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TRANSCRIPT
- A new report showing Australia's debt levels at their highest since the Second World War...
- Regret from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg over Instagram's slow progress in detecting underage users...
- An upset for Arsenal in the Premier League.
A new economic report is warning that Australia is set to lose its status as a low-debt nation, with combined government borrowing reaching levels not seen since the Second World War.
The analysis from the e61 Economic Research Institute shows gross debt as a share of the economy climbing steadily towards a 2028 peak, following decades of structural spending growth.
e61 chief executive Michael Brennan says spending restraint or tax reform is needed to avoid leaving future generations with a fragile economy.
Government spending has been in the spotlight since the Reserve Bank's recent rate hikes, with former RBA governor Philip Lowe and the opposition voicing concerns that handouts risk prolonging high rates without productivity gains.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has dismissed calls for a bipartisan savings taskforce.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke is barring a long-time Australian citizen from entering the country after she and thirty-three others attempted to flee a Syrian detention camp.
The group, consisting of eleven women and twenty-three children with links to IS group fighters, tried to leave the Al-Roj camp on Monday but were turned back by Syrian authorities.
The government maintains it's providing no repatriation assistance to the group's members and has also issued a temporary exclusion order barring one woman from entering Australia, deeming her a security risk.
Mr Burke says the woman has a long history of Australian citizenship dating back decades.
"This individual is somebody who migrated to Australia under the Howard Government, received citizenship under the Howard Government and went to Syria under the Abbott government."
Security agencies are assessing whether other group members meet the legal threshold for similar orders.
On the first day of Ramadan, Sydney's Lakemba Mosque has received its third threatening letter in a month, leaving Australia's Muslim community on high alert.
Police have launched a forensic investigation and increased patrols at religious sites, while local mayor Bilal El-Hayek has called for unity.
Thousands of people are expected at the Lakemba Mosque each day to perform a special nightly prayer called Taraweeh during Ramadan.
Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte says her decision to run for the presidency in 2028 comes at a difficult stage in her political life, as she faces new impeachment bids in Congress and separate criminal complaints.
This includes a large scale corruption case that could ban the 47-year-old from public office if she's convicted.
She has asked for public forgiveness for a range of issues Filipinos are facing, from government corruption to soaring prices of food and other basic commodities.
“I cannot kneel before each and every Filipino to beg for forgiveness. Instead, I offer my life, my strength, and my future in the service of our nation."
The daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte also renewed allegations of corruption and misrule against President Ferdinand Marcos Junior, whose six-year term ends in June, 2028.
Heading overseas now and...
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg says he regrets his company's slow progress in detecting underage Instagram users.
Mr Zuckerberg is facing stinging criticism during a high-stakes California trial accusing Meta of addicting children under 13.
Testifying under oath for the first time before a jury, he admitted improvements have been made to age verification tools but he wishes they had come sooner.
The trial, expected to run until late March, will determine if Meta and Google-owned YouTube are liable for the mental health issues of 20-year-old plaintiff Kaley GM, a California resident who began heavy social media use in childhood.
The trial could set precedents for thousands of similar U-S lawsuits by American families against social media platforms.
And in football,
Manchester City in the race for the English Premier League title.
After leading 2-0 in the second half, the E-P-L leader drew 2-2 draw at Molineux.
Tom Edozie's goal in the fourth minute of added time completed Wolves' comeback.
The draw means Arsenal has dropped points in back-to-back games, leaving it just five points ahead of second-place City.
