Australians are spending a fortune on bank fees, forking out more than $4.1 billion on them in the last financial year alone according to RBA data.

That figure was up by $268 million compared to the previous year.

The pesky fees are costing Aussie households around $412 each year (excluding business banking fees) and credit cards are the biggest culprits. 

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Aussies were slugged with $1.7 billion in credit card fees last financial year, up by 10 per cent compared to the 2023-24 financial year.

The average credit card annual fee is $204, which can be a big deal for cash-strapped Aussies.

A spike in overseas transaction fees and annual fees also played a role in soaring costs, according to the RBA.

Fees on home loans recorded the largest jump, surging by $167 million or 17 per cent between July 2024 and June 2025.

That spike is linked to an increase in Aussie homeowners refinancing, which can incur a slew of fees.

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There is a silver lining: exception fees like late fees and overdraft charges fell by nearly $13 million last year.

Canstar analysis suggests Aussies could save big on banking fees by shopping around and prioritising low- or no-fee options like:

• Credit cards with no annual fees and no currency conversion fees
• Low-fee home loan options that don't charge an annual fee
• Bank transaction accounts with no currency conversion fees

Aussies can also try to negotiate with their current bank or lender for lower fees.

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"While fees are growing like a beanstalk — up $268 million in just 12 months — people have more power to cut these down than they realise," Canstar.com.au data insights director Sally Tindall said.

"Whether it's negotiating a mortgage application fee or switching to one of the 12 credit card lenders that have no-fee cards, there are ways and means to slash your fees back to their roots."

A suspected sovereign citizen has been charged after allegedly driving a ute into the Mudgee police station, in New South Wales' central west, during a send-off for a retiring officer yesterday.

Donny Hobbs, 67, was arrested after the incident and taken to Dubbo Police Station, where he was slapped with multiple charges.

The charges include destroying/damaging property with intent to endanger life, which could see Hobbs serve up to 25 years behind bars if convicted.

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Hobbs allegedly drove at police officers as they were patrolling on foot along Market Street, Mudgee, at around 1.30pm.

Officers attempted to stop Hobbs but he allegedly failed to follow police directions and left the scene.

Not long after, Hobbs allegedly drove the ute at another officer who was on their way out of Mudgee Police Station.

The vehicle then ploughed into the building on Market Street just as a march was about to take place for Detective Senior Constable Scott Whale, who is retiring after 40 years in the NSW Police Force.

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Nine understands officers immediately ran out, pinned the driver to the ground and took him into custody.

"[The ute] smashed the whole front wall of the police station, cops coming running out everywhere, pulling up everywhere," witness Kurtis Goldsmith said.

The crash said to be so loud it was heard by locals at the nearby pub.

A crime scene was established and an investigation commenced. No injuries were reported.

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Hobbs was later charged with:

• Destroy/damage property with intent to endanger life
• Use etc offensive weapon with intent to commit indictable offence (two counts)
• Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously
• Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous
• Custody of knife in public place – subsequent offence

Hobbs was refused bail and is set to appears before court later today.

The 67-year-old is "a big part of the tourism in Mudgee" and is famous for riding his horse and cart through town.

Originally from Western Sydney, Whale moved to Mudgee three years ago, working for the rural crime prevention team.

Today was his last day on the force, and around 1.30pm he was set to be marched out before Hobbs arrived in his Land Cruiser.

Police will allege Hobbs had numerous prior dealings with Whale and that this was an attack targeted at the detective senior constable.

Police allege the dealings they've had with him over time are consistent with the behaviour of a sovereign citizen.

With months to go before the US mid-term elections, Donald Trump's iron grip on the direction of the Republican Party shows no sign of loosening – and that could spell trouble for them.

Early primary contests in Republican races around the US have almost entirely gone to Trump-backed candidates, even those running against incumbent GOP representatives who Trump perceives as disloyal.

Republican Thomas Massie, a Kentucky congressman, is perhaps one of the highest-profile victims, losing in a primary race to retain his own seat after pushing back on Trump's war with Iran and consistently advocating for the full release of the Epstein files.

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But increasingly, there are fears that while Trump's MAGA movement remains in control of the Republican Party, it represents an increasingly small circle of voters.

The apparent paradox is that while kowtowing to Trump is the only way to get ahead in the GOP, it could result in a major thrashing for the party at the national polls.

"Trump's control is definitely not helpful in general elections, but I don't think there's evidence he cares much about the general election," United States Studies Centre research director Jared Mondschein told 9news.com.au.

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"Trump's name helps Republicans when it's actually on the ballot, but not when it isn't."

Mid-term elections in the US tend to go against the party in power, and Trump's popularity has taken a decided plummet.

Mondschein said Trump was reaching levels of historic unpopularity in the US, including among Republican-leaning voters, though he still enjoys near-universal approval among self-identified MAGA loyalists.

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"If the 2024 election were to be held again today, he'd lose it," Mondschein said, pointing to a collapse in support from demographics that backed Trump against Kamala Harris, including Hispanic voters and youths.

The unpopular Iran war, the recent "anti-weaponisation" Justice Department fund, the White House ballroom project, and ballooning living costs are all factors in this alienation.

But Mondschein said Trump, halfway through his second and final term as president, was "much more passionate" at this point about maintaining control over the GOP and MAGA, rather than broadening his appeal.

"It's hard to imagine him being popular," Mondschein said.

After the midterms

Among US political circles, it's a running joke that the Democratic Party is adept at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Nonetheless, most pundits are predicting a "blue wave" even in red-heavy states that could see the Democrats overtake the slim Republican majority in the House, and possibly even the Senate.

But regardless of what the Capitol looks like when the dust settles, Mondschein forecast changes ahead for the GOP.

"We're seeing the last of (Trump's) weight thrown around," he said.

Trump will officially be a lame-duck president after the midterms, with no more elections before the end of his term.

Mondschein said it was likely Republican lawmakers would begin to distance themselves – some with relief, some with reluctance – from the White House if the president's popularity continues to languish.

He said this would not be about their personal feelings for Trump but out of "naked self interest" in their political survival.

"Even in the reddest of red districts, you're seeing Republicans now pushing back," he said.

Days before winter officially begins, Australians are getting a preview of what's in store for the next three months – and it might not be the season many were expecting.

After a warmer-than-usual autumn, the Bureau of Meteorology's long-range outlook shows that much of the country is heading for a double dose of milder daytime conditions and warmer-than-normal nights.

Meanwhile, the southern half of the continent is on track for a parched winter, with rainfall expected to fall well short of typical totals.

Temperatures tipped to stay above average

While the forecast points to a milder winter overall, the Bureau says cold snaps, frosts and snow are still possible.

The strongest signals for warmer conditions stretch across much of southern Australia.

Victoria, Tasmania, NSW, southern Queensland, South Australia, and broad areas of Western Australia are at increased risk of above-average daytime and night-time temperatures.

The forecast follows an uncharacteristically warm autumn. Several slow-moving high-pressure systems brought unseasonably warm weather to the south-east, with Hobart reaching 26.9 degrees on May 1 – its highest-ever May temperature on record, dating back to 1882.

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Less rain forecast for much of the country

Rainfall is likely to be below average across large parts of southern, central and eastern Australia.

That includes most of NSW and the ACT, much of Victoria, South Australia, southern Queensland and the south-west of Western Australia.

The forecast does not mean those areas will miss out on rain entirely. Winter typically delivers between 100 and 400 millimetres of rain to many southern coastal regions, with lower totals inland.

The Bureau says rain-bearing systems are still expected this season, though overall totals are likely to be lower than usual.

Some regions have a less certain outlook. Parts of Victoria's south-east and sections of the NSW coast have roughly equal chances of recording above-average, below-average or near-average rainfall.

Tasmania is also bucking the broader trend, with above-average rainfall forecast for parts of the state's south-west.

Water storage and soils under pressure

This dry outlook comes as water systems in the south and west face mounting pressure. Australia's combined water storages are currently around 65% full, but many individual reservoirs have fallen below the halfway mark.

Notably, storage in the critical Murray-Darling Basin is at just 48 per cent capacity – about 9 per cent lower than this time last year.

Soil moisture also tells two different stories. While late autumn rains boosted root-zone moisture in eastern NSW and southern Queensland, soils in Western Australia have dried out rapidly.

While most southern agricultural regions experienced an early autumn break in March, farmers in parts of central Victoria are still waiting on that crucial opening rainfall to kickstart their winter crops.

What about the capitals?

The warmer weather is expected to be felt across most major cities.

Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart all sit within regions where above-average winter temperatures are likely.

Darwin is firmly in its tropical dry season, with daytime temperatures in some northern areas expected to track closer to average.

Snow still expected in the alpine regions

While warmer conditions are expected across the board, cold outbreaks can still bring snow.

Australia's alpine regions have already seen flakes this year, with parts of the Victorian and NSW Alps recording their first snowfall in late March.

Tasmania also experienced snow in elevated areas during early January.

The Bureau says snow can occur whenever freezing air combines with enough moisture, and a handful of strong cold fronts can have a major impact on seasonal totals.

Because individual weather systems heavily influence snowfall, the Bureau does not issue seasonal snow outlooks.

El Niño likely to develop

Forecasters are also keeping a close eye on the Pacific Ocean, where climate models indicate El Niño is likely to develop during winter.

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation is currently in a neutral phase, but all major models suggest conditions are trending towards El Niño.

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The weather system can influence rainfall patterns across northern, central and eastern Australia from winter into early summer, although the Bureau notes no two events are exactly alike.

While an El Niño event has not yet been formally declared, sea surface temperatures are already tracking well above average – particularly along the NSW coast and Tasmania, where marine temperatures are sitting up to 4 degrees higher than normal.

Increased fire risk in some areas

The winter bushfire outlook also highlights an elevated fire risk in parts of NSW and Western Australia.

The drivers behind the risk vary by state. In NSW, the danger is fuelled by prolonged dry conditions across central and northern regions.

Elsewhere, Western Australia's elevated risk in the north-west stems from a heavy wet season, which left behind abundant vegetation that is expected to dry out in the coming months.