What we learned today, Monday 26 January
It’s time to wind down our live news coverage. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy today:
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, officiated at a large citizenship ceremony in Canberra this morning and took the opportunity to make a case for Australian “unity, not division”.
Ted O’Brien, the deputy leader of the opposition, said while it had been a “tough week” for the Liberal party, he did not believe there would be a leadership spill. Leader Sussan Ley, meanwhile, dismissed the speculation as a “media frenzy”.
Multiple beaches were closed after shark sightings in Sydney.
In Sydney, a man was arrested and was expected to be charged with hate speech after allegedly making antisemitic comments at the March for Australia protest in Moore Park. Despite the arrest, police said most protesters were peaceful.
About 10,000 people marched in Sydney’s Invasion Day rally, which began with a minute’s silence for Lake Cargelligo shooting victims Sophie Quinn, John Harris and Nerida Quinn.
In Melbourne, riot police moved in after anti-immigration protesters clashed with Invasion Day marchers.
Perth’s Invasion Day protest descended into chaos when police were forced to move the crowd after a “threat” was made in Forrest Place. One person was taken into custody over the incident.
Senator Pauline Hanson appeared at Brisbane’s March for Australia rally, where the One Nation leader and veteran politician was mobbed by fans.
More than 300 firefighters were engaged in a ground and air assault on Victoria’s Otways bushfire, with tomorrow’s heatwave conditions expected to heighten its danger. VicEmergency urged residents near the Otways fire to evacuate immediately.
Thank you, as ever, for joining us. We’ll be back bright and early tomorrow with more breaking news.
Updated
Estimated 1,000 people at Invasion Day rally where ‘threat’ was made
Some more accounts of the Perth Invasion Day rally incident, with Noongar photographer Cole Baxter saying he estimates there were about 1,000 people in attendance this afternoon.
Baxter told Guardian Australia that it made for a “tense environment” before things began to settle and the attenders continued after changing their route:
Those environments, they’re already prone to be stressful and triggering, whether or not something super crappy is happening, so it made it even more tense.
Eventually it just did its normal trajectory and did its normal thing and it ended up being a pretty good showing.
Updated
‘Vast majority’ of Sydney protesters peaceful, say police
Returning to the NSW police protest update, the assistant commissioner Brett McFadden said that the “vast … overwhelming majority” of crowds had gathered today without incident, but drew attention to two other arrests.
He said a 17-year-old boy was arrested in Bondi for allegedly assaulting police, and a 28-year-old man, who had previously been charged with domestic violence-related matters, was arrested at Victoria Park “and was currently assisting police with inquiries unrelated to the protest”.
Asked if anyone was removed from the March for Australia because they had been prohibited from attending, including former National Socialist Network members, McFadden said:
All I can say is another individual has been served with a public safety order today who was removed from the event and voluntarily with police was escorted outside the precinct.
McFadden said police estimated about 2,000 people had attended the March for Australia, while 10,000 had attended Invasion Day protests.
Updated
‘Chaos’ in Perth as police move on Invasion Day protesters
We’re hearing reports of some chaotic scenes at Perth’s Invasion Day rally after police moved on protesters who were gathered at Forrest Place in the CBD.
One attender, Jade Cameron, said there was “chaos” as police moved everyone out of the square but there were few details being released at the time.
“They tried to get the elders and everyone from going into Forrest Place but we didn’t know why, they refused to let us have our usual ceremony,” she told Guardian Australia.
She continued:
We are deciding to push on and do circles all through the street, we managed to get the elders away and safe and proceed through.
It’s pretty rowdy at the back but we are still pushing through at the main circle.
If there was a bomb threat, that’s why they wanted everyone out of there.
WA police have said in a statement they are responding to reports of a threat in Forrest Place with “significant police resources being deployed to the area”.
They are urging members of the public to stay away.
Updated
Man arrested over alleged antisemitic speech at Sydney March for Australia protest
A 31-year-old man has been arrested and is expected to be charged with hate speech after allegedly antisemitic comments he made during an open mic at the March for Australia protest in Moore Park in Sydney.
In a statement this afternoon, police said they had stopped and arrested the man on Bourke Street about 2.50pm.
In a livestreamed video from the open mic, the man, who is wearing a black T-shirt with a “Celtic cross”, a known neo-Nazi symbol, and carrying an Australian flag, takes to the stage and makes a series of antisemitic comments, to cheers from the crowd.
He ends the speech: “Free Joel Davis, hail White Australia and hail Thomas Sewell.”
Speaking at a press conference just now, the NSW assistant commissioner Brett McFadden said the man was expected to be charged under 93ZAA of the NSW Crimes Act, the offence for publicly inciting hatred on the grounds of race.
We will allege that the language he used, his presence, was clearly, unequivocally assigned with neo-Nazi ideology, and his presence and language cited a response from the crowd, generating hate towards a particular group in our community.
McFadden would not comment on whether the man was known to be a member of the former National Socialist Network.
Updated
One person in custody after ‘threat’ in Perth
Over to Western Australia, where a police incident is unfolding in the centre of Perth.
Police said officers were responding to reports of a threat in Forrest Place, which is the site of today’s Invasion Day rally.
Significant police resources have been deployed to the area, and an exclusion zone has been established.
Members of the public are asked to stay away from the area and await further advice.
One person is in custody and assisting police with inquiries, police said.
Updated
Tony Abbott says 26 January ‘always was, always will be’ Australia Day
Tony Abbott has chosen to mark 26 January with a cold beer, an Australian flag and an Aboriginal rallying cry.
The former prime minister posted a photo to Instagram of himself holding a XXXX beer accompanied by the caption:
Happy Australia Day! Always was, always will be.
The slogan “always was, always will be” has long been associated with the Aboriginal land rights movement and Indigenous sovereignty and featured heavily in the day’s Invasion Day rallies across the country.
Updated
Victoria’s chief health officer warns of dangers of extreme heat
Victoria’s chief health officer, Dr Caroline McElnay, says prolonged heat, together with high overnight temperatures, pose an increased risk of heat-related illness.
“Extreme heat can affect anyone, and we’re urging Victorians to take simple steps to stay safe. Keep cool, stay hydrated, plan your day around the heat, and check in on family, friends and neighbours, particularly those aged 65 or older, young children, pregnant women and anyone with chronic health issues,” she says.
She continues:
We’re asking everyone to take the heat seriously. Know the risks, look out for one another, and never leave children, adults or pets in parked cars.
Heat‑related illness can come on quickly, so it’s important to know the warning signs. The telltale symptoms include heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, headache, pale or clammy skin, or feeling unusually weak or confused. If someone shows signs of heatstroke, such as very high body temperature, red hot skin, confusion or loss of consciousness, call triple zero (000) immediately.
Updated
Otways fire at risk of breaking its containment lines tomorrow
Staying with the Otways bushfire in Victoria, where we have an update from fire authorities.
“We have about 300 firefighters currently in the park at the moment trying to contain this fire,” the deputy incident controller, Alistair Drayton, told reporters a short time ago.
Drayton said firefighters were engaged in a ground and air assault on the 9,000-plus-hectare fire and tomorrow’s heatwave conditions would deliver added dangers.
He said:
The real risk tomorrow is the weather coming in. We are going to be seeing hot conditions tomorrow with a gusty wind change coming through late tomorrow afternoon.
There is a real risk that this fire will tomorrow break its lines. That is the risk that we’re concerned with at the moment and we’re asking people to enact their fire safety plans to ensure that they are made safe.
A group of Canadian firefighters are on their way to support Australian firefighters in the Otways, he said.
Updated
Otways residents advised to evacuate immediately
The earlier watch and act “prepare to act” warning for residents near the Otways bushfire in Victoria has been upgraded to a “leave now” notice.
VicEmergency said the “evacuate immediately” warning had been issued for Barramunga, Barwon Downs, Mount Sabine, Olangolah East, Tanybryn and Upper Gellibrand.
There is a bushfire at Carlisle River that is not under control. For your safety and to help emergency services, you need to evacuate before sunset today.
Updated
Pauline Hanson speaks at Brisbane rally
Senator Pauline Hanson has just stepped on to the stage at Brisbane’s March for Australia rally.
Hanson was welcomed on stage by the Hoodoo Gurus song What’s My Scene, played by a live band, as a substantial crowd waved the red ensign, One Nation flags and the Australian flag. The crowd chanted her name as she stepped up to the mic.
The One Nation leader and veteran politician was mobbed at the event, allowing several people to take a selfie with her.
Victorian senator Ralph Babet also spoke.
Updated
Good afternoon and thanks, as ever, Nick Visser. I’ll be bringing you the rest of the day’s breaking news.
That’s all from me. Daisy Dumas will take things from here. Enjoy the rest of your day.
Gold’s historic milestone amid Trump chaos
Gold has jumped above $US5,000 an ounce for the first time, as investors continue to pile into the precious metal amid fears Donald Trump’s chaotic policies will trigger a financial market meltdown.
This morning’s historic milestone comes as Trump threatened Canada with 100% tariffs if America’s northern neighbour “makes a deal with China”, and after Democrats warned of another government shutdown.
The price of gold, which last traded at $US5,074 an ounce, according to Bloomberg, has doubled over the past two years.
It jumped by an extraordinary 72% last year – the biggest rise since 1979 – and is already up 17% in 2026 as investors seek out the traditional safe haven in an increasingly volatile environment.
Last week, silver topped $100 an ounce for the first time, and for similar reasons.
Driving demand for gold is the so-called “debasement trade”: fears that the world’s number one currency, the US dollar, will eventually collapse under the weight of America’s huge debt and deficits.
Evidence of this “sell America” trade came last week when Danish pension fund AkademikerPension announced it would sell its holding of US bonds, blaming weak US government finances.
Updated
Sydney March for Australia draws thousands
About 2,000 people waving and wearing Australian flags marched from Central station through the heart of Surry Hills to Moore Park as part of the anti-immigration March for Australia.
The route was chosen to keep demonstrators well separated from the Invasion Day rallies but surprised locals in inner-city Surry Hills.
At Moore Park participants listened to grievance-filled speeches where speakers warned of the replacement of white people due to Australia’s immigration policies and failure to protect Australia’s white heritage.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, was singled out by some in the crowd who chanted “Albo is a traitor”.
The main speaker, John Ruddick, a NSW MLC for the Libertarian party, warned that the NSW government was prioritising multiculturalism over free speech and said that people needed to take a stand for free speech and against tougher gun laws.
Jesse Stewart, one of the organisers, noted that several prominent members of the March for Australia movement were not in attendance because they had been visited by police and told not to attend. This appeared to be a reference to members of the National Socialist Network, a neo-Nazi group that has been declared a hate speech group under new federal laws.
There were a few minor scuffles but mostly the rally was uneventful.
Updated
Ley dismisses leadership speculation as 'media frenzy'
The embattled opposition leader, Sussan Ley, says she is not facing an imminent challenge to her position at the top of the Liberal party, blaming a “media frenzy” for growing speculation.
Frontbenchers Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie are discussing a possible leadership spill with colleagues, after the damaging split with the National party over Labor’s hate speech legislation last week. It’s all downside for Ley, who might struggle to hold off a challenge when MPs come back to parliament next week.
Speaking after Australia Day celebrations in Corowa, NSW on Monday, Ley said she was focused on working for the country. She did not say when she would fill gaps in her frontbench lineup, insisting the door was open to reunification with the minor party.
Asked if she accepted her leadership was over as Taylor and Hastie count numbers, Ley said: “Absolutely not.”
I know there’s some frenzy of speculation in the media. I’ve been elected by my party room to lead. I’m doing that, I have the confidence of my team.
My team and I, and I’m very proud of every single one of them, delivered an affordable energy policy towards the end of last year, and we are united around the things that Australians expect of us to be a strong, credible opposition. That’s what I’m busy doing.
Today is about Australia Day and celebrating what it means on this amazing day. Tomorrow we’re getting back to work for the Australian people.
Updated
Pauline Hanson speaks before Australia Day march in Brisbane
Pauline Hanson finished speaking earlier this afternoon, and the Brisbane Australia Day march has begun.
The Queensland senator and One Nation leader spoke about a broad range of subjects such as climate change, the Albanese government’s anti-hate legislation and her daughter’s political ambitions in Tasmania.
But her main subject was migration.
“We’ve had mass migration,” she said.
Albanese at the moment is talking about mass migration, that we are cutting back the numbers. Well, it’s a little bit too late, mate. You’re the one that created this mess. You’re the one that brought all these people in the country, 1,560 a day …
He is the worst prime minister I have ever known.
In an interview before the rally, Hanson told Guardian Australia she was not concerned about the number of red ensigns at the rally. When asked whether sovereign citizens had attended the rally she said: “I’m not going to get into that.”
One attender the Guardian spoke with said sunscreen causes cancer, and another said she attended a sovereign citizen “treason trial” at Old Parliament House last February.
Updated
All of Victoria under total fire ban tomorrow
Once again, the entire state of Victoria will be under a total fire ban tomorrow amid dangerous fire conditions and scorching heat.
Jason Heffernan, the chief officer of the state’s Country Fire Authority (CFA), said earlier temperatures would reach into the mid-40s, urging communities to stay on top of updates from the VicEmergency app as conditions could change quickly.
The main fire of concern right now is the Carlisle River fire, with multiple communities urged to prepare to evacuate as conditions change.
Heffernan said the fire danger would be intense, but also said the extreme heat could put some communities at risk, including the elderly, the very young and the sick, who were more susceptible to high temperatures.
Updated
Australia’s power grid prepared for increased heat, Aemo says
The Australian Energy Market Operator says the power grid is prepared for increased demand, as several states face extreme temperatures this week.
An Aemo spokesperson says:
Each year, Aemo spends months collaborating with governments and industry to prepare Australia’s main energy systems for the hotter summer months.
This wide-ranging collaboration helps maximise available generation and transmission to support in our power systems for times of high demand such as heatwaves.
There are currently sufficient reserves for the power system.
Updated
Hundreds at Canberra Invasion Day event
Hundreds of people have turned out in support of Invasion Day in Canberra with speakers and organisers urging truth telling and the stamping out of systemic racism in health, justice and education systems.
Several hundred marchers streamed past Parliament House with fists raised high, chanting “Always was, always will be Aboriginal land” past a dozen or so people gathered for the March for Australia rally, many waving Australian flags and dressed in its colours.
A line of federal police separated the two groups as they walked past Parliament House with Guardian Australia seeing one March for Australia attender appearing to shout at a mother with two young children.
Invasion Day speakers demanded change and justice, saying that First Nations communities have protested against colonial violence, dispossession and hate since the beginning of celebrations of 26 January.
Wendy Brookman, a Butchulla woman who was born and raised in Canberra, says that education is the key to ensuring Australia’s violent past is acknowledged.
Education is where this change belongs. You cannot heal a wound you refuse to look at.
I don’t accept the nation that celebrates while First Nations people grieve. I don’t accept being told to get over it while the consequences are still being lived.
Rick Hampson, the father of 36-year-old Dougie Hampson, a Kamilaroi-Dunghutti man who died from two perforated ulcers in Dubbo after being sent home by medical staff, said he was galvanised to appear at the event:
That doctor automatically thought that his problem was drug-related when it wasn’t. Shame. My son died of two perforated ulcers.
He says that today is Invasion Day and called for the date to be moved: “This is the 88th year that we have asked to change this date since 1938. And another year’s gone by and it hasn’t happened.”
He says as a grieving father he has been turned into an activist to demand change and justice.
Updated
Melbourne Invasion Day march stops at Flinders Street station
The Invasion Day march in Melbourne has stopped at Flinders Street station, where it appears the March for Australia Rally had left.
A wall of police are standing nearby. The organisers have pulled the crowd into a circle at the intersection.
Thousands of protesters are still yet trickling along Swanston Street and are yet to join the head of the march.
As the protesters gather, a man has yelled out, “Happy Australia Day”. Invasion Day protesters told him to leave.
Updated
Sydney Invasion Day march reaches Yabun festival
The thousands of people who joined Sydney’s Invasion Day protest have now reached Victoria park, where the Yabun festival is being held.
The festival, held every year on 26 January, celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Updated
Placards seen at Sydney March for Australia in support of neo-Nazi group member
At the March for Australia in Sydney, multiple signs have been spotted calling for a member of the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network, which leaders claim has been disbanded, to be freed.
At the head of the rally as it moved down Cleveland Street in Surry Hills, placards that read “Free Joel Davis” – at least one with a photo of his face – mingled with Australian flags and a sign that read “Albo’s a traitor”.
Joel Davis, 30, was charged in late 2025 over an alleged threatening message targeting the independent federal MP Allegra Spender.
He was taken into custody in Bondi on 20 November by Australian federal police and refused bail.
At the time, without identifying Davis, the AFP said the message allegedly encouraged people to direct “abusive and hateful messages” at the politician after she condemned a protest by the NSN on 8 November outside the NSW parliament. Davis was also present at the event.
Updated
Hundreds at March for Australia in Melbourne
About 500 people are at the March for Australia event in Melbourne, reporter Catie McLeod says.
There is a large police presence at areas where the rallies might have clashed according to their planned routes, but not, it seems, along the routes themselves.
Douglas Smith is at the Invasion Day march and says the front of the rally – which is thousands of people strong – has stopped at Swanston Street, ready to turn towards Flinders Street station. He’s spoken to Meriki Onus, the organiser of the Invasion Day rally, who said police had so far done a good job in keeping the rally safe and keeping other protesters away.
Updated
Hecklers and Invasion Day marchers scuffle in Sydney
There was a brief scuffle at the Invasion Day march in Sydney as protesters walked past Central Station.
About four or five people with Australian flags heckled protesters as they walked by.
A handful of people then broke away from the march to chase after them. The police followed.
Updated
Anti-immigration protesters clash with Invasion Day marchers in Melbourne
We’re hearing from reporters on the ground that protesters from the March for Australia rally have caught up to the Invasion Day march.
A number of apparent participants in the March for Australia have met the front of the Invasion Day rally, which has just turned down Bourke Street.
Indigenous affairs reporter Douglas Smith, who is reporting from the crowd of the Invasion Day rally, says two people were quickly moved on by police but more have appeared, and are continuing to appear. Douglas says there are clashes between both groups.
The Invasion Day rally follows the same route every year: starting at Parliament House steps then marching down Bourke and Swanston streets to end outside Flinders Street station.
The March for Australia started at Flinders Street at 12pm and marched up Swanston Street, turning into Latrobe Street toward parliament. They were blocked by mounted police officers but have since turned down Lonsdale Street. Our reporter following that rally says riot police are now moving in.
Updated
Melbourne Invasion Day march begins
Invasion Day protesters have left state parliament and are marching down Bourke Street towards Swanston Street.
Thousands chanting “always was, always will be, Aboriginal land”, and “no pride in genocide”, are walking together as passersby watch on.
Victoria police are on alert, with a nearby March for Australia protest held being held at Flinders Street station.
Updated
Greens leader speaks at Brisbane Invasion Day rally
The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, held a brief press conference earlier at the Invasion Day rally in Brisbane.
Flanked by fellow Queensland Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne she slammed the federal government for inaction on First Nations issues.
“It’s about time nationally that we had some real moves on truth telling and on treaties and on justice. And unfortunately, we see a government that’s pretty gutless after bungling the voice referendum,” she said.
They seem to have dropped First Nations justice issues.
Waters was also asked about the Australia Marches rally – led by Pauline Hanson – which was due to start nearby.
I think those folk who are at the alternative rally, they’re very angry, and they feel like life’s hard for them. That’s right, life’s hard for everyone, but the way we fix that is not by pointing the finger at other Australians. It’s by pointing the finger at the system that is causing that inequality.
Updated
Counter-protester escorted by police from Sydney Invasion Day march
At the Invasion Day protest in Sydney, a man wearing an Australian flag has been escorted away by police after he walked across the front of the protest.
The protest is now walking along George Street, not far from its destination at Victoria Park.
Earlier in the protest, organisers stopped momentarily to raise their middle finger to a statue of Captain Cook in Hyde Park.
Updated
Lovett’s speech included an open letter addressed to the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, which called for a national truth-telling commission:
Commitment to truth, justice and healing cannot be limited to one day of the year, it must be carried through with action.
(We’re) calling for a national truth-telling process to be established, under the umbrella of ‘Walk for Truth’.
Truth-telling demands change, and you cannot build unity off denial. You cannot ask First Peoples to celebrate the beginning of their dispossession.
Flyers were handed out with a QR code allowing protesters to sign a petition, supporting the cause.
Updated
Calls for national truth-telling commission at Melbourne rally
The former Yoorrook Justice deputy commissioner Travis Lovett called for truth telling at a national level in Australia, saying past and present injustices towards First Nations people was now in the open and undeniable.
Lovett, a proud Kerrupmara and Gunditjmara man, was one of four commissioners who oversaw the unprecedented truth-telling commission in Victoria, which was established in mid-2021, with a final report tabled in July 2025.
The final report found past and ongoing injustices experienced by First Nations people, including persistent systemic racism, and made 100 recommendations to address them. Lovett said in Melbourne:
We are here because truth matters, we are here because listening matters, we are here because this country cannot heal unless it faces its history honestly.
And it is laid bare, through more than 10,000 government documents, institutional documents that we were able to examine in my time as deputy chair of the Yoorrook Justice Commission.
The truth is no longer hidden, the truth is no longer deniable, and I’ll say it again, the time for not knowing is over.
Updated
‘An inspiration to many’: Australian of the Year celebrated for Stem contributions
The 2026 Australian of the Year, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, has been feted for her contributions by science and technology organisations.
Bennell-Pegg, the director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency, made history in 2024 as both the first female Australian astronaut and the first person trained as an astronaut under the Australian flag. She has not yet gone to space.
Dr Cathy Foley, the president of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering – which Bennell-Pegg joined as a fellow in 2025 – described her as “an extraordinary leader and an inspiration to many young Australians”, adding:
She is living her childhood dream – to become an astronaut – a dream which comes from a desire for adventure and a curiosity and love of science.
Prof Mark Scott, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, of which Bennell-Pegg is an alumna, said:
She has not only made outstanding contributions to the visibility and advancement of Australia’s space sector but has been a tireless advocate for gender equity in science and engineering, including in space-related fields.
Ryan Winn, the chief executive of Science & Technology Australia, said Bennell-Pegg “shows what’s possible when pursuing a career in Stem”.
Updated
Brisbane Invasion Day rally speaker calls for royal commission
A speaker at the Brisbane Invasion Day rally has called for a Bondi-like royal commission into racism against Indigenous people.
Dale Ruska said Bondi was a horrific event, but there had been hundreds before. He said racism was “not a priority” and was “normal for us”.
“Our struggle has involved generational existence of our ancestors in a racist colonial system, and this country, while it refuses to address all of the harm caused for this country’s original first law and First Nations people, they are continuing to fail, and they are continuing to remain complicit,” he said.
He continued:
Australia is an historical crime scene. It is an historical crime scene, and it is worth the same sort of effort that the people that suffered Bondi are given.
Updated
Sydney Invasion Day march under way
Sydney’s Invasion Day protest has begun with chants of “always will be, always was, Aboriginal land”.
There have also been chants by rally organisers calling out the One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson.
Updated
‘Sovereignty never ceded’: speeches start at Melbourne Invasion Day protest
Thousands have gathered outside Victoria’s Parliament House for the Invasion Day protest, with calls to officially mark 26 January as a Day of Mourning.
Arrernte woman Celeste Liddle read out a statement on behalf of the Warriors for Aboriginal Resistance, and spoke of the decades-long importance of Invasion Day protests.
“We walk in the footsteps of those Aboriginal activists, who, 88 years ago to this day, walked through Sydney on what was the first Day of Mourning protest,” she said.
We are here because many decades down the track, most of their demands in their revolution on that day, which included full equality, recognition of our cultural rights and the end to the brutalisation of our people, remain unanswered.
Speeches continue with calls to change the date, and 26 January to be officially classed as a Day of Mourning by governments, state, federal and territory.
Updated
Bushfire warning issued in Victoria
To Victoria, where a watch and act bushfire warning has been issued due to a fire at Carlisle River and Gellibrand that is not yet under control.
With extreme weather forecast for Tuesday, the fire is predicted to rapidly expand and pose a threat to nearby areas.
Residents are being strongly recommended to prepare to evacuate before sunset today.
VicEmergency warned a short time ago:
“If you are located in Barongarook, Barongarook West, Beech Forest, Carlisle River, Coram, Elliminyt, Gellibrand, Gerangamete, Irrewillipe, Irrewillipe East, Kawarren, Larpent, Lovat, Tulloh, Wimba, Yeo, act now to protect your life … LEAVE NOW.”
Updated
Manly beach closed
Manly beach has again been closed because of a shark sighting.
“SLSNSW advise Shark observed at Manly Beach, MANLY By Surf Life Saver at 11:24 am, 26 Jan 2026. Water Evacuated. Beach Closed”, a post on X advised a short time ago.
The beach was closed because of a separate shark sighting this morning and reopened a short time later.
Updated
Canberrans mark Invasion Day with smoke ceremony
In Canberra, the nation’s capital, Invasion Day has been marked with hundreds of First Nations people, community, allies who are gathering at Garema Place in the centre of Canberra.
The only sounds heard are the sounds of magpies warbling as smoke rises from the centre of the square.
Despite the high temperatures, families, elders and community are clustered around available shady trees for a smoking ceremony and a minute’s silence to mark the Sorry Business and grief that community have experienced over the past year.
For Shara Fowley who has brought her daughter and nieces, the Dharawal and Kamilaroi woman says the day has mixed emotions for many and believes it needs to be changed. “It’s always the same conversations,” she said:
We all live and breathe the same thing. We all do it on the same country.
It just needs to be abolished and we can move on with our lives, because it’s the same argument for multiple years.
It feels like it’s not going anywhere, it’s getting worse.
Updated
Invasion Day speaker criticises protest crackdown laws
A speaker at the Sydney Invasion Day rally has criticised the Minns government for “silencing protests” in the wake of last month’s Bondi beach terror attack.
Jordan, who is from La Perouse, said:
I send my love and condolences to the families of that terrible attack, but it’s just as important that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples get the same respect and recognition.
The Minns government has given the New South Wales police more authority to try and stop our rallies, which creates more opportunities to try and brutalise us.
Always was, always will be. Long live our resistance along with the intifada.
Updated
Sydney’s Invasion Day: ‘we have lost and we have suffered so much’
Ned Hargraves, a Warlpiri man, spoke earlier at Sydney’s Invasion Day, saying “we have lost and we have suffered so much”.
Hargraves is the grandfather of Kumanjayi White and Kumanjayi Walker. Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man with disabilities, died after being restrained by police at an Alice Springs supermarket last May.
White was from the same remote community devastated by the fatal 2019 shooting of Kumanjayi Walker by an NT police officer, Zachary Rolfe. Rolfe was later charged with murder but acquitted of all charges in a supreme court trial.
Hargraves said:
We are losing too much of our loved ones, not only that, our land has been taken away.
The government is not helping us. They are making our lives miserable, really miserable, and particularly taking our young lives away from our people, from our country. It’s a shame. It’s a shame what they do. But nevertheless, we going to stand firm and fight.
Hargraves ended his speech by singing a song about ceasefire.
Updated
NSW premier hopes today’s protests are calm
Minns said he hoped the two protests planned for the CBD – the annual Invasion Day march and a March for Australia, which is anti-immigration – would be uneventful, but said that police stood ready to deal with any violence or hate speech:
We live in a beautiful, multicultural community with people from around the world, but we will not tolerate a situation where on Australia’s national day, it’s been pulled down by divisive language, hate speech, racism and police are ready and willing to engage with people that breach those rules, because it has devastating consequences for our sense of unity and cohesion, well beyond the protests.
The Indigenous protests that have taken place on Australia Day have taken place for decades. There was recognition from organisers as well as police that they needed to be facilitated, that it would take place alongside Australia Day and be respected.
I’d also just say that the organisers of that protest have made it clear that that is about Indigenous and Aboriginal sovereignty, as well as the circumstances relating to 1788 and European arrival on our continent, and to have that hijacked by international events or circumstances around the world, I think should be confined to that. They are not my words. They’re the words of the protest organisers.
So I’m hopeful people respect that.
Updated
Citizenship ceremony on the steps of the Sydney Opera House today
An Australia Day citizenship ceremony is being held for the first time in several decades on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, said 350 people would take up Australian citizenship in the outdoor ceremony:
It’s an important day for them, one that they’ll tell their family about in the decades ahead.
So many people who end up becoming Australian citizens are, in fact, the most patriotic Australians that we have in our country. They care deeply about this country. They’ve often come from places around the world that aren’t as beautiful, aren’t as united, aren’t as peaceful as we’ve got right here in this country.
And I can’t wait to be part of that enthusiasm for this wonderful country in a few moment’s time, not just here on the banks of Sydney Harbour, but right across Australia, people will be taking that step to become an Australian citizen.
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Minute’s silence for victims of Lake Cargelligo shooting at Sydney’s Invasion Day rally
The Sydney Invasion Day rally held a minute’s silence, earlier with their fists held high in the air, for Sophie Quinn, John Harris, and Nerida Quinn.
Paul Silva begun his speech by paying tribute to the three people who were allegedly murdered in Lake Cargelligo on Thursday evening.
Silva said:
Sophie Isabel Quinn was a beautiful young woman with a gentle and kind nature. She was loving, looking forward to becoming a mum for her first time, her baby boy never got a chance to make it by her side.
On the stage, people standing side by side with Silva held up pictures of Sophie, Nerida, and Harris. Silva said:
They were deeply loved. These people you see here were deeply loved, and they deserve so much better. May our ancestors guide them in their next journey through to the dream time. May our ancestors comfort their loved ones, their community and everyone affected by this tragic event.
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The smell of gum smoke wafts over Hyde Park as Sydney’s Invasion Day begins with a smoking ceremony.
A number of people are waving Aboriginal flags. There is also an Irish flag and a few Palestine flags.
Elizabeth Jarrett was the first to speak. She said:
We stand here in celebration of Indigenous people and surviving the colony for 238 years.
Paul Silva invited one of his children into stage to give the acknowledgement of country. After his son gave the acknowledgement, Silva said:
This is what today means. It’s about our emerging next generation to ensure that they continue to fight. And as a father of two young, beautiful boys, I ensure that they know what this system is about and I ensure that they will fight this system alongside your children to ensure that life is a better future for everyone.
Dan Tehan calls for ‘cool heads to prevail’ after Nationals drama
Liberal frontbencher Dan Tehan has pleaded for “cool heads to prevail” and to “start building bridges” between his party and the Nationals to reunite the Coalition after their latest messy breakup – warning the opposition parties would be “politically irrelevant” without patching up their fight.
On Sky News earlier, the shadow energy minister downplayed tensions and jockeying over the Liberal leadership too, saying “forget about leadership, what we need to be focused on is bringing the two parties back together”.
Tehan said he supported Sussan Ley remaining leader, in the face of behind-the-scenes lobbying from Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor as they mull a potential challenge. Tehan said the only discussions he was having with colleagues were “about what we need to do to bring the Liberal party and the National party back together.”
“We cannot continue like we are, and if things escalate, then it’s going to make it harder to bring it back together … we all owe a responsibility to the Australian people to get ourselves back together, and that is what the focus should be,” Tehan said.
We need to pause. We don’t need anything that is going to exacerbate more division.
What we need now is for cool heads to prevail and for us to look at, how can we put in place some sort of mechanism to start building the bridges, building the trust to bring ourselves back together? Otherwise we are going to be politically irrelevant for months, for months and months, it’s going to get harder and harder to bring ourselves back together, and all we’re doing is handing an absolute gift to Anthony Albanese.
Tehan said that if the Coalition didn’t get back together within “the next three weeks”, it would be much harder to repair rifts.
History points to that. So we have to be doing everything we can to get both parties back together if we are going to be a successful opposition. We need to do that. And all my colleagues have to take collective responsibility, Liberal and National party, on making sure that everything we’re doing is focused on that outcome.
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Crowds grow in Sydney ahead of Invasion Day rally
Hyde Park in Sydney is quickly becoming crowded with people as protesters gather to mark Invasion Day.
The march, which heads to Victoria Park at midday, is to demonstrate against ongoing racism, dispossession, and the record number of Indigenous deaths in custody that NSW recorded last year.
NSW police only confirmed on Tuesday that Sydney’s Invasion Day march, organised by Blak Caucus, would be authorised to march from Hyde Park to Victoria Park without the risk of arrest.
NSW currently has a restriction on protests in place until 3 February. The power was given to the police in the wake of the Bondi terror attack and allows police restrict protests for 14-day increments for up to 90 days.
The NSW police commissioner, Mal Lanyon, on Tuesday extended the restriction, but carved out Hyde Park and the southern part of the CBD in a bid to get “the balance right between community safety and a right to protest” ahead of Invasion Day.
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Manly beach has reopened, but there’s a rolling list of changes (Whale beach is closed now due to a shark sighting) on the Northern Beaches council website here.
Prime minister presides over citizenship ceremony in Canberra
Prime minister Anthony Albanese is officiating a large citizenship ceremony in Canberra this morning.
He shared his thoughts about what citizenship means in a nation built “with hope, hard work, with aspiration and determination” with those gathered for the ceremony, adding:
At the very heart of the pledge that you make today to our laws, to our values and to our people is the respect for our common humanity that defines Australia.
Love, not hate. Hope, not fear. Optimism, not negativity. And, indeed, unity, not division.
Multiple Sydney beaches closed after shark sightings
Several beaches in Sydney are closed this morning after shark sightings in the water.
Lifeguards have evacuated the water at Manly beach, Dee Why beach and Palm beach this morning, all around 9am, after the sightings. The beaches are closed.
SLSNSW advise Shark observed at Manly Beach, MANLY By Lifeguard at 09:02 am, 26 Jan 2026. Water Evacuated.Beach Closed.
— SharkSmart (@NSWSharkSmart) January 25, 2026
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NSW police focusing on specific location in hunt for Julian Ingram
Andrew Holland, the assistant commissioner for NSW police, spoke with media this morning amid the ongoing hunt for alleged shooter Julian Ingram after three people were fatally shot in Lake Cargelligo.
Holland said police are focusing on a specific location in the area, but would not disclose where exactly authorities were searching. Their attention is on the Mount Hope district, where public reports of assistance in the ongoing manhunt have come in.
Ingram is still considered armed and dangerous, and tactical teams are in the area to assist with the search. Holland said earlier:
The search will continue as is in it current intensity for a number of days yet. We will act on all information coming forward.
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Surf life savers say coastal conditions too hazardous for beachside activities and plead with public not to enter water
Surf Life Saving NSW said coastal conditions for much of the state, from the north down to the Illawarra, will be too dangerous for many beachside activities over the coming days, including swimming, rock fishing and boating.
Officials said a hazardous surf warning is in place for today as life savers and lifeguards are “pleading” with the public to understand their limitations “and, in particular, if the beach is closed or conditions appear treacherous, to not enter the water”.
Brent Manieri, the GM of public safety for the agency, said in a statement:
After the week we have had with several shark incidents and some hot weather, to now have hazardous surf along the coastline on a public holiday – lifesavers are well and truly on high alert.
The conditions are not isolated, this is the entire coastline from the north of the state down to the Illawarra that will be impacted. It’s expected to be hazardous for swimming, boating and rock platform-related activities over the coming days.
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Nearly three-quarters of Order of Australia awards go to men, reflecting imbalance in nominations
Some 680 Australians were recognised with Order of Australia awards, made up of 496 men and 184 women.
The differential didn’t go unnoticed by the Council of the Order of Australia.
“The gender balance of this year’s honours list more broadly is both a cause for concern and, the council hopes, a prompt for community action,” it said in a statement, going on:
There is no doubt there are as many outstanding women contributing to our communities as there are men … the council would like to see this balance reflected across all nominations and, therefore, outcomes at all levels of award.
Honours are the result of nominations, and anyone can nominate a worthy Australian for recognition. The council noted that “many more” nominations for men are being received than for women, and the body “must consider the nominations for Australians that are in the system”.
We encourage all Australians to look around their community, their workplaces and the whole of our society, identify the women, as well as the men, who make a difference and whose impact is profound and nominate them so they can be celebrated through the Order of Australia.
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Cathy Freeman leads Australia Day honours alongside enforcer of world-first social media ban
Australia’s beloved Olympic sprinter Cathy Freeman has been recognised in this year’s Australia Day Honours list alongside a driving force of one of the Games’ youngest sports, skateboarding, a world-leading quantum scientist, a children’s book illustrator, rock royalty and the enforcer of Australia’s world-first social media ban.
Freeman was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia, the country’s highest civilian honour. Her sensational athletic achievements were applauded by the honours committee, which also acknowledged her social impact across the community, her work on the reconciliation movement in the spirit of unity and inclusion, and as a role model to young people.
Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety commissioner, received a Public Service Medal in recognition of her work shepherding Australia’s social media ban, with her “exceptional leadership, courage and resolve in protecting Australians online” praised by the committee.
Read more here:
Lake Cargelligo shooting survivor recounts moment suspect opened fire
Kaleb Macqueen, a man who survived a shooting in regional New South Wales that left three others dead, recounted the moment an alleged gunman opened fire in Lake Cargelligo last week.
Macqueen spoke to Nine News as police continue to search for Julian Ingram, 37, who has been described as “armed and dangerous” after the alleged attack. Macqueen, who is 19, said he was outside a home of his friend’s mother in the area when a suspect opened fire, killing her.
She’s obviously went towards the ute, I heard boom, boom … She was holding her neck.
He was laughing, and gave her one good shot to the head and she was gone.
I seen him point a gun out the window, and within seconds it was just too late. It was just fight or flight …
Macqueen said he has “terrible nightmares” after the shooting.
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Police to resume search for missing 12-year-old swimmer in Victoria
A search will resume for a 12-year-old boy who went missing while swimming off a beach over the weekend, AAP reports.
Danny, a boy from Taylors Hill, was last seen about 11.30am on Sunday in the water at No 4 beach in Venus Bay in Victoria’s south-east.
His family lost sight of him and commenced a search with beach-goers before emergency services were notified shortly after 1pm, triggering a large-scale search. Local, air and water police’s efforts were aided by members of the Coast Guard, State Emergency Service and Life Saving Victoria.
A Parks Victoria description of the South Gippsland beach notes conditions include rough surf and strong currents.
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O’Brien says Albanese known for being ‘soft and weak’ on representing Australian interests
O’Brien was asked about some of US president Donald Trump’s recent comments targeting Nato, and if the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, had pushed back hard enough against such remarks.
The deputy opposition leader had harsh words for the PM, telling RN:
The prime minister is renowned for being particularly soft and weak when it comes to representing Australia’s interests internationally. I think he’s know well known for being such. …
While nothing he said was wrong necessarily, I think that those people who have had their loved ones serve and die would have expected something a little bit more strong.
O’Brien was asked how he would have responded to Trump himself:
I believe those comments were wrong. I believe they were out of line. I believe Australia deserves better from our closest ally, and especially the family and the loved ones of the 47 Australians who were killed in Afghanistan.
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Liberal deputy says Sussan Ley won't face leadership challenge
Ted O’Brien, the deputy leader of the opposition, said while it’s been a “tough week” for the Liberal party following another split with the Nationals, he doesn’t believe there will be a leadership spill.
He told RN Breakfast:
At the end of the day, the country is best served by a Liberal-National coalition … I don’t believe there will be any change. I think what we’ve seen is Sussan Ley displaying an enormous amount of dignity and strength over recent times, and that is recognised by my colleagues.
And so I don’t believe there will be a challenge.
O’Brien added he was “very disappointed” by the Nationals’ decision, “but we are where we are”.
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Good morning
Good morning, and happy Monday. Nick Visser here to get the blog started. Here’s what’s on deck:
An extreme heat warning is in place for the state of Victoria, with severe to extreme intensity heat forecast to settle over the state and peak on Tuesday and Wednesday. Back-to-back days of extreme heat with high temperatures overnight can interfere with the body’s ability to cool down, causing heat illness.
Severe heatwave warnings are also in place in New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
There are multiple bushfires burning across Victoria, with watch and act warnings in place for many regions. At least six major bushfires were burning on Sunday after fire officials warned of hot, dry and dangerous conditions during the long weekend.
Stick with us.
