SBS News In Depth

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hailed a new security pact with Indonesia as a significant shift toward a closer defence partnership between the two countries. However, analysts warn the treaty may come at a high cost, potentially ignoring ongoing human rights issues in West Papua and concerns about the Indonesian government's future political direction.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Lochlan Halloway from Morningstar to go through all the factors that has triggered a sell-off on the sharemarket, including an ongoing technology sector rout, along with a look at the local reporting season; plus Peter McGuire from Trading.com looks at Bitcoin's sliding value.

The UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure, following scrutiny over his decision to appoint friend of Jeffrey Epstein Peter Mandelson as the UK's US ambassador in 2024. The files released last week included emails appearing to show a close relationship between the former ambassador and Epstein, and suggested Mr Mandelson had shared government documents with Epstein while serving as a Cabinet Minister.

A second round of talks in Abu Dhabi between Ukraine, Russia and the United States have concluded without a peace deal, despite delegates citing progress towards reaching an end to the four-year war. Ukraine and Russia did exchange 310 prisoners of war in total, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signalled further meetings were being planned.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Ben Clark from TMS Private Wealth about the day's market action including a software sell-off in the US which is trickling to Australia, plus what the fall in the bitcoin price says about the economic and investment environment.

A psychiatrist who treated the Westfield Bondi Junction attacker has been referred for review by the coroner investigating the mass killing in 2024. New South Wales State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan criticised the care of Joel Cauchi's former psychiatrist for failing to adequately respond to a schizophrenia relapse in the years before the mass stabbing, which saw six people killed and 10 injured. She has made 23 recommendations, including a call for the Health Ombudsman of Queensland to review the psychiatrist's care and treatment of Joel Cauchi.

A National Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children is being established, a move hailed by advocates as a milestone for independent accountability in closing the gap for youth justice and welfare. However, critics like Senator Lidia Thorpe warn that without federal power to penalise states or compel compliance, the role risks becoming a matter of optics over tangible safety.

Democracy and the rules-based international order are under threat, according to the latest annual report by Human Rights Watch. There's a particular focus on the United States and what the international body describes as its erosion of human rights, but there is also a spotlight on Australia. Australia's immigration and youth detention policies are listed as 'significant failings', cited as the only Western democracy without a national human rights act.

Almost 99 per cent of Australians diagnosed with cancer incur out-of-pocket expenses, even when accessing public care. That's the shocking finding from the Cancer Council Australia’s latest national survey, which suggests the financial burden arises from both direct medical costs and indirect expenses at every stage of the cancer journey. The cost of accessing care and treatment hits First Nations communities especially hard, with Indigenous Australians ultimately facing a higher mortality rate for blood cancer.

The US and Iran tussle over talks to stave off more strikes, millions more Epstein documents touch the rich and powerful the world over from Elon Musk to the Norwegian princess-royal and more trilateral talks in Abu Dhabi don’t stop the destruction across Ukraine. Plus, US democracy in danger and what we learned when Melania Trump’s doco hit the cinemas…

For many in Australia's south-east, the day after Australia Day brought sweltering conditions and record temperatures. In Mildura, in Victoria's far northwest, the mercury hit 48.6 Celsius. And when coastal areas enjoyed a reprieve, the inland still had to cope with an extended heatwave that lasted a week. Experts say these kinds of phenomena are going to intensify over time because of the impacts of climate change - but while there has been plenty of coverage of how that impacts on urban centres, regional Australia has not received the same attention. SBS visited Mildura to see how the region felt the heat, and what they're doing to cope with climate change at a local level.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Shane Oliver from AMP to figure out the real drivers of inflation; plus Damien Boey from Wilson Asset Management about the day's sharemarket action including a software shares sell-off.

Victoria Police are investigating the display of posters across Melbourne that depict the alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram. About 40 have appeared. featuring the image of the accused shooter and the word Aussie beneath his face. They were put together in the style of artist Peter Drew's 'Aussie' series of street art.

Following the latest interest rate rise, the Federal Government is facing renewed pressure from unions and economists to reform the 50 per cent Capital Gains Tax ((CGT)) discount, which critics label a "tax avoidance scheme" favouring the wealthiest Australians. While the Treasurer maintains a focus on housing supply, proponents of the reform argue that winding back these concessions could reclaim $20 billion in annual revenue and ease the cost-of-living crisis for the nation’s workforce.

Russia has ended a winter truce that had it and Ukraine agreeing not to attack each other's energy facilities. The 450-drone and 70-missiles attack comes on the eve of another scheduled round of peace talks.

Nearly half of Australia's LGBTIQ+ workers say they have faced discrimination and harassment in the past year. With hate speech rising in Australia, rights groups say stronger laws and greater legal representation are needed to protect the LGBTIQ+ community from greater harm.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has increased interest rates for the first time since November 2023, hiking the official cash rate to 3.85%. It says it now expects inflation to remain well above its 2-3% target for longer, leaving the door open for further rate increases. For more on this, Stephanie Youssef spoke with HSBC chief economist Paul Bloxham. Despite the decision, the Australian share market finished the session strong, amid a strong global stocks rebound that included a gold and silver price recovery. For more, Stephanie Youssef spoke with Mark Gardner, CEO at MPC Markets.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has ended a two-year hiatus by raising interest rates to 15 per cent, sparking a fierce political debate over whether government spending or private demand is fuelling persistent inflation. While the Treasurer defends the budget and points to external pressures, the Opposition and the Greens argue that current policy settings are punishing everyday Australians and ignoring alternative economic levers.

A fresh search in Victoria's High Country has begun for accused police killer Dezi Freeman, with detectives now believing the 56-year-old is most likely dead. Mr Freeman is accused of killing two police officers and severely injuring a third after they executed a search warrant on a rural property near the Victorian town of Porepunkah last year. Police are now focusing on a new search area in the vast Mount Buffalo National Park.

From London to Oslo, institutions built on tradition and public trust are being tested by demands for transparency, accountability and justice. In Britain, both a former prince and a senior political figure are being urged to answer questions about their past associations with Jeffrey Epstein. While in Norway, a criminal trial involving the Crown Princess’s son is unfolding under intense public scrutiny.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt has been reopened. Movement will be limited, but for Palestinians needing medical treatment it offers a critical lifeline. The border has been largely shut since May 2024.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Tim Lawless from Cotality Australia about the future for property prices amid expectations of a rise in interest rates; Phil O'Donaghoe from Deutsche Bank explains why a rate rise tomorrow isn't a done deal; plus Raymond Chan from Morgans Financial Limited looks at the day's market action including a spectacular fall in the price of precious metals like gold and silver.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed plans to close the Afghan Embassy in Australia, leaving many members of Australia's Afghan community on edge. Experts say the decision follows a demand from the Taliban that all embassies under the control of an anti-Taliban ambassador be closed. While some members of the Afghan diaspora in Australia say they expect the closure to have little impact, for others, it's a deeply concerning development.

Iran's Supreme Leader is warning the United States that any attack on Iran could trigger regional conflict, as US naval presence in the region strengthens. As tensions mount over Iran's protest crackdown and a possible nuclear deal, the United States President says his plans hinge on the success or failure of a deal.

100 years ago Scottish inventor John Logie Baird revealed the first television, called the Televisor, to the world. Those first pictures, flickering images of the head of a ventriloquist's doll, sparked a revolution in social entertainment and culture.

A powerful exhibition featuring photographs and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability has been called a milestone for inclusion and representation. First exhibited at the United Nations in Geneva more than a decade ago, it's now being shown again on home soil in its most accessible format.

As Donald Trump’s military threats and trade wars unsettle allies, some experts are calling for a rethinking of Australia's long-standing alliance with the United States. The debate has been sharpened by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum, which urged middle power countries to resist compromising their values at the behest of major global superpowers.

New tariffs on Australian beef may cut exports to China by 30 per cent cut this year, according to industry experts. Among those affected is a fifth-generation cattle farmer.

The Falepili Union treaty between Australia and Tuvalu was hailed as a global first-of-its kind, with one provision of the agreement allowing up to 280 Tuvaluans to relocate to Australia each year as rising seas threaten their homeland. The first cohort of migrants under the deal are now arriving in Australia. But with just a small Tuvaluan diaspora here, they're facing a challenge to settle in to their new home, while maintaining a connection to community and culture.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Canstar's Sally Tindall to find out if it is too late to fix your home loan interest rate ahead of what's expected to be a rise in official interest rates next week; plus Dianne Colledge from Morgans goes through the day's share market action including a preview of Donald Trump's pick of US Federal Reserve governor which is expected to be made at the weekend.

The Federal Government has finalised a landmark $219 billion health agreement with the states in a national cabinet meeting, pledging an additional $25 billion to stabilise public hospitals and cap NDIS growth over the next five years. And while the meeting has been hailed for its reforms, medical experts and state premiers warn that further investment is essential to meet the country's health needs.

The Trump Administration's border chief Tom Homan [[hoe-men]]has pledged a 'safer' Minnesota immigration crackdown. His proposed plan marks a shift in the aggressive tactics that have drawn national outrage, after two US citizens were shot dead by federal agents. Democrats are pressuring the President to scale the operation back further.

The EU has formally designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organisation, aligning it with groups such as Islamic State and al-Qaida. Tensions between Tehran and Washington are escalating amid one of the deadliest protest crackdowns in Iran’s recent history.

The Leukemia Foundation is warning more than 400 children a year could face a blood cancer diagnosis within the next decade. The foundation is attempting to raise $12 million through its annual World's Greatest Shave campaign, with funds contributing to research and support services to families impacted by blood cancer.

President Trump feels the heat as ICE protests spread across the US, as Washington unveils real estate plans for Gaza - but are they based in reality? Plus, Myanmar’s military presses ahead with widely dismissed elections, and China’s panda diplomacy reaches an unbearable level.

The United States has sent what President Donald Trump has described as an armada of naval and military assets into the Middle East, placing American forces on heightened alert as tensions with Iran escalate. The move comes as protests spread across Iran, internet access is cut for millions, and a sharp exchange of threats and warnings unfolds between Washington and Tehran on social media and through diplomatic channels.

Two cases of the deadly Nipah virus have been confirmed in India's West Bengal state and at least 190 people have been quarantined. It's prompted multiple countries in Asia to step up airport screenings to prevent the spread of the infection, which at this stage has no vaccine or proven treatment. However, experts say while it's a dangerous virus with a high fatality rate, it doesn't spread easily from person-to-person.

It's been a month since one of Iran's deadliest periods of anti-government unrest in the history of the Islamic Republic. While mass protests have subsided amid a crackdown by security forces, a US-based human rights group has confirmed the deaths of more than 6,000 people, warning the total could stand at more than 20,000. Iran's official death toll is just over 3,000. There are also grave concerns for the tens of thousands who have been arrested.

As students return for a new year, Australian Federal Police are calling on schools to be on the lookout for signs of students being coerced into forced marriages.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves takes a deep dive into today's higher than expected inflation figures to find out what it means for interest rates and for the sharemarkets with Stephen Wu from UBS, James Gerrish from Market Partners and Stephen Miller from GSFM Funds Management.

A landmark report has revealed Services Australia knowingly bypassed child support laws for six years, internally blocking payments to over 16,000 parents who provided less than 35 per cent of their children's care. While the agency argued the law created "unintended consequences" by requiring primary carers to pay those with minimal care responsibilities, the Ombudsman ruled that ignoring legislation is not an option for public servants.

India and the European Union say they have reached "the mother of all deals" in a trade agreement that has been in the works for nearly two decades. Subjected to steep tariffs and facing threats of further increases, the two major economies are working to diversify their trade partners.

Atomic scientists have set the Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been to the theoretical point of world annihilation. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists cites aggressive behaviour by nuclear powers, fraying nuclear arms control, global conflicts and unregulated AI as the key risks driving toward global disaster.

SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves speaks with Daniel Hynes from ANZ and Michael Wayne from Medallion Financial Group to find out more about gold and silver's record rally and whether they are entering bubble territory, along with the rest of the day's market action.

Israel says it has recovered the remains of the final hostage held in Gaza, police officer Ran Gvili. The recovery fulfills a key condition of the US-proposed peace plan, and could pave the way for the reopening of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

A baggy green cap worn by Sir Donald Bradman in Australia's 1947 test series against India has fetched $460,000 at auction. The sale of this rare piece of Australian sporting heritage and history is not quite at the level of the sale of Shane Warne's test cap, which went for just over a million in 2020 to raise money for the Australian Red Cross following the 2019 Black Saturday bushfires. But auctions like this offer a glimpse into another world, where serious money is paid for memorabilia items connected to some of the world's most iconic and historic sporting events.

After casting Alex Pretti and Renee Good as "domestic terrorists", the White House is now shifting blame for recent ICE shootings onto Democratic politicians in Minnesota. Sparking major protests and political pushback, U-S President Donald Trump says he's sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to work with officials.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says a US document on security guarantees is "100 per cent ready" to be signed. He also indicated some progress was made at tri-lateral talks on the weekend between Ukraine, the US and Russia. But he called on the U-S and Europe to keep up pressure on Russia, through sanctions.

Australia Day has been marked across the country with citizenship ceremonies and Australian of the Year awards. The day has also been marked by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have gathered across the country for annual events marking January 26 - including Invasion Day rallies.

United States Federal Agents have shot and killed another person in Minneapolis, just three weeks after the killing of Renee Good. With growing demands the government withdraw ICE agents from the city, President Donald Trump has signalled their possible intention to leave.