Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week – as it happened

Crowds of people pay their respects outside the Bondi Pavilion the day after the terror attack. Photograph: Rémi Chauvin/The Guardian

6.51am GMT

What we learned, Wednesday 18 February

Thanks for staying with us today. We’ll leave our breaking news blog there. Here were Wednesday’s top stories:

• The royal commission on antisemitism will hold its first public hearing next Tuesday, but no evidence will be given or testimony heard.

• Politicians condemned Pauline Hanson’s comments about Muslim Australians, which Chris Minns described as a “racist intervention” and Matt Canavan said showed she was “not fit to lead a major party”.

• The Returned Services League said it had been told bulldozed Australian war graves in Gaza would be repaired.

• One of the 34 Australians held in a Syrian detention camp has been temporarily banned from Australia.

• The eSafety commision lost its appeal over an informal warning it sent to X over tweet about a queer club.

• The Northern Territory government has released an area five times the size of Singapore for petroleum exploration.

• Real wages fell in 2025 as wage growth held steady but prices surged.

• The writer Randa Abdel-Fattah will appear at the Sydney writers’ festival this year.

Updated at 6.56am GMT

6.44am GMT

Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing in February

The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion will hold its first public hearing on 24 February, but no evidence will be given or testimony heard.

The royal commissioner, Virginia Bell, will provide a short opening statement where she will explain how she will approach the terms of reference. Senior counsel assisting Richard Lancaster will also make a short opening statement.

Bell said:

I acknowledge the importance of addressing antisemitism within the Australian community. I plan to conduct the inquiry as expeditiously as possible so that I can deliver a report containing my findings and recommendations not later than the first anniversary of the antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at Bondi Beach.

The government reluctantly agreed to set up the commonwealth royal commission in January, after facing sustained public pressure after the Bondi terror attack.

The commission will provide an interim report by 30 April, and a final report by 14 December.

Updated at 6.48am GMT