Australia news LIVE: PM says he would dump ex-prince Andrew from line of royal succession; Bondi royal commission commences today

The deputy leaer of the Greens has taken aim at Prime Minster Anthony Albanese after he wrote to the UK arguing the former Prince Andrew should be removed from the line of succession.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi said Albanese’s letter was “not leadership”.

“It is a humiliating reminder that Australia is still shackled to a corrupt and crumbling royal family,” she said.

“Rather than pleading with a foreign government to clean up its messes, Australia should be cutting ties altogether and choosing its own head of state.”

South Australia’s algal bloom has spread north up the Yorke Peninsula, turning waters a sickly brownish-green colour and suffocating southern sand octopus, rays and other marine life.

There are now fears it could spread further north into the Spencer Gulf towards South Australia’s annual aggregation of giant cuttlefish, which is due to take place off the coast of Whyalla from May.

The annual event is the only known mass gathering of giant cuttlefish – which can weigh as much as 10 kilograms – in the world, and is billed as one of the most spectacular natural events in the Australian marine environment.

The natural wonder attracts photographers, divers and researchers from around the world, drawn to the beauty of the colour-changing cuttlefish, which are dubbed “chameleons of the sea”.

Federal Health Minister Mark Butler says news of an endometriosis doctor accused of performing unnecessary surgery on women over a number of years “sickened him”, but has thanked the women who came forward with their stories for their bravery.

Allegations against gynaecologist Dr Simon Gordon have been referred to the Victorian healthcare watchdog, as well as police after former patients came forward.

This masthead this month revealed Gordon was under investigation by the national medical regulator over allegations he performed unnecessary endometriosis surgeries on women, including removing their ovaries and uterus, despite no clinical evidence justifying the procedures.

Gordon, who retired from the Epworth late last year and surrendered his medical registration last month, denies the allegations.

The Sydney doctor trying to repatriate the 34 Australian women and children associated with Islamic State has revealed he also took a 35th passport with him to Syria – for a young male prisoner, Yusuf Zahab.

Dr Jamal Rifi, a medical doctor and friend of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, has spoken for the first time from an undisclosed location in the Middle East, telling this masthead he was “shattered” that his mission had not succeeded.

Of Yusuf, who was taken to Syria by his parents when he was a 12-year-old schoolboy, Rifi confirmed “we do have a passport for him”. However, Yusuf, now 23, was no longer in the Syrian men’s prison where he had been held.

“We went for 35, including a minor who was taken from his mother and put in adult prison – Yusuf,” Rifi said.

Thank you for following our national news live blog for Tuesday, February 24. Here’s what we have covered so far today.

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Australia would help strip the former prince Andrew’s right to succeed to the throne due to the grave allegations against the disgraced royal. Albanese said this morning he voluntarily wrote to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer saying he would support the stripping of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession.

• The PM has also flagged private funding was being canvassed for the Sydney to Newcastle high-speed rail announced this morning, as Transport and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the rail would generate billions of dollars for the economy.

• The head of the royal commission into the Bondi Beach terror attack and antisemitism vowed to deliver her final report before the one-year anniversary of the massacre. Former High Court judge Virginia Bell who was appointed in January as royal commissioner, delivered a short opening statement in Sydney this morning, the first day of the inquiry, followed by remarks from senior counsel assisting the commission, Richard Lancaster, SC.

• Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says accusations a gynaecologist performed unnecessary surgery on women over a number of years have been referred to police and the state’s healthcare watchdog. Safer Care Victoria will now sit on the review panel into the Epworth hospital’s governance over the allegations against Dr Simon Gordon, the state government said today.

Follow along as we continue to bring you rolling news updates throughout the afternoon. I’m Emily Kaine, handing over now to my colleague Isabel McMillan.

The US State Department is pulling out non-essential government personnel and their eligible family members from the US embassy in Beirut, a senior department official said on Monday, amid growing concerns about the risk of a military conflict with Iran.

“We continuously assess the security environment, and based on our latest review, we determined it prudent to reduce our footprint to essential personnel,” said the senior official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

“The embassy remains operational with core staff in place. This is a temporary measure intended to ensure the safety of our personnel while maintaining our ability to operate and assist US citizens,” the official said.

A source at the US embassy said 50 people had been evacuated, while an official at Beirut airport said 32 embassy staff, along with family members, had flown out of Beirut airport on Monday.

Plane watchers believe Puerto Rican rap superstar Bad Bunny has hired a Qantas A380 to transport his gear from Brazil to Australia, for the next leg of his tour.

On Sunday, Qantas sent an A380 from Sydney to São Paulo under flight number QF6043.

“Bad Bunny A380 going non-stop GRU→SYD despite initial plan via AKL,” wrote aviation website Analytic Flying. “Maybe lighter load than expected?”

Former Reserve Bank governor and Treasury secretary Bernie Fraser said a “cartel” of existing homeowners, property developers and politicians does not want real action to reduce house prices.

Giving evidence to a Senate inquiry into the capital gains tax, Fraser said any discussion of changing tax arrangements was “toxic” because so many vested interests were opposed to reform.

Fraser, who backs ending the current 50 per cent concession on CGT, said political courage was needed to take on people who wanted no change.

“[There’s] this cartel, which comprises of existing homeowners, property developers and, not least, lots of politicians who like to see house prices rise and go on rising because there’s votes in it,” he said.

Former High Court judge Virginia Bell and Richard Lancaster, SC, arrived at the Law Courts building in Sydney’s CBD a short time ago for the opening of the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion.

Bell was appointed commissioner in January and opened the inquiry this morning with a short statement emphasising that “this commission must do its work without risking any prejudice” to the criminal proceeding relating to alleged gunman Naveed Akram.

“I am required to deliver my final report … not later than the first anniversary of the Bondi massacre.

Paramount Skydance has raised its offer to buy Warner Bros Discovery extending the long-running battle for one of Hollywood’s iconic studios, according to people familiar with the matter.

The new, unspecified bid improves on the $US30-a-share, all-cash proposal that Paramount took directly to Warner Bros shareholders on December 8 and addresses some of the company’s concerns with previous Paramount bids, according to the people, who asked to not be identified because the details weren’t public. Those concerns include greater certainty of Paramount financing.

The media giant agreed in December to sell its film and TV studios and HBO business to Netflix for $US27.75 a share. That deal involves a spin-off of Warner Bros cable networks like CNN and TNT.

Warner Bros reopened talks with Paramount for a seven-day period ending on Monday.