The killing of United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon has been condemned by Australia as the Israeli ambassador defends his country’s ground invasion of the neighbouring nation.

Three Indonesian personnel working for the UN have been killed in Lebanon but the force which carried out the strikes is yet to be formally identified.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the killings and said the attacks were unacceptable.

“We extend our sincere condolences to their loved ones, colleagues and to Indonesia,” she said on X.

“We support Indonesia’s calls for a thorough investigation.”

Israel’s ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman claimed his country’s incursion into Lebanon was “100 per cent defensive” to stop Hezbollah from launching rockets into Israel.

Israel is seeking to take control of part of Lebanon between the border and the Litani river, 30 kilometres north.

More than 1200 people have been killed since the start of the Israeli ground incursion, the Lebanese health ministry has said according to local media.

“We are in a difficult neighbourhood,” Dr Newman told the National Press Club on Tuesday.

“We have neighbours who are bent on the destruction of the state of Israel.

“I wish my neighbours were Fiji and New Zealand, my life would be totally different,” he said.

Overnight, Israel passed laws allowing the death penalty for Palestinians in the West Bank who are convicted of murdering Israelis.

In response, Senator Wong said Australia was against the death penalty in all instances but Dr Newman said the rules would be a deterrent for “terrorists” on Israel’s borders.

He said there were safeguards written into the legislation, allowing people sentenced to death to appeal.

A small group of protesters gathered outside the venue, with one telling AAP they were “disgusted” the ambassador was being given such a platform.

“We don’t need to hear more from Israel and yet here he is on our stage,” demonstrator Peta Swarbrick said.

Dr Newman, who arrived in Canberra early in 2026, defended Israel’s killing of three journalists in Lebanon on Saturday, claiming at least two of them had links to Hezbollah, a listed terrorist group.

“Israel has never targeted a journalist just for being a journalist,” he said.

After the strike, Israel’s defence force posted an image of journalist Ali Shoeib – one of those killed – which was doctored to show him in a military uniform.

Dr Newman would not say when the war would end, only outlining his country’s main objectives for the conflict which were removing Iran’s ability to launch nuclear and conventional missiles.

He said while regime change in Iran was not Israel’s primary goal, it would likely be needed to remove the military threat. 

US President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran’s energy infrastructure if a deal to end the joint American and Israeli war against Iran is not reached soon.

Senator Wong confirmed more than 103 direct commercial flights carrying about 10,400 Australians have arrived home from the Middle East since March 4.

Australians in the region should not delay their departure and should leave on commercial flights, she said.

“While there are talks to end the conflict, the situation in the Middle East remains volatile and could deteriorate rapidly,” Senator Wong said. 

Australians are also being urged not to travel through Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The federal government has been intensifying its calls for de-escalation.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called for a clear timeline to end the conflict, arguing the United States has achieved most of its initial objectives.

ABC management and staff representatives have reached a tentative agreement after a stand-off that resulted in the first major strike at the national broadcaster in decades.

A pay increase of four per cent in the first year, followed by a pair of 3.25 per cent rises, had been agreed, ABC management said in a staff email seen by AAP.

It is a slight increase on the ABC’s previous offer of 3.5 per cent in the first year.

But a previously proposed $1000 bonus has not been included.

Employees at the top end of several bands will also have the opportunity for career progression and added bonuses.

In its staff email, the ABC said the position had been endorsed by representatives for the two key employee unions.

The offer will need to go to a staff vote to be formally accepted.

In a message sent to union members on Tuesday, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance offered a positive assessment of the potential deal.

“This significant improvement was won by union members walking off the job and demonstrating clearly what we are worth,” the message said.

“Because of that, we now have above inflation pay for year one on the table, real pathways for band progression, and improved reward for hard work.”

Non-media staff at the ABC are represented by the Community and Public Sector Union.

The agreement comes after employees and representatives of the media union met with ABC managing director Hugh Marks on Monday after swathes of staff took part in the mass strike.

Negotiations reached a stalemate when workers knocked back a 10-per-cent pay rise over three years, pushing for 13.5 per cent, and protested what they said was the ABC’s over-reliance on short-term contracts.

Mediated by the Fair Work Commission, a meeting on Monday was the first major discussion since the strike action.

Thousands of journalists, camera operators, technicians and other ABC workers went on strike for 24 hours starting on Wednesday morning, forcing the channel to broadcast re-runs, clips from BBC News and contributions from non-union staff.

More than 4400 people work at the ABC, including 2000 in news, the largest division.

A leading mattress and sofa ecommerce retailer has made a successful debut on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Shares in The Koala Company were changing hands at $3.70 on Tuesday afternoon, up 8.8 per cent from their $3.40 price they were sold at during an initial public offering that raised $68.1 million.

“Today is a proud day for Koala as we begin our journey as a publicly listed company,” company co-founder and CEO Dany Milham said in a statement.

“It reflects the hard work and passion of our incredible team over the past decade and the support of our customers, partners and shareholders who have believed in our vision from the start.”

The company was founded by childhood friends Mr Milham and Mitch Taylor in Byron Bay in 2015 with just a single mattress product they sold direct to consumers via cheeky and irreverent social media ads.

Koala now sells a range of sofas, sofa beds, outdoor furniture, bed bases, bedside tables and mattresses in Australia, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

“While listing our business is incredibly exciting, when Mitch and I founded Koala over a decade ago we didn’t do it with this goal in mind,” Mr Milham said.

“We set out to build a better kind of furniture company focused on design, sustainability and to provide long-term value to the customer. That goal remains unchanged.”

Koala said while many of its competitors primarily sell “white label” products, all of its furniture is designed in-house by a team of 31 employees.

At a $3.70 share price, Koala has a market cap of $332 million. 

The company is forecasting it will make $332 million in revenue in 2025/26, up 20 per cent from a year ago.

It predicts earnings will more than double to $24.8 million.

“Our priorities are on strengthening our core categories, expanding internationally, and delivering disciplined and sustainable long-term returns,” Mr Milham said. 

Mr Milham has retained a 20.7 per cent stake in the company and Mr Taylor a 16.3 per cent stake, worth about $66 million and $54 million, respectively.

Sydney-based boutique fund Perennial Partners, which invested in Koala in 2020, holds a 22.7 per cent stake.

Chairman Michael Gordon said it wasn’t lost on the team that there weren’t too many companies listing around the world currently, given the global uncertainty, and they were grateful from the support shown by new and existing investors.

The Australian share market has pared back earlier losses to coast higher at midday despite elevated oil prices and reinvigorated threats to destroy Iranian energy infrastructure.

The S&P/ASX200 was up 26.7 points, or 0.32 per cent, to 8487.7 by midday AEST on Tuesday as the broader All Ordinaries gained 25.1 points, or 0.29 per cent, to 8682.6.

Conflicting messaging from the White House kept investors cautious in overseas markets, with US President Donald Trump expressing willingness to negotiate with Iran while also reviving warnings energy plants and Kharg Island could become targets if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.

US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell confirmed a wait-and-see approach to higher oil prices in public remarks, signalling the temporary influence of energy supply shocks on the economy and inflation.

In Australia, investors are digesting the minutes from the last cash rate decision when a 0.25 percentage-point hike was deemed necessary by a slim majority of board members due to inflationary pressures.

The Reserve Bank of Australia has also banned credit and debit card surcharges despite concerns voiced by banks and small firms.

The Fair Work Commission’s decision to scrap junior pay rates is also expected to add to operating costs for retail and fast-food businesses.

Moomoo market strategist Michael McCarthy said resources names with oil exposure might offer some insulation for the local market. 

“But until there is meaningful progress on the Iran situation, the path of least resistance for broader markets remains lower,” he said.

At lunchtime, seven of the ASX-200’s 11 sectors were higher, led by a 1.7 per cent rise in technology stocks.

Energy companies continue to trade higher amid rising prices and geopolitical uncertainty, with Brent crude hovering mostly above US$100 a barrel.

Mining stocks were down 0.2 per cent as the outlook for Chinese demand for iron ore and coal cools.

Financials were higher despite tightened surcharge regulation, with CBA up 0.4 per cent to $169.45, NAB down 0.3 per cent to $41.13, Westpac 0.9 per cent higher at $39.44, and ANZ flat at $35.89.

The Australian dollar is buying 68.57 US cents, slightly down from 68.69 US cents on Monday at 5pm.

Discounted pay rates for young adults working in sectors such as fast food, pharmacy and retail have been scrapped in a workplace watchdog decision.

The Fair Work Commission on Tuesday said employees aged from 18 to 20 should receive the full award wage.

Currently, wages for 18-year-olds in those sectors are 70 per cent of the full award wage, rising to 80 per cent for those aged 19, and 90 per cent when they reach 20.

Junior wages will still remain in place for minors.

The higher wages for junior workers will start to be phased in over a four-year period from December.

The commission said there would be no changes to wage rates for workers aged 18-20 who had less than six months of experience at their current workplace.

The decision took into account factors such as labour market disadvantages for young people, the watchdog added.

Surcharge fees on debit and credit card transactions will be ditched, despite strong opposition from businesses.

The Reserve Bank’s review of merchant card payment costs recommended the fees be scrapped on EFTPOS, Mastercard and Visa transactions because they don’t help consumers make more efficient payment choices and cost shoppers about $1.6 billion a year.

Business groups panned the suggestion and said it would simply drive up prices and reduce transparency.

But the central bank on Tuesday said extensive public consultation had not dissuaded officials from making the move.

“Consumers are estimated to be paying $1.6 billion of a total $1.8 billion in card payment surcharges charged each year on designated card networks,” the RBA said.

“The surcharging framework, introduced more than two decades ago, is no longer achieving its intended purpose of steering consumers towards making more efficient payment choices.

“The increased prevalence of businesses surcharging all cards at the same rate, challenges with enforcing the current surcharging framework, and consumers using less cash have reduced the effectiveness of the surcharging regime.”

Consumers would prefer payment costs be incorporated into advertised prices, the Reserve Bank added.

The central bank will also lower the caps on interchange fees paid by Australian businesses, saving consumers about $1.2 billion.

The fee is paid by a business to a customer’s card issuer when a transaction occurs.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers previously flagged the government was prepared to ban fees on debit transactions before the central bank recommended extending that measure to credit as well.

He noted the Reserve Bank would be able to make all the flagged changes under existing powers and would not need legislation to be passed.

Lowering the cap on interchange fees by businesses is predicted to benefit small businesses the most, because they often pay higher fees.

When releasing the recommendations in July 2025, the central bank found small businesses would be $185 million better off under the changes, with 90 per cent of them benefiting.

Better transparency achieved by forcing card networks and large acquirers to publish what fees they are charging has also been recommended to foster competition between networks.

The surcharge removal will kick in from October 1.

Five social media platforms are under investigation for potentially breaching Australia’s world-first social media age limit.

Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube may have allowed children under 16 to access their apps after the age restrictions took effect in December, Communications Minister Anika Wells said in a statement.

Some children have been allowed to create new accounts straight after their previous one was deactivated, or repeatedly attempt age verification until they pass, the online watchdog has found.

Other platforms did not provide appropriate pathways for underage users to be reported, the eSafety Commission said in its first compliance report since the ban kicked in.

Ms Wells said the alleged breaches were unacceptable.

“The kind of tactics we’re seeing deployed by social media platforms to undermine Australia’s world-leading law are right out of the big tech playbook,” she said.

“If eSafety finds these companies have systemically failed to uphold their legal obligations, I expect the commissioner to throw the book at them.”

Systemic breaches of the age restriction laws can be punished with fines of up to $49.5 million.

When the ban took effect, some children said their accounts had not been deactivated.

Others reported being able to bypass age verification with relative ease.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has long conceded not every young person would be kicked off social media, but enough would be for the restrictions to be effective.

A number of other countries are now considering following suit and barring children from social media, including Austria, France, Denmark, Spain, Greece and Malaysia.

Indonesia also began blocking under 16s from having accounts on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, Bigo Live and Roblox on Saturday.

Coal and gas mine expansions are getting an easier ride under the safeguard mechanism compared to brand new projects, potentially undermining Australia’s climate goals.

Roughly 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions could slip through this “loophole” analysed by RepuTex on behalf of the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Climate Council. 

Without more stringent pollution rules on mine expansions and other safeguard mechanism flaws, the climate and environment groups warn emission reduction goals are at risk.

The safeguard mechanism captures more than 200 of Australia’s big polluting facilities and forces them to lower emissions against legally binding limits – known as baselines – via genuine cuts through electrification or efficiency, or by buying carbon credits to offset their pollution.

A federal review of the scheme starts mid-year.

Australia has obligations to slash emissions under the international Paris agreement aimed at limiting dangerous global warming.

The safeguard mechanism is key to meeting Australian targets of a 43 per cent emissions cut by 2030 and 62-70 per cent by 2035. 

The analysis prepared by the energy modelling consultancy suggests a bigger emissions-reduction burden will be shouldered by households and other industries if coal and gas companies are not forced to go harder.

Tougher rules on mine extensions is one opportunity.

The expanding footprints of existing sites are presently able to dodge stricter pollution limits on new greenfield projects.

Stronger pollution controls for new sites acknowledges facilities can be more easily built from the ground up with low carbon technology compared to retrofitting.

Especially so for factories but less so coal mines, which do have ready opportunities to electrify and stop methane escaping as sites sprawl.

Coal and gas expansions are already more common than new mine proposals despite both generating carbon pollution.

NSW recently became the first state to ban new greenfield coal mines, but expansions remain on the cards for at least another 25 years.

Climate Councillor and former BP executive Greg Bourne said coal and gas companies were getting a “free ride” while future-focused manufacturers were doing the hard work to make real emissions cuts.

“Every day we remain tethered to coal and gas, we are at risk of energy price pain caused by overseas conflicts and escalating climate costs in a warming world,” he said.

“Closing loopholes in the safeguard mechanism will support a more resilient economy.”

Shortcut baselines for coal were also criticised as they ignore huge variety in pollution generated by each site, allowing some miners to attract credits they can sell without making genuine emissions cuts.

Systemic under-reporting of fugitive methane at mine sites further threatens to blow out emissions budgets.

A gun pulled by Dezi Freeman in his final moments belonged to one of the officers the self-proclaimed sovereign citizen executed, as authorities await formal identification of his body.

Police tracked the 56-year-old to a rural property in Thologolong, near Walwa on the Victorian-NSW border.

Freeman was wrapped in what appeared to be a blanket when he emerged from a container-like structure on Monday morning following a three-hour stand-off with heavily armed officers.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said he had viewed footage of Freeman pulling the gun from underneath the cloth and turning it towards police.

“I can now confirm that it is a police firearm, and we believe it was taken from one of our murdered officers on the 26th of August,” he told reporters in Wodonga on Monday evening.

It is not known if Freeman fired the gun before multiple officers discharged their weapons.

Freeman was wanted over the fatal shootings of Neal Thompson and Vadim de Waart-Hottart, who were among a team of officers serving a warrant at his home in the small town of Porepunkah in late August.

The property is about 150km from where Freeman was shot dead.

Officers moved into position on Sunday but Mr Bush would not confirm whether they received a tip-off about Freeman’s whereabouts.

Police are investigating how the fugitive evaded capture for 216 days and exploring the possibility he received help.

“We’re very keen to learn who, if any, but I’m sure some, actually assisted him getting away from Porepunkah to where he was located,” Mr Bush said.

Mr Bush said Freeman’s appearance was slightly altered from his last confirmed sighting, fleeing into dense bushland the day of the shooting.

“His hair was a little bit longer and he had a beard,” he said.

State Coroner Liberty Sanger visited the scene on Monday to formally confirm the man’s identity.

The commissioner said he expected the process to take 24 to 48 hours.

“The deceased is still on site so that will take some time,” Mr Bush said.

“We’re confident of who that person is.”

Premier Jacinta Allan rejoiced at police bringing the manhunt to a close, declaring an “evil man” was dead.

“It is over in terms of the operation but it will never be over for those families,” she said.

Police Association secretary Wayne Gatt said the memories of the fallen officers would live forever.

“The memory of cowards fades quickly but with heroes it lives on forever,” he said.

Hundreds of police from across Australia took part in the search for Freeman in extreme conditions, including snow and heat, and dense bushland in mountainous terrain.

Investigators in December revealed they had shifted their search efforts to locating the killer’s body.

Victoria Police offered a $1 million reward and the possibility of indemnity for information leading to his capture – the largest financial offer in the state’s history for facilitating an arrest.

Australia’s universities and research institutions are at the forefront of robotics innovation, but the nation is still failing to translate that into scalable solutions to drive economic activity.

Additional public and private investment in the sector could add $201 billion to the country’s economy by 2040, according to a new report.

It could also increase annual incomes by $6500 and create an average of 128,900 new jobs a year, the report by ACIL Allen, and commissioned by Amazon Australia, released on Tuesday shows.

Tye Brady, the chief technologist at Amazon Robotics and the founder of robotics incubation program MassRobotics, told AAP in an interview from Boston that robotics was transforming the entire nature of work.

Amazon credits its 300 robotic warehouses around the globe, including an enormous facility in western Sydney, with helping make its operations safer and easier while creating new job categories and upskilling opportunities for its employees.

For example, its Hercules mobile robots can lift up to 500kg of inventory, which Amazon says allows its employees to reduce physical strain and focus on work that requires human judgment and skill. 

“So I took the job at Amazon because it’s very applied. It’s not parkour, it’s not robots doing backflips,” Mr Brady said.

“It’s the real, the mundane and the repetitive that we’re eliminating, and we’re making it easier and better in a safer environment for our employees.

“It has completely transformed our business in the right way – with job growth, with good jobs, with upskilling opportunities.”

Beyond e-commerce, robots had much to offer Australia’s mining, agriculture, fishing and oil and gas industries, Mr Brady said.

“They’re ready for this, right? And when you do it right, you become more productive, you create more jobs, you create a better job, and you also upskill your employees,” he said.

Australia has some “legends” in the field of robotics, Mr Brady noted, but it needed a “spark” to translate that academic capability into widespread commercialisation and adoption.

“Get your startups out there, get a pool of venture capitalists, have that infrastructure, have the ecosystem, have the community support, and let’s get one startup at a time and start to grow a cluster,” he said.

“Because when you grow the cluster, then guess what? More talent comes to you. They get to learn from each other. They become more productive. So the cluster gets bigger and bigger.

“There’s tremendous opportunity in this.”

Realising that potential requires a coordinated effort, the report says, to create stronger pathways and partnerships that connect Australia’s university research capabilities with industry expertise and real-world opportunities.