Australian news live: Two Australians confirmed dead in Spanish train crash; America votes in midterm elections

Emily KowalUpdated November 4, 2026 — 7:33am,first published 6:55amKey PostsWhat you need to know todayBy Emily KowalLatest Posts7.33amAround 100,000 sensitive documents ‘snatched’ from Australian public health server, hacker claimsBy Jack GramenzAn online “threat actor” says they have pulled about 100,000 sensitive documents from a NSW Health database, but was prevented from accessing the rest of the network when they accidentally crashed the server.In a screenshot of a dark web forum post - shared by Dubai-based cyber threat intelligence platform Hackmanac early this morning – a user calling themselves “bytetobreach” says they have accessed around 100,000 sensitive documents from Australia’s NSW public health systems.“Threat actor bytetobreach claims to have compromised NSW Health systems by exploiting a misconfigured subdomain, allegedly exfiltrating approximately 70GB of data comprising 100,000 sensitive documents dating from 2020 onwards,” Hackmanac said on social media.The documents were “snatched from a misconfigured subdomain” according to the forum post.7.28amGovernment focused on supporting Australians through rate hikes, says ministerBy Nick NewlingThe government is focused on softening the blow of interest rate rises, NDIS Minister Jenny McAllister has said, as she said Labor was doing what it could to manage fraud in the disability insurance scheme.“Yesterday’s announcement was not unexpected, but it will be very difficult news for Australian families who are doing it tough in many instances,” McAllister told ABC television in reference to yesterday’s rate rise which brings interest rates up to 4.85 per cent, their highest levels since 2008.“We understand that, and each and every day, members of our government get up and think about how we can best support Australians. That includes through providing cost of living relief, but it also includes finding the savings that are necessary to get the budget into better shape.”Minister for the NDIS Jenny McAllister said Labor was doing what it could to manage fraud in the disability insurance scheme.Dominic LorrimerThe government is in the process of drafting the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook, set to be released in December, which will provide an update from May’s budget.Speaking on her portfolio of the National Disability Insurance Scheme, McAllister said the government was cracking down on fraud, saying there “can be no room for criminals who seek to rip off people with disability” in the scheme.“Over the last three months, the [National Disability Insurance Agency], in partnership with the [Australian Federal Police} and state police forces, have been conducting a blitz against alleged syndicate behaviour. That’s involved raids. It’s seen police seize gold bullion, silver bullion, cash, electronic devices. These are significant interventions in ongoing investigations to crack down on alleged fraud in this scheme.”7.15amInflation ‘homegrown’ and government failed to contain it: Angus Taylor By Jack GramenzContaining government spending is the key to preventing inflation, but the government “has failed on that”, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor says after yesterday’s interest rate rise.“This inflation, and interest rates that have followed, is homegrown,” Taylor told ABC News Breakfast this morning.“We’ve had five interest rate increases in Australia and that has not been true of any other advanced country in the world,” he said.He claimed the opposition had presented “$31 billion of savings” that could be made but been ignored by the government.Amid criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – much of it from the opposition Taylor leads – for being overseas at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in the Carribean when the Reserve Bank raised interest rates further, Taylor said attending the meeting would be the right thing for the PM to do “in any normal circumstances”.“But these are not circumstances that are normal,” Taylor said. Asked if he would have rejected King Charles’ invitation to attend if he was in the same position, Taylor said he “wouldn’t be in Anthony Albanese’s position”.“I would have ensured we didn’t get into this situation in the first place,” Taylor said.6.52amAustralia’s social media ban faces first major legal challenge in High Court By Brittany BuschThe teen social media ban has robbed Australia’s youth of a key form of political communication, leaving them to “shout their views on a street corner”, US-based platform Reddit has argued in the nation’s highest court.In the first major test of Labor’s signature social media age restrictions, Reddit and advocacy group Digital Freedom Project are seeking to overturn the ban in the High Court in a case heard on Tuesday and Wednesday in Canberra.Communications Minister Anika Wells said outside court that the government was seeking to protect Australians from harm and would defend that goal from “sustained ideological attacks”.Read the full story here. Minister for Communications and Minister for Sport Anika Wells addressed the media outside the High Court on Tuesday.Alex Ellinghausen6.52amCanadian PM invites Anthony Albanese invited to the land of the maple leaf By David CroweCanadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese to visit Canada, extending the offer when the two men met for a formal meeting at the Commonwealth gathering in Antigua.Their talks canvassed co-operation on defence, artificial intelligence and investment. One topic was a $2.5 billion deal in June for Canada to buy over-the-horizon radar systems from Australia.“You’ve got to come to Canada,” Carney said at the end of the opening remarks.Albanese did not voice any response to the invitation.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, USA on September 22, 2026.Dominic LorrimerWhat you need to know todayBy Emily Kowal1 of 1