Australia news as it happened: Outgoing RBA boss says interest rates could climb; Joe Biden to host PM in October at White House

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been speaking on ABC Radio Queensland North. He’s in Mount Isa (visiting the local rodeo and Bob Katter, among other things).

Host Annie Gaffney asked him the question on everyone’s minds: will Australia have a public holiday if the Matildas win the World Cup?

Albanese promised to raise the matter with state and territory leaders at the next National Cabinet meeting – since public holidays are a matter for state and territory leaders.

“If the Matildas get through and win in Brisbane on Saturday afternoon, well I’m sure the whole of Australia will be stopped between five o’clock and seven o’clock ... to cheer them on,” he said.

“Then they go into a semi-final on Wednesday, which happens to be the day of [national cabinet].

“So certainly, I’ll be raising [the matter] with all the premiers and chief ministers, seeking their views on the potential to have a day off.”

For what it’s worth: NSW Premier Chris Minns has backed the idea; while Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews told reporters on Tuesday: “I don’t know about that.”

Sweden and Japan are playing in Auckland as we speak.

It’s half time, and the Swedes currently lead 1-0 against Japan.

Follow all the excitement at our (other!) live blog here.

Energy stocks sent the Australian sharemarket lower on Friday, following a lacklustre performance on Wall Street overnight during which stocks swung after the latest US inflation update.

The S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.2 per cent or 17.3 points to 7340.1 points, which meant the bourse ended the week in a similar position to where it started.

Read the full wrap of the day on the market here.

The ABC has walked back claims that the Four Corners documentary crew that filmed a climate protest attempt outside Woodside chief executive Meg O’Neill’s Perth home had no prior knowledge of it.

Despite the admission, ABC managing director David Anderson said the program’s story on anti-protest laws would continue being developed.

In the days after the August 1 protest the ABC publicly defended the crew in response to media queries.

“They had no knowledge of what action was going to occur there,” a spokesperson said at the time.

But in a lengthy statement released today, Anderson said a review of the crew’s conduct before and during the protest found the initial statement was incorrect.

“The review does indicate the team did have some awareness of what was planned,” Anderson said.

“To that extent, the element of the previous statement issued by the ABC concerning knowledge of what specific actions might occur prior to the event did not reflect all relevant information subsequently available and was incorrect.”

Anderson said the ABC would further investigate how this inaccuracy made it into its public responses.

Four Disrupt Burrup Hub activists were arrested and are facing charges over an alleged plot to lock 19-year-old activist Matilda Lane-Rose to the front gate of O’Neill’s home.

The protest was an escalation of a chain of protests by the group against Woodside’s Scarborough gas project and its threat to ancient Aboriginal rock art located near the proposed project.

O’Neill told a business breakfast last week the incident had left her “shaken, fearful and distressed”.

The fires on the Hawaiian island of Maui are still smouldering, and questions are now being raised about why residents received such little warning of the horror fires.

News agencies from around the world have recorded the aftermath of the historic fires:

Here’s an interesting development from Western Australia: that state’s nurses are backing a move to form their own political party ahead of the next election, AAP reports:

The Australian Nursing Federation, the union representing WA nurses, is locked in a long-running battle with the Cook government over pay rises and forming a political party looms as a way to gain leverage.

ANF state secretary Janet Reah said initial internal polling showed 80 percent of its 40,000 members support the move.

“Obviously we’ll let the poll run its course before we go further, but it looks like we have strong support,” Reah told reporters in Perth.

A separate poll of the general public would occur before a final decision, she said.

“We know we’ve got a lot of public support,” Reah said.

The union would reportedly target the state’s upper house where it believes it could win up to three seats.

The proposal comes after the ANF copped a $350,000 fine over an illegal strike last year involving about 3000 nurses and midwives.

Government negotiations continue with nurses who remain opposed to the Labor administration’s pay offer.

Sports reporter Billie Eder has some good news for soccer fans:

Following an outcry from fans who feared they would miss the Matildas match tomorrow night, Accor Stadium and the NSW government have announced that screens will be set up inside the Olympic Park precinct.

Fans making their way to the later 8.30 pm game between England and Colombia at Olympic Park were worried they’d miss Australia’s quarter-final match against France as they made their way to the Stadium, but yesterday Accor announced additional big screens will be installed outside the stadium for event goers only.

For any Sydney fans looking for a live site to watch the game, you can find a list of local council sites here.

(And by the way, you can follow all the action of today’s World Cup action at our live blog here.)

Australian residents are among those caught up in the tragedy unfolding in Hawaii, a number of citizens now seeking assistance from the Australian government as the death toll from the devastating fires grows.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is helping a number of Australians in Honolulu through the consulate general.

Australian officials have also attempted to contact a small number of Australians believed to be on Maui.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the department was not aware of any Australian casualties or hospitalisations as of this afternoon.

The Australian government has advised visitors to Maui to leave, updating its travel advice for the United States on August 10, following the declaration of an emergency.

“Travellers who are impacted are advised to contact their airline or travel provider for updates, monitor local media and follow the advice of local authorities,” the spokesperson said.

Entire neighbourhoods have been reduced to ash since the fires began on Tuesday; at least 53 people had died by this morning.