What we learned, Tuesday 12 August
And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a snapshot of today’s headlines:
Anthony Albanese claimed Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “in denial” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and said frustration with Israel’s actions partly contributed to the decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley says the Coalition would revoke recognition of a Palestinian state and would “never have taken this step” of recognising a Palestinian state if they were in power.
The Reserve Bank has cut the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.6%, from 3.85%.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers hailed the rate cut as “very welcome relief for millions of Australians”.
Westpac, the Commonwealth Bank and Macquarie have all announced they will pass on today’s interest rate cut to their customers.
Voters in Kiama, NSW, will head to the polls next month for a byelection to replace former MP Gareth Ward.
Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game Fortnite, has won a partial victory against Apple and Google in the Australian federal court over the restrictions in their app stores and in-app payment options.
The health effects of Pfas appear to be small, the NSW Health Expert Advisory Panel on Pfas has concluded in its final report.
The AFL has announced that American rapper Snoop Dogg will grace the MCG for this year’s grand final entertainment.
Thanks for your company today. Nick Visser will be back with you bright and early tomorrow morning to bring you all of Wednesday’s news. Look after yourselves until then.
Updated
Man dies in snowboarding accident
A person has died at Perisher Ski Resort in the Snowy Mountains today, Guardian Australia understands. Early reports suggest a man died after a snowboarding accident this afternoon. Emergency services are yet to comment on the incident.
Updated
Chalmers has also taken a swing at shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien’s comments earlier:
I did not think [the Coalition] could find someone with less credibility than Angus Taylor but they’ve managed to do that in shadow treasurer Ted O’Brien. I thought it was frankly an absurd comment that will do him no good and to his credibility no good …
I thought his press conference today was a disgrace, frankly. He should be properly welcoming interest rate relief for millions of Australians. He did not want to see rates cut today and I think all of his words today were dripping with disappointment that rates were cut today for the third time this year under Labor.
Updated
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said the “productivity challenge” in Australia “is structural” and has been an issue in the economy for two decades, after the RBA substantially revised its productivity assumption in its statement of monetary policy today, prompting a lot of questions.
Chalmers said:
Overwhelmingly we have been making good progress in our country but there are elements of the data which are concerning … Our economy is not growing as strongly as we would like it to and one of the big persistent structural issues we have had in an economy now for two decades is it is not productive enough and productivity matters because it is the main driver of living standards so that workers … can get ahead and provide for their loved ones.
… Certainly, there has been obvious for some time that we don’t have the productivity growth that we need in order to make the economy grow strongly and sustainably over time … It’s not a surprise that we have a productivity challenge, it was one of the defining features of the last decade of our predecessors and remains a challenge in our economy and remains a primary focus of our efforts.
Updated
AGNSW explains ‘needs to make ongoing savings’
The Art Gallery of New South Wales has released a statement this afternoon regarding reports it was set to cut dozens of jobs as part of a restructure effort meant to save millions in annual expenditure.
A spokesperson for AGNSW said:
Like all cultural institutions, the Art Gallery of New South Wales must respond to the changing environment, stay within its budget and operate sustainably. To do this the art gallery needs to make ongoing savings and plan for the future.
The art gallery has begun staff consultation on a proposed structure to ensure resources are aligned with government priorities. The proposed organisational change reflects our operational requirements, future programming and ambitions for the art gallery, its collections and its audiences.
The wellbeing of staff is the art gallery’s top priority, and we’re committed to supporting our people throughout this process.
Updated
Recognition of Palestine makes creation of state ‘less likely’ Paterson says
The Albanese government’s decision to recognise the state of Palestine has “pushed back the prospect” of the state ever being created, Liberal senator James Paterson has said.
He told Afternoon Briefing:
The Albanese government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state is not the same as the creation of a Palestinian state; that would require the agreement of Israel. I think what the government has done has made that even less likely than it ever has been, they’ve pushed back that prospect, it’s an incredibly remote one.
Asked if the Coalition would revoke that recognition, Paterson said:
Yes, just as this government revoked the previous government’s recognition of West Jerusalem as Israel’s capital; new governments elected on a different political philosophy can change our foreign policy, and we would change it.
Updated
Fortnite creator scores some wins in major case against Apple and Google
Epic Games, the creator of the popular video game, Fortnite, has won a partial victory against Apple and Google in the Australian federal court over the restrictions in their app stores and in-app payment options.
Fortnite was kicked off the Apple and Google app stores in 2020 after Epic Games offered its own in-app payment system that bypassed the one used by the platforms, and cut out the fees Apple and Google receive for in-app payments.
Fortnite sued the two companies in Australia and other jurisdictions as a result. In the Australian case, Epic alleged that Apple’s control over in-app purchases in the Fortnite app were a misuse of market power, which had substantially lessened competition in app development. The company alleged Google harmed app developers and consumers in Australia by preventing choice over app distribution and in-app payments on Android devices.
Federal court justice Jonathan Beach found Apple had engaged in conduct likely to diminish competition over preventing side-loading of apps on iOS, and by preventing alternative payment methods for digital purchases. For Google it was found for the similar Google Play billing system, and over Google’s Project Hug, a project that allegedly saw developers enticed to keep their apps in the Play Store.
Other claims from Epic did not succeed.
Two class action cases arguing that Apple and Google overcharged developers for in-app payments were successful, but the difference in what they would have otherwise charged had there been more competition will be decided later.
Beach spent an hour and a half reading through a summary of his reasons in the four cases. The full judgment – expected to be around 1,000 pages long to cover all cases – will not be released until redactions are made. Orders on relief will be decided at a later date once lawyers for all parties have had time to digest the ruling.
Updated
Shadow finance minister, Liberal James Paterson, has told ABC’s Afternoon Briefing that he believes the reason so many journalists were asking RBA governor Michele Bullock about productivity, rather than the interest rate reduction, was because “the government has admitted this is a problem”.
Paterson said:
They have recognised it is a problem because it is so closely linked to living standards and living standards did fall over the government’s first term, as did productivity – in fact we went back to 2016 levels of productivity growth.
So that is a crisis for our living standards, for our wealth as a country, and we will go backwards unless we fix this. And the fact that the RBA has lowered their expectations for productivity growth is effectively a vote of no confidence in the government’s economic agenda, they have no a plan to fix this problem and I hope they can come up with one at their round-table but I am really worried they won’t.
Updated
Labor signals plan for road-user charging rules
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has signalled Labor could move forward with a plan for road-user charging rules as soon as next week’s productivity roundtable, saying Labor had flagged such a change before the federal election.
Labor has been working on plans for charges to cover electric vehicles with state and territory governments ahead of the three-day summit in Canberra next week.
Budget revenue collected from fuel excise has been falling as drivers increasingly shift to electric vehicles. Victoria designed rules for a 2c per kilometre charge on EV users in a 2023 plan, but the tax was overruled by the high court.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said last week the government was only considering immediately moving forward with tax plans considered by voters ahead of the 3 May election.
Chalmers said on Tuesday road-user charging met that standard, because the government had flagged its plans in the last parliament:
We said before the last election that this was an area we’re working on with the states and territories and in parts of our political opposition, there’s a sense of bipartisanship as well in dealing with this challenge.
Really for at least a year or two, we have said publicly that this is on the agenda, and so we will continue that work.
He said he expected state treasurers to raise road-user charging rules at a meeting on Friday, billed as a lead in meeting for next week’s roundtable.
Updated
Westpac and CBA pass on rate cut
Westpac, the Commonwealth Bank and Macquarie have all announced they will pass on today’s interest rate cut to their customers.
Westpac said it was going to pass on the -0.25% rate adjustment to its variable home loan interest rates effective Tuesday, 26 August.
The Commonwealth Bank says all home loan variable rate changes relating to today’s rate cut will be effective 22 August 2025.
Macquarie, meanwhile, says the cut will hit its variable home loan rates just three days from now, on Friday 15 August.
Updated
The Reserve Bank has been watching the housing market, Michele Bullock said, due to monetary policy’s direct influence on it.
So far, she said, the easing in the housing market that they have observed has been a “fairly gradual recovery in housing activity”:
Broadly, housing prices, dwelling investment, those sorts of things … We hope it happens in a nice measured way, but ultimately we don’t forecast property prices. We can’t control what happens there because I think as I’ve said before, the price, the property prices are about supply and demand, ultimately, in the housing market, and we don’t control that.
But we do know that historically, as interest rates fall, then activity in the housing market picks up. That’s exactly what we’d expect. And it is one of the channels through which monetary policy works.
Updated
A few questions for Bullock at this press conference around the RBA’s assumptions around productivity.
She reiterates a few times that the RBA only makes assumptions about productivity for a two-year forecast period – as in, they assume but don’t model it – and it is not an assumption about productivity in the long run.
Bullock says addressing productivity (or lack thereof) is not the job for the Reserve Bank but for the government:
Breaking out of the productivity slowdown is a matter for the government that they are taking on. They’re looking at what they can do. Businesses are looking at what they can do to take themselves out of the productivity slump.
There’s nothing the Reserve Bank can do. All the Reserve Bank can do is make sure we have low and stable inflation, and if we have full employment, both of those things are very stable environments for businesses to think about how they might improve productivity, how they might produce more for the same amount of labor and capital input. So nothing we can do about it. But the government recognises it’s a big issue and they are tackling it.
Updated
Bullock said the global outlook “remains unpredictable, even though it seems that the risk of a more damaging, widespread trade war has eased a bit”.
The RBA expects global growth to slow as we head into 2026, “as impacts from higher tariffs and broader policy uncertainty weigh on activity,” Bullock said. They expect the domestic economy see “a slow recovery in GDP” and labour market conditions to remain around the current levels.
There may be more interest rate cuts on the horizon, as Bullock said “the cash rate might need to be a bit lower than it is today to keep inflation low and stable, and employment growing, but there is still a lot of uncertainty”.
She continued:
Monetary policy remains well-positioned to respond to shocks that could come our way, and the board will keep doing what it needs to do to keep inflation down and maintain a healthy jobs market because, as we know, when inflation is low and stable and people can get jobs, it’s good for households, it’s good for the community, and it’s good for the broader Australian economy.
Updated
Inflation tracking towards ‘target range’, RBA governor says
The Reserve Bank governor, Michele Bullock, has said inflation is on track to be in the RBA’s 2%-3% target range, which she says is on a “sustainable basis”.
Speaking to media after the RBA lowered interest rates today, Bullock said that because the price level has gone up so much during the period of high inflation from 2022 to 2024, “households are still feeling the pain of those higher costs”.
Bullock said:
The board’s strategy – as you know – has been to bring inflation down while avoiding a sharp rise in unemployment because we didn’t take rates as high as some other countries. It may be that we don’t need to reduce rates as much either, as demand and potential supply in the economy get closer to balance and inflationary pressures ease. The board’s discussing how we can sustain this.
Updated
We’re expecting Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock to speak to the media very shortly.
Albanese government does not have the support of RBA, says shadow treasurer
The shadow treasurer, Ted O’Brien, has claimed the interest rate cut demonstrates that the Reserve Bank does not support Labor’s management of the economy and is only “slight relief” for mortgage holders.
Speaking to media just now, O’Brien said:
This sends a very powerful message to the people of Australia that the Albanese government does not have the support of the RBA when it comes to managing the economy.
Australians are feeling poorer for a reason. They are becoming poorer and the news from the RBA today says they are only going to be feeling poorer still. Living standards will continue to be a problem in Australia as the cost of everything goes up.
There was some slight relief for mortgage holders who, under the new cash rate, will be paying around about $1,800 more every single month in interest payments, compared to when the Albanese government first came to office. This is some slight relief, but still, they are copping it.
Everyday Australians are becoming poorer and poorer under this government, and the RBA’s news today gives them no relief. If anything, it’s a firm vote of no confidence.
Updated
Coalition would revoke recognition of a Palestinian state, says Ley
Opposition leader Sussan Ley says the Coalition would revoke recognition of a Palestinian state, raising questions about how such a diplomatic about-face could be executed three or six years into the future of a newly established Palestine.
The Coalition has opposed yesterday’s decision from the Labor government, claiming Palestinian recognition was a reward for Hamas, so their final position today is not surprising. Ley said earlier that the Coalition’s shadow cabinet today resolved to oppose a Palestinian state and also “resolved that recognition would be revoked by a Coalition government.”
The Coalition, with just 43 lower house members to Labor’s 94, will remain in opposition until at least 2028, and potentially longer with such a mountain to climb to get back into office. Ley’s statement did not go into how Australia would diplomatically untangle recognition of a Palestinian state, three or six years down the track, or how revoking recognition of a Palestinian state would help contribute to the peace process between Israel and Palestine, or assist broader cohesion in the Middle East.
Ley said in a statement:
The Coalition wants Israeli hostages to be released, Gazans to be fed and for the war to end. The Albanese government’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state outside of a proper peace and two-state process will not deliver that outcome.
The decision does not make the world a safer place, expedite the end of the conflict, deliver a two-state solution, see the free flow of aid, support the release of hostages nor put an end to the terrorist group Hamas.
Ley said the Coalition “would have never made this call and we do not agree with it”:
A Coalition government would only recognise a Palestinian State at the conclusion of a proper peace process.
Ley claimed that goals such as a demilitarised Palestine and the further isolation of Hamas “are pushed further away by recognising a Palestinian state outside of a proper peace and two-state process”.
Anthony Albanese has broken with longstanding bipartisan foreign policy and has failed to adequately explain how it will deliver peace and support Australia’s national interests, especially when our most important security ally in the United States is opposed
The prime minister has also failed to explain what happens to Australia’s recognition if Hamas stays in power or another terrorist group takes their place after the UN General Assembly meeting in September.
Updated
That’s all from me. Stephanie Convery will be your guide through all the news the afternoon has in store. Take care.
Chalmers hails ‘welcome relief’ after rate cut
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is speaking after the rate cut. He said:
This is very welcome relief for millions of Australians. It will put more money in the pockets of people who are under pressure.
This welcome decision wouldn’t be possible without the progress that Australians have made together on inflation. Getting inflation down from those very high peaks in the year that we came to office, down to well within the Reserve Bank’s target range, has given the independent Reserve Bank the confidence to cut interest rates three times this year.
Today’s very welcome decision on interest rates gives us confidence that we are on the right track, but as always, there’s more to do.
Updated
Let the cuts begin: Macquarie Bank will drop rates on variable home loans in three days
Macquarie Bank is in with news on its rates within minutes, saying it will drop its variable home loans by .25% in line with the RBA decision. Customers will see those cuts in three days, from the 15 of August.
Ben Perham, the head of personal banking at Macquarie, said the quick timeline came after a similar move during the last cut in May:
We proved that the savings could be passed on to homeowners in just three days, instead of the industry average of 12 days. We were the fastest of the major banks and homeowners loved it, so we’re doing it again.
Updated
Relief for borrowers as RBA cuts official cash rate to 3.6%
The Reserve Bank has cut the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 3.6%, from 3.85%.
Once lenders pass on the relief to their borrowers, the third rate cut of the year will deliver somebody with a $500,000 mortgage a further $74 off their monthly interest payments, according to Canstar, bringing the total drop to $272.
The unanimous decision by the RBA’s monetary policy board was widely anticipated, and, while welcome, there will be some who believe rate relief was overdue.
Inflation is firmly back within the bank’s 2-3% target range, and the economy has suffered a weak start to the year amid ongoing cost of living pressures and the threats from Trump’s trade war.
Michele Bullock, the RBA governor, will hold a press conference at 3:30pm, where attention will turn to any hints on if – or when – there will be further cuts over coming months.
Updated
Key event
RBA cuts cash rate to 3.6%
The Reserve Bank has delivered a widely tipped cut to the cash rate by a quarter of a percentage point, bringing it down from 3.85% to 3.6%.
Updated
Taylor Swift announces new album
Taylor Swift’s 12.12 surprise is here: It’s a new album.
It’s called The Life of a Showgirl.
Updated
NSW byelection to replace Gareth Ward set for 13 September
Voters in Kiama, NSW will head to the polls next month for a byelection to replace former MP Gareth Ward.
The byelection will be held on 13 September, state parliament Speaker Greg Piper announced on Tuesday. It sets the scene for either the Liberal opposition or Labor government to wrest back control of the south coast seat.
Ward, 44, resigned on Friday as the parliament was preparing to vote to expel him. He held the seat for the Liberals from 2011 until his resignation.
As Guardian Australia’s Anne Davies reports, Ward was found guilty in July of sexually abusing two young men in 2013 and 2015. He is appealing against the convictions, which include three counts of indecent assault and one for sexual intercourse without consent.
He is due to be sentenced next month. Read more here:
Updated
Art Gallery of New South Wales to cut dozens of roles
The Art Gallery of New South Wales is set to cut dozens of jobs as part of a restructure effort meant to save millions in annual expenditures, according to multiple reports.
The Australian Financial Review said the number of lost jobs could amount to more than 10% of the gallery’s workforce. Those layoffs would help address a budget shortfall of $7.5m. New director Maud Page announced the restructure, called a “change management plan” on Tuesday morning, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.
The Public Service Association of NSW, a union representing public service workers, said it is in communication with delegates and members after the news, and would lobby the government to “halt these cuts”. It pegged the number of roles facing the axe at about 30.
The gallery did not reply to a request for comment. The cuts will be subject to a three-week consultation period that ends on 2 September.
NSW changing government hoarding colours from blue to red
The NSW government will soon change the colour of the materials it uses for bunting, hoarding, shade cloth and other purposes from blue to red, part of a “broader refresh” of branding across state agencies.
The shift was first reported in the Mandarin, which notes red is traditionally more affiliated with Labor than the Liberals, longtime fans of blue.
A spokesperson for the NSW Department of Customer Service, which manages the hoarding, said in a statement:
The update to government hoarding was part of a broader refresh of branding across agencies some time ago. The change was carried out in-house and new hoarding was rolled out progressively, meaning there was no additional cost to taxpayers.
Updated
Taylor Swift’s website counting down to 12.12am on 12 August
In a bit of a departure, pop superstar Taylor Swift just posted a mysterious countdown to her website that expires at 12.12am eastern time in the US on 12 August. That’s in just over an hour.
Swift has 11 albums and 11 eras, prompting some pretty intense speculation about what could happen when all those twelves align.
Updated
Trump says gold will not be subject to US tariffs
US president Donald Trump said earlier today gold will not be subject to his round of additional tariffs, days after confusion flared on whether recent hikes applied to certain gold bars – threatening to upend global trade of the precious metal.
Agency France-Presse reports Trump’s comments came after US customs authorities made public a letter saying that gold bars at two standard weights – one kilogram and 100 ounces (2.8 kilos) – should be classified as subject to duties.
“Gold will not be Tariffed!” Trump said today on his Truth Social platform, without providing further details.
Non-monetary gold is a major Australian export, and the country exported more than $11bn to the US in the first four months of this year, per the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
A White House official told AFP on Friday that the Trump administration plans to “issue an executive order in the near future clarifying misinformation about the tariffing of gold bars and other specialty products”.
More Australians ditching old copper internet connections for fibre optic upgrades
More Australians are ditching ageing copper internet connections for faster fibre optic technology in a move that has increased download speeds across the nation, NBN Co has revealed.
AAP reports more than 430,000 Australian homes and businesses upgraded their connections from older, slower technology over the past year, the broadband wholesaler disclosed in its annual results on Tuesday, which increased the firm’s revenue.
The government-owned entity’s earnings for 2024/25 jumped 8% to $4.2bn, in line with guidance, and its revenue rose 4% to $5.7bn.
The results were helped by growing demand for higher internet speeds on its network, with 2.7 million premises (32%) connected to plans offering 100 megabit-per-second downloads or more, and average spending up by $3 a month to $50.
The shift to faster download speeds and fibre connections also drove higher data usage across the nation.
Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say
The climate crisis is driving a sharp rise in dengue fever cases across the Pacific islands, experts say, as infections hit their highest level in a decade and several countries declare emergencies.
Pacific Island countries and territories have reported 16,502 confirmed cases and 17 deaths since the start of 2025, according to the Pacific Syndromic Surveillance System (PSSS), which collaborates with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other agencies. Infections across the region are at the highest level since 2016, the WHO said. Fiji, Samoa and Tonga are among the worst affected.
Dengue fever, a viral illness spread by Aedes mosquitoes, causes high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, rash and in severe cases can be fatal. Rising temperatures, rainfall and increased humidity are creating ideal breeding conditions for Aedes mosquitoes, even in areas previously unsuitable for transmission.
“Dengue is one of the first real disease-related phenomena that we can lay at the foot of climate change,” said Dr Joel Kaufman, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Exposures, Diseases, Genomics and Environment at the University of Washington. Read more here:
Updated
Aussie beef a hot commodity as US imports hit a high
US demand for Australian beef looks set to skyrocket as drought, disease and hefty tariffs hit other top cattle-producing countries, AAP reports.
Australia exported more than 43,000 tonnes of beef to the United States in July, the highest volume since October 2024, according to a Bendigo Bank Agribusiness commodity report released on Tuesday.
The extra demand came at the same time as the federal government announced it would allow imports of US beef that had been raised in Canada or Mexico but processed in America.
Australia faced pressure from President Donald Trump to ease the restrictions on beef as it sought exemptions from wide-ranging tariffs.
As US herd numbers continued to dwindle due to drought in 2025, Americans have also been eating beef imported from Canada and Brazil. But with Brazil facing a 50% tariff, Canada slipping further into drought and a US ban on Mexican beef due to a parasite infestation, America would have to source meat from elsewhere.
Australian beef exports to the US would likely “skyrocket” as a result, according to the commodity report:
That is now three of [America’s] top five import markets affected due to tariffs, a reduced herd or disease.
This presents even greater opportunities for Aussie producers as the US looks to satisfy their own domestic demand with expected falling beef production.
Australian cattle producers had anticipated that opening the gates to US-processed beef would have a limited effect on the domestic market.
Craig Huf, a grazier and chair of the NSW Farmers Association far north coast branch, told AAP after the decision in July:
The US is already importing bucketloads of beef from Australia, so for it to come back the other way is unlikely. So, in the short term, we probably don’t expect it to impact us.
Cattle industry groups have called for an independent review into the government’s decision to lift the US beef restrictions.
Updated
Recognising a Palestinian state before a peace process against Coalition ‘principles’, Ley says
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, told 2GB this morning that the Coalition would “never have taken this step” of recognising a Palestinian state if they were in power.
Asked how she would have handled the situation and whether she would have recognised a Palestinian state if she were prime minister, Ley said:
We would never have taken this step. We would never have taken this step because this is completely against what our principles are, which is that recognition, the two-state solution comes at the end of the peace process, not before. And certainly not while we have terrorists in control in the Gaza Strip and hostages trapped in tunnels.
It’s a volatile fast-moving situation … I can only say very categorically right now, this is not a decision [that] the Coalition would have taken or gone anywhere near taking.
Updated
Sussan Ley says Albanese ‘out of his depth’ and decision on Palestine does ‘not make the world a safer place’
Opposition leader Sussan Ley sharply criticised Anthony Albanese’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state at the UN next month, claiming the prime minister had dismissed Australia’s longstanding relationship with Israel “in an appalling way”. Ley spoke to 2GB this morning, saying:
He’s out of his depth on this … because he has broken with longstanding bipartisan foreign policy. He’s not been straight on this issue. …
This decision does not make the world a safer place. This decision does not expedite the end of the conflict. It does not deliver a two-state solution. It does not improve the flow of aid. It does not support the release of hostages. It certainly doesn’t put an end to the terrorist group Hamas.
Ley went on to say she feels “a sense of sorrow with Australia’s Jewish community”.
Updated
The NSW expert panel was convened following reports of chemical contaminants such as Pfas in some Sydney water supplies last year raised concerns for human health, and the panel acknowledged genuine concern in communities about Pfas exposure.
Dr Chant said:
There is considerable concern, particularly in the Blue Mountains community, about exposure to Pfas through drinking water, and NSW Health takes these concerns very seriously.
NSW Health will continue to support local clinicians with information for GPs who may be managing patients with concerns about Pfas exposure including evidence about potential adverse health effects, counselling patients, the utility of blood tests for Pfas and the role of further investigations.
Updated
Health effects of Pfas ‘appear to be small’, NSW report finds
The health effects of Pfas appear to be small, the NSW Health Expert Advisory Panel on Pfas has concluded in its final report.
Pfas, (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are a class of manufactured chemicals used to make products that resist heat, stains, grease, and water – sometimes called ‘forever chemicals’ as they are difficult to destroy and can remain in soil, groundwater, and travel long distances.
The panel convened by NSW Health and advising the Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, today released their findings after assessing research from Australia and globally on Pfas.
The panel included science and health experts in the fields of oncology, endocrinology, toxicology, cardiology, epidemiology, pathology, primary care, public health and risk communication.
They found “the body of research for health effects related to Pfas is large and still growing. Based on the substantial research already undertaken, the health effects of Pfas appear to be small.”
They also recommend that at the moment there is no clinical benefit for an individual to have a blood test for Pfas, and that clinical interventions that reduce Pfas in blood are “of uncertain benefit and may cause harm.”
All recommendations have been accepted by NSW Health.
Updated
RBA decision coming at 2.30pm, with strong consensus for a looming rate cut
The Reserve Bank monetary policy board meets in mere hours and the consensus is strong: more than three million mortgaged households will get an interest rate cut.
If you’re thinking, “That’s what they said last time and look what happened”, then you’re right.
Six weeks ago financial markets and economists were similarly convinced a rate cut was on the way, only for the board to decide to hold the cash rate steady at 3.85%.
So what makes everybody (even) more confident this time around?
For one, at the last meeting there was a split decision: three of nine members voted in favour of cutting the rate. So it was a close-run thing.
And second, the governor, Michele Bullock, made it clear that (most of) the board members were just waiting for more confirmation that inflation was tracking as expected. Data released at the end of last month showed just that: a further drop in price growth, to just 2.1% in the year to June.
We’ll also get the RBA’s latest set of economic forecasts in the quarterly statement on monetary policy, released at the same time as the 2.30pm decision.
Updated
What’s Jacinta Allan’s favourite Snoop Dogg song?
Following the news that Snoop Dogg will headline the pre-game entertainment at this year’s AFL grand final, the Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, was asked about her favourite song by the American rapper.
She replied:
I’m going to make a confession. I’m really only a Snoop Dogg fan when he’s collaborating with Katy Perry, which probably gives you the answer. But look, it’s great that he’s coming … It’s an international event, the AFL Grand Final, and having an international act headline that event is another great win.
Man found dead in north-west Sydney in suspected hit and run
NSW Police are appealing for information after a man’s body was found on the side of the road in Sydney’s northwest last night.
Emergency services were called to Yarramundi, about 10kms south of the suburb of Richmond in Sydney’s Hawksbury region, after reports a body was seen on the side of the road at around 11.30pm. Police established a crime scene and say initial inquiries show the man was struck by a vehicle that allegedly failed to stop.
Police have been told a dark-coloured vehicle was traveling in the area in an erratic manner around the time of the incident, and are urging anyone with knowledge of the suspected crash or with footage to contact authorities.
The man has not been identified.
Updated
Snoop Dogg to perform at 2025 AFL grand final
The AFL has secured another international A-list performer for the entertainment at this year’s grand final with the announcement that American rapper Snoop Dogg will grace the MCG.
The 53-year-old is an unusual fit with the athletic arena, having become synonymous with marijuana during his three decades in music – especially given the AFL is currently wrestling with its own illicit drugs policy. He has developed a close association with elite sport in recent years though, including appearing at the Paris Olympics where he was a special correspondent for American broadcaster NBC.
Snoop Dogg said of the news:
It’s an absolute honour to be hitting the stage at the AFL grand final – it’s one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar. Can’t wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans. Let’s make it unforgettable.
Read more here:
Updated
Victoria government opens consultation on work-from-home protections
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, held a press conference earlier to announce the beginning of consultation on the government’s plan to enshrine the right to work-from-home into law.
Allan says the consultation will not determine whether working from home should be a right, as it has already been decided it should be. Instead, it will focus on how to “get it right” ahead of legislation being introduced to parliament next year.
Victorians can share their views through an online survey or submission on Engage Victoria from 12 August to 28 September. The government will also run online forums for industry stakeholders in 2025. Businesses can register to be involved by 31 August.
Allan said earlier:
We’ve heard a lot about what some in big business think about working from home. Well, I want to make sure that the voices of working people and families are heard.
I also want to hear from businesses – small and medium businesses – in the regions, in the suburbs. We want to make sure that as many voices are being heard, are listened to, as we move here in Victoria to protect workers rights to work from home.
Updated
Albanese says Netanyahu’s move to occupy Gaza City key piece of decision on Palestinian state
The prime minister is speaking in Melbourne, saying the government had looked at the “totality” of the situation in Gaza before making its decision yesterday on recognition of a Palestinian state. Albanese said Israel’s announcement last week that it would occupy Gaza City was a key piece of that calculus:
We make assessment based upon the totality of what is before us. The commitments from the Palestinian Authority have been important. The declarations by other countries means that there is momentum towards a two-state solution and towards the international community making that position clear.
The other thing that is occurring is, of course, the decision by the Israeli government to double down on its military solution without a political solution being advanced or forwarded by the Netanyahu government, with the decision that they’ve made to go in and to occupy Gaza City.
Guardian Australia’s Tom McIlroy has some analysis on that front here:
Updated
Channel Seven sees streaming boost as free-to-air continues decline
Rising viewership of streaming services has put pressure on TV advertising revenues but boosted audiences for Channel Seven’s video-on-demand services, Seven Plus.
Channel Seven’s parent company, Seven West Media, released its financial results today and included new research from TV engagement measurement company OzTAM.
Broadcast TV dominates viewing across Australia, making up 61% of TV use compared to 31% for streaming. For the 25 to 54 age group, broadcast TV made up just 47% of viewing compared to 41% for streaming. The remaining 10% or so went to broadcast video on demand (ABC iView, Seven Plus, Nine Now and so on), OzTAM’s research showed.
The rise of streaming and on-demand viewing doesn’t help TV advertising revenue, which Seven West is struggling with, but the company says it has faith Seven Plus can reach that market.
Seven Plus streaming reported 484 million daily active users in 2024-25, up from 380 million in 2023-24, or a 27% rise, bringing a 26% boost to revenue.
The Nightly, SWM’s digital masthead that launched in February 2024, reported a 60% increase in monthly page views over financial year 2025. Jeff Howard, the company’s chief executive, said 80% of its audience growth was outside the company’s home state of Western Australia.
Updated
Scott Morrison says Jewish Australians will feel ‘sense of betrayal’ over Palestinian state
Former Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison called the Labor government’s upcoming recognition of a Palestinian state a “hollow gesture” and claimed Jewish-Australians would feel a “sense of betrayal”.
In a post on his website, Morrison claimed the diplomatic shift would not help deliver more aid to Gaza, “nor deliver a viable two state solution”.
Morrison’s Coalition government was defeated by Anthony Albanese’s Labor at the 2022 election.
Morrison wrote:
It will prove a hollow gesture, like for all those who have taken this step before it. None should take any comfort in it. Meanwhile the suffering will regrettably continue in Gaza and the hostages will remain in captivity and be tossed into the graves their captors have forced them to dig. The only winner is Hamas.
In government the Coalition listed Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Our Labor successors have regrettably rewarded them through this action. I know this is not their intention, but it is the result. The caravan of appeasement is not one we should join.
To the Australian Jewish community, I can only imagine the sense of betrayal you must feel. I remember October 7. Am Yisrael Chai.
Updated
Seven West Media profits shrink amid declining ad revenue
Channel Seven’s media company saw a $61m drop in revenue in the year to June as TV advertising slipped, with after-tax profit nearly 20 times smaller than it recorded in 2021.
Seven West Media, which owns the free-to-air Network Seven and The West Australian news group and is chaired by billionaire Kerry Stokes, published its annual earnings report this morning.
Broadcast TV advertising revenue fell in 2024-25 from $995m to $915m annually. The biggest decline came in the second half of 2024 but early 2025 numbers disappointed as well, with the report saying: “the post-federal election market was weaker than anticipated”.
A $34m increase in ad revenue from 7plus and a $11m cut in labour costs helped offset the decline in TV ad cash, though Seven’s TV division overall saw profitability fall 26%, as measured by earnings before interest and taxes.
Seven West’s newspaper division, led by The West Australian, saw profitability slip 8% on the same measure, with revenue falling from $174m to $169m. A 7% decline in advertising revenue more than offset a 4% pickup in newspaper sales.
The company’s statutory net profit after tax has fallen each year since its financial year 2021 result of $318m and this year hit $17m – almost 20 times less than was recorded in 2021.
Updated
PM says frustration with Netanyahu bolstered Australia’s move on Palestinian state
Anthony Albanese claimed Israel’s leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, is “in denial” about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, and said frustration with Israel’s actions partly contributed to the decision to recognise a Palestinian state.
Going back to Albanese’s interview on the ABC earlier, the PM was asked if “frustration” at the Netanyahu government’s actions had contributed to Australia’s move yesterday.
“Yes,” Albanese replied, adding:
The decisions of the Netanyahu government: firstly, the stopping of aid that we’ve seen and then the loss of life that we’re seeing around those aid distribution points, where people queueing for food and water are losing their lives, it’s just completely unacceptable. And we have said that.
Albanese went on to reflect on his call with Netanyahu last week, where he told the Israeli leader about Australia’s pending decision.
I spoke with prime minister Netanyahu. He, again, reiterated to me what he has said publicly as well – which is to be in denial about the consequences that are occurring for innocent people.
Updated
Hastie says Gaza is ‘rubble’, but recognition of Palestine not going to bring peace ‘any time soon’
Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said the Coalition believes recognition of Palestine is a “bad decision” and “historic for all the wrong reasons”.
Hastie was asked about Israel’s decision to occupy Gaza City in recent days. Hastie said of Israel:
I understand their desire for security, especially after what happened on October 7. But I’d love to see a diplomatic solution …
When you look at Gaza from up on high through Google Earth, you’ll see that it has been largely destroyed, it’s rubble. And so, we’d all like to see peace. But I think this decision by the government is not going to bring that any time soon, and in fact, whilst Hamas remains in power, this war will continue.
Hastie said Australia has “limited agency” to make change in the Middle East, and can largely “just express our concerns as friends”.
Of course, this could all end right now if Hamas brought those hostages up out of those stinking tunnels and handed them back to the Israelis so they could be reunited [with] their families … That is the simple pathway to peace. And then potentially we could talk about Palestinian statehood.
Updated
Albanese says world has power to stop Hamas from being part of recognised Palestinian state
Anthony Albanese suggested the international community could stop Hamas members from standing for elections in a future Palestinian state, as part of conditions for Australia pledging to recognise the nation.
But the prime minister refused multiple times to say whether he would revoke Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state if those conditions were not met.
Continuing his media blitz this morning, the prime minister was asked on Channel Nine about Australia’s conditions for recognising Palestinian statehood, including what the international community could do to stop Hamas being part of a future state:
Of course there is something we can do. We can stop them standing, let alone be elected. You can if you have the Arab states in the Middle East, all speaking as one as well as the Palestinian Authority as well as the international community. Yes you can.
Asked if Australia could wind back its recognition, Albanese would not directly engage, only saying multiple times that Hamas would have no role in a future state:
The international community is saying that we can’t just continue to do the same thing.
We saw the terrorist atrocities of October 7th result in the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust, and since then, we’ve seen tens of thousands of lives lost, innocent lives being lost in Gaza. We’re seeing an increase in settlements and settler violence on the West Bank. We need to break this cycle of violence.
Albanese says too many journalists dead in Gaza after prominent Al Jazeera reporter killed in Israeli strike
The prime minister was asked on ABC News about the death of Anas al-Sharif, a prominent reporter for Al Jazeera who was killed alongside four of his colleagues in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday night.
Albanese said he couldn’t comment on the specific incident, but said too many media and aid workers had been killed in the conflict:
I’m not in a position to comment on any individual. What we can say, though, is that too many innocent lives have been lost in Gaza.
There have been too many journalists, people who are aid workers as well providing assistance, including of course an Australian citizen, lost in the past couple of years. You know, we see too many innocent lives being lost across the board.
Michaelia Cash says recognition of Palestine rewards ‘terrorists’
Michaelia Cash, the shadow foreign affairs minister, said Australia’s move would reward Hamas and deliver one of its strategic objectives behind the 7 October attacks. Cash told RN Breakfast’s Sally Sara:
You don’t achieve peace, Sally, by rewarding terrorists. In making his announcement to recognise Palestine prior to a return of the hostages and the defeat of Hamas, Mr Albanese has effectively delivered Hamas, which is a terrorist organisation, one of its strategic objectives of the horrific terrorism on October the 7th.
The Coalition is clear: you don’t reward terrorists while they’re still holding innocent people captive.
Cash maintained the Coalition’s stance that Israeli has a right to defend itself, although she said both parties – Israel and Hamas – must comply with international law. When pressed on Radio National about Israel’s blockade of aid in Gaza, Cash said there was “no question” the humanitarian situation there was dire:
That is not for you and I to sit back in Australia [and say] when we’ve probably both gone and had a cup of coffee this morning in our office …
Australia must advocate for safe, reliable humanitarian access, and this means ensuring aid is delivered even under conflict. It must reach civilians and it cannot be exploited by any party. Our focus should stay firm, on protecting children and innocent civilians, not deflecting blame.
Updated
Wong says recognition a change to ‘move to a better future’
Foreign minister Penny Wong said the world has an opportunity to “move to a better future” and that’s why Australia said yesterday it would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN in September. Wong spoke to RN Breakfast this morning, saying:
We’ve been looking for the best opportunity for Australia to contribute to international momentum that breaks the cycle of violence. And that is what two-states seeks to do.
We can’t keep doing what we have been doing and hoping for a different outcome. And I think that’s the decision that so many countries of the world have made.
Wong also acknowledged that the US has a different role in the world and that Trump has been working to establish a ceasefire in Gaza. But she said Australia would continue to act alongside “many partners” to see that happen, too.
Albanese says Trump has been an advocate for peace
The prime minister was asked what Australia would do if the US, a permanent member of the UN security council, votes against any effort to address the conflict in Gaza during the next general assembly in September. Albanese said:
We will see how this plays out. But the world is coming together. …
We want to see the world move forward on this and certainly President Trump has been a strong advocate for peace.
President Trump will, of course, make decisions based upon the interests of the United States. We’re not big players in the Middle East, that is true, but this is a part of building that momentum of the world.
Albanese says ‘you can’t just keep doing the same thing’ after saying Australia will recognise Palestinian state
The prime minister just spoke to Channel 7’s Sunrise this morning, saying Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state sent a message to the international community that “enough is enough”. Albanese said:
You can’t just keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different outcome. This is the best opportunity that there is out of a crisis to actually provide a long-term solution. …
Albanese elaborated on his call with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, saying afterwards you “can’t just continue to do what he is saying, which is, we will continue to just have this military operation, without any political strategy for a solution going forward”:
We’re seeing how it is playing out, which is Gaza reduced to rubble. Tens of thousands of innocent lives being lost, innocent kids being killed while trying to get basic essential of food and water.
The world is watching. People are sick of it. It’s horrific watching that.
Updated
Good morning
Good morning and welcome to the live blog. It’s Nick Visser here to take you through the day’s news. Here’s what’s on deck:
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, welcomed Australia’s decision to recognise a Palestinian state. Macron wrote on social media Anthony Albanese’s announcement joined “the momentum we created in New York, which has already been supported by the United Kingdom, Canada, Portugal, and others”.
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, maintained Australia’s decision would only reward Hamas and in no way help the Palestinian people. Herzog said “these declarations, by Australia and other countries, are a reward for terror, a prize for the enemies of freedom, liberty, and democracy. This is a grave and dangerous mistake”.
It’s RBA day for mortgage holders and savers. The Reserve Bank is set to hand down its decision on interest rates around 2.30pm Sydney time.
Let’s get to it.
