Commissioner delivers interim report on antisemitism to governor general
The commissioner for the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Virginia Bell, has delivered her interim report to the governor general, Sam Mostyn, at Government House in Canberra.
We’re expecting the government’s response, and details of the report, soon.
Virginia Bell and governor general Sam Mostyn at Government House. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 20.05 EDT
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Bondi royal commission suggests ‘counter-terror exercise’ for PM, cabinet
Josh Butler
The Bondi royal commission’s interim report has been released. We’re reading now, but there are 14 recommendations – including six that are not included in the public version of the report, and kept to a confidential version.
Of the eight which are in the public version, they include recommendations that:
The procedures adopted by NSW police in respect of Operation Jewish High Holy Days should apply to other high risk Jewish festivals and events, particularly those that have a public facing element.
Consideration be given to making the counter-terrorism coordinator’s role full-time.
The Australian government should consider whether national security committee ministers, including the prime minister, should participate in a counter-terrorism exercise, along with all national cabinet members, within nine months of each federal election.
There’s also other recommendations about updating procedures on crisis management, a review of joint counter-terror teams, and calls for state and federal governments to “prioritise efforts to finalise and implement an updated and nationally consistent National Firearms Agreement” and the “to implement the proposed National Gun Buyback Scheme”.
Instructor and student killed in small plane crash near Adelaide yesterday
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said an instructor and a student were the two people killed in a small plane crash near Adelaide’s Parafield airport.
The four-seat airplane had just taken off from the airport when it crashed into a hangar where a large amount of fuel was stored. The ATSB said it is investigating the cause of the accident, which also injured 10 people on the ground.
ATSB chief commissioner, Angus Mitchell, told ABC News Breakfast this morning:
double quotation markWe know quite tragically the instructor and the student have lost their lives.
Equally, we know a number of personnel were inside the hangar it’s impacted, with varying degrees of injuries to quite significant burns to smoke inhalation.
They’re being treated in various Adelaide hospitals as we speak.
Officials will hold a press conference on the crash later this morning.
Smoke rises at Parafield airport after a small plane crashed into an airport hangar. Photograph: Joshua Lee Swannell/ReutersShare
Updated at 20.24 EDT
Josh Butler
Bondi royal commission report has 14 recommendations
We’re still awaiting the interim report of the Bondi royal commission to drop – we hope it will be publicly released before the prime minister gives a press conference later this morning – but one detail has so far been released.
On the royal commission’s website, it says:
double quotation markThe Interim Report examines the circumstances surrounding the antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach on 14 December 2025 (Term of Reference (c)).
It contains 14 recommendations.
We’ll bring you more of those recommendations when the report is published. The royal commission says its final report “will be submitted no later than 14 December 2026”.
Updated at 20.00 EDT
Commissioner delivers interim report on antisemitism to governor general
The commissioner for the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Virginia Bell, has delivered her interim report to the governor general, Sam Mostyn, at Government House in Canberra.
We’re expecting the government’s response, and details of the report, soon.
Virginia Bell and governor general Sam Mostyn at Government House. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAPShare
Updated at 20.05 EDT
Jonathan Barrett
Too early to predict impacts on profitability, Woolworths says
Woolworths says it is still too early to predict the impacts on its profitability from the conflict and how elevated living costs will impact shopping behaviours.
Consumer prices are now growing at their fastest pace in two-and-a-half years, according to inflation data released yesterday.
The overall Woolworths business, which includes Big W and its New Zealand operations, reported a 4.5% lift in quarterly sales to $18.1bn.
Separately, Woolworths is defending a court action taken by the consumer watchdog over allegations it broke consumer law by offering “illusory” discounts to shoppers.
Closing arguments are scheduled to start today in the federal court in Sydney.
Updated at 19.41 EDT
Jonathan Barrett
Woolworths food sales up amid inflation warning
Woolworths has warned that high fuel costs stemming from the Middle East conflict will exert greater inflationary pressures later this year after reporting strong food sales across its Australian supermarkets.
The country’s biggest supermarket chain recorded a 5.9% lift in food sales from its flagship Australian division to $13.8bn, according to quarterly financial results released this morning.
Woolworths chief executive, Amanda Bardwell, says the conflict is “creating greater uncertainty for our customers, suppliers and team at a time when cost-of-living pressures are already acute”.
“While the impact on the group to date has been limited, higher fuel costs and secondary effects are likely to have an increasing inflationary impact as we move through the calendar year,” Bardwell says.
A customer checks prices at a Woolworths supermarket. Photograph: Ye Myo Khant/SOPA Images/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 19.24 EDT
Ima Caldwell
At an idyllic Sydney beach, a 25-tonne sperm whale slowly disintegrates
On a rock shelf at the southern end of Era beach, the estimated 25-tonne body of a sperm whale rests like a melted candle. Looking down at the rock pools, floating chunks of white fat bob in the water.
Since its discovery on Saturday morning, the rotting whale has lured sharks to the coastline, forcing the closure of several beaches in Sydney’s Royal national park.
Surf Life Saving New South Wales reported a shark sighting at Era beach at 9.28am on Saturday. By Sunday morning, SharkSmart confirmed all beaches within the national park – including Garie, North Era, South Era, Wattamolla and Burning Palms – were closed, and they remained so as of Wednesday.
A woman inspects the dead sperm whale that lies rotting in the midday sun. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The GuardianWalkers cover their mouths and noses from the rotting stench. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The GuardianA dead sperm whale lies dead halfway along the rock shelf at south Era beach. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The GuardianShare
Updated at 19.13 EDT
Iran war could result in thousands fewer new homes
The Iran war could result in Australia building 33,000 fewer homes than planned, the government’s independent housing adviser has warned.
AAP reports Australia was making ground on its housing supply targets before the Middle East conflict broke out in late February, the National Housing Supply and Affordability Council found in its annual state of the housing system report on Thursday.
But the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, which sent fuel prices skyrocketing and disrupted supply chains for building materials such as PVC pipe, has severely affected the housing sector.
Photograph: BeyondImages/Getty Images
Prior to the conflict, the council was estimating that Australia would build 980,000 new homes over the National Housing Accord period, which ends in June 2029.
But the council now expects 33,000 fewer homes will be built over the accord period than previously assumed if the crisis persists and the increase in construction costs peaks at 10%.
The impact could be even worse as the council’s modelling does not take into account consumer sentiment, reticence to borrow and broader economic conditions.
Updated at 18.52 EDT
Caitlin Cassidy
Australia’s use of methamphetamine has doubled in a decade, wastewater monitoring reveals
Methamphetamine use in Australia has almost doubled in the past decade and stimulants are being taken at record highs, new wastewater monitoring reveals.
On Wednesday evening the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (Acic) released its latest annual report after testing wastewater samples from 64 treatment plants across the country between August 2024 and 2025.
It found that consumption of crystal meth, also known as ice, was at its highest recorded level since the program began in 2016.
Read more here:
Wastewater testing in 2024-25 found that crystal meth consumption was at its highest recorded level since the program began in 2016. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAPShareNSW minister says plan for new gas exploration about getting fuel to ‘local mums and dads’
Courtney Houssos, the NSW minister for finance and natural resources, spoke to RN Breakfast this morning after the state said it would open new areas for gas exploration for the first time in more than a decade.
Houssos said the plan was an “important step” to see the state have a “secure energy supply”, but said they would not be a short-term fix for any ongoing fuel issues as they could take at least 10 years to produce any usable gas. She said:
double quotation markWe are reading the same forecasts that you are from the Australian Energy Market Operator and others warning us of looming gas shortfalls. So we think that this is the responsible thing to do as a government.
Courtney Houssos. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
She said she understood concerns about the plan, including slashing exploration licence fees from $50,000 to $1,000, but said the state had a robust system to take safety into account when it came to biosecurity and environmental concerns.
double quotation markWe’re certainly hearing those concerns, but we think this is an important step. We have to make sure that local mums and dads, local households have access to this. And that’s an important point to make.
This is gas that would be unlocked for local mums and dads, local households and local businesses.
Updated at 18.53 EDT
Albanese ruled out a gas export tax on existing contracts yesterday, criticising a ‘populist’ campaign
Anthony Albanese confirmed yesterday next month’s federal budget will not include a new tax on existing gas export contracts as he criticised the “populist” campaign calling for a levy on producers.
In a speech to the Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia on Wednesday, the prime minister directly tied gas exports to Australia’s fuel security amid the global energy crisis. He said:
double quotation markThe middle of a global fuel crisis is the worst possible time to jeopardise these partnerships, or the investment that underpins them.
You can read more about his feelings here:
Photograph: Mick Tsikas/ReutersShare
Updated at 17.59 EDT