Australia news live: Frydenberg raises concerns over possible antisemitism royal commission appointment; catastrophic fire risk in Victoria
Frydenberg worried about potential head of Bondi royal commissionJosh Frydenberg expressed his worries regarding the name being considered to lead a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attacks: former high court justice Virginia Bell. The ex-politician posted on X last night that the Jewish community had shared “serious concerns” about Bell, stating it was “unthinkable” that Anthony Albanese “would select a commissioner who did not have the complete confidence of the Jewish community.” He stated:
This is a time for unity and national healing.
This is a time to combat the tide of hate and antisemitism that has shattered countless lives.
Prime Minister, I urge you, this is the moment to make the right decision and initiate a Commonwealth Royal Commission with the appointment of an appropriate Commissioner whose guidance will yield the answers and solutions our nation desperately requires.
Last night, the Prime Minister suggested the name of Virginia Bell to oversee a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism and the events leading to the Bondi massacre. The Prime Minister has been directly informed by Jewish community leaders that they harbor serious concerns…— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) January 7, 2026ShareUpdated at 23.13 GMTKey eventsShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureFire near Longwood not expected to be contained todayThe Longwood fire in Victoria will remain uncontained today. Heffernan mentioned that harsh conditions mean the fire near Longwood will not be managed today. Several towns near the bushfire have received immediate evacuation orders, and a significant section of the Hume Highway is closed in both directions from Violet Town to Seymour. ShareUpdated at 00.26 GMTStatewide fire ban for Victoria on Friday amid ‘very, very dire bushfire day’The entire state of Victoria will face a fire ban tomorrow, 9 January, amid a continuing heatwave. The emergency services minister, Vicki Ward, remarked during a press briefing:
We are one of the most fire-prone regions globally, which is why it’s crucial to heed the warnings.
You don’t want emergency services to exert more effort than necessary. Please check the app, keep an eye on notifications, and leave when advised. Do not remain behind; it is unsafe.
Jason Heffernan, the chief officer of the Country Fire Authority, stated that conditions will be “dire” tomorrow, with possible wind gusts ranging from 80km/h to 100km/h:
We’re anticipating a return to the 40-degree range; in fact, the temperatures will reach the mid to upper end of the 40-degree scale, especially in the northern part of the state.
Tomorrow will be an extremely severe bushfire day in Victoria. ShareUpdated at 00.26 GMTTory ShepherdHeat impacts Adelaide’s flying foxesAdelaide is feeling a bit cooler today – at 39C compared to the 42.6C it hit on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, that intense heat affected Adelaide’s flying fox population. Bat Rescue South Australia noted that a few hundred juveniles succumbed to the high temperatures. Flying foxes in Adelaide’s Botanic Park in 2024. Photograph: Sia Duff/The Guardian“On a more positive note, our team have been out in the heat spraying the babies to ensure they stay hydrated and can return to their mothers,” the organization mentioned, adding that while they currently have just a couple in care, they anticipate more in the coming days. Last November, over a hundred flying foxes were hospitalized in Queensland after being hit by extreme hail as well. If you observe a distressed bat around a colony, do not approach them. In SA, contact Bat Rescue SA at 0475 132 093. ShareUpdated at 00.26 GMT11 charged after New Year’s Day brawl in NSWEleven individuals have been charged following a New Year’s Day brawl at a hotel in the NSW town of Coonabarabran, NSW police reported this morning. Officers arrived at the hotel around 1:50 am on January 1, where they encountered around 80 individuals, many of whom were reportedly involved in the altercation. Several police stations were summoned to assist before a move-on direction was issued. Paramedics provided treatment to several people at the location. Those charged with affray and other offenses include men and women aged between 20 and 42. All have received conditional bail and are scheduled to appear in court later this month. ShareUpdated at 23.50 GMTFire bans across SA, Victoria and NSW todayJust a reminder that total fire bans are currently in effect across multiple areas in southern Australia today. In South Australia, the Mid North region is under a total fire ban. In Victoria, the entire northern part of the state, including Mailee, the Northern Country district, the North East district and the North Central district are all subjected to total fire bans. Additionally, in NSW, the Southern Riverina, adjacent to Victoria, is under a total fire ban. These bans generally prohibit any open flames or hot works, alongside outdoor cooking and barbecuing with solid fuels, among other activities. ShareUpdated at 00.24 GMTFrydenberg worried about potential head of Bondi royal commissionJosh Frydenberg expressed his worries regarding the name being considered to lead a federal royal commission into the Bondi terror attacks: former high court justice Virginia Bell. The ex-politician posted on X last night that the Jewish community had shared “serious concerns” about Bell, stating it was “unthinkable” that Anthony Albanese “would select a commissioner who did not have the complete confidence of the Jewish community.” He stated:
This is a time for unity and national healing.
This is a time to combat the tide of hate and antisemitism that has shattered countless lives.
Prime Minister, I urge you, this is the moment to make the right decision and initiate a Commonwealth Royal Commission with the appointment of an appropriate Commissioner whose guidance will yield the answers and solutions our nation desperately requires.
Last night, the Prime Minister suggested the name of Virginia Bell to oversee a Commonwealth Royal Commission into antisemitism and the events leading to the Bondi massacre. The Prime Minister has been directly informed by Jewish community leaders that they harbor serious concerns…— Josh Frydenberg (@JoshFrydenberg) January 7, 2026ShareUpdated at 23.13 GMTPolice seeking information after multiple suspicious fires in southern NSWNSW police are seeking dashcam footage following several suspicious fires in the southern region of the state over the past two weeks. Authorities stated that a series of grass fires occurred between December 28 and January 6 about 24km from the town of Mulwala, near the Victorian border. These incidents include a minor grass fire on Monday that charred a small area around 11:45 am, with no property damage reported. Another fire occurred at 6:40 pm on Wednesday, which devoured roughly 1 hectare of grassland. No damage to property was reported. Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or observations of suspicious behavior to come forward. “Given the hot conditions we expect over the next few days, we are concerned that there may be further incidents, so we urge anyone who has dashcam footage or videos to step forward and share them with police or submit them through the QR on our Murray River PD Facebook page,” Paul Smith, the Murray River police district commander superintendent, stated. ShareUpdated at 22.45 GMTKelly BurkeHighly transmissible flu strain infects more than 2,500 AustraliansMore than 2,500 Australians welcomed the new year with a highly contagious new strain of influenza, prompting health authorities to be vigilant about what could become Australia’s worst year since monitoring began 35 years ago. Last year’s record, where over half a million Australians contracted a laboratory-confirmed form of flu and 1,508 fatalities occurred, represented a 44% increase over the 2024 mortality figure. The unusually high infection rate during the early days of January has been attributed to a mutation of Influenza A H3N2 known as subclade K – now commonly referred to as Super-K – which was first noted in September by researchers at Melbourne’s Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. ShareUpdated at 22.32 GMTDonna LuHeat is Australia’s ‘silent killer’. Here are the symptoms to watch out forExperts have warned that the heat individuals actually feel can significantly exceed the forecasts – as the Bureau of Meteorology records air temperature in shaded areas. “Depending on the surface you’re standing on and the radiant heat, it could feel up to 10C warmer,” states Dr. Kim Loo, the NSW and ACT deputy chair of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Photograph: Xinhua/ShutterstockHeatwaves have been labeled a “silent killer” because they do not leave the same visible damage as bushfires and floods – yet extreme heat remains the most prevalent cause of weather-related hospital admissions and fatalities in Australia. How does extreme heat impact the body? Here are the warning signs of heat stress to watch for and measures to take to reduce health risks. ShareStretch of Hume Highway in Victoria closed due to bushfireA 74km section of the Hume Highway is shut down this morning between the Victorian towns of Seymour and Violet Town owing to a bushfire in the Longwood area. An emergency alert advising residents to evacuate immediately is active for Locksley, Longwood, Longwood East, Ruffy, Tarcombe, and Upton Hill as the bushfire is still not under control. VicEmergency indicates that leaving immediately is the “safest choice before conditions turn excessively dangerous.” The main route connecting Sydney and Melbourne will be heavily trafficked with holiday travelers, but alternative routes around the closure are available. ShareUpdated at 22.28 GMT
Published: 2026-01-08 00:19:00
source: www.theguardian.com
