The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee warns that unemployment benefits are still too low Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Jobseeker payments should be raised to 90% of the age pension and indexed to prevent people going “without life’s essentials”, the government’s poverty experts say. The Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee released its pre-budget report on Friday, warning that jobseeker and other working-age payments were still “too low” despite last year’s $40 increase in the base rate. S ..read more

One of the best tools we have to clean up this mess is already in our hands Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast There are once again calls for the government to Do Something about misinformation online, following the recent stabbings at Bondi Junction and the immediate spread of speculation and false claims on social media. The previously ditched misinformation bill appears to be back on the cards. Even Peter Dutton has indicated support despite loud criticism from the Coalition towards the draft leg ..read more

Elon Musk’s X says it opposes demands from Australia’s eSafety commissioner that it remove the content globally Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Social media platform X says it has complied with Australian federal court orders to remove footage of the Wakeley church stabbing, even as the video itself appeared in a post directly below the announcement, visible to users in Australia. The company says that it complied with the law by “restricting” some posts for Australian users. It also argues that ..read more

Former Twitter says it believes it has complied with eSafety commissioner’s notice to remove content relating to western Sydney church stabbing. Follow the day’s news live Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Video of Wakeley stabbing available under post from X where it says content has been removed As we just reported, X has provided an update on its legal challenge against Australia’s eSafety commissioner, stating it had complied with a direction to remove content from the Wakeley church stabbing. The eSafety Commissioner required X to remove posts con ..read more

As the Australian government faces off with Elon Musk and his social media platform X, a global battle to better regulate the worlds biggest social platforms is kicking off. Nour Haydar speaks to editor-in-chief Lenore Taylor and deputy editor Patrick Keneally about the trouble with regulating global social media giants, and how it will affect the future of journalism Read more ..read more

The environment minister says she is approving windfarms at the fastest rate in history amid industry concerns about an ‘alarming’ slowdown Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Tanya Plibersek has said she is approving windfarms faster than any previous environment minister, rejecting industry claims the sector faces deteriorating investment conditions and lengthening delays. Renewable energy firms have raised concerns that securing environmental approval is becoming more difficult, particularly for wind. Challenges are unlikely to ease soon, given the go ..read more

Palestinian Australian advocates call for transparency after home affairs department cancels visa of Fatma Almassri, a diabetic living in displaced persons’ camp, without warning Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast A 68-year-old Palestinian woman with ill health has had her temporary visa cancelled on the grounds that she poses a risk to Australia’s national security. Fatma Almassri, whose 27 children and grandchildren live in Australia, was granted a visitor visa in November. It was cancelled last week without warning, with the Department of Home Affair ..read more

FoI documents show immigration minister refused to grant a visa or release NZYQ into community detention before Five Eyes allies rejected request for deportation Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast Andrew Giles closed off an avenue to avoid the high court case on indefinite detention before the Australian government made a failed attempt to head off defeat by deporting the plaintiff, a new document reveals. A submission to the immigration minister, released under freedom of information, shows that on 18 September Giles refused to give NZYQ a visa or rele ..read more

The opposition leader says Australia ‘can’t be the internet police of the world’ amid dispute between the eSafety commissioner and X over Wakeley stabbing content removal Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast The opposition leader, Peter Dutton, has labelled the eSafety commissioner’s demands for the global removal of footage of the alleged Wakeley stabbing as “silly”, a comment that appears to put him at odds with his deputy, Sussan Ley. In an interview on Thursday, Dutton appeared to side with Elon Musk on a key part of the government’s dispute with X ov ..read more

AFP deputy commissioner says there is ‘no immediate danger’ to the public despite yesterday’s anti-terror raids in Sydney. Follow the day’s news live Get our morning and afternoon news emails, free app or daily news podcast PM speaks of gruelling conditions Australians faced during war The prime minister made a promise to the people of Papua New Guinea during his speech at the Isurava memorial: “We will never forget”. For the Papua New Guineans this was not a … backdrop or a battlefield, it was home. And ultimately that’s what Australians were fighting for, too. How far away home must have s ..read more