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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
National
Cait Kelly and Emily Wind (earlier)

Gold Coast high school students hospitalised after eating mushroom gummies – as it happened

RBA Interest Rates Australia the Reserve Bank Guardian Australia
Queensland ambulance
Paramedics attended to two boys from Palm Beach Currumbin state high school on Wednesday. Photograph: Russell Freeman/AAP

What we learned, Wednesday 2 October

And with that, we are going to close the blog. Before we go let’s recap the big headlines:

Thank you for spending your day with us. We’ll be back tomorrow to do it all again.

Updated

Victoria University estimates international student cap will cost it over $16m in one year

Victoria University (VU) estimates a loss of $16.7m in a single year as a result of the federal government’s proposed international student cap, a new analysis conducted by the university reveals.

Under the caps, VU will have its numbers capped at 11% below its 2023 intake level, among 15 universities that would see international student numbers decrease.

Its vice-chancellor, professor Adam Shoemaker, said it was “not a pretty picture”.

Every dollar counts for a public-purpose institution like ours. This proposal will hinder VU’s ability to invest and grow our equity and excellence agenda, which directly contradicts the key intent of the federal government’s Universities Accord.”

Over a third of VU students are from equity backgrounds, such as First Nations students, students with a disability and students from disadvantaged backgrounds, while almost half are first in family to go to university.

Speaking at a Senate inquiry into the bill on Wednesday, the deputy Greens leader and spokesperson for higher education, Mehreen Faruqi, said Labor and Liberal were in a “race to the bottom” on education policy, labelling the proposed cap “racist dog whistling”.

Updated

Gold Coast high school students hospitalised after eating mushroom gummies

Two Gold Coast high school students were taken to hospital this afternoon after reportedly ingesting mushroom gummies.

Paramedics attended to two boys from Palm Beach Currumbin state high on the southern Gold Coast just after 1.30pm on Wednesday. They are both in stable condition.

Updated

International student cap allocations derided as ‘bizarre’ and ‘illogical’ in Senate inquiry

One hundred and sixty pieces of correspondence have been sent to the Department of Education and Workplace Relations (DEWR) from tertiary education providers following the allocation of proposed federal government international student caps.

At a Senate inquiry into the bill on Wednesday, DEWR said it had received a “variety of concerns and issues” from providers over their respective allocations, acknowledging there was “clearly some confusion” around the process.

At least one area of the reforms – aviation schools – is under review after concerns the industry would collapse as a result of its granted caps, due to its reliance on international students to remain viable.

The chief executive of the Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia (ITECA), Troy Williams, told the inquiry the damage “designed in the bill” would take “years to repair”, warning it would cause thousands of job losses alongside campus closures. He said the approach to allocating student numbers to independent training providers was “nonsensical” and “irrational”, citing a lack of consultation with the sector and apparent shielding of public Tafe colleges from significant enrolment restrictions.

Some independent skills training and higher education providers with a proven track record of delivering high-quality outcomes for students are allocated just three or four students under this bill.

At the same time, however, a provider with no history of delivery for the past one to four years in some cases might receive an allocation of thirty. This is not just unfair; it’s bizarre and illogical.

Updated

Jacinta Allan issues statement on potential October 7 protests

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has also warned against people protesting on October 7. In a statement, she said:

People should not be protesting on October 7. This is a very traumatic anniversary for all those involved in the conflict.

Whilst everyone has a right to protest peacefully, groups should reconsider the need to protest next week in respect to the grief it will cause Jewish, Israeli, Muslim, Palestinian and Lebanese communities.

Updated

SPC cannery to merge with Original Juice Company and Nature One Dairy

Australia’s biggest cannery, SPC, has agreed to merge with the Original Juice Company in a three-way deal to boost the food and beverage businesses’ scale, AAP reports.

The Original Juice Company announced on the Australian Stock Exchange it had reached a deal to merge with SPC and the Singapore-registered, Australian-founded dairy and powdered milk company Nature One Dairy.

The deal is subject to shareholder approval and ASX requirements. The combined company is expected to deliver more than $400m in revenue this financial year.

SPC has produced canned products for more than a century to Australian and global markets, but recently cut pear production as it struggled to compete with supermarket-branded products sourced from cheaper imported fruit.

Updated

ABC news director calls out racial abuse of Tony Armstrong

ABC’s director of news, Justin Stevens, has called out the racial abuse Tony Armstrong has been subjected to this week at the same time as the racism report was released.

Armstrong shared screenshots of racial attacks he received online after Media Watch reported he had not told the ABC he had been employed to do voiceover for an ad campaign for one of the country’s biggest insurance companies, NRMA. Stevens:

The ABC stands by Tony and will not tolerate any racist abuse. The ABC has logged the details of the abusive social media posts and made a complaint regarding the moderation of the comments.

More to come.

Updated

Australian Catholic University at risk of breaching international student cap due to over-enrollment

The Australian Catholic University (ACU) has been warned by the Department of Education that it may be at risk of over-enrolling as a result of the federal government’s proposed international student cap.

Speaking at a Senate inquiry into the commonwealth’s legislation on Wednesday, the deputy secretary of the department, Ben Rimmer, said ACU had been put “on notice” that it was at risk of going beyond its proposed cap.

The inquiry has heard that the legislation is “arbitrary”, “chaotic”, “full of errors and flaws” and “made no sense” as the sector grapples with the implications of the provider-level restrictions.

The Greens’ deputy leader and spokesperson for higher education, Mehreen Faruqi, asked Rimmer how the department was navigating universities who, prior to receiving their indicative cap, had already enrolled more international students. “Have they been asked to stop offering places?” she asked.

Rimmer said he had been monitoring very closely the number of certificates of enrolment for 2025 that had been made by each provider and in “a couple of cases” had conversations with providers about their numbers.

“In the absence of legislation as yet, decisions about what to do as a result of what government is saying publicly are a matter for each provider … we have put one university on notice that they may be at risk of over enrolment.”

Asked what university that was, he replied: “The Australian Catholic University.”

Updated

Katter and Hanson’s parties to preference LNP in Queensland state election

Katter’s Australian party will preference the Liberal National Party for the first time in a crucial north Queensland region at the state election.

KAP’s state leader, Robbie Katter, has confirmed the party will ask its supporters to preference the opposition in Townsville instead of Labor at the 26 October poll.

We’ve always had a position of neutrality on our preferences, and that’s because we don’t like endorsing one side or the other. But it does hit a point where you say, well, if someone’s been that bad, they need to be taught a lesson.

And Pauline Hanson launched One Nation’s Queensland campaign today. The One Nation leader announced the party would preference the LNP ahead of Labor and the Greens. She told 4BC:

Under Labor the state is in one hell of a mess.

The Greens will definitely be last on our how to vote cards.

- With AAP

Updated

Woman charged following Sydney CBD protest:

NSW police say they have charged a woman after a Hezbollah flag was allegedly displayed at a pro-Palestine and Lebanon protest in Sydney on the weekend.

In a statement, police said:

A woman has been charged as part of an investigation into a public order incident in Sydney last Sunday.

Operation Shelter was established in October 2023, to ensure community safety in response to protest activity. About 10am today (Wednesday 2 October 2024), the 19-year-old woman presented herself to Kogarah police station following a public appeal.

She was arrested and charged with cause public display of prohibited terrorists organisation symbol.

She was granted strict conditional bail to appear before the Downing centre local court on Wednesday 23 October 2024.

More info here:

Updated

Sydney councillor-elect calls on police to work with City instead of going to court

A City of Sydney councillor elect, Sylvie Ellsmore, has also called on police to work with the city of Sydney to manage how the protest takes place instead of taking the organisers to court:

Police have the option of working with the City of Sydney to manage how public space is used for protest and other activities – they do not need to take community activists to the supreme court to do so.

Updated

Police submit NSW supreme court application to block pro-Palestine rallies

NSW police have applied to the sate’s supreme court to prevent pro-Palestine rallies going ahead on 6 and 7 October.

Community Legal Centres NSW, Amnesty International Australia, the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and the Jewish Council of Australia are among 40 groups urging the NSW police commissioner to reconsider the decision. Anastasia Radievska, a protest rights campaigner at the Australian Democracy Network, said:

In a democratic society, communities must be able to come together and have their say through protest. The attempt to prohibit a community rally that has safely run for 51 weeks is a serious attack on the right to protest. The NSW police’s citing of flower planter boxes at Town Hall as one of their main safety concerns makes a mockery of the Form 1 process and the supreme court’s time.

Updated

LNP to recommend preferencing One Nation in key seat

The Queensland opposition leader also confirmed the LNP would put local One Nation candidate James Ashby ahead of the Labor incumbent, Brittany Lauga, in the seat of Keppel.

Crisafulli:

We will be putting Greens and Labor last. I’ll tell you why. That does not take a lot of decision making time. In my mind, you’ve got the Labor party that’s been in power for 30 of the last 35 years. They’ve won 11 of the last 12 general elections, and they’ve been a really, really bad government, particularly the last few years.

As for the Greens, they are not a movement that reflects the values of a modern Queensland.

Both are contesting the seat of Keppel, which neighbours Rockhampton, where Crisafulli spoke on Wednesday.

Updated

David Crisafulli claims he can meet state emission targets without renewables if elected

The Queensland opposition leader has rejected claims from the state’s environmental peak body that he could not meet the state’s emissions target without renewables. The LNP’s leader, David Crisafulli, reconfirmed he would repeal the state’s legislated renewables target if elected.

The head of the Queensland Conservation Council, Dave Copeman, said reaching the mandated 75% target “will be impossible if the LNP plans to keep coal open for longer and doesn’t commit to Queensland’s renewable energy targets”. But Crisafulli said agriculture could pick up the slack:

You can work with agriculture to do good, sensible use of protected areas. There is a number of ways a government can deal by working with the private sector and indeed looking up its own back yard to reduce your emissions.

And Queensland’s shown that over recent years, we have shown there has been a reduction in emissions, and it’s been led largely by the agricultural sector, to its great credit … the way that Aussie farmers and Queensland farmers had embraced the change and the opportunities that come from market by being clean and green has been spot on, spot on.

And we think if you’ve got a government that can partner with them, that is very, very achievable.

Energy is the leading emitter in Queensland, representing 36% of the carbon inventory. Agriculture is in fourth place, representing 17%. The LNP leader has travelled to Rockhampton today to promise a new $95m academy for health sciences.

Updated

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today, Cait Kelly will be here to guide you through the rest of today’s rolling coverage. See you tomorrow morning.

NSW Health warns of high-dose MDMA tablets circulating state

NSW Health has issued a warning about high-dose MDMA, or ecstasy, tablets circulating the state, with a higher dose than usually expected. The tablets are purple shield-shaped (see below from their press release).

Dr Hester Wilson, a chief addiction medicine specialist, said consuming high doses of MDMA has been linked to cases of serious illness and death in NSW:

MDMA can cause severe agitation, raised body temperature, seizures or fits, irregular heart rhythm and death. Other risks include taking MDMA in combination with other stimulants, such as amphetamines or cocaine.

The amount of MDMA in a tablet or capsule can vary significantly, even within the same batch. The health risks from MDMA are greatly increased if high amounts (including multiple doses) are consumed over a short period.

Wilson also said hot environments, such as music festivals, increase the risk of harm from MDMA, encouraging people to take a break from dancing, seek shade and drink water.

Updated

Fears spike about public sector workplace corruption

Almost one in three Victorian public sector employees think corruption is a problem in their workplace, according to the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission’s latest perceptions of corruption survey.

As AAP reports, the survey was released today and collected more than 9,000 responses from Victorians aged 16 and older – including public sector workers, local government employees, Victoria police members and business suppliers. Roughly nine out of 10 agreed corruption happens in Victoria, the report said.

On average, a 19-percentage point gap exists between those agreeing corruption happens versus [those that] perceive that corruption is a problem, suggesting a widespread tolerance for certain types of corruption behaviours.

Across the groups, there has tended to be an increase since 2022 in the proportion viewing corruption to be a problem in Victoria.

Updated

Here’s the full story from Mostafa Rachwani, on news Sydney police told organisers of a pro-Palestine rally this weekend they had safety concerns over the expected crowd size and potential hazards at Town Hall – including “the recent addition of over a dozen planter boxes”.

Legal activists say right to protest ‘must be protected’

The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) is calling on the NSW police commissioner to drop supreme court applications attempting to prevent two pro-Palestine rallies from going ahead on 6 and 7 October.

In a statement, the HRLC said that any approach that “demonises and punishes thousands of people for the actions of a few is disproportionate and a breach of human rights”.

David Mejia-Canales, a senior lawyer at the HRLC, said the right to protest is “fundamental to our democracy and must be protected.”

While NSW police may seek to restrict or ban the protest, they must be able to show that these actions are both necessary and proportionate, in line with international human rights and constitutional standards.

Overly broad restrictions on our right to get together peacefully must not be NSW police’s first response; instead, authorities must focus on facilitating these rights and freedoms.

Mejia-Canales said that blanket bans on protests are “disproportionate” and that restricting and prohibiting protests should “only ever be a measure of last resort.”

NSW police must prioritise less intrusive measures and consider allowing the protest to go ahead. If there is poor behaviour by individuals, then this should be dealt with accordingly while allowing everyone else to peacefully protest.

Updated

The Bureau of Meteorology has shared this satellite view of southwest WA, where a severe weather warning remains in place.

A strong cold front will sweep the region today, with an associated deep low pressure system and trough to follow in its wake.

Widespread damaging winds around 60-70km/h with peak gusts around 100km/h are forecast across the coastal fringe south of Jurien Bay from this evening.

This system is expected to be windier than typical and unusual for this time of year, the Bureau said.

Aussies unprepared for money shocks, according to survey

Less than a quarter of Australians are satisfied with their financial position, with younger generations increasingly relying on grandparents for support.

As AAP reports, research conducted by investment group MLC found 70% of people said financial wellbeing was important to meeting life goals, but only 23% were happy with their money situation.

MLC’s financial freedom report, which surveyed more than 2,500 people, found just 25% of respondents were prepared to handle unexpected financial challenges. Some 41% of respondents said they worried about their finances all the time or often.

The findings also showed grandparents were playing a larger role in helping younger generations financially, with more than half saying they are assisting monetarily or plan to do so.

The findings showed 60% of those in Gen Z received financial support from grandparents – along with 56% of millennials – when they reached adulthood. That compares with 20% of generation X and 6% of baby boomers.

Those in generation X were the most likely to worry about cost-of-living issues, followed by generation Z, millennials and baby boomers.

Updated

SPC to merge with Original Juice owner

Canned fruit giant SPC Global is planning to merge with the Original Juice Company (OJC) in a deal designed to create a large food conglomerate, with increased Australian manufacturing capability.

The deal, which requires approval from OJC shareholders, also includes folding powdered milk products company Nature One Dairy into the new company, according to an ASX release issued today.

The 100-year-old SPC, a major employer in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, is the biggest company of the three and its chief executive, Robert Iervasi, will lead the merged entity.

With our market-leading packaged fruit, canned tomatoes and baked bean products, we are excited to expand with OJC both domestically and globally and see significant synergy potential in bringing the two producers together.

Best known for the aforementioned canned fruit and baked beans, SPC also produces ready-made meals. The ASX-listed OJC owns several juice brands, including Original Juice and The Juice Lab.

OJC is chaired by the former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, who will step down from his role after the transaction is finalised. The combined business is expected to generate more than $400m in annual revenue, OJC told shareholders.

Updated

Woman charged for allegedly causing fires at cemetery chapel and sheds

Western Australian police have charged a 28-year-old woman for allegedly setting fire to items inside a chapel.

It will be alleged the Mandurah woman forced entry into the Norfolk chapel at Karrakatta cemetery yesterday and set fire to items inside, with the resulting fire causing an estimated $1m damage to the chapel.

Police will further allege the woman set fire to a shed at a cemetery in Parklands on 27 September, with the shed and its contents destroyed. Police allege the woman set another fire in a small shed at the same cemetery in Parklands on 30 September.

The woman has been charged with one count of burglary and three counts of criminal damage by fire and is due to appear before the Perth magistrates court today.

Updated

Anne Hollonds says systems outside of youth prisons ‘need to be doing their job’

Back at the National Press Club, Anne Hollonds told a story about visiting what she thought was the best youth justice facility in the country, with 24 children.

She didn’t say what state it was located in, but that she was “really impressed” and asked the principal what happens to the children when they leave? The principle said that was “a problem”, Hollonds said, explaining:

She said, ‘They go back to their community and they try to re-enrol back in the school, and often the school doesn’t want them.’ She said that to me. ‘The school does not want them.’ Or they start going back to school, but they’re not getting the one on one learning support they need.

These kids, they may have dropped out of school about the age of eight or nine. They have missed years and years of schooling. So she said ‘they drop out, and then they come back, and they come back, and they come back.’ …

And so it’s a failure … of the systems outside the prison. So even the state that I mentioned, that had the small therapeutic unit, they can’t fix all this on their own. They need the systems outside the prison to be doing their job, and that’s not happening.

Updated

NSW Friends of Palestine write to police minister seeking compromise ahead of rallies

The NSW Friends of Palestine group have written to the NSW police minister, Yasmin Catley, urging the government to help find a compromise with NSW police and allow this weekend’s planned pro-Palestinian protests to go ahead.

As the Guardian’s Mostafa Rachwani reported this morning, NSW police plan on applying to the state’s supreme court to prevent the protests going ahead on the grounds of safety concerns, a move protesters say is an attack on the fundamental democratic right to protest.

The Labor group are appealing to Catley to find a middle road.

In a letter sent to the police minister, Labor members said “rank and file ALP branch members have demonstrated consistent support for the Palestinian people through branch and conference resolutions, fundraising for humanitarian aid, and through participation in the weekly rallies” and that Labor Friends of Palestine members “have participated in every Sydney rally for the last 51 weeks”.

In a letter seen by Guardian Australia, Louisa Romanous wrote on behalf of the group:

Over that time, we have found the rallies to be peaceful and well-organised. We acknowledge that last Sunday’s rally had a different tone – born out of the shock and distress arising from Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. Members of the Australian-Lebanese community expressed their profound grief and pain in many different ways, with a very small number flying Hezbollah flags. Notwithstanding the heightened emotions, at no time did the rally feel unsafe or violent.

The NSW police announcement that they will seek to prohibit this week’s rally seems a disproportionate response to the actions we observed at the rally, and prohibiting a rally on such a key date is a profound attack on political expression and the right to protest.

The group said “Labor governments should protect peaceful protest as a critical feature of social democracy and progressive politics” and urged Catley to “intervene in this matter and work constructively with police, rally organisers and affected communities to facilitate an outcome that will allow a peaceful rally and march to occur as planned on Sunday 6th October in Sydney”.

Updated

Children’s commissioner says minister for children would improve coordination

The children’s commissioner, Anne Hollands, has been taking questions following her speech at the National Press Club.

She was asked about her call for a minister for children: why was it not sufficient to simply have the existing minister for youth?

Hollonds noted the work the youth minister is doing, but said she wants to see a minister for children in cabinet as well:

Not because that person can fix it on their own, by the way, because having someone – it would make my life easier, I would have one minister to talk to, not fifty million – but at the moment there’s no coordination. That minister would ideally work with colleagues to ensure we get better coordination and work with the jurisdictions on these sorts of reforms we’re talking about.

Updated

Planter boxes listed as safety concern ahead of pro-Palestine rally on Sunday

A NSW police letter to organisers of a pro-Palestine rally planned for Sunday at Sydney’s Town Hall says the force has concerns for the safety of participants and the general public given the size of the expected crowd and hazards within the precinct including “the recent addition of over a dozen planter boxes” for spring.

The force also notes the potential impact of the rally on other users of the Town Hall precinct including light rail commuters and attendees at the nearby St Andrews cathedral.

The police letter to the organisers does not mention the potential presence of prohibited images such as the Hezbollah flag which was allegedly displayed at last Sunday’s protest in Sydney’s CBD.

The NSW Greens justice spokesperson, Sue Higginson, said the move by NSW police to ban this weekend’s protests at Town Hall was “oppressive.”

It is a harsh and oppressive move by the NSW police force to attempt to prohibit the peaceful, uninterrupted weekly assembly where people have been expressing their collective grief and support of the Palestinian people suffering the most horrific genocide.

To learn that the reason for this undemocratic intolerance of the people’s right to protest is [partly] due to a few planter boxes on the street is cruel, callous and frankly dangerous.

After a meeting yesterday morning with organisers, NSW police said they were “not satisfied that the protest could proceed safely” and signalled they would apply to the NSW supreme court to have Sunday’s protest banned – along with another event scheduled for Monday.

Anti-trans activist Kellie-Jay Keen says visa to Australia has not been granted

Kellie-Jay Keen, aka Posie Parker, has ditched plans to appear at the conservative talkfest CPAC Australia in Brisbane this weekend after she said her visa to Australia had not been granted.

The “gender-critical” activist from the UK, who made headlines in Australia last year when her rally outside the steps of parliament was gatecrashed by nazis, posted on X she was not flying to Australia in the morning due to a visa not being granted and she would instead be watching the live stream of the defamation trial brought by Liberal MP Moira Deeming against state Liberal leader John Pesutto over comments made about her attendance that rally.

CPAC Australia also claimed on its website the talk had been “CANCELLED VISA REFUSED” [sic]. But it is understood the Department of Home Affairs was still considering the visa application from Parker and no refusal had been issued.

CPAC Australia was approached for comment.

The headline act for CPAC Australia will be former UK prime minister Liz Truss. Other speakers include Warren Mundine, Senator Alex Antic, Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Matt Canavan, the former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and Senator Gerard Rennick.

Updated

More from Anne Hollonds’ national press club address

Anne Hollonds is calling for the government to appoint a cabinet minister for children and to establish a ministerial council for child wellbeing that reports to national cabinet.

She said Australia ratified the convention on the rights of the child in 1990 but “unlike other countries, we have no legislation to underpin the responsibilities we have signed up to”:

There is currently noone held responsible, for example, when the conditions in detention are breaching international human rights conventions. And this was made clear at a recent inquest into the tragic death by suicide of young Cleveland Dodd.

Hollonds argued the concept that children have human rights is “not well understood” in Australia:

You never hear children’s rights talked about in question time, or on the news. But you’ll hear about workers’ rights, women’s rights, consumer rights, for example. The term children’s rights, well, it doesn’t really roll off the tongue, does it, in Australia. And that helps to explain why we continue to see breaches of human rights, and in child justice system. It’s getting worse, not better, and it has to stop.

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14

Updated

Commissioner says some politicians told her: ‘there’s no votes in children’

Circling back to the National Press Club, where the children’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, has been speaking. She said that when she has raised issues of youth justice with members of Parliament, some have said “there’s no votes in children”:

The truth is while we may all be shocked in the moment when there’s a tragedy reported in the media – and there’s just about every week – these serious failures and systemic neglect of children do not seem to affect a party’s political fortunes at elections.

Despite the economic costs and the questionable morality of strategies contrary to the evidence, when I ask about lack of progress on reform, I’m told by some members of Parliament there’s no votes in children.

Updated

Attempts to stop pro-Palestine rallies in Sydney ‘deeply anti democractic’, Greens senator says

Greens senator David Shoebridge has labelled the move by NSW police to try to stop pro-Palestine rallies from taking place in Sydney as “deeply anti democratic”.

In a post to X, Shoebridge said the protests have been held weekly for 51 weeks and have been “overwhelmingly peaceful,” with families and the community coming together to “mourn their loved ones and call for the end of violence.”

The organisers were in discussions with police on how to hold the protest and keep the community safe but then found out via the media that police were trying to block it! It’s a deeply anti-democratic move.

Updated

Children’s commissioner ‘shocked and distressed’ after visiting youth detention centres

Continuing from our last post: Anne Hollonds said that what she saw during visits to the nation’s youth detention centres left her “shocked and distressed”.

As AAP reports, she told the audience:

What was most chilling for me was to meet children who had no one, who were completely alone, who spoke of feeling shut out and shunned by society. These children were unable to tell me about any hopes or dreams or plans for the future. All they could see in their future was more of the same but in adult prison.

Barely literate, their lack of education or training gave them no prospects for a job, and they had no one to help them. The light had gone out of their eyes.

The children’s commissioner warned unless the nation started paying attention to the evidence, the community would be having the same conversation in a decade’s time, only with a lot more tragedies along the way.

Australia can be ‘smart on crime’ by acting on the evidence, dealing with the barriers to reform, and building safe communities where children can get the best start in life.

Updated

Children’s commissioner addresses National Press Club

The national children’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, has begun addressing the National Press Club in Canberra.

As AAP reports, Hollonds is making the case that Australia must abandon its tough approach to managing youth crime and start looking to evidence-based solutions – including earlier intervention to help save children from “disadvantage, despair and desperation”.

Youth detention centres are the places where the most egregious breaches of the human rights of children are happening.

Australia cannot continue with “business as usual” and should ditch its failed approach of longer sentencing, more policing and more children’s prisons, she said. Instead, it should look to change youth justice to improve child wellbeing.

After the child protection system, often the next station on the train line for them is the criminal justice system.

Updated

More activists sought over violent anti-war protests

The search for anti-war protesters wanted over clashes outside a controversial Melbourne weapons expo has stepped up, AAP reports.

Images of eight people – seven men and one woman – have been released after the unrest triggered by the Land Forces expo on 11 September.

Rocks, projectiles, liquids, horse manure and eggs were hurled at officers, horses and expo attenders, police say. Twenty-seven officers were injured and about 12 horses were exposed to various substances. Victoria police said in a statement today:

Several police horses and riders were splashed with a liquid irritant including being sprayed under face protectors, going into their mouths and nostrils, and were repeatedly pushed and hit with plastic crates.

Riot officers returned fire on the 1,500 demonstrators with rubber bullets, teargas and flashbang devices. Activity over the following two days of the expo was less volatile.

Eighty-nine people were charged or issued fines, with police setting up an investigative team to track down more offenders. They have also released an image of a man wearing a blue shirt and keffiyeh after a council bin was set alight on Spencer Street.

The chief commissioner, Shane Patton, defended his officers’ use of force against the protesters, who he called “a bunch of hypocrites”. He said at the time: “They come here to protest against anti-war, so presumably [they are] anti-violence.”

Updated

Adam Bandt on Middle East: ‘Labor must do more than simply call for a ceasefire’

The leader of the Greens, Adam Bandt, says the “dangerous escalation” in the Middle East requires “people and governments around the world to keep pushing for peace through taking action.”

In a series of posts to X, Bandt said underlying the conflict is “the state of Israel’s continued illegal occupation of Palestine” and “until this ends, there will be no just [and] lasting peace for Palestinians, Israelis and their neighbours.”

He said that Labor “must do more than simply call for a ceasefire” and should pressure the Netanyahu government “with sanctions and an end to military trade”.

This is what can help end the cycle of violence … The Greens continue to call for the release of the hostages, an end to the invasion of Gaza and Lebanon, and an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine.

Updated

More on the evacuations from Lebanon

More Australians have left Lebanon after the Israeli military strikes, however, the government is continuing to warn people to move quickly.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says staff are continuing to work with allied nations, including the UK and Canada, to help Australians leave Lebanon. A Dfat spokesperson says the time to act is now:

A number of Australians were assisted onto commercial flights on Monday and overnight. Further seats have been secured on additional flights on Thursday and we are working to access more flights over the coming days.

The Australian embassy in Beirut remains open and for the meantime there are still commercial options, although contingency plans are in place. However officials have warned people not to wait any longer if they want to leave.

The Australian government understands this is a distressing time for many who are being impacted by the conflict. We urge Australians in Lebanon to take the first opportunity to leave. Please do not wait for a preferred route.

There is estimated to be about 15,000 Australians in Lebanon although the government does not have exact numbers.

Updated

More than 100 airline seats secured for Australians fleeing Lebanon

AAP has reported more than 100 commercial airline seats have been secured for Australians trying to leave Lebanon as dire warnings continue for people to evacuate amid an escalation of conflict in the region.

Flights across Monday and Tuesday carried dozens of Australians out while another scheduled flight for Thursday will add to the tally.

It comes as Australians in Lebanon are urged to take any available option to get out of the country as the security situation deteriorates following an increase in missile strikes across Lebanon and Israel.

The federal government continues to work on contingencies to evacuate citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families from Lebanon should the situation deteriorate further.

But grave warnings have been issued that any effort cannot accommodate the some 15,000 Australians in the country, although exact figures are unknown.

Updated

NRMA report says one of biggest barriers to EV adoption in Australia is ‘image problem’

There’s a new report out from NRMA Insurance looking at the road ahead for electric vehicle adoption in Australia.

It says EV sales have grown in Australia, from less than 1% of new car sales in 2020 to 8.5% of light vehicle sales in 2023. Uptake has been strongest among drivers with annual household incomes over $200,000, families with children and those in capital cities.

Currently 5% of Australian drivers own an EV. The two biggest drivers for purchasing one were sustainability reasons, at 77%, and affordability, at 76%.

But one of the biggest barriers is an “image problem”, the report states, with “petrol and hybrid vehicles are seen by many purchasers as being superior vehicles to EVs.” Some of barriers to buying an EV among non-considerers were vehicle attributes (82%), infrastructure (64%), cost (63%) and safety (51%).

44% also listed the risk of battery fires as a concern, even though research shows road registered EVs do not present a greater risk of fire than internal combustion vehicles.

NRMA CEO Julie Batch says the report highlights the work needed to bust the myths about range anxiety, safety and cost. The report is based on research involving 2,079 interviews conducted in February.

Updated

Victorian minister says protesters should ‘think twice’ about holding rallies on 7 October

Victoria’s assistant treasurer and minister for transport, Danny Pearson, says pro-Palestine protesters should “think twice” about holding rallies on the anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.

Speaking to reporters, Pearson said 7 October will be an “incredibly challenging and difficult day for many members of our community.”

I would really encourage people to really think twice about whether that’s a day where these sorts of activities should be occurring.

This is a day of immense trauma and grief for many in our community ... I don’t think a protest is an appropriate way to mark a day of grief and trauma.

In Melbourne, a pro-Palestine rally is planned for Sunday, the day before the anniversary.

Updated

For more on this topic, our reporter Tory Shepherd has put together an explainer on what Australian law says about the display of hate symbols, and if we need any new legislation – as Peter Dutton has been calling for.

Updated

More information on arrest of woman in Sydney

NSW Police have made their first arrest as part of their investigations into people allegedly holding Hezbollah imagery at the pro-Palestine protest last Sunday.

At around 10am this morning, a 19-year-old woman presented herself to Kogarah Police Station following a public appeal for her to come forward.

Police said in a statement she was arrested and is currently assisting police with inquiries.

The Guardian understands she has been arrested for the alleged display of Hezbollah imagery, which the police have described as “prohibited symbols”.

She was arrested as part of Operation Shelter’s investigation into the protest, with the taskforce established to “ensure community safety in response to protest activity.”

Investigations continue.

Updated

Victoria police say they have no powers to halt pro-Palestine rally

Victoria police say they have no powers to halt a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne this weekend, ahead of the anniversary of the 7 October attacks in Israel.

A spokesperson says the police will have a presence at the Melbourne rally on Sunday, a day before the anniversary. The spokesperson says the focus will be on ensuring the safety of those attending and the broader community:

Victoria Police respects the right for peaceful protest, however any unlawful behaviour will not be tolerated.

Victoria Police does not have the power to deny a protest from occurring, so long as it is lawful. There is no permit system for protests in Victoria.

Updated

Woman arrested in Sydney amid investigations into alleged display of prohibited symbols at protest

A woman has been arrested as part of an investigation into a public order incident at a protest last Sunday.

About 10am today, the 19-year-old woman presented to Kogarah police station following a public appeal for information.

Earlier, NSW police released images of a woman and said she might be able to assist with inquiries into the alleged display of prohibited symbols at the protest.

She has been arrested and is currently assisting police with inquiries.

Updated

Shorten pleads with Australians to ‘live and let live’

Retiring federal minister Bill Shorten has urged Australians deeply distressed about events in the Middle East to “live and let live” and not to prosecute their arguments in ways that break Australian law.

At a news conference alongside prime minister Anthony Albanese in Shorten’s Melbourne seat of Maribyrnong, the minister echoed Albanese’s concerns about public demonstrations planned for this weekend to mark a year since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel.

I respect that people from Gaza, from the West Bank, from Lebanon, from Israel, feel really strongly and they’re going through pain, which the rest of us who don’t have family there can’t even begin to understand. But people shouldn’t bring their arguments to this country and disrespect our laws.

He and Albanese both acknowledged that the October 7 attacks represented the single largest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

Albanese, who earlier indicated he will attend a vigil for Israeli victims of the attacks in Melbourne, urged people to rethink plans to stage public protests (see earlier in the blog).

Shorten endorsed Albanese’s comments and asked:

Can’t we just live and let live here and try the best we can to maintain harmony?

Updated

New study aims to improve health outcomes for NSW prisoners

Researchers will examine how to improve the “health literacy” and provide better care for New South Wales prisoners, particularly those who are Aboriginal, in what the state government says is a world-first study.

The Minns Labor government has announced a $500,000 grant for Justice Health NSW (JHNSW), the agency responsible for providing healthcare to people in the criminal justice system.

The purpose of the study is to work out how to provide prisoners with better and more equitable access to health information and services, including to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes.

The government hopes to improve health outcomes for prisoners and in turn reduce the need for more expensive acute care. The study will be led by JHNSW’s Dr Julia Bowman and Swinburne University’s Professor Richard Osborne.

It follows previous research that found people incarcerated in NSW prisons, particularly Aboriginal people, have poorer health outcomes and lower health literacy than those in the wider community.

In a statement, the state minister for Aboriginal affairs, David Harris, said:

While there are many strengths in the current service provision for people in prison, there is an opportunity to better address the specific needs of Aboriginal people.

This grant will fund an extensive co-design process to build on existing strengths and further enhance the overall health of people in NSW prisons.

Updated

China’s green tech investment tsunami could lap Australian shores, report says

There’s no doubt China has grabbed market leadership in many of the technologies we need to decarbonise our economies, from solar panels and wind turbines to electric vehicles and the batteries that power them.

Australia stands to benefit from those advances and potentially from soaring outbound investment in low-emissions technology, according to a new report by Climate Energy Finance, out today.

Since 2023, US$100bn (A$145bn) of Chinese investment has poured out of China into at least 100 deals, a flow of funds that Australia has partly benefitted from, with more to come, the report finds. A 1.4 gigawatt windfarm with a big battery is one such project.

However, barriers to Chinese money – including foreign investment approvals – have meant “Chinese private investment in Australia is weak relative to the rest of the world”, the report by Tim Buckley and other authors says.

It makes geopolitical and economic sense for Australia to find a strategic way to work with our biggest trading partner and the region’s major power, while navigating the challenges and risks Chinese technology and manufacturing expansion and its global critical minerals supply chain dominance pose.

Others, though, say Australia may have to choose between teaming up with the dominant clean energy supply or joining the US, the European Union and other regions (eg India) in trying to push back against that dominance.

That dilemma will play out in Albanese government plans for a $1bn solar panel plant in NSW’s Hunter Valley.

The most likely route of success would be to lure one of China’s huge solar firms but that would then run counter to efforts to reduce reliance on a nation that supplies as much as 90% of the global market.

One thing for sure, though, the world needs to accelerate decarbonisation, one way or another.

Updated

Fourth-hottest Australian September on record

Peter Hannam has shared a few graphics on September’s national weather.

As is pretty much a given, the month was warmer than the 1961-90 benchmark, and by mean temperatures (that average out maximums and minimums) it was the fourth hottest on record.

And here’s those maximums – with September 1.9C on average warmer than the 1961-90 gauge:

Minimums were notably above average across much of the country, and at record warm levels in the north-west:

Those overnight temperatures were warm because there was a lot of cloud around, producing a record wet September for a large chunk of that north-west region.

And the relatively warm September followed a “gobsmackingly” hot August, which shattered records for that month.

Updated

Albanese on Dutton: ‘not strong to not understand there’s a separation of powers in this country’

Anthony Albanese was asked whether he agrees with comments from the home affairs minister, Tony Burke, accusing Peter Dutton of seeking to “throw more kerosene on the fire” on public debate around the Middle East conflict.

The PM told reporters:

Peter Dutton has never seen an issue in which he does not seek to promote division. And that is the characteristic that Peter Dutton has had his entire political career. It’s not strong to not understand that there’s a separation of powers in this country.

As Dutton flagged earlier, Albanese confirmed he spoke with Dutton on Saturday to provide a briefing on the situation in the Middle East and on domestic security concerns.

Updated

The prime minister also commented on the alleged display of Hezbollah flags at a rally last weekend, and said:

The Hezbollah flag is quite clearly a hate symbol and should not be displayed here in Australia.

Prime minister says 7 October 'not the time for demonstrations to occur'

Anthony Albanese says he believes 7 October is not a time for demonstrations to occur.

Speaking about the protests planned for 6 and 7 October, he told reporters:

What I would encourage at all times is for there to be appropriate moderation. These are difficult times. I understand that, for many Australians with family – be it in Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, or in Lebanon, this is a very difficult time.

It’s not a time to raise temperature. It’s a time to try to make sure that social cohesion in Australia is valued.

So October 7, I think, is not a time for demonstrations to occur. Because it will be perceived as – whether that’s the intention or not – as being something that is less than an appropriate commemoration of the atrocities that occurred on October 7, and it will do nothing to advance the cause.

Updated

Albanese is asked if Australia supports Israel’s efforts to ‘take out Hezbollah’

Asked if Israel must disable Hezbollah to defend itself, and if the Australian government supports Israel’s efforts to “take out Hezbollah”, Anthony Albanese responds:

We regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation, as we regard Hamas as a terrorist organisation. We have been working with like-minded countries and issuing appropriate statements, such as the one that I referred to.

This is the statement he was referring to:

Updated

Prime minister addresses media from Melbourne

The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is speaking to the media from Melbourne.

He reiterated the call for a de-escalation to the conflict in the Middle East and said:

We’re very concerned about Iran’s actions, which is why we condemn them. It is a good thing that it would appear that the defence of Israel, supported by the United States, has ensured that there is no loss of civilian life, it would appear, at this stage. There’s been too much loss of life in that region …

Israel, of course, has a right to defend itself. What we have called for consistently is for a de-escalation in the region, along with our friends in the United States and others.

Updated

Queensland opposition leader hits back at premier’s public power promise

The Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli his back at the premier’s power retailer announcement at an event in Brisbane.

(We covered this earlier in the blog, here).

The LNP leader called the plan “a desperate thought bubble “.

The solution is state owned generators running at capacity, not more, state owned retailers running off with your money. And I want to give you certainty that what Queenslanders want is security when it comes to energy; a maintenance guarantee on our assets. What they don’t need is a distraction to take away from ten years of bad planning that has meant that you are paying more for your electricity.

Speaking at day two of the AgForce agricultural industry conference, Crisafulli announced a $30m agricultural innovation fund.

Dutton says he was briefed by director general of national security

Peter Dutton said he received a briefing from the director general of national security a couple of weeks ago in Canberra.

We had a discussion, obviously, around the Middle East, as well as on other topics.

The opposition leader said he has asked his office to organise briefings from the director general of Asio and Defence, “if the government deems it appropriate” and with the head of Asis as well.

I had a conversation with the prime minister on the weekend, and I was sent a piece of intelligence in relation to – which is at a fairly high level, but nonetheless, I appreciated that update as well.

Updated

Dutton says Minns ‘has shown leadership’ over pro-Palestinian protests

Q: If NSW police fail to block pro-Palestinian protests in Sydney, how should police respond? Should they go out and arrest people who turn up?

Peter Dutton said he pays credit to NSW premier Chris Minns “who I think has shown leadership in relationship to this particular issue, and I think that’s recognised in the Jewish community as well.”

(You can read Minns’ comments earlier in the blog here).

Dutton said he hoped Victorian police would follow suit with NSW police in applying to court to stop the protests.

That is not an anniversary that should be celebrated.

Updated

Dutton claims PM’s response to Iran strikes ‘has made it more precarious for us here’

The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, is speaking to reporters and commented on the Iranian missile attack on Israel overnight.

Dutton said he “condemn[s] absolutely” the actions of Iran, and argued “the way in which the prime minister has responded, or has not responded here, has made it more precarious for us here in Australia as well.”

The prime minister should be standing up, as the United States has stood up overnight, as the United Kingdom has, as Canada has, to condemn the actions and to make sure that decisions are made to keep us safe here in Australia as well.

Earlier this morning, Anthony Albanese said the Australian government condemns the attack on Israel by Iran as an “an extremely dangerous escalation”. He also said there “does at some point need to be a diplomatic solution here.” You can read his full comments here and here.

Updated

Police want to speak with woman regarding alleged display of prohibited symbols at protest

NSW police have released images of a woman they believe can assist with investigations into a public order incident in Sydney last Sunday.

The investigation is part of Operation Shelter, which police launched in October 2023 to “ensure community safety in response to protest activity.”

In a statement NSW police said the woman might be able to assist with inquiries into the alleged display of prohibited symbols last Sunday.

The woman is described as being of Mediterranean/Middle Eastern appearance, of medium build, with long brown hair, wearing all black clothing and black sunglasses.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Premier backs NSW police bid to stop pro-Palestine rallies from going ahead

The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, says he supports the police’s decision to apply to the supreme court to prevent two rallies from going ahead on 6 and 7 October.

Speaking to reporters earlier this morning, he said:

I want to make it clear, we completely support police’s decision in relation to that application. The reasons are, it’s the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel. Obviously, community anger and concern on the streets is heightened as a result of that anniversary.

It’s also in the middle of the school holidays. The protests and march was scheduled to take place in the evening. It’s a long weekend in Sydney, and the police … [believed] that there was a high prospect of conflict on the streets of Sydney.

Updated

Special envoy on antisemitism responds to Iranian missile attack on Israel

Jillian Segal, the special envoy on combatting antisemitism, spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning after the Iranian missile attack on Israel overnight.

Segal said she is “very concerned about what we are seeing on our streets” in Australia, and pointed to the alleged display of Hezbollah flags at a rally last weekend:

I think that was truly shocking for the Jewish community, and should be shocking for the general community, because we must challenge terrorism.

Segal said that if the current legislation isn’t strong enough to address this, “then we need to revise them”. You can read more about this below:

Segal also said she plans to set up a meeting with the special envoy on combatting Islamophobia, Aftab Malik:

I think it’s very important that we work separately with our communities and with the general community, and we work together, because we’re all about reducing antisemitism, reducing hatred, and increasing social cohesion.

And we need to put our heads together and work with the community as a whole, and try and bring about that situation here where what happens in the Middle East does not undermine our social cohesion here in Australia, and I think that’s everyone’s wish.

Updated

Queensland premier promises publicly owned 'people’s' energy provider

Queensland premier Steven Miles would create a publicly owned “people’s” energy provider in a bid to drive down power prices if his government is re-elected later this month.

The promise comes on day two of the sunshine state’s election campaign with Miles in the north Queensland city of Mackay – a seat held by Labor for more than a century. Miles posted on social media:

The people’s provider will ensure households and businesses reap the benefits of that – not foreign shareholders. We know how important it is to make energy bills cheaper for Queenslanders.

It’s simple – people before profits.

Updated

UNHCR’s Australia chief says thousands of people looking for shelter in Beirut

Trudi Mitchell, the CEO of the UN Human Rights Council in Australia, says an estimated 1 million people have been displaced within Lebanon amid the conflict in the Middle East.

Speaking to ABC News Breakfast, Mitchell described the situation as “terrible for innocent civilians”.

We’re hearing that people are sleeping on the ground and that, in Beirut, there’s thousands of people just looking for shelter right now.

Asked what message UNHCR has for the Australian government – in terms of its role with partner countries in pushing for de-escalation – she said:

Obviously we want a political solution to this situation. Without that, we need support from a humanitarian aid perspective, and we ask that of the government, and we welcome that from the government as well as the Australian general public.

Updated

The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has responded to reports that NSW police have applied to the state’s supreme court to prevent two rallies from going ahead on 6 and 7 October.

In a post to social media, Faruqi wrote:

Peaceful protests against Israel’s genocide have been happening weekly for almost a year now. This is silencing dissent.

Updated

Albanese declines to call Middle East conflict a ‘war’

Anthony Albanese has declined to describe the rapidly shifting events in the Middle East as a “war”, choosing instead to call it “an escalation of the conflict”.

Asked on ABC Radio in Melbourne why he wouldn’t call it a war, Albanese repeated his description and said:

I don’t want to get into a definitional argument. What you have is a tragedy.

The prime minister said diplomacy “cannot succeed” in an escalating conflict but that must be the ultimate objective.

There does at some point need to be a diplomatic solution here.

On the reported plans for public gatherings over the weekend to mark one year since the 7 October Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, Albanese said there should not be “anything that looks like a celebration” because it would cause disharmony and was inappropriate.

He confirmed he would attend a vigil in Melbourne and declined to say whether pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel gatherings, including vigils, should be cancelled, saying those decisions were a matter for police and they had his backing.

Albanese also confirmed that the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, would no longer be travelling to Israel to represent Australia at commemorative events over the weekend, citing the security situation.

Updated

‘It’s important we reflect the nation back to itself’

Host Patricia Karvelas asks the ABC’s managing director how lived experience should be incorporated in journalism?

David Anderson said there were “a few absolutes”, including the legislation the ABC operates within – stating that “impartiality and accuracy are absolutely paramount”.

When it comes to people’s personal and lived experience in storytelling, it’s important that we reflect the nation back to itself. It’s important that we – in who we are and what we do – that we [are] a good cross section of the population.

So what we intend to do is sort of better clarify when people can bring in their personal, lived experience that doesn’t impede their obligations with regard to impartiality.

Anderson said there are good examples of this over time, and there are “some not great examples of where this has attempted to happen, and we failed and failed around editorial standards.”

So this is why we accept that we can clarify this. We could do that better to provide better guidance for people. And I have to say, internally, the ABC people are asking for it.

Updated

ABC managing director says he reached out to Stan Grant ahead of racism review’s release

The managing director of the ABC, David Anderson, spoke with ABC RN this morning after the release of the independent racism review yesterday.

Asked if the review was triggered by the resignation of prominent First Nations journalist Stan Grant, Anderson said it was a “combination of things” but “that was certainly one of them”.

Anderson said he has reached out to Grant, and said:

I don’t want to focus on that too much. I think that I’ve got a great deal of respect for Stan. I simply told Stan, this was coming.

What I’m looking to do through media I’ve done yesterday and today is really focus on the report itself, on the findings of that report, the 120 people that gave their testimony to this, that described the racism that they have experienced … [and] concentrate on those recommendations.

Updated

Here’s a look at the national weather forecast across Australia’s capital cities today, thanks to the Bureau of Meteorology:

Albanese condemns Iranian missile attack on Israel

Anthony Albanese says that the Australian government condemns Iran’s missile attack on Israel. In a post to X, the prime minister wrote:

This is an extremely dangerous escalation – Australia and the global community have been clear in our calls for de-escalation. Further hostilities put civilians at risk.

We are monitoring the situation closely and encourage Australians in Israel to follow the advice of local authorities.

Updated

One in three Australians throwing unwanted clothes in rubbish, survey finds

Most Australians are confused about what to do with their unwanted clothes, leading about a third to throw their closet clutter in the rubbish, according to the first national survey of clothing use and disposal habits.

The RMIT-led survey of 3,080 Australians found 84% of people owned garments they hadn’t worn in the past year, including a third who hadn’t touched more than half of their wardrobe.

The survey’s lead author, Dr Alice Payne, said the results revealed consumers were confused about how to responsibly discard clothing.

Continue reading below:

Updated

Shadow foreign minister on Iranian attacks on Israel

The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham, has issued the following statement on social media following the Iranian attacks on Israel overnight:

Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism, including Hamas, Hezbollah [and] Houthis, has inflicted great suffering on many. We condemn Iran’s attacks on Israel via proxy [and] their direct strikes.

Australia must support Israel’s right to self defence, including the removal of such threats.

Updated

Government secures more seats for Australians to leave Lebanon on Thursday

The foreign minister, Penny Wong, said the government is working to help Australians who want to leave Lebanon, “including with partners such as Canada and the UK.”

She said a number of Australians were assisted onto commercial flights on Monday and overnight, and additional seats have been secured for flights on Thursday.

We are working to access more flights over coming days.

DFAT is contacting registered Australians with updates. Australians in Lebanon who wish to leave should ensure they are registered via DFAT’s crisis portal.

Updated

Sanctions slapped on three Russian cyber criminals

Three Russians from the cybercrime group Evil Corp have been slapped with fresh sanctions and travel bans by the federal government, AAP reports.

The senior officials from the group, which has carried out ransomware attacks across the United States and Europe, will be banned from entering Australia under the penalties.

The sanctions on Maksim Viktorovich Yakubets, Igor Olegovich Turashev and Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov will make it an offence for people to provide or deal with assets belonging to the Russians.

The Russian cyber criminal gang have been accused of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars around the world in hacking efforts.

The defence minister, Richard Marles, said the sanctions would help to deter other cyber attacks:

These sanctions are only possible because of the efforts of our domestic and international partner agencies who work tirelessly to disrupt cybercriminals and protect Australians from ransomware.

Updated

Watt: ‘We don’t think it’s acceptable for anyone to celebrate the October 7 terrorist attack’

Murray Watt was also asked about the move from NSW police to try to stop a pro-Palestine protest planned for 7 October, and whether he thinks this is appropriate.

The employment minister said protest permits are “always going to be a matter for state governments and state police”.

But what I can make clear is that we don’t think it’s acceptable for anyone to celebrate the October 7 terrorist attack, whether that be on seventh of October in a few days time or any other date. It was an appalling terrorist incident cost many lives… the worst loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust. I don’t think that’s a cause for anyone to celebrate.

Amal Naser, spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, yesterday said protesters are intending to “defending our right to protest and are determined to continue standing for justice for Palestine and Lebanon.”

Updated

Asked if the Australian government wants Israel to temper its response to the Iranian attack overnight, Murray Watt said: “We want to see hostilities end from all sides of this conflict.”

International law applies to all countries.

There’s no doubting whatsoever that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and it needs to be dealt with, as does Hamas. That’s been something that our ministers and our government have been saying for some time. But we don’t want to see Lebanese or Israeli civilians continue to pay the price of this conflict…

Watt was again asked if Australian believes Israel should “now hold back”, and responded that a ceasefire is the preference.

And that does involve all parties de-escalating rather than continuing to ramp up the hostilities. We support Israel and the entire region’s security … but we need to end this dangerous cycle of violence, and that requires all parties to negotiate, to cease hostilities and to resolve these issues peacefully and diplomatically.

Australia ‘very willing to play our part’ in deescalating Middle East conflict, Watt says

Murray Watt said the Australian government wants to see the “immediate de-escalation of the conflict in and around Lebanon” and for this to be “resolved diplomatically”.

We have already seen far too many civilians killed in the conflict around Gaza. We’re deeply concerned about the risk of more civilian deaths in and around Lebanon, and this needs an effort from the international community to bring this to an end, to have an immediate ceasefire, and Australia is very willing to play our part in getting to that point.

Patricia Karvelas asked if Israel has a right to respond to the attack overnight? Watt said “we certainly acknowledge that there have been hostilities inflicted on Israel for some time now”, and continued:

This is this is a situation [where] we want to work with Israel and neighbouring countries to bring to an end – It’s not in anyone’s interest, whether it be Israel or its neighbouring countries, for this conflict to go on, to continue to see civilian deaths on both sides of the border, and we’re determined to work with the international community to bring that to an end.

Updated

Murray Watt: ‘Australia unreservedly condemns Iran’s actions’

The Labor minister Murray Watt has been speaking to ABC RN about the Iranian missile attack on Israel overnight.

Host Patricia Karvelas says Australia is calling for a ceasefire but the US has been providing Israel support – and asks where the Australian government stands. Watt says he “wouldn’t put it that way”.

This is obviously an extremely dangerous escalation that we’ve seen overnight, and Australia unreservedly condemns Iran’s actions in what it’s done overnight. But I think what we’ve seen in recent days is that not just Australia, but the global community generally, has been very clear in our calls for de-escalation in the region.

You would have seen a few days ago, 21 countries from around the world – including Australia, the US, the UK, the EU and a number of other countries – called for an immediate ceasefire in and around Lebanon.

So our position, I think, is actually consistent with those of like-minded countries in many parts of the world.

Updated

Heatwave continuing in Top End of NT

In more weather news, the heatwave is continuing in the Top End, with hot days and warm, humid nights.

Heat in the Daly district peaked yesterday and is expected to peak again today, reaching extreme heatwave conditions.

The heatwave is expected to continue through the weekend.

Severe weather warning for south-west WA

A severe weather warning has been issued for large parts of south-west Western Australia.

Damaging wind gusts up to 100km/h are forecast as a cold front moves through, and locally destructive gusts up to 125km/h are possible about the coast later this evening.

Updated

Australian Jewry chief says planned 7 October rallies are ‘callous’ and ‘shameful’

Alex Ryvchin, the co-chief executive officer of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, has spoken with ABC News Breakfast after the Iranian missile attack on Israel overnight.

He was asked about planned protests on 6 and 7 October this weekend (7 October is a public holiday in NSW), and whether people be able to peacefully rally and hold vigils to mark the anniversary?

Ryvchin said “we have never opposed the right of anyone to gather peacefully” but “we’re talking about October 7”.

So for the pro-Palestinian people to want to gather on that day, which is about a week before Israel’s response even began, it is callous, it’s heartless and it’s shameful. And I ask these people – show some concern for peace-loving Australians who just want to gather on October 7 and mourn and remember those who were needlessly massacred.

Amal Naser, spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, said yesterday: “We intend on defending our right to protest and are determined to continue standing for justice for Palestine and Lebanon.”

About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, died on 7 October when Hamas attacked Israel. More than 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza, mostly civilians, one in 55 of the pre-war population. More than 700 people have died in Lebanon in the recent wave of Israeli attacks.

Updated

Human bone found at Perth’s Cottesloe Beach

The origins of a human bone located at a Western Australian beach is being investigated by police.

A member of the public located the bone at Cottesloe Beach in Perth on Saturday. It has since undergone assessment by a pathologist who determined it to be human.

Western Australia police said in a statement that further forensic testing will take place to “match the bone to any outstanding missing persons”.

Updated

Media coverage ‘creating more and more fear’ on youth crime, children’s commissioner says

The children’s commissioner said that when it comes to the role of the media in this issue, what she has observed is “a lack of interest in the solutions to the problem”.

Anne Hollonds told ABC RN:

There’s a lot of reporting of apparent youth crime, you know, lots of headlines like ‘teenage dirt bags’ and ‘kindergarten crims’. We know crime sells… But there’s not a lot of digging in and asking, ‘well, why are these children offending, and what can we do to prevent that?’ …

The media, in just reporting it again and again, in showing all the footage that we get from CCTV and dashcam and body cam and iPhones now, that’s kind of creating more and more fear – which really is just escalating the pressure on the politicians to be tough.

Updated

Many police and frontline staff aren’t trained to care for children, Hollonds says

Anne Hollonds was asked about her proposal to build a capable and child-specialised workforce – and how this could happen amid broader workforce issues?

She said it was the “failures of support and training” for frontline personnel that “came up again and again” in submissions and roundtables and interviews while compiling the report.

We see it in the police watch houses, for example … Those police have no training to care for any children, let alone children with serious disabilities and mental health issues, and who are traumatised.

So it’s not fair on those frontline staff, by the way – it’s not fair on them to put them in those positions, but mostly I’m worried about the children, because it’s not fair on them. We can’t expect them to get the care they need if we don’t support the staff.

Updated

Q: Is there any appetite from the federal government to coordinate such an approach with the states to youth justice?

Anne Hollonds said “so far, I haven’t had that indication”, but she has had indication from the state’s they would be willing to work together on this:

I am hoping that we may have reached a tipping point whereby the horrendous failures in these systems that we’ve seen – such as the two tragic suicides of children in youth detention recently, within less than a year, and other horrific stories – I’m hoping that there is an appetite for thinking ‘well, we need to take a different approach’. We need to pivot towards the solutions that will focus on addressing the underlying causes, because just locking up these children is not a winning strategy at all for anybody.

  • Lifeline: 13 11 14

Updated

Children’s commissioner to address National Press Club today on youth justice

The children’s commissioner, Anne Hollonds, is due to address the National Press Club today on a new report calling for an overhaul of Australia’s approach to child justice.

The report has been developed over 12 months and contains 24 recommendations, focusing on elevating child wellbeing to a national priority, coordinating action on child justice reform across Australia’s federation, and ensuring reform is based on evidence and human rights.

She spoke with ABC RN earlier this morning ahead of the speech, and was asked about a campaign slogan from the Queensland opposition – “adult crime, adult time” – at the centre of the Liberal National party’s youth justice campaign.

Is her approach at the polar opposite of that? Hollonds responded:

That kind of slogan really is trying to show that ‘we’re really tough up here, we’re going to be tough on crime’. And what our report shows is that that approach, that traditional approach in this country, hasn’t worked and and that basically it’s evident that we’ve misunderstood the nature of the problem we’re trying to solve. We know that toughening up the justice system doesn’t actually prevent crime by children.

Hollonds argued there is currently “no accountability and no national coordination” on how the wellbeing of children is looked after in the country.

The idea that the states and territories could fix this on their own has been misguided, we need to work together on it.

Updated

‘Absolutely shocking allegations there’: O’Neil on ABC racism review

Claire O’Neil was also asked about a report commissioned and released by the ABC, which spoke to 120 current and former staff – and all but one said they had personally experienced racism at the national broadcaster.

The ABC’s managing director, David Anderson, has apologised to ABC staff who experienced racism at the public broadcaster:

O’Neil told Sunrise:

I was really surprised by this. I was really surprised. We have really high standards for our national broadcaster and that is appropriate … [The ABC] is meant to represent all Australians and to hear this I was genuinely shocked.

I am glad that they have made this report public and the CEO has made that public [apology] to all staff. Some of those things in that report was horrendous reading and not much fun for people at the end of that conduct. Great that it is public, but absolutely shocking allegations there.

Hume asked about planned pro-Palestine protests

As Mostafa Rachwani reported yesterday, the organisers behind the weekly pro-Palestine protests have criticised New South Wales police for their decision to apply to the state’s supreme court to prevent two rallies from going ahead on 6 and 7 October.

Amal Naser, spokesperson for the Palestine Action Group, said the group “unequivocally opposes this attempt to silence protests” and that the application was an “attack on fundamental democratic rights”.

The shadow finance minister, Jane Hume, was also up on Sunrise this morning and commented on those protests planned for the weekend:

My biggest concern for Monday for protest – that is a very important day for many people in Australia, particularly the Jewish community who will be acknowledging the anniversary of the largest loss of Jewish people… We would expect police will be doing everything that they can to make sure that their [is] peace on our streets…

Updated

15,000 Australians still in Lebanon, minister says

The housing minister, Clare O’Neil, spoke with Sunrise just earlier about the Iranian missile attack on Israel – which she described as a “hugely concerning development” that the Australian government “utterly condemn[s]”.

Asked how many Australians were still in the region, O’Neil said:

There [are] roughly 15,000 [Australian’s] still in Lebanon and the Australian government is doing what it can to assist those people. Clearly to those people in Lebanon it is not a safe place for you to be. Please get on commercial flights if you have those openings available.

O’Neil said there was a flight last night organised by the government to support Australians leaving the region, and there would be another one tonight.

Updated

Good morning

Emily Wind here, signing on for blogging duties. Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us. I’ll be with you for most of the day, as we bring you our rolling coverage this Wednesday.

As always, you can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or email, emily.wind@theguardian.com, with any tips or thoughts.

Let’s get started.

Users still frustrated despite falling telco complaints

Complaints about telcos are slowly falling, but fed-up customers still deserve better service and faster fixes, the industry watchdog says.

As AAP reports, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman reported a near-15% drop in complaints in 2023/24 compared to the previous year, with more issues needing escalation settled in a timely manner.

Power players Telstra and Optus accounted for around two-thirds of all complaints, although Optus recorded the largest decrease of any of the 10 biggest providers.

Optus’s decline in complaints came despite its monstrous service outage in November 2023 that affected around 10 million people, with customers seeking remedies ranging from reconnection to a personal apology.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said the nature of the complaints still being received showed an unsatisfied customer base that should expect better.

A provider either delaying or failing to take action featured in 63% of all complaints, while disputes about service and equipment fees were involved in one-third. Gebert:

The data shows consumers remain frustrated by the same issues: poor customer service, delays in fixing problems, and service and equipment fees.

Updated

Can (and should) authorities take action against protesters who wave the Hezbollah flag?

Peter Dutton wants parliament urgently recalled to debate new anti-terror laws in the light of the Hezbollah flag-waving controversy at the weekend.

But is he fanning the flames of division as Labor says?

Get up to speed with our explainer:

Updated

Could supermarket superprofits be fuelling Australia’s inflation?

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is suing Coles and Woolworths over allegations they misled shoppers by offering “illusory” discounts on hundreds of products. It’s a practice that helps them make huge profits in an already overheated economy.

Guardian Australia columnist Greg Jericho tells Matilda Boseley why he thinks corporations, not consumers, should be made to pay for the cost-of-living crisis.

Retailers plead for RBA not to hike rates

Stronger consumer spending should not be an excuse for the Reserve Bank to potentially lift interest rates ahead of Christmas, retail bodies have warned.

AAP reports that Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra said the Reserve Bank needs to offer a rate cut when it meets to discuss interest rates on 5 November.

Whilst there is great resilience within retail, we know there are many businesses in the sector that are doing it tough, especially small businesses. This remains one of retail’s most difficult years – with a continued slowdown in discretionary spend, high business costs along with ongoing challenges.

Retail trade figures for August revealed a 0.7% increase for the month and 3.1% for the year, with warmer weather driving discretionary spending on outdoor items as well as dining out. The spike followed a sluggish 0.1% rise in July.

The National Retail Association interim chief executive, Lindsay Carroll, said while August’s figures were trending in the right direction, the retail sector was still struggling.

The industry is at the mercy of consumer sentiment, that’s just the nature of retail. Business owners need every win they can get in the lead-up to Christmas. We are asking our policymakers to give retailers some breathing room to recover during this year’s holiday sale season.

Updated

Welcome

Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer and I’ll be running through the top overnight stories before Emily Wind takes the reins.

The organisers behind weekly pro-Palestine protests in Sydney have criticised NSW police for their decision to apply to the state’s supreme court to prevent two rallies from going ahead this weekend. The Palestine Action Group has submitted the required paperwork for rallies on Sunday and Monday (a public holiday in NSW). But the police say they will seek to ban the marches to preserve public safety.

The Albanese government made a last-minute rejection to proposed questions on sexuality and gender diversity in the upcoming 2026 census, sending bureaucrats into a weekend scramble, new documents obtained by Guardian Australia under freedom of information show. Late on Friday 23 August and into the next day officials at the Australian Bureau of Statistics agreed to cancel a scheduled media briefing on Monday 26 August and the rollout of its “large-scale” test census to 50,000 households from Tuesday 27 August as a result of the 11th-hour decision.

The retailers’ peak body has pleaded today with the Reserve Bank not to raise rates before Christmas – and consider lowering them instead – despite stronger-than-expected consumer spending. We have more coming up on this, plus why supermarket superprofits could be fuelling inflation.

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