13 October 2026A pay boost for care workers, a storm in Alice Springs, and Russian strikes after a proposed energy ceasefire.
Featured image: A historical hospital photograph of an elderly patient. Photo: Wellcome Collection, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
In brief
Top story: The federal government committed $630 million to lift pay for more than 460,000 health, disability and community service workers.
Australia
1. $630 million pay boost for care workers
The federal government will fund pay increases for more than 460,000 health, disability and community service workers across over 128,000 organisations and 92 programs. The move follows a Fair Work Commission finding that work in female-dominated industries was undervalued for years. Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth described it as one step in the government’s work on gender equality.
2. Storm leaves thousands without power in Alice Springs
A storm on Monday afternoon brought large hail and toppled trees and power lines in Alice Springs. About 9,000 homes lost power, and 4,000 were still without it the next morning, according to Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who sent crews from Darwin. Minister Joshua Burgoyne called it a one-in-forty-year storm and warned some residents could be without power for 72 hours.
3. Australian engineer Robert Pether leaves Iraq
Robert Pether spoke to reporters at Dublin Airport after leaving Iraq, where he spent more than four years in detention. He and an Egyptian colleague were arrested in Baghdad in 2021 while working on a Central Bank of Iraq headquarters project. An Iraqi judge found them guilty of deception, while his lawyer maintains his innocence. He was released from prison in 2025 but remained under travel restrictions.
Around the World
4. Russia strikes Ukrainian energy sites after ceasefire announcement
Russia struck six Ukrainian energy facilities hours after US President Donald Trump announced an immediate ceasefire on attacks on energy infrastructure. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 33 people were injured and that gas facilities and power grids were damaged. He backed the ceasefire and asked Washington to ensure Moscow complies. Russia has not confirmed it agreed, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine does not deserve a respite.
5. UN peacekeepers report continuing hostilities in southern Lebanon
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said peacekeepers continue to report Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in southern Lebanon. Patrols found explosive hazards, including a potentially live grenade in Bint Jbeil. A US-brokered Israel-Lebanon ceasefire framework remains in place, but hostilities continue and Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal are unresolved.
