Australia news live: airlines ban use of power banks on flights; Tropical Cyclone Fina heading for Northern Territory

9.52pm GMT Greens maintain loss of Cop31 an ‘embarrassment’ for Australia The Greens leader, Larissa Waters, said Australia’s move to drop its bid to host next year’s Cop31 climate summit in Adelaide is “an embarrassment”. Related: Australia’s failed bid to host Cop31 looks like a mess – but it may actually be the best result possible | Adam Morton Waters said the notion that there will be a pre-Cop event in the Pacific – part of the Albanese government’s hopes to elevate Pacific voices – was a “consolation prize”. But she said the loss of the climate event was a “missed opportunity” for Australia to hone its environmental message, and a boon for the government’s support for fossil fuel projects such as the extension of the North West Shelf gas plant. She told RN Breakfast this morning of the Albanese government: I think they wanted to avoid the scrutiny. Of the fact that they, within two weeks of re-winning government, approved the biggest gas plant in the southern hemisphere that would have more emissions than all of our coal-fired power stations put together over 10 years, an absolute carbon bomb. The fact that they’ve ticked off on more than 30 other coal and gas projects since they took government, the fact that they’re currently trying to rewrite our environmental laws to fast-track coal and gas approval. And the fact that there’s an algal bloom that’s driven by a marine heat wave that’s caused by climate change on the beaches of Adelaide. Updated at 10.01pm GMT 9.31pm GMT Government urging those in Fina’s path to stay up-to-date and heed warnings Kristy McBain, the federal minister for emergency management, said officials are urging people to “prioritise their safety” and heed cyclone warnings and advice. The federal government has been working with the NT to ensure officials are embedded in the region to assist with any response. McBain added that generators and staff had already deployed into areas of predicted impact. She told RN Breakfast this morning: We’ve been working really closely with the Northern Territory government on the pre-deployment of assets, but it is really important that people listen to those warnings and they’ll be continually updated. … But these things are a little bit unpredictable at this stage. So we’re just asking people to be aware. 9.13pm GMT Tropical Cyclone Fina to start impacting NT this morning Tropical Cyclone Fina is currently a category 1 cyclone, but could intensify to a category 2 or category 3 storm later today. The Bureau of Meteorology said the slow-moving cyclone is headed south-west, with a warning zone issued for the Tiwi Islands and Cape Hotham to Warruwi. The agency has urged residents to complete preparations quickly and be prepared to shelter in a safe place. The Daly River mouth area to Cape Hotham, including Darwin, are currently under a watch zone. Gusts and damaging winds up to 120km/h may develop this morning, with those winds increasing to 155km/h on Friday as the system nears the coast. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are possible in coastal areas of the Tiwi Islands and Warruwi, which will extend to nearby areas inland across the western Top End, including Darwin, on Saturday. The BoM said: Fina is forecast to further intensify to a severe tropical cyclone during Sunday afternoon in the southern Timor Sea. There continues to remain a chance that it could reach category 3 intensity earlier, during late Friday or early Saturday as it moves into the Van Diemen Gulf. ⚠️🌀Tropical Cyclone Fina is slowly moving southwest, with impacts for the #NorthernTerritory from early this morningWarning zone: Tiwi Islands, and Cape Hotham to WarruwiWatch zone: Daly River Mouth to Cape Hotham, including #DarwinLatest track map: https://t.co/sUS8eqwtb5 pic.twitter.com/wCsWAI8PjE— Bureau of Meteorology, Northern Territory (@BOM_NT) November 20, 2025 Updated at 9.39pm GMT 9.00pm GMT Three charged after alleged murder of man on NSW south coast NSW police have arrested and charged three men for the alleged murder of a 43-year-old man in Bega on the state’s south coast in October. The three men, aged 29, 32 and 34, will appear in court on Friday. According to police, the arrests relate to the fatal stabbing of a man found wounded in a Bega park on 6 October. The man died at the scene. A spokesperson for the force said police divers searched a private property and wetlands last week and seized items for forensic examination. On Thursday morning, police searched three homes in Bega and Bemboka before arresting the men. They were denied bail. 8.45pm GMT Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia to ban use of power banks on board Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia will ban the use of power banks on board aircrafts over the next few weeks amid a rise in safety risks associated with damaged or defective lithium batteries. From 1 December, Virgin will require passengers to keep power banks in their carry-on baggage, within easy reach during a flight (in the seat pocket, under the seat in front of you or in your hands), and they may not be used on board. From 15 December, Qantas and Jetstar will impose similar rules, banning the use of power banks or charging power banks while on board. Customers may carry two of them in their cabin baggage but they should be with the passenger at all times if possible. Related: Qantas business lounge passenger set on fire after power bank explodes in his pocket Updated at 9.00pm GMT 8.19pm GMT Victoria makes it free to change gender on birth certificate The Victorian government will make it free for trans and gender diverse people to officially change their gender on a birth certificate. It currently costs people born in Victoria $140 to be issued a new birth certificate. Those born interstate must pay $122 to update their details in Victoria. Victoria’s minister for government services, Natalie Hutchins, said the government was “making sure money is not an obstacle for trans and gender diverse people to have documents that reflect who they really are”. The Victorian government believes less than one-third of trans and gender diverse people have identity documents that reflect who they are. The state government changed laws in 2020 to ensure people do not need to undergo surgery before changing the sex recorded on their birth certificates. Updated at 8.57pm GMT 8.07pm GMT Good morning and happy Friday, we’ve made it. Nick Visser here to guide the blog through the morning. Let’s get started. Updated at 8.15pm GMT 7.59pm GMT Albanese flies to South Africa for G20 summit Anthony Albanese will advance Australia’s interests at a global summit without the spectre of Donald Trump hovering over him, Australian Associated Press reports. Albanese will be the first Australian prime minister to visit South Africa since 2013 as he jets to the G20 leaders’ summit where climate change, trade and security are expected on the agenda. “Now more than ever, Australia needs to be working with our international partners to tackle the shared challenges and opportunities ahead,” the prime minister said. “Being part of the G20 helps build a stronger, more resilient global economy, which benefits all Australians at home.” Albanese flew from Perth to the South African capital yesterday for the summit, which has been overshadowed by the Trump administration’s boycott. A total of 42 countries will attend Africa’s first G20 but not the United States after Trump said he would not attend, citing discrimination against the country’s white farmers. South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has denied Trump’s claims. It comes after Albanese secured a $3bn Australia-US critical minerals deal after meeting Trump at the White House in October. The summit will provide an opportunity for Australia to advance its interests without Trump’s presence, Monash University head of politics and international relations Zareh Ghazarian said. “Security and conflict is obviously a huge issue, climate change which is something governments are grappling at a domestic level, and trade will also feature as a key part of discussions,” Ghazarian said. “It will give Australia an important global forum to engage with other leaders.” Albanese is expected to meet with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the event and has signalled conversations with leaders from South Korea, Japan, Europe and Canada during his two days at the summit. Updated at 8.16pm GMT 7.47pm GMT Dreyfus says referendum on four-year terms should be ‘sooner rather than later’ While constitutional change has been taken off the table by Albanese, the prime minister has said he would support four-year terms, which was also recently endorsed by former PM John Howard. Dreyfus said Australia is an “outlier” on having an election every three years when other countries, and Australia’s states and territories, have longer terms. “I believe that sooner rather than later Australians should be asked to adopt four-year terms for their national government ... We are also an outlier in world terms, with just six of 186 nations with active legislatures having three-year terms.” Just last week, John Howard supported the call, observing, wisely: “It’s ludicrous you’ve got four-year terms in all the states but the national parliament doesn’t. It’s just crazy.” Dreyfus also called for a constitutional commission to be adopted, which he believes would “help establish in the public mind that our constitution is not a frozen document but a living one”. Updated at 8.07pm GMT 7.41pm GMT Former AG Mark Dreyfus calls for republic referendum Former attorney general Mark Dreyfus has called for the government to renew the republic campaign, and to push for four-year federal terms, in his first major comments since he was relegated to the backbench. Dreyfus addressed the Geoffrey Sawer Lecture at ANU last night, calling for the government to forge ahead with constitutional change after suffering defeat on the Indigenous voice to parliament campaign. The push is in direct contravention of Anthony Albanese’s position. The prime minister, in September, definitively ruled out holding another referendum while he remains leader. The former AG said: It’s time to renew the campaign to establish an Australian republic. Australia – and Australians – have changed in many ways over the past quarter century. In my view it is time – past time – for Australia to break its residual constitutional ties with the United Kingdom and its monarchy. Updated at 8.05pm GMT 7.30pm GMT Welcome Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action. It could be a hectic day, with New South Wales likely to get a new opposition leader and a cyclone hovering off the coast of the Northern Territory. But first, let’s catch up with developments overnight. In his first major speech since being relegated to the backbench, former attorney general Mark Dreyfus said last night it was “well past time” that Australia held another referendum on becoming a republic and shed the residual ties with the UK. More in a moment. Anthony Albanese will have the chance to advance Australia’s interests at the G20 summit in South Africa without the spectre of Donald Trump, one expert says. The prime minister could use the opportunity to seal a trade deal with the EU, the ABC reported. More coming up.