What we learned today, Wednesday 28 January
That’s a wrap for today’s live news coverage. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy:
Sussan Ley said David Littleproud rejected the offer for last-minute peace talks ahead of parliament’s return as the Nationals leader prepared for a leadership contest.
The shadow minister for housing and homelessness, Andrew Bragg, accused Australia’s Muslim community of needing to “take some responsibility” for the Bondi terror attack. Those comments were refuted by the minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy.
Muslim leaders reacted with disappointment to Scott Morrison’s suggestion that imams in Australia should deliver their teachings in English and be subject to an accreditation system for imams with an “enforceable disciplinary authority”.
The Palestine Action Group announced plans to hold a “national day of protest” during the president of Israel’s visit to Australia in early February.
Emergency services authorities said 11,000 homes in Victoria were without power because of heat stress on power infrastructure, while six major bushfires continued to burn in the state. So far, 16 structures had been lost to the Otways blaze. The heatwave was expected to last until Saturday.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said the footbridge from which the alleged Bondi gunmen opened fire should be rebuilt as a memorial to the 15 victims.
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, described today’s increase in inflation as “unwelcome but unsurprising”, while the Australian dollar jumped above US70 cents this morning for the first time in nearly two years.
In Tasmania, a bushwalker found possible human remains while searching for missing Belgian woman, Celine Cremer, who was last seen on 17 June 2023.
We’ll be back tomorrow morning. Thanks, as ever, for joining us.
Updated
Albanese signs new economic and security agreement with Timor-Leste
Australia and Timor-Leste have signed a new agreement, calling it a “new partnership for a new era”, to deepen economic, security and development cooperation as China works to increase its influence in the region.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, made the announcement alongside Timor-Leste’s prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, in the nation’s capital, Dili.
There are two “pillars” of the agreement called Paseria: “peace and regional integration” and “prosperity and resilience”. Funding from the Australian government to Timor-Leste for a technical assistance and capacity building package will increase by $8.2m to a total of $20m.
The pact will include police, border force and immigration agencies of the two nations working closely together. It will also expand the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme (PALM), bringing 10,000 Timorese workers to Australia by 2027-28.
Albanese said:
You don’t get to choose your neighbours, but you do get to choose your friends. And Timor-Leste is a friend and has a friend in Australia. As we go forward today, we’ve reflected the strength of that friendship and the relationship by signing the Paseria, a new partnership for a new era, elevating the friendship between Timor-Leste and Australia to a new level, the first of its kind between our two nations.
Updated
