Good Evening It's Friday 5 September . Welcome to The Front Cover, your gateway to the world of Mencari News.
Here, we offer our interpretation of global events, alongside our coverage of the ongoing police search of properties in the area, while tributes for the two deceased officers continue to pour in at Wangaratta station..
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Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
Australia, Japan Expand Security Partnership With New Defense, Economic Agreements
Australia and Japan have agreed to deepen their security and defense cooperation, announcing plans to elevate their special strategic partnership during high-level talks in Tokyo, where officials pledged to expand joint military exercises, bolster economic security, and stand firm against regional instability.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong met their Japanese counterparts Thursday for the 12th Australia–Japan Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Meeting, underscoring what both sides described as a “peak moment” in bilateral relations.
Trump to Rename Pentagon as Department of War, Drawing Global Concern
Former U.S. President Donald Trump will sign an executive order Saturday to rename the Department of Defense as the Department of War, the White House confirmed, in a decision reviving pre-Cold War terminology and sparking alarm among allies and adversaries.
The Pentagon, long regarded as the world’s most powerful military institution, was known as the War Department until 1949, when U.S. leaders rebranded it in the aftermath of World War II to signal a new era of peacekeeping and international cooperation.
Trump’s plan to restore the old name would mark a dramatic symbolic shift, one that experts say could alter global perceptions of Washington’s posture at a time of heightened tension in Asia and Europe.
McKenzie Calls Super Tax Retreat ‘Humiliating Defeat’ for Treasurer Chalmers
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has branded the Albanese government’s reported decision to shelve a new tax on high superannuation balances as a “humiliating defeat” for Treasurer Jim Chalmers, warning the move exposes deep fractures inside Labor over economic reform.
Speaking on Sky News First Edition, McKenzie said the government’s reported pause on the plan to tax unrealised gains in superannuation accounts above $3 million demonstrated the Prime Minister’s reluctance to back his Treasurer and reflected the influence of former prime minister Paul Keating.
ON PART8A
This episode examines the concerning rise of far-right extremist groups in Australia, focusing on the August 31st "March for Australia" protests that drew thousands across major cities. Dr. Simon Copland, an expert in online extremism from Australian National University, explains how groups like sovereign citizens—people who believe governments are illegitimate—have grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The conversation reveals how these movements use social media to spread anger and false information, particularly targeting immigrants as scapegoats for Australia's housing and cost-of-living crises. Despite organizers claiming otherwise, neo-Nazi groups actively participated in and spoke at these rallies, showing the interconnected nature of Australia's extremist ecosystem.
Inside Australia's Growing Far-Right Movement: Expert Analysis of the August 31st Protests
This episode examines the concerning rise of far-right extremist groups in Australia, focusing on the August 31st "March for Australia" protests that drew thousands across major cities. Dr. Simon Copland, an expert in online extremism from Australian National University, explains how groups like sovereign citizens—people who believe governments are ille…
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Catch up on some of Mencari’s recent stories:
METRO & POLITICS
➡️ Albanese and Trump Discuss Trade Tariffs and AUKUS Security in Fourth Phone Call Since Election. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese spoke with US President Donald Trump in their fourth phone conversation since Trump's re-election, discussing trade relations, US tariffs on Australian products, critical minerals cooperation, and the AUKUS security partnership review, though no face-to-face meeting has been confirmed despite ongoing diplomatic pressure.
➡️ Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews Criticized by Ex-Foreign Minister for China Military Parade Attendance. Former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews faced intense criticism from ex-Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for attending China's largest military parade where he was photographed with President Xi Jinping and positioned near authoritarian leaders including Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, with critics calling his presence an embarrassment to Australia while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to condemn the visit.
➡️ Federal Court Rules Coles and Woolworths Failed to Keep Accurate Records in $337 Million Underpayment Case.Federal Court Justice Nye Perram found that Coles and Woolworths failed to maintain accurate employment records in a complex underpayment case affecting nearly 30,000 supermarket staff, with the companies having already repaid $337 million combined while awaiting an October hearing to determine additional compensation for managers who worked unpaid overtime between 2015-2020.
WORLD AFFAIRS
➡️ New Ebola Outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo Suspected of Causing 15 Deaths Among 28 Cases. The Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing its 16th Ebola outbreak with 15 suspected deaths among 28 cases in Kasai province, prompting the World Health Organization to deploy experts and emergency supplies while the country maintains stockpiles of treatments and the Ervebo vaccine to combat the highly contagious virus that has a 53.6% fatality rate in this outbreak.
➡️ Putin Declares Foreign Troops in Ukraine Would Be 'Legitimate Targets' Before Peace Deal. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that any foreign troops deployed to Ukraine before a peace agreement would be considered "legitimate targets" by Moscow's forces, responding to French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that 26 countries have pledged to contribute to a "reassurance force" for Ukraine once the 3.5-year conflict ends.
➡️ Thailand Appoints Third Prime Minister in Two Years as Anutin Charnvirakul Takes Power. Thailand's parliament selected business tycoon Anutin Charnvirakul as the country's third prime minister in two years after the Constitutional Court removed Paetongtarn Shinawatra for ethics violations over her handling of the Cambodia border dispute, dealing a significant blow to the powerful Shinawatra political dynasty that has dominated Thai politics since 2001, while Anutin faces the challenge of governing with limited parliamentary support and a four-month timeline before mandatory elections.
ENTERTAINMENT, SPORTS & LIFESTYLE
➡️ Giorgio Armani, Legendary Italian Fashion Designer and Billionaire, Dies at 91 in Milan. Giorgio Armani, the 91-year-old Italian fashion designer who revolutionized modern tailoring and built a global luxury empire valued at up to $11.7 billion, died peacefully at his Milan home on September 4, 2025, just weeks before planned celebrations marking his company's 50th anniversary
➡️ AFL Wildcard Round Gains Momentum for 2026 Finals Series Despite Critics Calling It 'Terrible Idea. The Australian Football League is seriously considering introducing a wildcard round before the 2026 finals series, where teams ranked seventh through tenth would compete for playoff spots while the top six receive byes, despite criticism from commentators who argue the proposal "rewards mediocrity" and creates unnecessary additional matches in an already intense competition format.
➡️ NSW Major Parties Refuse to Commit to South Coast Rail Upgrades Despite Poor Service During Kiama By-Election. NSW Labor and Liberal parties have both criticized the poor performance of South Coast rail services during the Kiama by-election campaign but refuse to commit to upgrading the diesel line between Bomaderry and Kiama, which achieved only 76.4% on-time performance in 2024-25 compared to the 92% target, while independent candidate Kate Dezarnaulds and the Greens support a previously proposed $125 million passing loop project that was dropped by Labor after taking government despite the stark funding disparity with Sydney's $60 billion Metro system.
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