Australia news LIVE: Trump rules out fresh strikes; Christa Pike ‘up and walking’; closing statements in murder of Perth brothers in Mexico

Rachel RaskerUpdated October 9, 2026 — 7:28am,first published 6:55amWhat you need to know todayBy Hello and welcome to our live coverage of national news this Friday, October 9. Here’s what is making headlines today.A Mexican judge is expected to hear closing statements before he hands down his verdict in the trial of three men accused of killing two Australians and their American friend in 2024.The AFP plans to expand its overseas operations into more countries to target offshore organised-crime figures orchestrating violence in Australia, its commissioner has revealed.Former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon – whose son died in an army parachuting accident two years ago – has warned stricter safety rules for military training exercises would do more harm than good.Police raids on the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were unlawful, a British court has found, in a significant victory for the former prince.The US has been accused of inaction by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a deadly Russian bus strike killed at least 33 people.Latest Posts7.28amWong would like to see ATO credit card dispute ‘resolved’By Rachel RaskerMinister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong says she wants to see the dispute between the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) and business groups resolved, after the agency scrapped the use of credit cards to pay tax bills in the wake of the government’s credit card surcharge ban.Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong.Alex Ellinghausen“What I’d like to see is this resolved between the ATO and small business representatives. That’s the negotiation, that’s the engagement, the consultation that we want to see,” she told Today.“I know that only a small proportion of small businesses were using credit cards [to pay their tax], but obviously, it is a change.“But I again would make the point: the reason this occurred, the reason we did this, is because Australian consumers were paying a whole range of surcharges which weren’t transparent to them.”She said the ATO was an independent body and the government did not have the power to directly intervene in its decisions. 7.19amSome airlines suspend Riyadh service after explosions hit Saudi capitalBy Rio YamatAirlines including Lufthansa and Air India have temporarily suspended operations to Saudi Arabia’s capital after explosions, including a large blast heard at the international airport in Riyadh, were reported on Thursday.More than 275 flights were cancelled on Thursday at King Khalid International Airport, according to flight monitor FlightAware. The cancellations accounted for 40 per cent of scheduled arrivals and 30 per cent of scheduled departures.Lufthansa has temporarily suspended operations to Saudi Arabia.Getty ImagesIran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen claimed responsibility for the latest attack on Riyadh’s airport, saying a ballistic missile caused damage, but provided no evidence. The Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.The Houthis’ military spokesman later said the group had fired additional ballistic and cruise missiles at airports in Riyadh and the south-western city of Najran, claiming the attacks disrupted flights.6.54amCourt to hear closing statements after murder of Perth brothers in MexicoBy Rachel RaskerA judge is expected to hear closing statements before handing down his verdict in the trial of three men accused of killing two Australians and their American friend in Mexico in 2024.The men – Jesus Gerardo, known as “El Kekas”, and two others, identified as Irineo Francisco and Angel Jesus – have faced court in the coastal Baja California city of Ensenada over the past month.They are accused of killing Australian brothers Jake and Callum Robinson, along with their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad, in an alleged robbery-gone-wrong while the trio was on a surfing holiday.After multiple delays, the boys’ mother Debra Robinson requested last week that a verdict be delivered before a pre-booked return flight home to Australia.The judge agreed closing arguments would be heard on October 8, US time, with the verdict delivered the following morning. Any sentencing would likely take place the following week.Closing statements are expected from both lawyers, the Robinson parents and Jack Carter Rhoad’s fiancee. Nine also reported the three accused may be given the chance to provide a final statement.6.46amChrista Pike ‘up and walking’ after surviving botched execution, lawyer saysBy Paul DyerDeath row inmate Christa Pike is “up and walking” – though mentally “foggy” – after waking up from the botched attempt to execute her in Tennessee last week, the BBC reported.Pike, 50, survived two supposedly fatal injections, 30 years after she was sentenced to death for torturing and murdering her classmate Colleen Slemmer in 1995, when Pike was 18. Experts have described it as unprecedented.Christa Pike in 2023. Photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction.APOne of her lawyers, Stephen Ferrell, told the BBC he had not spoken directly to Pike but had been told her arms were swollen and barely functioning as she took her first steps in her hospital room.He said Pike was “fairly well”.6.32amTrump rules out fresh strikes on Iran before midtermsBy Michael KoziolUS President Donald Trump ruled out a fresh attack on Iran before the midterm elections, responding to heightened speculation in the media that he might resume strikes shortly.The US has dispatched a third aircraft carrier strike group, the USS Theodore Roosevelt, to the Middle East, and Trump rejected Iran’s latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the US blockade of Iranian ports.US President Donald Trump.APAxios reported on Wednesday (US time) that the Pentagon had ordered Central Command to finalise plans for resuming major combat operations, possibly before the midterms.But Trump said he would not attack that early.What you need to know todayBy Hello and welcome to our live coverage of national news this Friday, October 9. Here’s what is making headlines today.A Mexican judge is expected to hear closing statements before he hands down his verdict in the trial of three men accused of killing two Australians and their American friend in 2024.The AFP plans to expand its overseas operations into more countries to target offshore organised-crime figures orchestrating violence in Australia, its commissioner has revealed.Former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon – whose son died in an army parachuting accident two years ago – has warned stricter safety rules for military training exercises would do more harm than good.Police raids on the homes of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor were unlawful, a British court has found, in a significant victory for the former prince.The US has been accused of inaction by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a deadly Russian bus strike killed at least 33 people.1 of 1