Apple rolls out fix for old iPhones on Telstra that can’t call or text
Earlier we reported that an update this week for iPhones 8, 8 Plus and X caused customers who use Telstra’s mobile network (including resellers) to not be able to connect to the network.
Apple has now rolled out a fix for this issue, which people can implement on their phone by doing the following:
Connect your impacted iPhone to Wi-Fi
Tap Settings > General > About
Accept the carrier settings fix by tapping “OK”
Confirm the update installed by going to Settings > General > About and make sure it says “Telstra 54.1” next to Service Provider.
After this, you should see cellular bars populate, be able to make calls, and use data.
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Forensic investigations begin after remains found in search for Celine Cremer
We have more details about human remains found during a search for missing Belgian woman Celine Cremer.
The 31-year-old was last seen in the Philosopher Falls area near Cradle Mountain in Tasmania’s north-west on 17 June 2023.
A bushwalker found what are thought to be human bones on a dry, rocky riverbed in the Philosopher Falls area on Wednesday morning as part of the search, police inspector Andrew Hanson told reporters this afternoon.
Hanson said the bushwalker had taken photos and the GPS coordinates of the site, which he then passed on to police. Forensic police were then helicoptered to the site where the two bones were analysed.
Police found five more “items” – believed to be human remains – nearby, he said. One of the seven items was a lower jaw bone and would probably be analysed alongside Cremer’s dental records, he said.
He continued:
There is no doubt that the proximity of those bones is close enough to the area where Celine Cremer went missing that we are considering the possibility that the remains are those of Celine. But again, to make it very clear, that is not confirmed, and it is something that will have to come through forensic testing.
In December, Cremer’s phone was found by an independent search party which included the bushwalker.
He said experts were tomorrow planning to return the area of the Arthur river where the remains were discovered, where they will conduct systematically searching the riverbed from 500m below the site of the remains.
He said:
If those remains do turn out to be Celine Cremer’s … it does support the theory that she most likely could have gotten lost through misadventure, simply by losing her phone and becoming disoriented – but again, that’s a matter that the coroner will determine based on all the information and evidence that we put up in our police report.
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Bookshop gets behind Guardian Australia’s Best Picture Book poll
Over to Queensland for something a little more lighthearted.
A bookshop in Toowoomba has changed its children’s book window display to feature the titles nominated in Guardian Australia’s Best Picture Book poll.
The Booktree posted a photo of the display on its social media channels yesterday.
Votes for the poll are now open. Cast your vote from 27 January to 5 February. The five books with the least votes will be eliminated each morning from 28 January, with tallies starting afresh at 9.30am. You can vote every day.
Vote here:
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Albanese ‘astonished’ Liberal party is in leadership talks on sombre day
Anthony Albanese says the Liberal party is a “mess” and that it is “extraordinary” that its internal issues are playing out publicly on the day of Katie Allen’s funeral.
“They’re a mess, that’s the truth. Anyone can see,” he told reporters in Cairns earlier. The prime minister continued:
And I find it extraordinary, frankly, that you have had a mess on the National Day of Mourning and a focus on their internal issues today with the funeral of Katie Allen, who was a very decent human being, who made a contribution to public life and was a candidate in the most recent federal election, again. And my heart goes out to her family, to her many friends and colleagues.
I find it astonishing that there are meetings taking place about the leadership of the Liberal party on a day such as today.
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Thank you, Natasha May. Let’s get going with the rest of the day’s news.
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Thank you for following today’s blog. I’m handing over to Daisy Dumas who will take you through to the evening!
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Three new gas exploration areas opened by Queensland government
The Queensland government has unlocked three new gas exploration areas in the far western part of the state.
The resources minister, Dale Last, boasted that the area covered a landmass almost three times the size of the ACT:
By appointing capable explorers, we’re laying the foundations for new production that will keep Queensland’s resources sector strong into the future.
That’s why we’re also preparing further areas for release later this year, to maintain a strong pipeline of new projects that will keep Queensland’s gas supplies flowing and delivering continued investment across our state.
Santos QNT Pty Ltd and Drillsearch Energy Pty Ltd have been named preferred tenderers for three gas exploration areas in the Cooper-Eromanga Basin, near the Queensland-South Australia border.
Queensland Conservation Council Energy Strategist Clare Silcock said the decision undermines the state’s commitment to reduce emissions by 75% by 2035 and “there is no credible path to net zero that includes new gas projects”. Silcock said:
These gas exploration licences in the Cooper and Eromanga Basins are in the precious Lake Eyre Basin which traditional owners, landholders and communities have fought for years to protect from gas extraction. We have deep concerns about the exploration for gas extraction into these fragile ancient landscapes.
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Lawyers for state of NSW oppose Ben Saul joining challenge to protest laws
On Thursday, in a directions hearing before the NSW chief justice Andrew Bell, lawyers acting on behalf of the state of NSW opposed Ben Saul joining as an intervener, saying it would “widen the issues”.
Bell also determined during the hearing that the case would be heard in the court of appeal after it was referred to the court by Julia Lonergan earlier this month. He set the hearing date for 26 February.
The laws being challenged provide police the power to make a public assembly restriction declaration (Pard) for 14-day increments for up to 90 days in the wake of a terror attack. The restriction effectively bans the ability for protesters to march the streets of designated areas without the risk of being arrested.
Last Tuesday, the government narrowed the Pard currently in place ahead of the annual Invasion Day rally. This is due to expire on Tuesday, with the commissioner expected to announce then whether it will be extended and the designated area again varied.
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UN human rights rapporteur applies to join legal case against NSW protest laws
Ben Saul, a leading expert on international law, has applied to join a legal challenge against protest restrictions passed by the Minns government in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, arguing they are inconsistent with Australia’s international legal obligations.
Saul has applied to join as an amicus curiae (a friend of the court) rather than a party to the proceedings.
Groups the Blak Caucus, the Palestine Action Group (PAG) and Jews Against the Occupation ’48 filed the legal challenge against New South Wales laws restricting protests after terrorist incidents in early January, arguing the laws were invalid because they impinge on the implied constitutional right to freedom of political communication.
Saul told Guardian Australia that if his application to join as an intervener is accepted by the court, he would argue that the law and the police declarations following it are inconsistent with Australia’s international legal obligations to protect the human rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression and freedom of association.
He said:
These international law obligations are relevant to interpreting and applying the implied freedom of political communication under the Australian constitution.
Saul is the United Nations special rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms while Countering Terrorism. He is also the chair of international law at the University of Sydney.
An amicus curiae provides the court with expertise to assist its decision.
Osman Samin, a solicitor acting on behalf of Saul, said:
Part of that enquiry involves a question of proportionality. That is, an assessment of whether the restrictions imposed by these laws on the implied right to political communication are necessary and proportionate, and in considering proportionality, whether they are the least intrusive means available.
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Greg Hunt pays tribute to ‘lion’ Katie Allen
Greg Hunt, the former minister for health, has remembered former Liberal MP Prof Katie Allen as a principled leader who “became a lion” when others were at risk and “stood up when it mattered”.
Hunt spoke on behalf of the parliament and the Liberal party at a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s cathedral in Melbourne for the specialist doctor and former member for the Victorian seat of Higgins, following her death on 23 December.
Hunt reflected on the pivotal role Allen played in Australia’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. As the sole medical practitioner in the Liberal party, she “rose to her full policy height and influence”, he said. At the “most critical time she was a fundamental voice” convincing both him and the prime minister of the need for decisions such as shutting Australia’s border with China.
She stood up when it mattered … and she always put her hand up for Q&A on the ABC when no one else would.
After a great performance by Allen on Q&A in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hunt recalled how he told her she could be a future PM. She responded it was “very flattering, but only after Josh [Frydenberg]”.
The proudest policy achievement of Allen, who worked as a paediatric allergist and gastroenterologist at the Royal Melbourne, was ushering in the National Allergy Strategy, Hunt said.
Hunt said Allen loved most to be among her constituents; one story her chief of staff passed on was how Allen doorknocked every housing commission flat in her electorate, learning key phrases in Russian, as well as meeting and helping the homeless and loving the challenge of talking with anybody. He also remembered how:
It was when others were at risk or most in need that she became a lion.
During evacuation of Kabul, he recalled how she took up the case of a group of Afghan women who had studied with Monash University – “they were alone, frightened and at terrible risk of what might happen under the Taliban”, and petitioned in order to get them on one of last flights out of Kabul.
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‘I certainly welcome him,’ Albanese says of Israel president’s visit
Anthony Albanese says he welcomes Israeli president Isaac Herzog’s visit next month.
Speaking with reporters in Cairns just now, the prime minister said:
This country needs to come together. The atrocity that occurred on December 14 was an appalling event that has traumatised Jewish Australians and President Herzog has been invited here by the governor general as head of state to head of state, but I certainly welcome him coming and I look forward to [him] visiting.
He said the minister for multicultural affairs, Anne Aly, had also made “appropriate” comments welcoming the role the visit will play and anything that leads to a greater sense of unity.
“We need to build social cohesion in this country,” he added.
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Minns acknowledges The Domain ‘potentially’ a good option for rallies if CBD protests curtailed
Returning the NSW premier, Chris Minns has also been challenged on other planned changes to protest laws following the Bondi attack.
Guardian Australia reported yesterday that the government was considering changes to NSW’s form 1 protest application system and land use policies to curtail protests in the Sydney CBD, which could see the Domain designated a protest site under land use rules.
Asked today about the plans, Minns said the government had yet to make a final decision, but the Domain was “potentially” a good option.
Minns has also been challenged on a parliamentary inquiry which is meeting this afternoon to finalise its recommendations on the banning of the phrase “globalise the intifada”. The chair of the Labor-controlled committee indicated to Guardian Australia his intention to recommend the phrase be banned before all submissions had been received. The inquiry, which has been hold over the holiday period, will have no public hearings and is not publishing hundreds of individual submissions.
Asked why the government is not holding an open inquiry given constitutional concerns raised by expert submissions, Minns says:
If the inquiry runs long, then the submission can’t be given to government. We can’t then potentially draft legislation, then we can’t introduce it to parliament. So it’s a little bit like congested train line. We have to get one moving so the rest of the machinery can work.
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Albanese talks up Indo-Pacific ties after ‘very successful’ trip to Timor-Leste
After a “very successful” visit to Timor-Leste and before another to Indonesia, Anthony Albanese says it is “important that Australia continues to play a role as a middle power”.
The prime minister is speaking to reporters in Cairns now. He said:
I have just come back from Timor-Leste. It was a very successful visit. We once again signed an agreement upgrading our relationship … Our countries to our north as well as the Pacific are so important for us. We have PNG, the upgrade of the alliance. We have in Timor-Leste the upgrade of our relationship across security, economy and social policy as well.
He will next week visit Indonesia “to advance that relationship”, he said, adding:
In a turbulent world, it is important that Australia continues to play a role as a middle power.
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Nationwide protests planned over Israeli president visit
A visit to Australia by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, will be met with nationwide protests after the Palestine Action Group announced marches across capital cities would be held on 9 February.
A spokesperson for the group, Josh Lees, said in a video posted to social media:
That Monday evening, thousands and thousands and thousands of us are going to be gathering in dozens of cities all around this country to say [Herzog] is not welcome here.
If he steps foot in this country, he should be arrested and investigated for the war crimes that he is alleged to have carried out, including inciting genocide in Gaza.
A United Nations commission concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. That commission, which does not speak on behalf of the UN, stated that Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu and then defence minister Yoav Gallant “have incited the commission of genocide”.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the commission’s report, calling it “distorted and false” and claiming it “relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods”.
Herzog has called the genocide case against Israel in the international court of justice a “form of blood libel” and pushed back on criticism of his 2023 statement that “it is an entire nation out there that is responsible” for the 7 October attacks on Israel. He claimed he had been taken out of context, and noted he had said in the same media appearance that Israel would respect international law and there was no excuse for the killing of innocent civilians. The ICJ is yet to issue its final ruling.
On Wednesday a spokesperson for Isaac Herzog confirmed he would visit Australia’s Jewish communities and meet with political leaders between 8 and 12 February. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, invited him to visit in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
The Palestine Action Group has only announced the location of the Sydney march, which will be town hall. Protests are currently restricted in this area after police effectively banned the ability for protesters to march without the risk of being arrested in certain parts of the CBD in the wake of the Bondi terror attack.
NSW police are due to announce on Tuesday whether that restriction will be extended for another 14 days.
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‘You will be charged’: Police warning to anyone assisting triple murder suspect
The New South Wales police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, has made a direct appeal to anyone who may be harbouring or helping suspected Lake Cargelligo triple murderer Julian Ingram.
Speaking with reporters a short time ago, he addressed anyone assisting Ingram:
Think about the broader community. What he has committed here is an atrocity. What we certainly allege is something which is completely unacceptable. Domestic and family violence whatever the circumstance is unacceptable. For those who are thinking of assisting him, think again. You will be charged if we have evidence of that. We are committed to putting Mr Ingram before the court.
He also said NSW police had charged more than 33,000 individuals with domestic and family violence assaults in the last year alone, a figure he called a “disgrace”. He added:
Since I have been the commissioner, I made it really clear that domestic and family violence will be one of my key priorities because of the impact it has on community, and we have seen such a horrific impact … here in Lake Cargelligo.
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Riot squad officers to join manhunt for Lake Cargelligo shooting suspect
Police believe the suspected triple murderer Julian Ingram is alive and in the Mount Hope area, while riot squad police are being brought in to assist in the manhunt.
Ingram, 37, is suspected of shooting dead his pregnant former partner, her new boyfriend, and her aunt on Thursday afternoon in Lake Cargelligo, before fleeing the town in the NSW central west.
In an update a short time ago, assistant commissioner Andrew Holland said a reported sighting of Ingram in Mount Hope was being investigated.
“We have spoken to the witnesses. From what they tell us at this point, we believe it may have been him but again it’s yet to be confirmed officially,” he said.
He said members of public had been very forthcoming with information relating to the search across a massive area.
One of the things we ask is that when the reports come through, give us a time and date or GPS location The properties in the areas … are the size of 40,000 acres which is the size of Sydney metropolitan area. Again, a specific location and where, or GPS tracking pin drops will help our investigators to go to those locations more quickly.
Because of the search area’s size, Ingram’s utility vehicle had not been found, but “we are confident that he is in the area … We are using electronic methods now to obviously track certain locations,” he said.
I would suggest he’s using a vehicle. He’d be mad if he was still using his original ute. But if he’s got other vehicles involved, we want to make sure we are investigating any lead that we have.
A possible sighting of a rider on a red motorcycle has not yet been confirmed as Ingram.
Holland said 100 officers were involved in the manhunt and that riot squad officers would be joining the team. Members of the team, including the riot squad, have long arms capability, he said. He added:
All members of the community should exercise extreme caution. They need to be aware that there is a gunman in the loose in their area. Again, we ask them not to approach this person. Contact triple zero. Advise us of a location and we’ll get police at that location as soon as possible.
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‘Impossible’ for Liberals to be in coalition with Nationals amid current standoff, Duniam says
The senior rightwing Liberal senator Jonno Duniam says questions surrounding Sussan Ley’s future must be urgently resolved so the party can move on following the damaging Coalition split.
Speaking on a podcast with The Conversation’s Michelle Grattan, the Tasmanian frontbencher accepted the speculation about a challenge to Ley’s position was “unhelpful” and a distraction from the task of holding the Albanese government to account.
The two likely leadership contenders, Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor, met at a Melbourne home on Thursday morning – hours before a memorial service for the late former MP Katie Allen – as internal pressure mounts on the two men to decide which of them would challenge Ley.
Duniam was pictured arriving at the home with Hastie and fellow conservative Matt O’Sullivan.
The shadow home affairs spokesperson told the podcast:
I’d be foolish and dishonest if I did not say that the ongoing commentary around Liberal party leadership was unhelpful and it’s not helpful. It is taking us away from our main job. So, yeah, to that end, absolutely it needs to be resolved. Does that mean that we must have a leadership ballot or does that mean we need to have those who are being spoken about indicate their intent one way or another? I mean those are things beyond my control at this point in time.
It does need to be resolved and God willing it will be resolved and our party can just as it has when we’ve experienced these issues before, just get on and do our job after the matter is resolved.
Duniam also told the podcast the Liberals didn’t need to “rush back into coalition” with the Nationals, breaking from colleagues who want the parties reunited sooner rather than later.
He said:
When the Nationals are willing to be a part of such a coherent opposition, then I think it would be great to have them back. But at this point in time, I don’t think they are.
I’d rather be in coalition with them, but it’s impossible to be in coalition with a group of people that have made the decision that they have and seem to offer no pathway back to coalition under current circumstances.
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Up to eight homes and part of water treatment plant lost in Otways fire
Jason Schram, the mayor of Colac Otway shire in Victoria, has given an update about bushfire damage.
Of the 16 structures lost to the Otways fire, eight were potentially residential as well as a structure at Gellibrand’s water treatment plant, Schram told the ABC just now.
“There is no potable water for residents of Gellibrand, so even when it is deemed potentially safe to go back into, the residents will not have any clean water for drinking and those sorts of things, so water is being trucked in for those still there … It could be a while before the water treatment plant is back online,” he said.
Watch and act warnings which deem the area unsafe to return to are still impacting some areas, with residents unable to determine the extent of damage to their properties, he said.
He continued:
There is still anxiety for those who cannot get out and assess their properties and see what damage has been done but there have been some areas where they are slowly letting people back in.
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Body located during search for missing swimmer in north-west NSW
A body has been found in the search for a man missing in Gunnedah in the state’s north-west.
About 7.35pm on Tuesday emergency services were called to the Namoi River after reports that a 63-year-old man had been swimming in the river when he began to struggle before disappearing in the water.
Local police with assistance from the dog squad, NSW Ambulance, SES, VRA Rescue NSW and NSW rural fire service searched the river and nearby properties and only at 7.30am this morning, the body of a man has been located.
Police said “whilst yet to be formally identified the body is believed to be that of the missing man”.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
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Changes to My Health Record to make prescriptions transparent
The Royal Australian College of GPs has welcomed federal government reforms that will, for the first time, give patients, GPs and other prescribers a complete picture of a patient’s medicines history.
New requirements will mean all medicine-related information from prescribers is made available to patients and their healthcare providers through My Health Record.
This will include medicines prescribed and dispensed through online platforms, including the clinical context for prescribing, to help avoid harm to patients due to medication errors, adverse drug reactions or inappropriate use.
The RACGP president, Dr Michael Wright, said:
This is a sensible measure to ensure all telehealth providers are held to the same standards as your usual GP.
It is unclear when the changes will take effect. A consultation period is under way, with the first phase of that work to be completed by December.
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Apple works to fix update that left old iPhones unable to call or text on Telstra network
Customers on Telstra’s network using an iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus or iPhone X, including those who connect through third-party operators like Woolworths, discovered after a software update issued this week that they cannot call or text over the network.
Apple pulled back all software updates released this week for some older iPhone and iPad models while the issue was investigated, and has since re-issued all updates except iOS 16.7.13 and iPadOS 16.7.13.
A timeline for those affected users to be able to make calls over the network remains uncertain but an Apple spokesperson said a fix had been identified and it “will be available in an upcoming software update.”
It is understood when the phone is in SOS mode,when it cannot connect to the user’s mobile network, it should still be able to make triple zero calls on an alternative mobile network where one is available, but can take some time.
The issue is believed to only affect users on the Telstra network.
Telstra said it was working with Apple on the fix as a priority.
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New public holiday floated to create NSW April long weekend
AAP have what will surely be welcome news to many in NSW planning their holidays this year.
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, has flagged his government is in talks to create a new public holiday to account for Anzac Day, which falls on a Saturday.
Remembrance services will be held nationwide on 25 April but only people in Western Australia and ACT are currently slated to get an additional public holiday on Monday 27 April. Minns told Triple M radio:
It’s not just this year, it’s next year as well that you don’t get the day off.
And we (NSW) are underserved when it comes to public holidays, there’s a lot more in every other state.
We’re going to have a conversation about it for this year.
Talks with the RSL would be held to ensure the creation of a long weekend didn’t detract from the national day of remembrance, Minns said:
I’ve got to have confidence that … if we have a public holiday on the Monday, it doesn’t detract from the salience of the 25th. It’s got to be the 25th that’s hugely important.
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Asked whether he thought there will be a new leader soon in the Liberal party, Bragg said “no.”
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Bragg backs Morrison’s controversial call for national register and accreditation for imams
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg, the shadow minister for housing, has defended his endorsement of Scott Morrison’s speech in which the former prime minister called for a national register and accreditation for imams.
Bragg, appearing on ABC Radio this morning said his point is that while there is no individual responsibility, the community’s help is needed in tackling a “mutation of this religion”:
No one is tarring a whole community, but we’ve got to be honest and frank here. The fact is that these incidents have originated in these communities over the past decade, and we need more help to solve them. It’s a great community – 99.9% of the people are excellent Australians. But we owe it to the broader community, to be honest and frank, that these issues are originating from a mutation of a religion, and we need support.
This is the same thing that security agencies have said. This is the same thing the Imams have said before about vigilance. I just think we can’t have a situation now that we’ve had a massacre, that we’re going to be all overly politically correct and pretend these things aren’t coming from a particular community. It doesn’t mean that everyone is individually responsible, but we need more support and help.
Bragg agreed that the Imams Council have made public statements condemning the Bondi attack, but suggested more could be done such as to train imams in Australia rather than overseas:
I think that there’s always room for improvement across the board, and whether it is training more people in Australia as Imams, whether it is a closer working relationship with the security agencies, whether it is the recommendations that come out of the royal commission. The point is, I don’t think it’s particularly controversial, frankly, to say that we can’t solve this terrorism problem without a good relationship with the Australian Muslim community, which is a great part of our community here in Sydney. We need their support.
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Hospital presentations climb after days of extreme heat in SA
As parts of South Australia experience consecutive days of extreme heat, data from SA Health show there were 99 heat-related hospital presentations between January 1-27. This compares to 32 at the same time in 2025.
But doctors say this vastly underestimates the impact extreme heat and climate is having on health.
Marree, in northern South Australia, has experienced six days in a row above 46C and is set to experience three more. Ceduna climbed above 49C this week, while temperatures rose above 48C in Port Augusta, Port Pirie and Tarcoola.
Dr Kimberly Humphrey, a public health medical consultant with SA Health, told Guardian Australia:
There has been a very real and visible increase in heat-related and heat-exacerbated presentations during recent periods of extreme heat.
Heat-related presentations do not necessarily account for all heat related events, as coding used in emergency departments only allows for identification of direct heat related illness, such as heatstroke and dehydration.
What we see in emergency departments is a broader, more complex picture: heart attacks, strokes, kidney injury, worsening heart failure, asthma and respiratory distress, delirium, mental health deterioration, and people whose chronic illnesses become unstable because their bodies simply can’t cope with sustained heat. It’s not possible to attribute these presentations to heat in real time, or even shortly after events.
Humphrey said it is only through retrospective analysis of hospital presentations and ambulance call outs “that we can identify the conditions patients have presented with and get the true picture”.
She said nights over 24C in particular don’t give people a chance to recover, “and by day three or four the cumulative impact is obvious”.
We see a surge of patients the 3-4 days after a heatwave starts, generally.
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Government priority should be fostering social cohesion, says Scamps
Continuing on from the last post, Scamps pointed to the United Nations commission’s conclusion in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. That commission, which does not speak on behalf of the UN, stated that Herzog, Netanyahu and then defence minister Yoav Gallant “have incited the commission of genocide”.
Israel’s foreign ministry rejected the commission’s report, calling it “distorted and false” and claiming it “relies entirely on Hamas falsehoods”.
Herzog has called the genocide case against Israel in the international court of justice a “form of blood libel” and pushed back on criticism of his 2023 comments, claiming he had been taken out of context, and noting he had said in the same media appearance that Israel would respect international law and there was no excuse for the killing of innocent civilians. The ICJ is yet to issue its final ruling.
Scamps said:
Inviting a foreign head of state who has been found to have incited the commission of genocide risks deeply dividing the Australian community.
Now more than ever, we should be doing everything we can as a nation to come together.
In the aftermath of the Bondi attack, this visit risks heightening tensions and deepening divisions, at a time when the Government’s priority should be fostering social cohesion, security and safety for Jewish Australians and for all communities.
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Independent MP says Israeli president’s visit ‘risks igniting further division’
Independent MP Sophie Scamps is the latest to voice concern over the impending visit of Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, claiming it “risks igniting further division at the very time when Australian leaders should be working to rebuild social cohesion and bring our nation together.”
Herzog is visiting Australia in early February, at the invitation of the federal Labor government, to meet with the Jewish community and survivors of the Bondi terror attack, in the wake of the shooting that left 15 people dead at a Hanukah festival last month.
Anthony Albanese will meet Herzog during his visit, the prime minister saying Herzog was welcome in Australia. But pro-Palestine groups, including the Labor Friends of Palestine lobby group, have opposed his visit and called on the government to rescind the invitation, over Israel’s military operation in Gaza which has left tens of thousands of civilians dead.
Scamps – the member for Mackellar – added her voice to those today. She said in a statement:
For all of us after Bondi the priority ought to be the safety and security of the Jewish community. Inviting a divisive figure, even a head of state, can only invite division and further risk.
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Police investigating Perth Invasion Day rally bomb incident as potential terrorist act
More on the potential terrorist act committed at the Perth Invasion Day rally, where a man allegedly threw a homemade bomb into the crowd.
Last night, a joint statement between WA police, Australian federal police and Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) confirmed authorities were investigating the incident as a potential terrorist act.
The Western Australia joint counter-terrorism team said the investigation is ongoing and further charges have not been ruled out.
A 31-year-old man has been charged by Western Australian police and will appear in court on 17 February.
You can read the full story here:
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Gellibrand residents advised not to return as nearby fire burns out of control
A bushfire at Carlisle River in Victoria’s Otways continues to burn out of control, with VicEmergency advising residents of the town of Gellibrand it is not yet safe to return.
The fire has been downgraded from emergency level to a “watch and act” warning after an improvement in conditions. Other major blazes, including in the north-east of the state, are also at “watch and act” level.
Victoria remains in the grip of a severe heatwave, with temperatures forecast to reach the low to mid-40s in the state’s north. The heat has eased in other parts of the state with forecasts ranging from the mid-20s to mid-30s.
VicEmergency said a high fire danger rating was in place for most of the state, with the exception of West and South Gippsland and East Gippsland fire districts, which have a moderate fire danger rating.
Elsewhere, the New South Wales rural fire service has issued a total fire ban for the northern slopes region covering Gunnedah, Gwydir, Inverell, Liverpool Plains and Tamworth. There is extreme fire danger in the region due to hot and windy conditions. Large parts of western, north-western and south-western NSW continue to experience severe heat, with temperatures above 40C forecast again in many areas on Thursday.
Extreme temperatures are also expected to continue in south-western Queensland and return to northern South Australia.
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Deputy Liberal leader Ted O’Brien reaffirms support for Ley
Meanwhile in the Liberal camp – where no official challenge has been launched but rumours of a Liberal leadership mutiny swirl – deputy leader, Ted O’Brien, has quashed the notion of internal dissent and says Sussan Ley has his support.
He told ABC TV this morning:
I haven’t spoken to any colleague who believes that Sussan didn’t make the right calls last week. She demonstrated enormous strength and dignity in a very difficult situation with the National party. To answer the latter part – Sussan absolutely has my support. She was elected leader, I believe she’s doing a good job and I’ll continue to support her.
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McKenzie says Nationals party room supports Littleproud ‘all the way’
Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has backed David Littleproud amid the challenge to his leadership launched yesterday by Colin Boyce.
Appearing this morning on the Today Show, McKenzie said Littleproud would “absolutely” be the leader on Monday and she supported him “absolutely.”
Colin Boyce is a terrific local member in Gladstone. Your viewers might not know who he is, but everybody knows who he is in Flynn. He got a 6% swing to him at the last election. I cannot see the spill motion getting up on Monday. Usually, you would talk to your colleagues. So no, the room and myself, we support David all the way.
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East coast power prices drop as solar and wind power more than half of total electricity for first time
Wholesale electricity prices in the east coast power grid fell sharply in the last three months of 2025 due to a record influx of renewable energy.
Solar and wind provided more than half of total energy in the national electricity market for the first time, pushing wholesale prices 44% lower than the same period in 2024.
Wholesale costs make up about a third of what households and businesses are charged for electricity.
Wind generation increased 29% and large-scale solar power was up 15%. Rooftop solar leapt nearly 9% to reach an all-time high.
The amount of energy from batteries nearly tripled. Coal-fired power generation fell 4.6%, while gas power was down 27%.
Violette Mouchaileh, from the Australian Energy Market Operator, said it was a “landmark moment” for the power grid.
For the first time, renewables and storage supplied more than half of the system’s energy needs for a full quarter.
It reflects years of sustained investment and demonstrates that more wind, solar and battery capacity in the system reduces reliance on higher cost coal and gas generation, placing sustained downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices.
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Continuing on from that last post about Chinese investigators to help search for the man who burnt a baby in a Brisbane park.
Speaking in Canberra on Wednesday, the Chinese ambassador said a “working group” would travel to Brisbane to investigate the incident. Xiao said:
I’m not sure if I should announce this at this moment, but there’s going to be a working group from China coming to Brisbane.
We’re now preparing for the working group to come, so we are serious in addressing this concern, and we’re serious in taking the necessary actions.
Xiao said the team will work with Australian police to “see what exactly happened, how it happened, and how both sides can work together as a follow-up”.
Australian federal police have been working with Chinese authorities since the alleged attacker left the country on 31 August 2024.
There is no extradition treaty between Australia and China.
Queensland police service and Australian federal police said they are supportive of the delegation visiting Brisbane.
– AAP
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Chinese investigators to search for man who burnt baby
A Chinese team will visit Australia to help search for a man who randomly attacked a baby with hot coffee before fleeing the country, AAP reports.
China’s ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, announced on Wednesday that investigators will travel to Queensland to work with police to investigate the 33-year-old accused attacker.
The stranger allegedly dumped a Thermos of coffee on nine-month-old boy Luka at a Brisbane park on 27 August 2024, before fleeing to his home country.
Luka suffered horrific burns to his chest, neck and face and endured eight surgeries, including grafts and laser treatments.
Minutes after police discovered the man’s identity and released CCTV images of him, they learned he had flown to China 12 hours earlier.
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Aly says Morrison’s remarks on Islam ‘absolutely abhorrent’
Anne Aly was also asked for her response to former prime minister Scott Morrison using a speech in Israel to call for intervention in Islamic preaching and education, including a national register, in the wake of the Bondi beach terror attack.
I think it’s incredibly irresponsible, and I also think it’s incredibly disappointing because it draws on historical stereotypes and a historical trope that continually puts the blame and responsibility and the burden on Muslim communities whenever there is any form of a terrorist attack … This consistent seeking to blame the entire community, an entire faith community for the actions of two radicalised individuals to take advantage of something like the Bondi attack to sow seeds of discourse is absolutely abhorrent and should be rejected.
You can read more about Morrison’s comments, which have also been condemned by leading Islamic groups as “ill-infomed and “dangerous”, here:
The Australian National Imams Council yesterday also condemned comments from current Liberal senator and shadow minister Andrew Bragg, who endorsed Morrison’s comments on ABC radio.
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Anne Aly says it is ‘huge relief’ there were no casualties at Perth Invasion Day rally
Anne Aly, the minister for multicultural affairs, as well as a counter-terrorism expert, says she is relieved no one was hurt in the potential terrorist act as an improvised explosive device was thrown into a crowd at an Invasion Day rally in Perth.
She told ABC Radio her initial reaction when she heard about it:
Well, first of all, I guess it was relief, really, that nobody was hurt. When you throw an IED, an improvised explosive device, into a crowd, and if it’s a successful, it could have been a mass casualty attack. So the huge relief that nobody was hurt.
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Hogan says Littleproud has Nationals party room’s ‘complete support’
The deputy Nationals leader, Kevin Hogan, follows on ABC Radio. He says:
The distinction we need to draw here when we say David Littleproud has done X, Y, Z … David Littleproud [has] only done that because the room has agreed to do that and he has requested what is the room’s view … David Littleproud has never run off and done anything unless he has had the complete support of the Nationals party room.
He said there was understanding from the party room that this chain of events (leading to the break up of the Coalition) would unfold.
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Colin Boyce says he is not canvassing Nationals colleagues for support on leadership challenge
Straight up next on ABC Radio is Colin Boyce, the member for the regional Queensland seat of Flynn, who has announced he will challenge David Littleproud for the Nationals leadership.
Boyce says he is not canvassing colleagues for support. Asked how he plans to gain their backing for the leadership, he said:
They will think long and hard about our position.
He says he is not aware of anyone else intending to run for leadership but that it is still a “distinct possibility”.
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Paterson: Liberals should 'keep the door open' to reforming Coalition
While noting that shadow portfolios previously held by the Nationals still need to be filled before parliament returns next week, James Paterson also said he thought the Liberal party should “should keep the door open to reforming with the National party in due course”.
But if it is to occur, it would have to take place on an agreed and shared understanding of the important principles of the Westminster system, including shadow cabinet solidarity.
You can read more about how the solidarity issue recently blew up here:
He says if both Liberal and National party rooms can agree on basic principles, they “can and should reform, regardless of who is leading us”.
“We must work together to fight for all Australian people … at the next election, rather than each other.”
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Paterson backs Ley as Liberal leader, says she has 'majority' party room backing
The shadow finance minister, James Paterson, says he continues to support Liberal leader Sussan Ley amid this week’s rumours of a leadership challenge. Appearing on Radio National, he was asked if Ley still had his back to remain leader of the party:
“Yes, she does,” he replied.
I understand my responsibilities under the Westminster convention. The first responsibility, if you don’t support any leader, is to tell them, and the second responsibility is to resign. I haven’t done either, so you can assume I continue to support Sussan.
Paterson was then asked if he thought Ley would face a challenge “in the next week or so”.
I can’t predict what all of my colleagues may or may not do, but I can say that in my assessment, Sussan continues to enjoy the support of the majority of the party room.
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Otways communities under watch and act conditions
Communities in Gellibrand, Barongarook, Barongarook West, Carlisle River, Charleys Creek, Kawarren, Lovat and Wimba have been told they are under watch and act conditions, after an emergency-level warning was downgraded on Wednesday afternoon for areas in Victoria’s Otways region.
Residents are warned that it is not safe to return, with trees and debris blocking roads and creating hazards.
Tim Holland, the deputy incident controller at the Colac Incident Control Centre, said the priority over coming days is to get the community back into their homes as soon as it is safe to do so:
It has been a tough few weeks for community members and we’re really working to make roads safe from hazardous trees to get them back in.
Holland says crews continue to work around the region identifying areas where control lines can be put in during favourable weather conditions.
- AAP
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Risk of flare-up in Otways remains despite easing conditions
But first more, on those fires in the Otways from AAP:
While milder weather is helping firefighters gain the upper hand, Chris Hardman, the chief fire officer at Forest Fire Management Victoria, says the risk of a flare-up on fire grounds remains:
There is still a chance that this fire could run again within the next two or three weeks because of the nature of the season.
It’s so dry, you know. If we get some really good rainfall, that will be incredibly helpful, and that will build our confidence.
But the risk will be present ... I would argue, at least for a couple of weeks.
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Nationals leadership challenger Colin Boyce will soon speak on ABC Radio
Speaking of that spill motion, stay tuned as we are expecting to soon hear from Colin Boyce, the Nationals MP who announced he will challenge David Littleproud for the leadership, on ABC Radio. Boyce yesterday launched the challenge after declaring the party was “committing political suicide” by ending the Coalition:
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In case you missed it last night, opposition leader Sussan Ley said David Littleproud rejected the offer of talks this week after Coalition breakup. The Nationals leader said a meeting will be scheduled once party’s spill motion is determined. You can catch up with the report from our political reporters:
Good morning
Welcome to the Australia live news blog, it’s Natasha May here to guide you through today’s events.
Authorities are warning dry conditions could cause a large bushfire that ravaged communities in Victoria’s Otways to “run again” over the coming weeks. Amid milder weather, the threat has been downgraded for now after the blaze destroyed three homes and 16 other structures when a wind change occurred during severe heatwave conditions.
Around Walwa in the state’s north, near where fires are still burning, temperatures today are expected to climb into the 40s.
And in Melbourne, the women’s semi-final action will get under way at the Australian Open.
Let’s get into it.
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