Israel must allow 'unimpeded' access to Gaza, ministers say, while announcing $20m in aid
"We continue to call on Israel to allow immediate and unimpeded aid access into Gaza."
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her government had "consistently been part of the international call on Israel to allow a full and immediate resumption of aid to Gaza, in line with the binding orders of the International Court of Justice". "Australia will continue to work with the international community to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and a two-state solution — the only path to enduring peace and security for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples," she added.
According to the statement, the newly announced aid will consist of:
$2 million for relief support with the UK, through our existing partnership arrangement
$6 million to the UN World Food Programme for the provision and distribution of food supplies
$5 million to UNICEF for nutritional support to children at risk of starvation
$5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross to meet essential needs, including access to healthcare
$2 million to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization to provide medical supplies to support the operation of field hospitals in Gaza — With additional reporting from Reuters.
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News.com.au
37 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Italy plans world's longest bridge connecting Sicily to mainland
Italy's government has announced it will build the 'biggest infrastructure project in the West' as it unveiled plans for the world's longest suspension bridge. The government on Wednesday approved a controversial €13.5 billion ($24 billion) project to build what the Strait of Messina Bridge connecting the island of Sicily to the mainland. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's coalition hailed the state-funded project as an economic boost for the impoverished south of Italy – only for critics to warn that it risks turning into a financial black hole. Italian politicians have for decades debated a bridge over the Strait of Messina, a narrow strip of water between the island of Sicily and the region of Calabria, at the toe of Italy's boot. But ministers say Wednesday's approval by a government committee, CIPESS, is the furthest the project has ever got. Advocates say the bridge, due for completion by 2032, is at the cutting edge of engineering, able to withstand high winds and earthquakes in a region that lies across two tectonic plates. Preliminary works could begin next month with full construction to start next year, once the project receives official sign off. It has been designed with two railway lines in the middle and three lanes of traffic on either side, with a suspended span of 3.3 kilometres – a world record – stretching between two 400m high towers. It would have car lanes in each direction and a double-track railway, allowing capacity for 6000 cars an hour and 200 trains per day – slashing travel time from 100 minutes by ferry to 10 minutes by car. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, who is also responsible for transport and infrastructure, told reporters work could begin as soon as September or October. He said the bridge and the associated new roads, railways and stations would act as a 'development accelerator' for impoverished Sicily and Calabria, boosting economic growth and creating tens of thousands of jobs, many of them skilled. 'From a technical standpoint, it's an absolutely fascinating engineering project,' he said, adding it could create 120,000 jobs. Yet the project has sparked local protests over the environmental impact and the cost, with critics saying the money could be better spent elsewhere. Nicola Fratoianni, an MP of the Greens and Left Alliance, slammed a 'mega-project that will divert a huge amount of public resources' and 'risks turning into a gigantic black hole'. The Italian Court of Auditors has criticised the extent of debt-laden state's investment in this one project in its assessment of the 2024 budget. The centre-left Democratic Party warned that the project 'tramples environmental, safety and European norms – and common sense'. The public prosecutor of Messina also recently warned of the risk that organised crime would benefit from the project. Salvini on Wednesday insisted the government would do everything to prevent mafia infiltration. NATO spending The longest suspended bridge in the world is currently the 1915 Canakkale Bridge in Turkey, which has a main span of 2.023 kilometres between its towers and opened in 2022. Many believe that Italy's ambitious project will never actually materialise, pointing to a long history of public works announced, financed, yet never completed in Italy. The project has had several false starts, with the first plans drawn up more than 50 years ago. Eurolink, a consortium led by Italian group Webuild, won the tender in 2006 only for the government to cancel it after the eurozone debt crisis. The consortium remains the contractor on the revived project. This time, Rome may have an added incentive to press ahead – by classifying the cost of the bridge as defence spending. Italy has agreed along with other NATO allies to massively increase its defence expenditure to five per cent of GDP, at the demand of US President Donald Trump. Of this, 1.5 per cent can be spent on 'defence-related' areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure – and Rome is hoping the Messina bridge will qualify, particularly as Sicily hosts a NATO base. Currently the only way to cross the Messina Strait is by ferry, taking at least an hour by car and two on the train — where individual carriages are loaded onto the ferry – but the bridge aims to cut journey times to 10 and 15 minutes, respectively. Meloni insisted Wednesday it was a 'demonstration of Italy's willpower and technical expertise' that would 'form the backbone of a faster and more modern nation'.
ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
The ABC is granted access to a Kerem Shalam aid site Israel says it is using to feed Gaza
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Occasionally, it turned white as the vehicles drove over piles of flour spilt from sacks that had fallen off the trucks. The road had clearly been churned up from heavy traffic. But it smoothed out as the convoy, which included social media influencers, approached a large fenced-off clearing. That area was the Gaza side of the Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite repeated requests, it was the first time the ABC had gained access to Gaza with the IDF since the start of the war — opportunities semi-regularly offered to other international media outlets, particularly from the US. There is no denying that such "embeds", as they are called, are highly choreographed and controlled. But the trip was also an opportunity to gain access to a site Israel is using to prosecute its case it is trying to feed the population of Gaza — an argument the humanitarian community, and world leaders, argue is full of holes. 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Some of the packaging was falling apart, evidence the supplies had been lying there for quite a while. In some corners, there was an odour signifying food had spoiled in the hot summer sun. Israel is using the scenes at Kerem Shalom to push its argument it is letting aid into the strip, but that the United Nations and other humanitarian agencies have not followed through on their part of the deal. One IDF staffer said the military viewed the depot as something of an airline check-in desk. Pallets of food, like suitcases, were brought in and registered, then it was up to baggage handlers to get them to their destination. Israel believes its responsibility for the aid ends the moment it "checks in" the supplies. But the humanitarian community has consistently poured criticism on that, saying it is an example of Israel avoiding its obligations, and that it has been too difficult and too dangerous to make those deliveries. In the week leading up to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to partially ease aid restrictions and allow for so-called "secure corridors" to be established in Gaza, the World Food Programme (WFP) detailed the delays. WFP made 138 requests to Israeli authorities to travel to Kerem Shalom and the northern aid depot near the Zikim crossing, but only 76 of those requests were approved. When the green light was given, WFP said it took up to 46 hours for some of those convoys to make the journey — a long time, considering Gaza is less than 50 kilometres north to south. Israel is right to state that more aid is entering the strip daily, since the partial easing of restrictions in late July. On Tuesday, 300 trucks entered Gaza and another 300 truckloads were picked up for distribution inside the strip. But it is still far fewer trucks making it across the border compared to the figures before October 2023, when the war began. 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West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
AI productivity roundtable: More jobs created than lost through artificial intelligence, expert claims
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The report recommends the Government avoid new AI-specific laws and pause steps to mandate guardrails until reviews of gaps posed by AI to current regulatory structures are completed. 'The most important thing that we would say is that we're not lessening regulation in terms of AI,' she said. 'What we're saying is, let's have a really systematic, methodical look at where laws actually are, what are the harms that we're seeking to prevent?' The report is one of five Productivity Commission research papers ahead of the Government's economic reform roundtable later this month which will be dominated by AI issues, and it predicts that new technology could inject $116 billion into the economy. But it also acknowledges that like all previous technological changes, the shifting workplace environment will increase the demand for workers in some professions and not others, leading to 'painful transitions' as well as 'new opportunities.' Concerns have already been raised about the impact the new tech will have on jobs and creative industries, specifically around copyright. The Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance immediately decried the PC report's 'resistance to much-needed legislation and regulation,' that would protect the industry from AI theft. The MEAA flagged widespread concern about stolen work and future job losses without more mandatory 'guardrails' on AI, highlighting its opposition to the relaxation of copyright rules that would enable the transfer of resources to foreign tech companies with no chance of compensation. 'More than 90 per cent of workers want AI regulation and for technology giants to be forced to pay for the work they steal,' it said in a statement. The union found an unlikely ally in Coalition leader Sussan Ley, who agreed that it was 'not appropriate for big tech to steal' Australian intellectual property and lashed the government for being weak on protecting copyrighted content from AI firms. 'I'm not hearing from this government about guardrails to protect Australian content,' the Opposition Leader said. 'It is not appropriate for big tech to steal the work of Australian artists, musicians, creators, news media, journalism and use it for their own ends without paying for it. 'AI is important. We should embrace the technology with respect to AI, but we have to get the balance right so that we can power the economy. 'And we have to protect people. We have to protect content creators, and I don't see that. A spokesperson for Seven West Media, publisher of The Nightly, also warned the Productivity Commission's AI recommendations on copyright could have significant ramifications for Australian-made content. 'AI platforms need to stop stealing Australian-made content and adhere to our copyright laws, which are already fit-for-purpose,' the spokesperson said. 'To think they can hide behind fair dealing is ridiculous. It is just straight theft. No other industry is allowed to use other people's work the way big tech currently is, so why is the Productivity Commission considering an exemption? 'From our journalists, to our editors, producers, writers and camera operators – everyone at Seven works incredibly hard to create our own content for Australian audiences. This content creation comes with significant investment but it is something we are very proud to do. To the extent that AI is disrupting our ability to commercialise that investment, we are very concerned. 'The Government should be similarly concerned that AI will ultimately lead to a significant reduction in content investment and creation in Australia by trusted news sources.' In a sign of the fiery debate ahead, the Business Council of Australia welcomed the Commission's report for taking a 'sensible middle ground approach to regulation' to use existing laws to ensure the AI opportunity could be grasped while also providing appropriate protections. 'AI can help us work smarter, not harder, supporting workers and businesses to spend more time on the things that matter most,' chief executive Bran Black said. Ms Abramson described the report's estimate of the $116 billion AI boon to the economy as 'conservative' but recognised that job fears had to be adequately addressed, including with efforts to help displaced workers retrain. 'It's very important to acknowledge [concerns], but I think our starting point would say that we do know over the long term that major advances in technology do add jobs,' she said. The report cites forecasts from the World Economic Forum that predict, at a global level, a net growth of 2 million jobs due to AI and information processing technologies within five years. Overall, the WEF predicts wider job growth due to AI at 11 million compared to a displacement of 9 million by 2030. The newly Productivity Commission analysis does not make its own precise forecasts about how many roles would be augmented or automated by AI, deferring to an upcoming study by Jobs and Skills Australia But the researchers observed in a number of workplaces how AI was used to relieve workers of mundane tasks, said Ms Abramson, calling for 'balanced conversations' about the challenges ahead. 'You're always going to hear the story about the job losses. It's not often that you're going to hear the story about the job gains,' she said. 'Our point is that we're doing jobs differently,' argued Ms Abramson, pointing to her own experience as a young lawyer sifting through volumes of documents – a job now alleviated by technology. 'In some areas, the ability of AI to crunch vast quantities of data has actually meant that humans can focus on much more interesting tasks and perhaps do things that they couldn't do before,' she said. 'It's a real opportunity to get growth in our economy.' The PC report mentions early estimates that suggest AI will increase multifactor productivity by 0.5 per cent to 13 per cent over the next decade. After its own examination of the assumptions underpinning these studies, the Commission concludes that 'productivity gains above 2.3 per cent are likely' that would translate into about 4.3 per cent labor productivity growth over the next decade. It cautions, however, that there is considerable uncertainty about the precise magnitude. To illustrate productivity gains, it refers to examples including Lyro Robotics developing an avocado-sorting robot to identify the ripeness of the fruit, and Commonwealth Bank of Australia figures that show a 30 per cent drop in customer-reported fraud due to AI alerts. However, Treasurer Jim Chalmers struck a note of caution on Wednesday, pledging to take a 'middle path' on AI between the 'Let It Rip' crowd and people 'who pretend we can turn back the clock.' While AI was a 'game changer', Dr Chalmers said the Government had to find ways to ensure it benefited workers and did not make them victims to technological change. He said he was 'optimistic that AI can be a force for good' while 'also realistic about the risks.' AI 'has the potential to support all of our major economic goals, making our economy more productive stronger, lifting living standards over time and every single part of our lives will be impacted over time by artificial intelligence,' said Dr Chalmers. He also downplayed concerns that copyright rules would be relaxed to enable data mining to train AI models. Industry Minister Tim Ayres was looking at the issue closely and the Government would keep engaging with concerned parties to get it right, he said. Copyright laws were already in force, differentiating the Australian regime with other jurisdictions. 'So there's no ambiguity about that. Australian law, whether it's criminal law or civil law, applies now,' he said, adding that the Government's focus was on how AI impacts the workplace and not working up ways to change the copyright regime.
