Nationwide pro-Palestinian protests expected to break records | Morning News Bulletin 24 August 2025

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Record numbers expected in nationwide Pro-Palestinian demonstrations, FBI raid home and office of Trump's former national security advisor and fierce critic John Bolton, James O’Connor’s missed kicks cost Wallabies in loss to Springboks in Cape Town.


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TRANSCRIPT
  • Record numbers expected in nationwide Pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
  • FBI raid home and office of Trump's former national security advisor and fierce critic John Bolton.
  • And in sport, James O’Connor’s missed kicks cost Wallabies in 30–22 loss to Springboks in Cape Town.
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Organisers say up to 37 towns and cities are expected to participate in the Nationwide March for Palestine, with expectations it could be the largest pro-Palestine demonstration yet.

It comes after the magistrates court in Brisbane vetoed plans by organisers to march across that city's Story Bridge, replicating the historic turnout on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in early August.

Some of the speakers slated to address the crowd scheduled to gather in Sydney include high-profile feminist activist Grace Tame and journalist Antoinette Lattouf.

Independent MP Zali Steggall told Sky News that people are understandably very distressed about the famine in Gaza.

"It's just unacceptable and unconscionable that it's continuing and so that sense of distress and frustration is what's driving so many to march and demonstrate because how can one sit by silently if people are on purpose being starved to death."

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Gaza hospitals say Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 33 Palestinians, including people sheltering in tents and those searching for food, as famine grips Gaza City after 22 months of war.

The Israeli military has warned Gaza City could be destroyed in a new operation within days, even as starvation spreads.

The United Nations Aid Chief Tom Fletcher has blamed Israel’s restrictions on food and medical supplies entering Gaza for driving the newly-declared famine.

Israel says the famine declaration is a lie and accuses the United Nations-backed IPC of being part of an effort to denigrate Israel.

But Mohammad Kuheil, director of the nutrition department at Shifa Hospital, says the famine is real.

“There are no protein sources, only plant-based protein from legumes. Meat and chicken are not available, dairy products are not available, and fruits are also unavailable.”

Meanwhile, ceasefire talks remain stalled while mediators await Israel’s next move.

This comes as strikes in southern Gaza killed at least 17 people, according to Nasser Hospital officials, with most of them women and children.

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The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation has raided the home and office of Donald Trump's former national security adviser, John Bolton.

He emerged as an outspoken critic of Donald Trump after being fired in 2019.

Investigation officials gave few details about the raid, but say it is linked to classified documents.

No charges have been laid.

Vice President JD Vance denies the FBI investigation is politically motivated.

Democratic politician Jamie Raskin, whose Maryland congressional district includes Mr Bolton's neighborhood, told CNN the raid is disturbing.

"Look, obviously we don't know the facts, so we wanna find out what all the facts are, but if we wanna talk about, you know, taking government files, unlawfully Donald Trump should release special counsel Jack Smith's report on Donald Trump's taking of intelligence uh information and secured information uh and not returning it and why have we not seen anything about that?"

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Nationals leader David Littleproud says his party vows to take a nuclear energy policy to the next election, after it contributed to a split in the Coalition.

Coalition practice after an election means policies taken to the campaign remain and are only be dumped by exception, he told the Liberal National Party annual convention in Brisbane.

He says that Liberal leader Sussan Ley took that away and he respected that.

But he says there are four key areas important to Nationals voters: nuclear power, better regional mobile coverage, supermarket break-up powers, and a Regional Australia Future Fund.

Nuclear power and energy alternatives dominated discussions at the convention's opening day on Friday, following the near-unanimous passing of a resolution to abandon net zero by 2050.

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In rugby union,

James O’Connor missed three late kicks as the injury-hit Wallabies fell 30–22 to South Africa in Cape Town.

Australia were chasing back-to-back wins over the Springboks on their soil for the first time since 1963, after last week’s 38–22 victory in Johannesburg.

But South Africa led 20–7 at half-time before the Wallabies rallied, cutting the deficit to one point in the 68th minute through Brandon Paenga-Amosa’s try from a rolling maul.

O’Connor slipped on the conversion, dragging it wide, and the miss proved costly.

The Springboks stretched their lead to 30–22 in the 75th minute.

O’Connor had a chance to reduce the margin again three minutes later, but pulled a 25-metre penalty attempt.

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Nationwide pro-Palestinian protests expected to break records | Morning News Bulletin 24 August 2025 | SBS News