Sydney Harbour Bridge protesters ‘useful idiots’, says Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister
Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister says the 100,000-plus people who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge almost a fortnight ago in support of ending the Israel-Gaza war were “naive” and “useful idiots”.
Sharren Haskel told ABC’s Radio National a short time ago: “I truly believe that most of this crowd was the same crowd who was gathering together since the 8th of October.”
She continued:
The rest are useful idiots that are being used as tools in the hands of those who are trying to promote those radical jihadist ideas. And unfortunately, many naive people in Australia are falling for a lot of the propaganda of those terrorist organisations and those radical jihadist organisations.
Key events
Sarah Basford Canales
Albanese dismisses US criticism over intention to recognise Palestinian statehood
Anthony Albanese has dismissed criticism from the US ambassador to Israel about Australia’s intention to recognise Palestinian statehood at an upcoming UN meeting.
The US ambassador, Mike Huckabee, told ABC’s 7.30 last night that Australia’s announcement came as a surprise to the US administration, adding there had been “an enormous level of disappointment and some disgust”.
Asked to respond, Albanese told ABC radio his job was to represent the interests of Australia and Australians who had been disgusted by the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza:
[Australians] were disgusted by the terrorist actions of Hamas on October 7, the slaughter of innocent Israelis, taking of hostages and the ongoing holding of those hostages have outraged Australians, but Australians have also seen the death of tens of thousands of people. When you have children starving, when you have children losing their lives, with families queuing for food and water, then that provokes, not surprisingly, a human reaction.
The prime minister continued:
I’m concerned about Australia’s position, and that is what my role is. We’re a sovereign nation, and he’s entitled to put his views, but we’re also entitled to put our views. We didn’t do it shyly. I noticed, I saw the interview last night. He suggested that this came as a surprise. I spoke with Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu last Thursday night. I asked him, ‘What are, you know, what’s the end point here?’ And the end point is the same as the end point that he had put to me more than a year ago, which was, ‘We’re going to get rid of Hamas militarily’. There was no political solution there. And the idea that you just continue to do more of the same, that you occupy Gaza City, that you foreshadowed the conflict which has been opposed by the Israeli Defence Force themselves.
Sarah Basford Canales
Anthony Albanese has described the existing working with children check systems as “hopeless” ahead of a meeting between attorney generals this morning to implement a national system.
On ABC radio this morning, the prime minister was asked why media reports on Tuesday about a male childcare worker alleged to have been grooming children, and subsequently banned from working in childcare, hadn’t been enough to trigger the removal of his working with children check.
Albanese said establishing a national system and strengthening the screening requirements was a priority at today’s attorney generals’ meeting:
[The system is] hopeless, and we need to do better. Quite clearly, and these revelations are a wake up call for state and territory governments in terms of the regulations, but also the Commonwealth.
The federal attorney general Michelle Rowland is meeting with her counterparts this morning to discuss how to harmonise the state and territory systems but earlier flagged on ABC radio the process could still take 12 months.
Mark Butler says Penny Wong spoke to Marco Rubio before Palestinian statehood announcement
The Australian government advised US counterparts of its intention to recognise Palestinian statehood before making the decision public, Mark Butler has reiterated.
The health minister’s comments contradict those of the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who last night told the ABC the “unilateral” move had been unexpected, ill-timed and had caused an “enormous level of disappointment and some disgust”.
Butler told Sunrise this morning: “There was a discussion between our foreign minister, Penny Wong, and Secretary of State Rubio before the announcement … It wasn’t just about the situation in Israel and Gaza but also importantly about the main focus of our relationship, which of course is security and stability in our own region.”
He added:
The State Department [was] pretty disciplined publishing a read-out …that was published very soon after the conversation.
So, I am not quite sure why the ambassador to Israel says that. There was a conversation.
On Monday, Wong also said she had spoken “to Secretary Rubio ahead of the announcement and, as a matter of diplomatic courtesy, advised him of our intention to announce”.
Police bust theft ring that targeted major supermarkets
Nineteen people have been arrested for allegedly shoplifting more than $10m worth of goods, after police claimed to have busted one of the largest theft syndicates seen in Australia.
Victoria police allege the syndicate targeted major supermarkets, taking items such as baby formula, medicines, vitamins, skincare products, electric toothbrushes and toiletries, reports AAP.
“Those arrested are predominantly Indian nationals on temporary, student, or bridging visas,” the force said this morning.
They are alleged to be working in a coordinated network to supply stolen goods to ‘receivers’, who then on-sell the products to end users for profit.
The operation to smash the syndicate was led by the Box Hill divisional response unit, which worked with retailers and the Australian Border Force.
“This has been one of the most significant operations we’ve undertaken in recent times to target organised retail theft,” detective acting inspector Rachele Ciavarella said.
Investigations remain ongoing, with further arrests anticipated.
Sydney Harbour Bridge protesters ‘useful idiots’, says Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister
Israel’s deputy foreign affairs minister says the 100,000-plus people who marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge almost a fortnight ago in support of ending the Israel-Gaza war were “naive” and “useful idiots”.
Sharren Haskel told ABC’s Radio National a short time ago: “I truly believe that most of this crowd was the same crowd who was gathering together since the 8th of October.”
She continued:
The rest are useful idiots that are being used as tools in the hands of those who are trying to promote those radical jihadist ideas. And unfortunately, many naive people in Australia are falling for a lot of the propaganda of those terrorist organisations and those radical jihadist organisations.
‘We loved his wit and his sharp insight’: Albanese remembers David Stratton
Tributes are pouring in for the legendary film critic David Stratton his death at age 85.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Stratton had shared his love of cinema with the entire nation while co-hosting the television programs The Movie Show and At The Movies with fellow critic Margaret Pomeranz.
“All of us who tuned in to At the Movies respected him for his deep knowledge and for the gentle and generous way he passed it on,” Albanese said.
We loved his wit and his sharp insight, and the deep love of cinema that underpinned it all. And in his chemistry with Margaret Pomeranz, he helped deliver one of Australia’s truly great TV partnerships.
Read more here:
Plan to extend Queensland coalmine would bulldoze ‘critical’ koala habitat
Habitat for threatened koalas that are part of a population described by one expert as nationally significant would be bulldozed under plans to extend a Queensland coalmine.
The campaign group Lock the Gate used drones with thermal imaging cameras to find 13 koalas in one night in trees earmarked for clearing by mining company Glencore, Graham Readfearn writes.
Glencore wants to clear 680 hectares of land – including 600ha of koala habitat – to expand its Hail Creek mine west of Mackay.
Read more here:
Attorney general says Australia complying with international obligations regarding defence exports to Israel
Michelle Rowland says she is confident that Australia is meeting its obligations regarding defence approvals for exports of parts for F-35 fighter jets bound for Israel.
“This is not a case of the Australian government supplying arms. We have taken advice, of which I’m not at liberty to disclose, but we have solid advice, and we always comply with our international obligations,” the attorney general told Radio National.
On the subject of starvation in Gaza, she said it was a breach of international law to stop food being delivered, “and that’s a decision that was made by the government of Israel in March”.
“We at all times, comply, and we urge compliance with the Geneva convention, with international humanitarian law, and as the prime minister said, a disregard for the international community’s calls and a failure to comply with legal and ethical obligations in this case, cannot be tolerated,” she said.
Certainly Israel is a democracy in the region. We maintain relations, obviously at that level. But as the prime minister himself has clearly said, these were difficult conversations that he needed to have with the government of Israel. We stand by the statements that we’ve made in terms of recognition – it has long been the policy of this government to have a two-state solution.
On a separate subject, when asked whether she conceded that the absence of a national system on working with children checks was placing children at risk right now, she answered that it was a risk, “absolutely”.
She said a “banned in one, banned in all” system for childcare workers would likely be unrolled within 12 months.
Wastewater reveals Australia’s appetite for illicit drugs at record high
Analysis of wastewater by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, in partnership with universities, has detected a growth in consumption of major illicit drugs around the nation.
Methylamphetamine (ice), cocaine and heroin were all found at record highs in the latest analysis, which began in 2016, reports AAP.
More than 22 tonnes of those three drugs, as well as MDMA (ecstasy), was consumed in Australia in the year to August 2024, according to the wastewater analysis.
It has boosted the illicit drug trade and the profits for organised criminals, with an estimated $11.5bn being spent.
Ice consumption rose to an estimated 12.8 tonnes. Cocaine use increased almost 70%, MDMA almost 50%, and heroin almost 15%.
The commission’s drug specialist Shane Neilson said the market was rebounding after consumption dropped amid tighter border controls and lockdowns during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mike Huckabee ‘disgusted’ by Australia’s recognition of Palestinian state
The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, says he is disgusted by Australia joining other key allies in committing to the recognition of a Palestinian state.
“The timing has been very hurtful to any prospects of negotiating some settlement in Gaza with Hamas,” he told the ABC’s 7.30 last night. “There’s an enormous level of disappointment and some disgust.”
He said US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, had made it clear the result of the action had “been to completely halt any type of thoughtful negotiations going forward. And, it’s just a very terrible timing for this to come about.”
He said he had spoken with Donald Trump about the move and that in the meeting, there was an “emotional sentiment, a sense of, ‘You’ve got to be kidding. Why would they be doing this, and why would they be doing it now, and why [would] they not be telling the United States or telling Israel, for that matter, but to go out and make a public announcement like this?’ It was unseemly.”
He said the president had “done more than anyone” he knows to stop the war in Gaza.
Two-week search for light plane and its occupants ongoing
The search for a missing light plane and its two occupants is set to continue off the coast of Tasmania.
Gregory Vaughan, 72, his partner Kim Worner, 66, and their family dog, left George Town airport at about 12.45pm on 2 August but the plane has not been sighted, or the Tasmanian couple heard from, since that day.
Extensive aerial searching yesterday off the state’s north-east coast and Flinders Island has not located any sign of a light plane and was hampered by poor weather and visibility earlier this week, police said.
Improved conditions allowed rescuers to continue their search yesterday and police say no decision has been made to suspend the search, the area of which is being guided by drift modelling.
Inspector Craig Fox said the helicopter sweeps did not reveal any wreckage or debris that could indicate the location of the plane, a small two-seater Bristell S-LSA in distinctive green colour.
Good morning. Welcome to our lives news coverage this Friday – I’m Daisy Dumas and I’ll be guiding you through the headlines. Let’s get going.
Australian War Memorial to mark 80th anniversary of second world war
Australia’s second world war dead will be honoured in a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial today as the nation marks the 80th anniversary of the conflict, Australian Associated Press reports.
They will include Warrant Officer Class 2 Frederick Balfe Emanuel who died aged 22 weeks before Victory in the Pacific Day on 15 August, when Japan announced its unconditional surrender to the Allies.
Emanuel enlisted in the Australian army serving in Papua New Guinea before joining the Far Eastern liaison office, where he took part in dangerous reconnaissance missions.
“His story is a heartbreaking reminder of how close some came to seeing peace yet never returned home,” memorial director Matt Anderson said.
“This is honouring a country boy who became a Sydneysider yet did not survive to finish his story.”
Other commemorations today include a Royal Australian Air Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft conducting a flypast over the National War Memorial in Adelaide.
RSL national president, Greg Melick, said the occasion was an important time for Australia to recognise the sacrifices of so many fallen soldiers.
“For Australians, that day meant that the second world war was finally over,” he said.
“As the number of veterans dwindle, it is vital that we commemorate their collective contribution to our liberty and way of life.”
BCA says report to provide pathway to help drive investment
BCA chief executive, Bran Black, said the report calls for practical reforms to remove unnecessary red tape to boost investor confidence and make it easier to work, trade and do business across Australia.
We have become too complex a country in which to do business, and that’s a massive handbrake on our ability to lift productivity and living standards.
At the upcoming economic reform roundtable, we have an opportunity to address excessive and duplicative rules that impose unnecessary costs on both businesses and consumers.
As our report show, reducing the red tape burden by 1% could unlock an extra $1b a year for the economy.
Black said the report is intended to provide a tangible pathway to help drive investment into Australia, which will support businesses to grow, increase job opportunities and ultimately boost incomes.
In Victoria, a cafe owner needs 36 separate licences and approvals before they can pour the first coffee, while a tradie on the Gold Coast needs to pay hundreds of dollars in permits just to fix a tap over the NSW border, this is the regulation we need to fix.
Business Council of Australia proposes plan to cut $110bn red tape
Ahead of next week’s productivity summit, the Business Council of Australia has mapped out a blueprint for the government to cut Australia’s “$110bn” red tape burden and out-of-date regulation.
It calls for a 25% reduction in regulatory costs by 2030 and for the government to undertake a national stocktake of red tape and the impact it is having on the economy.
Its recommendations include:
Simplifying compliance and licensing regimes across the country, particularly for tradespeople critical to building more homes.
Streamlining trading hours and practices, and aligning planning and environmental assessments across the country;
Ensuring laws are fit for the future digital economy to allow a faster rollout of AI and cyber innovation.
Creating better regulation frameworks, which include KPIs for regulators to reduce red tape and compliance costs.
UTS to ‘suspend’ 140 courses over six faculties
A major university has announced a plan to “temporarily suspend” 140 courses across six faculties.
UTS, in a media release, said the courses being suspended for new intake were those that have low student enrolments.
“We want to make sure our curriculum is relevant to what students and employers need,” it said.
The faculty of design and society appears the hardest hit, though the business school, engineering and IT, health, law and science are also on the list.
This temporary suspension has no impact on current students and is aimed only at prospective new students for 2026.
The university said:
The suspensions will be in place until a decision is made on the future of these courses following consultation with staff and unions through a change proposal process.
UTS is one of several Australian universities that have recently flagged restructures including job cuts.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories to get you started.
Before next week’s economic summit, the Business Council of Australia has outlined a vision to relieve business owners from what it calls the country’s “$110bn red tape burden” as the federal government hunts for a solution to the nation’s withered productivity. More coming up.
The war in the Pacific ended 80 years ago and a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial later today will remember the service personnel who gave their lives fighting the Japanese. We have more coming up.
