Last year, 70 donors helped more than 200 people receive lifesaving transplants.

‘We sincerely hope no other school in NZ will have to experience it.’

Sydneysiders have been warned that measles is probably circulating through the city, more than 10 years after Australia eliminated the highly infectious and potentially deadly disease.

NSW Health said today that someone has caught the virus in Sydney, even though they had not been overseas and hadn't been at any of the known exposure sites in the city.

Because authorities don't know where the person caught the disease, they said it's probably spreading through the local community.

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"With the source of the infection unknown, it is likely measles is currently circulating within the community, and other people may have been unknowingly exposed to measles," NSW Health said in a statement.

Residents have been told to check they are up to date with their vaccinations, and to keep on the alert for symptoms of the disease.

"Symptoms to watch out for include fever, sore eyes, runny nose and a cough, usually followed three or four days later by a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the head and face to the rest of the body," South Western Sydney Local Health District public health director Dr Mitchell Smith said.

"It can take up to 18 days for symptoms to appear after an exposure. It's important for people to stay vigilant and if they develop symptoms, to please call ahead to their GP or emergency department to ensure they do not spend time in the waiting room with other patients."

READ MORE: Warning entire industry critical for Australian economy on the brink of collapse

The warning comes a week after NSW Health warned someone with the disease had been at Oasis' sold-out concert in Sydney on Saturday, November 8, as well as a Jelly Roll gig in Brisbane on October 24.

Measles is one of the most contagious human diseases, and can lead to severe and deadly complications, including pneumonia and acute encephalitis, or brain inflammation. 

According to the Australian Centre for Disease Control, nine out of ten people who are near an infected person will catch the disease themselves, whether through direct contact, coughing or sneezing, or even just breathing in the same air.

However, the measles vaccine – which is free in Australia for 12- and 18-month-olds – is both safe and extremely effective against the virus, providing long-term protection against infection in 99 per cent of people.

According to the World Health Organisation, the vaccine saved almost 32 million lives between 2000 and 2020.

"Anyone born after 1965 needs to ensure they have had two doses of measles vaccine," Smith said. 

READ MORE: Aussies are being forced to accept jobs with no clue what they'll be paid

"This is especially important before overseas travel, as measles outbreaks are occurring in several regions of the world at the moment.

"The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine is safe and effective and is given free for children at 12 and 18 months of age. 

"It is also free in NSW for anyone born after 1965 who hasn't already had two doses…

"People who are unsure of whether they have had two doses should get a vaccine, as additional doses are safe. This is particularly important prior to travel."

Vaccination helped eliminate measles in many countries in the past few decades, including Australia in 2014.

However, growing anti-vaccine sentiment has led to outbreaks of the disease across the globe. 

Canada, for example, was declared measles-free in 1998 but has now lost that status and is currently battling thousands of cases, while the number of infections in the United States is growing towards 2000.

A full list of exposure sites in NSW can be seen here.

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Australian trucking companies are at breaking point, with one in 12 forced to close over past months, a new report warns.

The triply whammy of rising fuel and labour costs, stubbornly high interest rates and fierce competition has left many freight operators struggling to remain solvent, the research by CreditorWatch found.

Smaller and family-run carriers, many of which serve critical industries on regional and interstate routes, are particularly vulnerable because they lack the cash reserves or negotiating leverage of larger logistics companies.

READ MORE: The Aussies who are forced to accept jobs with no clue what they'll be paid

The road transport industry is also facing other big headwinds.

A shortage of drivers is pushing up labour costs as a lack of younger drivers taking up the job leaves companies with an ageing workforce.

The price of second-hand trucks, which jumped during the pandemic, has now fallen dramatically by more than 60 per cent.

Added to these are volatile fuel prices, higher insurance premiums and rentals and the demands of environmental compliance.

CreditorWatch data shows the closure rate for road transport businesses during the past 12 months was 8.46 per cent, or one in 12 businesses.

This was an increase of 40 per cent year-on-year and a 26 per cent rise since this January.

The closure rate for transport companies has rocketed and now rivals that of the hospitality sector, traditionally one of Australia's most failure-prone industries.

There are some bright prospects for trucking firms, particularly in the mining and commodities sectors.

But the benefits are unlikely to compensate for the industry's current dire condition, according to CreditorWatch chief economist Ivan Colhoun.

"Elevated cost bases, stretched balance sheets, and soft freight demand from retail and manufacturing mean insolvency pressures are set to remain high through 2026," he said.

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Senator Lidia Thorpe has called for a nationwide ban on "forever chemicals" used in everyday products like non-stick pans and cosmetic and personal products.

A 12-month Senate inquiry on the extent and management of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — a group of more than 4700 synthetic chemicals effective at resisting heat, stains, grease and water — has handed down its final report.

It found Australia's health advice lags behind the international consensus and minimises the risk it can have on affected communities.

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The report acknowledged the difficulties of establishing a conclusive link between PFAS and the health issues, but noted that the federal government needed to strengthen its precautionary stance as science continues to investigate.

The inquiry handed down 47 recommendations, including a national monitoring program, a website with a map of PFAS hotspots, subsidised PFAS blood testing and cancer screening and reviewing the current health guidance.

PFAS can enter the environment, food and drinking water, with growing research linking them to health issues ranging from mildly elevated blood cholesterol to reduced kidney function.

It is dubbed "forever chemicals" as they are virtually indestructible and unable to break down naturally. 

PFAS are almost impossible to avoid and are found in many Australian homes, with the chemical present in firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, cosmetics and personal care products, medical devices, pharmaceutical products, fast food packaging, microwave popcorn bags, pesticides, paint, and stain-resistant clothing.

There have been increasing concerns around the long-term effects of these chemicals after they were detected in Sydney's drinking water.

READ MORE: New mRNA flu vaccine far more effective than existing jabs: study

Thorpe, who chaired the Senate inquiry, called for a total ban on all PFAS chemicals.

"For too long, PFAS chemicals have poisoned our land, water, and communities, while governments looked the other way," she said.

"The science is clear: PFAS are toxic and linked to immune, reproductive and cancer risks.

"People are getting sick, but the problem is still being minimised — that has to stop.

"These chemicals are the asbestos of the 21st century."

Monash University's chemistry professor Rico Tabor also called for a PFAS ban, adding that the potential health issues are "not a risk we should be prepared to take".

"We just don't have long-term and sufficient enough studies to truly understand the range of impacts, but we know that acute and chronic exposure to these chemicals is problematic and is implicated with a number of serious health concerns," he said.

"In the face of international evidence, we have been slow… We have been slow off the mark, and that means we've got catching up to do in order to put the right legislation protections in place."

Tabor added that the federal government needed to support chemists to find an alternative chemical that works identically to PFS.

READ MORE: Trump signs bill to release Jeffrey Epstein case files after fighting it for months

In the final report, Labor Senators acknowledged most people likely have PFAS in their bodies and the concerns about health impacts were justified.

But they were cautious about policy interventions due to a lack of technical expertise and the ongoing research. 

9news.com.au has contacted the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for further comment.

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Exclusive: Marcel Black* has seconds to decide if she wants to take a job that could cost her more money than it makes her.

If she doesn't accept the job in time, or at all, she could be penalised.

This is how tens of thousands of Australian Uber drivers work and Black, 52, wants to change it.

READ MORE: 'Gale force' wind warning as cyclone heads toward Top End

An executive assistant from Sydney, she started driving for Uber on weekends to keep up with the cost of living.

But she was shocked to discover that Uber drivers aren't given crucial information about a ride – like the fare, pickup or drop-off address – until after they accept it.

Uber drivers earn a base fare plus extra cash based on how long and far they drive, minus any service, booking or cancellation fees.

Black couldn't believe that she was expected to accept rides with no indication of what she'd be paid for them.

"Ask any contractor in Australia, an electrician, a plumber, they're not going to accept the job without telling you how much they want to be paid," she told 9news.com.au.

"We just want the same."

All Australian Uber drivers are shown before accepting a ride is:

• the time and distance to the pickup point
• any surge pricing
• the rider's rating
• the type of trip (e.g. UberX, UberXL)

9news understands that Australian drivers can also see the upfront fare and pickup and drop off location for Uber Reserve and Intercity trips.

Drivers with Gold, Platinum, or Diamond status in the Uber Pro rewards program may also be able to access the trip's estimated duration and direction (e.g. north, south).

READ MORE: What's next once Trump signs bill releasing the Epstein files

Black said drivers must maintain an acceptance rate of 85 per cent and above to continue to access those details.

That makes cancelling a ride for any reason risky.

If a driver's overall cancellation rate gets too high, Black claimed drivers face warnings, lower fares or deactivation.

Uber drivers are also only paid for the ride from the pickup point to the drop-off point, not the distance driven to collect a passenger.

Which means drivers could accept a job kilometres out of their way, not knowing it will only make them a few dollars.

"On Saturday, I did a pickup that was 10 kilometres away and it took 1.6 kilometres to get to the drop off the drop off," Black said.

"So I made an almost 12-kilometre drive for $6 pay … that's not worth my time."

Not knowing the final destination of a ride before accepting it is also a safety concern for many drivers.

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Black feels unsafe in some locations late at night and wishes she could screen rides to avoid having to drop passengers off in those areas.

"It's definitely a safety question for women drivers," she said.

"I've had rides where I've been thinking, 'oh my god, I'm gonna die because the place is so dark.'"

It's a different story for Australian Uber Eats drivers and millions of Uber drivers overseas.

Black previously drove for Uber Eats and said she was able to see how much she'd make from a delivery, as well as the pickup and drop-off address before accepting a job.

And Uber drivers in the US are given a wealth of information before accepting rides.

Screenshots of the app interface show an estimated fare, distance to the pickup location, its street address, the trip distance, length of time, and address of the drop-off location.

All of which is visible to drivers before accepting a ride.

"The Americans get it, I don't understand why we can't get it," Black said.

"All we want to know is how much the fare will be, and the address where we going."

READ MORE: NSW man ordered to turn in plates featuring dictator's nickname

She wants to be able to see how much she'll make, as well as the pickup and drop-off locations, prior to accepting a ride on Uber.

But some passengers are opposed to that kind of transparency.

They worry that drivers will disproportionately decline short trips that won't make them much money, or rides that take them out of the way.

Black claimed that Uber agents said similar things when she raised the issue.

"The last communication that I got was from one of the agents saying, I'm paraphrasing me here, 'we're not going to change it, because we find it unfair,'" she said.

"Unfair to whom, I don't know."

An Uber spokesperson told 9news.com.au that the business regularly engages with driver partners to understand how to better support them.

"We'll keep listening and evolving the app to help driver partners make informed decisions and have a more reliable experience on the platform," they said.

READ MORE: Footage catches car thief's reaction on finding sleeping baby

After raising the issue with Uber, Black started a Change.org petition demanding transparency for Australian Uber drivers.

It has already attracted more than 1000 signatures.

"We fully know that Uber is not going to do this on their own, they're not going to change it just because we want them to," she said.

Black said drivers deserve to know where they're going and what they stand to earn before accepting rides.

She also suggested that if Uber doesn't want drivers to cherry-pick rides that pay well, it should increase driver wages.

*Name changed.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at Google Play.

Energy experts say South Korea's pledge to phase out thermal coal should be a wake-up call for Australia's fossil fuel industry.

This week South Korea – a major customer of Australian thermal coal exports – joined Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), committing to abandon all its coal power by 2040.

The move was lauded by environment campaigners who have pushed major industrial nations to ditch fossil fuels and replace them with renewable energy sources.

READ MORE: Australia loses out in bid to host crucial climate conference

South Korea is the world's fourth largest importer of coal, which is used to power its industrial base and heat homes.

But the country's steelmakers have been building steel plants that do not use coal, resulting in a gradual drop in demand for the fossil fuel.

But South Korea's decision and similar moves by other nations also brings big implications for Australian coal exporters.

The value of Australian coal exports to South Korea is worth about $2.4 billion a year, data analytics company Kpler said.

The Australian Office of the Chief Economist has forecast a near 15 per cent decline in global thermal coal demand in the three years to 2027.

Thermal coal, along with iron ore, liquified gas and coking coal, make up Australia's four largest commodity exports from last year.

Climate Energy Finance director Tim Buckley said those major exporters would be "terminally challenged" over coming decades as countries shifted to renewable energy to meet commitments under the 2015 Paris agreement.

"This should send a strong reminder to Australia as the second largest exporter of thermal coal behind only Indonesia that our key trade partners are responding to climate science and their treaty obligations," he said.

"Australia needs to pivot our export focus to low emissions industries of the future, in particular exporting green iron and aluminium, critical minerals and lithium hydroxide to help our key trade partners jointly deliver on their decarbonisation objectives."

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The White House was quietly lobbying senators to slow-walk a vote to force the release of investigative files on Jeffrey Epstein even as President Donald Trump publicly insisted his administration had nothing to hide and urged Congress to act, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter.

The effort unravelled on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) when senators approved the measure passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives without the changes Trump aides had pressed for, exposing the limits of the president's sway over his party on an issue that has bedeviled him since he returned to power this year.

The measure is now expected to land on Trump's desk as soon as Wednesday (Thursday AEST), and he has indicated he plans to sign it.

READ MORE: US Senate unanimously agrees to send Epstein files bill to Trump's desk

His signature would cap an extraordinary week that began with Trump reversing course on Sunday night to urge House passage of a bill his administration had been trying to stall or head off for months.

The measure compels the release of US Justice Department files on Epstein, the late convicted sex offender and New York financier who fraternised with some of the most influential men in the country.

Pivot to damage control

By late on Sunday afternoon, top White House aides and the president had concluded their campaign to prevent the vote was failing, and they tried to pivot from prevention to damage control, said the sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly.

White House aides ramped up their outreach to Senate leadership for amendments to the House bill, including redactions to protect victims, as a final effort to influence the measure, the two sources said.

They prepared for a period of "messaging and management" to slow the bill, encouraging senators to portray any delay as responsible oversight. They also circulated talking points tailored to vulnerable Republicans, urging them to frame the vote around transparency while quickly steering the conversation back to affordability issues that are expected to loom large in next year's midterm congressional elections.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said Trump had worried the focus on Epstein would distract from his other priorities.

"President Trump has never been against releasing the Epstein files – rather, he has always been against Republicans falling into the Democrat trap of talking about this rather than focusing on the historic tax cuts signed into law, the fact that zero illegal aliens have entered our country in five months, and the many other accomplishments of the Trump Administration on behalf of the American people," Jackson said.

Limit to Trump's power?

Despite weeks of strategising and direct pressure on politicians – including a long delay in swearing in a newly elected Democratic politician – congressional Republicans moved ahead against Trump's wishes.

The fight has taken a toll on Trump's public approval, which fell to its lowest point this year in a Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on Monday. It found that just 44 per cent of Republicans thought Trump was handling the Epstein situation well.

Another 60 per cent of Americans believed the federal government was hiding information about Epstein's death, and 70 per cent believed it was hiding information about people involved in his sex crimes. A majority of Trump's Republicans shared those suspicions.

READ MORE: Trump hurls outrageous slur at female reporter

The saga also soured relations with one of his strongest Republican supporters in Congress, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Trump socialised and partied with Epstein in the 1990s and 2000s before what he calls a rift, and later amplified conspiracy theories about Epstein to his own supporters.

Now, many Trump voters believe his administration has covered up Epstein's ties to powerful figures and obscured details surrounding his death in a Manhattan jail, which was ruled a suicide while Trump was president in 2019.

Epstein pleaded guilty to a Florida state felony prostitution charge in 2008 and served 13 months in jail. The US Justice Department charged him with sex trafficking of minors in 2019. Epstein had pleaded not guilty to those charges before his death.

Trump has denied any wrongdoing and the investigative material to date has yet to reveal any specific compromising details, though House Democrats last week released a 2019 email from Epstein that cryptically contended Trump "knew about the girls."

READ MORE: What's next once Trump signs bill releasing the Epstein files

The intense focus on the Epstein files has fuelled frustration within the White House and for Trump personally. The president this week lashed out at female reporters who pressed him on Epstein, calling one "a terrible person" and saying, "Quiet, quiet piggy" to another. Aides expressed exasperation over what they see as the Republican Party's fixation on the issue – one, they fear, might persist no matter what files are released.

"There is a misconception, embraced by many in the Republican Party, that the federal government is hiding information about Epstein," a senior White House official said. "But that theory is simply not true … the president has nothing to hide."

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

For under 25s: Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.

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Australian shoppers can now expect parcels to arrive any day of the week, as Australia Post reintroduces temporary weekend deliveries starting this Saturday to manage the enormous volume of packages expected this festive season.

The move, which covers all metro capital cities and selected regional locations, comes as Australia Post prepares for the surge driven by major sales events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The weekend service will remain in place until Christmas.

READ MORE: What's next once Trump signs bill releasing the Epstein files

Gary Starr, Australia Post's Executive General Manager for Parcels, Post, and eCommerce Services, said the extra service would ensure deliveries remained timely during the peak period.

"With Black Friday and Cyber Monday just around the corner, we're expecting to see a significant spike in parcel volumes and online spending activity," Starr said.

"Last year we delivered nearly 103 million parcels over the Black Friday sales period, and we're ready to go even bigger this holiday season. Weekend deliveries are just one of the ways Australia Post is stepping up to support our customers."

To handle the expected influx of parcels, Australia Post has had to expand its resources.

This includes adding more free Parcel Lockers and opening new, dedicated parcel-focused Post Offices with 24/7 self-serve options in metro areas across NSW, VIC, QLD, and ACT.

Christmas deadlines for packages

To avoid disappointment, shoppers are being told to stick to these cut-off dates to guarantee arrival by Christmas Day.

Service	Same state (metro)	Interstate (metro)
Parcel Post	Monday, December 22	Friday, December 19
Express Post	Tuesday, December 23	Tuesday, December 23

People sending to or from Western Australia, Northern Territory, Tasmania, or regional and remote locations, should allow a few extra days.

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A Sydney man says an order to turn over his personalised licence plates featuring the infamous nickname of a WWII dictator is a violation of his free speech rights.

Eddie sent a message to Ben Fordham Live on 2GB saying the message he received from Transport for NSW was "another damning indictment of the woke left imposing their thoughts on our society".

His personalised licence plates, for which he claims he paid just shy of $900, read ILDUCE, or "Il Duce" – Italian for "The Leader".

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https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/exclusive-sydney-driver-told-to-return-controversial-numberplate/embed

Duce is descended from the Latin word "dux", from which the noble title "duke" is also derived.

"Il Duce" was also the widely used nickname of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who ruled Italy from 1922 until his overthrow and death in 1945, and who was a close ally of Adolf Hitler.

Eddie told 2GB's Ben Fordham that he chose the plates to reflect his business role.

READ MORE: Footage catches car thief's reaction on finding sleeping baby

"(The car) is under my company ownership, the words really mean 'the leader', I'm the director of the company," he said.

He acknowledged there was a "connotation" to Mussolini but maintained the words themselves were innocent.

He claimed there was a double standard in place, with other "offensive" licence plates allowed on the roads.

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Transport for NSW confirmed a member of the public had reported the plates, which were subject to an assessment by the department.

"The decision to withdraw the plates is based on a wider perception they could be directly related to fascist dictator Benito Mussolini," a spokesperson said.

"The ILDUCE number plates were originally issued due to an oversight in the vetting process."

Transport for NSW will refund the balance of the annual fee owing for the plates and issue replacement plates at no cost.

Eddie will also be able to order a new set of personalised plates up to the same cost as he paid for the ILDUCE plates, free of charge.

Until then, he will be given general issue plates on the spot when he turns in the ILDUCE plates before the deadline of November 24.

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