970x125
Albanese and Wong urge all parties to respect terms of first phase of Gaza peace planThe government has welcomed the signing-off of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, and says it urges “all parties to respect the terms of the plan”.In a statement, the prime minister and the foreign minister thanked the US president, Donald Trump, and said the government has consistently called for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and the unimpeded flow of aid to Gaza.
After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much needed step towards peace.
Australia strongly supports the plan’s commitment to denying Hamas any role in the future governance of Gaza.
There is a very long road to recovery in Gaza, securing long term peace and building the Palestinian state.
The government also acknowledged the “important role” of Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.The opposition has also welcomed the development.You can read more details here:ShareUpdated at 02.18 BSTKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureNatasha MayGoogle blocked ads for STI awareness campaign, health estimates hearsGoogle has blocked ads for a commonwealth funded STI awareness campaign, lessening its reach and raising costs, Larissa Waters has told health estimates.The Greens leader said the campaign being run by the Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance had been shown to be effective, leading people to book screening tests:
But what we’ve discovered is that their targeted ads are being blocked by Google as adult content. And then in November of last year, Google added “STI testing” to its list of sensitive topics, which triggers an automatic review. Now that’s meant that during the nationally funded STI awareness campaigns, ads are being rejected, delays for weeks, costs have risen from $5 to $17 per click until the issue is resolved.
It’s interfering with public health objectives and potentially wasting the Commonwealth money, if the ads are only meant to cost $5 per click, and they’ve gone up to $17 because Google’s censoring actually what is a very protective public health campaign.
Mandy Charlton, the acting assistant secretary of communicable diseases branch in the department said they were aware of the issues that have been created by Google in blocking these ads, and had discussed them with Australian sexual health reproduction Australia. The alliance had not asked the government to escalate the issue any further, Charlton said.Stephen Bouwhuis, the acting for Assistant Secretary Health Protection Policy and surveillance, confirmed the Alliance had a conversation with Google and resolved the issue.ShareDaisy DumasContempt ruling shows ‘common sense prevailed’, assistant commissioner saysNSW’s assistant police commissioner says today’s contempt ruling, determining Palestine Action Group’s planned protest at the Sydney Opera House would be unlawful, was a case of “common sense” prevailing. Peter McKenna told reporters:
[It was a] pleasing result for us. It’s good to see that … common sense prevailed on a public safety issue.
When asked about the police reaction to the ruling – the first of its kind – he said:
I’m not a lawyer, I’ll say that the court made their own judgments, the highest court in New South Wales … and we will adhere to that.
He also said he did not believe the ruling meant expanded police powers.NSW Police assistant commissioner Peter McKenna. Photograph: NSW PoliceShareUpdated at 02.48 BSTDaisy DumasRuling won’t undermine cooperation between police and protest organisers, assistant commissioner saysToday’s contempt ruling will not undermine cooperation between protest organisers and the authorities, police believe.Assistant commissioner Peter McKenna this morning told reporters he does not expect the ruling to lead to fewer Form 1 applications.
Not at all. We still have powers that we can utilise without the Form 1 process. The Form 1, that process actually protects people from committing certain offences. It allows us to work with them. It allows us to keep them safe.
I think, by and large, people want to work with the police, and they want to get the outcome they want. They don’t want the conflict, we don’t want the conflict and we want to make sure people are safe.
ShareUpdated at 02.45 BSTDaisy DumasPolice warn protesters to stay away from Sydney Opera HousePolice are urging protesters to stay away from Sydney Opera House on Sunday or face “appropriate action” after a court of appeal ruling found the Palestine Action Group’s proposed protest route, ending at the landmark’s forecourt, would be unlawful.Assistant commissioner Peter McKenna said the police were expecting large numbers to attend the public assembly – its route now running from Hyde Park along George Street to Belmore Park – but that high security would be in place at the Opera House.He told reporters a short time ago:
I’ll say to anyone who thinks that they could go to the Opera House still and be a part of any type of demonstration or public assembly, that you will be committing an offence, and appropriate action will be taken by us.
Having said that, I understand that the Palestine Action Group have come out and said not to go to the Opera House. They’ve come out and said they are working with police and they will adhere to the court ruling. They’ve also openly said that they will now assist with this new march from Hyde Park to Belmore Park.
ShareUpdated at 02.41 BSTNick VisserMinns says he will not light up the Sydney Opera House in Palestinian coloursMinns was asked if he would listen to calls from protest organisers to light up the Sydney Opera House sails in the colours of the Palestinian flag. The premier said he would not do so.
In these circumstances where the application was made by the [Palestine Action Group] to hold a protest at the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, I think you’d agree [it is] the opposite of pulling the community together in these circumstances.
While I appreciate people have a right to protest … I want to be conscious of not inflaming the situation.
NSW Premier Chris Minns, Thursday, 9 October, 2025. Photograph: Steve Markham/AAPShareUpdated at 02.32 BSTNick VisserChris Minns says ruling to block pro-Palestine march to Sydney Opera House the ‘right decision’NSW premier Chris Minns says the court of appeal’s ruling to block a planned pro-Palestinian march to the Sydney Opera House was the “right decision”, adding “common sense” had prevailed on the matter.Minns spoke to reporters this morning after the court rejected the Palestine Action Group’s bid to diverge from the normal route of its regular rallies on 12 October, saying he expects organisers to abide by the ruling.
We expect all applicants to abide by the court’s decision. I think reasonable people in Sydney would expect the police to uphold this judgment.
I know that there’s been many [Palestine Action Group] protests over the last two years, something approaching 100 during that period of time. In fairness, the vast majority of them will have gone off without incident. We’re calling for the organisers to do the same if they elect an alternative route.
Minns added that “anyone who breaches the supreme court decision can expect the full force of the law, and that’s how a civil society should operate”.
I know it’s easy for everybody to say ‘Oh we don’t like the decision’, but if it went bad on the weekend and 40 or 50 thousand people turned up on a narrow peninsula with no turnaround, then everyone would be pointing fingers at police and the government as to what went wrong.
ShareUpdated at 02.24 BSTLuca IttimaniHousing fund faces ‘significant’ challenges, Treasury secretary saysJenny Wilkinson, the federal Treasury secretary, says the Haff has struggled with construction costs and faced delays delivering homes.Wilkinson declined to say how many homes Housing Australia has built, in response to a question from the Coalition’s housing spokesperson, Andrew Bragg, at Senate estimates.Treasury secretary Jenny Wilkinson during Senate estimate hearings at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, 9 October, 2025. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPShe said delivering homes had been made “more challenging” in part due to soaring construction costs in the last five years, when asked about ABC reporting that the fund was facing delays and spending more than $1m per home in some cases, well above average.
I don’t think that anyone is denying that this is a significant challenge to meet the government’s commitment around increasing the stock of social and affordable housing, which is what the objective of the Haff is. It always takes time to make agreements, agree contracts with entities like community housing providers, to deliver these houses.
Wilkinson defended the agency’s record of delivery, saying it had a “big agenda” that had sometimes been held up by delays in the parliament to passing legislation:
Some of the challenges in relation to some of the programs reflect when the legislation was actually passed … There are other projects that have been effectively run and take-up has been relatively strong.
Two key housing commitments languished in the parliament for months in the Albanese government’s first term amid negotiations between Labor and the Greens: the Housing Australia future fund and Help to Buy shared equity scheme.ShareUpdated at 02.11 BSTLuca IttimaniTreasury investigated housing agency, secretary confirmsThe Treasury secretary has confirmed her department investigated the Albanese government’s housing agency.The government’s Housing Australia agency was revamped and had new executives and board members appointed in mid-2023 to deliver programs including the flagship Housing Australia Future Fund (Haff).Jenny Wilkinson, who was this year appointed to run Treasury, said the review was triggered a few months after that, in late 2023, and was undertaken in 2024. She told Senate estimates:
I was made aware of that review though only very recently … Obviously I wasn’t involved in that review at all.
The review was focused on organisational challenges including alleged behaviour by senior staff, the Age reported today.ShareUpdated at 02.04 BSTAlbanese and Wong urge all parties to respect terms of first phase of Gaza peace planThe government has welcomed the signing-off of the first phase of the Gaza peace plan, and says it urges “all parties to respect the terms of the plan”.In a statement, the prime minister and the foreign minister thanked the US president, Donald Trump, and said the government has consistently called for a ceasefire, the return of hostages and the unimpeded flow of aid to Gaza.
After more than two years of conflict, hostages held and a devastating loss of civilian life, this is a much needed step towards peace.
Australia strongly supports the plan’s commitment to denying Hamas any role in the future governance of Gaza.
There is a very long road to recovery in Gaza, securing long term peace and building the Palestinian state.
The government also acknowledged the “important role” of Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye.The opposition has also welcomed the development.You can read more details here:ShareUpdated at 02.18 BSTGaza agreement ‘a joyous moment’, Executive Council of Australian Jewry’s Alex Ryvchin saysAlex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, spoke to Sky News a little earlier about the news Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement over the first phase of the Gaza peace plan.He said he was “elated” to hear the news about the agreement and imminent release of the hostages:
This is a joyous moment. It’s something the Jewish community has been praying for and hoping for.
Ryvchin said the remaining 20 living hostages could begin a process of healing once released.He was also asked about the Palestine Action Group losing its bid in the NSW court of appeal this morning to march to the Sydney Opera House on the weekend.He said while there is a right to protest “no right is unlimited”:
These protesters, both through what they say and do at these protests but also the frequency, the intention, to deliberately take over national landmarks and insinuate themselves into our streets and public places, the fact that it’s happening week and week at the public expense.
Finally a line has been drawn. We’re very pleased with it and we’re pleased for our fellow Australians. They’ll be able to access the Opera House on that day.
ShareUpdated at 01.58 BSTJosh TaylorMore than 10,000 antisemitic posts from X users in Australia in 11 months, anti-hate group saysThe Center for Countering Digital Hate has found nearly 10,000 antisemitic posts from X users that have their location set to Australia between February 2024 and January 2025, as part of a report that says antisemitism is thriving on Elon Musk‘s platform.The analysis, made with the assistance of OpenAI’s GPT-4o, found antisemitic conspiracy theories were normalised on the platform, with X not taking action on posts that violated its own policies.Globally, the centre found 679,000 posts violating X’s antisemitism policies, with 193m views in the 11 months the report covers. Only 1% of the posts had a community note.In analysis provided exclusively for Guardian Australia on Australian users, there were 9,293 posts that were viewed at least 1.8m times and received 39,258 likes.The majority of the Australian posts (61%) contained conspiracy theories about Jewish power, satanic tropes and holocaust denial, the centre told Guardian Australia.The analysis found 29% contained anti-Jewish character attacks, dehumanising rhetoric and violent speech.In July, Australia’s special envoy to combat antisemitism, Jillian Segal, cited X as a platform she believed was combatting antisemitism on its platform using AI.The office of the special envoy did not respond to requests for comment.X was approached for comment.ShareUpdated at 01.52 BSTJoe HinchliffeAustralian Gaza flotilla activist vows to return despite ‘humiliations’ in detentionJuliet Lamont was freezing in the back of a prison van that had been driving through the desert for hours – no idea where she was going, listening to the roar of military aircraft – when she saw the sign.The van windows were blacked out and she was afraid she would be struck if she looked around but, craning her head and peering through a crack, she could read it. Some of the blue and white signs were in Hebrew, others Arabic. This one was in English. Later, as soon as she had access to a pen, the Australian documentary maker would scribble it down, as best as she could recall, upon a serviette.“The eternal state never forgets and will pursue its enemies till the end”.Those were the words fluttering upon a banner in the Negev desert that Lamont read as she entered Ketziot prison in Israel.Lamont, an Australian activist on the Gaza-bound flotilla intercepted by Israel, says she was beaten, groped and verbally abused by Israeli prison guardsRead more about Gamont’s experience in detention here:ShareUpdated at 01.29 BST
970x125
970x125
