The federal government has been accused of failing to stump up tens of billions of dollars in health funding it had promised to the states and territories.

The Council for the Australian Federation (CAF) today released a statement from its most recent meeting, in which it claimed the Commonwealth is failing to honour a 2023 national cabinet agreement struck in December 2023.

Under that arrangement, the states and territories agreed to spend more on disability care to take pressure off the NDIS, which has quickly become one of the most expensive – and fastest-rising – items in the federal budget.

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In return, the federal government pledged to fund 42.5 per cent of public hospital costs by 2030 and 45 per cent by 2035.

However, the deal is yet to be formally signed off, with negotiations still ongoing.

CAF, which is composed of all state premiers and territory chief ministers, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's fellow Labor leaders Chris Minns, Roger Cook, Jacinta Allan and Peter Malinauskas, said the government's latest offer fell well short of its initial promise.

"First ministers … are concerned that the Commonwealth does not intend to honour the December 2023 National Cabinet agreement, including the commitment that states and territories would be better off overall," the CAF communique stated.

"States and territories remain committed to the deal struck in December 2023 – a key part of this deal was the Commonwealth's commitment to fund 42.5 per cent of public hospitals' costs by 2030 and 45 per cent by 2035.

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"Under the arrangement now proposed by the Commonwealth, the actual share of Commonwealth funding will be closer to 35 per cent, falling tens of billions of dollars short of what is needed."

A federal government spokesperson denied the claims that it wasn't adequately contributing to the states' and territories' health bills, pointing to an extra $20 billion in funding it had put on the table.

"The Commonwealth remains committed to the December 2023 National Cabinet deal; and we are committed to making a fair contribution under the hospital funding agreement to give Australians better access to health services they need, when they need them and to reduce pressure on hospitals," the spokesperson said.

"The Commonwealth's most recent offer to states included an additional $20 billion over five years in Commonwealth funding for public hospitals.

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"This is a $7 billion increase from the Commonwealth's most recent offer to states.

"The additional $20 billion on offer is on top of the $195.1 billion the Commonwealth is already expected to contribute to public hospitals over the five years from 26-27."

However, premiers and first ministers said the offer put forward would leave the states worse off financially and Australians without the hospital services they "rightly expect".

"States and territories are acutely aware of the need to manage growing cost pressures and activity demands on public hospitals. First Ministers noted that these increases are largely driven by factors outside the states' control …

"States and territories cannot address these issues alone. 

"While first ministers recognised the Commonwealth's efforts to improve access to care and reduce pressure on hospitals, these efforts will not shift the dial quickly enough."

The government said it was ready to negotiate in good faith and wanted a final deal signed off by the end of the year.

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Exclusive: Rape charges against a high profile Australian sportsperson are set to be dropped, 9News can reveal.

The well known identity had been charged over an alleged incident in 2023 and faced Geelong Magistrates Court about the matter only a fortnight ago.

A wide ranging suppression order prevents publication of the name and any identifying details of the man.

The high-profile man was facing several charges of sexual assault, including rape, but throughout had denied all charges against him.

He had been accused, along with a friend, of coaxing an intoxicated woman into her car before driving off and raping her.

However, it's understood the drawn-out matter is set to come to an abrupt end, with the process under way for the charges against him to be dropped.

The prosecution has filed paperwork with the court, indicating its intention to discontinue the matter.

The process will be formalised at a court hearing in the coming weeks.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 are two of the greatest games ever made. 

It's taken 15 years but Nintendo is finally offering them as part of a bundle.

Yes, it's $89.95 on the Australian eShop. Outrageously, they're available separately for $59.95! That's a lot of money for any 15-year-old game, even ones as good as Super Mario Galaxy. 

But with a 4K touch-up, new storybook pages and a Super Mario Galaxy movie on the way, it's a price that I – and many other Nintendo fans – will happily pay. 

If you've never touched either of these games before, you won't be disappointed. 

And if you've bought them before, this is the definitive way to replay them. 

I don't need to "review" the quality of these games. They're both sitting at a 97 on Metacritic. They are as close to perfect as two video games can be. 

"Mario in space" is selling these games short.

The way Nintendo plays with gravity across a seemingly endless supply of creative worlds, backed up by the company's first – and arguably best – orchestral score, is an experience every gamer should have.

So what's new in this bundle?

• Better resolution: up to 1080p on Nintendo Switch and 4K on Switch 2
• Extra story book pages, including an all new book in Galaxy 2
• An assist mode to make the game easier for newer players
• Mouse mode support for a second, helper player

Having just played Super Mario Galaxy in Nintendo's 35th anniversary bundle, I jumped straight into Super Mario Galaxy 2. 

After 50+ hours in Hollow Knight SIlksong, Mario felt like a truck at first blush. 

His moveset is jarringly limited compared to Super Mario Odyssey and Nintendo's recent hit Donkey Kong Bananza, and it will take a few levels to get used to. 

Initially, I picked up my Pro Controller to play but moving both hands around to collect star bits felt unnatural and I quickly swapped to the Joy Cons to more closely mimic the Wii. 

Pointer controls are a massive part of Galaxy 2. Eating enemies and shooting them back out as Yoshi relies on it. More demanding platforming sections also demand a level of speed and accuracy as you fling Mario into the air with floating flowers. 

The Switch 2 gyro controls hold up pretty well but your pointer will drift occasionally. It's hard to say why because at times it works flawlessly and at others my cursor would be floating off toward the right of the screen. 

Thankfully, it's very easy to reset it back to the middle of the screen with a tap of the right shoulder button. I've gotten into the habit of hitting it every time I want to use the cursor now. I don't find it too annoying, but I'm sure others may feel differently. 

If you're playing handheld, the touch screen works as your pointer. It's super accurate but you'll have to remove your hand from the controller to do so. 

As for the graphics, it's a mixed bag. 

Super Mario Galaxy 2 has never looked sharper. A few textures have changed to meet a 4K standard but you won't notice unless you're doing a side-by-side comparison with the original Wii game.

Overall, it's an excellent upgrade and the fact that levels and character models hold up on screen 15 years later is testament to excellent art design. However, part of me wishes Nintendo invested a little more. 

Some character models (Toad especially) look very jagged in 4K. 

The fur effects which were perfectly blurred at 480p on the Wii are a little too sharp in 4K. 

Lighting effects on some objects could also use a Metroid Prime: Remastered-level overhaul. Instead of being "lit", some 3D elements are noticeably shaded in different colour gradients but – at 4K – there's a noticeable line that separates the levels like rings on an elevation map. 

None of these will affect the fun you have playing this game. Far from it. This is still the prettiest Super Mario Galaxy 2 has ever looked.

I've been waiting for an excuse to replay Super Mario Galaxy 2 and on Nintendo Switch 2 it is better than ever. 

These 15-year-old masterpieces hold up remarkably in 2025 and it's crazy how well they compare against titles like Astro Bot which, in my review, I basically called it Super Mario Galaxy 3.

With The Super Mario Galaxy Movie on the way, here's hoping Nintendo rips off that band-aid and gives us a true sequel before too long.

Nintendo provided 9news.com.au with an early copy of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 for Nintendo Switch 2 for the purpose of this review.  

A police operation is under way in a regional Victorian town as part of the continued manhunt for accused cop killer Dezi Freeman.

Victoria Police confirmed a number of police and specialist resources are currently in Benalla, located around 103 kilometres from Porepunkah, for a planned operation.

Bearcat and police officers were seen in Benalla and the nearby town of Goomalibee.

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"There is no immediate risk to community safety and further information will be provided once operationally appropriate to do so," a police spokesperson said.

"This forms part of the ongoing investigation in the Porepunkah area in the search for Desmond Freeman."

There has been no official sighting of Freeman since he allegedly gunned down police officers Neal Thompson, 59, and Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 34, on August 26.

Police on Monday confirmed the number of officers on the ground in Porepunkah and surrounding regions had been scaled back since the shooting over a month ago.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said over 200 officers were still in the area, marking less than half the amount of authorities that were combing the area for Freeman weeks ago.

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Bush provided an update on the hunt during a memorial for fallen officers in Melbourne, where he said police officers around the country are still "hurting".

"At the height we had nearly 500 officers up there conducting the search, investigating and providing reassurance to the community," Bush said.

"At the moment, we have in excess of 200 officers there.

"We will continue to rotate police officers through there, a) conducting searches, b) continuing the investigation and c) providing reassurance to the community who needs it."

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Bush said police have so far searched 40-square-kilometre area by foot and air to find Freeman.

The month-long search has involved mineshafts, caves, huts and properties in Porepunkah and surrounding regions.

"It's extremely challenging. We have to often revisit things we've already searched to make sure we haven't missed anything," Bush added.

"And we will not give up until we find that person."

A $1 million reward for any information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible remains on offer.

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A mere matter of weeks ago, experts were expecting an early Christmas present from the RBA.

Now, it's just as likely that Michele Bullock and her board instead decide to play the part of the Grinch.

Following yesterday's widely expected hold, economists are uncertain about whether the cash rate will deviate from its current level of 3.60 per cent before the end of the year – something that had recently seemed likely.

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Today, Commonwealth Bank pushed back its forecast for a cut.

Having previously tipped more relief to be handed down in November, it's now not expecting any change until next February.

"It's no surprise CBA has run the ruler through the chance of another rate cut this year," Canstar data insights director Sally Tindall said.

"While borrowers are hoping for more relief, the battle with inflation has not been a straightforward one, which means the cash rate could stay on hold for the rest of this year."

Fellow big four bank NAB is even more pessimistic than CBA, not predicting another cut until May.

RBA Governor Bullock was noticeably guarded about the future of interest rates in her post-decision press conference yesterday, a far cry from August, when she signalled further monetary policy relief was likely.

On the back of that caution, CBA isn't the only institution where economists have pared back their expectations for a cut before Christmas.

Late yesterday, the market was pricing in a 42 per cent chance of a cut in November, down from 58 per cent the day before.

That figure sat at 95 per cent less than two weeks ago.

"Both the policy statement and Governor Bullock's comments at the press conference were cautious and non-committal about the outlook, keeping all options open," Westpac senior economist Mantas Vanagas said.

"Following the RBA decision, markets now assign only a 50 per cent probability to a cash rate cut this year, down from roughly two-thirds prior to the meeting."

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The Reserve Bank's monetary policy board have two more opportunities to hand down a pre-Christmas cut: Melbourne Cup day on November 4, then its final meeting of the year, which finishes on December 9.

Even if the cash rate remains at 3.60 per cent after those two decisions, many economists do still expect a further cut sometime next year.

"This was a remarkably non-committal set of communications, making no mention of the previous forecasts being predicated on further cuts to the cash rate," Westpac chief economist Luci Ellis, who is still forecasting a cut next month, said. 

"The governor mentioned that monetary policy is 'still a bit restrictive' in the media conference but there was no clear mention of the stance of policy in the post-meeting statement…

"The monetary policy board is clearly trying to give itself maximum optionality for the next few meetings. 

"This means that our current base case of a cash rate cut in November is far from assured, though neither is it off the table."

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With last week's unexpectedly hot monthly inflation data suggesting prices could be starting to rise far quicker than expected, the next instalment of more reliable quarterly data – due late this month – will be crucial in determining whether the Reserve Bank hands down a pre-Christmas cut.

"Our forecasts are unchanged for a 'shallow' RBA easing cycle back to a more neutral rate around 3.25 per cent, but the timing of the next cut is under question," Bendigo Bank chief economist David Robertson said. 

"The full quarterly CPI numbers out on October 29 will be the key event to verify this timing.

"So, barring a significant jump in core inflation, the easing cycle should continue. 

"But it's a complex environment. The RBA governor did warn in her press conference that 'inflation may be persistent'. Time will tell."

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However, Ellis said there may be a welcome silver lining if Bullock and her monetary policy board do keep interest rates on hold for the rest of the year.

"The longer the (board) delays further cuts, the more likely it is that it will end up cutting by more than it currently envisages."

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

The defendant is still in hospital after being shot at and bitten by a police dog.