3003 Australians Return from Middle East
As of this morning, 3003 Australians have returned home from the Middle East on 21 flights since 4 March.
Currently, two flights are en route to Melbourne and Sydney, with three additional flights scheduled to depart from the region today.
Good morning, Krishani Dhanji here with you ahead of another significant sitting day, thanks to Martin Farrer for getting us started.
As the conflict in the Middle East and members of the Iranian women’s football team seeking asylum in Australia remain central topics this morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong will be conducting media engagements.
The government states that over 3,000 Australians have now arrived back from the Middle East amid limited flights – further updates will follow shortly.
I have my coffee ready, and I hope you do too; let’s begin.
Naplan Tests to Roll Out Today
Approximately 1.4 million students are scheduled to undertake Naplan tests today, the annual national assessment valued by statisticians.
Naplan evaluates literacy and numeracy progress for students in years 3, 5, 6, and 9. This year marks the second cycle since the test was moved from May to March and introduced new proficiency levels.
Stephen Gniel, head of the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), stated that his organisation collaborated with the Islamic Schools Association of Australia to assist schools and teachers in supporting students affected by Ramadan, as the test window coincides with the period of fasting.
“We’re encouraging schools to schedule their tests as soon as possible in the test window and to run Naplan tests first thing in the morning to ensure fasting students’ energy levels are at their highest.”
Gniel reassured students that preparation beyond regular school attendance is unnecessary.
“The best preparation that kids can do is make sure they go to school regularly ... This is about knowing where each student is up to.”
Preliminary results will be provided to schools and education authorities early in Term 2, with full results published in early August.
Two More Iranian Women’s Football Team Members Seek Asylum in Australia
Two additional members of the Iranian women’s football team have reportedly sought asylum in Australia after competing in the Women’s Asian Cup tournament.
Multiple reports indicate that a plane departed Sydney airport on Tuesday night local time for Malaysia with players and staff, concluding a dramatic two days during which five players were granted asylum after refusing to return home.
The total number reportedly increased to seven on Tuesday night, according to several media outlets, as two more members of the group chose to remain in Australia.
Reports noted the squad left Sydney at 10:43 pm local time on Malaysia Airlines flight MH140 bound for Kuala Lumpur, though the route back to Iran remains unclear due to the country’s airspace closure amid the Middle East conflict.
NSW Public Health System Experiencing Record Demand, Data Shows
New South Wales public hospital and ambulance services recorded “record numbers” of emergency department attendances, admitted patient episodes, and ambulance responses, according to the latest government data.
The Bureau of Health Information (BHI) released its quarterly report today covering public health services in NSW from October to December 2025. Despite unprecedented demand,
“performance remained stable in key areas,”said BHI chief executive, adjunct Professor Heiko Spallek.
The report showed 820,009 emergency department attendances, the highest since BHI began reporting in 2010, with an increase in presentations for more urgent conditions and a decrease in less urgent cases.
The percentage of patients commencing treatment on time was 66.3%, relatively stable compared with the same quarter the previous year.
A record 79,004 patients left emergency departments without or before completing treatment, an increase of 10,846 (15.9%) from the same quarter a year earlier.
Ambulance services experienced the highest number of calls and incidents since 2010. While ambulance responses increased slightly by 0.6% compared with the same quarter a year earlier, it was also a record high.
The number of patients admitted during the quarter was 518,436, the highest for any October to December quarter since 2010.
The average length of stay for overnight non-acute episodes, such as rehabilitation and geriatric evaluation and management, was 19.3 days, the highest for any October to December quarter.
Elective surgeries totaled 58,922, up 7.2%, with increases across all urgency categories.
At the end of December 2025, 92,812 patients were on the waiting list, down 7.4% from the same time the previous year. Of those, 3,845 had waited longer than clinically recommended, a decrease of 43.8% from the same time in 2024.
Morning Briefing
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with breaking overnight stories, and Krishani Dhanji will be guiding the news coverage.
It appears to be another busy morning for Tony Burke amid reports that two additional Iranian women footballers sought asylum in Australia last night rather than return home with the rest of the squad. More updates will follow.
Additionally, public hospital and ambulance services in New South Wales experienced record numbers of emergency department attendances, admitted patient episodes, and ambulance responses in the last quarter of last year, according to recent figures. Further details will be provided shortly.
