News live: Australia must condemn all attacks by both Israel and Iran, Greens say; WA crash kills four

The Bureau of Meteorology has shared a national weather forecast for the weekend ahead. Heads up for those on the east coast: don’t forget your umbrellas!

Ahpra survey shows culture of bullying in trainee doctors

Non-binary and women medical trainees around the nation have reported higher experiences of bullying and mistreatment, AAP reports.

Serious concerns about the culture of medicine were raised by trainee doctors of all genders in the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency survey of more than 23,000 doctors in training in 2023.

Those who identify as non-binary reported the most instances of bullying, harassment, discrimination and/or racism.

16% of non-binary respondents disagreed that bullying, harassment and discrimination is not tolerated by anyone in the workplace.

Some 32% of female respondents witnessed bullying, harassment, discrimination or racism in the past year, while 58% of non-binary respondents said the same.

Female trainees also reported more workplace bullying and mistreatment than their male counterparts.

The Ahpra board chair said the culture of medical training needed ongoing attention. Anne Tonkin said in the December 2023 report:

In such a complex system of shared accountabilities and responsibilities, there is no quick fix. The urgent need for ongoing commitment to building a culture of respect in medicine and medical training remains.

More than 18,000 participants answered a question about their gender, with more than 9000 trainees identifying as female, 8000 as male and 67 as non-binary.

Albanese on the Harold Holt swimming pool: ‘I always thought that was a poor taste joke’

During the same radio interview, the prime minister revealed his thoughts on the Harold Holt Swim Centre in Melbourne (the fourth-best in the country, in our opinion), stating he always thought it was “a poor taste joke”.

A Fox 101.9 Melbourne host noted that earlier this week, Anthony Albanese had surpassed Holt’s tenure in office. The host said:

So, congratulations. Just don’t go for a swim at Portsea.

Albanese responded “I’ll avoid that”, but admitted he was “still somewhat stunned” by the name of the swimming pool.

When I was going to Melbourne and passed one day the Harold Holt swimming pool, I always thought that was a poor taste joke. But there is one.

Prime minister said government handling Muhammad Taha’s citizenship request in ‘very sympathetic manner’

Earlier today, the prime minister said the government was working with the security guard injured during the Bondi Junction attack in “a very sympathetic manner”.

This comes after the security guard, Muhammad Taha, asked why he had not been offered similar treatment to that of French “bollard man” Damien Guerot.

Guerot was offered permanent residency in Australia for his efforts confronting the alleged attacker Joel Cauchi. Taha was seriously injured during the attack and remains in hospital.

Speaking to Fox 101.9 Melbourne earlier today, Anthony Albanese said:

[Taha] was the security guard who was working there. And he’s injured, he’s still in hospital from the wounds that he suffered. And we’re dealing with his case as well in a very sympathetic manner because I think that’s what Australians would want. These people have shown themselves to be certainly not just of good character, but brave and extraordinary people.

Yesterday Albanese told A Current Affair the government “certainly will” consider extending a residency offer to Taha, and he was “very confident” it would be approved on Friday.

Dfat issues travel advice amid reports of explosions across the Middle East

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has published the following advice, after reports have emerged of explosions across the Middle East:

There have been reports of explosions across some locations in the Middle East. The security situation could deteriorate quickly, with little notice. There may also be airspace closures, flight cancellations, diversions and other travel disruptions.

In an attack or other armed conflict, you should follow the advice of local authorities.

This comes as Australians in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories have been advised to depart, if safe to do so. Dfat said:

There’s a high threat of military reprisals & terrorist attacks against Israel & Israeli interests across the region. The security situation could deteriorate quickly. We urge Australians in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories to depart if it’s safe to do so.

Military attacks may result in airspace closures, flight cancellations & diversions & other travel disruptions. Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport may pause operations due to heightened security concerns at any time, & at short notice.

Nationals express concern after fire-ants spotted near tip of Murray Darling Basin

The Nationals have expressed concern over the discover of fire-ants at Oakey, west of Toowoomba, for the first time.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said in a statement that Labor had been “too slow to act” on the issue, and the discovery was of great concern because Oakey is at the tip of the Murray Darling Basin.

The worrying thing about the Oakey detection is that if fire ants get up above the Great Dividing Range, it could potentially get into the Murray Darling Basin and that could effectively see the fire ants go right down the Adelaide.

It would impact the whole country and have devastating consequences. Labor now needs to urgently respond to the inquiry.

Two million people work in job where highest qualification not relevant: ABS

New data from the Bureau of Statistics shows that for two million employed Australians, their highest qualification was not relevant to their current job.

42% said they were no longer interested in the field of their highest qualification, or had wanted a career change. Meanwhile a further 24% reported a lack of available positions in the field of their highest qualification.

79% of employed Australians (with one or more non-school qualification) were working in a field relevant to their highest level of education.

Albanese says social media companies have ‘responsibility to act’

The prime minister has shared a video from his earlier press conference where he stated social media companies have a “responsibility to act” on harmful material without the eSafety commissioner having to intervene.

You can read the full comments earlier in the blog here, in case you missed it.

Labor mulls tougher penalties for social media failing to take down content

Education minister Jason Clare says the government is considering options for tougher sanctions for social media companies that fail to take content down following requests by the watchdog.

Speaking earlier today about the stabbing attacks in Sydney, he told Seven’s Sunrise:

The advice I’ve got is that Facebook did a reasonable job, but Twitter hasn’t, that there was still information days and days after these attacks took place. There’s penalties there of $500,000 for companies, $100,000 for individuals, we’re looking at what more needs to be done here as well.

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley also said social media giants were required to play their role in not having graphic content being shared widely.

I’m so sick of these social media platforms, I’m so sick of their excuses. They’re parents too, they have a responsibility. We’ll support the government in cracking down, getting tougher and findings ways of getting outside this sort of voluntary compliance routine that exists right now.

– from AAP

Stocks, Aussie dollar sink after reports of explosions in Iran

Peter Hannam

Greens on Israeli missiles launched at Iran: ‘This must not become our next war beside the US’

Australia’s north-east facing wet weekend with storms predicted

The Bureau of Meteorology is forecasting showers and storms about much of the country’s north-east this weekend.

Flash flooding and renewed river rises are a risk, the bureau said, with a flood watch in place for some locations. The wet weather is being caused by a tropical low over the Arafura sea.

Meanwhile, thunderstorms are possible across much of far north Queensland today, and slow moving storms across Port Douglas, Cooktown and Wujal Wujal could bring heavy falls and flash flooding.