What we learned today, Thursday 8 January
With that, we will wrap the blog for the evening.
Stay safe and cool, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow. Until then, these were the major developments of the day:
The prime minister announced a royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, to be chaired by Virginia Bell. Anthony Albanese said the decision was an “appropriate way forward for national unity”. It will be handed down by the end of the year.
In Victoria, there were six emergency warnings in place for out-of-control bushfires at Longwood and 25km west of Walwa, with dozens of regional townships urged to take cover or evacuate. The entire state of Victoria will be under a fire ban tomorrow amid an ongoing heatwave.
A legal challenge was lodged against controversial laws in New South Wales that restrict protest actions for up to three months after terrorist incidents, introduced after the December Bondi attack.
And the Reserve Bank of Australia’s deputy governor, Andrew Hauser, said the current cycle of rate cuts was likely over and the central bank needed to ensure the recent period of high inflation does not repeat.
Updated
Six bushfire emergency warnings in northern Victoria
Still on the bushfires, there are now six emergency warnings to leave immediately or take shelter for the out-of-control bushfires at Longwood and 25km west of Walwa in northern Victoria.
More than two dozen townships have been urged to leave immediately as the Walwa fire travels south-east from Mount Lawson state park, including:
Beetoomba
Berringama
Bungil
Burrowye
Colac Colac
Corryong
Crawford Crossing
Cudgewa & Cudgewa North
Dartmouth
Guys Forest
Hodgson Crossing
Koetong
Lucyvale
McNamara Crossing
Mount Alfred & Mount Alfred Gap
Nariel Creek, Nariel Gap & Nariel Valley
Pine Mountain
Shelley
Staceys Bridge
The Lightwood
Thologolong
Thowgla Valley
Tintaldra
Walwa
Willow Crossing
Updated
