Defence industry minister says Muslim community are ‘incredibly valued Australians’, refuting Bragg claims
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, has refuted claims made by shadow frontbencher Andrew Bragg about the Muslim community.
Earlier Bragg accused Australia’s Muslim community of needing to “take some responsibility” for the Bondi terror attack and for the federal government to make sure funding doesn’t go to “hate preachers”.
Conroy told ABC RN he found the “entire approach really problematic and troubling”.
We’ve been very clear these acts were committed by people who believed an extreme perversion of Islam and to try and hold the entire Islamic community responsible for these acts, I think, is anti to social cohesion. It’s incredibly unfair, and it’s not a recipe for taking this country forward.
He said the Muslim community were “incredibly valued Australians”.
Some of the earliest people condemning the vile attacks in Bondi were leaders of our Muslim Australian community, and we’ll continue to support their right to practise in peace.
Key events
Josh Taylor
Apple advises users to update their old iPhone software for emergencies
Apple has put out an alert to Australians using iPhones between iPhone SE and 6 and iPhone 12 to update their software to ensure they can still call triple zero in an emergency
Following last year’s Optus triple zero outage and the inquiry that followed, there were a number of older phones that were identified as having issues which was largely focused on Samsung devices that were unable to dial triple zero on another network when their mobile network was unavailable, but the issue was found to also affect some Apple devices following the 3G network shutdown.
Apple has advised people with the following devices to ensure their software is up to date.
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iPhone SE (1st generation)
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iPhone SE (2nd generation)
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iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
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iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
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iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus
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iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
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iPhone X
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iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
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iPhone XR
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iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max
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iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max
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Apple Watch SE 2
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Apple Watch Series 6
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Apple Watch Series 7
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Apple Watch Series 8
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Apple Watch Series 9
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Apple Watch Series 10
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Apple Watch Ultra
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Apple Watch Ultra 2
Aussie dollar jumps above US70 cents
Patrick Commins
The Australian dollar has jumped above US70 cents this morning for the first time in nearly two years.
The currency has surged by nearly US10 cents since almost dropping below US60 cents in April last year.
That low was after Donald Trump’s “liberation day” tariff announcement sent global financial markets into a tailspin.
As we’ve written, the Aussie has been the best performing major currency in 2026, but a lot of this is a story of a weakening greenback.
This morning’s milestone for the Aussie was achieved after a reporter asked Trump if he thought the value of the dollar had “declined too much”.
“No, I think it’s great. I think the value of the dollar – look at the business we’re doing. The dollar’s doing great,” he said.
Win Thin, the chief economist at the Bahamas-based Bank of Nassau, told Bloomberg that the president’s comment “invited another round of selling” and paved the way for more weakness in the world’s most important currency.
Many in the Trump cabinet want a weaker dollar in order to make exports more competitive. They’re taking a calculated risk. A weaker currency can be nice until things get disorderly.
Hoodoo Gurus ‘disgusted’ by use of their hit song at March for Australia rally
Australian rock band, Hoodoo Gurus, have told One Nation “don’t play our music” after their hit What’s My Scene was reportedly played as Pauline Hanson took to the stage at an anti-immigration March for Australia rally in Brisbane on Monday.
In a post on their Instagram, the band said they were “disgusted” to hear that one of their songs was played by the political party.
Like most Australians, we have always been appalled by Pauline Hanson and the toxic nonsense she spouts. This is our message to her and her followers: don’t play our music, don’t listen to our band, do not pass go! We want nothing to do with you.
Last week, former Men at Work frontman, Colin Hay, disavowed the use of the band’s 80s anthem Down Under by Australian anti-immigration protesters, saying the song “does not belong to those who attempt to sow xenophobia”.
Carlisle River fire in Victoria grows to the same size as entire city of Paris
Circling back to the out-of-control fire continuing to burn at Carlisle River, and according to VicEmergency, it is now over 11,000 hectares (110 sq/km).
Thats about the same size as the city of Paris.
The fire at Carlisle River is not yet under control. It spread past containment lines on Tuesday evening during the south-westerly wind change. The fire activity has since slowed overnight.
The Insurance Council of Australia said the costs of the bushfires that had burnt through parts of Victoria since earlier this month were estimated to have climbed above $200m, with 3,123 claims made.
Of those, 30% were related to property.
Israeli president to visit Australia early next month alongside delegation
Josh Butler
Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, will visit Australia in early February, his spokesperson has said, including meeting victims of the Bondi terror attack and observing efforts to “strengthen Jewish communities”.
Herzog was invited by the Albanese government to visit in the wake of the December antisemitic shooting.
Herzog’s spokesperson said in a statement that he would visit between 8 February and 12 February to visit Jewish communities, and be accompanied by “a solidarity delegation from Israel’s National Institutions, including the chair of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel, and the chair of the Jewish Agency, Maj Gen (res) Doron Almog”.
President Herzog will also be briefed on the activities of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization to strengthen Jewish communities in the country, particularly in light of the recent rise in antisemitism, and will meet with the senior leadership of the Australian Jewish community. The president will meet with bereaved families of the victims of the terror attack, as well as with those injured and their families.
A central part of the visit will be dedicated to official meetings with senior Australian leaders, including the governor general and the prime minister of Australia, as well as with leaders from across the political spectrum. President Herzog will also conduct interviews with the media during the visit.
No specifics of his visits have been announced, with his office saying “further details of the visit schedule will be announced in due course”.
The federal government has been contacted for comment.
Record temperatures forecast to hit western and southern New South Wales and southern Queensland on Wednesday
Still on Hines, the senior meteorologist said a cool change reached Adelaide and Melbourne yesterday evening but didn’t reach northern parts of Victoria and South Australia, that stayed “very hot” into the night.
The change did create erratic fire behaviour and difficult containment conditions across active bushfire areas. In particular, the ongoing fire complex around the Otway Ranges on the southern coast of Victoria was affected. This pushed the fire in a new direction and started blowing smoke towards the Melbourne area. As of 7am on Wednesday morning, there is still an emergency warning in place at this fire ground.
Hines said inland areas of New South Wales and Queensland were expected to continue to have very hot conditions on Wednesday, with possible record temperatures.
There’s a particular focus of the heat on western and southern New South Wales and southern Queensland, where temperatures will be between 8 and 15 degrees above January averages for large parts of these states.
More records may tumble today, with the most likely area for this to occur being the Riverina, Central Tablelands and far west of New South Wales, as well as the far southwest of Queensland.
Some notable temperature forecasts for Wednesday include in New South Wales, 45C in Wagga Wagga, 42C in Canberra, 46C in Griffiths and 48C once again around Ivanhoe, Wilcannia and Tibbuburra in the far west and northwest of the state.
‘Too many records to list’ on Tuesday as temperatures soared in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales
Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, Angus Hines, says record temperatures were reached throughout “many different locations” in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales during Tuesday’s heatwave.
Renmark in South Australia reached 49.6C, a record temperature for the region and the fourth hottest temperature ever recorded in South Australia.
Records were also reached nearby at Lamero, 48.3C, Loxton 48.2C and Yunta, 47.1C, and southeast at Keith, 47.3C, Narakot, 46C, and Kunawara 45.2C, which reached record January temperatures.
In Victoria, Hopetown and Walpi in the state’s northweat both recorded 48.9C on Tuesday, the all time highest temperatures in Victoria.
Mildura reached a high of 48.6C, also a record.
Hines said “monthly and annual temperature records were extensive across western Victoria throughout the day on Tuesday”.
There were far too many records to list here, but a few other notable temperatures reached were 47.8C in Horsham, 47.7C in Swan Hill, and 45C in Warrnambool.
In New South Wales, the hottest conditions were in the far west of the state, with Fowler’s Gap reaching 49.1C, Wilcannia reaching 48.7C, Ivanhoe 48.4C and Broken Hill 47.8C, all records.
Smoke from Victorian fires drifts to Sydney
If you’re smelling smoke in Sydney this morning, you’re not imagining things.
According to the New South Wales RFS, smoke from several fires burning in Victoria has been pushed back onshore by easterly winds and is currently impacting coastal areas around Sydney.
The good news is that the smoke is expected to clear by mid to late morning.
A total fire ban is in place for the central ranges today, with hot, dry and windy conditions forecast across parts of the state.
Meanwhile in Victoria, an out-of-control bushfire continues to burn at Carlisle River, with a number of communities in the Otway region under evacuation warnings and extreme fire weather forecast for parts of the state on Wednesday.
Defence industry minister says Muslim community are ‘incredibly valued Australians’, refuting Bragg claims
The minister for defence industry, Pat Conroy, has refuted claims made by shadow frontbencher Andrew Bragg about the Muslim community.
Earlier Bragg accused Australia’s Muslim community of needing to “take some responsibility” for the Bondi terror attack and for the federal government to make sure funding doesn’t go to “hate preachers”.
Conroy told ABC RN he found the “entire approach really problematic and troubling”.
We’ve been very clear these acts were committed by people who believed an extreme perversion of Islam and to try and hold the entire Islamic community responsible for these acts, I think, is anti to social cohesion. It’s incredibly unfair, and it’s not a recipe for taking this country forward.
He said the Muslim community were “incredibly valued Australians”.
Some of the earliest people condemning the vile attacks in Bondi were leaders of our Muslim Australian community, and we’ll continue to support their right to practise in peace.
Patrick Commins
Today’s consumer price figures will factor into potential future rate hike
Consumer price figures released later this morning will deliver the Reserve Bank the final piece of information it needs to decide whether we get a rate hike on Tuesday.
Inflation is expected to have climbed to 3.6% in the year to December, from 3.4% the month before, according to the consensus forecast among economists. That’s well above the 2% to 3% range targeted by the RBA.
That said, the rolling expiry of government power bill subsidies is providing a temporary boost to overall consumer price growth (just as it provided a short-term dampener last year).
The RBA’s monetary policy board will be focusing on a quarterly underlying measure of inflation as the key input for their rate decision.
Economists predict this trimmed mean inflation rose by 0.9% in the three months to December, which would lift the annual pace from 3% to 3.3% and probably be enough to trigger a rate hike next week.
Ahead of the 11:30 data release, financial markets this morning are pricing in a 60% chance of an RBA rate rise next week.
Penry Buckley
NSW premier says Bondi footbridge could be rebuilt as memorial
Returning to the NSW premier, Chris Minns has told the ABC he thinks the footbridge from which the alleged Bondi gunmen opened fire should be rebuilt as a memorial to the 15 victims.
Minns had previously called for the footbridge to be demolished, saying it was a “ghoulish reminder” of the attack. The bridge’s future has been placed on hold by Waverley council, after a meeting heard it was “really upsetting” that the matter had ignited such fierce public debate.
The parents of the youngest victim, 10-year-old Matilda, have called for the bridge to be painted yellow in tribute to their daughter, and left as a memorial to the victims. Asked about their comments, Minns says:
I think there’s probably different views. I can’t speak for all of them. I mean, the real tragedy of 14 December is that so many families have been affected. And in many respects, I’d defer to the parents of Matilda and their views, but I was asked directly about it. I mean, it’s at the end of its working life. So it seems to be a strange phenomena that we put an enormous amount of money, or the council put in an enormous amount of money to repair a bridge in its current state that has such a terrible impact on that local community, and a shocking reminder.
That said, it’s clearly the case that we need a memorial on the site, a significant one, one where families can gather. It may be the case, as has been suggested to me by some in the Chabad [of Bondi] community that we rebuild a new bridge as a memorial and a permanent memorial, one that’s hopeful and recognises the lives that are lost, and not just the crime that was committed.
Penry Buckley
Minns says further protest changes will reduce ‘unnecessary burden’ of CBD protests
The NSW premier, Chris Minns, says further anti-protest legislation will reduce the “unnecessary burden” on policing for CBD protests, in addition to controversial laws restricting protests following terrorist attacks rushed through parliament following the Bondi massacre.
On Monday, Minns flagged he was considering further laws to curtail regular protests in Sydney’s CBD, saying the state had to “confront this idea that the centre of Sydney can be dominated weekend after weekend after weekend by the same protests”. An inquiry into banning specific phrases, including “globalise the intifada”, is expected to hand its report to the government this week.
Asked on ABC Sydney this morning if the government is looking at legislating around the cost of protests, as well as their content, Minns said:
We’re looking to change aspects of the law that we think are just putting an unnecessary burden on safety and security in a big city like Sydney, and I understand and I accept and I think it’s important to have public demonstrations in a big city like Sydney.
I’ve never said the opposite, but there’s also got to be an understanding that the highest and most important obligation of a government is to protect its citizens, and when you’ve got literally thousands of NSW police that need to be deployed to marshal or protect public assemblies at the expense of investigating domestic violence offences or keeping the rest of the community safe.
The NSW opposition has unsuccessfully sought to require organisers of repeat protests to pay for the cost of policing, which the premier previously said would be unconstitutional. Guardian Australia understands the Minns government is not looking at a similar scheme.
Liberal senator claims there has been a ‘mutation of Islam’ in Australia
The shadow minister for housing and homelessness, Andrew Bragg, has accused Australia’s Muslim community of needing to “take some responsibility” for the Bondi terror attack and for the federal government to make sure funding doesn’t go to “hate preachers”.
It follows a speech made in Israel by the former prime minister, Scott Morrison, reported by The Australian, in which he proposed an accreditation system for imams with an “enforceable disciplinary authority”.
Morrison also said Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE were doing a better job than the Western world in curtailing radical political Islam in mosques and schools.
Muslim leaders and organisations have condemned the Bondi terror attack, with representatives attending vigils to mourn those killed.
Appearing on ABC’s RN program, Bragg agreed the West had been “too nice for its own good”.
You can’t deport citizens, so you need to find ways to fix it. You can try to cut off their money or you can try to improve their humanity … remove some of these teachings and preaching that seeks to murder fellow Australians …
Unfortunately, there has been a mutation of Islam in Australia and other Western countries where they have sought to kill other citizens … And I think that’s something that needs to be completely removed from our society.
Threats and hate speech against Muslim Australians have surged in the wake of the Bondi beach attack, with one mosque receiving dozens of offensive phone calls and reports of people being targeted in the street.
Troubled hospital becomes surgery hub to cut backlog
An embattled hospital with a chequered track record will host a specialised surgery centre to reduce wait times.
Sydney’s Northern Beaches hospital, which had come under fire for the death of toddler Joe Massa in 2024, will become the site for the first high volume planned surgery centre.
It will cater for up to an extra 5,000 surgeries each year with a focus on high-demand specialties such as ophthalmology, orthopaedics, ear, nose and throat, general surgery and gynaecology.
The government’s aim is to slash surgical wait-lists while easing demand on hospitals across NSW, especially in population-heavy western Sydney.
The health minister, Ryan Park, said the hub builds on the government’s decision to reverse the former coalition government’s “failed privatisation agenda”.
With the establishment of the surgery centre, we will be able to offer thousands more patients each year the choice to have their surgery quicker, while providing some much needed relief to hospitals around the state.
The initial agreement to buy back the Northern Beaches hospital – the jewel in the crown of Australia’s largest private hospital operator – for $190m was reached in October with the transition expected to occur in mid-2026.
Two-year-old Joe died after spending three hours in the emergency department waiting for care.
His death sparked a campaign prompting the passing of a law banning future private-public hospital partnerships.
-Australian Associated Press.
Australian Human Rights Commission president cans Australia for ‘glacial progress’ on raising the criminal age of responsibility
The president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Hugh de Crester, says Australia has made “glacial progress” on raising the criminal age of responsibility after being canned by members of the United Nations.
On Monday evening, more than 120 countries lined up at the UN to criticise Australia’s human rights record, making about 350 recommendations – including raising concerns over the treatment of First Nations people and asylum seekers.
Speaking to ABC RN from Geneva, de Crester, said while the five-year-review had recognised some improvements, more needed to be done around violence against women and girls, as well as the age of criminal responsibility and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Australian government over the last five years is doing better on climate change, but it’s not enough … And if we want to protect people’s rights properly, we need to legislate the right to a healthy environment and take stronger action on climate change.
Raising the age was one of those issues that was strong in 2021 when we were last reviewed, and disappointingly, we’ve sort of seen glacial progress on that … It’s disappointing to see that lack of progress. And this was an issue that was highlighted by a number of countries.
Stephanie Convery
Ouyen drops to low of 25C before sun comes up on Wednesday
As the sun began rising over the little Victorian town of Ouyen this morning, so, again, did the heat. Yesterday’s possibly record-breaking temperatures are an augury of an overheating planet, but are also just one day in a long string of 40C+ days in this very hot part of the world.
Ouyen’s local pub, the very well air-conditioned Victoria Hotel, was getting rowdy around 4pm yesterday as the heat was peaking.
Then as the sun started to sink towards the horizon and clouds began sweeping in on the gusty hot wind, small gaggles of locals and visitors began to venture out to the lake.
Ouyen Lake is a reclaimed, rehabilitated reservoir right in town, a community-built recreational water body with sandy edges, grassy banks and, back a bit further, scrubby bush.
There’s no shade at the water, so it’s no refuge from the heat until the bite has gone out of the sun. The scrub, though, is a haven for animals and birds, and locals tell me birdlife (and birdwatching) has flourished hearteningly in the area since the lake was reopened in 2018.
As the evening came on yesterday, rainbow bee eaters and welcome swallows swooped to the water for a much-needed drink and a mob of kangaroos gathered on the grass while children waterbombed off the pontoon. A kite floated overhead, looking for dinner.
It was still 43C at 7pm. It didn’t drop below 40C until 8.30pm, just as the sun set. It was 30C at 11.30pm. The recorded low was 25C at 5.33am – and then then the sun came up.
Anthony Albanese to address parliament of Timor-Leste
The prime minister will seek to improve a complicated relationship between Australia and Timor-Leste when he addresses the small island nation’s parliament.
During his first visit to one of our closest neighbours, Anthony Albanese will on Wednesday highlight Australia’s contributions to the country, including the government’s support for Timorese independence in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“In dark times, it is our friendship and our innate respect for each other, for democracy and for sovereignty that will prevail,” Albanese will say in his speech to the country’s parliament, according to extracts provided to AAP.
As the prime minister of Australia, I say to you today and to the courageous Timorese people you represent: your Australian friends will never forget you.
Albanese is not expected to make any announcements about an ongoing dispute over access to gas fields in the Timor Sea.
Timor-Leste has long demanded that gas extracted from the sea, which sits between the country and Australia, should be piped to its south coast for processing. Until recently, Woodside, which operates the fields, has insisted it would be cheaper to send the gas to Darwin.
In late 2025, the energy giant signed an agreement to investigate building a gas plant in Timor-Leste, but the project still needs to clear a number of major hurdles.
-Australian Associated Press
Good morning
Caitlin Cassidy
The prime minister is in Timor-Leste today where he will seek to improve a complicated relationship with the small island nation in an address to parliament. During his first visit to one of our closest neighbours, Anthony Albanese will highlight Australia’s contributions to the country, including the government’s support for Timorese independence in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Along with his address, he’s expected to meet with the prime minister, Xanana Gusmão, and the president, José Ramos-Horta.
Meanwhile, the heatwave will move north as parts of Victoria welcome a cool change. Melbourne is expecting a top of 24C on Wednesday with morning smoke, while towards the South Australian border, which reached record breaking temperatures on Tuesday, Mildura is set for a top of 43C.
Parts of western New South Wales including Wagga Wagga are expected to scorch, with temperatures in excess of 45C, while Canberra is forecast to hit 42C. An “extreme heatwave warning” is in place for the Snowy Mountains, South West Slopes and Upper Western regions.
It’s Caitlin Cassidy here to guide you through today’s news. Let’s get into it.
