Deakin University's Waurn Ponds campus in Geelong will host its annual Diwali festival on Friday 6 November, with fireworks at 9pm. The free, family-friendly event runs from 6pm to 9pm and includes cultural performances, food, market stalls and henna art. The City of Greater Geelong supports the festival, which marks Diwali, the festival of lights. Mayor Stretch Kontelj said the celebration matters to many local community members. Registration is required to attend, and free parking is available on site.
Melbourne student Aparjot, 21, has self-published her first novel, When We Were Souls, while studying cybersecurity and working part-time. The 376-page story follows two people who meet, fall in love and face the reality that some connections do not last. It is structured around seven Sufi stages of love, reflecting the Punjabi poetry she has written since childhood. Aparjot funded the book herself, designing the cover and editing the manuscript with help from friends. She is now preparing a second book, Ibadat, due in January 2027, which will draw on her Punjabi poems.
Hay fever sufferers could face a harder spring, with pollen levels expected to rise through November. Deakin University researcher Professor Cenk Suphioglu said a wet winter and warm spring weather have created ideal conditions for grass growth. He advised sufferers to stay indoors where possible and keep windows closed on windy days. People with both hay fever and asthma face the highest risk during thunderstorms with high pollen counts, and Victoria's chief health officer urged them to take precautions.
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Australia trails New Zealand 0-2 in the Constellation Cup after losses in Auckland and Christchurch, with two Tests left in Sydney and Melbourne. Injuries to Kate Moloney and Jamie-Lee Price have forced coaches to shuffle the midcourt, and Jo Weston remains unavailable. Australia has conceded 145 penalties this series, compared with 100 by New Zealand. Coach Stacey Marinkovich said the team must seek clarity from umpires on offensive contact calls. New Zealand coach Noeline Taurua said the trophy matters as much as the Commonwealth Games gold.
Crossbench MPs have rejected greater security and separation from constituents after an alleged targeted attack on independent MP Helen Haines outside her office. A 43-year-old man faces three charges. Federal police and Asio will brief federal politicians on safety. MPs describe rising threats, including death threats and abuse, and some have changed how they advertise events and travel. Independent MP Monique Ryan said politicians must stay part of their communities, and Liberal MP Melissa McIntosh said bad people must not be allowed to win.
Independent federal MP Helen Haines remains in a critical condition after being hit by a 4WD outside her electoral office in Wangaratta on Monday afternoon. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described the incident as a deliberate attack, and alleged in that sense. Haines was taken to hospital with severe leg injuries and later flown to Melbourne, where she underwent surgery overnight. Politicians across the political divide have sent statements of support, with Opposition leader Angus Taylor saying political violence must never be accepted as part of public life. Haines represents the seat of Indi in north Victoria.
A new national pathway for rural cancer patients recommends care as close to home as is safely possible. It was published after research by Deakin University found rural Australians are 13 per cent less likely to survive cancer, largely due to late diagnoses. Nurse Victoria Turner, who had to travel from the NSW Northern Rivers to Queensland for surgery after an ovarian tumour was found, helped shape the guidelines. She described the experience as really traumatic and said the situation was a postcode lottery. The guidelines were developed with Deakin researchers and the Cancer Council.
Research group The Citizen Lab says an Israel-based company used digital advertising to install spyware on millions of devices. Viewing an infected advertisement was enough to expose a device to the attack. Targets reportedly included Australian government agencies, critical infrastructure and media organisations, among them the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. A spokesperson for that organisation said it had identified no impact on its systems. Google removed the company, Discover-Tech, from its platform after being told of the findings.
Local artist Mita Chowdhury has been named the recipient of the 2026 Venice Biennale Mentorship, announced by Wyndham council and Deakin University. She will travel to Venice from 19 to 24 October for the Venetian Kind program, hosted by the European Cultural Centre. Chowdhury, born in Bangladesh, works across digital image-making, painting, installation, textiles and socially engaged art, researching first-generation Bangladeshi Australian women. Her works from the program will be shown at Palazzo Mora, Venice, in November, before returning to Melbourne.
Food relief organisations across the Geelong region are struggling to meet growing demand, and many have been forced to turn people away. New research from the Give Where You Live Foundation found 72 per cent of surveyed organisations saw increased demand over the past year. Almost half of single-parent households with children under 15 reported running out of food in 2024. Zac Lewis said food insecurity required longer-term solutions alongside emergency relief.
A report co-authored by the Australian Democracy Network and Deakin University says council rules are hampering the right to protest. It cites a regional New South Wales council that required a $20 million public liability policy for a rally in a park, and a Queanbeyan organiser asked to pay insurance. A Bayside council spokesperson said it was not opposed to a rally but that planned activities required event approval. Local Government NSW and the Office of Local Government were approached for comment.
A woman who built a beauty clinic from scratch fears she may have to move interstate after a suspicious overnight fire gutted her Moonee Ponds salon. Firefighters were called to Rejuvenate Hair and Skin on Shuter Street about 12.50am on Wednesday. Police believe two jerry cans were thrown inside before the business was set alight. Offenders fled in a light coloured vehicle towards Puckle Street. The owner, Hamidah Dildar, said the salon had been targeted by vandals three times in six months.
Residents in Anglesea can drop off old clothes and household textiles for free at the Anglesea Transfer Station. The Surf Coast Shire's two-month trial runs until 30 November. Textile Recyclers Group will sort items for reuse or recycling, and shred those that cannot be reused into products such as insulation and blankets. Clean, dry, loose items are accepted, up to five household garbage bags' worth. Councillor Liz Pattison encouraged residents to pass on or donate clothes in good condition first.
Sydney father Trent Gallucci says he felt empty and sad after his son was born in June 2021. Psychologist Danya McStein says perinatal depression and anxiety are relatively common in fathers, though less so than in mothers. Deakin University's Jacqui Macdonald says large studies find about one in 10 fathers affected, and that men often express distress as anger or risk-taking. Both experts encourage fathers to speak with a doctor, complete online screening and connect with support groups. Gallucci says he eventually called a mental health service and found counselling helpful.
Eltham apprentice technician Jaeden Matteo D'Aloia has been named the Overall Australian Winner in the 2026 Capricorn Rising Stars Awards. He won the Victoria/Tasmania regional title before taking the national prize. The 20-year-old is completing a Certificate III in Light Vehicle Technology at Box Hill TAFE while working at European vehicle specialist Technique Automotive. Technique Automotive owner Alex Hicks said he had exceeded expectations from the day he joined. Capricorn Group chief executive Brad Gannon said he was a deserving national winner.
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Victoria Police are investigating a suspicious car fire in Taylors Lakes, Melbourne, the sixth consecutive day of arson attacks across the city. Firefighters found a car alight in a double garage just after 11pm, and no one was injured. Separately, a 53-year-old man was arrested at Clayton Railway Station after a factory fire in Oakleigh South caused minor damage. A criminologist says the attacks may be linked to Victoria's crackdown on illegal tobacco sales, though he describes the timing link as tenuous.
