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What we learned; Monday 9 March
That’s all for today’s live news coverage. Before we go, let’s recap the big headlines.
Australian shares plunged on Monday, wiping about $90bn from the value of the ASX, after a sharp rise in oil prices caused by the Middle East conflict sparked concerns of a breakout in global inflation.
Foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, said in a post late last night that families of Australian officials have been told to leave the United Arab Emirates as war in the Middle East spreads. Meanwhile, the shadow minister for foreign affairs, Ted O’Brien, has said military requests from Gulf nations should be “duly considered” after Wong said Australia may offer support to Gulf nations facing Iranian strikes.
Katherine’s mayor has warned locals to be wary of flood waters inundating the town after a crocodile was spotted on the town’s AFL oval, as residents are warned to boil their water amid the record-breaking deluge.
Sydney’s M12 motorway, the “driveway” to the new Western Sydney airport, will open this Saturday, the federal and NSW governments have announced.
The Nationals have selected a former army colonel, Brad Robertson, to contest former Liberal leader Sussan Ley’s seat of Farrer at the upcoming byelection on 9 May.
Former Socceroo and refugee advocate Craig Foster said he is “very worried” about the fate of the Iran women’s team after they were defeated by the Philippines 2-0, ending their Women’s Asian Cup bid.
Harry and Meghan will visit Australia in April for a number of engagements.
And tourists will soon have to pay an entry fee to see the Twelve Apostles on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, in a move the government says will help protect the site for generations to come.
Thanks for joining us, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow.
Updated at 02.25 EDT
Two climbers rescued at WA’s Stirling Range national park
Emergency crews were deployed this morning to rescue two injured climbers at Bluff Knoll, in Western Australia’s Great Southern Region.
WA Police said in a statement:
double quotation markAbout 8.20am on Monday, 9 March 2026, emergency services received a report of two injured hikers – a 30-year-old female and a 29-year-old male – requiring assistance on Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range National Park.
Both parties were rock climbing when they both fell and sustained serious injuries.
Emergency WA confirmed the state’s 24/7 emergency helicopter service provided assistance:
double quotation markThe RAC Rescue helicopter will take a man and woman to Albany Airport before they are then transported by St John Ambulance to Albany Hospital.
The RAC Rescue helicopter is expected to land at the airport by 1:00PM.
Updated at 01.43 EDT
Family members of alleged Bondi attacker seek suppression order
Jordyn Beazley
Family members of the alleged Bondi attacker have sought a suppression order over their names and home address on the grounds of their physical and mental safety.
Public defender Richard Wilson SC made the application for the suppression order on behalf of Naveed Akram’s mother, brother, and sister before Downing Centre local court on Monday.
The application will be determined by the court next Tuesday after News Corp opposed it.
Magistrate Greg Grogin set an interim suppression order in the meantime. He said:
double quotation markThe application is made on basis of the safety of the applicants. Not only their mental safety, but their physical safety.
24-year-old Akram and his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, allegedly killed 15 people after opening fire on those attending an event to mark the start of an eight-day Hanukah festival at Bondi beach in December.
Akram, who survived a shootout with police, has been charged with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act in what investigators allege may have been “inspired by Isis”. Akram’s father, Sajid, was fatally shot by police at the scene.
Updated at 02.10 EDT
Benita Kolovos
Victorian opposition leader: ‘This Labor government is not taking the youth crime crisis seriously’
The Victorian opposition leader, Jess Wilson, also spoke earlier today about the alleged murder of Aidan Becker, and lay the blame at the government for failing to tackle youth crime in the state. She said:
double quotation markAidan Becker was a 22 year old young man who had his entire life ahead of him.
He was a security guard. He was coming home from work when he had to intervene to try to help a young 14-year-old school boy at Mernda railway station.
This Labor government is not taking the youth crime crisis seriously.
Updated at 00.44 EDT
Nick Visser
That’s all from me! Ima Caldwell will take things from here. Take care.
ShareBenita Kolovos
‘Aidan gave his life in kindness and in courage’: Victorian MP pays tribute to off-duty security guard who died at Mernda station
The Victorian MP for the seat of Yan Yean, Lauren Kathage, has paid tribute to off-duty security guard, Aidan Becker, who died at Mernda Railway Station on Friday night after intervening to protect a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly set upon by a group of teens.
Becker, 22, was identified yesterday as one of several good Samaritans who stepped in to protect the 14-year-old. He had tried to walk away with the boy but was allegedly then attacked himself. He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.
Kathage, whose electorate takes in the station, told reporters earlier today:
“This incident has really shaken us, but we’re a strong community, and we’ll continue to work together to make sure that our community is safe, that parents feel comfortable having their children travelling to and from school, and that we only become stronger from this. Aidan gave his life in kindness and in courage, he will always be honoured for that.
She joined the attorney general, Sonya Kilkenny, who did not comment on the specifics of the case but noted the government’s “adult time for violent crime” laws took effect in late February. Kilkenny said:
double quotation markIt’s a live criminal matter under investigation right now, but adult time for violent crime has commenced. Those laws are now in effect, which means children as young as 14 who commit some of these very serious offences can and will be tried in adult courts, where they’ll face juries, where they will face adult time. We know that jail is more likely and jail sentences are more likely to be longer.
Updated at 00.19 EDT
Josh Taylor
VPN apps rocket up download charts in Australia as porn websites begin blocking users
Virtual private network apps have skyrocketed up the app charts in Australia after a number of adult sites began blocking Australian users in compliance with new online safety codes in effect from Monday.
VPN apps allow a user’s location to appear as somewhere other than where they reside, meaning users trying to access adult sites could use the apps to appear as being outside Australia, to gain access to the sites.
On Friday, Guardian Australia reported Aylo-owned sites including RedTube, YouPorn, and Tube8 all had notices on their sites when visited from an Australian IP address, stating they are “not currently accepting new account registrations in your region”.
As of Monday, the largest porn site in the world, Pornhub, which is also owned by Aylo, only displayed safe-for-work content on its homepage for Australian users who had not logged in.
Read more here:
‘Save our girls’: support shown for Iran players after exit from Women’s Asian Cup
Fans and activists chanted support for the Iranian women’s football team, shouting “save our girls”, as the players’ bus drove past them after their final game at the Women’s Asian Cup.
Iran’s state television labelled them as “traitors” for not singing the national anthem before their first game against South Korea.
‘Save our girls’: support shown for Iran players after exit from Women’s Asian Cup – videoShare
Updated at 23.36 EDT
More than 2,200 Australians have arrived back home since Middle East conflict started
As of this morning, more than 2,200 Australians have returned to the country via commercial flights from the Middle East.
Multiple flights from the UAE and Qatar are arriving or expected to arrive each day into various Australian airports, following a serious of long airspace closures.
The government is still encouraging Australians abroad to register with Dfat’s crisis portal if they are in Bahrain, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon or the UAE.
Smartraveller has continued to urge Australians to avoid Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the UAE and Yemen, and reconsider the need to travel to Jordan, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Dubai passengers land in Sydney last week. Photograph: Sarah Wilson/EPAShare
Kelly Burke
Opera Australia announces new director
After more than 18 months of leadership instability after the controversial exit of artistic director Jo Davies, Opera Australia has announced the appointment of UK national Amy Lane as its new director.
The appointment of Lane, who is currently the artistic director of the Copenhagen Opera festival, ends a period of creative vacancy that began in August 2024, when Davies left after just nine months amid “irreconcilable” differences with former management. Lane’s arrival in September will complete a new triumvirate leadership structure designed by the board to provide the stability that eluded the company during its recent $10m deficit crisis.
The board’s chair, Prof Glyn Davis, said the company had been “very considered” in its global search for a new leader, and Lane would be taking the reins as OA moved into a position of fiscal strength.
“Our financial recovery is solid,” he said in a statement.
The Sydney Opera House. Photograph: James D Morgan/Getty Images
Lane will join chief executive Alex Budd and music director Andrea Battistoni.
A Londoner by birth, she was head staff director at the Royal Ballet & Opera Covent Garden before taking artistic control of the Copenhagen Opera festival seven years ago. British music columnist Norman Lebrecht praised the move on his Slipped Disc website on Monday, saying the appointment had given the national opera company “the best credentials Sydney has seen in a decade.”
Updated at 23.00 EDT