Australia news LIVE: Australian Defence Force facing sexual violence allegations; Victorian premier visit East Melbourne Synagogue following antisemitic attack

Harrowing new details have emerged about how a woman’s arm was ripped off by a lion at a Queensland zoo over the weekend.

Emergency services were called to Darling Downs Zoo, about 35 kilometres south of Toowoomba, at 8.23am yesterday after reports of an animal attack.

Lions at Darling Downs Zoo where a woman in her 50s lost an arm during a mauling yesterday and was flown to a Brisbane hospital.Credit: Nine News

There, they found a woman in her 50s with “significant arm injuries” whom they airlifted to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, about 110 kilometres north-east of the zoo, in a stable condition.

Today, the unnamed woman was described by the zoo as a “much loved member of our family” with 20 years’ experience observing keepers at the property.

She was watching keepers working in the zoo’s carnivore precinct, when the lion “inexplicably” grabbed her by one arm, the zoo’s operators said in a statement posted to Facebook.

Read the full story here.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says members of the Jewish community have spoken to her about a more positive future as she visited the East Melbourne Synagogue targeted in an alleged arson attack.

Speaking outside the synagogue today as she made her first visit since the attack, Allan said members of the congregation had shared their stories of the “horrific, hateful” experience that came to their front door on Friday evening.

But she said they also spoke about the future, and shared comments by Rabbi Dovid Gutnick that he’d made to both her and his congregation.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan and senior ministers visiting the East Melbourne Synagogue today.Credit: Justin McManus

“He said, out of this negative experience of hate, is the opportunity to springboard forward to a stronger positive future,” Allan said.

“Just as the fire came to the front door here on this shul but it was stopped. So too must we put a stop to hate, put a stop to antisemitism.

“Not only does it have no place here in Melbourne and Victoria, it has no place anywhere.”

Allan reiterated that she was setting up an anti-hate taskforce that will work with Victoria Police and the Jewish community on ways to stop hateful behaviour.

“I’ll continue to stand with a strong, proud Jewish community here in Victoria every single day,” she said.

“They demand our support at this most difficult time. They demand our action.”

In Victoria, Premier Jacinta Allan has visited the East Melbourne Synagogue targeted in an alleged arson attack on Friday night.

Allan was flanked by Deputy Premier Ben Carroll, Police Minister Anthony Carbines and Multicultural Affairs Minister Ingrid Stitt.

Rabbi Dovid Gutnick stands in front of the charred entrance to the East Melbourne Synagogue.Credit: Aaron Francis

The visit is Allan’s first since the alleged attack and comes after she announced the creation of a new anti-hate taskforce that will examine broader statewide challenges combating extremism and antisemitism.

The Victorian government has also pledged funding for mental health support for the East Melbourne congregation who were in the synagogue on Friday night.

Jacinta Allan has visited East Melbourne Synagogue. Credit: Justin McManus

Allan will make some brief comments at the synagogue before fronting the media at a press conference later today.

And now to news just in from Victoria.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan is visiting East Melbourne Synagogue after it was damaged in a suspicious fire on Friday night.

A NSW man was charged following the suspicious fire at the Melbourne synagogue – one of three separate incidents that appeared to target the city’s Jewish community on Friday night.

Watch the live stream here.

Underqualified teachers are exploiting a loophole to work in Victorian and NSW classrooms without meeting the states’ minimum qualifications, following a West Australian decision to lower its standards.

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This masthead has confirmed that dozens of teachers have already used a mutual recognition agreement to register in states where they cannot directly qualify to work, prompting the Victorian and NSW governments to investigate ways to close the loophole ahead of an expected flood of less qualified WA teaching graduates later this year.

Read how the government plans to respond here.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy said “now is the time” to consider a federal truth-telling process.

It comes after Australia’s first truth-telling inquiry found that Aboriginal Victorians should be provided redress through statewide and local treaties for historical injustices.

Speaking to ABC Breakfast this morning, McCarthy said the Australian parliament will be watching the report findings “very closely”.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“This is a significant moment in history for our country,” she said. “It has been a courageous journey in Victoria – one that I’ve certainly been watching and listening to with the commissioners, but also with First Nations people in Victoria.

“This is something that I think the Australian parliament will be watching very closely.

“But now is the time, I hope, as we go forward, that we can look at what we can do at a federal level in regards to taking the steps that are required around truth-telling.”

Australian Formula One star Oscar Piastri has missed out on a first place victory at the British Grand Prix after a controversial penalty.

The McLaren driver came from second place on the grid to lead, then incurred a 10-second penalty before seeing teammate and chief rival Lando Norris go clear to take the chequered flag.

Find out how it played out here.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley is waiting to hear back from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after writing to him to offer support for fast-tracking childcare reforms.

It comes after horrific abuse allegations against Melbourne childcare worker Joshua Brown, accused of abusing children aged between five months and two years at the Creative Garden Early Learning Centre in Point Cook between April 2022 and January 2023.

Speaking to Sunrise, Ley said she hoped that a collaborative approach would lead to faster law reform.

“I felt physically sick when I heard this,” she said.

“I have written to the prime minister in good faith to offer our constructive engagement in the lead-up to parliament returning so we can have legislation ready to go to actually act once and for all to do what I think every parent would expect, and every community member would expect, to make sure our children are safe in childcare settings.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has offered to work with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to fast track childcare reform. Credit: The Age