Australia news live: more Victorian residents warned too late to leave as fires roll in; Minns says new NSW powers will fight hate speech ‘behind closed doors’

More Victorian residents warned too late to leave as fires roll in

VicEmergency just released two emergency warnings for residents in multiple areas to take shelter now.

Those near the Walwa fire in the areas of Berringama, Bullioh, Koetong, Lucyvale, Shelley, Tallangatta Valley and surrounds are in immediate danger and must take action now to survive, officials said.

The fire west of Walwa remains out of control and it is too late to leave.

In Victoria’s south, a fire near the Carlilsle River is also out of control. An emergency warning has been issued for Irrewillipe and the safest option for this in the warning area is to take shelters indoors immediately. It is too late to leave.

Updated at 01.48 CET

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More than 350 structural losses in Victoria, says Allan

Allan goes on to say there have been at least 350 structural losses in the state. She also says she wants to “pause for a moment and acknowledge the loss of life at the Longwood fire”.

A member of that local community who was part of that local community, has lost their life as a result of the fires, that huge and ongoing fire around Longwood. And my thoughts and condolences are with that person’s family, their loved broader community too, and indeed as we were talking [about] yesterday, everyone across the emergency services and fire-affected communities felt that loss when we heard the news yesterday afternoon, that someone had been lost to the fires.

It’s a devastating impact and it’s a devastating reminder of the tragedy that fire can bring to any community, to any household, to any doorstep, particularly on those difficult, catastrophic and extreme weather days.

Jacinta Allan acknowledges ‘catastrophic day’ in western Victorian town

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is now addressing media in Natimuk alongside emergency services officials. Allan begins by acknowledging the devastating impact the weekend’s fires had on the western Victorian town. She says:

When the fires started here on Friday afternoon it was in the midst of a catastrophic day. The heat was fierce and the winds were incredibly strong. And the fire took off in the grasslands and the consequence of that fire is that we have seen the fire come through the Natimuk community, but also across the broader district as well that has been hit. That’s because there were many thousands, more than 8,000 hectares of land have been burnt out as a result of this fire. The fact it wasn’t more was because of incredible work of the, not just the Natimuk CFA, but the brigades across the district.

The Golden Globes begin – follow our live coverage

Sian Cain

The Golden Globes are kicking off now. If you are following along at home (reminder: you can watch live on Paramount+ or follow our liveblog), there are a few Australian nominees to get behind this year.

Jacob Elordi is nominated for best supporting actor for Frankenstein AND best actor in a limited series for The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

Joel Edgerton is nominated for best actor in a drama for Train Dreams.

Rose Byrne is nominated for best actress in a musical or comedy for If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You.

Sarah Snook is nominated for best actress in a limited series in All Her Fault.

Nick Cave is nominated for best original song with Bryce Dessner for their song Train Dreams, from the film Train Dreams.

Follow our liveblog here:

Updated at 02.09 CET

Jacinta Allan speaks to bushfire-affected residents ahead of Victoria update

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, is expected to provide a bushfire update from Natimuk fire station in the state’s west shortly.

Allan, who posted a video on social media earlier showing her returning to her home in Bendigo after she was among thousands forced to evacuate, was due to speak at about 11.30am, but is still speaking to affected community members in Natimuk.

We’ll bring you updates from the press conference as soon as it begins.

Minns shares support for ‘bonafide Australian hero’ Amy Scott after cancer diagnosis

Returning to the NSW premier’s press conference earlier, Chris Minns spoke in support of Insp Amy Scott, the police officer who shot and killed the Bondi Junction shopping centre attacker in April 2024, following the news that Scott has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

According to a NSW Police Legacy appeal, it is a “rare and aggressive form” of the disease.

Minns said:

I spoke to Amy a couple of weeks ago. She is a genuine, bonafide Australian hero, someone we owe a huge debt of gratitude to, not just because of her heroic actions in Bondi Junction of a couple of years ago but she has been an inspiration to the exact same officers that attended the [alleged] terrorism event on 14 December.

She is so important for NSW and our community and I’m devastated to hear this news. If anyone deserves a break it is Amy and we wish her the very best, she is an absolute champion.

Here’s the current state of the fires in Victoria

More Victorian residents warned too late to leave as fires roll in

VicEmergency just released two emergency warnings for residents in multiple areas to take shelter now.

The fire west of Walwa remains out of control and it is too late to leave.

Updated at 01.48 CET

Sian Cain

The Golden Globes are kicking off in Hollywood, here’s how to watch

In lighter news, the 2026 Golden Globe awards are kicking off in Hollywood this morning, with TV and film’s best and brightest walking down the red carpet right now.

If you’d like to watch the arrivals in real time, you can watch the Associated Press’ livestream on YouTube right now

If you’d like to watch the Golden Globes ceremony, you’ll have to stream on Paramount+. The ceremony begins at 12pm AEDT.

Otherwise, our live blog has just kicked off where you can follow both the red carpet and ceremony today.

One Battle After Another leads the film nominees, with nine nominations, followed by Sentimental Value with eight, Sinners with seven and Hamnet with six. The White Lotus leads the television nominees with six nominations, followed by Adolescence with five, and Severance and Only Murders in the Building with four apiece.

Minns’ message to illegal hate preaching: ‘we have introduced laws to take you on’

Minns added:

If you are preaching hate and vilifying some on Sydney’s streets, then we have introduced laws to take you on, to confront you to say this is not tolerable in a multicultural community in Sydney in 2026.

Minns said recent events showcased the need to address hate preaching:

Recent evidence shows us that when we see hate speech in our community we should take it as read that they are trying to divide our community and trying to put hate in someone’s heart and we should confront it where we see it.

Minns champions new powers over illegal hate preaching venues

The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is speaking about the government’s efforts to shut down illegal hate preaching venues, which include powers to see utilities cut off, as we reported earlier in the blog.

Fines against those who defy orders will increase tenfold: The penalty per individual will go from $11,000 to $110,000, and for corporations they will move from $22,000 to $220,000 for a single offence.

Minns said it would not be “the only and last initiative the government will move to take on hate speech in our community”:

We need to fight hate speech where we see in our communities and also where we don’t see it behind closed doors and this is one of a raft of measures we will be introducing over the next six months to 12 months.

Updated at 00.45 CET

Melissa Davey

Government commits to listing weight loss drug Wegovy on the PBS

The federal health minister Mark Butler has confirmed the government will move to list weight-loss drug Wegovy on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) following a recommendation from the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) just before Christmas.

PBAC is is an independent expert body appointed by the Australian government that advises whether medicines should be subsidised on the PBS based on clinical benefit, safety, and value for money taxypayers. The government has so far gone on to list all PBAC recommendations.

Photograph: Hollie Adams/Reuters

The recommendation is for Wegovy to be available on the PBS for people with severe obesity (that is, a Body Mass Index of 35 and above) and diagnosed cardiovascular disease. The drug is not yet subsidised and no date has been given, with Butler telling reporters at a press conference in Adelaide that the next step is negotiating a price with the manufacturer.

More than 400,000 Australians are currently paying private prices of $4,000-$5,000 a year for GLP-1 medicines including Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro, and Butler said subsidising Wegovy for those who need it most is a health and equity issue. However, securing a price that works for patients and taxpayers is needed, he said.

Three arrested after alleged racially motivated attack on Muslim religious leader in Victoria

A Victorian Muslim religious leader was punched in the face after he and his wife were allegedly forced from their car on a Melbourne freeway in what police allege was a racially motivated attack, AAP reports.

Police allege the pair were travelling along the South Gippsland Highway in Melbourne’s south-east at 7.40pm on Saturday when they were “racially abused” by three occupants of a small black hatchback.

Police alleged the occupants of the car hurled objects, drove dangerously to intimidate the couple and got out of their car to assault the imam and threaten his wife after forcing them into a service station.

The Australian National Imams Council condemned it as a “cowardly attack”.