the WA supreme court to discontinue the appeal.
It comes a week after Reynolds launched bankruptcy proceedings against Higgins in an effort to claim more than $1m in damages and legal fees.
9.42pm BST
Critical minerals deal takes US-Australia relationship to ‘another level’, Albanese says
Speaking about the critical minerals deal with the US, Albanese told the breakfast event that it took the relationship between the two countries to “another level.”
In what those in the room took as a clear reference to China, Albanese said the supply of critical minerals would make an “enormous difference so that we reduce our vulnerability from people who would seek to manipulate markets in order to secure any potential advantage that they think they might achieve”.
“So we stand together,” he said. “It’s been a fantastic visit, I’ve got to say. And I’m overwhelmed by the extraordinary turnout.”
Updated at 9.47pm BST
9.33pm BST
PM says Australia and US face uncertain world, but ‘don’t have to question’ our relationship
In Albanese’s comments to the congressional breakfast, he also thanked US politicians for backing Aukus.
“We do live in an uncertain world. That’s the truth,” Albanese told the breakfast event, adding:
It’s moving in ways not just in international geopolitics but just with the transformation that we’ve seen with artificial intelligence, with technology and the impact it will have on the nature of work.
However, he said that – in an uncertain world – there were “some things which are your foundations, of which you don’t have to question”.
“One of the things we don’t have to question is our relationship” with the US, he said.
9.23pm BST
Albanese thanks Kevin Rudd for his work in Washington
Anthony Albanese finished up his second and final day of a lightning-quick Washington DC trip, meeting US congressional leaders and whipping up support for the Aukus deal while praising Kevin Rudd’s work as Australian ambassador.
At a breakfast event at Blair House – the president’s guest house, where Albanese is staying – the PM called the critical minerals deal a “gamechanger”, and championed the Aukus security partnership as central to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.
“I want to personally thank [Rudd] for the work that he does,” Albanese told the gathering of about 40 Democratic and Republican politicians.
If there’s a harder working ambassador on the Hill, then please let me know because Kevin works his guts out and he seems to know everything.
Albanese said Australia “has no greater friend or ally than the United States … We have stood side by side for over 100 years, through good times and through bad”.
Rudd, in his comments to the breakfast, thanked the congressional leaders for supporting Aukus. The ambassador said:
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, because without you, it would not be possible.
Updated at 9.38pm BST
9.19pm BST
Good morning
Nick Visser here to take things over. Let’s dive in.
Updated at 9.21pm BST
8.58pm BST
Total fire bans in place across NSW
Hot, dry and windy weather means high fire danger is expected across most of Queensland and NSW on Wednesday.
Extreme conditions are forecast, and total fire bans are in place in the following areas today: greater Sydney, greater Hunter, Illawarra and Shoalhaven, the Upper Central West Plains and North Western.
Insp James Morris, a spokesperson for the NSW rural fire service, said:
We’re likely to see very hot temperatures, very windy conditions and very low humidity – very dry across most parts. That combined with increased fuel loads – that’s the biggest risk.
Firefighting resources have been positioned in high-risk areas, with additional crews on standby and firefighting aircraft and specialist teams ready to respond at short notice.
A Fire and Rescue NSW spokesperson said:
We’re asking everyone to take the time now to prepare.
Clear leaves and debris from gutters and yards, move flammable materials away from your home, and check that hoses and pumps are working. Know your plan – if you live in a bushfire-prone area, understand your trigger points for leaving early.
8.48pm BST
NSW health authorities urge residents to take precautions ahead of hot weather
A NSW Health spokesperson has reminded people to take precautions in Wednesday’s high temperatures, given hot weather has the potential to cause severe illness requiring hospital admission, and can even be deadly.
Heat can also exacerbate people’s underlying health conditions (including heart, kidney, respiratory disease, diabetes and mental illness) and can result in people presenting to hospital emergency departments (EDs) and other health care services.
Simple prevention strategies include staying indoors during the hottest times of the day, closing doors, windows, blinds and curtains early to keep hot air and sun out in the day, staying hydrated and carrying a water bottle when outside.
People experiencing signs of heat-related illness like headache, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and cramps, should cool down right away, move out of the sun and seek shade or air conditioning, take a cool shower or bath if possible and take sips of water.
Don’t forget to keep your pets cool as well – we’ve assembled some tips for helping protect animals in a heatwave:
Related: As eastern Australia prepares to swelter, here’s how to protect your pets in a heatwave
8.42pm BST
Sydney braces for potentially record-breaking heat
The Bureau of Meteorology expects today to be hot, dry and windy across large parts of New South Wales following days of record-breaking heat across several states.
If temperatures in Sydney’s CBD reach 39C as forecast for today, the city’s October heat record of 38.2C, set in 2004 at Observatory Hill, could fall.
The weather bureau expects temperatures approaching 40C in the western suburbs.
On Tuesday, both Queensland and New South Wales recorded their highest ever October temperatures.
The Queensland outback town of Birdsville broke a new record on Tuesday, hitting 46.1C at 2.28pm local time, according to the Bureau of Meteorology, making it the highest October temperature recorded in the state. The state’s previous October record was 45.1C at Birdsville police station on 31 October 1995.
NSW also recorded its highest ever October temperature, with Bourke airport reaching 44.8C at 4pm local time on Tuesday. The previous NSW record for the month was 43.9C at Brewarrina on 31 October 1919.
Read more here:
Related: October heat records broken across Australia as Sydney braces for temperatures way above the norm
8.37pm BST
The weather bureau has issued a warning for damaging winds for almost all of the state of Victoria this morning.
Strong northwest to westerly winds averaging 50 to 60 km/h with damaging gusts to 100 km/h are likely to develop over southwestern Victoria and elevated areas during Wednesday morning, then extend eastwards over the remainder of the warning area including Melbourne during the afternoon, the bureau says.
Damaging west to southwesterly winds averaging 60 to 80 km/h with gusts to 100 to 120 km/h are likely to develop over the far southwest later Wednesday morning, and shift eastwards over the southern parts of the Central district including Geelong and the Mornington Peninsula during the early afternoon, and into south Gippsland mid to late afternoon.
Destructive wind gusts to 130 km/h are possible about the coast west of Cape Otway during the late morning and afternoon.
Conditions are expected to ease over the north and west later Wednesday afternoon
The SES advises people to avoid travel if possible and steer clear of potential hazards, to check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured, to move vehicles under cover or away from trees and to stay indoors.
8.33pm BST
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
Sydneysiders are bracing themselves for what could be the hottest October day ever recorded. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast that today will be hot, dry and windy across large parts of New South Wales and that temperatures in Sydney’s CBD could reach 39C, beating the city’s October heat record of 38.2C set in 2004 at Observatory Hill.
Meanwhile, there’s a severe weather warning for Melbourne and elsewhere in Victoria this morning for “damaging, locally destructive winds”.
In other news, a US company has put in a bid for the beleaguered regional airline Rex. More on that soon.