Thousands take to the streets in pro-Palestinian protests across the country; New South Wales Premier calls for urgent age restrictions on social media; And in sport, Melbourne Storm and the Panthers prepare for the NRL Grand Final.
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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- Thousands take to the streets in pro-Palestinian protests across the country;
- At least 18 people killed in an Israeli air strike on a mosque in Gaza;
- And in sport, Melbourne Storm and the Panthers prepare for the NRL Grand Final.
Thousands have flocked to pro-Palestinian protests across Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide.
It comes ahead of the first anniversary of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, where around 1200 people were killed and more than 250 people taken hostage, and has been followed by Israel's ongoing assault on Gaza which has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians.
One protester in Sydney told SBS he fears for the safety of his family living in the West Bank and in Haifa.
"It makes me feel helpless. I mean, because I really want to do something, but this is the only thing that we can do on donation, like raising our voice, trying to deliver our voice. We're hoping that we can make a change, but we're never going to give up. I hope this will come to an end and free Palestine."
While police in New South Wales sought to block the Sydney rally from taking place, an agreement reached with organisers allowed the event to go ahead with an altered route.
New South Wales Minister for Police Yasmin Catley said people have the right to protest but need to ensure demonstrations remain peaceful.
"This weekend for Australians, it is really an opportunity to demonstrate what a successful multicultural community we are. We ask for people to be respectful, to remind yourselves and those around you that there will be heightened emotions, and you really need to consider everybody here in this. What has been such a wonderful multicultural community."
This comes as New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said while he supported the right for people to protest in public, the demonstration should not have been organised near the anniversary.
The Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed more than 41,000 Palestinians, while over 100 Israelis remain held hostage in Gaza.
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New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says a ban on social media use by young people needs to be implemented as soon as possible.
This comes ahead of a two-day summit between the New South Wales and South Australian governments to address social media issues.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has recently written to state and territory leaders requesting information on how an age ban on social media could be implemented.
Premier Minns claims age restrictions for technology platforms are urgent.
He has told Sky News that the unregulated use of social media has been contributing to a rise in mental illness among young Australians.
"Ultimately we have to draw a line in the sand. This is a big change for Australia, but I think it's warranted, given this is, in my view, a global unregulated experiment on young people and the prevalent use of social media. It's ubiquitous use in our community is really only about 13, 14 years old, and that's directly coincided with rising rates of anxiety, self-harm, and unfortunately suicide amongst young people."
If you or someone you know needs crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.
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Victoria's Premier Jacinta Allan has announced the launch of a new strategy to address eating disorder in the state.
She says the strategy will have three main key priority areas, the prevention and early intervention, access to evidence-based community treatments and support for the well-being and recovery of people suffering from the illness.
The Premier announced 31 million dollars have been allocated in the budget to address the issue.
Ms Allan explains the focus on community in treating eating disorders.
"This is having that understanding that people with eating disorders, if we can provide them with the care that they need closer to where they live, this is particularly important, so that they can maintain their personal network of support. It could be a family member, a friend, a loved one, keeping people engaged and connected with their community of support."
—
Victoria's Premier Jacinta Allan has announced the launch of a new strategy to address eating disorder in the state.
She says the strategy will have three main key priority areas, the prevention and early intervention, access to evidence-based community treatments and support for the well-being and recovery of people suffering from the illness.
The Premier announced 31 million dollars have been allocated in the budget to address the issue.
Ms Allan explains the focus on community in treating eating disorders.
"This is having that understanding that people with eating disorders, if we can provide them with the care that they need closer to where they live, this is particularly important, so that they can maintain their personal network of support. It could be a family member, a friend, a loved one, keeping people engaged and connected with their community of support."
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Craig Bellamy says he believes the Melbourne Storm are capable of breaking Penrith's hold on the NRL premiership.
The Panthers are seeking a fourth consecutive title in their grand final matchup against the Storm this evening, while the Storm are in their first final appearance since 2020.
Bellamy says there is nothing but "nice memories" to take from Melbourne's 2020 NRL premiership win as he leads the new-look Storm into the grand-final rematch.
Just four players from the Storm's 2020 premiership team - Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Christian Welch - will face Penrith at Accor Stadium.
The match will take place at 7.30pm tonight in Sydney.
