Good afternoon. The Labor MP Josh Wilson has broken ranks with the Albanese government, condemning Israel’s bombardment of Gaza as “unconscionable” and declaring that the besieged territory is “being bombed into rubble”.
The backbench MP made the comments in a speech to parliament on Thursday after the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected the terms of a potential ceasefire deal proposed by Hamas. Labor ministers have expressed increasing alarm about the resulting humanitarian crisis in Gaza but generally refrained from directly criticising Israel.
“Every country has the right and obligation to defend its citizens but not every military action constitutes self-defence,” Wilson told parliament. “The wholesale destruction of Gaza is not self-defence.”
Top news
Daughter of Queensland stabbing victim calls for peace | Cindy Micallef has joined local African community leaders to call for unity amid rising tensions and reports of racist attacks. She said she did not want people to be “living in fear” and that her mother, who was 70, would not have wanted her death to “divide people”.
PNG prime minister makes history in Canberra address | James Marape has become the first Pacific leader to address the Australian parliament. In an speech that the Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, labelled “an honour”, Marape praised the legacy of Gough Whitlam, calling him “perhaps the most socially progressive leader of his time”.
Victorian premier apologises to people abused in institutional care | Jacinta Allan has delivered an emotional apology to those who suffered abuse and neglect in institutional care between 1928-1990, saying: “We failed you with this. We are deeply sorry.”
Search continues for Ballarat woman missing for five days | Samantha Murphy, 51, was last seen leaving her Ballarat home to go for a run about 7am on Sunday. Her family made an emotional plea for her to come home on Thursday. Crews searched a nearby forest from Monday before shifting their focus to the suburb of Mount Helen.
Council debate on ‘cancel culture’ erupts over vandalised Captain Cook statue | The City of Port Phillip narrowly voted against consulting the community on the “location and context” of the explorer’s St Kilda memorial in a fiery debate. The century-old statue was vandalised in the early hours of 25 January.
Inquiry to examine Rozelle traffic chaos and asbestos in mulch | The New South Wales upper house will investigate the issue-plagued interchange in Sydney’s inner west following months of chaos. The asbestos found in mulch at the adjacent parklands built as part of the project will also be examined.
Surprise Moana sequel to hit cinemas this year | Disney has announced a surprise sequel to its hit animated musical film Moana, which is scheduled to arrive in cinemas in November. During an earnings call, the Disney CEO, Bob Iger, revealed Moana 2 was initially developed as a TV series.
Judge rejects Trump’s mistrial motions in defamation case | The former president’s request for a mistrial in the case brought against him by the writer E Jean Carroll has been rejected by a federal judge, who added that Donald Trump’s issues with the verdict had no “merit”.
Finnish airline invites passengers to weigh in for flights | The words “overweight luggage” have the power to induce a whirlwind of stress and embarrassment for holidaymakers. But the Finnish airline Finnair is upping the stakes by inviting passengers to step on the scales too.
In Pictures
Is supermarket price gouging really that bad?
Depends on how you frame it.
Cartoon by Fiona Katauskas.
What they said …
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“It feels like groundhog day. All the recommendations, and all the findings, seem to disappear down the drain. When are we going to get serious and do something that makes a difference?”
The Yothu Yindi foundation’s chief executive, Denise Bowden, responds to the productivity commission’s scathing assessment of the latest Closing the Gap findings on Indigenous disadvantage.
In numbers
The Matildas effect has helped drive growth in girls and women football sign-ups by around one-third ahead of the coming winter season. But the avalanche of interest means clubs face a heightened challenge in keeping players happy in often inadequate facilities and with substantial registration costs.
Before bed read
Labor’s closing loopholes bill passed the Senate on Thursday, with a Greens amendment creating a new right for employees to disconnect from work emails and calls after hours. Paul Karp looks at how the bill will change Australian workplaces and what it means for workers and employers.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: DIFF. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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