Heavy swells up to 7m are expected off Foveaux and Puysegur coasts.

A solider who died after a "routine training activity" at a Townsville military base in northern Queenslandhas been remembered as "a leader for young soldiers".

Two other soldiers were also injured in the training incident on Hervey Range Road about 6.42pm yesterday.

Speaking to media this afternoon, Brigadier Ben McLennan said that the cause of the soldier's death was still under investigation.

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"We were conducting a crew commanders course in the training area. It is a routine training activity for the third battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, our armoured infantry battalion, and that is when the incident occurred," McLennan said.

"It is too early to tell what caused it."

The soldier served for seven-and-a-half years.

"He was a leader, a leader of young soldiers, he mentored young soldiers and mentored them routinely, he had a distinguished service," McLennan said.

"He served in support of our nation during the COVID crisis, in contributing to our partnership with Papua New Guinea and in training the Ukrainian armed forces for their conflict in Eastern Europe."

He said the vehicle involved in the crash was an M113 armoured personnel carrier.

"It is a very reliable vehicle that we use up in the third brigade, the third battalion, on a daily basis," McLennane said.

Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles this morning confirmed the soldier's death.

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https://x.com/RichardMarlesMP/status/1978626812394836188

Multiple paramedic units, including a rescue helicopter, attended the crash.

"This is a tragic loss and the sacrifice of our service personnel weighs heavily on us all," Marles said.

"Our service men and women wear our nation's uniform with pride and we recognise the risks they take each and every day in the defence of our nation."

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Two other soldiers, including a man in his 30s and a man in his 20s, were taken to hospital in a stable condition.

"Two other soldiers were also injured in the same incident but they have been released from medical care," said McLennan.

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A tradie has taken down a man who allegedly attempted to rob a service station on the Gold Coast.

A 24-year-old man allegedly demanded cash and cigarettes from the store attendant at Hope Energy service station on Brisbane Road in Biggera Waters about 5.15am today, gesturing that he had a weapon.

The tradie was standing behind the man in line and initially put his hands up.

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The tradie then tackled the man to the ground and attempted to restrain him.

Several customers were inside the store at the time.

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Another customer assisted the tradie and helped keep him on the ground before police arrived.

Officers arrived at the petrol station within 15 minutes and took a 24-year-old into custody.

He has since been charged with one count of attempted armed robbery.

He is scheduled to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court this afternoon.

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The unemployment rate has reached its highest level in almost four years following a surprise jump in the number of people looking for work last month, increasing the chance of a pre-Christmas interest rate cut.

According to data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics this morning, the jobless rate hit 4.5 per cent in September, up from a revised 4.3 per cent the month prior (the ABS had originally said the August figure was 4.2 per cent).

The result is worse than economists had forecast, with the market expecting a rise to 4.3 per cent today.

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"This is the highest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate recorded since November 2021," ABS head of labour statistics Sean Crick said.

"There were 34,000 more unemployed people in September. The number of employed people also grew, up 15,000 in the same period."

The fresh data comes three weeks out from the Reserve Bank's next interest rates decision, to be handed down on Melbourne Cup day, November 4.

Harry Murphy from Oxford Economics Australia said the surprise rise in unemployment has put the central bank in a difficult position, but that a rate cut next month is now justified.

"The RBA is increasingly caught between a rock and a hard place," he said.

"Its dual mandate – price stability and full employment – is now pulling in opposite directions.

"Inflation looks set to come in hotter than the bank's latest forecasts, while the labour market is weaker than expected. Each development warrants different policy responses.

"We maintain that the recent inflation uptick is temporary and expect underlying pressures to keep easing…

"With unemployment moving in the other direction, we maintain our view that a rate cut is warranted in November, with a final cut this cycle in quarter one next year."

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While expectations for a pre-Christmas cut have dwindled on the back of higher-than-expected inflation data in recent months, RBA Governor Michele Bullock hinted that there was still room for the cash rate to drop in comments made in the United States overnight.

"We don't think (monetary) policy is restrictive, but we don't think it's accommodative," she said.

"We think it is marginally tight.

"It's probably a little on the tight side but not much."

The ABS will publish crucial quarterly inflation data in two weeks, which is set to have a crucial influence on the RBA's November and December decisions.

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A new memoir by Virginia Giuffre alleges Prince Andrew felt entitled to have sex with her, according to an extract published in The Guardian.

Giuffre signed off on a 400-page memoir before her death in April about her alleged association with the Duke of York and Jeffrey Epstein.

In the upcoming book Nobody's Girl, Giuffre has claimed when she met Prince Andrew at a London townhouse, the prince felt entitled and that sleeping with her was his birthright as a royal.

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"Back at the house, Maxwell and Epstein said goodnight and headed upstairs, signalling it was time that I take care of the prince," Giuffre said in the excerpt.

"In the years since, I've thought a lot about how he behaved.

"He was friendly enough, but still entitled, as if he believed having sex with me was his birthright."

She said one of the games played was Epstein and Prince Andrew had to guess her age.

"When Prince Andrew arrived at the house that evening, (Ghislaine) Maxwell was more coquettish than usual. 'Guess Jenna's age,' she urged the prince, after she introduced me," she said in the excerpt.

"The Duke of York, who was then 41, guessed correctly: 17. "My daughters are just a little younger than you," he told me, explaining his accuracy.

"As usual, Maxwell was quick with a joke: "I guess we will have to trade her in soon.""

Prince Andrew has always denied the allegations against him.

The book will be published in two weeks, which Giuffre's family has signed off on.

It is the first time the world has heard from Giuffre since she made a financial settlement several years ago.

The Duke of York's office has been contacted for comment.

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A court has tossed out broad police powers allowing protesters to be moved away from places of worship after complaints of overreach and stifled freedoms.

The anti-protest laws were swiftly implemented in February after a spate of anti-Semitic acts across Sydney and Melbourne, including graffiti, arson attacks and threats of personal violence.

But progressive voices claimed the new powers, which allow police to move on protesters who are deemed to be near places of worship, were unconstitutional and too broad.

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The lack of clarity around the reach of the legislation or the definition of nearness meant it wasn't fit for purpose and would have a chilling effect on protesting in NSW, pro-Palestine activist Josh Lees argued before the state's supreme court.

Justice Anna Mitchelmore today sided with the activist, finding the laws wrongly burdened people's freedom of communication and were invalid.

She rejected the argument by NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton SC that the laws were confined to protecting people being harassed by disruptive protesters when entering or leaving a place of worship.

The police powers had an "obvious and legitimate purpose" after being introduced in response to threats and attacks at places of worship around the country, he argued.

Lee's legal team contended the laws were discriminatory because they expressly target certain types of political speech in a way that inevitably favoured some viewpoints over others.

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That was upheld by the judge, who swept aside Sexton's contention that the validity of the laws wasn't affected by the fact there were exemptions for union rallies or for people in charge of places of worship to permit protests.

When implementing the laws in February, Premier Chris Minns was warned the laws would be problematic when many town squares had a church, including outside the Supreme Court itself.

But Labor instead listened to concerns from peak Jewish groups after rallies went past the Great Synagogue in Sydney's centre.

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley at the time said the boosted police powers would ensure people could practice their beliefs in safety.

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Exclusive: Australia's former ambassador to Israel says Donald Trump's enforcer-style approach to the two-year conflict between Israel and Hamas earned him enough trust in the region to broker this week's ceasefire.

Trump is being credited locally and globally as the pilot of the peace deal, after 20 living hostages were released from Hamas captivity and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners and detainees were freed on Monday.

Liberal senator Dave Sharma told 9news.com.au Trump was able to achieve a breakthrough peace agreement because he mastered the language of conflict and earned begrudging respect from both sides.

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Do you have a story? Contact reporter April Glover at Google Play.

Peter Alexander's new generative AI marketing campaign may have been met with some consumer backlash, but experts say it's the future of brand advertising.

The retailer, which reported record sales of $548 million last financial year, called it a "peek into the Peter Alexander universe" using "a bit of AI magic to leave limits at the doggy door" in campaign materials.

And consumer psychologists are telling Australians to get used to it, because this will "absolutely" be the norm in the future. 

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"The key question now isn't if AI will be used, but how well brands manage to make AI content feel emotionally authentic and human-centred," University of Sydney Business School lecturer and consumer psychologist Dr Christina Anthony told 9news.com.au.

But some Australian shoppers aren't buying it.

Many social media users responded to Peter Alexander's campaign with criticism, questioning the brand's decision to employ AI over human graphic designers.

Some even swore to boycott the retailer over the campaign.

Consumer psychologist, creative strategist, and Thinkerbell founder Adam Ferrier believes the campaign was a "misfire" but called the backlash "ridiculous".

"No one cares that much that [Peter Alexander] is creating slightly creepy-looking dogs," he told 9news.com.au.

He likened the uproar to that over the use of Photoshop in marketing back in the 2000s and said he seriously doubts anyone will actually boycott the brand.

"Advertising has to be incredibly bad, like almost inconceivably bad, to put people off going somewhere and that never happens," Ferrier said.

"At its worst, it normally evokes a few complaints from a few keyboard warriors, but even that's not going to really damage the brand."

9news.com.au has made multiple attempts to contact Peter Alexander – which, like stationery brand Smiggle, is owned by Premier Investments – for comment.

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Peter Alexander certainly isn't the first brand to embrace generative AI in marketing.

In August, J Crew and Vans launched an AI campaign promoting their collaboration, followed by the likes of Guess, Valentino, and Moncler.

Reactions were mixed, with some critics slamming the campaigns as "AI slop" while others called it the future of brand advertising.

How positive the reactions were seemed to depend on how good the AI was.

"At the moment, there are a lot of brands trying to use AI and using it in a really clumsy way that's getting a lot of ridicule," Ferrier explained.

"Peter Alexander, they've always had a dog in their advertising … but as soon as it comes to life as AI, it looks creepy and weird."

But when used well, AI can be a powerful marketing tool.

Ferrier has embraced it at Thinkerbell, which recently worked on campaigns for Victoria's Transport Accident Commission (TAC) and Menulog using generative AI.

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There was some blowback but Ferrier predicts Aussies will quickly come to accept AI marketing as it becomes more mainstream.

"It is likely that over time consumers will not react with the same shock or scepticism," Anthony agreed.

She said brands will also become better at creating "human-centred" AI content that evokes more positive reactions.

Like, for example, a pyjama campaign with dogs that look a little less "uncanny valley".

"Consumers expect warmth, playfulness, and a human touch from a brand like Peter Alexander … they don't want to see a slick AI dog in their ads," she added.

Experts predict that as generative AI becomes more powerful and realistic, brands will increasingly utilise it to cut costs, increase output, and personalise content at scale.

In some cases, that may be at the cost of human jobs.

And even though some Aussies will continue to protest its use in brand advertising, the blowback is unlikely to hurt most companies' bottom line.

"People might express frustration or disapproval initially, but unless a strong alternative brand activates their values better, many will continue shopping out of habit or convenience," Anthony said.

"And most brands won't abandon generative AI as the efficiencies are too valuable."

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

Exclusive: A violent British national who was convicted of attacking his pregnant partner and her children is now being deported from Australia.

Terry Phillips was allowed to move to Queensland on a community corrections order after pleading guilty to a long list of charges relating to his former partner Nadine Hams, her children and another female victim.

Phillips, 41, was sentenced to nine months and 21 days behind bars and upon release in Victoria he was placed on a 15-month community corrections order.

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He applied to serve the rest of his sentence in Mackay, where Hams previously said he was allowed to roam "free".

"[He's been] working in mines, making a fortune, no curfews, the address he had down with the corrections officer wasn't even where he was living," Hams told 9News at the time.

"Just a free man."

After Hams pleaded with the Australian government to deport him back to the UK, she received a surprise call from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke.

Burke personally told Hams the government had cancelled Phillips' visa.

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"I had a meltdown in the car, I was hysterical crying and beside myself because I thought, you know, I didn't really think it would happen," Hams told 9News.

"I was lost for words actually… I just thanked him and thanked him."

Phillips is now awaiting deportation back to the UK after being picked up by border force officials.

It could take weeks or even months now for him to leave the country.

Hams spent two years campaigning to get her abusive ex-partner kicked out of the country.

READ MORE: Woman and two children dead after 'horrific' house fire in central Queensland

"It was kind of a miracle that it actually happened, yeah, cos I wasn't gonna give up," she added.

"It wasn't just for me, it was for past girlfriends and things like that that made me fight harder, not everyone has the courage to come forward so it became a fight for all of us."

Burke told 9News that anyone living in Australia on a visa should be expected to abide by the law.

"If someone's on a visa I expect them to treat Australians with respect and when they don't I check against the Migration Act and see if there are grounds for cancellation, and if there are you can leave," Burke said.

There are now calls for a national family violence register to monitor high-risk offenders.

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

Detectives are appealing for information from the public as tributes pour in for a woman and two boys killed in a house fire in central Queensland.

Emergency services were called to Whiting Street in Toolooa, a suburb of Gladstone, just before 6am (AEST) today and arrived to find a two-storey house engulfed in flames.

Nearby residents said they heard what sounded like explosions or thunder echoing out across the suburb, and a woman inside screaming for help.

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"My aunt came to work today and said that she thought it was an airplane engine because it was really loud," one resident told 9News.

"She heard gas tanks over here popping off."

The building had partially collapsed due to the fire, which delayed search efforts.

The blaze was brought under control by 7.20am and emergency services located the bodies of a woman and two boys inside the home.

9News understands they were Jordana Johnson, Jordan Norris and Chazz Mather.

Tributes have begun to pour in on social media.

"Just 13 years old, trying to chase your dreams. I love you endlessly and you'll forever be in my heart," one said.

"Three beautiful souls taken from us too early," another wrote.

"Love you little bros, hope you guys are mucking around up there," a third added.

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The property is believed to be public housing.

Acting Superintendent Luke Peachey said there was a chance more bodies still could be found, adding that it was a house "people come and go from".

"The fire scene is very horrific for all of the first responders and everyone involved, and it will take some time to go through before we can confirm the exact numbers," he told the media earlier today.

Peachey said it was a tragic incident, and authorities were working as hard as they can to identify the victims.

"It's a tragic event," he said.

"Those persons are still unknown, and we will be working throughout the coming days to establish what has actually happened with this house fire."

A crime scene has been declared, and police are investigating the cause of the fire.

Another home in the suburb is under police guard, with police confirming it is in relation to this morning's fire.

Police are appealing for anyone with information, CCTV or dashcam footage, particularly within the vicinity of Whiting, Trevally, Marlin and Emperor streets between 5.30am and 6.05am, to come forward.

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