Australia’s ANZ, one of the country’s “big four” banks, has agreed to pay a record fine of $240 million Australian dollars ($159.5 million) over “widespread misconduct”, the financial regulator said Monday.
The fine is the largest ever announced by the regulator against a single entity, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) said.
ANZ was fined for “acting unconscionably” while managing a $14-billion bond deal with the Australian government.
It was also penalized for “failing to respond to hundreds of customer hardship notices”, making false or misleading statements about its savings interest rates and failing to refund fees charged to dead customers.
“Time and time again ANZ betrayed the trust of Australians,” Joe Longo, chair of the ASIC, said.
“Banks must have the trust of customers and government. This outcome shows an unacceptable disregard for that trust that is critical to the banking system.”
ASIC deputy chair Sarah Court said: “As one of Australia’s biggest banks, customers trusted ANZ to do the right thing but, even on the basics like paying the correct interest rate, it fell short.”
Embattled ANZ, one of four banks that dominate Australia’s financial services industry, announced last week it would cut over 3,500 staff by September next year, part of a restructuring plan it said would cost over $500 million Australian dollars.
ANZ chairman Paul O’Sullivan confirmed that the bank had agreed to the fines, saying “the reality is we made mistakes that have had a significant impact on customers”.
“On behalf of ANZ, I apologize and assure our customers we have taken the necessary action, including holding relevant executives accountable,” he said in a statement.
CEO Nuno Matos added: “The failings outlined are simply not good enough and they reinforce the case for change”.
Australians are already living with the consequences of climate change
One and a half million Australians living in coastal areas are at risk from rising sea levels by 2050, a landmark climate report has warned.
Australia’s first National Climate Risk Assessment predicted more frequent and severe climate hazards like floods, cyclones, heatwaves, droughts and bushfires.
“Australians are already living with the consequences of climate change today,” Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen said, “but it’s clear every degree of warming we prevent now will help future generations avoid the worst impacts in years to come.”
The report looked at three global warming scenarios – above 1.5C, above 2C and above 3C.
Australia – one of the world’s biggest polluters per capita –has already reached warming of above 1.5C, the report said, noting that at 3C, heat-related deaths in Sydney may rise by more than 400% and almost triple in Melbourne.
The 72-pagereport – released days before the government announces its emissions reduction targets for 2035 – found that no Australian community will be immune from climate risks that will be “cascading, compounding and concurrent”.
It warned of more heatwave-related deaths, poorer water quality due to severe flooding and bushfires, and property values to drop by A$611bn ($406bn; £300bn).
By 2050, the report found the number of coastal communities located in “high and very high risk areas” in Australia will increase and if populations levels remain at current levels, this will mean more than 1.5 million people will be at risk.
Areas in northern Australia, along with remote communities and outer suburbs of major cities, were particularly at risk, the report said.
“This will put pressure on health, critical infrastructure, natural species and ecosystems, and primary industries,” the report warned, as well as posing extra challenges for emergency responders.
The report also found that coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland and Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia – both already hit by record bleaching events – will face higher risks of “bleaching and biodiversity loss” due to warmer oceans.
“One thing that is very clear from this climate assessment is that our whole country has a lot at stake,” Bowen said. “The cost of inaction will always outweigh the cost of action.”
In response to the report, the government released a national adaptation plan which detailed how federal, state and local governments can work together to tackle climate issues, according to Bowen.
“We will also set an ambitious and achievable 2035 target, informed by advice from the independent Climate Change Authority,” he said, referring to the body that provides advice on climate policy.
Australia has pledged to reduce emissions by 43% by 2030, but is criticised for its continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels.
Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said the report’s findings were terrifying and called on the government to commit to higher emissions cuts.
“Australia cannot afford a timid 2035 target when our own government data shows the catastrophic costs of inaction,” the head of the the non-profit said.
“The longer we delay the deep and sustained cuts to climate pollution we need, the harder it becomes to protect communities from escalating heatwaves, floods and bushfire weather.”
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Fitter and Faster Swim Camps is the proud sponsor of SwimSwam’s College Recruiting Channel and all commitment news. For many, swimming in college is a lifelong dream that is pursued with dedication and determination. Fitter and Faster is proud to honor these athletes and those who supported them on their journey.
Matthew Nakayama of Concord, California, has announced his commitment to swim and study at the University of the Pacific. He trains year-round with the Brentwood Sea Wolves and is set to graduate from De La Salle High School in the spring.
The sprint freestyle and butterfly specialist confirmed his commitment in an email to SwimSwam and provided the following quote:
I am so excited to announce my commitment to the University of the Pacific, where I will continue my athletic career at the Division 1 level. I would like to thank all of my coaches, friends, teammates, and family for supporting me throughout this journey. I would like to give a special thanks to the Pacific coaching staff for giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited to start this journey. Go Tigers!!
Nakayama’s first major meet of the 2024-25 season was the CA/NV Speedo Winter Sectionals in late December. There, he broke 21 seconds for the first time in the 50 free, touching ninth in 20.83. He also finished ninth in the 100 fly (49.58) and 11th in the 100 free (46.13), with both times representing new career bests.
The future Tiger’s two target meets of the high school season were the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) North Coast Sectional Championships and the CIF State Championships, both held in early May.
At Sectionals, Nakayama walked away with a gold, two silvers, and a fifth-place finish. He kicked things off with a win in the 200 medley relay, where he helped his team win with a 21.93 fly split. He then nabbed fifth in the 50 free (21.01), clocked a lifetime best of 49.27 for second in the 100 fly, and led off the victorious 200 free relay in 20.68.
Fast forward to State, which was held exactly one week later, he opened the meet with a 21.83 fly split on the 200 medley relay that settled for 15th. He proceeded to lead off the runner-up 200 free relay in 20.88, notch 21.09 for 17th in the 50 free after scaring his PB with a 20.77 in prelims, and logged 49.91 for 29th in the 100 fly.
Top SCY Times:
50 Freestyle: 20.68
100 Freestyle: 46.13
100 Butterfly: 49.27
The University of the Pacific, a Division I swimming program competing in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), is led by head coach Katelyne Herrington, who is entering her seventh year at the helm. The men won the conference title in 2025.
Nakayama is poised to make an immediate impact at the conference level, as his personal best times in the 50 free, 100 free, and 100 fly would have earned a spot in the A-final at last season’s conference meet.
On the team itself, Nakayama would have ranked fourth in the 50 free and 100 fly, as well as sixth in the 100 free. Senior Mitchell Hopper led the way in the sprint freestyles with marks of 20.41 and 43.39, while freshman Javier Lopez Guillen was the quickest 100 flyer at 46.85.
If you have a commitment to report, please send an email with a photo (landscape, or horizontal, looks best) and a quote to Recruits@swimswam.com.
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Squeezing a comfortable and well-proportioned tiny house into a compact footprint is always a challenge, but Tru Form Tiny’s Terra Urban tackles the issue in an novel way. The tiny house features an elevating bed that transforms its living room into a bedroom when it’s time to hit the sack.
This model is based on a double-axle trailer and has a length of 26 ft (7.9 m), which is relatively compact for a North American tiny house – with some models, like the Cumberland, reaching as long as 45 ft (13.7 m). The Terra Urban features a contemporary exterior finished in a mixture of cedar and engineered wood, plus it has generous glazing, filling the interior with natural light.
The tiny house’s glazed door opens onto the living room. This is the most interesting part of the home and includes a sofa and an electric fireplace, as well as the elevating bed mentioned. The bed is positioned near the ceiling when not in use, then at a flick of a switch it slowly descends via a motorized mechanism to turn the living room into a bedroom.
Nearby is the kitchen. This is well-stocked for a tiny house of its size and has a sink, a small dishwasher, an induction cooktop, a fridge/freezer a microwave, and an oven. There’s also a washer/dryer and small rounded dining area built into the countertop, in addition to quite a lot of cabinetry.
The Terra Urban’s elevating bed descends with the push of a button
Tru Form Tiny
The Terra Urban’s bathroom is located on the opposite side of the tiny house to the living room and it features a stone sink, flushing toilet, a shower, and a little storage space.
In addition to its elevating bed, the Terra Urban has a loft bedroom. This is accessed by storage-integrated staircase and is a typical loft model with a low ceiling, though it does have a lowered standing platform to make it easier to get dressed. There’s also a little storage space in there too.
The Terra Urban is currently on the market and starts at US$89,000. It runs from an RV-style hookup as standard but can be upgraded with a full off-grid setup including solar panels and batteries, at extra cost.
The suspect in the assassination of the conservative American activist Charlie Kirk espoused left-wing views, Utah’s governor has said, amid heightened tensions and recriminations over surging political violence in the United States.
In an interview with NBC News’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said the arrested suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, had a “leftist ideology” despite growing up in a conservative family.
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“We can confirm that, again, according to family and people that we’re interviewing, he does come from a conservative family. But his ideology was very different than his family, and so that’s part of it,” Cox said.
Cox, a Republican, did not elaborate on Robinson’s suspected motive, but said the suspect had spent time in “dark places” online.
“We do know, and again, this has been well publicised, that this was a very normal young man, a very smart young man,” Cox said.
According to public records, Robinson registered as a nonpartisan voter in Utah, while his parents are registered Republicans.
In a separate interview with CNN’s State of the Union, Cox said the information about Robinson’s left-wing views had come from interviews with family members and friends.
“I really don’t have a dog in this fight. If this was MAGA, and a radicalised MAGA person, I would be saying that as well,” Cox said, referring to US President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement.
“That’s not what they’re sharing.”
Cox also confirmed reports that Robinson had a romantic relationship with his transgender roommate, who was transitioning from male to female.
“This partner has been incredibly cooperative, had no idea that this was happening, and is working with investigators right now,” he said.
Cox said he was not aware if Robinson’s relationship had any relevance to the assassination, but that authorities were investigating.
“We’re trying to figure it out. I know everybody wants to know exactly why, and point the finger, and I totally get that. I do too,” he said.
Kirk, the leader and cofounder of youth activist group Turning Post USA and a close ally of Trump, was shot dead on Wednesday during a speaking appearance at Utah Valley University.
A key figure on the political right, Kirk was described in media profiles as a “rock star” among young conservatives, and played a pivotal role in driving the youth vote in Trump’s November re-election.
A polarising figure, Kirk was lionised by conservatives as a defender of traditional values and a champion of free speech, but seen by liberals as an incendiary figure who stoked hatred towards racial minorities and members of the LGBTQ community.
While both Republican and Democratic leaders have condemned Kirk’s murder, the killing has drawn attention to the extreme political polarisation pitting everyday Americans against one another.
In the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, some left-leaning Americans took to social media to celebrate, prompting outrage from conservatives and the launch of online campaigns to get people deemed disrespectful of Kirk’s memory fired from their jobs.
On the right, some figures invoked the rhetoric of retribution and war.
“If they won’t leave us in peace, then our choice is to fight or die,” tech billionaire Elon Musk said on X.
Trump, who swiftly denounced the rhetoric of the “radical left” after Kirk’s killing, has declined opportunities to stress the need for unity and avoid partisan blame since the assassination.
Speaking on Fox News’s Fox & Friends on Friday, Trump sought to paint left-wing extremism as worse than extremism on the right.
“The radicals on the right oftentimes are radical because they don’t want to see crime,” Trump said.
“The radicals on the left are the problem, and they’re vicious and they’re horrible, and they’re politically savvy.”
In an interview with NBC News on Saturday, Trump said that while he would like to see the country heal, “we’re dealing with a radical left group of lunatics, and they don’t play fair and they never did”.
Kirk’s assassination has prompted fears of further violence amid a documented increase in politically motivated attacks.
According to a tally by the Reuters news agency, the US experienced at least 300 instances of political violence between the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol and the 2024 presidential election, marking it out as the worst period for such violence since the 1970s.
Charlie Kirk’s alleged killer is “not co-operating” with authorities and has not confessed to carrying out the shooting, Utah’s governor Spencer Cox has told US media.
Suspect Tyler Robinson, 22, was taken into custody some 33 hours after Kirk, a 31-year-old right-wing activist, was shot dead in Orem on Wednesday.
Speaking to ABC News, Cox, a Republican, said people around Mr Robinson had been co-operating with the investigation.
Cox appeared on various US news outlets on Sunday morning, where he also reiterated concerns regarding social media in the aftermath of Kirk’s death.
The governor was also asked about a New York Times report alleging Mr Robinson had spoken to others after the shooting via the Discord messaging platform, including allegations that he joked about being the gunman.
Cox told ABC News: “All we can confirm is that those conversations definitely were happening, and they did not believe it was actually him.
“It was, it was all joking until, until he, you know, until he admitted that it actually was him.”
Mr Robinson was arrested on Thursday night after surrendering to police.
Kirk was speaking at Utah Valley University at an open-air event held by Turning Point USA – the organisation he co-founded – when he was shot and killed.
The event was part of the American Comeback Tour, which was a speaking engagement that took him to several college campuses throughout the US.
Cox previously told the Wall Street Journal that Mr Robinson, a Utah native, was “deeply indoctrinated with leftist ideology”.
When questioned on it during CNN’s State of the Union programme on Sunday, he said the information was offered by the suspect’s friends and family.
“There’s so much more that we’re learning and so much that we will learn,” he explained, adding that when official charges are filed, there will be “much more evidence and information available then”.
The governor said among those co-operating with authorities is Mr Robinson’s roommate, who he said was also his partner.
He said the partner did not have have any knowledge about the alleged shooting, had been “incredibly co-operative” and was working with investigators “right now”.
He also confirmed that the partner was currently “transitioning from male to female”, but, when asked by CNN, said that authorities do not yet know if that is relevant to the investigation.
An affidavit from the state of Utah confirms that Mr Robinson was arrested on suspicion of the crimes of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.
He is currently being held without bail at Utah County Jail.
“We’re interviewing all kinds of people – everyone that knows him – and trying to learn more about what the motive actually was,” Cox said.
Following Kirk’s death, Cox has been prominent in calling for unity in a bid to ease political tensions, and has made repeated comments criticising social media.
He previously called social media a “cancer” and told CNN the US had “to get phones out of the classrooms” and better efforts to hold platform owners to account.
He called Kirk’s shooting a “direct assault on America” and said Americans needed to “look in the mirror and decide, are we going to try to make it better, or are we going to make it worse?”
Kirk’s widow, Erika, on Saturday gave a tearful address in which she thanked first responders for their efforts and vowed that her “husband’s voice will remain”.
A memorial service will be held on 21 September at the 60,000-seat State Farm Stadium in Arizona, the state where Kirk lived with his wife and two children.
Kirk, a controversial figure in US political discourse, was one of the highest profile right-wing activists in the US and a trusted ally of US President Donald Trump.
Turning Point USA aimed to spread conservative ideals at liberal-leaning US colleges, and played a key role in getting people to vote for Trump and other Republican candidates in the election last year.
Kirk was a strong supporter of gun rights, vehemently opposed abortion, was critical of transgender rights and promoted false claims about Covid-19.
His supporters said he was relatable and understood their concerns. But his views drew fierce liberal criticism, with his detractors calling his comments deeply offensive to some minority groups, including LGBT people and Muslims.
President Donald Trump on Sunday said foreign workers sent to the United States are “welcome” and he doesn’t want to “frighten off” investors, 10 days after hundreds of South Koreans were arrested at a work site in Georgia.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, the 79-year-old Republican wrote: “I don’t want to frighten off or disincentivize investment.”
Some 475 people, mostly South Korean nationals, were arrested at the construction site of an electric vehicle battery factory, operated by Hyundai-LG, in the southeastern US state of Georgia on September 4.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials alleged South Koreans had overstayed their visas or held permits that didn’t allow them to perform manual labor.
The Georgia raid was the largest single-site operation conducted since Trump launched a sweeping immigration crackdown across the country.
Though the United States decided against deportation, images of the workers being chained and handcuffed during the raid caused widespread alarm in South Korea.
Seoul repatriated the workers on Friday.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called the raid “bewildering” and warned Thursday that the raid could discourage future investment.
In his post, Trump described the circumstances for temporarily allowing foreign experts into the US to build “extremely complex products.”
“Chips, Semiconductors, Computers, Ships, Trains, and so many other products that we have to learn from others how to make, or, in many cases, relearn because we used to be great at it, but not anymore,” Trump wrote.
“We welcome them, we welcome their employees, and we are willing to proudly say we will learn from them, and do even better than them at their own ‘game,’ sometime in the not too distant future,” Trump added.
Korea’s trade unions have called on Trump to issue an official apology.
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Dubai, UAE – The wide-ranging ramifications of an ongoing political standoff between India and Pakistan have led to a controversial conclusion of the archrivals’ cricket match at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai, where India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav confirmed that his squad opted against shaking hands with their opponents as a mark of protest.
When Sunday’s Group A fixture between the South Asian archrivals was confirmed after long deliberations from the Indian government, fans and experts had hoped that the on-field action could help cool the off-field heat.
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Yadav, though, crushed all expectations by saying his team’s thumping seven-wicket win in the T20 match was a “perfect reply” to Pakistan in the wake of the intense four-day cross-border conflict that brought both countries to the brink of an all-out war in May.
“Our [Indian] government and the BCCI [Board of Control for Cricket in India] were aligned on the decision to play this match. We came here just to play the match and gave them [Pakistan] a perfect reply,” Yadav told the media shortly after the match.
What happened at the end of the India vs Pakistan match?
Yadav, who hit the winning runs for India, walked off the field alongside his batting partner, Shivam Dube, without approaching the Pakistani captain and team for the traditional post-match handshakes.
Pakistan’s players trudged off in a group and waited for the Indian squad and support staff to come out and shake hands, as is the norm at the end of cricket matches.
However, the Indian contingent only shook hands with each other before walking into their dressing room and shutting the door as the waiting Pakistan players looked on.
No handshakes between the teams. Salman Agha looked to lead Pakistan over to the India dressing room, but nothing doing. They all headed straight in #INDvPAKpic.twitter.com/0BbJtYdkAf
Why did Indian team refuse to shake hands with Pakistani players?
The Indian captain was asked to clarify his team’s actions and whether they were in contradiction with the spirit of the sport.
“A few things in life are above sportsman’s spirit,” the 35-year-old swiftly responded.
“We stand with all the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and with their families, and dedicate this win to our brave armed forces who took part in Operation Sindoor.”
Yadav was referring to the Indian armed forces’ multiple missile attacks on six locations inside Pakistan.
India said the missiles were in response to the April 22 attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir in Pahalgam, in which 26 men were killed. An armed group called The Resistance Front (TRF), which demands independence for Kashmir, claimed responsibility for the attack, but India had alleged Pakistani involvement.
Two days later, Pakistan responded to the missile strikes by attacking military installations across its frontier with India and Indian-administered Kashmir, striking at least four facilities.
The conflict ended four days later, thanks to an internationally-brokered ceasefire.
While the exchange of aerial fire came to a halt, the diplomatic ties between the neighbours remained suspended, and the political tension spilled over into cricket when the fixture between India and Pakistan was announced by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC).
Did India break any rules by not shaking hands?
As a result, the match was played under a highly charged political climate, and when both captains did not indulge in the customary handshake at the pre-match toss, the focus swiftly shifted to the interactions between the teams.
However, Al Jazeera has learned that the match referee, Andy Pycroft, had asked Yadav and his counterpart, Agha, to skip the pre-toss ritual.
“The match referee requested both captains to not shake hands at the toss,” an official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), requesting anonymity, told Al Jazeera after the match.
Match officials also granted India permission to skip the post-match handshakes with Pakistan, but did not inform Agha or his team, according to the source.
This resulted in an awkward-looking post-match scenario, where the Pakistani players followed Yadav off the pitch and waited for the Indians to emerge, only to watch them shut the dressing room door.
How did Pakistan respond?
Pakistan’s manager Naveed Akram Cheema lodged a protest against the Indian cricket team’s actions with Pycroft, who is an International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited match referee.
“The umpires had allowed the Indians to walk off the field without shaking hands for which the match referee apologised after the protest of our team manager,” the official said.
Additionally, Pakistan captain Agha did not speak at the post-match captain’s chat with the host broadcaster in a mark of protest.
Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s head coach, confirmed that Agha’s refusal to show up for the talk and the media briefing was a “follow-on effect” of the Indian team’s actions.
“We were ready to shake hands at the end of the game, but our opposition did not do that,” Hesson said.
“We sort of went over there to shake hands, and they had already gone into the changing room.”
Indian and Pakistani players stand for their national anthems before the start of the match [Fadel Senna/AFP]
Why are handshakes important in cricket, and what’s the protocol?
As per the norm in cricket, the two on-field players of the team batting second shake hands with the fielding team and the umpires before walking off.
And in what is now a common practice in all international cricket matches, the batting team then enters the ground to shake hands with their opponents.
It offers both sides to end the match on a friendly note and exchange words of encouragement.
In the same manner, both teams’ captains shake hands before the toss, which takes place 30 minutes before the start of play.
The toss is conducted by the match referee on the pitch and usually broadcast live.
Both captains and the match referee can also indulge in a pre-match chat regarding team lineups or any other matters of mutual interest for both teams.
The match referee can also meet a captain, head coach or manager of either team before the match.
Suryakumar Yadav and Salman Agha at the coin toss [Sajjad Hussain/AFP]
What have the tournament officials said about the incident?
The move was lamented by the ACC chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the chairman of the PCB.
“Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today,” Naqvi said in a post on X.
“Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports.”
Utterly disappointing to witness the lack of sportsmanship today. Dragging politics into the game goes against the very spirit of sports. Lets hope future victories are celebrated by all teams with grace
