{"id":1622117,"date":"2026-02-18T07:59:31","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T07:59:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/?p=1622117"},"modified":"2026-02-18T07:59:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T07:59:31","slug":"antisemitism-royal-commission-to-hold-first-public-hearing-next-week-as-it-happened-australia-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/antisemitism-royal-commission-to-hold-first-public-hearing-next-week-as-it-happened-australia-news\/","title":{"rendered":"Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened | Australia news"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"liveblog-body\"><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\" \/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-alru3r\"><label id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" data-component=\"filter-key-events\" data-link-name=\"filter-key-events-on\" class=\"dcr-rrspei\"><button id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch\" role=\"switch\" aria-labelledby=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" class=\"dcr-dh5oqp\" \/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/label><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"block-69955b8d8f08ec5f11850806\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">What we learned, Wednesday 18 February<\/h2>\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Luca Ittimani<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Thanks for staying with us today. We\u2019ll leave our breaking news blog there. Here were Wednesday\u2019s top stories:<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69955b8d8f08ec5f11850806#block-69955b8d8f08ec5f11850806\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:56:39.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:56 Central European Standard Time\">07.56 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69955e588f08c412945d6e28\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing in February<\/h2>\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2025\/01\/08\/Krishani_Dhanji.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=88e85a466dde81302ee6274d3af35cd6\" alt=\"Krishani Dhanji\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Krishani Dhanji<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion will hold its first public hearing on 24 February, but no evidence will be given or testimony heard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The royal commissioner, <strong>Virginia Bell<\/strong>, will provide a short opening statement where she will explain how she will approach the terms of reference. Senior counsel assisting <strong>Richard Lancaster<\/strong> will also make a short opening statement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bell said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>I acknowledge the importance of addressing antisemitism within the Australian community. I plan to conduct the inquiry as expeditiously as possible so that I can deliver a report containing my findings and recommendations not later than the first anniversary of the antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at Bondi Beach.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The government reluctantly agreed to set up the commonwealth royal commission in January, after facing sustained public pressure after the Bondi terror attack.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The commission will provide an interim report by 30 April, and a final report by 14 December.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69955e588f08c412945d6e28#block-69955e588f08c412945d6e28\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:48:18.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:48 Central European Standard Time\">07.48 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-69954d218f08ec5f1185079b\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Shadow treasurer says public sector pay rises leave economy \u2018out of kilter\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Tim Wilson<\/strong> has said the strong pace of public sector wage growth shows the economy is \u201cout of kilter\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson is making some of his first media appearances as shadow treasurer after being appointed to the role by Angus Taylor yesterday. He has taken aim at the government over wages data today showing public sector wages rose 4% while private sector wages rose 3.4%, on a seasonally adjusted basis.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson told the ABC:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>Those that are getting a pay rise are those who are working for the public sector, and it\u2019s been paid for by those who create wealth in the private sector. That\u2019s why our economy is out of kilter now. \u2026<\/p>\n<p>You\u2019re getting better wages if you\u2019re on collective agreements. They sit in one of two areas, in the public sector specifically, or the areas where people are being paid wages that have been financed by the taxpayer.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson said the government needed to encourage people to start their own businesses instead of earning taxpayer-funded wages, if it wanted to improve productivity. He said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>We should empower people to want to be their own CEOs, not simply allow people to survive on the safety of a salary.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69954d218f08ec5f1185079b#block-69954d218f08ec5f1185079b\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:43:32.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:43 Central European Standard Time\">07.43 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-6995556a8f08ec5f118507e6\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Labor\u2019s war of words with former RBA governor<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The former governor of the Reserve Bank, <strong>Philip Lowe<\/strong>, is under fire from Labor after he said government spending was forcing up interest rates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Australian Financial Review today published Lowe\u2019s comments, saying the economy would \u201cremain weak\u201d if the government was not \u201cmore ambitious\u201d. Lowe was quoted as saying the government wanted to keep spending money and offering handouts, which under current circumstances would drive up interest rates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The treasurer, <strong>Jim Chalmers<\/strong>, said he was \u201cnot interested\u201d in arguing with Lowe and noted he had not criticised Lowe\u2019s tenure at the RBA, when asked about the comments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Chalmers then suggested his refusal to extend Lowe\u2019s term as RBA governor had motivated the criticism. Chalmers told reporters:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>Obviously, I think it\u2019s a matter of public record, Phil Lowe would have liked to have been reappointed by the government. After he wasn\u2019t reappointed by the government, he\u2019s become a fairly persistent critic of the Labor government in the pages of the Financial Review and elsewhere. I think, to some extent, that\u2019s just human nature.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The prime minister also reportedly dismissed Lowe\u2019s comments, while Labor backbencher Ed Husic said RBA governors \u201crarely\u201d admitted their own failures, with the exception of Lowe\u2019s successor, <strong>Michele Bullock<\/strong>. He told the ABC:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>One thing about Reserve Bank governors is their willingness to point out stuff, never admit they\u2019re wrong themselves.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6995556a8f08ec5f118507e6#block-6995556a8f08ec5f118507e6\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:39:25.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:39 Central European Standard Time\">07.39 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-699557458f08c412945d6e0e\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2022\/03\/03\/Adeshola_Ore.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=4febe158cfbe97493523de4f4504d20a\" alt=\"Adeshola Ore\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Adeshola Ore<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>X loses appeal over court battle about Islamophobic tweets<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Social media company X has lost an appeal in a long-running legal fight over whether it should be held responsible for Islamophobic tweets by an American white supremacist due to the harm caused to local Muslims.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The <strong>Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal<\/strong> (Qcat) ruled in 2024 that state authorities had jurisdiction in the matter. But X then lodged an appeal, raising constitutional arguments and claiming they had not been properly served.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Last Thursday, Qcat dismissed X\u2019s appeal, meaning the matter will be heard by the tribunal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Qcat will determine whether the material in a complaint lodged by the <a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2022\/jun\/27\/australian-muslim-group-lodges-complaint-against-twitter-for-failing-to-remove-hateful-content\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)<\/a> in 2022 constitutes religious vilification under Queensland law.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">AMAN had argued that as a publisher the company is responsible for content posted by an accounted cited in the manifesto of the extremist who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011. X argued it was a foreign entity and had no responsibility for tweets under Queensland legislation \u2013 an argument commonly used by US tech companies facing court challenges in Australia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">In a statement, AMAN said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><em>For too long, global tech platforms have operated with impunity, claiming they are beyond the reach of Australian laws designed to protect our communities from vilification and harm.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-699557458f08c412945d6e0e#block-699557458f08c412945d6e0e\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:25:02.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:25 Central European Standard Time\">07.25 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69954ee98f08ec5f118507a5\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Tim Wilson says super for housing was \u2018too timid\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The shadow treasurer has signalled his support for super for housing policies and opposition to capital gains tax reform.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Tim Wilson<\/strong> said the Liberal party was \u201ctoo timid\u201d when proposing to let people use their superannuation to buy a home at the 2022 and 2025 elections. He denied such policies would inflate house prices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He also said he opposed isolated changes to taxes on housing. When asked whether he opposed changing the capital gains tax discount, which the government is said to be considering, he said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>Absolutely, until there\u2019s a compelling case about how adding more taxes is somehow going to improve.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson said he instead supported tax reform that made it easier to start businesses:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>I think tax reform should be focused on how we incentivise the type of behaviour that we want to grow the economy, \u2026 [and] to broaden the constituency of Australians who fundamentally believe their best interests are aligned with starting up a small business, a family business, or becoming self-employed.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69954ee98f08ec5f118507a5#block-69954ee98f08ec5f118507a5\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:25:53.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:25 Central European Standard Time\">07.25 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-699553718f08af5471643b16\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Liberal says Hanson not \u2018fit to lead\u2019 but won\u2019t rule out One Nation deals<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tim Wilson, the Liberals\u2019 new shadow treasurer, has said Pauline Hanson is unfit to lead a political party, after the One Nation leader made false claims about Muslims which have been described as offensive.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wilson told the ABC:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>[I] never believed she is fit to lead a political party. What she said is clearly designed to draw attention to herself and, you know, that\u2019s politics. It\u2019s been her way for a very long period of time. So, I don\u2019t see any fundamental change. I think she\u2019s becoming desperate and revealing her true personality and character.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He declined to say the Liberals should rule out preference deals with One Nation at elections, when asked. He instead said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>The challenge we have is a lot of political parties on the fringes like the Greens, One Nation, even some of the teals.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-699553718f08af5471643b16#block-699553718f08af5471643b16\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-699550ae8f08af5471643b01\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Liberal claims government helping Syrian camp detainees return to Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A Liberal shadow minister has claimed the government is working to repatriate women and children detained in a Syrian camp, despite repeated government denials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The home affairs minister today issued a two-year ban on entering Australia, called a temporary exclusion order, on one of the members of a group of 34 detained Australians, who are the wives, widows and children of ISIS members.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Jonno Duniam<\/strong>, the opposition\u2019s home affairs spokeperson, said issuing just one order raised \u201cmore questions than answers\u201d. He said in a statement:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>How can only one member of this group be deemed a risk and the rest somehow okay?<\/p>\n<p>The reality is that the minister and the government have been heavily involved in assisting third parties to repatriate these [people] to Australia, so much so that the chief organiser of the campaign group \u2018Friends of Burke\u2019 Dr <strong class=\"dcr-in3yi3\">Jamal Rifi<\/strong>, is himself reportedly in the Middle East assisting with the passage of these [detainees] back to Australia.<\/p>\n<p>The opposition has grave concerns that the minister is not acting in the interests of our nation and its security, and is instead supporting these efforts to bring [the group] back to Australia.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Government ministers have repeatedly denied Australia is working to repatriate the Australian women and children in Syrian detention camp. The home affairs minister, <strong>Tony Burke<\/strong>, has denied coordinating with Jamal Rifi. The Guardian has sought contact from Rifi.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-699550ae8f08af5471643b01#block-699550ae8f08af5471643b01\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:59:13.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:59 Central European Standard Time\">06.59 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69954b378f08af5471643ae1\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">RSL told bulldozed Australian war graves in Gaza will be repaired<\/h2>\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2019\/05\/27\/Christopher_Knaus.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=f34ff3e2f4b1dcf87f0a5b0824961336\" alt=\"Christopher Knaus\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Christopher Knaus<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The <strong>Returned and Services League<\/strong> of Australia (RSL) says it has been given assurances that Australian graves in the Gaza war cemetery will be repaired.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Guardian <a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/feb\/04\/idf-bulldoze-gaza-war-cemetery-allied-graves-satellite-images\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">revealed<\/a> earlier this month that the <strong>Israeli Defence Force<\/strong> (IDF) had bulldozed a section of the cemetery where Australian soldiers from WWI and WWII were buried. The damage has <a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2026\/feb\/07\/anzac-graves-gaza-war-cemetery-bulldozed-by-israel\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">prompted outrage<\/a> from families of the dead, who have been left in the dark about the fate of their relatives\u2019 remains.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">RSL Australia issued a statement on Wednesday saying it held deep concerns about the \u201csignificant damage\u201d to the cemetery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The RSL Australia national president, <strong>Peter Tinley<\/strong>, said his organisation had been assured the graves would be repaired as soon as it was safe to do so.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>The Office of Australian War Graves shares our concerns at the damage to the cemetery and the Australian war graves and is committed to ensuring the restoration of all affected graves as soon as feasible.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, the conflict is not yet fully resolved, with ongoing actions, and this makes it extremely difficult to actively monitor the status of the war graves and the cemetery as a whole.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69954b378f08af5471643ae1#block-69954b378f08af5471643ae1\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:52:40.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:52 Central European Standard Time\">06.52 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69954c848f08c412945d6db1\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2022\/07\/01\/Josh_Butler.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=b99fc3ae31423d51324e5f82baea0af0\" alt=\"Josh Butler\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Josh Butler<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Home affairs minister denies speaking to doctor about group in Syria<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tony Burke said that he was not aware of the movements of Dr Jamal Rifi, a Sydney doctor who it has been claimed in media reports is assisting the group.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Burke said he had \u201cno information other than what I\u2019ve seen in the media about whether Dr Jamal Rifi is in Australia or overseas. He has not discussed any plans with me, nor would he have any reason to.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Guardian has made attempts to contact Rifi.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69954c848f08c412945d6db1#block-69954c848f08c412945d6db1\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:53:23.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:53 Central European Standard Time\">06.53 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69954b4b8f08af5471643ae2\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Home affairs minister \u2018diligently working through the issues\u2019, Ayres says<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tim Ayres also responded to the news the government has issued a two-year ban on coming to Australia to one person among the group of 34 Australian women and children in a Syrian detention camp.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Labor minister\u2019s colleague, Tony Burke, announced the temporary exclusion order had been issued today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Ayres suggested the government had been considering taking that action yesterday, saying it was \u201cnot the case the government wasn\u2019t entertaining it\u201d when asked. He told the ABC:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>The home affairs minister is discharging his responsibilities in a careful way, that\u2019s legally robust, and he\u2019s responding to the security advice. And thus far, I have seen the statement that you\u2019re referring to, thus far one such order has been made. Tony will be diligently working through the issues with the security advice, and making sure he makes decisions in the national interest and of course that are defendable \u2026<\/p>\n<p>The prime minister has been very clear: we have no truck with these people.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69954b4b8f08af5471643ae2#block-69954b4b8f08af5471643ae2\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:58:24.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:58 Central European Standard Time\">06.58 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-699548aa8f08c412945d6d94\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Industry minister wants wages to keep growing at same rate<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tim Ayres, the industry minister, has said the government wants to see wage growth keep steady, after data today confirmed price rises have overtaken wages.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wages rose by 3.4% in 2025, as forecast, but economists have warned that pace is too high and could force the RBA to raise interest rates again. Ayres told the ABC he was happy with the rate of wage growth:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>If wage growth was lower, it would be a worse outcome. And of course, we want to see wages continue to grow at around the rate that they are. We\u2019re seeing that is delivering real benefits for Australian workers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The last three months of 2025 saw real wages go backward, having risen for the previous eight quarters. Ayres said government policy was helping drive wage growth:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>That\u2019s been as a result of deliberate government policy, including lifting up the wages of female-dominated sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-699548aa8f08c412945d6d94#block-699548aa8f08c412945d6d94\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:51:16.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:51 Central European Standard Time\">06.51 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-699543ea8f08ec5f11850768\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\" \/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Wage growth still too high for RBA, economists say<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Economists say wages are growing steadily at a rate too high for the Reserve Bank\u2019s liking.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wages have fallen behind inflation for the first time since 2023, with price growth at 3.8% over 2025 while wages grew just 3.4%, new data today has shown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">ANZ economists expect wage growth to slow to 3% over 2026, which would see real wages fall further.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But even that level of growth would be too high, according to AMP economist <strong>Diana Mousina<\/strong>. The RBA wants prices rising at just 2.5%, but wages are rising faster than that, implying businesses will in turn hike prices at a higher rate. Mousina said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>For wages growth to become more sustainable to the 2-3% RBA inflation target we need to see more jobs record wage rises of 2-3%.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">A growing share of jobs are getting pay bumps of less than 3%, but most jobs are getting more than 3% pay rises, according to the Australian Bureau of statistics wage data released today:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If wages don\u2019t slow to that level, the RBA would come under pressure to hike interest rates again, according to UBS economists.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-699543ea8f08ec5f11850768#block-699543ea8f08ec5f11850768\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T06:48:49.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 07:48 Central European Standard Time\">07.48 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69953f358f08ec5f1185073e\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Josh Taylor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>eSafety responds to court ruling on social media warnings<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">More on the <strong>federal court<\/strong> dismissing an <strong>eSafety commission<\/strong> appeal:<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">An eSafety spokesperson acknowledged the decision of the court, and said it was considering the ruling:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p>Platforms often have material that may breach their terms of service drawn to their attention informally by a range of parties, rather than by formal statutory notifications, and it reduces regulatory burden on service providers compared to formal processes.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Guardian Australia understands since the ART ruling, eSafety has adjusted the language on these notices to state they\u2019re not required to take action, and they\u2019re not statutory notices.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Online Safety Act review recommended legislative clarity on informal requests, noting that these requests often lead to quicker resolutions for people who may be in severe distress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">On appeal, last year the ART found that the informal notice had constituted a formal decision that the ART could review.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69953f358f08ec5f1185073e#block-69953f358f08ec5f1185073e\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\" \/>\n<article id=\"block-69953e9f8f08af5471643a92\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">eSafety loses appeal over informal warning it sent to X over tweet about queer club<\/h2>\n<div class=\"dcr-dzkvsd\">\n<div class=\"dcr-uae6pk\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/uploads\/2019\/08\/06\/Josh_Taylor.png?width=300&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=a1e8502bb438342885b78582aeeb8ce9\" alt=\"Josh Taylor\" class=\"dcr-lysqes\" \/><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-sa35sa\">Josh Taylor<\/span><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong> <\/strong>The full federal court has dismissed an appeal by the <strong>eSafety commissioner<\/strong> against an earlier ruling that an informal notice about an allegedly bullying tweet from a user about a queer club at a school constituted a formal notice to X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The user had posted on X and Instagram about a person who ran a queer club for primary school students, which eSafety described as a student-led initiative. The person featured in the user\u2019s post complained to eSafety that it was cyber abuse under the Online Safety Act.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">eSafety judged that it was not, but sent an informal notice to X stating it may violate X\u2019s policies on harassment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">X geoblocked the post to prevent Australian users from seeing it. The user then launched an appeal in the Administrative Review Tribunal, leading to X lifting the geoblock. On appeal, last year the ART found that the informal notice had constituted a formal decision that the ART could review.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">eSafety appealed to the full federal court, and on Wednesday, the court dismissed the appeal. The full court stated that X \u201csaw this as a legal direction to remove content\u201d and was therefore an exercise of eSafety\u2019s power, despite it being an informal notice.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><a target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing next week \u2013 as it happened&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/live\/2026\/feb\/18\/australia-news-live-renewable-energy-capacity-battery-grid-real-wage-growth-cost-of-living-albanese-angus-taylor-coalition-liberal-front-bench-immigration-ntwnfb?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-69953e9f8f08af5471643a92#block-69953e9f8f08af5471643a92\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-18T05:08:19.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Wednesday, 18 February 2026 at 06:08 Central European Standard Time\">06.08 CET<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.theguardian.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 O artigo anterior foi obtido e traduzido do site internacional da celebrity.land \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature What we learned, Wednesday 18 February Luca Ittimani Thanks for staying with us today. We\u2019ll leave our breaking news blog there. Here were Wednesday\u2019s top stories: Share Updated at\u00a007.56 CET Antisemitism royal commission to hold first public hearing in February Krishani [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1622118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1622117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-realeza"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1622117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1622117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1622117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1622119,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1622117\/revisions\/1622119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1622118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1622117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1622117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1622117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}