An artificial intelligence expert is urging governments to consider the broader impacts of data centres on the eve of a national cabinet meeting.

Labor hopes the meeting of state and territory leaders on Wednesday will end in a national agreement on data centre regulation, including a contentious mandate for developers to provide renewable energy.

The prime minister outlined parts of the proposed agreement, including banning construction on prime agricultural land, at a Business Council of Australia event on Tuesday night.

Maintaining social licence was essential for attracting data centre investment, Anthony Albanese said.

But artificial intelligence expert Toby Walsh said developers of data centres had failed on this front.

“They’re rapidly losing the public’s consent for what they’re doing,” the University of NSW professor told AAP.

“As they have already lost in the United States, where many states have actually put a moratorium on building new data centres.”

The Australian Energy Market Operator reported 165 data centres in operation across Australia with 225 in development.

Prof Walsh welcomed Labor’s proposed guardrails, but said it was a shame the government missed the boat to properly regulate the projects and prepare the workforce.

“I would love to see it grandfathered, but I can understand why the government will be very reluctant to do that,” he said, citing likely legal challenges over additional costs.

“One of the things the data centres require is vast numbers of smaller keys, electricians to build because they’re full of electrical kit.

“But there won’t be many jobs once they’re running. It’s, you know, a security guard and his dog to run a data centre.”

Labor is confident it can meet the demands of the national energy grid and growing investment in data centres.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen told reporters on Tuesday he won’t let the Queensland and Northern Territory governments go ahead with projects supported by only gas or coal-based energy, as both jurisdictions are threatening to do.

“The Constitution is pretty clear about, if there’s a dispute between Commonwealth legislation and state legislation, which legislation prevails,” he said.

“The alternative, which is being promoted by the federal Liberal Party and the Queensland government, would see prices go up.”

NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has vowed not to take a backwards step at the national cabinet meeting.

“Territorians hate nothing more than being dictated to by Canberra,” she said.

Just days before living out a dream of travel and retirement, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson’s life was violently cut short.

Far from a life of settling down, Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart was just beginning to build a legacy as an extraordinary member in blue.

Ultimately, their journeys came to a tragic end side-by-side at a property in Porepunkah, in Victoria’s alpine region, on August 26, 2025.

The pair were gunned down by Dezi Freeman while executing a warrant for his arrest at the secluded property, 310km northeast of Melbourne.

It has been described as one of the “most tragic days in Victoria Police history” by Chief Commissioner Mike Bush.

“Today is a solemn day for every single member of Victoria Police who will no doubt remember this tragedy like it was yesterday,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

Police colleagues and dignitaries will gather in Bright to mark the one-year anniversary of their deaths.

Family members and officers also attended a service in Wangaratta on Tuesday where a monument was unveiled to honour the fallen officers.

Lois Kirk and Dianne Thompson, the sisters of slain officer Det Sen Const Thompson, said the past year had been very difficult. 

“We miss our big brother every single day. Neal was fiercely loyal, a natural leader and just as tough as he was soft,” they said.

“It’s what made him such a good police officer. He followed in the footsteps of our grandfather and never wanted to be anything else. He truly loved his job.”

The pair described the past year as hell for their family, and thanked their brother’s friends and colleagues.

“Neal was just days away from living out his retirement dream which was full of world travel and adventuring around Australia,” they said.

“We are beyond devastated that it has been taken away from him, from us.”

His partner, Sergeant Lisa Thompson, also attended the service, laying a wreath at the memorial.

“Every day feels surreal, and there are many of us who still expect to see him walk through the front door,” she said. 

“We lost Neal, our world, and the bright, adventurous future that our family had planned together.  His loss has ripped through our hearts, our family and our community.”

Sen Const de Waart-Hottart’s parents said their family feel a deep connection and gratitude for the community’s care and kindness.

“We understand now that Vadim belongs to a much wider family than our own. Both a police family and a broader family of the Victorian community,” a statement on behalf of Carolina de Waart and Alain Hottart and family said.

“The words, care and support we have received from Vadim’s police family, and the community, has been extraordinary.

“The grief of our family has been shared with a caring community, and we have been uplifted by the support provided, at a time of incredible grief.”

The search for Freeman was the largest tactical policing operation in Australian history, involving hundreds of officers and specialised resources.

Police tracked Freeman to a shipping container at Thologolong in Victoria’s remote northeast seven months after he disappeared into dense bushland following the Porepunkah shooting.

The 56-year-old was fatally shot after emerging from the container holding a black handgun following hours of negotiations on the morning of March 30.

Twin coronial hearings for the murdered officers and Freeman are unfolding in the Victorian Coroners Court.

A bumper wage rise for low-paid workers could put pressure on a category of inflation data closely watched by the Reserve Bank.

From July 1, workers on award wages received a 4.75 per cent boost to their pay packets, which could result in a rise in market services inflation.

Market services are an important component of the consumer price index because they tend to be stickier than other items such as fuel and holiday travel, and give the RBA a valuable gauge of home-grown inflation.

Westpac economists Justin Smirk and Neha Sharma expect July inflation data, due to be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday, will show a monthly rise of 0.5 per cent in market services, excluding volatile items.

Market services have been softer than expected in recent months but the Fair Work Commission wage decision could change that.

“Domestic market services inflation may prove stronger than we have accounted for given the larger-than-expected minimum wage decision amid existing pressures for businesses including from retail rents and utilities,” Mr Smirk and Ms Sharma said.

They expect market services excluding volatile items to be about 3.3 to 3.5 per year through the second half of 2026.

“Just how businesses responded to the recent increase in award/minimum wage rates of pay will be critical to this profile and we will know more as the September quarter data unfolds,” the duo said.

Minutes from the RBA’s August board meeting, released on Tuesday, showed the board was particularly concerned about elevated market services inflation.

That could be a reflection of capacity pressures and pass-through of higher costs from the Middle East conflict, the minutes said.

Part of the reason the board considered raising interest rates at its previous meeting was the risk that the conflict could cause oil prices to stay elevated and businesses could pass more costs on to consumers than assumed.

Fuel costs are also expected to be a key contributor to inflation in July.

The addition of 16c to the fuel excise at the start of the month and higher oil prices flowing from the re-escalation in the Middle East conflict was forecast to drive a 5.1 per cent rise in automotive fuel following a 10.9 per cent fall in June, Mr Smirk and Ms Sharma said.

On a monthly basis, Westpac expects headline CPI to swing from a 0.1 per cent fall in June to a rise of 0.8 per cent. 

But annual inflation is expected to ease from 3.8 per cent to 3.3 per cent.

That is largely because electricity prices are set to fall for the month, compared with a jump of 14 per cent the previous July as government energy rebates rolled off.

Westpac also expects the trimmed mean, a measure of underlying inflation that strips out volatile items, to fall on an annual basis to 3.5 per cent from 3.6 per cent in June.

That would put the quarterly trimmed mean – the RBA’s preferred inflation measure – on track for a 0.8 per cent increase in the September quarter.

“For end-2026, we now estimate trimmed mean inflation to come in at a 3.3 per cent yearly pace, down from our earlier estimate of 3.5 per cent annual and on par with the RBA’s most recent estimate,” Mr Smirk and Ms Sharma said.

It’s about to be revealed if Australia’s biggest supermarket chain has maintained its lead over its major rival – and the extent to which its squishy Ooshie collectible campaign was a rip-roaring success.

Woolworths will announce its 2025/26 results for year to June 28 on Wednesday, a day after Coles disclosed its supermarket sales were up 3.7 per cent to $41.5 billion for the same period.

Coles’ numbers were solid, market analysts said, but for one big negative.

While the food giant got off to a strong start in the new financial year, sales slumped during Woolworths’ recent Ooshie promotion, a giveaway of rubber Disney, Marvel and Star Wars characters for customers who spend $30 or more at the till.

Coles’ sales have picked up again since the Ooshie campaign ended, but they did not recover to the same level seen before the promotion.

“The collectibles campaign really came to an end 10 days ago,” Coles boss Leah Weckert said on Tuesday in an earnings call.

“At this stage, it’s probably a bit hard to say whether the full recovery has occurred in terms of it coming back up.”

In the past, supermarket collectible campaigns, including Coles’ own promotions involving Pokemon and Coles Little Shop collectibles, had lifted sales temporarily, Ms Weckert told reporters.

However, a survey conducted last week suggested the Ooshies offer had changed how a significant portion of shoppers, particularly parents and collectors, feel about the Woolworths brand and where they intend to shop next.

YouGov surveyed 1,102 Australian adults between August 17 and 19 for the poll, which found 39 per cent of adults and 64 per cent of parents with children under 18 reported they had changed their shopping habits as a direct result of the campaign.

Beyond more details on the Ooshie promotion, analysts and investors will be looking to see whether Woolworths’ profit margin has recovered after it slipped in 2024/25 due to supply chain costs, wage increases and shifts towards own-brand products.

“Management quietly pulled back its earnings guidance in April, so investors will want to know more,” eToro APAC market analyst Josh Gilbert said.

“The balance sheet is the other one to watch, with net debt expected to fall from around $16 billion to roughly $4 billion after asset sales.”

That could mean shareholders were about to hear about buybacks or a special dividend, Mr Gilbert speculated.

Woolworths shares were changing hands about $38.60 on Tuesday, up 31.1 per cent since the start of 2026, against a broader Australian market gain of 4.9 per cent.

When Susan and Tony Mancuso sold their home, they did so as quickly as they could, assured their new apartment would be ready within months. 

They were intent on securing an off-the-plan unit at a new Kembla Grange development, near Wollongong in NSW’s Illawara region.

The ground-level apartment would help Mr Mancuso, 83, manage his lung condition, while remaining close to family. 

Told construction was expected by January 2026, the couple paid a holding deposit in September 2025 and a five per cent deposit in October. 

Ten months later, the grandparents are living in their daughter’s spare room unsure when, or if, they will ever step foot in their new home. 

“They had nowhere to go,” their daughter, Marie Sinclair, told AAP. 

“I couldn’t leave them homeless.”

On Tuesday, the Mancusos learned through media reports the developer, Bathla Group, had entered voluntary administration. 

“Now, my parents are thinking: ‘Have I lost my deposit? What does that mean for me now?'” Ms Sinclair said. 

The couple are among many buyers potentially affected by the collapse of Bathla Group, which boasts thousands of homes under development including in Sydney’s west.

The firm said on Tuesday the move followed a “perfect storm” of complications, including a market downturn and rising construction costs. 

According to its website, Bathla has more than 7000 dwellings in its delivery pipeline, with projects spanning NSW, South Australia and Victoria. 

Founder and director Bhart Bhushan described the process as an “orderly restructure”, adding his first thoughts were with employees and customers. 

Insolvency specialist Teneor, which has taken control of the Bathla and its subsidiaries, said its priority was to minimise the fallout for stakeholders. 

Ms Sinclair said she had been told by a sales agent the Kembla Grange project would continue as planned with the backing of a private lender.

But said she would not hold out hope after delivery was pushed back from January to March, June, August and, most recently, October. 

Fellow buyer Janice Cahill, 70, knows the pattern well. 

She put a deposit down on an apartment at the Kembla Grange development in August 2025, expecting to move in by September. 

That completion date has since been pushed back four times, most recently to December 2026, which is also her sunset clause deadline. 

“It’s financial, its mental health – it’s the whole thing,” she said of the toll inflicted by the repeated delays.

On top of a $60,000 deposit and $23,000 in stamp duty, Ms Cahill has forgone her pension. 

The proceeds from the sale of her home, not yet spent on her new unit, pushed her over the asset test limit, she said. 

“All these years of waiting and paying out money for storage and paying out money for rent,” she said. 

“It’s just getting too much.”

One of the nation’s critical onshore refinery facilities is still not back to 100 per cent capacity following a huge fire, as the owner looks to replace vital infrastructure after delivering its best-ever interim earnings.

Viva Energy, which owns the oil refinery in Geelong, alongside a 1300-strong network of petrol stations across the country, reported a bottom line first-half net profit jump of 331.3 per to $452 million.

The result was driven by runaway fuel sales at higher margins on the back of supply constraints caused by the Middle East crisis, which has closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping lane.

Net profit on a replacement cost basis – which excludes the impact of oil prices on inventories – soared by almost 500 per cent to $371.1 million in the six months ended June 30.

This was its highest underlying first-half result, with all three business units reporting significant growth as total fuel sales hit 8490 megalitres.

Viva Energy chief executive Scott Wyatt said the company – which operates one of two onshore refineries, with the other owned by Ampol – has identified opportunities in the federal government’s recently announced fuel security measures.

“Right now, we are heavily engaged with the government on policy development to provide long-term investment for the refining sector, which we expect to provide more certain returns than the current fuel security services payment,” he told an earnings briefing on Tuesday.

The Labor government wants to set up a one-billion-litre strategic fuel reserve, increase industry storage rules to ensure at least 50 days of supply and support the two refineries, one of which is in Brisbane.

In April, a major fire broke out at Viva’s facility in the Geelong suburb of Corio, affecting its alkylation processing unit, which turns low-value gases into a high-value, high-octane, clean-burning liquid called alkylate for premium petrol.

The broader facility is back to 90 per cent capacity, but full production remains a way off until the unit is replaced.

“We are assessing technology solutions and will work with our insurers to determine the best way forward over the coming months,” Mr Wyatt said.

“It’s a bit of a work in progress.”

Viva’s retail arm, which includes the petrol stations and more than 900 convenience stores, had a strong half with underlying earnings soaring 86.4 per cent to $138.7 million, mostly due to fuel sales under the Shell, OTR Liberty and Reddy Express brands.

In the past, Viva has complained about the impact of the rising illegal tobacco trade on its business, but says that’s waning as authorities take action against suppliers.

For the half, tobacco sales were down by almost 17 per cent year-on-year, but flat compared to the second half of 2025.

The commercial and industrial business, which mainly sells bulk fuels and lubricants to the mining, aviation and other heavy fuel-using industries, lifted earnings by 28 per cent to $305.4 million.

And the energy and infrastructure division, which anchors the Geelong refinery along with fuel import terminals, storage depots and pipelines, enjoyed an incredible jump of almost 2000 per cent to $353.7 million.

That was due to the stronger refining margins on the back of the war.

Shares in Viva, which will pay an interim dividend of 7.73 cents, fell 1.2 per cent to $2.82.

Members of the Reserve Bank’s rate-setting board considered hiking interest rates to pre-emptively ward off against a rise in inflation if the Middle East conflict drags on or the AI boom is larger than anticipated.

The RBA board also fretted over the risks to inflation from a slower pick-up in productivity growth than expected, higher pass-through of business cost pressures to consumers or a more resilient domestic economy, minutes from the August meeting showed on Tuesday.

The board decided to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.35 per cent at the meeting, noting inflation was lower than forecast and the jobs market was softening faster than expected.

But the read-out showed another rate rise remained firmly on the central bank’s mind.

“Several members judged that it was quite possible that the upside risks to the inflation forecast would crystallise, requiring some further tightening,” the minutes said.

“Members noted that if the risks around the inflation forecast were judged to be significantly skewed to the upside, it may be appropriate to mitigate those risks somewhat by tightening monetary policy pre-emptively.”

ANZ senior rates strategist Jack Chambers said the minutes read slightly hawkish, with more focus on the upside inflation risks and less emphasis on activity slowdown.

The board noted financial conditions were somewhat restrictive and the housing market slowdown was sharper than expected.

“On balance then, it is clear that the monetary policy board retains a hawkish lean and will be sensitive to upside surprises in inflation or if activity shows signs of re-accelerating,” Mr Chambers said.

“We don’t think there will be enough new information for these risks to manifest by the September meeting.

“But the November meeting remains at least a risk for a hike, even if it is not our expectation.”

Members decided it was appropriate to stay on hold and wait for further data on inflation, the labour market and GDP figures, as well as more information on the housing market downturn and the Middle East conflict, according to the minutes.

Mr Chambers said July inflation data would be an important early test ahead of November’s meeting.

Despite falling house prices and higher borrowing costs, the RBA was relatively unconcerned about financial stability risks.

“The strong financial positions of domestic banks and most Australian households and businesses meant they are well placed to manage increased financial pressures over the period ahead,” the minutes said.

But financial difficulty is rising.

New personal insolvencies climbed to 3596 in the June quarter, a 13.1 per cent increase on the same time a year earlier, the Australian Financial Security Authority revealed.

The result was the largest increase in six years, although personal insolvencies remain far below pre-COVID levels.

The US ‌Supreme Court has lifted one court order blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections.

But the fate of Trump’s order remains uncertain, as a separate ‌injunction blocking a key part of the plan remains in place.

Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the midterms. Restricting mail-in ballots would stand to disproportionately benefit Republicans given that Democratic voters traditionally have been ‌more likely to use mail-in ballots.

Monday’s ruling from the Supreme Court’s 6-3 conservative majority applied to a June injunction from Boston-based US District Judge Indira Talwani.

A coalition of 23 mostly Democratic-governed states and the District of Columbia had sued to stop the executive order over mail-in ballots. The Supreme Court on Monday said it was too soon for the states to challenge the order but left the door open for them to sue again as the midterm contest approaches.

Trump’s executive order, issued in March, directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile and transmit to the states a list of US citizens eligible to vote in each state, and the Justice Department to prioritise investigating and prosecuting state ‌and local election officials ‌who issue ballots to people deemed “not eligible” ⁠to vote in federal elections.

Trump’s executive order is part of his wider efforts to make fundamental changes in US elections. Trump, who has made false claims of widespread fraud in US elections including his 2020 loss to former Democratic president Joe Biden, has pressed the Republican-controlled Congress to pass a contentious ⁠package of voting restrictions called the SAVE America Act.

In Monday’s decision, the conservative majority agreed with the ​Justice Department that the lawsuit challenging Trump’s directive was premature and the states did not have the required legal standing at this stage to sue.

The agencies have not yet taken concrete actions that impact the states and so any harm they allege is speculative, the court said. Trump’s order itself “does not harm the states,” it added.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said on Monday: “The Supreme Court just let the ​Trump ​administration move ahead (for now) with its plan to disenfranchise voters across the country. California will be suing ​AGAIN to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request ‌for comment. The US Postal Service declined to comment.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by fellow liberal Justice Elena Kagan, said the states should not have to wait to challenge the order.

“Today’s decision does not address whether the president’s attempts to interfere with states’ administration of the November 2026 elections are lawful,” Sotomayor wrote. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson also wrote a separate dissent.

The states contend their claims are not hypothetical and the administration’s “rushed effort to change the rules of mail voting on the eve of the November midterms risks disenfranchising a substantial number of voters”.

“This decision is a painful setback, but it will not be the final word,” New York Attorney-General Letitia James said in a statement. 

“The right to vote is ​sacred, and no administration should be allowed to put that right in jeopardy by making it harder for eligible voters to cast their ballots.”

In her June ruling, Talwani rejected the administration’s arguments, finding the lawsuit was ​not filed too soon and that the states had legal ⁠standing because they would face election administration disruption, compliance costs and a credible threat of criminal prosecution.

A rebound in banking stocks has reawakened Australia’s share market from its recent slumber, putting the beaten-down financials sector on track for its second daily gain in eight sessions. 

The S&P/ASX200 rose 60 points on Tuesday, up 0.66 per cent, to 9,163.1, as the broader All Ordinaries gained 53.2 points, or 0.57 per cent, to 9,370.

The local bourse shrugged off a weak session for US tech stocks, which was partially counterbalanced by a rise in financial stocks.

The latter part of the move was echoed in the ASX session, with insurers and banks rebounding from recent sell-downs, with no clear catalyst except an expected dip in headline inflation figures due on Wednesday morning.

Investors will also be poring over Reserve Bank meeting minutes released later on Tuesday.

The resources sector continued to soar to new heights alongside BHP, as copper held onto its recent gains.

Gold’s surge has been losing momentum after rallying 15 per cent in three weeks, with the precious metal now trading hands at $US4,664 ($A6,519) an ounce.

The energy sector was trading roughly flat by midday, with oil prices holding on to Monday’s losses as investors awaited Iran’s response from bolstered US sanctions.

Woodside shares handed back an early advance to trade 0.5 per cent lower at $33.31 per share, despite soaring oil and gas prices delivering a seven per cent lift in underlying first-half profit.

Refinery operator Viva Energy gained 0.3 per cent after handing down its results for the half, after its earnings ballooned by more than 150 per cent on the equivalent six months in 2025.

At a sector level, IT stocks, health care and utilities clocked gains of more than one per cent.

Consumer staples was close behind with a 0.8 per cent advance, boosted by a two per cent jump in Coles shares to $23.10 after its full-year $2.3 billion operating profit beat expectations.

Elsewhere in earnings, ARB shares have rocketed almost 18 per cent higher after looking beyond a 5.2 per cent profit slump to hold its dividend steady.

Early education provider G8 Education shares rallied despite the company posting a $38.8 million statutory first-half loss, as revenue shrunk by more than 11 per cent to $413.6 million.

Payment solutions provider Tyro sold off by more than a tenth despite recording growth over the financial year across all major metrics.

In company news, WiseTech has appointed Tim Ebbeck as an independent non-executive director, and will take over from Raelene Murphy as audit and risk committee chair.

SkyCity Entertainment shares advanced after knocking back multiple takeover offers from Oaktree Capital, noting “problematic” conditions and undervaluation concerns.

The Australian dollar is buying 71.52 US cents, down from 71.69 US cents on Monday at 5pm AEST.

Australia’s biggest oil and gas company has lifted interim earnings after oil prices soared due to the US-Iran conflict, as it winds back investment in new energy.

Woodside’s underlying net profit after tax – which removes one-off accounting items to indicate actual performance – rose to $US1.33 billion ($A1.85 billion) in the six months to June 30, up from $US1.25 billion ($A1.75 billion) in the equivalent 2025 period.

Woodside had continued to deliver during a period of significant volatility in global energy markets, chief executive Liz Westcott said. 

“The temporary withdrawal of 20 per cent of LNG supply and 13 per cent of oil supply from global markets, as a result of the Middle East conflict, drove increased customer demand for Woodside’s products,” Ms Westcott told an analyst briefing on Tuesday.

The company achieved an average realised price of $US74 per barrel of oil equivalent through contracted positions and premiums on crude products, a 20 per cent premium compared to a year earlier.

Brent crude and Japan Korea Marker LNG spot prices had both moderated from spikes in March and April, but restricted supply and price volatility are expected to continue for some time, Ms Westcott said.

Woodside handed down a 57 US cent (79.7 cent) final dividend, coming in at the top end of its payout range.

Operating revenue was up 13 per cent on the equivalent 2025 half to $US7.45 billion ($A10.4 billion), despite total production volumes falling 13 per cent to 86.5 million barrels of oil equivalent, mainly due to cyclone impacts.

The result was broadly in line with expectations,”  RBC Capital Markets analyst Gordon Ramsay said.

“The quality of the result is supported by strong operational reliability across key LNG assets and Sangomar, disciplined capital management, and continued progress on major growth projects,” Mr Ramsay said.

Capital discipline was a key focus of Ms Westcott’s speech, as she announced a strategic review of Woodside’s Beaumont New Ammonia project and scrapped $US5 billion ($A7 billion) of the company’s new energy investment targets.

“We have taken the disciplined decision to retire our Scope Three investment and emissions abatement targets,” Ms Westcott said.

“These targets were established in a different market context and based on a different expected pace of the energy transition, the reality is that markets for emerging lower carbon opportunities, including hydrogen, ammonia, and carbon capture and storage, have developed more slowly than anticipated.”

Woodside had achieved its 2025 Scope One and Two targets and it was on track to reach its 30 per cent reduction from baseline by 2030.

She said the (Scope Three) targets no longer aligned with evolving technology, current policy settings, and customer demand, but the company remained interested in new energy opportunities.

Woodside shares gained roughly 1.3 per cent to $33.92 in morning trade, and has advanced more than 25 per cent since the same time in 2025.