Emily KaineUpdated August 20, 2026 — 10:17am,first published August 20, 2026 — 6:45amWhat’s making news today By Emily KaineHello and welcome to our national news live blog for Thursday, August 20. Here’s what you need to know today.Labor’s gambling reform package passed the parliament late last night and is expected to pass the Senate with the backing of the Coalition. The news comes amid heavy criticism of the laws. Several vocal MPs, as well as Rod Glover – husband of the late Peta Murphy whose report three years ago triggered a push for gambling ad bans – have said the reforms are nowhere near comprehensive enough.The government’s sweeping cuts to the NDIS passed the Senate last night and are expected to become law as early as this week.The News Media Bargaining Incentive – the government’s plan to force multibillion-dollar tech companies to compensate news outlets for their journalism – will be debated in the Senate today after it passed the lower house yesterday.The opposition has been calling for minister Matt Keogh to be sacked over his reported falling out with certain veterans pleading for healthcare funding. Yesterday, Senator Jacqui Lambie moved an urgent motion in the Senate urging the government to walk away from its plan to cap allied health spending for veterans at $5000.Swans senior player Isaac Heeney has been revealed as the focus of a sexual assault investigation after the AFL club banned five players for the rest of the season for breaching its club standards on a night out in Melbourne on Sunday.And North Korea has denied there has been any direct communication between Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump, even as the US leader said he was seeking to meet with the North Korean leader this year.Latest Posts10.17am‘Economic D-Day’: Trump announces new sanctions targeting IranBy Michael KoziolDonald Trump has announced he will hit Iran and other countries with an “unprecedented” package of sanctions aimed to crush the regime’s economy after the two parties failed to strike a deal to end the war.The US president said any country that allowed its financial institutions, businesses, airports or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran would face “TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences”.While the US government did not immediately provide specifics, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has recently signalled a new sanctions package that would significantly dial up restrictions on Iranian finance.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.BloombergFor example, Bloomberg News reported the US has so far stopped short of targeting Chinese banks that finance Beijing’s oil purchases from Iran. Other measures could target banks and financial institutions all over the world.“Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies - It all needs to stop NOW. You know who you are,” Trump said on Truth Social on Wednesday evening (US time).“This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat.”10.06amTaylor says Coalition would use commodity windfalls to pay down debt By Brittany BuschOpposition Leader Angus Taylor said the Coalition would reserve windfalls from commodity prices to pay down debt as the nation’s debt exceeds $1 trillion. “Labor’s had these massive windfalls, $400 billion that was not expendable... A big part of it is commodity prices, and this is why what we have proposed is those windfalls should go into a future generations fund, which either pays down debt or invests in productive infrastructure for the longer term,” Taylor told 3AW.“When you’ve got a $400 billion windfall, right, which is 40 per cent of a trillion – that was a huge gift that has been given to Labor, which could have been used to be paying down debt, but it hasn’t,” he said.“A future generations fund… forces future governments to use those windfalls responsibly.”9.44amTrump allies threaten punitive tariffs over news bargaining incentiveBy Michelle GriffinThe government’s news media bargaining incentive – which will tax social media giants who don’t strike payment deals with media companies – is expected to pass today.But Trump administration allies Americans for Tax Reform – a conservative taxpayer group – fired off a missive overnight urging the US government to introduce punitive tariffs in Australia under Section 301, calling Australia’s bill “a new way to tax American success”.The Trump administration has labelled the legislation as “extortion”.APThe US administration has already described the proposal as extortion.The Americans for Tax Reform say the bill is unfair not only to the US social media platform but also to smaller news companies in Australia.“An ally does not extract hundreds of millions from American companies through a tax engineered to guarantee they are the only ones who pay it. Canberra cannot expect successful American corporations to act as piggy banks for faux-populist policies.”9.27amWilson: ‘Sad day’ for Australia as debt surpasses $1 trillion By Brittany BuschShadow treasurer Tim Wilson said the federal debt surpassing $1 trillion marked “a sad day for the country”.“Today’s debt is tomorrow’s taxes, and so what we’re passing on to future generations isn’t just debt. The debt is also being used to stoke inflation, so they’re paying higher prices today. Everyone’s paying higher prices today, and they’ll have to repay that debt and continue to finance that debt,” Wilson told reporters in Canberra.“The government wants to absolve themselves of responsibility of the national debt,” he said. “They’ve received a $400 billion windfall, which, if they had a paid down debt, been prudent and responsible, Australia’s position would be substantially better off.”Shadow treasurer Tim Wilson. Dominic Lorrimer9.13amGovernment increases pensioner deeming rates By Shane WrightPensioners making money from investments will lose more of their welfare payments after the federal government today revealed it would increase the rates used to determine how much retirees earn on their savings.Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said the deeming rate would, from September 20, be increased to 1.75 per cent for assets up to $66,800 for singles and $110,600 for couples. The deeming rate for assets above those thresholds will be 3.75 per cent.The rates are a half percentage point increase on the existing rates.Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek.Alex EllinghausenDeeming is the process used by the government to calculate a uniform return on financial investments, such as savings accounts and term deposits, to simplify income rates when calculating pensions. Instead of requiring pensioners to provide their actual earned income on financial investments, a deemed rate is applied.It had traditionally moved generally in line with changes in official interest rates, but the Morrison government froze the rate for three years in 2020. That was despite the rapid increase in interest rates through 2022 and 2023.Plibersek said the increase was based on a recommendation from the Australian Government Actuary.“A crucial component of the social security system, deeming provides a simple and fair way of assessing income from financial assets so that government support is directed to those who need it most,” she said in a statement.8.49amCalls grow for Australia to expel Israeli ambassador By Brittany BuschChris Sidoti, from the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, has called for Australia to expel Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman after Israel cleared its military of criminal wrongdoing in the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom.Foreign Minister Penny Wong will haul Newman in to explain the determination.“The minister, when she sees the ambassador, should tell him that he’s going home,” Sidoti told Radio National.Chris Sidoti.Renee Nowytarger“I don’t support breaking diplomatic relations with Israel. I don’t support closing of embassies. But this bloke is clearly an unacceptable representative, so far as Australia is concerned, and he should be sent home. He has interfered in Australia’s internal politics. He has been offensive in dealing with Australian members of the flotilla that tried to reach Gaza with humanitarian aid, and again his government now has failed Australian citizens, so he should be told that he’s going home.” Sidoti said he was cynical about the prospect of justice being delivered by Israel’s internal system when only two of five “very serious, well-documented” cases had been referred for criminal investigation.“That’s why we need the International Criminal Court conducting the investigations that it’s conducting, and we have to look to the International Criminal Court for justice in these cases,” he said.8.23amHeeney dropped from lucrative sponsorship dealBy Daniel Lo SurdoColgate has dropped Swans star Isaac Heeney from its lucrative sponsorship deal as the footballer was revealed as the focus of Victoria Police’s investigation into an alleged sexual assault at an East Melbourne hotel room on Monday morning.Heeney – who along with Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice and James Jordon, has been stood down from the rest of the AFL season – will have his ambassadorial activities with Colgate paused for at least the duration of the police investigation.Isaac Heeney during a match in May. Getty Images“We are aware of the reports regarding an investigation by Victoria Police in East Melbourne. We take these matters very seriously and have suspended our partnership with Mr. Heeney pending completion of the investigation,” a Colgate spokesperson said. “As this remains an active police matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”Heeney appeared in several advertisements and social media videos as part of his partnership with Colgate. Several of those videos appeared to have been deleted as of this morning.It came after Telstra stood down Heeney and Warner from their brand ambassador positions on Monday.Swans corporate partners QBE, Origin Energy and Hong Kong sauce giant Lee Kum Kee are among the brands that have expressed concern about the alleged sexual incident.8.11amHill: Israel’s decision ‘a gratuitous insult’ to Zomi Frankcom’s family By Emily KaineAssistant Minister Julian Hill has condemned the Israeli government’s decision not to pursue a criminal investigation into Israeli soldiers responsible for the strike that killed Australian Zomi Frankcom, along with six other aid workers, in Gaza.Speaking to ABC Radio National this morning, Hill said the decision was an insult to Frankcom’s memory.“It’s difficult not to see that this is a gratuitous insult to Zomi Frankcom’s family, to her memory, to her colleagues, indeed to Australia ... It beggars belief, and I’m pleased to see rightly that the minister will be calling in the Israeli ambassador. That Australia’s ambassador in Israel will be conveying these views directly to the Israeli government,” he said.Hill would not say whether the Israeli ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, should be sent home.“I’m not getting ahead of what the minister may or may not do, and I’ll just let her take the appropriate action. She’s going to meet with the ambassador. He’s been called in. She’ll make comments in due course. So I think it’s not helpful to speculate.”7.58amWatch: Jacqui Lambie’s emotional plea to the prime minister By Emily KaineIndependent senator Jacqui Lambie delivered an extraordinary address to parliament yesterday as she demanded the government abandon its cap on allied health spending for veterans.She shared her personal story of vaginal prolapse, which she said was linked to chronic back problems she sustained during her service in the Australian Army, and detailed her difficulty accessing appropriate gynaecological healthcare in her home state of Tasmania.Lambie said she was lucky she had the means to pay for her surgery, but claimed most female veterans were not so fortunate.Her remarks came on the same day the opposition dialled up the pressure on the PM to sack minister for veterans Matt Keogh, after his reported falling out with veterans pleading for healthcare funding.Watch what Lambie said here.7.50amRead Wong’s statement on killing of Zomi Frankcom in GazaBy Emily KaineForeign Minister Penny Wong says she is “outraged” by Israel’s decision not to pursue criminal proceedings against the Israeli soldiers responsible for the killing of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom in Gaza in 2024.Frankcom and six colleagues died on April 1, 2024 when the vehicle they were travelling in was fired upon while delivering aid in Gaza.Australian Zomi Frankcom was one of seven aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike while helping to deliver food in Gaza.LinkedInWong has vowed to call in Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, to convey Australia’s views on the decision.Read her statement in full:Australia is outraged the Israeli Government has decided not to pursue criminal proceedings against those responsible for killing Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues.The Australian Government learned of Israel’s decision late last night, moments before it was announced, on World Humanitarian Day – which is especially insulting to Zomi’s loved ones, humanitarians and all Australians.Zomi represented the best of Australia. Her courage deserves to be celebrated. Her family deserves justice.This decision falls far short of the accountability we expect.This is despite Israel Defense Forces admissions that the IDF strikes on Zomi and her colleagues’ vehicles were the result of serious failures to follow IDF procedures, mistaken identification and errors in decision-making.This was confirmed by Special Adviser Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin’s report.Democracies seek and accept higher standards. The Australian Government will not stop pressing Israel for justice for Zomi and her colleagues.I will call in Israel’s Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman and have directed Australia’s Ambassador to Israel to convey our views directly to Israel as the Australian Government considers next steps.1 of 2