Some staff have been given just 72 hours to provide feedback.

‘This is an important step towards helping people with violent partners.’

Australia's final government-assisted flight from Lebanon touched down in Sydney last night, reuniting people fleeing the unstable region with their loved ones. 

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said 200 Australians and their immediate family members were onboard the flight, bringing the total number of people evacuated from Lebanon to 3121.

"The government is grateful for the support of the commercial airlines and partner countries, including Cyprus for its generous facilitation," she wrote in a statement.

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"And I thank the hardworking Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade teams working in Beirut, Cyprus and Canberra who worked around the clock to coordinate departures."

Australia is no longer scheduling repatriation flights out of Lebanon due to declining demand.

The government advises Australians looking to flee Lebanon to take the first commercial flight out while they remain available, as Beirut Airport could close and leave them unable to depart for an extended period of time.

"The Australian government may not be able to assist you to leave in such circumstances," the government said. 

While last night's flight touched down, Wong was presenting a speech at the University of Tasmania where she again reiterated her call for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.

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She was interrupted by pro-Palestine advocates who heckled her and eventually forced her to leave the stage.

"What we need right now is leaders that have backbone, that are willing to do something that isn't just talk," one could be heard saying in a video broadcast by the ABC.

Ongoing Israeli strikes and military action in southern Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank have created a volatile security situation in the Middle East.

The United Nations has warned of humanitarian crises in all three regions.

Australians are urged not to travel to Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. Anyone already in the region should leave immediately. 

Australians wanting to depart should register via DFAT's Crisis Portal or by calling the Australian Government's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 overseas or 1300 555 135 within Australia.

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Police have uncovered parcels of cash totalling more than $1 million in suspected drug money at a home in Brisbane's south.

Queensland Police allege the discovery came about when they stopped a car as part of a drug trafficking investigation last week.

They subsequently searched a Rocklea home that same day, where they found large vacuum-sealed bundles of cash in a Nike duffle bag.

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Police also seized drug utensils, a gun and ammunition from the property.

A 26-year-old man from NSW was hit with a slew of charges including drug trafficking, unlawful possession of a weapon and dealing in the proceeds of crime money worth $1 million or more.

He was remanded in custody and is expected to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on October 18.

Detective Senior Sergeant Justin Suffolk says police are committed to continuing to disrupt and prevent drug trafficking.

"If you are involved in the distribution of illicit substances, you will be targeted, and you will be held accountable," he said.

Investigations are ongoing.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24 hours per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting or call 131 444.

Research from corporate real estate website Instant Offices has revealed the most burnt-out cities in the world. One Australian city made it surprisingly high up the list, which is based on where people are searching Google for how to cope with burning out at work.

Advocates wanted to be classed as vulnerable road users.

The mothers of both men hugged outside court after the verdict was delivered.

Australia's birth rate has plummeted to levels not seen in 17 years.

The nation's fertility rate for 2023 hit a record low of 286,998 births – down 4.6 per cent or around 14,000 births from last year – the worst since 2006.

In 2004, then-Treasurer Peter Costello urged Australians to have more babies, issuing a plea for parents to "have one for Mum, one for dad and one for the country".

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But it seems those calls went unheard as the fertility trajectory continued to take a plunge.

Fresh ABS data found the current birth rate now sits at 1.5 births per woman.

In Australia, a steady birth rate of 2.1 births per woman is needed to keep a natural population balance without counting immigration.

The last time the birth rate sat above 2.0 per woman was in 2008.

The only states where the birth rate increased were Western Australia and Tasmania, with 553 and 69 more babies born than the previous year, respectively.

Meanwhile, the average age for a new mother in 2023 was 31.9, while fathers had a median age of 33.8.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, a father of three, said Labor was keenly aware of the financial challenge having kids posed for Australians.

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"That has been a long-term trend and there are reasons for that, including good reasons for it, as I said before, it can be expensive to have kids," he told media today.

"People make their own decisions for their own reasons, my job is to make sure people can have the choice… of whether to have more kids or not."

Chalmers said the federal government was committed to "making it easier for people to have more kids if they want to".

"But we know affordability is a big part of that challenge," he added.

The Treasurer said the federal government was prioritising issues such as affordable early childhood education to help combat the declining fertility rate.

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