Key posts 4.49am Changes to student loan indexation become law 4.34am Wong pushes for ‘thorough’ investigation into mass methanol poisoning in Laos 3.55am Climate projections put Australia on target, almost 3.40am Israeli war cabinet to vote on Lebanon ceasefire plan 3.31am This morning’s headlines at a glance Hide key posts Posts area Latest 1 of 1 Latest posts Latest posts 4.49am Changes to student loan indexation become law By David Crowe Labor has gained Senate approval for laws to ease student loans for three million Australians by scaling back the indexation of their debts. The government has also passed laws to back a $16 billion funding boost for public schools and a $3.6 billion wage increase for childcare workers in the latest stage of a fraught negotiation in the upper house. Education Minister Jason Clare joined Nine’s Today to discuss the passage of the bills, defending the expense as necessary to tackle the “unfair” indexation of HECS debt. “We got a body of experts together to look at [HECS indexation] and tell us what to do, and they recommended that we set the indexation for HECS every year at either inflation or wages, whatever’s the lowest. And that’s what we’ve done,” Clare said. “But we’ve done more than that. We’ve backdated it to June last year. So that wipes out what happened last year and makes sure that it never happens again.” Young Australians will have to wait, however, for additional changes that could cut their debts by 20 per cent and raise the income threshold that triggers HECS-HELP repayments because Labor says the bigger reform will take place only if it wins the election. The Coalition is opposed to the 20 per cent discount Labor is offering. Read more about Tuesday’s developments in Canberra here. 4.34am Wong pushes for ‘thorough’ investigation into mass methanol poisoning in Laos By Josefine Ganko and Alex Crowe The grieving families of two backpackers who died after a suspected mass methanol poisoning have returned to Australia, as Foreign Minister Penny Wong pushes for a “thorough and transparent” investigation into the tragedy. The families of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles travelled from Bangkok to Melbourne on Tuesday night, bringing home the bodies of the two 19-year-old girls. “We miss our daughters desperately,” Bianca’s father Mark Jones said. “We cannot have our girls passing and this continue to happen.” Overnight, Wong confirmed she had spoken to her Laos counterpart, Thongsavanh Phomvihane. Wong said the pair agreed that the investigation into the methanol poisoning tragedy “must be thorough and transparent”. “I appreciate our continuing cooperation,” Wong wrote. Eight people linked to the hostel were detained by police in Vang Vieng on Tuesday, local media reported. Read the latest on the tragedy here. 4.21am Voters think Albanese government has wrong priorities, poll finds By Josefine Ganko Most Australians feel they are poorer now than they were three years ago, as a new poll reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the Albanese government’s priorities. A new Redbridge poll found 52 per cent of those surveyed either disagreed or strongly disagreed with the proposition that the government has the right focus. 40 per cent of voters said Peter Dutton is ready for office, slightly more than the 39 per cent who said he was not. Asked on Seven’s Sunrise if the polling meant Australia was “in the mood for change”, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth said the government was focused on the cost of living, while the Coalition was blocking bills. Directing her comments to Liberal senator Jane Hume, Rishworth said: “You’ve voted against our housing bills. Blocked our cost of living measures. Fought against our energy price measures. Everything we’ve done, the Liberal Party have fought against it...” Loading Hume repeatedly interjected Rishworth’s response, asking “Where have you been for 2 and a half years?” “You spent a year concentrating on the Voice referendum,” Hume quipped. Meanwhile, on Nine’s Today , Nationals senator Matt Canavan also responded to the poll, saying Australians were poorer because “we’ve adopted a lot of stupid policies that deny Australians the use of their own energy resources that load our country with way too much red tape”. Last month, the Resolve Political Monitor found Australians hold Labor accountable for the financial pain of rising prices and the cost of housing. 36 per cent believe the federal government is responsible for their rising living costs – far greater than the 13 per cent who blame global factors outside Australia’s control. Advertisement 3.55am Climate projections put Australia on target, almost Figures to be released to federal parliament show Australia is almost on track to meet its legislated 2030 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The nation’s emissions are projected to be down 42.6 per cent by 2030 under existing government policies, which is a smidgen shy of the legislated target of 43 per cent but better than the 37 per cent projected a year ago. Also signalling an improving trajectory on harmful pollution, total net emissions are projected to be three per cent below the nation’s 10-year carbon budget, according to the annual climate change statement due out on Wednesday. Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen will tell parliament the nation is on track to beat its legislated emissions budget by 152 million tonnes over the 10 years to 2030, which is equivalent to Australia’s entire electricity sector emissions in 2024. Australia’s latest figures include the impact of a new vehicle efficiency standard for cheaper-to-run cars, progress towards the 82 per cent renewable energy target, and a revamped safeguard mechanism to control industrial emissions. Loading “We know action on climate change is not only a moral imperative but critical for Australian industries to remain competitive, create jobs in the regions and export clean energy to the world,” Bowen said. The 2024 projections provide the latest estimates of future emissions, calculated using the Paris Agreement’s agreed rules on climate accounting. Bowen insisted that Australia’s 43 per cent target was “ambitious but achievable” but the coalition has slammed the 2030 target and plans to dump it if elected in 2025. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has flagged more gas generation and extensions for coal-fired power plants to keep the lights on, as well as longer-term plans to add nuclear power to the energy mix for a lower carbon electricity grid. AAP 3.40am Israeli war cabinet to vote on Lebanon ceasefire plan Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will recommend a proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah to his cabinet for approval, setting the stage for an end to nearly 14 months of fighting. Loading In a television address, Netanyahu said he would put the ceasefire accord to his full cabinet later in the evening. Israeli TV reported that the more restricted security cabinet had earlier approved the deal. “We will enforce the agreement and respond forcefully to any violation. Together, we will continue until victory,” he said. “In full co-ordination with the United States, we retain complete military freedom of action. Should Hezbollah violate the agreement or attempt to rearm, we will strike decisively.” Meanwhile, Israel is carrying out its most intense wave of strikes on Lebanon’s capital Beirut and its southern suburbs since the start of the war with Hezbollah, apparently signalling it aims to pummel the country in the hours before any ceasefire takes hold. Read the full story on the proposed ceasefire deal here. Reuters, AP 3.31am This morning’s headlines at a glance By Josefine Ganko Good morning and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Josefine Ganko, and I’ll be leading our live coverage until the early afternoon. It’s Wednesday, November 27. Here’s what’s making news this morning. The Australian economy has been destabilised by incoming US president Donald Trump’s declaration of a tariff war on three of America’s biggest trading partners. The Albanese government has merged three bills to form an immigration package that allows it to put non-citizens back into detention once another country agrees to take them, and jail people for up to five years if they do not co-operate with moves to deport them. Moderate Liberal MPs Bridget Archer and Richard Colbeck have threatened to vote against the teen social media ban that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton wants to ram through the parliament with Labor. Overseas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will recommend a proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah to his cabinet for approval. Back in Australia, former treasurer Wayne Swan was ordered to face a hostile Liberal inquiry over Labor-aligned superannuation funds after he was threatened with jail time. 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Winners of 3 straight, UTEP takes aim at short-handed LouisvilleA bankruptcy judge on Monday delayed a hearing in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars, keeping the auction sale up in the air for at least another few weeks. Jones alleges fraud and collusion marred the bankruptcy auction that resulted in The Onion being named the winning bidder over a company affiliated with him. A trustee overseeing the auction denies the allegations and accuses Jones of launching a smear campaign because he didn't like the outcome. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez had been scheduled to hear an emergency motion to disqualify The Onion's bid on Monday, but put it off until either Dec. 9 or Dec. 17. That's also when the judge will hear arguments on the trustee's request to approve the sale of Infowars to The Onion. Lopez said it made sense to have one hearing on both requests. “I want a fair and transparent process and let’s just see where the process goes," Lopez said. Lopez could ultimately allow The Onion to move forward with its purchase, order a new auction or name the other bidder as the winner. At stake is whether Jones gets to stay at Infowars’ studio in Austin, Texas, under a new owner friendly to him, or whether he gets kicked out by The Onion. The other bidder, First United American Companies, runs a website in Jones’ name that sells nutritional supplements. Jones continues to broadcast his show from the Infowars studio, but he has set up a new location, websites and social media accounts as a precaution. The trustee shut down the Austin studio and Infowars' websites for about 24 hours last week after The Onion was announced as the winning bidder, but allowed them to resume the next day, drawing more complaints from Jones. Jones declared bankruptcy and liquidated his assets after he was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion to relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. He was ordered to pay damages for defamation and emotional distress in lawsuits in Connecticut and Texas after he repeatedly said the 2012 shooting that killed 20 first graders and six educators was a hoax staged by actors to increase gun control. Proceeds from the liquidation are to go to Jones’ creditors, including the Sandy Hook families who sued him. Last year, Lopez ruled that $1.1 billion of the Sandy Hook judgments could not be discharged in the bankruptcy. On Monday, he denied a request from Sandy Hook families to make the full $1.5 billion not dischargeable, meaning the debt cannot be wiped clean. Also Monday, lawyers for the social media platform X objected to any sale of the accounts of both Jones and Infowars, saying X is the owner of the accounts and it has not given consent for them to be sold or transferred. Jones' personal X account, with 3.3 million followers, was not part of the auction, but Lopez will be deciding if it should be included in the liquidation. Jones has praised X owner Elon Musk on his show and suggested that Musk should buy Infowars. Musk has not responded publicly to that suggestion and was not among the bidders. Jones was permanently banned from Twitter in 2018 for abusive behavior, but Musk restored Jones’ account on the platform he has since renamed X in December last year. Jones alleges The Onion’s bid was the result of fraud and collusion involving many of the Sandy Hook families, the humor site and the court-appointed trustee. First United American Companies submitted a $3.5 million sealed bid, while The Onion offered $1.75 million in cash. But The Onion's bid also included a pledge by Sandy Hook families to forgo some or all of the auction proceeds due to them to give other creditors a total of $100,000 more than they would receive under other bids. The trustee, Christopher Murray, said that made The Onion's proposal better for creditors and he named it the winning bid. Jones and First United American Companies claimed that the bid violated Lopez’s rules for the auction by including multiple entities and lacking a valid dollar amount. Jones also alleged Murray improperly canceled an expected round of live bidding and only selected from among the two sealed bids that were submitted. Jones called the auction “rigged” and a “fraud” on his show, which airs on the Infowars website, radio stations and Jones' X account. He filed a counter lawsuit last week against Murray, The Onion's parent company and the Sandy Hook families in the bankruptcy court. In a court filing on Sunday, Murray called the allegations a “desperate attempt” to delay the sale of Infowars to The Onion and accused Jones, his lawyers and attorneys for First United American Companies of a “vicious smear campaign lobbing patently false accusations.” He also alleged Jones collaborated with First United American Companies to try to buy Infowars. Lopez’s September order on the auction procedures made a live bidding round optional. And it gave broad authority to Murray to conduct the sale, including the power to reject any bid, no matter how high, that was “contrary to the best interests” of Jones, his company and their creditors. The assets of Infowars' parent company, Free Speech Systems, that were up for sale included the Austin studio, Infowars' video archive, video production equipment, product trademarks, and Infowars' websites and social media accounts. Another auction of remaining assets is set for Dec. 10. Jones is appealing the $1.5 billion in judgments citing free speech rights, but has acknowledged that the school shooting happened . Many of Jones’ personal assets, including real estate, guns and other belongings, also are being sold as part of the bankruptcy. Documents filed in court this year say Jones had about $9 million in personal assets, while Free Speech Systems had about $6 million in cash and more than $1 million worth of inventory. Dave Collins, The Associated PressMajithia says Randhawa patronised Chaura, claim junkedLouisville will aim to end a three-game losing streak when it hosts UTEP on Wednesday, but beating the Miners may not be an easy feat. UTEP (6-2) comes to the Derby City winners of three straight, most recently beating Seattle 88-72 on Saturday. The Miners shot 56.1 percent (32 of 57) and used a 24-2 first-half run to essentially put the game away. Coach Joe Golding said that first-half performance may have been UTEP's best in his four years leading the school. "I thought offensively and defensively the first 20 minutes we were really locked in and ready to go. (The game) never got close," he said. "We kept it at 20-plus points for the majority of the game. Our ball movement was terrific." Ahamad Bynum led the Miners with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting off the bench, while Otis Frazier III added 18 points and five assists. Frazier (13.6 points per game) and Bynum (12.1 ppg) are among four UTEP players averaging in double figures. Bynum leads the country shooting 63.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, though he has attempted just 30 threes, making 19. Louisville (5-4) also started hot in its last game but could not sustain its momentum in a 76-65 home loss to then-No. 9 Duke on Sunday. Coach Pat Kelsey's team, which had just seven players healthy, made 10 of its first 14 shots to build a 30-16 lead before the Cardinals' lack of depth caught up to them. Louisville shot just 9-of-37 (24.3 percent) after its hot start and was outscored 43-28 after halftime. Terrence Edwards Jr. paced the Cardinals with 21 points in his first game as a reserve this season. Edwards (11.9 ppg) is one of four Louisville scorers averaging double figures, led by Chucky Hepburn leads the team in scoring (14.3 ppg) and is second in the country with 3.2 steals per game. The Cardinals entered the season with expectations of rotating 10 or more players to utilize Kelsey's up-tempo attack. However, swingman Kasean Pryor (knee) and guard Koren Johnson (shoulder) will both miss the rest of the season, while forward Aboubacar Traore (arm) is out indefinitely. After Sunday's loss, Kelsey did not rule out adding players to the roster during the season. "Everything's on the table," he said. "I don't sleep, figuring out what buttons to push to get this team to be the best that they can be. We'll scour every inch of the Earth to figure out how we can improve our team. And whether that happens or not, I have no idea, but I'm willing to try anything." --Field Level Media
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