4 September 2026
Hanson, Coalition ready to fight Labor’s plan to tame social media feeds SMH. com. au
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4 September 2026
Enforcing existing laws and better monitoring supply of tobacco into the country should be considered before lowering taxes The Coalition’s health spokesperson has been unable to detail how its proposed slashing of the tobacco excise would reduce smoking rates, as experts say tougher enforcement should be the main focus for governments. The shadow health minister, Anne Ruston, on Friday said slashing the excise by 80% and funding an additional $200m on a law enforcement push would take back market control from organised crime.
4 September 2026
Hydro Tasmania must weigh a request for 450 megawatts from an AI data centre against the realities of generation, networks and community impact. Approving such demand would be the state's largest-ever single power commitment and would require new capacity or firming measures — decisions that should not be rushed or outsourced to the market alone.
Community angle
Tasmanians will feel the consequences in their power bills, jobs and local planning. The decision will affect how quickly new jobs and investment arrive, whether more generation is built, and how reliably households and businesses are served as big industrial loads compete with everyday electricity needs.
4 September 2026
When seven alpine resorts either closed already or announced lifts would stop this weekend, the casualty was more than a winter sport. A season blunted by record heat, rain and scant snow underlines how climate extremes and El Niño are now reshaping regional economies and livelihoods.
Community angle
Families, businesses and seasonal workers in alpine communities face lost income and uncertainty when resorts shut early. Urban skiers and holidaymakers should also care: this is a tangible example of climate change hitting local recreation, transport and tourism — and it foreshadows higher costs and more disruption for communities that depend on winter visitors.
4 September 2026
A Chilean shipping company is preparing to launch a direct cargo service between Punta Arenas and the Falkland Islands in November, creating a new South American supply route to the politically sensitive archipelago. The Falkland Islands Development Corporation has reached an agreement with Easter Island Naviera, which currently provides maritime services between mainland Chile and …
4 September 2026
Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Maritime Development has signed up for up to 12 more newbuildings at two Chinese yards, extending an ordering run that has spread across dry bulk, product and chemical tankers. The Ren Yuanlin-led company has signed for six firm plus four optional 64,500 dwt ultramax bulkers at Jingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding. A separate deal covers …
4 September 2026
Jenifer Chatting and her husband, Luke, at home. Jenifer was diagnosed with liver damage after taking marijuana-based sleep pills. Stephen Swofford/The Denver Gazette In March 2022, Colorado public health officials started getting startling reports of liver damage tied to a new marijuana-based sleep aid that had quickly become a top seller in the state. But it wasn’t until June 2023, nearly 15 months later, that the state’s Marijuana Enforcement Division would warn consumers that the danger had become so serious that the manufacturer had halted production of the sleep pills, called 1906 Midnight Drops, after more reports of “acute liver injury.” The delay highlights a slew of weaknesses in the system for protecting consumers from hazardous products in the nation’s first regulated recreational marijuana market.
4 September 2026
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with New York Times reporter Emily Badger about the Trump administration's plans to move forward with construction of a triumphal arch.
