By Jimmy Ellingham of RNZ Frustration is mounting that a long-awaited new bridge connecting two central North Island districts can’t yet be used.The new Mangaweka Bridge over the Rangitīkei River is scheduled to open in…

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The Government is accused of exacerbating soaring inflation with “wasteful” spending, as Finance Minister Grant Robertson blames global pressures – and stresses his administration doesn’t control the cost of food and fuel.Opposition…

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Last night's first leaders' debate between Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese was a "nil-all draw", 9News political editor Chris Uhlmann says.

The prime minister and his challenger clashed on aged care, the NDIS, and boat turnbacks in a forum of undecided voters in Brisbane – topics Uhlmann noted were in Labor's "wheelhouse".

Those in the audience narrowly awarded the debate to Mr Albanese but a significant number remained undecided.

READ MORE: Stark prediction for Australian coal exports to China

"The split was interesting from the audience," Uhlmann told Today.

"The split there was 35 (per cent) for Scott Morrison, 40 for Albanese.

"A quarter of the people, which is pretty much what we're seeing in the polls, are still undecided after that.

"So clearly neither of them is actually inspiring people."

READ MORE: PM under fire after 'blessed' comment during debate

Uhlmann said Labor would have been keen to present Mr Albanese as fit for the top job and a viable alternative.

He said Mr Albanese "showed a bit of passion and fire" but that the debate was mostly civil as the leaders tried to sidestep any ugly confrontations.

Uhlmann said he was surprised by Mr Morrison's softer tone during the debate.

"I think one of the things he's (been) told he can't be too aggressive in public anymore. I think both of them have got that message," he said.

"The electorate is sick to death of the fighting of the anger that we always see in politics.

"This was a pretty civil affair which is laced with a little bit of spite."

FULL COVERAGE: Federal Election 2022

Uhlmann said the election will be unpredictable as the public weigh up the choice between "the devil they know" in Mr Morrison and Mr Albanese.

"It's all part of the packaging of the product, if you like, in the end," he said.

"But I guess at the moment the problem that both sides had (is) this is the devil you know campaign for the Coalition.

"They're trying to sell a prime minister who they know is shop-soiled.

"Those two questions about integrity go to the heart of the problems he has got with his government.

"People actually probably don't want to vote for Scott Morrison but Anthony Albanese so far has made it difficult for them to vote for him."

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issued a severe weather warning for parts of Far North Queensland early this morning, as a low pressure system prepares to unleash a deluge.

The surface trough, currently located over northwestern Coral Sea, is expected to deepen today, and will become slow-moving on Friday creating dangerous wet weather.

Heavy rain will increase the risk of flash flooding, with rainfall totals in excess of 300mm forecast for Friday.

READ MORE: Stark China warning for Australia

A flood watch is current for a 401.9 km stretch of coastline; between Rollingstone and the Daintree.

"Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is forecast for the northeast tropical coast between the Daintree and Rollingstone from this evening and is likely to continue through Friday," the BoM warned.

"Six-hourly rainfall totals between 150 to 200 mm are likely, reaching up to 250 mm over the coast and ranges."

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'Wintry airmass' lurking off southern Australia

The warning for Queensland comes as a "wintry airmass" lurks off southern Australia.

The high-pressure system is bringing dry and mostly sunny conditions to inland townships, but it cause rain and cooler conditions along NSW's coast as it pushes across the country.

"For coastal districts (in NSW), southeasterly winds will see showers return, with Friday expected to be the wettest day this week," BoM said.

Sydney could see between 4 to 10 mm of rainfall on Friday.

Read on to find out what the weather is doing across the country today.

Brisbane

It will be a partly cloudy day in Brisbane today, with a maximum temperature of 28C.

There's a slight chance of a shower.

Sydney

Sydneysiders woke to a chilly morning of 13C, with the mercury tipped to climb to 23.

There's a medium chance of showers forecast. Up to five mm of rain is predicted.

Melbourne

Another chilly start was felt in Melbourne, which recorded a low of 11C.

The rest of the day will be cloudy, with a slight chance of a shower.

A high of 17C is forecast.

Canberra

The mercury dipped to 5C in Canberra this morning, before a forecast maximum of 19C.

It will be partly cloudy with a slight chance of showers.

Hobart

Morning temps of 8C were felt in Hobart this morning. A chilly maximum temperature of 14C is forecast.

It will be partly cloudy, with a chance of a shower in the morning.

Adelaide

A low of 12C and a high of 21C are forecast for the South Australian capital.

Conditions will be partly cloudy with light winds.

Darwin

A 36C, "mostly sunny", day will play out in tropical Darwin.

Perth

Perth will reach a top temperature of 28C. It will be mostly sunny, with the BoM warning of possible early smoke haze.

As China works to cut energy exports and tap into its own coal reserves, demand for Australian exports will take another blow.

Analysis from experts at Australian National University found demand for overseas thermal and metallurgical coal will fall by at least 26 per cent between 2019 and 2025.

Should China deliver on its commitment to reach zero net emissions by 2060 then those imports could fall to 45 per cent between this period.

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"Our findings are clear; Beijing's plans for rapid decarbonisation and energy security signal the end for Australia's current coal export boon," lead author of the study Dr Jorrit Gosens said

"And this isn't going to happen far off into the future; it is imminent.

"When it comes to coking coal imports, Australia is the country that stands to lose the most. Australia's coking coal exports to China are expected to fall to between 20 and 22 megaton, down from close to 30 megaton in 2019."

China initiated a ban on imports of Australian coal in October 2020 and over the years has invested in infrastructure — such as rail line capacity between coal fields — to reduce dependency on foreign energy.

However, before this ban Australia exported 38.6 million tonnes of thermal coal and 31.6 million tonnes of metallurgical coal to the superpower.

READ MORE: What countries produce the most greenhouse gas emissions?

Study co-author Professor Frank Jotzo said the changes will have long-lasting impacts on the Australian economy.

"Our findings should be of high concern to the coal industry and to Australian governments. Coal will be on the way down," he said.

"We need to foster alternative economic futures. Australia's resource and energy industries have every opportunity to prosper in a low-emissions world

"Our findings illustrate how energy security concerns, a fracturing global security and trade landscape, combined with climate action are putting the squeeze on coal – not in the distant future but imminently."

The findings come amid increasing tensions between Australia and the superpower.

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China and the Solomon Islands this week signed-off on a controversial security pact, putting the Australian, US and New Zealand governments on-edge.

It allows China to send police and military personnel to the Solomon Islands "to assist in maintaining social order," and will allow warships to stop there for "logical replenishment."

The situation is putting pressure on the election campaign and was the subject of a clash between Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese over security and defence in Australia at last night's leader debate.

Both the Coalition and the Opposition are "pro-coal".

READ MORE: China could have military base in Solomon Islands within weeks

The Russian military says it has successfully performed the first test of a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

President Vladimir Putin said the weapon would make the West "think twice" before harbouring any aggressive intentions against Russia.

The test launch of the Sarmat missile came amid soaring tensions between Moscow and the West over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and underlined the Kremlin's emphasis on the country's nuclear forces.

READ MORE: Besieged Ukraine commander issues desperate message to the world

Russia's Defence Ministry said the Sarmat ICBM was launched on Wednesday (local time) from the Plesetsk launch facility in northern Russia and its practice warheads successfully reached mock targets on the Kura firing range on the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula.

It said the launch was fully successful, proving the missile's characteristics "in all phases of its flight".

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Russia had given the US an advance notice about the launch in line with the New START nuclear arms control treaty between Moscow and Washington.

"Russia properly notified the United States under its New START obligations that it planned to test this ICBM," he said.

"Such testing is routine. It was not a surprise. We did not deem the test to be a threat to the United States or its allies."

READ MORE: Qantas flight crews forced to sleep among passengers on some long-haul flights

Speaking to senior officials, Mr Putin hailed the Sarmat launch, claiming that the new missile had no foreign analogues and was capable of penetrating any prospective missile defence.

"This really unique weapon will strengthen the combat potential of our armed forces, reliably ensure Russia's security from external threats and make those, who in the heat of frantic aggressive rhetoric try to threaten our country, think twice," Mr Putin said.

Amid the new Western sanctions that banned the exports of high-tech products to Russia and specifically targeted its arms industries in response to Moscow's action in Ukraine, Mr Putin emphasised that the Sarmat was built exclusively from domestic components

"Of course, this will simplify the serial production of the system by enterprises of the military-industrial sector and accelerate its delivery to the Strategic Missile Forces," he added.

READ MORE: Solomon Islands Prime Minister defends new security pact with China

The Sarmat is a heavy missile that has been under development for several years to replace the Soviet-made Voyevoda, which was code-named Satan by the West and forms the core of Russia's nuclear deterrent.

"The Sarmat is the most powerful missile that has the highest range in the world, and it will significantly bolster the capability of the country's strategic nuclear forces," the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the Sarmat was capable of carrying hypersonic glide vehicles along with other types of warheads.

The Russian military had previously said the Avangard hypersonic vehicle could be fitted to the new missile.

The military has said the Avangard is capable of flying 27 times faster than the speed of sound and making sharp manoeuvres on its way to target to dodge the enemy's missile shield.

It has been fitted to the existing Soviet-built intercontinental ballistic missiles instead of older type warheads, and the first unit armed with the Avangard entered duty in December 2019.

Dmitry Rogozin, the head of the state Roscosmos agency that oversees the missile factory building the Sarmat, described Wednesday's test as a "present to NATO" in a comment on his messaging app channel.

Mr Rogozin said the Sarmat is set to be commissioned by the military this fall after the completion of its trials, calling it a "superweapon".

Workplace safety regulators have issued the maximum possible fine of nearly US$137,000 ($184,000) against a film production company for firearms safety failures on the set of Rust, where a cinematographer was fatally shot in October by actor and producer Alec Baldwin.

New Mexico's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau today said Rust Movie Productions must pay US$136,793 ($183,608) and distributed a scathing narrative of safety failures in violation of standard industry protocols.

It included testimony that production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires on set prior to the fatal shooting.

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The bureau also documented gun safety complaints from crew members that went unheeded and said weapons specialists were not allowed to make decisions about additional safety training.

"What we had, based on our investigators' findings, was a set of obvious hazards to employees regarding the use of firearms and management's failure to act upon those obvious hazards," Bob Genoway, bureau chief for occupational safety, told The Associated Press.

At a ranch on the outskirts of Santa Fe on October 21, 2021, Baldwin was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins inside a small church during setup for the filming of a scene when it went off, killing Hutchins and wounding the director, Joel Souza.

Baldwin said in a December interview with ABC News in the US that he was pointing the gun at Ms Hutchins at her instruction on the New Mexico set of the Western film when it went off without him pulling the trigger.

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The new occupational safety report confirms a large-calibre revolver was handed to Baldwin by an assistant director, David Halls, without consulting with on-set weapons specialists during or after the gun was loaded.

Regulators noted Mr Halls also served as safety coordinator and was present and witnessed two accidental discharges of rifles on set.

He and other managers who knew of the misfires took no investigative, corrective or disciplinary action, they also noted.

Crew members expressed surprise and discomfort.

"The safety coordinator was present on set and took no direct action to address safety concerns," the report stated.

"Management was provided with multiple opportunities to take corrective actions and chose not to do so.

"As a result of these failures, Director Joel Souza and cinematographer Halyna Hutchins were severely injured.

"Halyna Hutchins succumbed to her injuries."

READ MORE: Leaders' Debate 2022: Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese answer voter questions

Rust Movie Productions said through a spokesperson that it would dispute the findings and sanction.

"While we appreciate OSHA's time and effort in its investigation, we disagree with its findings and plan to appeal," said Stefan Friedman.

Any appeal would be heard initially by the state's occupational health and safety board.

An attorney for Baldwin was not immediately available.

The state fine applies to a film with a budget of about US$7 million ($9.4 million).

Baldwin was assigned a salary of US$250,000 as an actor and producer and may have put some of that money back into the production.

At least five lawsuits have been filed over the shooting, including a wrongful death suit brought by Ms Hutchins' family against Baldwin and the movie's other producers.

The lawsuit on behalf of widower Matt Hutchins and his nine-year-old son alleges a "callous" disregard in the face of safety complaints on the set.

James Kenney, secretary of the Environment Department that oversees occupational safety, said the agency dedicated 1500 staff hours to its investigation, examined hundreds of documents and conducted at least a dozen interviews with cast and crew members.

Investigators found production managers placed tight limits on resources for a small team that controlled weapons on set and failed to address concerns about a shotgun left unattended twice.

Armourer Hannah Gutierrez Reed, the daughter of a sharpshooter and consultant to film productions, was limited to eight paid days as an armourer to oversee weapons and training, and was assigned otherwise to lighter duties as a props assistant.

As her time as an armourer ran out, Ms Gutierrez Reed warned a manager and was rebuffed.

Safety investigators also noted the production company did not develop a process to ensure live rounds of ammunition were not brought on set, in violation of industry safety protocols.

Safety meetings were conducted, but not every day weapons were used, as required.

Mr Kenney said separate investigations into possible criminal charges are still underway. The Santa Fe County sheriff and local prosecutors had no immediate comment.

Mr Kenney said his agency received no direct safety complaints from cast or crew prior to the fatal shooting, even though anonymity is offered.

"This tragedy, this loss of life, it could have been prevented, and we want people to say something," he said.

Mr Kenney was appointed in 2019 by Democratic Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, a staunch advocate for the film industry who increased a state cap on industry incentives shortly after taking office.

New Mexico competes with non-Hollywood production sites in states such as Georgia, Louisiana and New York.

Film productions have flocked to New Mexico in recent years to seize on its diverse outdoor scenery, moderate costs and generous state incentives, including a rebate of between 25 and 35 per cent of in-state spending for video production that helps filmmakers large and small underwrite their work.

Qantas has sparked backlash from flight attendants and union officials over inadequate rest facilities on some long-haul flights.

Footage from employees shows flight attendants forced to construct make-shift beds between cabin passengers on the airline's Brisbane to Los Angeles international flight.

Some are shown laying down on economy seats, covering themselves with blankets in an effort to obtain privacy from passengers and get rest during extensive shifts.

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"I was shocked, a lot of people were putting in reports questioning the safety," a Qantas employee who chose to remain anonymous said.

"I feel like they hate us, I feel that they don't understand what the role of flight attendant is."

Teri O'Toole from the Flight Attendants Association of Australia said the issue had created a tense situation between the union and Qantas over worker's rights.

She added while the union pushed for an extra day of rest for employees to compensate a lack of sleeping facilities on A330 planes, Qantas had instead switched from Australian to New Zealand crews, leaving many Australians without work.

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"We have an aircraft which doesn't have the facilities for crew rest. It's never been used for flights 14 hours and above," she said.

"We tried to make a deal with the company to give crew a day either side to rest and they said no.

"They went out and said we'll give this work to New Zealand who don't have the same restrictions surrounding rest that our Australian-based crew do."

Ms O'Toole said the conditions New Zealand staff were working in were "simply appalling" and employees were entitled to proper rest in a horizontal position.

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"The crew have tried to get some privacy by making a fort like little kids out of blankets to give themselves privacy, which is just a disgrace," she said.

"It's not appropriate rest in the workplace. It's not appropriate rest for anyone."

Rachel Yangoyan from Qantas said it was the company's preference to use Australian crew for the Brisbane to Los Angeles flight and worker fatigue was considered in the decision making process.

"We're really disappointed that the union were not able to support this flying," she said.

"We look at the rest that they already get pre-, during and after the flight in LA, we assess that and ultimately that told us what we're providing is sufficient and adequately addressing the fatigue need."

Ms Yangoyan said the need for adequate rest facilities and staff privacy was being addressed and new wrap-around curtains would be provided for A330 staff within the next six weeks.

"Once we get that curtain in place we're confident this will be a really private area with a lie-flat bed where our crew can get adequate rest," she said.

The Qantas flight attendant who spoke to 9News anonymously said staff on the ground in Australia, 55 per cent of whom are still on reserve rosters, felt betrayed by the company.

"We just spend all of our time waiting around hoping to get flying, it's kind of disheartening," he said.

Ms O'Toole said unstable work had put many in a precarious position, with several flight attendants reporting mental health issues and financial pressures due to the lack of work.

"They get their base salaries, and for some of them that's not enough to pay their rent," she said.

"We have crew that run towards the fire. They are police, the ambos, the nurses, and they get paid just a fraction more, 16k a year more than a fast food worker."