Australia Faces Housing, Mining, and Energy Pressures

In Australia in September 2026, several domestic issues are drawing attention. The collapse of builder Bathla has left home buyers dealing with sleepless nights and depression, while a Landcare group is preparing to fight a billion-dollar mine, and new laws on mining objections are being criticized as "hacking at safety net." Meanwhile, demand for Spirit of Tasmania bookings has crashed the website, and a data centre boom is consuming large amounts of power.

Separately, US Federal Reserve interest rate hikes to curb inflation have drawn a call for a cut from Donald Trump. Fund manager Cathie Wood says she sees interest rates topping 7 percent due to an AI boom. A memo from China's Communist Party reveals its fundamental fears about AI, and Burke has warned about Australia becoming a guest worker economy.