Australia news LIVE: Netanyahu blasts Australia over Palestine recognition push; Reserve Bank to meet ahead of expected rate cut
Latest posts
6.46am
Netanyahu attacks Australia over Palestine recognition
By Angus Thompson
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded Australia 'shameful' in its advocacy for Palestinian statehood and accused foreign leaders of capitulating to public opinion over the Gaza war.
His comments came as Israel was roundly criticised at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Sunday, with China calling the 'collective punishment' of people in Gaza unacceptable and Russia warning against a 'reckless intensification of hostilities'.
The meeting was called by Britain, Denmark, Greece, France and Slovenia in response to the Israeli announcement on Friday that it would to widen its military offensive and eventually take control of the whole Gaza Strip.
But in a wide-ranging press conference staged 'to puncture the lies and tell the truth' about Israeli military and humanitarian action, Netanyahu denied Israel had a 'starvation policy' and hit out at foreign powers for backing the 'absurdity' of recognising Palestine in the pursuit of peace.
6.41am
Split in Albanese's caucus on AI threat
By Paul Sakkal
Labor is about to dump proposed new laws to regulate artificial intelligence as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's caucus splits on whether to clamp down on the sprawling technology.
Underlining a growing appetite in the cabinet to seize what the Productivity Commission says could be a $200 billion boon, assistant minister Andrew Charlton will lead a delegation to the US this week to meet executives from powerhouse firms OpenAI, Nvidia and Amazon Web Services.
But Labor is confronting union calls to protect workers from replacement as it tries to deal Australia into the AI race. Backbencher Ed Husic is also urging Labor to push ahead with a new AI regulatory act he first proposed when he was a minister in Labor's first term in office.
According to four government sources, including two ministers, none of whom could speak publicly about internal discussions, Labor is veering away from new laws that would deal with AI's potential downsides.
6.39am
What's making news today
By Daniel Lo Surdo
Hello and welcome to the national news blog. My name is Daniel Lo Surdo, and I'll be helming our live coverage this morning.
Here's what is making news today:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded Australia 'shameful' in its advocacy for Palestinian statehood. It came after Israel was widely criticised at a United Nations Security Council meeting on Sunday, with China and Russia among the latest nations lashing Israel's conduct in Gaza. In a wide-ranging press conference, Netanyahu criticised foreign powers for supporting the 'absurdity' of recognising Palestine in the pursuit of peace.
The Reserve Bank of Australia will begin its two-day deliberations later today ahead of a decision on the official interest rate decision on Tuesday, in which a cut is all but guaranteed. An interest rate reduction would mark the third this year, and follow a shock decision last month to deny relief to Australian home buyers and businesses. It comes after the June-quarter inflation figures showed headline inflation at its lowest levels since early 2021, while underlying inflation also eased.
Labor is about to dump proposed new laws to regulate artificial intelligence as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's caucus splits on whether to clamp down on the sprawling technology. The government is veering away from new laws that would deal with AI's potential downsides, with Minister for Industry and Innovation Tim Ayres working on a lighter touch model that will mostly adopt existing regulations in areas including privacy and copyright, and avoiding new red tape.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
10 minutes ago
- West Australian
What does recognising a Palestinian state mean?
Anthony Albanese is now among a growing list of Western leaders vowing to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. The Prime Minister heralded the decision as a step toward breaking 'the cycle of violence in the Middle East' and bringing 'an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza'. Though, not everyone agrees. Since making his Palestine declaration on Monday, Mr Albanese has been both accused of 'rewarding' Hamas and praised for joining global push to realise the rights of Palestinians. His more mild critics have argued it will do nothing to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. For better or worse, it is historic. So, why now and how will it all work? Why now? The 'momentum towards two states', as Foreign Minister Penny Wong described it, comes amid outrage over severe civilian suffering in Gaza, where Israeli forces have spent nearly two years relentlessly pursuing Islamist militants behind the October 7 attacks in 2023. Hamas, the group responsible, runs Gaza and its operations riddle the densely populated Palestinian territory, with tunnels and armouries nestled in civilian zones. More than 60,000 have been killed in the 22 month-long conflict, according to Gazan health officials. How many of those are Hamas fighters is unclear and because foreign reporters cannot enter Gaza, figures are hard for media to independently verify. But the death toll stacks up with assessments from independent monitors and local journalists working for trusted international agencies. So too do reports that nearly 200 have starved to death due to Israel's chokehold on aid. With the Israeli government rejecting that people were starving, French President Emmanuel Macron said in late July that it was time to break the status quo and make meaningful steps toward a two-state solution – Israelis and Palestinians living within sovereign, internationally recognised borders. The UK and Canada quickly followed suit, paving the way for Australia. Though, Donald Rothwell, a leading international law expert, said 'it's clear the Albanese government had been laying the groundwork' since 2024. 'There was obviously a significant intensity about how the government sought to build and prosecute its case over the course of the last 16 days or so,' he told NewsWire. Mr Rothwell pointed to three key developments that he said likely 'accelerated' Mr Albanese's decision. The first was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing plans to occupy all of Gaza. Australia joined several Western countries in condemning the plans in a statement, saying that actioning them would 'aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians'. The second development was Israeli settlers stepping up efforts to annex land in West Bank – the second Palestinian enclave and only territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The final development was a vote in Israel's parliament that showing overwhelming opposition to Palestinian statehood. Mr Netanyahu mentioned the vote in a press conference on Sunday. He told reporters the 'Jewish public is … against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won't bring peace'. 'It'll bring war,' he said. Mr Rothman said 'all those factors combined' drove the urgency. How will it work? Mr Albanese named four key commitments he secured from Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The first two include Hamas having 'no role' in a future Palestinian state and the PA recognising 'Israel's right to exist in peace and security'. While Mr Albanese said Mr Abbas 'reaffirmed' his support for the second point, the PA has no presence in Gaza and no control over Hamas. As Mr Rothwell said, 'It's not clear to me at all as to how the Palestinian Authority can achieve that, given that it has no control or authority over Hamas in Gaza.' The PA itself is commonly criticised for its corruption, ineffectiveness and lack of elections. The last presidential vote was in 2005. It also has a radicalisation problem in West Bank and pays families of 'martyrs' – Palestinians wounded or killed in flare ups with Israel. The 'Martyrs Fund' has been heavily criticised as supporting terrorism. Mr Albanese said Mr Abbas also committed to demilitarising and holding elections, and scrapping the payments to martyrs' families as part of broader transparency reforms. On election, Mr Rothwell said he could not see how the PA could hold 'fair and free elections' before the UNGA next month. Instead, he said the Albanese government and others promising to recognise Palestine are 'really trying to hold Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to … free and true elections sometime towards the end of 2025 or early 2026'. In terms of how Australia recognises Palestine, Mr Rothwell said the Albanese government has taken an 'exceptional' pathway. A government can recognise a state at any time – it does not need to be at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He said that in 'most instances' recognition is made official via a statement, so Mr Albanese announcing it to reporters from the prime ministerial courtyard on Monday 'was quite exceptional'. 'But then to have a two-step process, effectively saying in Canberra on the 11th of August, we're going to recognise, but then we're formally going to recognise that the UNGA … just falls into the notion of a Palestinian exception,' Mr Rothwell said. When Mr Albanese travels to the UN in New York next month, he will vote, alongside the leaders of France, the UK, Canada and several other countries, to join the 147 nations that already recognise Palestine. 'It's obviously a peak forum at which these matters can be discussed,' Mr Rothwell said. 'And in recent years, that peak forum in September has set aside some time for debate and discussion about Palestinian membership of the United Nations.' But he noted that 'the General Assembly vote is just one part of a two part process for a state becoming a member of the United Nations'. 'In the second part of that process is endorsement of that UN General Assembly vote by the Security Council,' Mr Rothwell said. Last year, a vote passed the General Assembly but was vetoed by the US in the Security Council. This has happened several times and the Trump administration is staunchly against Palestinian statehood while Hamas controls Gaza. But Mr Rothwell pointed out that statehood does not require UN membership. For example, Australia recognises Kosovo even though it is not a UN member. 'It's not exceptional that Australia recognises a state which is not a member of the United Nations,' Mr Rothwell said. 'Secondly, there are some states out there that Australia recognises who are not UN members and then membership may well be delayed or deferred or constantly blocked for a number of political reasons.' He added that 'throughout the history of the United Nations, that's not necessarily been exceptional'.
Perth Now
10 minutes ago
- Perth Now
How will Albo's Palestine pledge work?
Anthony Albanese is now among a growing list of Western leaders vowing to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. The Prime Minister heralded the decision as a step toward breaking 'the cycle of violence in the Middle East' and bringing 'an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza'. Though, not everyone agrees. Since making his Palestine declaration on Monday, Mr Albanese has been both accused of 'rewarding' Hamas and praised for joining global push to realise the rights of Palestinians. His more mild critics have argued it will do nothing to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. For better or worse, it is historic. So, why now and how will it all work? Why now? The 'momentum towards two states', as Foreign Minister Penny Wong described it, comes amid outrage over severe civilian suffering in Gaza, where Israeli forces have spent nearly two years relentlessly pursuing Islamist militants behind the October 7 attacks in 2023. Hamas, the group responsible, runs Gaza and its operations riddle the densely populated Palestinian territory, with tunnels and armouries nestled in civilian zones. More than 60,000 have been killed in the 22 month-long conflict, according to Gazan health officials. How many of those are Hamas fighters is unclear and because foreign reporters cannot enter Gaza, figures are hard for media to independently verify. But the death toll stacks up with assessments from independent monitors and local journalists working for trusted international agencies. So too do reports that nearly 200 have starved to death due to Israel's chokehold on aid. With the Israeli government rejecting that people were starving, French President Emmanuel Macron said in late July that it was time to break the status quo and make meaningful steps toward a two-state solution – Israelis and Palestinians living within sovereign, internationally recognised borders. The UK and Canada quickly followed suit, paving the way for Australia. Though, Donald Rothwell, a leading international law expert, said 'it's clear the Albanese government had been laying the groundwork' since 2024. 'There was obviously a significant intensity about how the government sought to build and prosecute its case over the course of the last 16 days or so,' he told NewsWire. Mr Rothwell pointed to three key developments that he said likely 'accelerated' Mr Albanese's decision. The first was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing plans to occupy all of Gaza. Australia joined several Western countries in condemning the plans in a statement, saying that actioning them would 'aggravate the catastrophic humanitarian situation, endanger the lives of the hostages, and further risk the mass displacement of civilians'. The second development was Israeli settlers stepping up efforts to annex land in West Bank – the second Palestinian enclave and only territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The final development was a vote in Israel's parliament that showing overwhelming opposition to Palestinian statehood. Mr Netanyahu mentioned the vote in a press conference on Sunday. He told reporters the 'Jewish public is … against the Palestinian state for the simple reason that they know it won't bring peace'. 'It'll bring war,' he said. Mr Rothman said 'all those factors combined' drove the urgency. How will it work? Mr Albanese named four key commitments he secured from Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA). The first two include Hamas having 'no role' in a future Palestinian state and the PA recognising 'Israel's right to exist in peace and security'. While Mr Albanese said Mr Abbas 'reaffirmed' his support for the second point, the PA has no presence in Gaza and no control over Hamas. As Mr Rothwell said, 'It's not clear to me at all as to how the Palestinian Authority can achieve that, given that it has no control or authority over Hamas in Gaza.' The PA itself is commonly criticised for its corruption, ineffectiveness and lack of elections. The last presidential vote was in 2005. It also has a radicalisation problem in West Bank and pays families of 'martyrs' – Palestinians wounded or killed in flare ups with Israel. The 'Martyrs Fund' has been heavily criticised as supporting terrorism. Mr Albanese said Mr Abbas also committed to demilitarising and holding elections, and scrapping the payments to martyrs' families as part of broader transparency reforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia will recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. Martin Ollman / NewsWire Credit: News Corp Australia On election, Mr Rothwell said he could not see how the PA could hold 'fair and free elections' before the UNGA next month. Instead, he said the Albanese government and others promising to recognise Palestine are 'really trying to hold Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority to … free and true elections sometime towards the end of 2025 or early 2026'. In terms of how Australia recognises Palestine, Mr Rothwell said the Albanese government has taken an 'exceptional' pathway. A government can recognise a state at any time – it does not need to be at the UN General Assembly (UNGA). He said that in 'most instances' recognition is made official via a statement, so Mr Albanese announcing it to reporters from the prime ministerial courtyard on Monday 'was quite exceptional'. 'But then to have a two-step process, effectively saying in Canberra on the 11th of August, we're going to recognise, but then we're formally going to recognise that the UNGA … just falls into the notion of a Palestinian exception,' Mr Rothwell said. When Mr Albanese travels to the UN in New York next month, he will vote, alongside the leaders of France, the UK, Canada and several other countries, to join the 147 nations that already recognise Palestine. 'It's obviously a peak forum at which these matters can be discussed,' Mr Rothwell said. 'And in recent years, that peak forum in September has set aside some time for debate and discussion about Palestinian membership of the United Nations.' But he noted that 'the General Assembly vote is just one part of a two part process for a state becoming a member of the United Nations'. 'In the second part of that process is endorsement of that UN General Assembly vote by the Security Council,' Mr Rothwell said. Last year, a vote passed the General Assembly but was vetoed by the US in the Security Council. This has happened several times and the Trump administration is staunchly against Palestinian statehood while Hamas controls Gaza. But Mr Rothwell pointed out that statehood does not require UN membership. For example, Australia recognises Kosovo even though it is not a UN member. 'It's not exceptional that Australia recognises a state which is not a member of the United Nations,' Mr Rothwell said. 'Secondly, there are some states out there that Australia recognises who are not UN members and then membership may well be delayed or deferred or constantly blocked for a number of political reasons.' He added that 'throughout the history of the United Nations, that's not necessarily been exceptional'.
Perth Now
40 minutes ago
- Perth Now
Greens won't prop up Labor government 'at this stage'
Tasmania's minority Liberal government appears increasingly likely to continue ruling, with the Greens declaring they are unable to "at this point" support Labor. The July 19 state election returned another hung parliament, with the Liberals (14 seats) finishing closer than Labor (10) to the 18 seats required for majority. Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff has been reappointed premier, but Labor remains in the hunt to govern and could take the helm via a vote of MPs when parliament resumes on August 19. Both major parties have been trying to garner support from a cross bench containing five Greens, five independents and one Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP. Labor leader Dean Winter has held talks with independents but has continually ruled out "doing a deal" with the Greens, despite needing their numbers to govern. Mr Winter has flagged a no-confidence motion in Mr Rockliff when parliament resumes, which could result in the Liberals being punted from power. Mr Winter and Greens leader Rosalie Woodruff held a formal meeting on Tuesday. Dr Woodruff said Mr Winter had shown no intention to negotiate in good faith, or make policy compromises. "At this stage we cannot have any confidence in the proposed motion to make Dean Winter the premier of Tasmania in parliament," she said. Dr Woodruff said the door remained open for talks with Labor, but indicated time was running out ahead of parliament's resumption. She said Labor was unwilling to budge on issues including environmental protections, native forest logging or the Greens-opposed new AFL stadium. Dr Woodruff said it was hard to see her party's position changing while Mr Winter remained Labor leader. The Greens lack of support for Labor didn't mean the party was offering confidence to the Liberals, she added. Labor, which has been in opposition since 2014, recorded its lowest vote in Tasmania in more than a century at the election. Mr Winter, who will make independent upper house MP Ruth Forrest treasurer if the party governs, said the cross bench had a choice based on how to best fix the budget. The snap election was called after Mr Rockliff in June lost a no-confidence motion critical of Tasmania's ballooning net debt and his handing of delayed infrastructure projects. Mr Winter said Mr Rockliff planned to "cut 2500 public sector jobs" while Labor wanted to work on a mix of revenue and expenditure options. He reiterated he wouldn't be "horse-trading" specific policies. The Liberals have recently made several concessions, including banning greyhound racing by 2029 and dropping a plan to expand native forestry, to try to appease the cross bench. Speaking before Dr Woodruff's press conference, Mr Rockliff said he was taking nothing for granted and was working with the cross bench in a sensible way.
