An arrest was made at Sydney airport this morning, with an airport spokesperson confirming that there were no injuries involved. The incident occurred before the airport resumed normal operations.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced his government’s support for a productivity roundtable aimed at reducing red tape and regulation in Australia. However, shadow finance minister James Paterson noted that the opposition would only support ideas that “reduce red tape and regulation” without any guarantees of tax increases or other measures not supported by the coalition.
Albanese expressed his commitment to implementing significant reforms, including strengthening Medicare, improving childcare, and increasing funding for education. He emphasized that his government is open to consultation and new ideas from business leaders, unions, and experts.
In other news, Labor leader Dean Winter is facing pressure from minority Liberal leader Jeremy Rockliff, who refuses to support the party’s no-confidence motion against Rockliff’s government in Tasmania. Tasmanian Greens also declared they cannot currently support Labor due to their differences on state-level policies.
Mark Latham will appear at a tribunal today to defend claims of homosexual vilification against fellow MP Alex Greenwich. The Reserve Bank is expected to wait until November before cutting interest rates again, according to economist Belinda Allen.
The international community has condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling for urgent action to halt and reverse starvation. A joint statement signed by 29 countries, including Australia, advocates for a “flood” of aid into Gaza while ensuring civilians’ safety.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/aug/13/australia-news-live-penny-wong-anthony-albanese-gaza-palestine-humanitarian-crisis-reserve-bank-productivity-tax-jim-chalmers-ntwnfb