WA news LIVE: Protesters arrested over Woodside platform stunt

Two Greenpeace activists are in police custody this morning, arrested over a stunt on Woodside’s gas platform, hundreds of kilometres off the Pilbara coast.

The climate change activists scaled the floating production unit on Saturday and attached themselves to the structure with climbing equipment in protest of Woodside’s plans to drill for oil and gas in the Scott Reef.

Greenpeace said four protesters travelled to the platform, and had planned to stay for as long as possible after setting up temporary tents.

However, yesterday, special police forces landed a helicopter on the platform and the activists were removed and taken into police custody.

Here’s what’s making headlines across the country and around the world today:

• There are growing concerns within the Reserve Bank that the fallout from the war against Iran means inflation will remain elevated and force it to push up interest rates higher, even if it means more people may end up unemployed as the Australian economy slows.
• Protesters clashed with police for a second day of chaos in major French cities after massive rallies descended into violence and looting over the weekend, sparking anger at the rioters and an argument among national leaders.

• A fire at a Canadian military base that killed at least four people and seriously injured dozens started with a smouldering grass fire that was whipped into a wall of flames by high winds, Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper has reported.

It’ll be a partly cloudy and mild start to the working week. Prepare for a couple of showers from Wednesday to Friday, but any falls will be very light.

And we can look forward to some really pleasant weather next weekend.

Good morning and welcome to our live news blog for this Monday, the 19th of October.

Making headlines today, WA senator Jordon Steele-John has accused factions within the Greens of weaponising rumours about him for political reasons, and said he was not on leave from the party despite leader David Shoebridge saying so last week.

In a near 2400-word statement posted to social media on Sunday night, the Greens senator responded to complaints made about him in a letter by Greens members and maintained he would take part in an investigation about its contents.

Meanwhile, Andrew Forrest, billionaire chairman of mining giant Fortescue, is calling on the government to accelerate green approvals and turn climate ambition into real-world construction.