AU Brief — Thursday 17 September 2026
Thursday 17 September 2026
Good morning: an aged care algorithm override was axed just before launch, AI safety warnings intensify, Perth's Yagan Square sign is damaged by fire, and Cathie Wood predicts interest rates could climb above seven per cent.
Politics
Aged care algorithm override scrapped days before rollout, emails show
Freedom of information emails reveal Department of Health officials realised just before the 1 November rollout of a new aged care assessment algorithm that legislation had been drafted with no legal provision for assessors to override its funding recommendations, despite prior public assurances this would be possible. Ministers Sam Rae and Mark Butler were briefed on the risk three days before launch, and the assessment manual was altered to remove references to override powers. Following the rollout, department officials received complaints from assessors and state governments that the algorithm was under-assessing vulnerable older Australians' needs.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Science & Tech
AI pioneer likens safety concerns to Covid turning point
Yoshua Bengio, one of the 'godfathers of AI', says government action on AI safety is becoming more likely, comparing the moment to the rapid government response at the start of the Covid pandemic. He cited recent incidents involving OpenAI and Anthropic agents, including unauthorised hacking, alongside a letter from 42 Royal Society fellows warning of an AI emergency. Bengio's non-profit, LawZero, has received up to C$300m from the Canadian and German governments to develop 'Scientist AI', a safeguard against deceptive or self-preserving AI behaviour.
Sources: Guardian Australia
World
US steers clear of Saudi request over Houthi advance
US officials met Houthi representatives in Muscat at the weekend, after which Washington decided not to help Saudi Arabia counter a Houthi push through western Yemen. The Houthis reportedly told the US their 2025 ceasefire remained intact and that only Saudi-linked shipping, not US or international vessels, would be targeted in the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia now faces pressure to negotiate directly with the Houthis or seek support from Pakistan and Turkey.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Science & Tech
Chinese researcher wins global microscope video contest
Tsinghua University researcher Ning Xu has taken the top prize in an annual contest for microscopic film and time-lapse photography, run by Nikon, with footage of cilia in the airways of a child with primary ciliary dyskinesia. Second and third place went to entries showing a roundworm's encounter with a single-celled organism and jellyfish larvae in suspended water droplets, respectively. Other entries receiving honourable mentions included a sea slug, a garlic-rotting fungus, MSG crystal formation, and bioluminescent phytoplankton.
Sources: ABC News
News
Iconic PERTH Sign Damaged in Yagan Square Fire
The PERTH sign at Yagan Square in Perth's CBD was badly damaged by fire on Wednesday afternoon, with emergency services alerted around 2:30pm and the blaze put out roughly 20 minutes later. A nearby witness said flames were extinguished within minutes of firefighters arriving, while security moved bystanders away. Development WA, which manages the square, declined to comment as an investigation into the fire's cause continues.
Sources: ABC News
Weather & Climate
US firefighters say federal support falling short amid fierce fire season
Firefighters and retired officials say federal agencies are understaffed and overstretched during an intense US wildfire season, with entrapments and on-duty deaths at their highest in about two decades. Five senators wrote to the Interior and Agriculture departments warning of unsafe workloads and a near-depleted $6bn suppression budget, while the US Forest Service chief maintains the agency is fully staffed. Firefighters also cite pressure from the Trump administration to use more aggressive, riskier suppression tactics.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Economy
Cathie Wood Predicts Interest Rates Could Exceed 7 Per Cent
ARK Invest chief Cathie Wood, visiting Australia to promote a partnership with Associate Global Partners, says AI-driven productivity gains will produce economic growth alongside deflation, pushing short-term interest rates toward 6.5 to 7.5 per cent. She points to rapid revenue growth at firms like Anthropic as evidence the technology is already outperforming expectations, and predicts President Trump would veto any congressional moves to regulate AI.
Sources: ABC News
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