TRANSCRIPT:
The federal government has finally appointed Australia's first-ever Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.
Aftab Malik will take up the three-year-long appointment, starting on the 14th of October.
The appointment was supposed to have been announced alongside the antisemitism envoy - Jillian Segal - in July.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says finding a suitable candidate had "proved more of a challenge".
Both positions have been established as a result of concerns over social cohesion resulting from the current conflict in the Middle East.
.
Australians in Lebanon are urging the federal government to do more to help them get out of the country.
Brian Raslan is an Australian citizen and is currently living at his parents home village of Ras El Matn, north-east of Beirut.
He says he's tried to heed the government's advice to evacuate Lebanon via a commercial route, but Qatar Airways cancelled his planned flight.
He says his family in Australia are very anxious about the situation.
Mr Raslan says he is keeping occupied by helping his Aunty who lives elsewhere, move out of her apartment, as it was no longer safe for her.
"People high up in Hezbollah moved in to their apartment, a few things happened and they had to evacuate the apartment. Because they then become a target - an Israeli target. So I help them. I don't go down to Beirut, because I don't want to put myself in any danger but every now and again you will hear some explosions."
.
Fire response services across Australia say they are on alert as the official bushfire season begins.
But vegetation growth fuelled by persistent wet weather has put the New South Wales Rural Fire Service on the back foot.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib has confirmed just 78 per cent of the hazard reduction targets had been achieved ahead of the season.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers says they have done their best to be ready, and homeowners should also be alert.
"We need to prepare ourselves for what's coming. The state is in a good position as far as resourcing. We've got a lot of resources, fire services. We've got a large air tanker, the Marie Bashir, back in the next week from California. Whether you're going to stay or go - if you're home is prepared than it gives firefighters a lot better chance to save your home. We want to make sure that obviously you and your family are the most safe as they can be. So have that discussion."
.
Hundreds of email addresses, including those belonging to victims of crime, have been shared in a court blunder in Victoria.
It's understood an email was sent by the Victims of Crime Assistance Tribunal (VOCAT) last week to advise of a change to the process for compensation applications - but all of the recipient emails were visible.
The Tribunal says the email was unintentional.
But lawyers say it is a serious privacy breach which will likely cause more trauma to victims.
.
Dating apps will have six months to comply with a code of conduct designed to make matchmaking sites safer.
Tinder, Hinge and other online dating platforms will have to take action against dangerous users and refer complaints to the police under the voluntary Australia-wide industry code.
It takes effect today [[October 1]] and could become mandatory after two years.
It comes as a study found three-quarters of people who used dating apps over a five-year period were victims of sexual violence.
.
Australia's consumer watchdog is set to receive a 30 million dollar boost to crack down on supermarket pricing practices.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the extra money will help the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission complete more investigations and enforce the law.
Mr Albanese says customers deserve respect.
"My government wants to make sure that Australian consumers get a fair go when families are doing it tough they need a government that its on their side. Customers don't deserve to be treated as fools by the supermarkets."
.
A man has been charged with commercial drug supply after police allegedly found 44kg of cannabis in his car after he hit a kangaroo.
Officers allegedly discovered the cannabis in the vehicle's boot after being called to the accident scene on the Sturt Highway in NSW and subsequently searching the car.
