Russia has reacted furiously to a speech by Volodymyr Zelenskyy given to an Australian audience on Thursday night. In his speech to the Lowy Institute, Mr Zelenskyy said called for Australia to support Ukraine in the United Nations next week, and referred to Moscow's threat of using nuclear weapons. He says NATO should launch preventative strikes to rule out any Russian use of nuclear technology, and that if Vladimir Putin was not stopped, he would also 'consume' other nations. Kremlin spokesman Dimitry Peskov has denounced his statement, saying they are nothing but an appeal to "start yet another world war with unpredictable, monstrous consequences".
The opposition has accused the government of painting a bleak picture of the economy and budget position to prime the electorate for changes to the stage three tax cuts. Treasurer Jim Chalmers is expected to reveal details on government spending when he speaks at an investment event hosted by the Queensland government today. Opposition spokesman Simon Birmingham says the treasurer is trying to "rewrite history" in a bid to soften up voters for trimming the planned cuts. Debt repayments have been flagged as one of five key areas of spending ahead of the October 25 budget, alongside aged care, disability care, hospitals and defence.
There is a growing humanitarian crisis in Haiti as gangs continue to blockade fuel supplies and other essential parts of the country's capital. Hospitals have been forced to cut back staff and critical services despite the deaths of at least eight people in the latest outbreak of cholera. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has also been attacked. Executive Director Valerie Guarneiri says around $6 million in relief supplies have been lost to looting.
