The intelligence agency stood up a team to monitor anti-Semitic terror.

A NSW council has announced plans to introduce paid parking for visitors at some of Sydney's most popular beaches.

Randwick City Council today released a proposal that would make out-of-towners pay to park at Randwick's seven beaches.

They are Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra, Malabar, Little Bay, La Perouse and Yarra Bay.

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The council said it spends more than $23 million on beach maintenance annually, from rubbish collection to lifeguard services.

Until now, ratepayers have provided all of the funding for those services.

This new paid parking proposal would change that, shifting some of the cost onto beachgoers from outside the Randwick LGA.

Randwick residents would be exempt from the paid parking through a permit system.

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Mayor of Randwick Dylan Parker said it was "only fair" for visitors to contribute to the cost of keeping the area's beaches clean and well-maintained.

"Right now, local ratepayers carry most of that cost, even though the bulk of beach users in summer are visitors," he said in a statement.

"That's not fair or sustainable in the long term."

About nine million visits are made to Randwick's beaches each year, but nearly 84 per cent of visitors come from outside the local LGA.

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If the new proposal goes ahead, revenue raised from making visitors pay for parking would go towards providing beach services, funding new coastal infrastructure, and supporting sustainable transport.

"Providing beaches that are clean, safe and inviting is a significant cost for locals alone to bear," Parker said.

"This proposal is about ensuring we can fairly continue serving the needs of all beachgoers."

The council has today started a six-week community consultation period to get resident feedback on whether the proposal should go ahead.

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The escalating conflict in the Middle East has thrown travel plans into chaos, with thousands stranded at major airports in the region as airspaces are shut and flights grounded.

With Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the UAE and Doha in Qatar being key stopovers for Australians travelling to Europe, many who have upcoming trips planned are questioning their flight plans.

Given the uncertainty surrounding travel through the Middle East region, here are some stopover points to use to get to Europe, and what people with flights coming soon should do.

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Should I cancel my Europe holiday?

Despite the current uncertainty, experts say Australians should not cancel their European holidays or their flights through the Middle East if they are booked.

Australian Travel Industry Association CEO Dean Long told nine.com.au that people who cancel their flights jeopardise the chance of getting a refund or a cheaper or free rebooking.

"Do not cancel your trip, you will lose the consumer rights that you have available to you, such as a full refund," he said.

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He said travellers should wait for the airline to make a call – essentially, let them cancel the flight, meaning it is then their responsibility to offer adequate compensation in the form of a refund or travel credit.

"You'll have to check individually with those airlines where you can get a full refund or a change to the end of March for no fee, but people should go to the relevant airline app or the travel agency app to look at those options before doing anything," Long said.

"You will be out of pocket if you do it the wrong way."

How can I fly to Europe without flying over the Middle East?

While the Middle East is a key hub between Australia and Europe, there are a number of alternative options available.

In terms of price and practicality, several airports in Asia remain the best options for Australians who are still looking to travel to Europe amid the uncertain situation at major hubs like Dubai and Doha.

Singapore is one of the biggest international hubs in the world, and offers flights to London from Sydney and Melbourne.

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Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur airports all serve destinations in Europe as well as major cities in Australia, whilst multiple Chinese airlines offer flights to Europe at a lower price than other carriers.

Long did warn fares were increasing as demand for these regions grew.

"We have seen substantial fare increases at the moment, anywhere between 20 and 80 per cent on average across all of the Asian hubs for the next two weeks," he said.

Is it safe to fly through the Middle East right now?

Some flights have started to fly through the Middle East region in the last 24 hours, especially as countries look to repatriate stranded citizens.

An Emirates flight from Dubai to Sydney took off this morning, carrying around 200 passengers, and is due to land at around 10.30pm.

Flights have resumed to other parts of the world, though mass cancellations are continuing, with a large backlog expected for some time.

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Long said airlines would never jeopardise the safety of their passengers, but travellers needed to prepare for disruptions if they are unable to alter their trip.

"You need to have an understanding that there will be an increased risk of disruption," he said.

Qatar Airways and Etihad Airlines flights remain suspended, though the latter could resume flying tomorrow.

What are the latest travel warnings?

The Australian Government is urging Australians not to travel to most countries in the Middle east, with all but three countries in the region having the highest travel warning of 'do not travel' in place.

This includes the UAE and Qatar, as well as Iran and Lebanon, which have borne the brunt of the damage so far.

Israel's travel rating was also upgraded after it was on the end of retaliatory strikes.

Saudi Arabia, Oman and Jordan all sit at 'reconsider your need to travel', with these countries all having their warning level upgraded in recent days.

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Whoever placed the vacuum-packed cash in the ceiling remains a mystery.

Poseidyn Reigns Hemopo-Pickering, of Manurewa, died in September 2020.

Officers seized an M4-style rifle and a 3D-printed semi-automatic pistol.

A murderer's history of domestic violence should have raised greater alarm sooner, a coroner has found, sparking calls for police risk assessment policies to be reviewed.

Maryam Hamka, 36, was killed by her partner Toby Loughnane in April 2021 at his Brighton apartment, in Melbourne's southeast.

Weeks earlier, on March 6, police responded to reports of a separate incident in which Loughnane chased Hamka while armed with a knife to her mother's home.

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Victoria Police's Family Violence Investigation Unit triaged the incident as medium risk in line with its guidelines.

In findings released today, State Coroner Liberty Sanger said Loughnane's long history of family violence should have raised greater concern and warranted specialist oversight.

"This incident should have been classified as high risk," she said.

When police arrived, Hamka had already left the scene and denied the incident took place when they contacted her.

Her sister, however, told police the incident did take place, telling officers Loughnane had also "bashed her really bad previously".

A police report noted the parties had no previous family violence reports despite Loughnane's history of family violence.

On April 11, Loughnane killed Hamka and later buried her body in a shallow grave at Cape Schanck, on the Mornington Peninsula.

A jury found him guilty of murder and, in February 2025, he was sentenced to 28 years' imprisonment with 20 years non-parole.

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Judge Sanger did not suggest a different rating would have prevented Hamka's death or that it was wrong under the relevant policy, but said it may have overlooked the gravity of Loughnane's violence.

"Even if the risk assessment tool did not assess this as high risk, in my view, this does not obviate the need for members to use professional judgment," the coroner wrote.

Loughnane had been recorded by Victoria Police as a family violence perpetrator on 21 occasions.

He had been jailed for violent offending, breached court orders and been managed under high-risk police monitoring in relation to other women.

Judge Sanger recommended the state government fund an independent evaluation of Victoria Police's risk models and Family Violence Investigation Units.

She also called on the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing to provide ongoing funding for long-term perpetrator interventions.

Support is available by calling 1800 RESPECT on 1800 737 732, Lifeline on 13 11 14 and Men's Referral Service on 1300 766 491.

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A popular lunchbox snack sold in Aldi stores across Australia has been taken off the shelves due to the potential presence of black rubber pieces.

The supermarket giant is recalling Hillcrest Bubble Bars in the choc rainbow, birthday cake and choc chip flavours with the best before date 08 Sep 2026.

The products were available for sale in 132g boxes in Aldi stores in NSW, the ACT, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

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"Food products containing black rubber pieces may cause illness or injury if consumed," the recall notice said.

"Consumers should not eat this product.

"Consumers should return the product(s) to the place of purchase for a full refund.

"Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice."

Shoppers can call the ALDI Stores Food Recall Hotline on 1800 709 993 for more information or visit the Aldi website.

Consumers can also visit the Food Standards Australia New Zealand website.

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Australians could get up to one-and-a-half months of leave per year under a new plan launched by the largest trade union in the country.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) have announced their bid to increase the annual leave given to working Aussies to five to six weeks, claiming Australians carry out over a month of unpaid work a year, citing figures from the Centre of Future Work.

They argue this leads to a higher rate of stress and burnout, which should be addressed.

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Currently, many working Australians have four to five weeks of annual leave per year.

"Getting back one of these weeks is fair and reasonable. It will mean a better rested and happier workforce," ACTU Secretary Sally McManus said.

"The majority of European countries have already moved beyond four weeks," she claimed, naming several European countries like France, Germany and Austria.

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The ACTU will table the plans to the National Employment Standards (NES) as part of a parliamentary enquiry into the NES.

They say if the changes are approved, it will be the first increase in the minimum standard of annual leave since the 1970s.

McManus claims younger workers are doing the most unpaid work, and will benefit more from the changes.

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"Younger workers – from 18 to 24 years old – most urgently need to see this burden start to lift. They are the ones doing the most unpaid work," she said.

The ACTU also claim the gap between productivity and real wages has widened, but concede increasing annual leave by a week will add an extra two per cent to employment costs.

However, they claim it would not have a negative impact on the overall economy, because workers would be more to stay in their jobs and would be more productive due to a lower rate of burnout and other fatigue factors.

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The Business Council of Australia has opposed the move, saying it wasn't appropriate for such a policy to be mandated at a broader level without consideration for specific businesses.

"With weak productivity growth, inflation rising and living standards under pressure, this proposal does nothing to address these real challenges," Business Council chief executive Bran Black claimed.

"This proposal assumes businesses can simply absorb the cost of extra leave without any improvement in productivity, effectively mandating that employers fund higher costs without addressing the underlying drivers of wage growth.

"We support flexible working arrangements and entitlements, but a one-size-fits-all government mandate is the wrong approach."

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Donald Trump's Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, has been berated during a Senate hearing by a member of her own party.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis demanded Noem's resignation over what he described as her disastrous leadership.

A visibly angry Tillis tore into Noem over American citizens being wrongfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

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Citing "stonewalling" from Noem, Tillis threatened to bring much of the Senate's work to a halt.

"If I don't get an answer to these questions that you've had a month to respond to, I'll be informing leadership that I'll be putting a hold on any en banc nominations," Tillis told Noem.

"And in two weeks, if I don't get a response, I'm going to deny quorum and markup in as many committees as I can."

The senator was angry about how Noem characterised Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two protesters killed by ICE agents.

Tillis then referenced an anecdote Noem wrote about in her book, where she killed a disobedient 14-month-old dog.

"A 14-month-old dog is basically a teenager in dog years," Tillis said in a raised voice.

"You decided to kill that dog because you had not invested the appropriate time and training and then you have the audacity to go into a book and say it's a leadership lesson about tough choices."

He also criticised Noem as "incompetent" over her handling of FEMA, the US emergency response bureau.

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He was specifically critical of her handling of the Hurricane Helene response in his home state of North Carolina.

Tillis is retiring at the end of his term in January, and as he nears the end of his Senate career, his criticism of the Trump administration has become more strident.

He is likely to be replaced by Democrat Roy Cooper, who is well ahead in the polls.

Noem was also criticised by another Republican, Louisiana's John Kennedy, over her appearance in an ad campaign for the Department of Homeland Security.

"The president approved ahead of time you spending $220 million running TV ads across the country in which you are featured prominently?" he asked Noem.

"It's just hard for me to believe, knowing the president as I do, that you said, 'Mr President, here's some ads I've cut, and I'm going to spend $220 million running them' that he would have agreed to that."

Democratic Senator Cory Booker said 170 American citizens had been wrongly detained by ICE.

Noem has refused to resign from her role.

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