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Protestors at the University of Melbourne have said they're ready to dismantle their Gaza protest encampment on campus grounds.
They say the university's adminstrators agreed to their demands to reveal their ties to weapon manufacturers allegedly linked to Israel.
The students occupied the University of Melbourne's Arts West building on May the 15th, and were determined to remain there until their demands had been met.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says she is happy that the issue was solved before the authorities were forced to intervene.
"I'm pleased to see that this has been resolved in a peaceful way. How that's been resolved, we've always been clear that that has been a matter for the university leadership. Victoria Police has been providing advice to universities but I'm pleased to see that they've resolved this matter on their campuses."
The university has not confirmed any agreement with the protestors.
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Greens leader Adam Bandt has called on the federal government to follow the example of Norway, Spain, and Ireland in recognising a Palestinian state.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has stated that Australia remains in favour of a two-state solution following the end of the war in Gaza.
The federal government recently voted in favour of promoting Palestine to a full member of the United Nations, but emphasised that didn't equal recognising a Palestinian state yet.
The government has not outruled officialising the recognition of the Palestinian state but says it must be part of a peace process.
Mr Bandt says the recognition of the Palestinian state is only a first step and needs to be supported with actions.
"Norway, Spain and Ireland will recognise Palestine next week. Labor must ensure that Australia does the same just as Labor promised prior to the last election, and then back it up with action. Recognition of Palestine is an important step but by itself it won't stop the invasion of Gaza or end the occupation and it needs to be backed up with action."
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Immigration Minister Andrew Giles says the government did all it could to keep a former immigration detainee, now accused of murder, out of the community.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal, or A-A-T, released Emmanuel Suki from detention, despite him being jailed in 2017 and 2018 for violent offending.
He's now accused of murdering Bosco Minyurano in a park in the Brisbane suburb of Acacia Ridge nearly two weeks ago.
The A-A-T cited a 2023 direction issued by Mr Giles, referencing consideration being made of the time an individual has spent in Australia and their links to the community, as reason for keeping Mr Suki in the country.
But Mr Giles says the tribunal misinterpreted that direction.
"Over five years, successive governments sought to maintain the cancellation of this individual's visa. The AAT made a decision to overturn it. And they did so, notwithstanding the directions which put a very high priority on community safety, and indeed, which recognise the abhorrence of the Australian community for domestic violence. That was the decision of the AAT."
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Australia's largest coal-fired power station will remain open for an additional two years, with the New South Wales government prepared to spend $450 million on the plant to keep it in operation.
Eraring Power Station in Lake Macquarie was scheduled to shut down in 2025, but in a deal with Origin Energy it will remain in operation until at least 2027.
The NSW government will enter a risk sharing agreement with the energy company to guarantee a minimum electrcity supply from the plant until its new closure date.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen says he trusts the NSW government's decision
"My position is that the Eraring power station should be open not a day longer than should it be, and be closed not a day earlier than it should. I think the South Wales Government has done a good job in negotiating that. They have announced support for the equivalent of two units out of the four at Eraring to stay open for two years longer. That ensures that New South Wales will have reliable energy supply through this transition."
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The government of Western Australia is proposing tough new laws that could allow anyone in certain areas at certain times to be stopped and searched for a knife by police in public.
It's proposed that police would be allowed to use hand-held metal detectors to scan people for hidden weapons in declared areas, known as Knife Wanding Areas.
Premier Roger Cook says police would declare certain areas Knife Wanding Areas at certain times, based on intelligence they receive.
"This will act as a deterrent. It of itself is an important opportunity for the police to remind the community- anywhere, anytime, you could be wanded. And, in this particular instance, they will use their intelligence, and they will use these laws to support operations that back that intelligence."
It's proposed that entertainment areas in and around Perth, such as Fremantle, Hillarys, Scarborough, and Mandurah would permanently be designated as Knife Wanding Areas.
Anyone who refuses to be searched, or refuses to produce an object detected during a search, could be jailed for up to one year, or fined up to 12 thousand dollars.
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Another outbreak of the avian influenza virus has been found in Western Australia.
The outbreak was detected at a poultry operation on the state's southwest.
Authorities have said the virus is of the H9N2 variety, which is much less pathogenic than the H5N1 strain that was found on a farm in Melbourne on Wednesday ((May 22)).
A spokesperson for the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development says they are working with the operation to reduce the likelihood of a spread.
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In the National Rugby League, Addin Fonua-Blake has been stood down by the New Zealand Warriors for one match for a breach of team standards.
He'll miss this Sunday's game against the Dolphins after leaving the dressing room early following last Sunday's win over Penrith in Brisbane.
Fonua-Blake is reportedly the highest-paid prop in the league, at about one million dollars per season, and is living up to his salary this year, avewrage 177 run metres per game.
Fonua-Blake will leave the club at year's end, having already signed with Cronulla for 2025 and beyond.
