Australia news live: police conduct ‘planned operation’ in Victorian town as hunt for fugitive Dezi Freeman continues | Australia news
Police carry out planned operation in Benalla in search for Dezi Freeman Jordyn Beazley Victoria police are in the Benalla area as part of a planned operation in their month-long search for fugitive Desmond Freeman. Guardian Australia understands that Freeman has not been found. Police confirmed the operation forms part of the ongoing investigation. Benalla…
Police carry out planned operation in Benalla in search for Dezi Freeman
Jordyn Beazley
Victoria police are in the Benalla area as part of a planned operation in their month-long search for fugitive Desmond Freeman.
Guardian Australia understands that Freeman has not been found. Police confirmed the operation forms part of the ongoing investigation.
Benalla is located more than an hour’s drive away from Porepunkah, where Freeman allegedly shot and killed two officers who were part of a group executing a search warrant at his residence in Victoria’s north-east.
Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, has been on the run since 26 August.
About 450 officers have been scouring the Porepunkah area, and in early September more than 125 specialist officers conducted the country’s “largest ever tactical policing operation”, but have found no sign of the alleged shooter.
Victoria police said in a statement on Wednesday:
Police and specialist resources are currently in the Benalla area as part of a planned operation.
There is no immediate risk to community safety.
This forms part of the ongoing investigation in the Porepunkah area in the search for Desmond Freeman, we will not be providing further comment on operational activities.
Key events
Pro-Palestine activists expected to gather at snap protests tonight in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla into Gaza
Pro-Palestine activists are expected to gather at snap protests around Australia tonight to call for the Global Sumud Flotilla to be granted safe passage into Gaza.
The flotilla of boats carrying more than 500 people including politicians, lawyers and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg is aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver aid.
Earlier today, the assistant minister for foreign affairs, Matt Thistlethwaite, said he was deeply concerned by alleged drone attacks on the flotilla and the risks to the safety of Australians and other passengers onboard.
Students for Palestine Australia say they have called rallies for this evening in Sydney, Wollongong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra, as the flotilla enters the “high risk zone” where previous flotillas were intercepted by Israel.
In a statement the Students for Palestine organiser, Shovan Bhattarai, said:
As student activists for Palestine, we are outraged by Israel’s criminal acts of aggression and intimidation towards the Global Sumud Flotilla’s humanitarian mission to break the siege.
But we’re also inspired by the heroic Italian protesters who have blocked roads, ports and train stations to call for an end to the genocide.
Damian Ridgwell, a Palestine Action Group organiser, added:
Until our government takes immediate, concrete action to lift the blockade and stop the genocide, not just empty diplomatic gestures, we will continue to protest and mobilise for Gaza.
Among the Students for Palestine’s demands is that Australia “must cut ties with and sanction Israel” and diplomatically intervene to free the flotilla and secure the safety of Australian and all other flotilla activists.
Research laboratory defends sunscreen tests after TGA raises concerns
More on that sunscreen story we brought you updates on earlier this afternoon.
Yesterday the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said it had “significant concerns” about the reliability of sun protection factor (SPF) testing undertaken by Princeton Consumer Research Corp (PCR Corp), a laboratory based in the UK.
The company has now responded. Here is its full statement, which it sent via email about half an hour ago:
Princeton Consumer Research conducts sunscreen testing in good faith, to recognised industry standards, on the specific samples provided to us by sponsors at the time of testing.
Our studies are performed by trained professionals following written, validated protocols and rigorous quality controls.
Over many years we have tested thousands of product samples for global clients using established methods designed to estimate SPF and related claims.
Sunscreen performance measured in a laboratory reflects the exact batch and condition of the sample submitted at that moment.
Multiple factors outside the laboratory – such as manufacturing variability between batches, raw-material differences, packaging, storage conditions, product age, and in-market handling – can influence the SPF of products sold later.
Testing is therefore one part of a broader quality and regulatory process that includes manufacturing controls, stability programs, and post-market surveillance by brands and regulators.
We can only speak to the data we generated on the samples we tested; we cannot opine on any subsequently manufactured or sold product that we did not test.
You can read our full story from last night here:
Police carry out planned operation in Benalla in search for Dezi Freeman
Jordyn Beazley
Victoria police are in the Benalla area as part of a planned operation in their month-long search for fugitive Desmond Freeman.
Guardian Australia understands that Freeman has not been found. Police confirmed the operation forms part of the ongoing investigation.
Benalla is located more than an hour’s drive away from Porepunkah, where Freeman allegedly shot and killed two officers who were part of a group executing a search warrant at his residence in Victoria’s north-east.
Freeman, also known as Desmond Filby, has been on the run since 26 August.
About 450 officers have been scouring the Porepunkah area, and in early September more than 125 specialist officers conducted the country’s “largest ever tactical policing operation”, but have found no sign of the alleged shooter.
Victoria police said in a statement on Wednesday:
Police and specialist resources are currently in the Benalla area as part of a planned operation.
There is no immediate risk to community safety.
This forms part of the ongoing investigation in the Porepunkah area in the search for Desmond Freeman, we will not be providing further comment on operational activities.
Richard Marles says signing of major defence treaty with Papua New Guinea ‘imminent’
The defence minister, Richard Marles, has also been interviewed on ABC Afternoon Briefing, where he’s said a defence treaty with Papua New Guinea is “imminent”.
Anthony Albanese’s strategy of pushing back against China in the Pacific was dealt another blow last month when he left his trip to Port Moresby without having the treaty signed with his counterpart, James Marape, due to concerns about sovereignty.
Instead, the two governments signed a joint communique and pledged to continue negotiations on the wider Pukpuk mutual defence treaty.
This afternoon, Marles told the ABC that the communique – signed the day after the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea’s independence – was “historic” in its own right and that:
It paves the way for, really, Australia’s third alliance relationship after the US and New Zealand.
And I’m confident that that communique will make its way into a signed treaty in the very near future.
Let me leave it at that, but that was very much the sentiment that was expressed on the part of both prime ministers when they signed the communique a couple of weeks ago.
So, you know, this is imminent.
Angus Taylor says recognition of Palestinian statehood makes Hamas less likely to agree to Gaza peace plan
The opposition’s defence spokesperson, Angus Taylor, has been on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program talking about the Trump administration’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
The Australian government has welcomed the plan and says it leaves the door open to a two-state solution, with the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, applauding its commitment to denying Hamas a role in any future governance of Gaza.
Taylor said he believed the plan offered the “best chance of peace” but criticised the Albanese government for already formally recognising the state of Palestine, saying the decision would provide an incentive for Hamas not to agree to the terms.
Taylor told the ABC:
I do think this gives us our best chance of peace. I think it gives us our best chance of a two-state solution.
But, you know, the problem with recognising Palestine before this goes into place and before we can see it’s working is it’s just provided an incentive for Hamas to not agree to it.
Now, we hope – and all of us, I think, hope – that Hamas does agree to it and that is the best outcome, I think, for everybody.
But the truth of the matter is I don’t think that that recognition decision by the government has provided any support at all to get to these outcomes.
Kamala Harris to speak at Australian women’s leadership summit next year
Kamala Harris is coming to Australia in February next year.
The former US vice-president will speak at the Women Unlimited Leadership Summit in Canberra and Sydney.
She’ll take part in a fireside chat with journalist Leigh Sales.
Ellen Foxall, the head of production at The Hatchery, the company behind the summit, said bringing Harris to the stage “reflects the calibre of conversations Australian women deserve access to, and the momentum we’ve built since 2023 shows just how powerful this platform has become”.
Harris visited Australia for the first time earlier this year when she was the guest of honour at the 2025 Australian Real Estate Conference.
During the conference, Harris criticised Elon Musk and raised concerns about AI.
And if you’d like to read the full story we published yesterday evening on the TGA’s latest sunscreen findings, you can do so here:
More brands respond to TGA’s new list of sunscreens unlikely to meet SPF claims
We’ve heard back from three other brands named by the TGA yesterday as selling products using the base formulation the regulator is concerned about.
Jacqueline Hutton, the owner and director of GlindaWand, whose The Fountain of Youth Environmental Defence Cream SPF50+ was identified by the TGA, said it was “extremely distressing” to see her company named given the product was under review.
Hutton said she wanted to clarify that the product “has not been recalled” but said it had been “removed from sale” on 26 September as a “voluntary precaution” while the company works with the TGA.
Advanced Skin Technology has confirmed preliminary independent testing indicates the SPF protection for Aspect Sun SPF50+ Physical Sun Protection and Aspect Sun SPF50+ Tinted Physical Sun Protection are lower than the 50+ stated on packs.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the company – which has recalled both of these products – said:
Our priority will always be our customer’s skin health and so we will continue to work closely with the TGA while our investigation continues and provide clear guidance to our customer and clinic/retailer network.
A spokesperson for Aesthetics Rx said it had recalled the Ultra Protection Sunscreen Cream, another sunscreen identified by the TGA as using the base formulation of concern.
They said the company was working with its third-party manufacturer to independently test its sunscreen using “multiple, accredited laboratories” that meet the TGA standards and customers were entitled to a full refund.
Ultra Violette responds to TGA warning about other sunscreens using same base formulation as its recalled product
We brought you the news last night that the same base formulation has been identified in 21 sunscreens that Australia’s medicines regulator has warned are unlikely to have a sun protection factor (SPF) rating of more than 21, with some products as low as SPF 4.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) yesterday published a list of products, sold by 17 different brands, which it had identified as using the same base formulation as the recalled Ultra Violette Lean Screen Skinscreen SPF50+.
Another Ultra Violette product was on the list – the Velvet Screen SPF50, although the regulator said this is an export-only product which is not available in Australia.
The regulator said it also had “significant concerns” about the reliability of SPF testing undertaken by Princeton Consumer Research Corp (PCR Corp), a laboratory based in the UK.
The TGA said it was aware many companies responsible for sunscreens manufactured using the base formulation in question relied on testing by PCR Corp to support their SPF claims.
Ultra Violette has now responded to yesterday’s TGA announcement, with a spokesperson for the company saying:
Product integrity is of the utmost importance to us which is why we moved quickly on a comprehensive global recall for our product in August, informing our customers accordingly and offering refunds.
We ceased working with PCR earlier this year and test our products with a broad global network of ISO-accredited testing facilities.
We’ve re-tested the remainder of our range at new independent labs, with those results reinforcing our confidence in the rest of our line.
Catie McLeod
Hi, I hope you’ve had a nice day so far. I’ll take you through the rest of the day’s news.
Nick Visser
That’s all from me. Catie McLeod will take the reins from here. Take care!
Krishani Dhanji
Government ‘deeply concerned’ about safety of Australians aboard Gaza flotilla
The Australian government has said it is “deeply concerned” about the safety of its citizens on board a flotilla to Gaza, with expectations the boats will be intercepted by Israeli forces on Wednesday afternoon Australian time.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said they have been in contact with six Australians confirmed to be on flotilla consisting of more than 40 ships.
Government officials have made representations to the Israeli government, over concerns Australians will be detained or arrested by the Israel Defense Forces.
The Global Sumud Flotilla, with more than 500 people including politicians, lawyers and Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, is aiming to break Israel’s blockade of Gaza and deliver aid.
Read more:
Lois Beckett
All hail Alaska’s fattest bear
After a record-breaking week of public voting, Katmai national park and preserve in Alaska has announced the winner of its “biggest Fat Bear Week yet”.
32 Chunk, frequently described as “the most dominant brown bear on the river”, won the fatness competition despite suffering for most of the season from a broken jaw, which locals suspected came from battling with another male over a female.
The annual bracket-style competition pits different wild bears against each other, based on before-and-after photos of the bears’ weight gain as they prepare for winter, as well as the bears’ personalities and ursine accomplishments.
Read more:
Prime minister hopes BHP issues with China will be ‘very much short term’
Albanese says he is also concerned about a report China is blockading iron ore shipments from BHP amid negotiations over the price of the resource, as reported earlier in the blog.
The prime minister told reporters earlier today:
I am concerned about that. And what we want to make sure is that markets operate properly. And of course, we have seen those issues in the past.
I want to see Australian iron ore be able to be exported into China without hindrance. That is important. It makes a major contribution to China’s economy, but also to Australia’s.
Albanese said such measures are “always disappointing”, but expressed hope they would be “very much short term”:
Sometimes when people are negotiating over price, sometimes these things will occur. But I want to see this resolved quickly.
Police provide update on missing four-year-old in South Australia
SA police superintendent Mark Syrus provided an update earlier about the ongoing search for Gus, a four-year-old missing after last being seen on Saturday at his family’s property. Officials said they found a footprint that was similar to Gus’s, but Syrus cautioned things were getting difficult in the fifth day of searching.
He said:
We just need boots on the ground to do line searches … because looking is our best chance of finding [evidence] …
Yesterday we found a footprint, which we’ve identified as a foot size similar to [Gus’s].
Syrus said there was no suggestion of anything suspicious, but said he had spoken to the family about the length of the ongoing search:
It’s a long time, someone being without water, food and shelter.
Australia pledges permanent memorial on 20th anniversary of Bali bombing
Today marks 20 years since the devastating Bali bombings, which left 20 people, including four Australians, dead.
The Australian government held a memorial service in Bali and plans to hold another in Newcastle tonight. The government will also fund a new, permanent memorial to commemorate the bombings in consultation with survivors of the attack and victims’ families.
Today, 20 years since the 2005 Bali bombings, we honour the victims and survivors of the attacks, which saw the tragic loss of 20 lives, including 4 Australians. Joe Frost was about to enjoy dinner on the beach with friends. He later described it as the scariest hour of his life. pic.twitter.com/YG1we89y9k
— Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 🇦🇺 (@dfat) September 30, 2025
Penny Wong, the minister of foreign affairs, said in a statement:
As we mark this tragic anniversary, the bonds between the governments and people of Australia and Indonesia are stronger than ever.
We share a deep commitment to countering the scourge of violent extremism and will continue to work closely together to further our common interest in the peace and security of our region.
Revoking recognition of Palestinian statehood would be ‘unprecedented’ step, human rights expert says
Should the Coalition move to revoke recognition of Palestinian statehood, as Sussan Ley has promised if she is ever in power, it would be an “unprecedented” step, Prof Ben Saul told the National Press Club.
He said:
Revocation of recognition of statehood, that’s a pretty unprecedented step, actually. It’s more common, of course, to revoke recognition of governments, if you don’t like the flavour of a new government.
But once a state has been established, to somehow say that, even though the rest of the world recognises it, we don’t – would be a very strange move, and not one which states are in the habit of doing.