Australia news LIVE: Australian Defence Force facing sexual violence allegations; Victorian premier to visit East Melbourne Synagogue following antisemitic attack

Sydney Morning Herald

14 hours ago

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Latest posts
8.00am
'It hurts': Australian Oscar Piastri misses out on victory after 10 second penalty
By Emily Kowal
Australian Formula One star Oscar Piastri has missed out on a first place victory at the British Grand Prix after a controversial penalty.
The McLaren driver came from second place on the grid to lead, then incurred a 10-second penalty before seeing teammate and chief rival Lando Norris go clear to take the chequered flag.
Find out how it played out here.
7.51am
Opposition leader offers to work with PM to fast-track childcare reform
By Emily Kowal
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is waiting to hear back from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after writing to him to offer support for fast-tracking childcare reforms.
It comes after horrific abuse allegations against Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Brown, accused of abusing children aged between five months and two years at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.
Speaking to Sunrise, Ley said she hoped that a collaborative approach would lead to faster law reform.
'I felt physically sick when I heard this,' she said.
'I have written to the prime minister in good faith to offer our constructive engagement in the lead-up to parliament returning so we can have legislation ready to go to actually act once and for all to do what I think every parent would expect, and every community member would expect, to make sure our children are safe in childcare settings.'
7.35am
'This is very dangerous': Fears Australia's relationship with United States is 'fraying'
By Emily Kowal
Former Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce has warned that Australia's relationship with the United States is 'not going well', with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese preparing to travel to China this week while yet to obtain a meeting with the United States president.
'This is very dangerous. This is very dangerous,' Joyce said, speaking to Sunrise this morning.
'You need to understand the United States is the cornerstone of our defence relationship. It is not going well; this is the fourth meeting he has had with the leader of China, but that is a totalitarian regime. Mr Trump has not had a meeting with the prime minister yet. I'm truly concerned about that,' Joyce said.
'If we can't extract the meeting between the prime minister and the president of the United States, we are on bad ground.'
However, also speaking to Sunrise, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek rejected claims that Australia's relationship with the United States was fraying.
'The prime minister has spoken to the president on the phone, the defence minister met his counterpart recently, the foreign affairs minister has just been in the United States recently ... the United States is absolutely our foundational defence and security partner. The relationship is terrific,' Plibersek said.
7.07am
'I don't think there is any chance of it going back to what it was': Hannah Thomas' grim prognosis after eye injury
By Emily Kowal
A former Greens candidate who suffered a serious injury when police broke up an anti-Israel protest in Sydney last month has been told to be 'prepared for the worst', including the possibility she will never regain vision in her right eye, as she readies for a second round of surgery.
Hannah Thomas, who ran against Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Grayndler at the May election, suffered a gruesome eye injury on June 27, when she was arrested alongside four others.
In her first interview since the arrests, Thomas said she has been warned that she will probably never regain full vision following the incident.
Read what she said here.
6.56am
'We are seeing bodies recovered all over, up and down': Texas flood death toll rises as Trump declares major disaster
By Michael Koziol
Overseas, the death toll from catastrophic floods in central Texas has risen to 70, with many adults and children still missing, as US President Donald Trump declared a major disaster over what he called an 'unimaginable tragedy'.
In the worst-affected region, Kerr County, authorities said 59 people were confirmed dead – 38 adults and 21 children – while 11 children and a counsellor from the Camp Mystic summer camp were still missing.
Read the story by our US correspondent, Michael Koziol, here.
6.56am
Victorian premier launches new anti-hate taskforce, set to visit firebombed synagogue
By Kieran Rooney, Wendy Tuohy and Alexander Darling
A new anti-hate taskforce will be assembled by the Allan government as it scrambles to beef up efforts to address antisemitism in Victoria following a new round of attacks on Friday, last week.
In Melbourne's CBD on Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters, including children, chanted 'Death to the IDF' at a demonstration that went ahead less than 48 hours after the antisemitic attacks, which included an attack on East Melbourne Synagogue while children and families were inside.
Premier Jacinta Allan, is expected to visit East Melbourne Synagogue today and will announce that the new anti-hate taskforce will meet this week for the first time.
Read the full story here.
6.56am
This morning's headlines at a glance
By Emily Kowal
Good morning and welcome to today's national news blog. My name is Emily Kowal, and I will be getting our coverage started this morning.
It's Monday, July 7.
Here's what's making news this morning.
After being ignored, sidelined and marginalised, brave women in Australia's armed forces are speaking up about Defence's failures to act on sexual violence against its own people.
In NSW, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas has been warned to 'prepare for the worst' after suffering a serious eye injury caused when police broke up an anti-Israel protest in Sydney last month.
In Victoria, a new anti-hate taskforce will be assembled by the Allan government as it scrambles to beef up efforts to address antisemitism in Victoria following a new round of attacks on Friday.
Overseas, the death toll from the devastating floods in central Texas has risen to 70, with many adults and children still missing, as US President Donald Trump declared a major disaster over what he called an 'unimaginable tragedy'.