Category Archives: Australia news

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

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RMIT-led study recommends a national recycling scheme to reduce the 200,000 tonnes of textiles sent to landfill each year

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.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters call NSW police attempt to block rally on 7 October ‘an attack on fundamental democratic rights’

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Exclusive: police will ask state supreme court to prevent the protests due to safety concerns as Palestine Action Group says it ‘unequivocally opposes’ move

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.

Palestine Action Group (PAG) had informed police of the protests and submitted the required paperwork request, known as form 1, for both.

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Australia financially assisting some citizens to leave Lebanon as Israel launches ground incursion

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It is thought there are 15,000 Australians in Lebanon, and plans for an emergency evacuation have been in place for months

The federal government is understood to be financially assisting some Australians in Lebanon to leave the country as part of an escalated bid to expatriate citizens as Israel begins a ground incursion.

Guardian Australia understands Beirut-Rafic Hariri international airport – the only operational commercial airport in Lebanon – remains open and both Australian passport and visa holders were being assisted on to flights by diplomatic staff. An estimated 15,000 Australians are in Lebanon.

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Controversial Queensland mayor labels Steven Miles’ move to oust him a ‘political hit job’

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Premier issues show cause notice to Troy Thompson as investigation into the Townsville mayor’s military service record continues

The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has launched an 11th hour bid to stand down controversial north Queensland mayor Troy Thompson as the Labor state government enters caretaker mode and faces an uphill state reelection campaign.

Miles’ office confirmed on Tuesday it had sent a show cause to the Townsville mayor.

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Woman killed in NT town’s second suspected DV death since July

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Emergency services unable to save 22-year-old after responding to reports of a distressed man in Katherine on Monday night

A woman has been killed in a suspected domestic violence assault in the Northern Territory.

Emergency services found the 22-year-old after responding to reports of a distressed man on O’Shea Terrace in Katherine on Monday night.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is on 13 11 14 and the national family violence counselling service is on 1800 737 732. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123 and the domestic abuse helpline is 0808 2000 247. In the US, the suicide prevention lifeline is 988 and the domestic violence hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Other international helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org

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Burke accuses Dutton of trying to ‘throw kerosene’ on public debate over Middle East

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Home affairs minister says he will cancel visas of people waving Hezbollah flags at rallies as experts point to nuanced community perspectives on group

The home affairs minister, Tony Burke, has accused Peter Dutton of seeking to “raise the temperature” of public debate over conflict in the Middle East, after protests on the weekend included some people holding the Hezbollah flag.

The opposition leader on Monday suggested parliament should be recalled to enact new anti-terror laws that would cover such actions, if it was not already illegal.

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Assange says he is free because he ‘pled guilty to journalism’ – as it happened

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National weather forecasts

Sticking with the weather, here’s a look at the forecasts across Australia’s capital cities today:

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Five things you should know about the Queensland election

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The sunshine state is heading to the polls on 26 October. Can Labor cling to power or will there be an LNP landslide?

Queenslanders will go to the polls on 26 October. Here are five things you should know.

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Gambling companies gifted hospitality to 19 Australian politicians for major sports events

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Alliance for Gambling Reform labels gifts an ‘undemocratic opportunity for lobbying’ but MPs defend hospitality as within rules and properly disclosed

Gambling reform campaigners have accused wagering companies of “showering” federal politicians with hospitality as the government considers advertising restrictions, with new data showing betting groups have given numerous free tickets to MPs.

New analysis from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, informed by a new database collecting all federal politicians’ updates to their parliamentary register of interests, shows at least 19 have accepted hospitality from wagering companies to attend major events including the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, AFL matches and cricket games.

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Australia’s ‘immoral’ coalmine decision akin to drowning Pacific neighbours, Tuvalu climate minister declares

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Labor government has undermined case to co-host 2026 UN climate summit with island nations, Dr Maina Talia declares

Tuvalu’s climate minister says Australia’s decision to approve three coalmine expansions calls into question the country’s claim to be a “member of the Pacific family” and undermines the Australian case to co-host the 2026 UN climate summit with island nations.

Dr Maina Talia said last week’s mine approvals, which analysts say could generate more than 1.3bn tonnes of carbon dioxide across their lifetime once the coal is shipped and burned overseas, was “a direct threat to our collective future”.

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Australia’s housing crisis may be starting to ease as home prices fall in four capital cities

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New data also shows auction figures softening while rent rises are at their slowest pace in years

Australia’s housing crisis may be starting to ease with dwelling price rises tapering off and rents increasing at their slowest pace in four years, data groups say.

Property values increased 0.4% in September, close to the 0.3% rise recorded for both the previous two months, CoreLogic reported. PropTrack’s housing index was basically flat, rising just 0.04% for the month.

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Police ‘groomed’ Melbourne lawyer turned informer Nicola Gobbo, court hears

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Mounting deaths in Melbourne’s gangland wars heaped pressure on detectives, court told

Nicola Gobbo was a young and vulnerable barrister “looking for a way out” of dealing with gangland clients like Tony Mokbel when police saw an opportunity, her lawyers claim.

At 25 years old, the youngest woman in Victoria to sign the bar roll, suddenly found herself “neck deep” in the underworld and feared for her personal safety and wellbeing.

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Criticism as British Australian public servant Aftab Malik appointed new Islamophobia envoy

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Some question the appointment of an official who has worked on controversial countering violent extremism programs

The Albanese government has announced British Australian public servant Aftab Malik as the special envoy to combat Islamophobia in Australia after months of delays.

But it has also sparked criticism, with some people within the Muslim community calling into question the thinking behind the appointment.

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Victoria police identify six possible criminal incidents after Hezbollah flags seen at weekend protests

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Federal government warns against importing ‘radical ideologies of conflict’ and threatens to cancel visa of anyone inciting ‘discord’

Victoria police say they have identified six possible criminal incidents relating to weekend protests in Melbourne against Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, after initial suggestions that no offences had been committed.

The AFP confirmed on Monday that it was expecting at least six reports of alleged crimes from their Victorian counterparts involving symbols and chants which are prohibited under federal hate speech law. It also said it would be writing to major news outlets asking for video footage of the protests which could assist in investigations.

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Police allegedly pepper-sprayed 13-year-old at Sydney rally, legal observers say – as it happened

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Treasurer raised trade restrictions on lobsters with Chinese leaders

Asked about the trade restrictions on Australian lobsters by China, Jim Chalmers said:

We’ve got a bit more work to do on lobster, but I was able to convey directly to Chinese leaders that we want to see the speedy resolution of those issues.

It’s a really important part of stabilising the relationship, which is full of complexity and full of economic opportunity. And while I was there, the Chinese authorities announced some quite substantial steps when it comes to supporting growth in the Chinese economy. We’ve made it really clear that weakness in the Chinese economy has been a big concern for us. It’s a big part of the global economic uncertainty that we’re dealing with …

If you look at our Treasury forecasts in the budget, we’re anticipating the weakest few years of Chinese growth, really, since that economy opened up in the late 1970s [and] that’s been a big concern for us. We’ve been upfront about that, so any efforts to try and turn that around in China is a good thing for us.

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Concerns over Gender Queer book dismissed by Australian classifications board as anti-LGBTQ+, court hears

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Barrister acting for Bernard Gaynor says board failed to engage with submissions – but counsel for minister of communications suggests some lacked context

The Australian classifications board made a “broadbrush dismissal” of over 500 submissions calling for a ban of the book Gender Queer by labelling those submissions as anti-LGBTQ+, a court has heard.

In July last year, the Classification Board rejected calls to restrict access to a memoir about gender identity that was the target of conservative campaigns to have it banned in the US, and found the content was appropriate for its intended audience.

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Rightmove rejects £6.2bn takeover offer by Murdoch-backed real estate firm

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FTSE 100 firm turns down fourth offer from the Australian property company REA Group

Rightmove has rejected a £6.2bn takeover offer from REA Group, the Australian real estate firm backed by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

The UK property portal told the City on Monday morning that its board had turned down REA’s fourth offer, having concluded it was “unattractive and materially undervalues Rightmove”.

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Malcolm Turnbull condemns UK’s ‘extraordinary’ hypocrisy over Spycatcher affair

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Exclusive: Former Australian PM witnessed ‘shocking act of perjury’ and says MI5 are still trying to hide something

The former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has accused the UK government of hypocrisy and concealment over the way it continues to block the release of secret files about the Spycatcher affair.

Before entering politics, Turnbull was a barrister for Peter Wright, a retired senior MI5 intelligence officer who revealed a series of illegal activities by the British security services in his memoir Spycatcher.

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GP visits costing Australians more than ever, survey finds

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Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ 2024 report shows rising out-of-pocket costs hit vulnerable with chronic, complex and mental illnesses hardest

Out of pocket costs to visit general practitioners are higher than ever, a survey from the peak body for GPs has found, along with the first indications in a long time of a boost in GP workforce numbers.

The gap has risen to an average $36.86 for a 20-minute consult in 2024, up from $34.91 last year, according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ 2024 health of the nation report.

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Jim Chalmers to confirm first back-to-back federal budget surpluses in more than 15 years

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Treasurer cites lower government spending as the key driver behind the $15.8bn surplus, which is $6bn better than May’s forecast

Jim Chalmers will on Monday reveal a $15.8bn budget surplus in an economic update, more than $6bn higher than predicted at May’s federal budget.

The treasurer says the better-than-forecast budget position has come “entirely” from lower government spending, a detail the treasurer highlights as Labor comes under scrutiny from the opposition and the Reserve Bank over concerns that public expenditure is helping to drive inflation.

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