As it happened: RBA holds interest rates steady; JD Vance says US appears ‘headed to a shutdown’

Thanks for reading our national news live blog. This is where we will end today’s coverage. We’ll be back tomorrow with more live coverage.

Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of the day:

• Communications Minister Anika Wells met with the bosses of Optus and Singtel today, after repeated failures by the carrier to support Triple Zero calls in recent weeks. Wells said Optus CEO Stephen Rue “has a lot of work to do” to regain Australia’s confidence and said the government was fast-tracking legislation for a “Triple Zero guardian” that was recommended almost a year and a half ago. Singtel boss Yuen Kuan Moon refused to say whether Rue’s job is safe. The Optus board has appointed consultancy giant Kearney to oversee its network. Wells has come under fire from the Coalition for saying she’s “a new minister” and attending the UN General Assembly in New York throughout the Optus saga.
• US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they’ve agreed to a plan to end the war in Gaza, but it’s unclear whether Hamas will accept the terms. This morning Trump laid out a 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war and establishing a postwar governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. His plan would establish a temporary governing board that would be headed by himself and include former British prime minister Tony Blair. The Australian government has come out broadly in support of the plan.
• The Reserve Bank has kept interest rates unchanged at 3.6 per cent. Rates have been cut three times this year, most recently at its August meeting. Markets and economists had not expected the bank to follow that August decision with another cut today.
• A court has condemned the humiliating and unlawful strip search of a music festival attendee, awarding her $93,000 and flagging further damages. Officers did not have reasonable grounds to search Raya Meredith at the 2018 Splendour in the Grass festival at Byron Bay, the NSW Supreme Court found today. The landmark decision paves the way for the state to pay millions of dollars for unlawful strip searches.
• Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have separated after 19 years of marriage. US site TMZ reported this morning that the two have been living apart “since the beginning of [the northern] summer”. Citing multiple but unnamed sources, the site reported that Kidman had been taking care of the pair’s two children and “holding the family together through this difficult time since Keith has been gone.” The report said Urban has moved out of their Nashville family home and into his own residence.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has welcomed Australia’s triple A credit rating being reaffirmed by S&P Global.

Credit ratings determine the interest rates on government debt, and the agency said “sound fiscal metrics” supported the top rating, making Australia one of just 11 countries with a triple A rating.

Chalmers said: “This is a resounding endorsement of the Albanese Labor government’s responsible economic management.

“We are realistic about the challenges facing our economy including growing global uncertainty, but our AAA rating is further proof Australia is coming at these challenges from a position of genuine economic strength.”

Sussan Ley has dodged questions on whether she will meet her rogue shadow cabinet minister Andrew Hastie during her visit to his home state of Western Australia.

Hastie courted controversy after saying Australians were becoming strangers in their own country in an inflammatory social media post blaming immigration for the housing crisis.

Hastie has also publicly said he would quit the frontbench if the Coalition did not abandon its support for the net zero by 2050 climate target, creating a political headache for Ley. He has also been privately touted as a conservative alternative to her by right-wing colleagues.

Asked if she would meet with Hastie when he returned from leave tomorrow, Ley said she “will see all my colleagues in Canberra soon”.

Asked directly “Does Andrew Hastie want your job?” Ley brushed off the question.

“The only leadership I’m worried about is the prime minister’s leadership” she said.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said interest rates remaining unchanged is a consequence of the government spending recklessly.

The Reserve Bank today announced interest rates would remain steady at 3.6 per cent, which Treasurer Jim Chalmers said was unfortunate news for home owners but anticipated by economists.

Ley said this was hurting mortgage holders and said it was “because this government is simply addicted to spending”.

“These are massive failures by a government that cannot get its spending under control. As a consequence, interest rates have gone up 12 times and come down only three are continuing to hurt Australian families.”