Headlines: Inflation rises to highest rate in a year

Today's headlines include:

• The inflation rate has increased to 3.2%, its highest level in over a year, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• The Australian Federal Police has announced a new taskforce to crack down on what it called “crimefluencer” networks targeting young girls online. 
• A 72-year-old patient has died after a woman allegedly cut off the gas supply to two southern Sydney hospitals.
• And today’s good news: The 2025 AFL Open – an event for footballers with an intellectual disability and wheelchair players – is continuing for a third day in Melbourne, ahead of a series of grand final matches tomorrow.

Hosts: Emma Gillespie and Lucy Tassell
Producer: Emma Gillespie

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
From the Daily Os. I'm Emma Gillespie, I'm Lucy Tassel.
It's Wednesday, the twenty ninth of October. Here's what's making
headlines this evening.

Speaker 2 (00:14):
The inflation rate has increased to three point two percent,
its highest level in over a year, according to the
Australian Bureau of Statistics. It comes less than a week
before the Reserve Bank's next cash rate decision. Figures for
the September quarter are up from the two point one
percent inflation rate recorded in the June quarter. The ABS
attributed the increase to rising housing, recreation and culture, transport

(00:39):
and power prices. The trimmed mean for the September quarter
was three percent, up from two point seven percent. This
is often seen as a more accurate figure to understand
longer term changes, as it excludes volatile price changes such
as petrol. Economists are not forecasting the RBA will cut
rates after it meets on Tuesday.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
The Australian Federal Police has announced a new task force
to crack down on what it's called crime fluencer networks
targeting young girls online. During a National Press Club address
in Canberra today, AFP Chief Chrissy Barrett said victims are
being coerced into perpetrating acts of violence against themselves or
their siblings and pets, mostly by young men. Investigators claim

(01:27):
these networks quote hunt, stalk and drawing victims from a
range of online platforms through a twisted type of gamification.
Barrett noted the victims are typically young girls with low
self esteem, mental health disorders or other attributes which may
lead them to seek connection online, which can make them
more vulnerable to being targeted. The AFP has already identified

(01:51):
fifty nine alleged offenders and made twelve arrests, three in
Australia and nine overseas. Those arrested in Australia were aged
between seven teen and twenty.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
A seventy two year old patient has died after a
woman allegedly cut off the gas supply to two Southern
Sydney hospitals. Police received reports of vandalism at Sutherland Hospital
and the nearby Karna Private Hospital in carring Bar on
Tuesday morning. A forty two year old woman has been
accused of cutting both the water and gas mains to

(02:23):
one hospital, before cutting the gas to the other. A
short time later, New South Wales Health Minister Ryan Park
confirmed Sutherland Hospital quote switched to portable oxygen and air
as part of their contingency plans after it lost medical gases. However,
a male patient at one of the hospitals died within hours.
Park described the incident as a deliberate sabotage directly impacting

(02:48):
patients who are very, very unwell. The woman has been
charged and refused bail. She's due in court in December.

Speaker 1 (02:58):
And today's good news. The two twenty five AFL Open,
an event for footballers with an intellectual disability and wheelchair players,
is continuing for a third day in Melbourne ahead of
a series of grand final matches tomorrow. The AFL Open
brought together over two hundred players from all states and
territories for the competition's second year. The twenty twenty five

(03:19):
program includes sixty matches played over four days at the
Latrope University Sports Park. On Tuesday, players from the Victorian
Blind League featured in the AFL's first ever Blind and
Low Vision Exhibition match. Head of AFL Victoria Greg Madigan
called the AFL Open one of our most exciting events
on the calendar, bringing together wheelchair and inclusion competitions, creating

(03:43):
a quote truly unique opportunity to showcase these versions of
our game.

Speaker 2 (03:48):
That's the latest from the Daily oz news room. If
you're looking for something else to listen to, you can
check out today's deep dive on whether a third Trump
term is actually legally possible.

Speaker 1 (03:57):
We will be back tomorrow morning with another type dive,
but until then, have a great night.

Speaker 2 (04:06):
My name is Lily Maddon and I'm a proud Arunda
Bungelung Calcoton woman from Gadighl Country. The Daily oz acknowledges
that this podcast is recorded on the lands of the
Gadighl people and pays respect to all Aboriginal and torrest
Rate island and nations. We pay our respects to the
first peoples of these countries, both past and present,