AU Brief — Tuesday 22 September 2026
Tuesday 22 September 2026
Good morning: the Prime Minister addresses climate action at the UN, Treasury flags long-term economic pressures, and Fremantle and Brisbane prepare for an historic AFL grand final showdown.
Politics
Albanese Pushes Climate Action at UN Speech
At a Climate Week event in New York, Anthony Albanese said Australia recognises the urgency of climate change after decades of bushfires and floods. He outlined a target to cut emissions between 62 and 70% below 2005 levels by 2035, citing renewable energy backed by gas and rapid household battery uptake. He also highlighted Australian funding for Pacific climate resilience, including $100m for the Pacific Resilience Facility and the REnew Pacific Program.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Economy
Merz Welcomes SPD Pledge to Stay in Coalition
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was grateful the SPD confirmed it would remain in his coalition government, after the CDU suffered heavy losses in recent state elections. He described the results as a turning point, noting the CDU failed to enter a state parliament for the first time since World War Two. Merz rejected calls to resign, citing broader shifts in party politics across Germany and other countries.
Sources: Guardian Australia
World
Tasmanian salmon farms' seal deterrent use tops 150,000 since 2016
New government data shows Tasmanian salmon companies have used more than 150,000 underwater explosives to deter seals since 2016, including almost 1,800 in the first half of 2026. Four fur seals died at farms during that period, part of 48 seal deaths recorded since 2021. Huon Aquaculture accounted for the largest share of explosive use, while Tassal's use rose again after several years of decline, and Petuna reported smaller numbers at its Macquarie Harbour and Tamar River sites.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Science & Tech
Researchers Identify Two New Stick Insect Species In Queensland
Australian scientists have described two new large stick insect species from far north Queensland, published in Austral Entomology. One, Anchiale robusta, was previously misidentified for decades despite being popular among collectors, while the other, Anchiale mabiensis, lives in the critically endangered Mabi rainforest. The research showed that species once thought to number two are actually five, spread across areas from northern New South Wales to tropical Queensland, with implications for conservation due to smaller habitat ranges.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Sport
Fremantle, Brisbane set for historic AFL grand final clash
Fremantle and Brisbane will contest the 2026 AFL grand final at the MCG, kicking off just after 2.30pm on Saturday 26 September, in the first-ever finals meeting between the two clubs. Fremantle is chasing its first premiership since 1995, while Brisbane is bidding for a third straight flag. The match will be broadcast on Channel Seven and 7Plus, with Kylie Minogue headlining the pre-game entertainment.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Economy
Treasury's 2066 outlook: wealth, housing and ageing challenges
The federal government's intergenerational report projects household wealth will keep rising to 2066, though younger Australians will see smaller gains than earlier generations, with superannuation balances growing and pension spending falling. It also forecasts deaths outpacing births by the 2060s, a population of 39.3 million, and a rise in health spending from 4% to 6.2% of GDP. The report flags housing affordability, AI's uncertain productivity effects, and climate change impacts on cities and agriculture as key long-term issues.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Culture
Meta blocks Spanish theatre's Virginia Woolf ads
A Barcelona venue, Teatre Raval, says Meta blocked its Instagram and Facebook ads for a stage adaptation of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own because the content touched on 'social topics' like feminism and civil rights. Meta reportedly suggested removing certain key words to avoid the filter. The play's star, Clara Sanchis, said the rejection risked erasing hard-won social progress.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Culture
Writer argues private karaoke booths lack social value
A freelance writer contrasts pay-by-the-hour private karaoke booths, which charge around £18 per person per hour, with traditional pub karaoke nights she grew up hosting with her mother. She argues that singing with strangers in pubs fosters community connection and collective spirit, unlike isolated private booths shared only with people already known to the singer.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Culture
Madness's 1981 film restored after decades in obscurity
A new 4K restoration has revived Take It or Leave It, a 1981 semi-fictional film about Madness made by Stiff Records boss Dave Robinson. Band members, including Suggs, Lee Thompson and Mike Barson, describe a low-budget, guerrilla-style shoot inspired by kitchen-sink realism and films such as Raging Bull and Kes. The movie, largely funded by the band and Robinson, recreated real locations and early gigs, blending comedy with a documentary-like depiction of their formative years.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Politics
United Russia wins super-majority, dozens of war veterans elected
Russia's ruling United Russia party has won a record 355 of 450 seats in parliamentary elections, with officials saying 49 veterans of the Ukraine war will take seats. Western governments and the EU's Kaja Kallas criticised the vote as lacking genuine democratic competition, noting the only anti-war party was barred from standing. The election followed Russia's supreme court ban on the Yabloko party and came amid speculation Putin could announce a fresh mobilisation drive.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Weather & Climate
El Niño exceeds 2015 record ahead of expected peak
New data shows the current El Niño has pushed Pacific Ocean temperatures to 3.05C, surpassing the previous high of 3.02C set in 2015, with a peak of around 4.0C forecast for November-December. Scientists say this event, described as possibly the largest in 1,000 years, is already causing wildfires, drought and flooding impacts across several regions. Experts warn the combination of El Niño and human-caused warming could push future years to record heat levels.
Sources: Guardian Australia
Politics
Merz stays on despite CDU's worst-ever state poll loss
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he will remain in office after his CDU party suffered a historic regional election defeat, missing the 5 per cent threshold in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for the first time. The far-right AfD topped that state's poll and also performed strongly elsewhere, while the far-left Die Linke won the most seats in Berlin. Merz said the coalition's Social Democrats had confirmed they would stay in government, though some SPD figures criticised his tone and reform agenda.
Sources: ABC News
Summaries are generated automatically from the linked reporting. How this works. Corrections: [email protected].