Good Morning ! It's Wednesday December 10 . 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
RBA Warns Rate Hikes Now on the Table—No Cuts Coming, Mortgage Pain May Get Worse
Reserve Bank Governor Michelle Bullock revealed December 9 that the board discussed circumstances for rate HIKES in 2026 and ruled out cuts entirely, saying inflation risks have “tilted to the upside” while the economy may already be running at capacity with little room to grow.
The shift that matters
The RBA kept the cash rate on hold at 4.35% as expected, but Governor Bullock’s press conference exposed a dramatic pivot: the bank didn’t even consider a rate cut and instead spent time mapping out “the circumstances and what might need to happen if we were to decide that interest rates had to rise again at some point next year”
Australia Locks Under-16s Out of Social Media Tomorrow—Age Checks May Hit Everyone
Australia’s social media ban for anyone under 16 takes effect December 10, forcing platforms to self-assess compliance and potentially requiring age verification from millions of users—even those nowhere near 16—or face penalties from the eSafety Commissioner.
The big change
Starting tomorrow, Australian social media platforms must prevent users under 16 from accessing their services or face enforcement action from the eSafety Commissioner. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese released a video message played in classrooms nationwide, urging affected teens to “make the most of the school holidays” by starting sports, learning instruments, reading books, or spending “quality time with your friends and your family face to face”
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Two Deaths, No Answers: Why Your Old Phone Might Not Dial 000
Two Australians have died after their Samsung phones failed to connect to Triple Zero, and a Senate inquiry just revealed telcos kept the government—and the public—in the dark for over ten weeks.
What happened
A person in Wentworth Falls, NSW died on 24 September after their Samsung phone couldn’t connect to Australia’s emergency number, Triple Zero. Their device, running outdated software, was incompatible with 4G emergency calling—the only option after 3G networks shut down.
Communication Minister Self-Refers to Watchdog as Grand Final Flights Draw Heat
Communications and Sports Minister Anika Wells has referred her own expenses to the parliamentary watchdog after weeks of scrutiny over taxpayer-funded travel to AFL and NRL Grand Finals, ski trips, and birthday parties—but insists she followed the rules.
What happened
Anika Wells, Australia’s Communications and Sports Minister, has asked the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA) to audit her use of taxpayer-funded travel.
The self-referral comes after sustained media and opposition scrutiny of her expense claims, including flights and car services to the AFL and NRL Grand Finals, a family trip to a Thredbo ski resort during a work visit, and travel to Adelaide and Melbourne where she attended birthday parties alongside official engagements.
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The Front Page is edited by Mencari’s Miko Santos
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