Two interest rate cuts are on the horizon, but they won't stop Australians from tightening their belts during another challenging year for the economy.

That's according to a new Oxford Economics report, which is forecasting weak employment growth and lethargic business investment will weigh on the nation's financial health – although the Australian economy is still predicted to perform better than other developed nations.

The research found that, while household spending has enjoyed something of a resurgence this year, much of it was driven by temporary factors like the back-to-back Easter and Anzac Day public holidays and generous shopping discounts, which won't last into 2026.

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"While recent data shows the economy is strengthening, the outlook is patchy," report author Harry Murphy Cruise said. 

"As temporary boosts to household spending fade, unemployment edges higher, and real wage gains moderate, consumers will likely tighten their belts again…

"That spending momentum will fade with those temporary boosts in the rearview mirror.

"Meanwhile, households' appetite to spend will be Ozempic-ed as unemployment edges higher, real wage gains moderate and global uncertainty clouds the outlook."

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Household aren't expected to regain their full confidence until the end of next year or early 2027, according to the report.

Murphy Cruise added that challenging conditions for businesses will keep unemployment at around its current level of 4.5 per cent for much of the next 12 months.

"Businesses have been burnt by escalating costs and tariff uncertainty, so firms are sitting on their hands," he said. 

"Investment intentions are being rapidly scaled back, and employment has barely budged over the last four months. The unemployment rate hasn't reflected the full extent of this weakness – but it will soon.

"Young people are the first to feel the impacts of a slowing labour market; so, with youth unemployment jumping sharply in recent months, we can expect to see that pain spread to other cohorts soon."

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But in a glimmer of good news for Australians still struggling with the cost of living after years of high inflation, Oxford is forecasting that the Reserve Bank will pull the trigger on what would be the fourth interest rate cut of the year next week, with another to come in early 2026.

"We are still confident that inflation will trend lower through the remainder of the year," Murphy Cruise said. 

"We expect trimmed mean inflation – the measure of most importance to the RBA – to end the year at 2.5 per cent. That should allow for two more rate cuts this cycle."

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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Israel's intelligence agency Mossad has identified the man responsible for planning a spate of antisemitic attacks around the world, including in Australia.

Sardar Amar, a senior commander in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is alleged to be the leader of a network of 11,000 operatives around the world that have been responsible for attacks in "Greece, Germany and Australia", according to an official statement from Netanyahu.

"Under Amar's command, a significant mechanism was established to promote attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets both in Israel and abroad," Netanyahu claimed.

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"The first-time exposure of Sardar Amar's attack mechanism as being behind the attempted attacks in Greece, Germany, and Australia proves the failed management of the mechanism in its efforts and undermines the Iranian attempts to operate covertly, beneath the radar."

Iran was allegedly behind two firebombings in Australia last year, one at Lewis' Continental Kitchen in Sydney on October 20, and another at the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6.

The revelation was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in late August, saying spy agency ASIO had made the findings.

As a result, the IRGC was declared a terrorist organisation and Iran's ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi was expelled from the country, with the Iranian Embassy in Canberra also closing.

"These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil," Albanese said at the time.

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ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess said the agency's investigations found the IRGC attempted to conceal its involvement by using connections in the criminal world to carry out the attacks.

"It's a series of chains," Burgess said.

"There's an organised crime element offshore in this, but that's not to suggest organised crime are doing it.

Netanyahu alluded to Australia's actions against Iran and the IRGC in his statement: "Law enforcement authorities in Australia and Germany have taken severe diplomatic measures against senior Iranian officials.

"Among the actions taken against those involved: The expulsion of the Iranian Ambassador from Australia and his declaration as persona non grata."

A dozen people were charged in relation to the firebombing in Sydney, whilst three men were charged in relation to the attack on the Melbourne synagogue.

There were no injuries in either incident, but millions of dollars in damage were caused to both buildings.

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Australian Unions are backing a bid to end junior rates of pay for younger workers.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) has applied to the Fair Work Commission to scrap junior pay rates for workers aged 18 and over in retail, fast food and pharmacies so they can be paid adult wages.

Young workers under 21 employed under the key retail, fast food and pharmacy awards are not currently entitled to adult wages.

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They are paid lower wages on a sliding scale which unions say is out of touch with the cost-of-living pressures confronting young workers.

Workers under 20 are paid 90 per cent of the adult award rate, while 19-year-olds are paid 80 per cent of the award rate.

Employees who are 18 get just 70 per cent of the full award rates in retail, fast food and pharmacies.

ACTU President Michele O'Neil said employer groups have got it wrong when they claim a change will cost young workers their jobs.

"If you're 18, you're legally an adult. You can vote. You can drive. You can work the late shift. But in retail and fast food, you're still paid like a kid," O'Neil said.

"That pay gap isn't small. An 18-year-old needs 50 plus hours a week to earn what an adult makes in 38.

"The bills don't get reduced because you're younger. The rent doesn't care about your birthday.

"The SDA – the union for retail and fast-food workers – has asked the Fair Work Commission to fix this.

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"Once you're legally an adult, you should be paid the adult wage. It's straightforward and fair."

A case starts in the Fair Work Commission today.

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Up to 300,000 women in Australia are set to benefit from several contraceptives being made part of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) from November 1.

Speaking on Today, Health Minister Mark Butler announced three different contraceptive pills would be added to the scheme, alongside a device called the NuvaRing.

The NuvaRing releases a combination of estrogen and progestrogen, preventing ovulation and allowing women to use it on a monthly cycle rather than daily like some oral contraceptives.

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The device used to cost $270 a year, but Butler claims the cost will now plummet to $31.60 per script, with concession holders being able to access the contraceptive device for as little as $7.70 per script.

For most Aussie women, this will make it two-thirds cheaper, with some being able to save up to 88 per cent.

Three other pills will also be added to the scheme, as part of a wide-ranging plan to make birth control more affordable.

"Literally 300,000 women every year will save hundreds and hundreds of dollars," Butler told Today.

"With three new pills that hundreds of thousands of women were using because they're really highly effective and don't have side effects that some of the older medicines have."

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Butler also announced on January 1 next year, contraceptives would cost no more than $25 per script.

"Australia's women will have access to all of their contraceptive choices for no more than $100 a year," he said.

"And that's as it should be, this is essential care for hundreds of thousands of Australians."

To support these measures, a new 40 per cent bulk billing incentive has been announced, which the government believes will incentivise doctors to provide long-acting contraception services to women.

"This is about making sure women have genuine choice when it comes to their reproductive health, choice that isn't limited by cost or access," Minister for Women Katy Gallagher said.

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Microsoft Australia is facing court action for allegedly misleading 2.7 million Australians into buying a more expensive 365 subscription plan that included its AI bot "Copilot".

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) today announced it has launched proceedings in the federal court against the company over allegedly false or misleading communication.

In October last year, Microsoft sent two emails and published a blog post telling users who had automatic pay renewal for their Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans that they had to accept the integration of Copilot and pay higher prices to maintain their subscription, or cancel.

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The ACCC alleged Microsoft provided false or misleading information because it failed to mention that users had a third option of keeping their existing plan, without Copilot, at the lower price under the classic plan.

Users allegedly only received the option of moving to a classic plan late in the cancellation process.

This meant users who did not cancel saw the annual price for the personal plan jump 45 per cent from $109 to $159, and 29 per cent from $139 to $179 for the family plan.

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ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb alleges Microsoft "deliberately" failed to mention the classic plan and "concealed" its existence to increase the number of users on the more expensive Copilot-integrated plans.

"The Microsoft Office apps included in 365 subscriptions are essential in many people's lives, and given there are limited substitutes to the bundled package, cancelling the subscription is a decision many would not make lightly," she said.

"We're concerned that Microsoft's communications denied its customers the opportunity to make informed decisions about their subscription options, which included the possibility of retaining all the features of their existing plan without Copilot and at the lower price.

"We believe many Microsoft 365 customers would have opted for the Classic plan had they been aware of all the available options."

Microsoft 365 Personal and Family plans include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote, apps like Outlook, Teams and SharePoint and cloud services through OneDrive.

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The ACCC case does not relate to Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise plans. 

Following an investigation prompted by tip-offs and Reddit posts, the consumer watchdog believes millions of Australians have suffered economic harm.

The ACCC is seeking orders including penalties, injunctions, declarations, consumer redress, and costs in court.

Corporations in breach of consumer law could face a maximum penalty of $50 million.

Microsoft said it is reviewing the ACCC's claim and will work to ensure its practices are legal and ethical.

"Consumer trust and transparency are top priorities for Microsoft, and we are reviewing the ACCC's claim in detail," a Microsoft spokesperson said.

"We remain committed to working constructively with the regulator and ensuring our practices meet all legal and ethical standards."

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Victoria Police have released video of a shocking near miss where a speeding car narrowly avoided hitting five pedestrians.

The incident occurred earlier this month on the Nepean Highway at Mornington, when a red Mazda 121 was caught speeding and failing to stop at a red light by a red light speed camera.

The car was clocked going at 93km/h in a 70km/h zone.

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At the same time the Mazda was speeding through the red light, five pedestrians were shown crossing the road.

Footage shows the Mazda only narrowly avoiding hitting some of the pedestrians.

There were no injuries to the pedestrians, some of whom subsequently filmed the car on their phones as it sped off into the night.

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Police still have not located the driver of the vehicle, and have released the footage in the hope the pedestrians or any other witnesses to the incident will come forward.

The Mazda had a registration of 1WG60E, and after the incident it continued driving in a southbound direction towards Dromana.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Russia tested a new nuclear-capable and powered cruise missile fit to confound existing defences, inching closer to deploying it to its military, President Vladimir Putin said.

The announcement, which followed years of tests of the Burevestnik missile, comes as part of nuclear messaging from the Kremlin, which has resisted Western pressure for a ceasefire in Ukraine and strongly warned the US and other NATO allies against sanctioning strikes deep inside Russia with longer-range Western weapons.

A video released on Sunday by the Kremlin showed Putin, dressed in camouflage fatigues, receiving a report from General Valery Gerasimov, Russia's chief of general staff, who told the Russian leader that the Burevestnik covered 14,000 kilometres in a key test last Tuesday.

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Gerasimov said the Burevestnik, or storm petrel in Russian, spent 15 hours in the air on nuclear power, adding "that's not the limit".

Little is known about the Burevestnik, which was code-named Skyfall by NATO, and many Western experts have been sceptical about it, noting that a nuclear engine could be highly unreliable.

When Putin first revealed that Russia was working on the weapon in his 2018 state-of-the-nation address, he claimed it would have an unlimited range, allowing it to circle the globe undetected by missile defence systems.

Many observers argue such a missile could be difficult to handle and pose an environmental threat.

The US and the Soviet Union worked on nuclear-powered missiles during the Cold War, but they eventually shelved the projects, considering them too hazardous.

The Burevestnik reportedly suffered an explosion in August 2019 during tests at a navy range on the White Sea, killing five nuclear engineers and two service members and resulting in a brief spike in radioactivity that fuelled fears in a nearby city.

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Russian officials never identified the weapon involved, but the US said it was the Burevestnik.

"We need to determine the possible uses and begin preparing the infrastructure for deploying these weapons to our armed forces," Putin told Gerasimov.

The Russian leader also claimed it was invulnerable to current and future missile defences, due to its almost unlimited range and unpredictable flight path.

Last week, Putin directed drills of Russia's strategic nuclear forces that featured practice missile launches. The exercise came as his planned summit on Ukraine with US President Donald Trump was put on hold.

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Tigest Girma's road to the New York Times bestsellers list started with a Twilight rewatch during a COVID-19 lockdown in 2021.

As Edward Cullen and Bella Swan flirted on screen, the Melbourne primary school teacher had an unexpected lightbulb moment.

"I just couldn't get this idea out of my head – what if vampires originated from Africa?" she told 9news.com.au.

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Girma threw together a few sentences on her phone and posted them on social media, curious to see if anyone else liked the concept.

The response was immediate and enthusiastic.

Three years later, her debut novel Immortal Dark hit shelves and a week after that, it was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Now the pressure's on to recreate that success with sequel Eternal Ruin, which drops tomorrow.

But Girma once doubted her Black vampire romance would ever see the light of day.

Born and raised in Ethiopia, her family moved to Australia when she was 15.

It was a culture shock to say the least.

She found solace in books, but none of the paranormal romances she adored featured any characters that looked like her.

"I had that itch, that craving for representation," Girma said.

As an adult, she tried to write the books she needed growing up but after three failed attempts to get published, she was almost ready to give up.

Immortal Dark was her last-ditch attempt to get a story centring Black characters on Australian shelves.

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It took about a year to write the draft around her casual teaching work, juggling plot points with lesson plans, but by 2023 she had a manuscript and an agent.

The hardest part was going to be finding a publisher willing to pay for a story like hers.

Or so Girma thought.

The paranormal, fantasy and romance genres skew white, as does the publishing industry.

More than 70 per cent of people working in Australian publishing identify as white, according to a 2022 survey, and the figure is slightly higher in the US.

Girma was floored when not one but two publishing houses wanted to buy Immortal Dark.

A bidding war ensued and she walked away with a hefty three-book deal.

Her debut hit shelves to rave reviews and at just 26, Girma officially became a New York Times bestselling author.

"I was in shock, I was floating around the whole day, buzzing with too much energy," she said.

"How is it possible to achieve your wildest dreams in such a short time?"

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It was especially meaningful because of what the book represented to her and other Black women and girls; a place where they belong.

"Being able to put out these books [is like] being able to go back into the past and hand them to my own teenage self and say, 'this is the one for you,'" she said.

Uxlay University, where Girma's stories are set, is full of Black characters with unapologetically African names like Kidan Adane, the protagonist, and Susenyos Sagad, her nemesis turned love interest.

It was an intentional choice from an author who has spent years correcting people who mispronounce her name, as is the experience of so many immigrants and children of immigrants.

She won't stand for Westernised nicknames or mispronunciations either.

Girma shared videos on social media explaining how to pronounce her name and the names of her characters, so no one has an "excuse" to get it wrong.

Especially when some readers can learn to pronounce made-up fantasy names but claim real Ethiopian names are "too hard".

"Saying 'this is my name and you have to call me by my full name,' is a powerful thing," Girma said.

"Readers can say these complicated fantasy names, but somehow they struggle with ours? I have no idea how that logic works."

Her characters also never have to deal with incidents or discussions of racism.

So many books about Black characters deal explicitly with race but Girma wanted to offer readers, especially young Black women, an escape from that.

"BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of colour] authors have always been associated with these traumatic topics in normal fiction," she said.

"I did not want to see stories like that anymore."

Readers have lauded her for these details and for championing diversity in fiction, which has become a popular topic of discussion on BookTok, the online reading community on TikTok.

It's part of the reason Girma's idea for Immortal Dark first gained traction online.

She's grateful for these spaces that encourage conversations about the ways in which whiteness still dominates the publishing landscape.

"I'm reaching audiences that I never thought I could [and] this is just proof that people want to read Black fantasy books," Girma said.

"There's an audience for us, we can be successful in these commercial spaces."

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But there are drawbacks to having almost 100,000 people following her every move online.

Social media can be a powerful tool for authors – for example, Girma's editor first discovered her on TikTok – but the pressure to perform online can be overwhelming.

And many emerging authors can't afford to opt out.

"It is something that a lot of authors have to think about, specifically BIPOC authors," Girma said.

"We sort of have no choice but to be visible on social media, to get attention, to prove ourselves or our readership online before publishing takes a chance on us."

Girma has taken a step back from TikTok and Instagram lately to focus on the launch of Immortal Dark, plan the third and final book in the trilogy, and keep up her day job.

The 27-year-old kept up her casual teaching work even after becoming an international bestseller and considers her "main profession".

"I genuinely do enjoy it [and] it's a good stable job to have next to something as unpredictable as writing."

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

A dangerous storm has lashed Brisbane and other parts of south-east Queensland with hail, rain, wind and lightning.

The wild weather took out power for tens of thousands today and the Pacific Championships at Suncorp Stadium were suspended over lightning fears.

The Darling Downs, Toowoomba and Ipswich were all in the firing line as yards were turned upside down and streets strewn with debris.

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Victoria slammed by rain

Melbourne was lashed by wild weather that caused flash flooding across the city and suburbs.

A tram was stuck in Richmond and some cars were stranded by sudden flash flooding in both South Melbourne and West Melbourne.

The high risk of thunderstorms prompted the state's Chief Health Officer to issue an epidemic thunderstorm asthma forecast warning of "high" for the northern country district.

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"Epidemic thunderstorm asthma is where a large number of people suddenly develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time and is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm," the Chief Health Officer's office said.

"The Bureau of Meteorology works closely with the department to forecast the risk of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event."

Fire ban for millions

A total fire ban will be enforced from midnight tomorrow for large parts of south-east Queensland ahead of a double forecast of "dangerous" storms and sweltering heat.

The ban, which will be in effect for 24 hours, will apply from Noosa stretching down to the Gold Coast and includes the Scenic Rim and Somerset regions.

The Queensland Fire Department confirmed the fire ban will remain in place until midnight on Tuesday due to heightened fire conditions.

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Unusually hot weather is sweeping across the state, made worse by potential thunderstorms which could whip up some dangerous fire conditions.

"With hot, dry and gusty westerly winds ramping up, large parts of Queensland will see heightened fire danger today," the Queensland Fire Department warned in a message to residents.

"QFD crews are prepared to respond, but we need Queenslanders to be mindful of the very real risk this weather poses.

"Avoid any activities that could create a spark, as any fires that start in these conditions could become dangerous very quickly."

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Storms forecast for state's south-east

Thunderstorms remain a possibility next week in Queensland as the cooler change arrives.

Storm and showers are still forecast across much of the state tomorrow, with severe storms are possible across parts of the central and south-east coast.

Residents in Brisbane and the Gold Coast may avoid the worst of it.

Sizzling heat still lingering

A heatwave warning has also been issued by the Bureau of Meteorology for central, north and north-west Queensland.

Maximum temperatures could nudge the mid-40s in some regions, including the Central Highlands and Coalfields, Northern Goldfields and Upper Flinders, Central West, North West and Gulf Country districts.

The severe heatwave conditions will begin to ease early next week as a cooler burst arrives.

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Temperatures are forecast to drop in the south from Monday, and across central Queensland from Tuesday as the cold front moves away from the coast.

Northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia will see little relief from the heat this week, the BoM warned.

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A gunman allegedly opened fire at a home on the NSW Central Coast as two toddlers slept inside.

Police say a shotgun was fired from a passing car into a home in Spencer about 9pm yesterday.

Inside the home was Dan Carden and his family.

He told 9News a recently bought car, a white Ford Territory, was damaged beyond repair.

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"We've only just got this car and we've been without a car for quite some time," he said.

"We don't have a car [anymore]."

Neighbour Sandra Stanley said she came running outside when she heard the gunshots.

She told 9News it was a shocking incident in a quiet part of the Central Coast.

"I heard the bang last night, it was enough to bring me out of the house," she said.

"[I'm] pretty horrified really, just a shock."

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Fortunately, no one in the house was injured, which included a one-year-old and a three-year-old.

Carden said it was clear the gun used was a shotgun due to damage from ball bearing pellets being visible to his car and the house.

The perpetrator is still on the loose, with police said they are looking to speak to the occupants of a dark-coloured ute with a canopy, which was seen driving south along Wiseman's Ferry Road.

Carden said he is still in fear that the perpetrator could strike again if they aren't found.

"Until they're caught, I'm always going to be worried someone will be looking over our shoulder, just in case we don't know who it was," he said.

A crime scene has been established, and an investigation is under way.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police or CrimeStoppers.

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