Australia Post will resume deliveries to the US and its overseas territories three days earlier than expected following a suspension prompted by changes made to US customs and import tariff rules.

The postal service has confirmed it will allow business parcels to be shipped to the US, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, US Virgin Islands and US minor outlying islands from Monday, September 22.

Earlier this month the corporation originally announced the service would resume on on or before Thursday, September 25.

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Australia Post has worked with Zonos, a US Customs and Border Protection authorised third-party provider, to offer business contract and My Post business customers a solution to meet the new rules and allow deliveries to the US to resume.

Retail customers will be able to send all parcels to the US via the Post Office network on or before October this year.

Currently, letters and documents of no commercial value, and gifts valued under USD$100, are exempt from any tariff impacts.

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Australia Post executive general manager of parcel, post and eCommerce Services Gary Starr thanked customers for their patience and understanding. 

"We're pleased postal sending to the US for business customers will resume three days ahead of schedule," Starr said.

"We know our customers have felt the impact and disruption from changes the US government made to customs and import tariff rules, and we have been working around the clock to re-start sending as soon as possible.

"We know just how important it is for them to be able to send items to the US through our cost-efficient postal service as soon as possible."

Australia Post was among several major international postal services which halted operations in the US after Trump's customs and tariff import rules. 

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Photographers are competing for a $15,000 prize pool across six categories.

Dog owners in north-east Queensland are being urged to keep some pets inside as rates of a potentially deadly virus climb across the region.

Canine parvovirus, also known as parvo, is a severe and fast-progressing disease that can be fatal.

9news understands that about 10 cases have been reported in the Willows/Kirwan area, about 20 minutes from Townsville.

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Another case has been reported at Woolloongabba.

Though parvo is preventable with proper vaccination, puppies that are too young to be vaccinated and poorly vaccinated dogs can still contract it.

Symptoms include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal bloating and pain, and changes to body temperature.

Without immediate veterinary care, it can be deadly.

A spike in cases across north-east Queensland prompted Greencross Vets to issue a warning to dog owners in the region to make sure their pets are up to date with all vaccinations.

"We are seeing more cases of parvovirus affecting animals in the area, so we want to encourage pet owners to stay on top of their dog's vaccination schedule," Greencross Vets Willows veterinary director Dr Wendy Smith said in a statement.

Parvo is highly transmissible and dog's don't even need to come into direct contact with an infected animal to contract it.

Though it is primarily transmitted through contaminated faeces, it can also be transferred through contact with a dog's paws or on items like leashes or bedding.

The virus can also survive in the environment for long periods of time, even after routine cleaning or rainfall.

"This means that even at home in their own environment they can be susceptible to the virus," Smith warned.

This makes the spread of parvo incredibly hard to control.

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Greencross Vets warned north-east Queensland residents to keep any dogs that are not fully vaccinated indoors and away from areas frequented by other animals.

They should also immediately bag and dispose of faeces on walks and regularly clean their dog's bedding and food and water dishes.

"This not only keeps them safe but also helps prevent the virus from spreading in our community," Smith said.

"If you're unsure of when you can take your puppy out in public, it's best to ask your vet who can advise the timing based on their current vaccine schedule."

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A man has been killed in a workplace accident at a Melbourne recycling plant.

Police were called to the Cleanaway Coolaroo Material Recovery Facility in the city's north this morning.

The man has not been formally identified and his death is not being treated as suspicious.

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WorkSafe is investigating the death.

"Police will prepare a report for the coroner," a police spokesperson said in a statement.

A Cleanaway spokesperson said the team felt "deeply saddened by the loss of life" today.

"Our priority is supporting those impacted by the incident, in particular family, colleagues and our workers at the site," the spokesperson said.

"We are working closely with authorities to investigate the incident.

"It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

Trump signed £150bn investment deal with Sir Keir Starmer before leaving.

Offender with decades-long history may face more jail time as additional crimes revealed.

A new report has painted a grim picture of life in Australia, revealing a nation where people are feeling lonelier than ever, pay more tax and are delaying their dreams.

The Melbourne Institute's annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey, which has tracked the lives of thousands of Australians since 2001, released its 2025 report today.

It highlights how everything from rising living costs to the erosion of social networks is taking a toll on the nation's well-being.

We have fewer friends

The survey found that our social connections are weakening, a trend exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Australians are reporting fewer friends and less frequent socialising than at the turn of the century.

"Not only do we feel like we have fewer friends, but we're also socialising less frequently than in 2001," senior research fellow and report co-author Dr Inga Lass said.

The proportion of people meeting friends or relatives several times a week or more has dropped by over 12 percentage points, from about 32 per cent to just 20 per cent.

This decline in social connection has potential implications for our overall well-being.

The survey also found that a majority of Australians now report experiencing bodily pain, a trend that has worsened since 2001, even when accounting for the nation's ageing population.

People in lower-income households were also more likely to report experiencing pain, co-author Dr Ferdi Botha said.

"The less money you make, the more pain you're likely putting up with," Botha said.

The hidden tax of inflation

The survey revealed that Australians are paying the highest average income tax rate since the study began in 2001.

This is not due to a change in policy but rather to "bracket creep".

As wages have risen to keep pace with inflation, many workers have been pushed into higher tax brackets, effectively reducing their real purchasing power.

Professor Roger Wilkins explained that while wage growth is normally a good thing, a combination of bracket creep and rapidly rising prices has contributed to a decline in workers' living standards in recent years.

This phenomenon affects middle-income earners more significantly than high-income earners.

Wilkins also highlighted a reversal in household spending patterns.

Prior to 2021, Australians were spending less on necessities.

However, the recent cost-of-living crisis undid that progress, with the total proportion of income spent on necessities jumping by 4.5 per cent between 2021 and 2023.

Economic pressures reshape family and work

The report also sheds light on how economic pressures are influencing our biggest life decisions.

For the first time, the average number of children men want has fallen below two.

While having two children remained the most common wish, there's a notable increase in the number of people, both men and women, who now want only one child, or none at all.

Lass attributed this to potential parents growing "more concerned about their financial security and the costs of raising a child."

Finally, the notion of retiring in your early 60s is fast becoming a thing of the past.

The proportion of women aged 60-64 who are retired has plunged from 70 percent in 2003 to just 41 percent in 2023.

For men in the same age bracket, the retirement rate has fallen from 49 per cent to a low of 27 per cent.

While some are choosing to work longer, the survey points to a more unsettling trend for many.

The number of retirees living in private rentals has doubled in two decades, facing significant financial strain as average annual rent payments have surged by 37 per cent in real terms.

Report co-author Dr Kyle Peyton warned that "superannuation alone will not be enough to support the growing number of younger Australians locked out of homeownership."

An NRL player at the centre of a perjury case against a former police officer believes the sentence handed to the ex-cop should have been harsher.

Known as Officer A for legal reasons, he was today given a one-year intensive corrections order, similar to a suspended jail sentence.

The officer pleaded guilty to lying in evidence given during the high-profile rape trial of then-St George player Jack de Belin and co-accused Callan Sinclair in 2020.

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"It was obviously a little bit light, but it is what it is," de Belin said outside Wollongong District Court following the sentence.

"What's kept Cal and myself so strong throughout this is our innocence."

Officer A lied in the rape trial about what he found in text messages between de Belin and a contact saved as "Craig Lawyer" that were contained on a Nokia mobile phone.

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He falsely testified the texts only contained "Dragons business" despite knowing they likely contained privileged conversations between the player and his lawyer Craig Osborne.

First charged in December 2018, de Belin and Sinclair faced two trials before charges were dropped by prosecutors in mid-2021.

The case cruelled the forward's career despite his legal efforts to challenge the NRL's controversial no-fault stand-down rule that sidelined him for several years.

Despite the perjury offence being serious because of the ex-officer's senior position, Judge Christine Mendes found his significant mental health problems lessened the severity of the sentence required.

"He is a highly fragile, broken man," she said.

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The officer had been showing clear signs of undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder for several years leading up to giving the false evidence in February 2020, the judge found.

"Officer A did not seek professional treatment until Feb 2020 … he was clearly unwell and suffering," she said.

The judge rejected the prosecution argument the officer had a sophisticated and well-thought-out plan to commit perjury.

De Belin and Sinclair denied sexually assaulting a then-19-year-old woman in December 2018, arguing they had a consensual threesome.

The woman alleged she was attacked by de Belin in a North Wollongong unit and then cried as the men took turns assaulting her.

A Wollongong jury was discharged less than two days into its deliberations in November 2020, having told the court it could "absolutely not" reach a verdict on any charges.

A Sydney jury, hearing the case in mid-2021, spent more than a week before it too became stuck on nearly all charges.

It acquitted de Belin and Sinclair of one charge each, relating to an incident the NRL player testified was accidental, and prosecutors dropped the remaining charges.

Sinclair's father Terry Sinclair told reporters today he believed police had been motivated by a "blatant and concerted" effort to convict a high-profile footballer.

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Queensland has become the first Australian state to ban pill testing after the LNP government rushed amendments through the state's single-house parliament overnight.

The move follows through on the government's promise prior to the election to close drug checking sites, as part of a "zero tolerance approach to illicit drugs".

"The government's policy position, which it took to the election, is that there is no safe way to take drugs and that drug-checking services send the wrong message to Queenslanders," Health Minister Tim Nicholls said today.

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The government scrapped $1.5 million in funding for pill testing service CheQpoint, which operated two drug checking sites in Brisbane and on the Gold Coast last year.

The sites, operated by not-for-profit The Loop, had been slated to re-open with private funding but now cannot do so.

"It's true that there is no safe way to do drugs," Cameron Francis from The Loop told Today.

"In fact, the drugs are so dangerous that we need to test them and warn people about some of those dangerous contents that are out there."

The amendments to the Medicines and Poisons Act passed Queensland's single-house parliament last night.

They prevent the chief executive of Queensland Health from granting or renewing future substance authorities for the purpose of drug checking and discontinue current substance authorities issued for the purpose of drug checking services.

Nicholls said this "aligns Queensland with other states including WA, SA and Tasmania".

While governments in those states are opposed to pill testing, Queensland is the only state to have outlawed it with legislation.

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The vote coincided with the release of a previously suppressed report on drug checking by the University of Queensland that found "services provided valuable harm reduction through the provision of information about substances, drug interactions, drug policy, signs and responses to drug overdose and naloxone".

It found half of all clients intended to "change their substance use, most commonly via taking a smaller amount, spacing out doses or disposing of the substance".

"Follow-up surveys and interviews with clients found that many clients changed their actual behaviours: 2 in 5 clients reported not using the tested sample, 1 in 5 used less of the sample and 1 in 10 disposed of at least one tested sample," the report found.

It recommended the government consider expanding funding, resources, staffing and technology at drug checking services across more locations to benefit the broader Queensland community.

The Australian Medical Association Queensland has urged the government to reverse its decision.

President Dr Nick Yim said AMA Queensland was "disappointed" and "concerned these changes were made without appropriate consultation with stakeholders, or consideration of the evidence".

He said pill testing provided an "invaluable early warning system" about the kind of substances circulating in the community.

"We can only get that information through drug testing and it is vital because it educates the community about the risks of harm from drug use," Yim said.

"Testing clearly shows people that substances they have may not be what they think they are and could be far more dangerous.

"At a time when our public hospitals are under strain with ambulance ramping, measures that can reduce pressure on our emergency departments should be considered."

He said the report showed 54 per cent of people who attended drug checking services had never spoken to a health professional about their drug use before.

"That is essential to preventing harm and deaths from substances," he said.

"People at risk from drug use need health treatment and pill testing services put them in touch with the doctors and other health professionals they need."

National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline 1800 250 015

Family Drug Support Australia 24/7 Support Line – 1300 368 186

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The decision to yank Jimmy Kimmel's show off the air wasn't quite as rash as one might think.

The issue had been brewing all week throughout the executive ranks at Disney and ABC — ever since Kimmel made comments during his Monday night monologue about Charlie Kirk's suspected killer and, as he called Trump's supporters, the "MAGA gang".

Kimmel's remarks on Monday attracted ire from the critics on the right, which put it on Disney's radar.

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On Tuesday's show, Kimmel doubled down, saying, "Many in MAGA-land are working very hard to capitalise on the murder of Charlie Kirk."

But it wasn't until Wednesday afternoon, after FCC chair Brendan Carr went onto a conservative podcast and threatened to pull ABC affiliate broadcast licenses, that the matter really escalated.

Then Nexstar — the station group which airs "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" in approximately two dozen markets — announced they would not air the show.

Carr publicly stating that Disney was at risk of losing its local broadcast licenses was a "real, serious threat" for all of ABC, a source familiar with the situation told CNN.

"This isn't just about 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.' It's about all of ABC and all of the shows and all employees," another source privy to ongoing conversations at the company said.

A veteran television news producer — who is not employed by ABC — told CNN, "There is no more terrifying circumstance for a broadcast entity than the threat of an FCC fine, or worse, that the agency could move to revoke the stations' broadcast licenses."

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According to one of the individuals familiar with the situation, Kimmel was prepared to deliver his monologue on his show on Wednesday night and planned to address the right-wing backlash to his remarks made earlier in the week regarding the politicisation of Kirk's killing.

This individual describes Kimmel's planned monologue as "very hot", taking aim at the MAGA base.

It was then that Disney executives had conversations with Kimmel about "taking down the temperature" of his monologue, according to the individual.

Nexstar announced its plan to pull Kimmel's show at the same time.

That's when Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney Entertainment Co-chairman Dana Walden made the decision to preempt the show indefinitely — in hopes of protecting Kimmel and the Disney brand from escalating the controversy.

Walden called Kimmel to have a conversation about how to move forward, one source said.

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Walden and Kimmel have a longstanding, positive relationship, and Kimmel has always been incredibly well-regarded within ABC, according to numerous sources.

"Everyone deeply values him and wants him to come back," one source familiar said.

"But he has to take down the temperature."

The source notes that Kimmel has always been free to speak his mind about Trump and has never been censored on his show.

But with serious FCC threats, the company had to make a business decision.

Several of the individuals who spoke to CNN said that Disney employees and staff members on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" began to receive death threats following Carr's remarks on Wednesday, with their email addresses and phone numbers being doxed and blasted across social media.

For Disney, the issue under consideration was bigger than Kimmel: It became a safety issue for employees and the show's advertisers.

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While no decision has been made on how to move forward, the source said Disney is "hopeful" there is path to bring Kimmel's show back.

His contract is up at the end of his current season, taking him through May 2026.

For years, Kimmel — who has also hosted the Oscars for ABC and just won an Emmy for hosting the network's "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" — has contended with whether to continue his show, most recently debating whether to renew his contract in 2022.

"After two decades at ABC, I am now looking forward to three years of what they call 'quiet quitting,'" Kimmel joked in a statement at the time his most recent contract extension was announced.

Kimmel has not yet spoken publicly about his show being suspended.

CNN has reached out to Kimmel's representatives for comment.

ABC did not respond to CNN's request for comment regarding the future of the show.

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