RBA to release quarterly economic forecast,10 arrested as pro-Palestine protesters clash with police at Sydney weapons expo
Good Morning ! It's Tuesday November 4 . Welcome to The Front Cover, your gateway to the world of Mencari News and we're covering the pro-palestine protest in Sydney.
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Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
Nationals dump net zero by 2050, threatening coalition split as investors warn of super fund losses
Australia’s National Party has formally abandoned its commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050, triggering immediate political upheaval within the opposition Coalition and prompting urgent warnings from the investment sector that the policy reversal threatens billions in superannuation returns and economic stability.
The dramatic policy shift, confirmed following a party room meeting Sunday, marks a defining moment for the Coalition’s climate strategy and raises fundamental questions about whether the Liberal-National partnership can survive divergent positions on one of the nation’s most contentious policy debates.
OPTUS delayed triple zero death disclosure nearly 24 hours, Senate inquiry reveals
Telecommunications giant Optus waited nearly a full day before informing the public and government regulators that its network outage had been linked to three deaths, instead prioritizing internal crisis management and executive talking points, a Senate inquiry heard Monday in testimony that revealed systemic failures across Australia’s second-largest mobile carrier.
Chief Executive Officer Stephen Rue appeared before the Senate inquiry Monday and acknowledged serious mistakes in the company’s handling of the triple zero emergency services failure, but rejected repeated calls for his resignation despite accepting that three deaths had been connected to the telecommunications breakdown.
Opposition blasts Labor housing policy as prices hit record highs
Opposition lawmakers from both coalition parties attacked the Labor government’s housing policies Monday, warning that first home buyer prices have reached the highest levels in living memory while government interventions fuel demand without addressing critical supply shortages, according to morning broadcast interviews.
Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg and Nationals Leader David Littleproud delivered coordinated messaging on housing affordability despite their parties’ divisions on climate policy, arguing the Albanese government’s programs have exacerbated Australia’s housing crisis by stimulating demand while failing to increase housing construction.
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2025 Indo Pacific Conference Opens in Sydney
The Indo Pacific 2025 International Maritime Exposition opens today in Sydney, welcoming a record number of international naval delegations and Defence industry representatives.
The conference is a collaboration between the Royal Australian Navy and AMDA and is one of the world’s largest maritime expositions, encompassing the Royal Australian Navy’s Sea Power Conference.
More than 900 Defence exhibitors and over 200 naval delegates from more than 50 nations are attending this year’s event.
ON PART8A
This episode features Dr. Tahani Mustafa, a Middle East expert from the European Council on Foreign Relations, discussing the recently ratified Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Dr. Mustafa explains why she believes this deal follows a familiar pattern of previous failed agreements, with ambiguous language that gives Israel significant leeway and lacks serious guarantees for enforcement.
She breaks down the practical challenges Hamas faces in locating all hostages, the limited pressure from regional Arab states despite public posturing, and the proposed technocratic governance structure for Gaza. The conversation also explores how the ceasefire might impact the West Bank, where Israel has accelerated land seizures and arrests, and examines the controversial international involvement, including Trump’s 200 U.S. soldiers and Tony Blair’s potential role.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Mustafa emphasizes that the deal offers little benefit to Palestinians while serving Israel’s public relations interests and regional states’ self-preservation goals.
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RBA Rate Decision November 2025: Why Economists Warn Against Cutting Interest Rates Now
The Reserve Bank of Australia faces mounting pressure to hold interest rates steady at its November 2025 meeting after inflation unexpectedly surged to 3.2 percent in September, up from 2.1 percent in June. EQ Economics Managing Director Warren Hogan has issued a stark warning that cutting the cash rate—currently at 3.6 percent—would be “a real problem” that could “end in tears” for the Australian economy. Money markets indicate a 93 percent probability the RBA will maintain rates, while trimmed mean inflation sits at three percent, the upper limit of the central bank’s target band.
Major Australian banks have dramatically revised their rate cut forecasts following the inflation data release, with Commonwealth Bank now predicting no further cuts this cycle and Westpac reviewing its stance entirely. ANZ expects one cut in February 2026, while NAB forecasts a May reduction, but money markets show odds of a rate cut don’t exceed 50 percent until August 2026. Hogan suggests the RBA may signal that the next rate movement could actually be upward, marking a significant shift from earlier expectations of continued easing throughout 2025.
Coalition Net Zero Target 2025: Nationals Lead Push to Abandon Climate Commitment
The Australian Coalition faces internal division as the Nationals formally abandoned their commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2050, putting pressure on the Liberal Party to clarify its position before the final parliamentary sitting week. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley confronts intense scrutiny to develop a unified energy policy that maintains party cohesion without sacrificing electoral prospects in metropolitan constituencies. The Nationals’ decision, announced following their federal council meeting, has angered some Liberal members who privately accuse the junior party of attempting to force the Coalition’s hand on climate policy.
The policy vacuum has created strategic vulnerabilities ahead of the 2028 election, with Climate 200 already launching targeted campaigns in marginal Liberal seats using statements from Nationals MPs. Liberal sources indicate the party is gravitating toward abandoning net zero, though moderate faction members insist the target must be preserved in some capacity. The Nationals’ policy review, led by Matt Canavan and Ross Cadell, proposes tying Australia’s climate ambitions to OECD averages, though questions remain about the workability of this approach and its potential to inadvertently create more ambitious targets.
WATCH THIS
As Australia signs a landmark deal to bolster its alliance with Washington, we’re selling China critical minerals that can be used to build hypersonic missiles and nuclear technology. This geopolitical double game is the focus of the last Four Corners for 2025. Reporter Angus Grigg and the team have spent months poring over corporate documents to trace the journey of zirconium from the mineral sands of WA all the way to Beijing. This mineral, used mainly in bathroom tiles and toilets, is also central to advanced weapons systems and nuclear reactors. Trading Fire questions if greater export controls are needed for Australia’s critical minerals especially for those with potential military applications.
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