Australia news LIVE: Gaza aid flotilla intercepted by Israel; US government shutdown continues

5 days ago 6

7.26am

Supreme Court refuses to let Trump immediately fire Fed governor Lisa Cook

The Supreme Court allowed Lisa Cook to remain as a Federal Reserve governor for now, declining to act on the Trump administration’s effort to immediately remove her from the central bank.

In a brief unsigned order, the high court said it would hear arguments in January over Republican President Donald Trump’s effort to force Cook off the Fed board.

A federal appeals court voted 2-1 to leave Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook in place for now.

The court will consider whether to block a lower-court ruling in Cook’s favour while her challenge to her firing by Trump continues.

The high-court order was a rare instance of Trump not quickly getting everything he wants from the justices in an emergency appeal.

Cook will be able to take part in the remaining two Fed meetings in 2025, including the next meeting of its interest rate-setting committee in late October.

7.12am

Nuclear ‘part of the mix of a rich and prosperous country’, says McKenzie

By Emily Kaine

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie has said that “nuclear has to be part of the mix of a rich and prosperous country,” in response to Liberal MP Dan Tehan’s claims that Labor’s net zero policy was not working, and that nuclear energy should replace gas and coal.

“But the reality remains that if you want to be serious about reducing emissions, that nuclear has to be part of the mix in a rich and prosperous country, just like the other nations around the world,” said McKenzie this morning on Sky.

“Like so many other industrial economies around the world, it needs to be part of our mix if we’re going to keep thousands of jobs onshore and our sovereign capability.”

McKenzie said her party plans to “have conversations” with Tehan about what a specific nuclear policy might look like.

“I don’t want to get to 2035 and wish that we had have removed the moratorium on nuclear power generation in 2025 that’s the scenario. We’ve got a backyard full of uranium that we’re exporting to the world to make them richer in a low emissions environment. We should be using it here at home to drive down the cost of energy and also maintain our industrial price. That’s actually what’s at risk on the Labor Party policy. So we’re going to have conversations about what a specific policy will look like with Dan,” the Nationals senator said.

6.53am

Greta Thunberg detained by IDF as aid flotilla intercepted

By David Crowe

Greta Thunberg has been detained after her Gaza-bound aid flotilla was intercepted by Israeli forces this morning.

Thunberg and “her friends” were “safe and healthy”, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a post on X alongside a video that appeared to show Thunberg and several masked and armed Israeli military personnel.

Read the full update from David Crowe.

6.42am

No end in sight for US government shutdown

By Emily Kaine

There appears to be no indication of when the US government shutdown will end as Democrats refuse to concede to the White House’s proposed cuts to funding for federal programs.

Analysts have warned it could last longer than previous shutdowns as the Senate appears no closer to reaching an agreement.

The longest shutdown in US history took place during US President Donald Trump’s first term over a disagreement over funding for his controversial border wall, when the government closed for 34 days.

The US government is still in shutdown as the Senate fails to reach an agreement on funding.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have already been temporarily laid off, but Trump is threatening permanent changes, including firing federal employees, if Democrats do not concede.

The White House offered no details on possible layoffs, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described them on Wednesday afternoon as “imminent.”

6.42am

Israeli navy has begun intercepting Gaza-bound aid flotilla, activists say

By David Crowe

Military personnel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver medicine and food to Gaza and boarded its boats as it approached the war-ravaged enclave, the mission’s organisers said.

The boat carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was the first to be intercepted by the IDF. Organisers of the flotilla posted on X: “Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”

Some 20 unidentified vessels were seen approaching the flotilla on Thursday morning, multiple people on board said, as passengers put on life vests and braced for a takeover.

The Global Sumud Flotilla comprises nearly 50 boats from 44 nations and is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid. It has remained undeterred in its mission to break the Israeli blockade of the coastal strip and reach Palestinians, despite repeated warnings from Israel to turn back.

The flotilla is within 90 nautical miles (167 kilometres) of Gaza’s shoreline, inside a zone that Israel is policing to stop any boats approaching.

6.42am

What’s making news this morning

By Emily Kaine

Good morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, October 2. My name is Emily Kaine, and I’ll be helming our coverage for the first part of the day. Here’s what is making headlines this morning in Australia and around the world.

The Global Sumud Flotilla – a fleet of pro-Palestinian activist boats attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and deliver aid to civilians – is currently being intercepted by Israeli military forces. The boat carrying Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg was the first to be intercepted by the IDF. Organisers of the flotilla posted on X: “Our vessels are being illegally intercepted. Cameras are offline and vessels have been boarded by military personnel.”
The US government shutdown is continuing today, as more than 700,000 federal government employees will be temporarily laid off. There are no indications yet about when the shutdown might end, but analysts have warned it could last longer than past shutdowns as Democrats are not budging on Republicans’ proposed funding cuts to federal programs.
Jane Goodall, the conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking chimpanzee research, has died at 91. While living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, Goodall documented the animals using tools and doing other activities previously believed to be exclusive to people, and also noted their distinct personalities. Her observations transformed how the world perceived not only humans’ closest living biological relatives but also the emotional and social complexity of all animals, while propelling her into the public consciousness.

Stay with us as we continue to bring you the latest live news updates throughout the day.

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