Australia news live: Miriam Margolyes pleads for Israel sanctions; D-day for Tasmanian political chaos
Update:
Date: 2025-06-09T20:35:03.000Z
Title: Anthony Albanese to address National Press Club today
Content:
The prime minister will tell the National Press Club today that government and democratic institutions 'including a free media' can meet the demands of global uncertainty, despite growing attacks around the world and the shooting of an Australian reporter covering the Los Angeles unrest.
Read Tom McIlroy's full story here:
Update:
Date: 2025-06-09T20:34:31.000Z
Title: D-day for Tasmanian political chaos
Content:
After a week of drama in Tasmanian politics, the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, is expected to visit the state's governor today to request a state election.
Read our explainer on what's going on:
Update:
Date: 2025-06-09T20:33:43.000Z
Title: Miriam Margolyes calls on Australian government to impose sanctions on Israel
Content: Miriam Margolyes has called on the Australian government to impose sanctions against Israel.
Margolyes has recorded a video message as part of a campaign called 'Jews say no to starving Gaza' run by the Jewish Council of Australia, founded to represent a Jewish voice opposed to Israel's actions against Palestinians.
In the video, the British-born Jewish actor who lives in Australia says:
What I am begging is that the Australian government faces up to a moral responsibility to help the terrifying number of Palestinians facing complete starvation. You know and I know that people are dying – not just dying from starvation but being killed when they go to get whatever scraps of food they can find.
Please think of the children, think of the families. I do – every single day. I live my life happily in Australia. All they want is to have a happy life, just to live. And one of the duties of being Jewish is to save lives, to show compassion, to heal the world, the world is desperate now.
I've always felt being Jewish was a privilege because we revere life. We know our moral growth comes from our traditions. I no longer have my faith but I do actually believe in the Australian government's power to do something specific to help these starving, terrified, homeless people. When I look at those pictures and I see what horror awaits the Palestinian people, I know that we as Australians do not want this.
I beg the Australian government. Take sanctions against Israel. End the blockade. Support the flotilla that's waiting to bring food into Gaza that has not seen food for a frighteningly long time. Never let it be said that Australia assisted in starving a nation to death.
Anthony Albanese has recently issued some of his strongest comments on the situation saying Israel should change course, while stressing Hamas could have no future role in governing Gaza or the West Bank. He has also called for the release of remaining Israeli hostages captured during the 7 October terrorist attack.
You can read more about the pressure building within Labor's grassroots membership for the government to impose sanctions:
Update:
Date: 2025-06-09T20:30:17.000Z
Title: Welcome
Content: Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I'm Martin Farrer with the best of the overnight stories and then my colleague takes over.
Miriam Margolyes, the British-born actor who lives in Australia, has called on the Australian government to impose sanctions against Israel. In a video message which is part of a campaign called 'Jews say no to starving Gaza', she pleaded with the government to help the effort to get food into Gaza so it could never be said 'that Australia assisted in starving a nation to death'. More coming up.
Anthony Albanese will map out his second-term agenda in a key speech to the National Press Club today, in which he will say politics and a 'free media' can preserve democracy as he prepares for potential talks with Donald Trump. More coming up.
From federal to state politics, and after a week of drama in Tasmanian parliament, the premier, Jeremy Rockliff, is expected to visit the state's governor today to request a state election. We will have more shortly and will follow the story as it happens.
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