Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP
Teenager found guilty of Melbourne GP Ash Gordon’s murder
A teenage burglar who fatally stabbed a doctor after breaking into his house twice has been found guilty of his murder.
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted of murdering GP Ash Gordon by a Victorian supreme court jury on Wednesday, AAP reports.
He had admitted two counts of aggravated burglary after breaking into the Doncaster home of Gordon while he and his housemate were asleep in the early hours of 13 January 2024.
He showed no emotion standing in the dock as the jury foreperson delivered the verdict while his victim’s family broke into tears.
The teen and another boy robbed the doctor’s home before four teenagers in gloves, balaclavas, face masks and hats broke in a second time. After finding the teens in his home, Gordon chased them on to the street then got into his car, chasing them into a nearby carport, the court heard.
As the 33-year-old got out and attempted to restrain the then 16-year-old, telling him the “cops were on the way”, the boy revealed a knife and inflicted 11 sharp injuries, stabbing the doctor six times and left the victim dying on the ground.
The jury of 12 took two days to come to its verdict.
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Greens senator hails Antoinette Lattouf’s ‘huge victory’
The Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi says Antoinette Lattouf’s win in court against the ABC is a “huge victory”.
“Unlawfully sacking Antoinette for speaking up was shameful. Dragging her through a long, expensive legal fight made it worse,” she said in a social media post.
The ABC must take accountability and do some serious soul searching. Start telling the truth about Gaza. Start listening to people of colour. Tackle racism. Support staff. Start doing better.
Congratulations to Antoinette and her team. Your courage is inspiring.
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What we learned today, Wednesday 25 June
It’s time to wind down our live news coverage. Here’s what’s been keeping us busy today:
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, said Donald Trump’s F-word directed at Israel and Iran reflected the delicate ceasefire deal struck in the Middle East.
Labor’s Ed Husic said Iran’s refusal to engage meaningfully in efforts to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons did not give Israel a “licence” to bomb the Middle Eastern country.
Tony Abbott, meanwhile, said the bombing of Iran was “bravely begun by Israel and powerfully continued by the United States”.
Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said the country would collect all the facts on US strikes on Iran before levelling judgment.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, confirmed he planned to head to China later this year and expected to meet president Xi Jinping.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, reflected on the Liberal party’s historic election defeat, admitting: “We got smashed.”
Australia’s inflation rate has eased again, bolstering expectations the Reserve Bank will lower borrowing rates next month.
The federal court found that the ABC contravened the Fair Work Act by terminating Antoinette Lattouf’s employment for reasons including that she held political opinions opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The ABC managing director said the case was not a good use of taxpayers’ money.
The former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s bid to halt his rape trial, which includes claims of police misconduct, will be tested at a court hearing.
Western Australians are paying more for groceries than people in the eastern states, while Aldi shoppers across Australia continue to get the best deal on average.
Thank you, as ever, for joining us. We’ll be back with more breaking news bright and early tomorrow.
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SA police searching for Alfredo the stolen sheepdog
Over to South Australia, where police are appealing for help after Alfredo the sheepdog was stolen from an Adelaide home.
The white Maremma was dog-napped from a garden in Payneham just after midnight on Tuesday, SA Police said.
CCTV captured a woman in the area at the time of and in the hours before the incident who may be able to assist police with locating Alfredo, police said in a statement.
Police described the woman as Caucasian, medium build with brown shoulder length hair and was seen wearing a dark top with brown pants. She was driving a white Toyota Echo two-door hatch.
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Husic says Australia should stand up to US and push for ‘rules based order’
Circling back to Ed Husic’s comments on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing, the Labor MP said Australia needs to stand up to the US and argue for an international rules based order.
He said that Australia’s historic connection with the US does not mean agreeing “with every single thing” the superpower does.
In fact, we should stand on the basis of our national interests.
My big concern in terms of what we’ve been seeing is a fraying of the rules based order … You can’t simply have strong nations decide that they’ll do what they want without regard to international opinion by virtue of their strength.
And so it is important for us as a country to argue about the value of an international rules based order, not merely to say that it’s fraying [and not that] we can’t do anything about it.
Quite the contrary, it’s up to us and other countries like ours to argue that, because it is in our national interest. So, if it means standing up to the US and arguing our case, we should do so.
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Tony Abbott says an ‘axis of autocracy’ is seeking to overthrow the democratic west
Tony Abbott says that the US bombing of Iran was “absolutely right and necessary” – and that he hopes the US will make it “crystal clear” to Chinese leaders that there can be no attempt to alter the regional status quo.
“I think there is an axis of autocracy which is dead set on doing what it can to overthrow the liberal democratic west. There are three major players. There’s militarist Moscow, there’s Islamist Tehran and there’s communist Beijing. I think they’re all working in concert,” the former PM told the ABC.
That said, I obviously think that it’s important for the Europeans to do more to help Ukraine. I’m pleased that the United States has done what it’s done to help Israel, and let’s hope that the United States makes it crystal clear to the commissars in Beijing that there can be no attempt whatsoever to alter the status quo across the Taiwan Strait by force.
He also said that “as a general principle” there needs to be full transparency about the US’s growing military assets within Australia.
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Former prime minister Tony Abbott says the bombing of Iran was “bravely begun by Israel and powerfully continued by the United States”.
“Countries should act in accordance with their interests and values, and it’s in the interests and in the values of all liberal democratic countries that the current Iranian regime never gets access to nuclear weapons the current apocalyptic Islamist regime in Tehran. Their constant script is Death to Israel, Death to America,” the former Liberal leader told the ABC just now.
Essentially, this is a regime that wants to establish a global caliphate, and such a regime can never, ever be allowed to have access to nuclear weapons, and let’s hope that President Trump is absolutely right, that the American attack has absolutely obliterated for all time Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities.
When questioned by Patricia Karvelas about whether the US had ended Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Abbott said:
They think the job’s finished. Let’s hope it is.
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Israel did not have 'licence' to begin strikes over nuclear weapon fears, Husic says
Ed Husic says that while Iran refused to engage meaningfully in efforts to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons, that did not give Israel a “licence” to bomb the Middle Eastern country.
The former cabinet minister told the ABC that “if regional neighbours acted in the way that the Netanyahu government did in terms of launching unilateral action, the Israeli government would rightly be outraged”.
Speaking about the US’s bombing of Iran – and the consequent Israel-Iran ceasefire – he said that negotiated agreements should be encouraged over military action.
It is right that there is a ceasefire, and that needs to hold. And a negotiated agreement needs to be reached, and that will require Iran coming to the table and engaging meaningfully and not behaving in the way that it has in the last few months.
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Husic on Lattouf: ‘She stood for what she believed and she’s been vindicated’
Ed Husic says Antoinette Lattouf’s win in her court case against the ABC was a “just outcome”.
“Antoinette Lattouf was right in claiming she was wrongly dismissed, and now that’s been proven by the federal court,” the Labor MP and former cabinet minister told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing.
I want to congratulate Antoinette for having the guts to take this case on. It would have been easy for her to walk away, and she didn’t. She stood for what she believed and she’s been vindicated. A lot of Australians feel that the treatment of innocent Palestinians in Gaza has been appalling and wrong, and they want it to stop, and people want to be able to speak up about that without fear of retribution.
Record numbers of journalists have been killed in Gaza merely reporting on the fact that innocent Palestinians have been killed in their tens of thousands. It shouldn’t be the case that Australian journalists at home have to feel that they can’t do their job because their employment might be in threat.
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Which countries have nuclear weapons – and are they likely to use them? – video
Queensland Labor MPs skip parliament after state budget
Eight Queensland Labor MPs have skipped part or all of state parliament today, the day after the state budget.
Instead they have held eight separate press conferences at all four corners of the gigantic state, from Cairns to the Gold Coast and Toowoomba.
Wednesdays are typically a late start for Queensland parliament, but today had long been set down for 9.30am, rather than the typical 2.30pm.
The LNP government repeatedly accused the Labor opposition of being too lazy to turn up. They later sponsored a motion censuring the party “for their failure to meet their duties in this Parliament this morning, including the failure by some shadow ministers to attend question time”.
“It’s an extraordinary situation that the day after 2025-2026 state budget has been handed down in an unprecedented way, we have members of the Labor opposition, senior shadow ministers, who are failing to attend attend important parts of the democratic and parliamentary processes here in Parliament,” leader of the house Christian Rowan said.
Labor leader Steven Miles said the party had made a “deliberate choice” not to attend.
“We made a deliberate choice today to make sure that regional Queenslanders knew how this LNP government had let them down in the budget yesterday,” he said.
The LNP might think governing is all about Brisbane and all about the parliament, but on this side of the house, we will continue to and in fact, never apologise for traveling around the state and spending time in regional Queensland.
Glenn Butcher was in Rockhampton, Michael Healy in Cairns, Joe Kelly in Townsville, Lance McCallum in Mackay, Tom Smith in Bundaberg, Leanne Linard in Toowoomba, Meaghan Scanlon on the Gold Coast and Bart Mellish was on the Sunshine Coast. Several of the MPs returned to parliament during the day, with some arriving back in time for question time.
“The objective of an opposition is to hold a government to account. It’s hard to do when you don’t show up to work,” deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie said.
This is the biggest farce I’ve seen in an opposition in 16 years serving in this place.
The censure motion passed on party lines.
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‘A campaign of complaints put the ABC under pressure – and it buckled’
Sometimes silence is golden, writes Alan Sunderland, particularly when trying to maintain the impartiality of the ABC on controversial issues. And there is no doubt that, in the wake of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli attack on Gaza, social media posts on the topic by ABC presenters are bound to be controversial. My advice, when I was the editorial director of the ABC, was generally that journalists and presenters should let their on-air work speak for them as far as possible.
And so it’s understandable that Antoinette Lattouf’s social media activity caused controversy and consternation. It is possible for people of good faith and common sense to differ in their views on whether Lattouf’s posts undermined the ABC’s impartiality. I happen to think they didn’t, and I also happen to think employing her in the first place was not a mistake.
Keep reading the Guardian’s analysis of today’s Lattouf judgment below.
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NSW SES responds to nearly 600 incidents after strong winds lash state
NSW State Emergency Services (SES) has responded to 598 incidents since midnight after strong winds lashed large parts of the Illawarra, South Coast, Snowy Mountains and Blue Mountains today, as well as metropolitan Sydney and parts of the Central Coast and Hunter region.
Damaging winds up to 115kmh were recorded at Bellambi. The SES said schools, businesses and homes had been impacted across the state. Allison Flaxman, the acting assistant commissioner for NSW SES, said:
Until the wind eases, we will see items being blown around as projectiles which could cause serious injury to people and further damage to property.
Follow the warnings of emergency service personnel and please adhere to any exclusion barriers that may be in place.
The severe weather is expected to continue throughout the day before easing tonight.
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Thank you as ever, Nick Visser. And, hello, readers. Let’s get straight on with the rest of today’s news.
That’s all from me, thanks for sticking with us through a busy morning and afternoon. Daisy Dumas will be your guide through the rest of the day’s news. Take care.
Prime minister’s department scales back permitted use of Signal
The prime minister’s department has ended staff’s permitted use of the encrypted messaging app Signal for official communications, documents obtained by Guardian Australia reveal.
The app, known for its privacy and disappearing messages features, was in the spotlight earlier this year after the global fallout from revelations that top US officials discussed operational details of a plan to strike Yemen in a Signal group chat that accidentally included the Atlantic’s editor Jeffrey Goldberg.
PM&C advice to staff in 2023 had said that it was “preferred that staff use the Signal app” over other platforms like WhatsApp for official communication, but it was not endorsed. But in new advice issued in mid-2024, provided to Guardian Australia under freedom of information laws this month, this permitted use had ended, and staff were advised to instead use Microsoft Teams. The advice states:
Signal is an app that was previously permitted to transmit and send some classified information, however this app has been superseded by Teams and should no longer be used in an official capacity unless approval has been sought.
The policy also warns staff that Teams is meant for “small pieces of information or conducting brief, informal conversations” rather than official information or decision making, and the chats “may also be exposed during FOI requests”.
The policy comes in contrast to the home affairs department, which began allowing staff to use Signal in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic began.
Two in police custody after reported 50-person brawl at Sydney construction site
NSW Police have two men in custody after a reported brawl at a construction site in the city’s west yesterday. Police initially said they were called to the city’s Castle Hill suburb around 7am Tuesday for a reported brawl involving up to 50 people.
Most of the group dispersed before police arrived, but police say they were told the fight involved two groups of people. Two men, aged 43 and 55, were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
Officials said today two other men, aged 22 and 44, were arrested at Castle Hill Police Station around 11am. No charges have been laid.
Police are appealing for more information to identify any others who may be able to assist with their investigations.
Albanese says he will visit China this year and hopes to meet Xi
Returning to an earlier press conference from Anthony Albanese, the PM has confirmed he plans to head to China later this year and expects to meet president Xi Jinping. Albanese also said he was expecting to travel to the US as well, but didn’t say if or when he might meet Donald Trump.
Speaking in Tasmania, the prime minister was asked about a report that he might visit Beijing before he visits Washington DC. He responded:
No, it’s true that I will be travelling to China later this year. We are waiting for a confirmation of a visit to the United States as well. I was in the United States last week, so it’s not true that I’m going to China before the United States. I was there in Seattle and making a very important announcement.
Asked if he hoped to meet Xi, Albanese replied: “yes.”
More broadly, the PM was unable to say whether further repatriation flights could be run from Iran to Australia. He said the situation remained volatile in the region.
“Our hope is that Australians are kept safe. So, at the moment there are of course not flights out of Iran. Overnight we were able to have, 118 Australians have been airlifted out of Tel Aviv on a Royal Australian Air Force flight. We think that is very good news. We will always prioritise the safety of Australians”, he said.
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‘We got smashed.’ Sussan Ley reflects on Liberal party’s historic election defeat – video
ABC managing director says Lattouf case not a good use of taxpayers’ money
Hugh Marks, the ABC’s managing director, just appeared on the public broadcaster to discuss the Antoinette Lattouf case, saying it would have been “ideal if this did not go to court”.
Marks said:
In the scheme of things, compared to what else is happening in the world at the moment, we need to reflect on the importance of this, so it would have been better if it settled, but we weren’t able to get to this outcome.
Marks reiterated the ABC’s apology and said he regretted the way Lattouf’s termination was handled. He added:
I think there were opportunities, I would say, early on, to address this matter and they weren’t taken. As I said, once it got to a certain point, I suspect that, you know, that decision was too late but no, it’s certainly not a good use of our funds.
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Commonwealth Bank predicts July rate cut after inflation data
Commonwealth Bank has predicted the Reserve Bank will cut interest rates in July, faster than it had previously expected after price rises continued to moderate in May. Inflation in the year to May was just 2.1% on a headline basis and 2.4% on the trimmed mean measure watched by the RBA, data earlier today showed.
Belinda Allen, a Commonwealth Bank economist, said that would be enough to confirm a July cut, with inflation “the final green light to change our call” after weak economic activity and worsening business pessimism. She wrote in a note:
Today’s [figures] capped off a flow of data that should provide comfort to the RBA that a swifter return of the cash rate to neutral is both manageable and needed.
The Reserve Bank could then deliver another cut in August, Allen said. Commonwealth Bank, Australia’s largest bank, had previously expected the RBA would wait to cut in August, then September.
But Allen warned the July cut decision would be “a close one,” with the RBA to balance low unemployment and fading tariff against low inflation and sagging economic activity, amid widespread household and business pessimism.
Whenever the two cuts come, CommBank expects the RBA will then watch to see if a third cut is needed in late 2025 or early 2026, depending on whether business and household spending pick up or global disruption worsens.
Before today’s inflation data release, NAB was the only big bank predicting a July cut, to be followed by one each in August and November. ANZ and Westpac both expected the RBA to wait until August.
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Number of Australians beginning degrees increases, data shows
The number of Australians commencing degrees – outside of the pandemic – has reached record highs, new federal government data shows.
The data, released Wednesday, shows 390,000 domestic students began a degree in 2024 – a 3.7% increase on 2023. Early year-to-date figures for 2025 suggest commencements have increased by another 3% compared to 2024.
Taking out the two Covid years, when an unusually high number of students began degrees, it is the highest figure on record.
The minister for education, Jason Clare, said the Universities Accord, handed down last year, set a target for 80% of workers to have a Tafe or university qualification by 2050 – a projection critiqued by some higher education experts including Andrew Norton. In 2024, 33% of people aged 15-74 held a bachelor degree or above.
Clare said to hit the 80% target, the government needed to “break down that invisible barrier that stops a lot of Australians from disadvantaged backgrounds, from the regions and the outer suburbs from getting a crack at uni and succeeding when they get there”.
He went on:
That requires reform across the entire education system. That’s what the fully funding of our public schools is about. It’s also what the new funding system for our universities, that will roll out next year, is about.
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ABC managing director apologises for Antoinette Lattouf’s removal
ABC managing director Hugh Marks has apologised for the ABC’s handling of Antoinette Lattouf’s employment and for the distress it caused her:
We regret how the decision to remove Ms Lattouf from air was handled and the distress occasioned her. We extend our sincere apologies to Ms Lattouf and wish her well in her future endeavours.
He was responding to a federal court judgment today that found the ABC breached the Fair Work Act when it terminated casual broadcaster Lattouf for reasons including that she held a political opinion opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
Marks, who was not working for the ABC in 2023 when Lattouf was taken off air, said the matter was not handled in line with ABC values and expectations.
He said:
We also let down our staff and audiences, and this failure has caused understandable concern among the public and inside the organisation.
This matter has caused concerns to be expressed about the ABC’s independence and integrity, which are critical to the great trust the Australian public places in us. Any undue influence or pressure on ABC management or any of its employees must always be guarded against.
Concerns were also raised about the ABC’s handling of race and political views. I wish to emphasise the ABC’s absolute commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion at all levels of the organisation, to addressing racism and discrimination of all kinds, and to accurate and impartial journalism.
Due to confusion expressed about the Personal Use of Social Media Guidelines, which was canvassed during the case, these have been reviewed and will be replaced with new Public Comment Guidelines. We will talk more this about in coming weeks.
I wish to stress the particular and fundamental obligations the ABC and its employees have to be independent and impartial in our work to ensure we continue to earn the trust of all Australians. Those obligations don’t change as a result of this decision.
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Ley says Coalition will be ‘constructive’ at times, critical when needed
Ley was asked at the National Press Club about Peter Dutton’s “muscular” opposition while he was the leader of the Coalition and if she planned to be more constructive in her dealings with the Labor party. She said:
We’ll be constructive where there’s something to be constructive about. If there is a place to be constructive, then we will be. If there’s something that comes before the parliament that is deserving of criticism, we won’t hesitate.
I said today I stand ready to support the prime minister on initiatives around family and domestic violence and technologies with children. I have demonstrated already my approach is there are times when we do need to be constructive. And you’ll see that from me.
Ed Husic says Antoinette Lattouf was 'treated terribly'
Labor MP Ed Husic celebrated broadcaster Antoinette Lattouf’s win in her unlawful termination case against the ABC. In a post on Instagram, Husic had this to say:
Good. Antoinette was treated terribly. #justice
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Ley says election outcome reflects ‘deep and growing disconnect’ between Liberal party and voters
Ley told the National Press Club she plans to work with every division to better represent voters as the Liberal party lays the groundwork for the next federal election, including preselecting more women. She said of the election results:
These numbers reflect a deep and growing disconnect. We respect the election outcome with humility. We accept it with contrition. And we must learn from it with conviction …
The Australian people need a strong and effective alternative to vote for at the next election. Our first step is to listen, so we properly understand how we can improve.
NT police offer $500,000 reward to find Peter Falconio’s body
Northern Territory police have offered a $500,000 reward for information that leads to the discovery of the remains of Peter Falconio, who died in the early 2000s.
Falconio, a 28-year-old British backpacker, was travelling Australia with his girlfriend, Joanna Lees, when he was shot in the head on a remote stretch of highway 10km north of Barrow Creek in July 2001. Lees managed to escape and hide in bushland.
Bradley John Murdoch was convicted of murder and attempted kidnapping in 2005 and sentenced to life imprisonment but has never revealed the location of his body.
NT police’s acting commander Mark Grieve told reporters on Wednesday the body of Falconio had never been located, despite “continued efforts” by police to pursue any viable information or leads.
The NT police still hold out hope that someone may be able to provide some vital information to assist in this search, and as such, a fresh reward for information is now on offer of up to $500,000 for information that leads to the discovery of Peter’s body in what will be the 24th anniversary of this death … next month.
Grieve said police had interviewed Murdoch in recent weeks and made “numerous approaches” over the years to no avail.
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Sussan Ley says Liberals didn’t just lose, ‘we got smashed’
Sussan Ley is speaking at the National Press Club and addressed the Liberal party’s widespread losses during the federal election.
The opposition leader said:
We didn’t just lose. We got smashed. Totally smashed.
What we, as the Liberal party, presented to the Australian people was comprehensively rejected. The scale of that defeat, its size and significance, is not lost on me, nor any one of my parliamentary team sitting here today. It was devastating for our parliamentary colleagues, our party members, our supporters and voters across the country.
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Chalmers had ‘very productive’ chat with US treasury secretary, spoke about tariffs
Chalmers said he had a “very productive conversation” with his American counterpart Scott Bessent this morning, with a phone call touching on trade and tariffs issues, as well as critical minerals and tax. Chalmers, in a press conference in Brisbane, said he’d spoken to Bessent, the United States secretary of the treasury, bringing up Donald Trump’s tariffs on Australian goods:
This was a very positive discussion. We were able to cover a whole range of issues, the critical minerals market around the world, some of the challenging tax issues, including some issues before the US Congress, and also, of course, I made our case once again when it comes to trade and tariffs and these escalating trade tensions around the world.
I’m very grateful for the time that we were able to spend together on the phone today talking about critical minerals, international tax and also trade and tariffs at the same time.
Chalmers said it was his third conversation with Bessent, noting Australian investors were worried about volatility in the US, including in regards to superannuation funds and American legislative change – and forecast some “good developments” on these issues in coming days. Chalmers said:
I’ve engaged a lot with Australian investors over the course of the last couple of weeks on their concerns. I was able to represent them and raise their concerns directly with Treasury Secretary Bessent, and I know that the Treasury Secretary is very focused on these issues as well.
We hope that they can be resolved. We do not want to see our investors and our funds unfairly treated or disadvantaged when it comes to developments out of the US Congress and again, I’m very grateful to Scott Besant for hearing me out and for also undertaking to make what progress he can to try and resolve these issues.
Chalmers welcomes inflation figures, saying ‘we’ve made a hell of a lot of progress’
Jim Chalmers just held a press conference after the release of inflation figures, showing the rate falling to 2.1% in May. The treasurer said the numbers were good news for Australia and the country had made a “hell of a lot of progress”:
I’m reluctant to say it’s mission accomplished but we are certainly making more progress than what we expected.
He pointed to a raft of cost-of-living measures set to go into effect from Tuesday, including an increased minimum wage and new incentives for apprentice builders, noting the superannuation guarantee will also increase that day to 12%. Chalmers said:
There are a range of cost-of-living measures that … recognise that people are still under pressure and the government is doing what it can to help people doing it tough.
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Miles Franklin shortlist announced
Five writers of colour have been shortlisted for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, AAP reports.
Hong Kong-born Brian Castro, Sri-Lankan-born Michelle de Kretser, Tongan-Australian Winnie Dunn, Burruberongal woman Julie Janson, Malaysian-born Siang Lu and Fiona McFarlane comprise the shortlist for the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award, released on Wednesday.
The winner of the $60,000 prize will be announced on 25 July by award trustee Perpetual and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Judges said the shortlist “celebrates writing that refuses to compromise”, saying:
Each of these works vitalises the form of the novel and invents new languages for the Australian experience.
Read more from one shortlisted author, Winnie Dunn, here:
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Antoinette Lattouf wins wrongful termination case against the ABC – video
Bruce Lehrmann files application to halt Toowoomba rape trial
Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann’s bid to halt his rape trial, which includes claims of police misconduct, will be tested at a court hearing.
Defence lawyer Zali Burrows filed an application in Toowoomba district court seeking a permanent stay in Lehrmann’s pending trial, claiming that police illegally obtained his lawyers’ phone calls, reports AAP.
Burrows on Monday also sought for prosecutors to disclose all potential evidence in the case.
Lehrmann, 30, is accused of raping a woman twice during the morning of 10 October 2021 after they met at a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.
Lehrmann, who is on bail, and Burrows appeared by phone when the application to halt the trial was briefly mentioned this morning in Ipswich District Court.
Judge Dennis Lynch asked Burrows and crown prosecutor Caroline Marco if they would agree to hold a hearing on the application on 25 July. They both agreed.
The pre-trial case was already scheduled for a hearing on evidence disclosure in Toowoomba district court on that date.
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Fierce winds in NSW
Many New Sales Wales residents awoke to high winds this morning – with some gusts reaching up to 117km/h.
The Bureau of Meteorology has released a damaging winds warning for parts of the state including the Great Dividing Range, southern Sydney and Newcastle.
The bureau recorded especially high gusts on the state’s south coast, with a 117km/h gust in Bellambi at 9.03am and a 98km/h gust in Wollongong minutes later.
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Before the new CPI figures were released, the rates market was pricing in an 80% chance of a quarter percentage point cut by the RBA at its next meeting in July to 3.6%.
In total, traders expect three more rate cuts this year.
The monthly result can be volatile and is viewed as less authoritative than quarterly figures, due out next month.
Nonetheless, the significant drop in headline inflation will support calls for more interest rate relief when the RBA meets early next month.
Inflation rate falls to 2.1% in May, boosting chances of July rate cut
Australia’s inflation rate has eased again, bolstering expectations the Reserve Bank will lower borrowing rates next month.
The headline inflation rate was 2.1% in the 12 months to May, down sharply on the previous month’s figure of 2.4%, according to consumer price index figures released today.
The Reserve Bank’s preferred measure for inflation, the “trimmed mean” or underlying inflation rate that strips out volatile items and various government subsidies, decreased from 2.8% to 2.4%.
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Albanese says Trump’s views on Israel-Iran conflict – F-word included – were ‘pretty clear’
The prime minister just spoke from Tasmania, where he was asked about US president Donald Trump’s apparent impatience with Israel and Iran in the early hours of the announced ceasefire. Albanese said his US counterpart had made himself clear, and Australia agreed “we want to see peace in the region”.
The PM said:
Well, I think that president Trump made some pretty clear statements. I don’t think it needs any further reflection. I think that he stated his views pretty abruptly and I think they were very clear.
As I have said this week, we want to see peace in the region, we want to see a ceasefire, we want to see de-escalation, and that is consistent with the very clear comments of president Trump.
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Cinema operator Dendy fined $20,000 by ACCC
Cinema operator Dendy has been fined $20,000 after allegedly displaying movie ticket prices that were lower than what customers would actually have to pay, the consumer watchdog said.
Dendy runs four movie theatres in Queensland and one each in Sydney and Canberra. It paid the penalty after allegedly showing customers online prices that excluded unavoidable booking fees, rather than the true total price of a ticket, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said.
The website displayed the full price when customers reached the final stages of the online transaction, but not in the earliest stages of the booking process, the ACCC claimed, a practice known as drip pricing.
Catriona Lowe, ACCC deputy chair, said the practice could see customers “lured into purchases they would not otherwise have made”. She added:
By initially only displaying part of the total price for a movie ticket, Dendy has reduced the ability of consumers to make an informed purchasing decision.
The watchdog is investigating whether booking fee transparency and other pricing practices in the cinema industry comply with theatre operators’ legal obligations.
You can read more about how drip pricing works here:
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Court orders ABC to pay Lattouf compensation of $70,000
Rangiah ordered the ABC to pay Lattouf $70,000 in compensation after her victory in the unlawful termination case.
Read more from our full story here:
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Lattouf hugged her lawyers and cried as judgment delivered
Before the judge read the judgment aloud, he handed out the full written reasons for his decision to the lawyers involved. There was a frantic flurry of papers being turned as the lawyers flipped through to find out if their side had won the day, even as Justice Darryl Rangiah was still describing the context of the case.
After 10 seconds of reading, one of Lattouf’s barristers, Philip Boncardo, turned to Lattouf behind him and nodded – she had won. She turned incredulous to lawyer Josh Bornstein, sitting next to her, who confirmed the news and Lattouf turned to her husband, sitting in the gallery behind her and mouth: “We won.”
Lattouf hugged the lawyers sitting beside her, then bowed her head and cried, as Rangiah continued laying out the history of the events at the heart of the case.
On the ABC side, lawyers representing the ABC summoned over the broadcaster’s in-house counsel for a brief and sombre discussion. There are no ABC management present in the courtroom.
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Lattouf was not terminated because of her race, court finds
The court found Lattouf was not terminated because of her race or national extraction. Rangiah said:
The evidence does not support Ms Lattouf’s claims that [David] Anderson, [Ita Buttrose, [Chris] Oliver-Taylor and [Ben] Latimer made or materially contributed to a decision to terminate her employment for reasons that included her race or national extraction.
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Antoinette Lattouf wins unlawful termination case against ABC
The federal court has found that the ABC contravened s 772(1) of the Fair Work Act by terminating Antoinette Lattouf’s employment for reasons including that she held political opinions opposing the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
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Federal court finds ABC terminated Lattouf’s employment
Rangiah has also found the ABC did terminate Lattouf’s employment. He said:
I find that the ABC repudiated the contract of employment by informing Ms Lattouf that she would no longer be permitted to present Mornings. I also find that the ABC terminated the contract of employment.
The ABC had pleaded it did not terminate her employment.
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Lattouf provided with ‘advice’ not ‘direction’ from ABC about social media posts, court hears
Justice Darryl Rangiah has found Antoinette Lattouf was “merely provided with advice that it would be best not to post anything controversial about the war” and was not given a direction not to post. The ABC’s case was that Lattouf was given a “direction”, and the court has found against the broadcaster on this point.
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The scene inside the courtroom as we await the Lattouf judgment
Courtroom 18A at the federal court building in Sydney is standing room only, as reporters, lawyers and members of the public have gathered to watch Justice Darryl Rangiah hand down his decision in the unlawful termination case brought by Antoinette Lattouf against the ABC.
Lattouf and her legal team, as well as lawyers representing the ABC, are present in the courtroom, awaiting Rangiah’s arrival.
A contingent from the union representing the media – the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance – was out on the steps of the federal court building this morning to show support for Lattouf, and many of them, including some ABC employees, have come up to the courtroom to watch the decision.
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NT Greens call for federal investigation into concerns about lobbying activities of consulting firm and Empire Energy
The Northern Territory Greens have called on the Albanese government to investigate concerns raised about the consulting activities of a firm called Good Advice, run by a former branch manager from the Northern Land Council, and its client, the gas company Empire Energy.
It follows a major leak of Northern Land Council files, correspondence and recordings to Guardian Australia containing claims that traditional owners were offered financial benefits if they agreed to let Empire Energy sell “appraisal gas” – which is gas collected during the exploration phase – from its Carpentaria pilot project in the Beetaloo basin.
The leaked files reveal concerns among traditional owners and bureaucrats about the lobbying activities of Empire Energy, Good Advice and several members of the NLC’s full council, who were employed as advisers in an individual capacity by the consulting firm.
Greens member for Nightcliff, Kat McNamara, called for the federal government to “urgently” investigate the claims:
This exploitative industry cannot be trusted. Fracking cannot continue under these current conditions.
Across the NT we continue to see the revolving door from government or statutory bodies to the private sector. To prevent community members from being taken advantage of, we must introduce stronger regulations.
Good Advice has declined to respond to the claims made about its consulting work. Empire Energy has said it had “a long history of respectful engagement with traditional owners”.
Judgment coming shortly in Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful termination case
We’re expecting a judgment in radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful termination case against the ABC this morning around 10.15am, and we’ll bring you details as soon as it is handed down.
For now, you can read our preview of the decision below:
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More from Chalmers on Trump’s harsh words for Iran and Israel
The treasurer told Sky News this morning that Australian shouldn’t “quibble” with Trump’s language after he said Israel and Iran had been fighting for so long “they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing”, AAP reports. Chalmers said:
We heard some blunt speak from the president, and I think that just reflects the fact that the stakes are high in the Middle East.
I think those who haven’t used that word privately can cast the first stone.
Travellers stuck inside Doha airport as flights cancelled after Iranian strikes in Qatar
Airspace in Qatar reopened yesterday after Iran struck a US base in the country before a ceasefire deal was reached. Flights in the region, including several from Australia, were diverted or rerouted, prompting widespread delays and some cancellations.
These were the scenes in Doha yesterday afternoon and early this morning Australian time, sent by a Guardian reader stuck at Doha airport after their connecting flight to Melbourne, which was due to take off just as the Iranian strike on Qatar happened, was cancelled.
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Greens say reasoning behind proposed right to hunt bill in NSW ‘frankly bollocks’
The NSW Greens spokesperson for agriculture and the environment, Sue Higginson, who has opposed the bill, said: “The outcry of concern from so many across our communities about the proposed laws has been a massive reason we have worked hard to get the bill referred to an inquiry.”
She added:
The more I have looked at the proposed laws, and the government’s spin about why it’s supporting them, the more absurd it all gets. Enshrining a ‘right to hunt’ in this state, providing resources and power to a statutory body stacked by the gun lobby, making provisions for a minister for hunting and then arguing it’s about conservation outcomes is frankly bollocks.
Higginson said the laws would have a massive impact on the resources of local councils with all crown land managers having to consider shooting on public lands in their communities.
Despite the massive impact that these laws would have, no one was consulted with on these changes before Chris Minns made his captain’s call to back the Shooters.
This inquiry will give councils, environment organisations, gun safety advocates, and dissenting government agencies an opportunity to set the record straight.
The latest developments echo the creation of the Game Council under former Labor premier Bob Carr. The Game Council was abolished after an independent inquiry found it lacked governance and it became embroiled in scandal.
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Bill to allow hunting in NSW state forests referred to parliamentary inquiry
A controversial bill to create a right to hunt in NSW state forests and on crown lands has been referred to a parliamentary inquiry after the legislative council declined to rush the laws through.
The game and feral animal legislation amendment (conservation hunting) bill was introduced by the Shooters and Fishers party as a private member’s bill and would give licensed shooters the right to hunt pigs, deer and other feral animals on public lands, excluding national parks.
The Shooters argue that allowing recreational hunters into public lands will help control feral animals. This is disputed by environmental groups that say evidence shows professional animal control is more effective.
The bill gained support from the premier, Chris Minns, in what critics claim was a sweetheart deal to secure support from the Shooters party for other legislation the government wants to pass – notably its workers’ compensation reforms. The premier has denied doing a deal.
The bill will now be subject to parliamentary scrutiny. The committee is expected to report on 10 October.
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More on Gout Gout’s stunning run this morning
The records keep falling for Gout Gout after the 17-year-old sprint sensation announced himself on the senior international stage with a new Australian benchmark of 20.02s over 200m at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic.
Gout remains on course to go sub-20s as he bettered his own national record in a field stacked with high-quality sprinters, chasing down and then roaring past Reynier Mena over the final 20m to cross the line 0.17s ahead of the Cuban, with Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake third.
Dream European debut ✨
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 24, 2025
Watch 🇦🇺’s Gout Gout power to 20.02 in the men’s 200m at @ZlataTretra 😎
First senior race abroad ✅
First race ever in Europe ✅
First senior win abroad ✅
Breaks area record ✅ #ContinentalTourGold pic.twitter.com/6FSW00Y933
Read more here:
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Undercover shoppers visited 104 supermarkets in 27 locations across Australia
West Australians also paid more than the mainland eastern states at Woolworths, Coles and IGA.
Shoppers in New South Wales paid less than other states at Woolworths and IGA; those in the ACT and NSW got the best deal at Aldi; and in Queensland, shoppers paid less than their fellow Australians at Coles, according to the report.
Choice started including IGA in the study in June last year, and now says it has changed its approach again based on consumer feedback, by switching up some of the 14 items in the basket seasonally based on what people are buying.
For example, the latest basket included products people are more likely to buy in winter, such as porridge oats and hot chocolate, Choice said.
To undertake the survey, the consumer advocacy group says it sent undercover shoppers into 104 supermarkets – 27 Woolworths, 27 Coles, 23 Aldi and 27 IGA stores – in 27 locations across Australia in March.
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WA shoppers pay more for groceries than those in eastern states; Aldi still best deal on average
West Australians are paying more for groceries than people in the eastern states, while Aldi shoppers across Australia continue to get the best deal on average, a Choice report has found.
The consumer advocacy group has released its fifth quarterly report – funded by the federal government – into supermarket prices, which it assesses by buying a basket of 14 common grocery items from different supermarkets.
In March this year, without including specials, the basket of 14 items cost $55.35 at Aldi, $58.92 at Woolworths, $59.22 at Coles and the IGA basket was $69.74 on average at stores across the country. Choice says that when looking at the individual items on its survey shopping list, Coles had the cheapest apples, Woolworths had the cheapest chicken breasts and pumpkin, and IGA had the cheapest carrots and garlic, while Aldi was cheapest on everything else.
When the savings from available specials were factored in, the Aldi basket cost $54.44. The same items were $57.67 at Coles, $58.86 at Woolworths and $67.54 at IGA.
The prices varied very little between Aldi stores, Choice says, but because shoppers in WA paid up to $2.70/kg more for apples – considered a “staple item” in the survey basket – than in other Aldi locations, Aldi’s basket was more expensive there than in eastern states.
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Matt Kean to say Australia should reduce emissions at ‘breakneck pace’, window to protect corals closing
The chair of the government’s Climate Change Authority, Matt Kean, will tell an audience of scientists this morning that Australia needs to act to reduce emissions at “breakneck pace” and “with all the vigour we can muster”.
The authority is set to advise the government on a recommended 2035 target to cut emissions. A preliminary assessment released last year by the authority suggested cuts of between 65% and 75% by 2035 from levels in 2005 were achievable. The government has said it will announce the target by September, ahead of the next global climate talks to take place in November in Brazil.
In a speech to the annual conference of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, in Cairns, Kean will say:
When it comes to climate action, forget bottlenecks – we need breakneck pace.
In the speech, Kean will say an upcoming authority report on the Great Barrier Reef warns the window for avoiding broadscale losses of corals is closing. He will point to record-breaking ocean temperatures that caused simultaneous bleaching on the Queensland reef and across reefs in the west, where Kean will point to how scientists there have been distraught by widespread coral death.
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Average family saving $7,000 after cheaper childcare reforms
The average family has saved about $7,000 in out-of-pocket costs after cheaper childcare reforms were introduced, the federal government says.
Two years in, the education minister, Jason Clare, said more than a million families had benefited from the changes, which he said had saved families earning $168,000 with one child in care about $7,440, despite concerns over rises in daycare fees. In the same time period, an additional 1,200 early education services had opened, and about 48,000 more early childcare workers had entered the system, Clare said.
He said the government was also delivering a 15% pay rise to expand the early education workforce and would implement the three-day guarantee next year, replacing the current activity test. More than 100,000 families would be entitled to more hours of subsidised education and care under the guarantee, which was expected to save eligible families earning between $50,000 and $100,000 an average of $1,460 per year.
Clare said:
This is a key part of our plans to build a universal early education system.
The findings come following the release of tougher mandatory regulations in the multibillion-dollar industry in response to safety concerns over “shonky and dangerous operators”.
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NZ foreign minister says allies will always have ‘times where we do differ’ after US strikes in Iran
Winston Peters, New Zealand’s foreign minister, said the country would collect all the facts on US strikes on Iran before levelling judgment, but said good friendships meant countries could have a difference of opinion. Peters spoke to RN Breakfast about New Zealand’s values and how they align with those of the Trump administration, saying:
We’re always going to have times where we do differ. To say that we all think the same would be terrible. It would mean with a loss of examination, a loss of proper exhaustion of finding out the truth. And this is not to be unexpected.
We’ve found it far better to keep our counsel, find out the facts, and if we have got a difference, to relay it in privacy rather than to try and trumpet it out.
Good friendships mean you can have a difference [of opinion].
Peters went on to say the situation surrounding the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites “can only be examined in the fullness of time as to the veracity behind the facts in which they acted”, adding:
And we haven’t got those facts yet. And so, as you know, our position is: Let’s find out all the facts before we, as so many have done in the past, headlong rush to judgment and find that we were wrong.
Minns, Catley staffers to appear before inquiry into Dural caravan plot on Friday
Five staffers from the offices of the NSW premier, Chris Minns, and the police minister, Yasmin Catley, have agreed to appear before a parliamentary inquiry into the Dural caravan “fake terrorism plot” after they were threatened with arrest for failing to attend last week.
A senior staff member for the premier confirmed on Wednesday they had been told by the president of the NSW Legislative Council, Ben Franklin, that he was planning to seek arrest warrants. Franklin had sought legal advice from Bret Walker SC about his powers to seek the warrants after the staffers defied summonses to appear at the upper house inquiry.
They have now “voluntarily” agreed to appear on Friday.
The inquiry – launched with the support of the Coalition, the Greens and crossbench MLCs – is examining the handling of information about the caravan plot amid concerns parliament may have been “misled” before controversial laws aimed at curbing antisemitism were rushed through parliament.
In January, after it was announced that the caravan had been found, Minns said it had the potential to be a “mass casualty event”. But in March, the Australian federal police revealed they believed it was a “con job” by organised crime figures seeking to divert police resources and influence prosecutions.
The premier and the police minister refused to appear at the inquiry before the committee sought the appearance of their staffers.
Greens MP Sue Higginson, who is a member of the inquiry, also confirmed on Wednesday the political staffers would appear to give evidence on Friday. The standoff had been sparked by the refusal of Minns and Catley to appear. Ministers from the lower house cannot be required to appear before an inquiry of the upper house.
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Chalmers says Trump’s F-word reflects ‘gravity’ of the situation in Middle East
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, just spoke to ABC News and said Donald Trump’s F-word directed at Israel and Iran reflected the delicate ceasefire deal struck in the Middle East. Trump told reporters on his way to a Nato summit of the conflict: “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing.”
Chalmers told the ABC:
I think it reflects the gravity, the enormity of the situation in the Middle East, and just how important it is that both sides stick to this ceasefire which has been negotiated.
You know, the stakes are very high in the Middle East. The consequences of this ceasefire falling over are pretty grave. And I think the president’s blunt language reflects that.
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Minister says Australians could soon have more ‘regular ways’ to get out of Israel
Matt Keogh, the minister for defence personnel, said Australians will soon have “more regular ways” to get out of Israel after the country reopened its airspace during a tenuous ceasefire deal with Iran. Keogh said the government was actively monitoring the situation, noting 119 Australians were able to leave on a special Australian Defence Force flight from Tel Aviv late Tuesday night.
Such flights could possibly not be required any more if the ceasefire holds and the conflict between Israel and Iran stabilises, Keogh said. He told RN Breakfast:
Australians that are still looking to leave will be able to find more regular ways of getting out. And as the ceasefire has taken hold and continues that should see a return to more ordinary transport operations.
We’ll obviously keep monitoring the situation to make sure that we’re actually seeing that return to regular transport options, but that’s what we are starting to see progress. And so, if military repatriations aren’t required any more, then we would obviously bring that to an end. But we’re not yet at a stage where we’d be able to do that.
For Australians stranded in Iran, Keogh said the main pathway out remains over land as airspace there is still closed.
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Australia’s national mental health plan should be redesigned, report finds
The Productivity Commission (PC) has found the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement has made little progress towards improving the lives of people with mental ill health and suicidal ideation. Commissioner Selwyn Button said:
The Agreement comprises a raft of outputs and initiatives that aren’t connected to each other or to an overarching strategy. In its current form, it cannot deliver the systemic, coordinated change it promises.
The consumers, carers and service providers we spoke with told us of ongoing challenges accessing and affording care and of uncoordinated services that do not respond to need.
Issues with the agreement are highlighted by its failure to deliver on a key commitment: developing arrangements to provide psychosocial supports outside the NDIS, commissioner Angela Jackson said:
When the NDIS was introduced, governments withdrew much of the funding for psychosocial supports. This has left 500,000 people living with mental illness without support. Addressing this gap requires exactly the kind of national coordination that the current Agreement has proven unable to provide.
The PC is recommending that the current Agreement be extended to 2027 to allow time for the new agreement to be co-designed with consumers, carers and service providers.
In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
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Sussan Ley to urge more inclusive Liberal party in key speech
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, will address the National Press Club in Canberra this afternoon. Her predecessor, Peter Dutton, shunned the club during his three years leading the Liberals, but Ley makes her debut there as leader and is expected to reflect on Labor’s thumping 3 May election victory.
She will also present some markers for the Liberal party to focus on as it starts the rebuilding effort and outline some policy priority areas for the term ahead.
Extracts of the speech show she will speak about what modern Australia looks like in 2025 and how the Liberals must strive to represent Australia’s diverse population, and its young people, working families and elderly people.
When I say the Liberal party must respect, reflect and represent modern Australia, people have understandably asked: what do we mean by that? Modern Australia is diverse, dynamic and ambitious. It is made up of people from every corner of the world. It is families raising children in the suburbs.
It is young people building careers, renting whilst chasing the home ownership dream, and studying for futures that look very different to the past. It is older Australians who helped build this country, who still have so much wisdom to offer, with a strong stake in our nation’s future.
It is professionals, small business owners, community volunteers, entrepreneurs and everyday workers who deserve to be recognised, not overlooked. Modern Australia is not just one story. It’s all of them. And our party must be big enough to represent that shared experience.
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Marles confirms 119 Australians evacuated from Tel Aviv
Returning to repatriation from Israel, the defence minister, Richard Marles, has confirmed 119 passengers left Tel Aviv in the early hours of Wednesday. He made the comments to reporters in The Hague, where he is attending a Nato summit.
“So I can confirm that there was an assisted departure that left Tel Aviv in the last few hours,” he said.
“We were very pleased to be able to provide that flight, and they’ve now been relocated to a place within the region, which is obviously outside of the danger zone.
“We continue to have (military) assets in the region ready to be able to provide assistance.”
Mr Marles also said the government had chartered civilian aircraft for future departures “in certain circumstances”.
The evacuees were taken out in a KC-30 RAAF jet.
- AAP
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Gout Gout wins first international race
Australian teenage sprinter Gout Gout crushed the 200 metres field in his first senior race abroad on Tuesday, bettering his own national record by two hundredths of a second to finish in 20.02 seconds at the Ostrava Golden Spike.
The 17-year-old ran a textbook race in his European debut at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event in the Czech Republic, crossing the line 0.17 seconds ahead of Cuban Reynier Mena, while Briton Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (20.60) was third.
Gout has drawn comparisons to Jamaican great Usain Bolt and he made headlines in December when he broke Peter Norman’s national record that had stood for 56 years.
The teenager was confirmed in April for Australia’s team for the world championships in Tokyo in September.
– Reuters
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NSW Greens refer Labor deal with Shooters party for parliamentary inquiry
The NSW Greens says the party has referred Chris Minns’s “sweetheart deal” on hunting rights with the Shooters party for a parliamentary inquiry after the Legislative Council declined to rush the laws through.
The Greens’ spokesperson for agriculture and the environment, Sue Higginson, said the party had acted after an “outcry of concern” from voters about the deal which would enshrine a “right to hunt” in NSW, provide “resources and power to a statutory body stacked by the gun lobby”, and pave the way for a minister for hunting.
She said:
This bill from the gun lobby seemed to come out of thin air, and it’s no coincidence that the premier Chris Minns and his Labor government immediately supported it just when they were hoping to buy votes for their changes to the workers compensation scheme.
If passed, these laws would have a massive impact on the resources of local councils with all crown land managers having to consider shooting on public lands in their communities. Despite the massive impact that these laws would have, no one was consulted with on these changes before Chris Minns made his captain’s call to back the Shooters.
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Leigh backs ‘productivity-enhancing’ AI technology
Andrew Leigh, the assistant minister for productivity, has backed a light-touch approach to regulating artificial intelligence, amid an ongoing debate over how best to manage the risks of the potentially transformative technology.
While most Australians accept the potential benefits from AI, surveys show that only one in three agree we have adequate guardrails in place to ensure the safe rollout of the technology.
Leigh, in a speech to the McKell Institute later today, will say Australia should only consider “AI-specific” rules once all existing regulatory options had been exhausted.
The goal is to protect the public while allowing productivity-enhancing innovation to flourish.
Leigh’s comments are further evidence that Labor has cooled on the idea of implementing a European-style stand-alone AI act, which is one of the options being considered as part of a government review.
Such high-risk applications could include predicting a person’s suitability for a job, likelihood of recidivism, or to enable self-driving cars.
Rather than destroying jobs, Leigh quotes overseas research showing that firms which adopted AI tools were more likely to grow their workforces.
In fact, the biggest employment risk from AI may not be job displacement – it may be working for a business that doesn’t adopt it and falls behind or fails entirely. Think of it as the equivalent of working for a boss who insists that the fax machine will make a comeback.
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Marles plays down chances of Trump meeting at Nato summit
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, has said he wouldn’t want to “overstate” the chance of him crossing paths with US president Donald Trump at the Nato summit which started in The Hague overnight.
“Look, I wouldn’t want to overstate that,” he told ABC’s 7.30 last night.
There’s a lot of people at the Nato summit. There’s a lot of people in the rooms that we’ll all be in. And in gatherings such as this, the meetings that you have end up being pretty fluid.
Marles, who is also the minister of defence, said Australia “very much” called on Iran to stick to the ceasefire and exercise restraint.
“What we want to see now is de-escalation. Our concern throughout this has been the potential for escalation, and where this might ultimately lead,” he said, speaking after Israel accused Iran of launching missiles at Israel following Trump’s ceasefire announcement. Iran denied launching missiles.
When asked whether Australia would always back the US’s use of force, Marles said:
What we’ve done in this instance and what we do in every instance is to speak in accordance with what is Australia’s national interest. It’s not in Australia’s national interest to see Iran acquire a nuclear weapon.
The defence minister side-stepped the question of whether the US followed a rules-based order, saying “what America has done in the strikes that it has undertaken is to significantly stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, and we have made clear that that represented a threat to the international order.”
Marles said more than 4,000 Australian citizens across Israel and Iran had indicated they wanted help to leave.
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Australians stranded in Israel on their way home on special ADF flight
A special Australian Defence Force flight has left Tel Aviv with 119 Australians and their family members on board after they became stranded by the suspension of flights out of Israel amid its conflict with Iran.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said late on Tuesday night that Australian defence personnel and diplomats “have supported an Australian Defence Force assisted departure flight” out of the Israeli city.
Photographs posted on social media by the foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, showed people being taken by bus to the airport.
An Australian Government assisted-departure flight has safely transported 119 Australians and family members from Tel Aviv.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 24, 2025
Commercial flights from Israel have resumed with some restrictions.
DFAT officers remain at the Iran-Azerbaijan border to help Australians to leave Iran. pic.twitter.com/1VD0lnAbcU
Dfat added that commercial flights out of Israel resumed last night with some restrictions after a ceasefire was agreed between Israel and Iran.
A Dfat statement said:
Israeli commercial airlines have resumed operation for anyone wanting to leave Israel. Limitations and restrictions apply.
Travellers with existing tickets for cancelled flights are encouraged to keep speaking with airlines. This may be the fastest way for travellers to reach their final destination.
We will continue to communicate directly with registered Australians who wish to depart Israel about any further plans for assisted departures.
Consular officers remain positioned at the Iran-Azerbaijan border to assist departing Australians.
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it’ll be Nick Visser with the main action.
Richard Marles has joined Nato leaders at their summit in The Hague where the main discussion will focus on European nations increasing their defence spending and how the west can help Ukraine to repel Russia. Donald Trump has landed in the Netherlands but Marles has played down the idea that he might have a meeting with the US president to discuss the Aukus submarine pact. More details soon.
The judgment in Antoinette Lattouf’s unlawful dismissal case against the ABC is expected this morning at 11.30am at the federal court in Sydney. Justice Darryl Rangiah will hand down his ruling in the highly charged case which centres around whether the ABC acted unlawfully when the casual radio presenter Antoinette Lattouf was abruptly taken off air in December 2023. More coming up.
A special Australian Defence Force flight is on its way back to Australia from Tel Aviv with 119 Australians and their family members on board after they became stranded by the suspension of flights out of Israel amid its conflict with Iran. The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, revealed the news last night. More details coming up.
