As it happened: PM flags further inquiry into Scott Morrison’s appointment to ministry portfolios; Investment NSW boss steps aside amid Barilaro inquiry

The federal government will release a further ten sites for exploration for new oil and gas projects off the coasts of Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, triggering rebukes from crossbench senators who say it doesn’t align with the government’s own climate goals.

Industry Minister Madeleine King announced the release of the sites, totalling 46,758 square kilometres of Commonwealth waters, on Wednesday saying it would play an important role in securing future energy supplies.

“The annual release of areas for offshore petroleum exploration supports ongoing investment in the nation’s petroleum sector, which is vital for the economy and meeting the energy needs of Australians,” King said.

“At the same time as we strive to reduce emissions it must be emphasised that continued exploration for oil and gas in Commonwealth waters is central to alleviating future domestic gas shortfalls.”

Sydney’s rail network will be disrupted by more industrial action on Thursday despite the NSW government offering unions a new commitment to modify a fleet of trains at the centre of a long-running dispute.

In a last-ditch bid to end the dispute, rail unions were sent a legal deed from the government on Wednesday afternoon that committed to making changes to the brand new intercity train fleet at cost of more than $260 million.

The city’s rail system has been plagued by sporadic disruptions for months as unions and the state government remained at loggerheads over the future of the $2 billion intercity fleet.

The Australian-Ukrainian community celebrated Ukraine’s independence day in Sydney as Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky warned missile attacks may intensify exactly six months after the Russian invasion began.

Zelensky called for donations to buy an “army of drones” to allow Ukrainian military forces to monitor the 2470km frontline and provide intelligence on enemy attacks.

The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations donated $140,000 to the President’s United24 campaign through the Unite With Ukraine project.

“As we approach the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence on August 24 – which coincides with the 6-month date since the invasion of Ukraine – what better way to show support for Ukraine on the ground than by responding to this vital project?” Stefan Romaniw vice president of the Ukrainian World Congress said.

Bangkok: Thailand’s constitutional court has ordered Prayuth Chan-Ocha to stop performing his duties as prime minister immediately until it rules on a petition by opposition parties seeking his removal on grounds that he has exceeded an eight-year term limit.

Prayuth’s powers were suspended from August 24 until the court rules on the tenure limit petition. The court said in a statement it was a unanimous decision to accept the petition which has some merit.

Deputy government spokeswoman Tipanan Sirichana said the government had yet to receive an official statement from the court, but Prayuth like any Thai citizen would abide by the order.

Prayuth took power in 2014 when he led a coup to overthrow an elected government.

Welcome to your five-minute recap of the trading day and how the experts saw it.

The numbers: The Australian sharemarket closed on a positive note for the first time this week. The S&P/ASX 200 benchmark was up as much as 0.7 per cent during the day and finished the session 36 points, or 0.5 per cent, higher at 6998 points.

The lifters: Supply chain logistics company WiseTech Global led the gains, jumping 12.8 per cent after reporting an 80 per cent jump in full-year earnings; Domino’s Pizza gained 7.5 per cent after saying it’s seeing prices for ingredients come down; and resources company Worley gained 6.2 per cent after doubling its net profit.

The laggards: Supermarket giant Coles dropped 4.6 per cent after reporting higher costs for the 2023 fiscal year; fintech EML Payments plunged 10.5 per cent after revealing it would face up to $7.9 million in costs over fraudulent merchants in its direct debit processing business; and health imaging software company Pro Medicus lost 2.2 per cent.

A Victorian court has ruled the father of a former choirboy who prosecutors had alleged was sexually abused by George Pell can pursue civil action against both the cardinal and the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, in a judgment that could pave the way for other families to sue the church.

The father, referred to in court as RWQ, has launched a civil case in the Supreme Court against the archdiocese and Pell over allegations his son and another then-choirboy were abused in Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral in 1996.

In 2018 Pell was found guilty by a County Court jury of abusing the two teenagers. However, those convictions were quashed by the High Court in 2020 and Pell was released from prison after spending more than a year in custody.

A full bench of the High Court unanimously quashed Pell’s convictions after it found there was a “significant possibility” an innocent person was found guilty at trial. Pell, who in 1996 was the archbishop of Melbourne, pleaded not guilty and maintains his innocence.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he has been caught “completely by surprise” by news disgruntled nurses and midwives will walk off the job at hospitals across the state next week, after he agreed to meet with the union to discuss their demands.

As previously reported, the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association will strike for 24 hours from 7am on Thursday September 1, after a majority of the union’s 200-odd branches voted to undertake their fourth large-scale strike action this year, as they continue to push for shift-based staff-to-patient ratios.

But Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he had agreed to meet with the union on September 8, after receiving a letter from the union last week requesting a meeting which did not suggest strike action was imminent.