Australia news LIVE: Netanyahu backs US plan to end war; Triple Zero network under scrutiny as government fast-tracks watchdog

The head of Optus’ parent company Singtel has refused to say whether Stephen Rue has his backing during a doorstop interview in Sydney.

Asked twice whether the Optus chief executive had his full backing, Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon said: “We brought in Stephen 11 months ago to transform Optus. To really address the issues that we have had since 2022-23”.

Moon was then interrupted by a follow-up question about Rue’s performance, to which he said: “It is very early days, it takes time to transform a company ... he is here to provide the solution.”

Optus chair John Arthur, Singtel CEO Kuan Moon Yuen, and Optus CEO Stephen Rue speak to media following a meeting with communications minister Anika Wells. Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong

Asked whether the service failure on September 18, when three people lost their lives, was related to underfunding in the carrier’s Triple Zero system, Optus board chairman John Arthur said: “We recruited Stephen specifically to fix the issues at Optus. He has been in the job 11 months, the board is satisfied that he is making progress but it is a work in progress.

“The incident on the 18th was a process-related incident. People made mistakes. It was not a question of money. It was not a question of investment. And in due course, we will be talking about the extent of Singtel’s investment in Australia, which, of course, goes beyond Optus.”

Communications Minister Anika Wells says Optus chief Stephen Rue will have to work hard to regain the confidence of the Australian public after repeated failures of the carrier to support Triple Zero calls in recent weeks.

“I think the CEO of Optus has a lot of work to do, given these two outages have happened in short succession and has given rise to a very serious lack of confidence in both Optus and their ability to deliver Triple Zero services to Australians when they need it most,” Wells told journalists in Sydney this morning.

“The CEO of Optus now needs to work with their parent company, Singtel, on the systems and holistic change required within their own company to give that confidence back to Australians,” she said.

Communications minister Anika Wells speaks to media after meeting with Optus executives in Sydney.Credit: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The minister held a press conference following a meeting with Singtel head Yuen Kuan Moon in which she “conveyed [the government’s] collective conviction that this is completely unacceptable and we cannot allow this to happen again”.

“I sought assurances from both Optus and Singtel that their upmost priority is restoring the confidence of Australians in their Triple Zero system and that they are taking steps to make sure that these things do not continue to happen and impact Australians when it matters the most,” Wells said.

“I have also asked Singtel to appoint external accountability to make sure that Australians can take advice not just from Optus themselves, but from an independent and external party, that the systems in place will serve Australians when they needed the most.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles has responded to the news report by saying he is confident about the pact, but he acknowledged there could be ways to improve the agreement.

“AUKUS is happening – that’s not in question,” he told ABC Radio in Melbourne this morning.

The USS North Dakota, a Virginia-class boat of the type Australia would acquire under the AUKUS deal.

“An incoming government having a review about how AUKUS can be done better is a really natural step for an incoming government to take, it’s a step that we took when we came to government.”

Asked if the deal was safe, Marles said he was “very confident” about the agreement, but he added that he was open to improvements. “How we can do this better is something that we all will continue to be striving for throughout the progress of AUKUS.”

Liberal senator and former ambassador to Israel Dave Sharma says Hamas will be “signing their own extinction warranty” if they agree to Trump’s proposed Gaza peace deal.

“This agreement would require them to, yes, release the hostages, but also demilitarise and give up political power,” Sharma said on Sky this morning.

“Now, I think it depends on two things, how much military pressure are they under... and how much pressure do particularly nations like Qatar, Egypt and Turkey, bring to bear on Hamas leadership, and [those nations] are very much part of this plan. Donald Trump met with them in New York last week. Their efforts are going to be integral to getting Hamas to sign up to this.”

Hamas has not yet responded to the plan unveiled by the US president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning.

Senator Dave Sharma.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Asked whether he thought the decision by Australia and other nations to recognise Palestinian statehood helped to accelerate the proposed peace deal, Sharma said, “No, absolutely not. It’s done exactly the opposite. I mean, I think it just shows how foolish Australia’s foreign policy has been. Here we were speaking about recognising a Palestinian state last week... whilst the real work was being done with the US administration, with the Arab countries, with Israel. That’s a group in which we would have normally had a seat at the table and a voice.

“But this plan has been developed and unveiled without any Australian input, without any Australian consultation because we are simply not a trusted ally in the Middle East any more. So we’ve gone from having some influence to having no influence because of this misguided and utopian sort of foreign policy we’ve been pursuing under [Foreign Minister] Penny Wong and [Prime Minister] Anthony Albanese,” the Liberal senator said.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has issued warnings regarding imported unregistered melatonin products following testing by its laboratories. The tests indicated significant discrepancies between the listed amount of melatonin and the actual amount present in products sold by online suppliers.

Melatonin plays a role in the sleep-wake cycle. It is a hormone produced naturally by the body and its levels in the blood are highest at night.

Melatonin from some online suppliers was found to have as much as four times the amount advertised, according to the national drug regulator.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is issuing a safety advisory regarding imported unregistered melatonin products following testing.Credit: Moment RF

The TGA warned that unregulated melatonin could be particularly dangerous for children, with serious side effects including hospitalisation and accidental overdose. In Australia, melatonin is approved for use in children as a prescription-only medicine in limited circumstances.

The authority advised parents to consult a treating medical practitioner to determine whether the use of melatonin is safe for their child.

There has been an increase in Australians purchasing melatonin products from online suppliers, which are often sold in gummy form or as tablets or capsules.

Defence Minister Richard Marles has this morning voiced support for US President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza on the condition that it does not involve the annexation of any Palestinian territories or forced displacement of any peoples.

“We have made it really clear that we need to see a ceasefire, that we need to see an end to these hostilities. We do not want to see an annexation of these territories, and I know that forms part of this agreement as well,” Marles told ABC Melbourne this morning.

The 20-point peace plan, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, does not require people to leave Gaza and would lead to the immediate end of the war and the release of all remaining hostages within 72 hours if Hamas accepts its conditions.

US President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the West Wing of the White House.Credit: AP

“Our view, ultimately, is that the only way that there will be an enduring peace in the Middle East is if there are two states. The plan, as it’s been articulated, keeps the door open for all of that. So that’s where we see that there is hope, but what we need is for all parties to be embracing a pathway to peace here,” said Marles.

Hamas has not yet responded to the plan, but Trump said Israel would have the “full backing” of the US to take steps to defeat Hamas if it doesn’t accept the deal.

Kerry Stokes’ Seven West Media will merge with Australia’s biggest radio company, Southern Cross Media under a proposed merger, creating a new media company with television, radio and publishing assets.

Southern Cross owns the Triple M Network as well as the Hit Network, which includes stations like Melbourne’s The Fox, while Seven owns The West Australian newspaper and the Seven Network, which airs AFL and Cricket coverage.

The announcement to the market this morning said Seven shareholders would own 49.9 per cent of shares, and Southern Cross shareholders 50.1 per cent.

Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes.Credit: Trevor Collens

Seven is the largest shareholder in Southern Cross’ main competitor, ARN Media. The companies have been touted to merge for some time.

Stokes, Seven’s chair, backed the proposed merger, saying it would bring significant financial and strategic benefits for his company’s shareholders.

“This is an important merger, as the combined company will be better able to serve both metropolitan and regional viewers, listeners, partners and advertisers. It will add strength to each of the combined businesses’ television, audio, digital and publishing operations across the country,” Stokes said.

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old charged with murdering US right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk made a brief court appearance today, where his new legal team confirmed they would seek a preliminary hearing to determine whether there is enough evidence to proceed to a trial.

Robinson is accused of firing the single rifle shot from a rooftop sniper’s perch that took Kirk’s life on September 10 while Kirk, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, was addressing a crowd on a university campus in Orem, Utah.

Robinson, arrested after a 33-hour manhunt, has been jailed without bond on charges of aggravated murder and several other criminal offences, and prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty if he is convicted.

Shooting suspect Tyler Robinson appears on a courtroom video link on Tuesday.Credit: Utah State Courts

Robinson’s court-appointed lawyer, Kathryn Nester, told Utah Fourth District Judge Tony Graf in Provo that she did not intend to waive the right to a preliminary hearing, where prosecutors must demonstrate to a judge that there is sufficient evidence to support the charges.

Nester said the defence would need time to examine the evidence, which prosecutors called “voluminous” and suggested it may be months before the hearing can take place. Under Utah state law, defendants do not enter a plea until after the preliminary hearing.

Robinson appeared in court virtually from the Utah County jail.

Reuters