Almost half of people using employment providers threatened with payment suspensions, new data shows

Almost half of all people using employment services received threats to suspend their payments in the last quarter, new data has revealed.The data from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) showed a 23% increase in the number of payment suspension notices issued by Workforce Australia, with 618,000 issued from 1 July to 30 September 2025, up from from 504,000 in the previous quarter.It comes as advocates call for a pause in suspensions until the government can ensure the target compliance framework (TCF), the automated system that runs mutual obligations and has just been investigated by the commonwealth ombudsman, is working legally.In an October 2025 Senate estimates hearing, Senator Jess Walsh said the government knew Centrelink payment suspensions were causing harm, but defended leaving them on despite questions over whether they were used lawfully.Of the 618,000 payment suspension notices issued just by providers, 290,000 resulted in a temporary pause of payment

How many more times will the Bank of England rescue Rachel Reeves? | Richard Partington

In the economic gloom of Labour’s first year in power, Rachel Reeves has had a reliable shred of comfort to cling to: five times since the general election, the Bank of England has cut interest rates.This week, in all likelihood, the chancellor will get a sixth to shout about, as Threadneedle Street prepares to reduce borrowing costs in an early Christmas present that will be seized upon by the Treasury.The view in the City is that a festive cut on Thursday is odds-on. After last week’s disappointing October growth figures, the jobs market and consumer prices data due out on Tuesday and Wednesday – before the rates decision – are expected to confirm that inflationary pressures in the UK economy are fading.But while a cut will be good news for businesses, mortgage borrowers and the beleaguered occupants of Downing Street, attention will quickly shift to the prospects for 2026

Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump AI executive order preempting state laws

The ink was barely dry on Donald Trump’s artificial intelligence executive order when Gavin Newsom came out swinging. Just hours after the order went public Thursday evening, the California governor issued a statement saying the presidential dictum, which seeks to block states from regulating AI of their own accord, advances “grift and corruption” instead of innovation.“President Trump and David Sacks aren’t making policy – they’re running a con,” Newsom said, referencing Trump’s AI adviser and crypto “czar”. “Every day, they push the limits to see how far they can take it.”Trump’s executive order is a major victory for tech companies that have campaigned against legislative barriers to developing and deploying their AI products

Crypto mogul Do Kwon sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud

Do Kwon, the entrepreneur behind two cryptocurrencies that lost $40bn (£29.8bn) three years ago and caused the sector to crash, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud.The South Korean, 34, had pleaded guilty to two counts of US charges of conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud.Kwon, who co-founded Singapore-based Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, was sentenced at a hearing in New York.The US district judge Paul Engelmayer called his crimes “a fraud of epic generational scale”

England need to be introduced to concept of consequences after Ashes flops | Mark Ramprakash

There’s always a lot of white noise around an Ashes series but at the moment for England it must be overwhelming, not just given their performances in the first two Tests but because of the mid-tour break they’ve just been on, with assorted media and attention-seekers following them around the beaches of Noosa.I absolutely understand that Brendon McCullum’s priority is to do what he believes is right for the team, but the optics around that trip were not great and many England fans, who have spent their hard-earned money travelling to Australia with little reward so far, will be quick to bring it up if they produce another poor display.Having just been rewarded for their two defeats with a nice few days of Queensland sunshine, it might now be time for the team to be introduced to the concept of consequences. They aren’t something this group have had to deal with for a while. The consistency of selection has been amazing, with players protected as a matter of policy from the threat of losing their place

Hendy hat-trick helps Northampton to Champions Cup stroll against Bulls

On the face of it Northampton are flying in the Champions Cup courtesy of two consecutive bonus points wins. The more pedantic-minded might also point out that both their opponents have fielded below-strength sides, but when the qualifying sums are completed next month that will not be the top line as far as the Saints’ management are concerned.Because regardless of the depth of the resistance they are facing, Northampton are again underlining their ability to pick apart sides who give them too much space and time. On this occasion they rattled up eight tries, including a hat-trick for George Hendy, two for the fit-again Ollie Sleightholme and one for the roaming Henry Pollock, who showed a further glimpse or two of his rare talent.One searing diagonal burst by the 20-year-old England back-rower, stopped only by a tap tackle within sight of the line, was the most obvious retort to the pre-match lip-smacking in South Africa at the prospect of him venturing down a dark alley populated by hard-nosed Afrikaaners unimpressed by his growing international reputation