RECAP: Australia splits from US and Israel in UN call, Aussies warned to stay awa from South Korea

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s comments are some of the strongest we’ve seen to date on the Israel-Gaza war.

Don’t forget he managed to wedge the Albanese Government back in August over the vetting process surrounding Gazan refugees.

It’s a space in which Anthony Albanese has often found himself on the back foot and from the tone of Dutton’s rhetoric, that’s going to be a key focus heading into the 2025 election.

Dan Jervis-Bardy’s full update on Dutton’s response is here.

Addressing another of today’s big news stories, Mr Dutton has joined a chorus of politicians urging Commonwealth Bank to reconsider its controversial $3 withdrawal fee decision.

The bank has sparked a political and public backlash after announcing plans from January to shift some customers to its Smart Access account, which charges a $3 fee to take money out at brank branches, post offices or by phone.

Cash withdrawals from an ATM would not incur the extra fee.

Mr Dutton backed calls from Finance Minister Katy Gallagher and other MPs for the bank to reconsider its decision.

“I think people should be given choice,” he said.

“I choose to do most of my banking online because it’s convenient to do so. But for a lot of older Australians or people with disabilities, they want to go into a branch. They want interaction, and particularly with the amount of scams that are around at the moment, many of them will want reassurance.”

Opposition leader Peter Dutton said Labor has “sold out Jewish community” after shifting position again on the Middle East.

In a move that has sparked anger among local Jewish leaders, Australia on Wednesday backed a UN resolution that demands Israel withdraw from the Occupied Territories and endorses an “irreversible pathway” to a Palestinian state.

It reverses a position Australia has held for more than 20 years and puts the Federal Government at odds with Israel and the US.

Speaking after the vote, Mr Dutton said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had “sold the Jewish community out” to win over left-wing voters and people in western Sydney.

“They’ve completely abandoned the Jewish community, the State of Israel,” he said.

“There is a lot of anger, understandably in the community at the moment, with the way in which the Government has sold out the Jewish community.

“And I think the Prime Minister stands condemned.”

Smartraveller, part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have issued an update to travel advice for South Korea.

“The situation in South Korea is evolving due to developments in domestic politics. Avoid protests and demonstrations,” the government department said in a statement.

“Sites like Gwanghwamun Square and Yeouido in Seoul may have larger crowds and more protest activity than usual. Transport and other essential services may be disrupted. Monitor the media for updates and follow the advice of local authorities.

“The Australian Embassy in Seoul remains open but is not offering in-person services.

“Public protests and events that draw large groups of people are common and can sometimes turn violent.

“Avoid large public gatherings, if possible, and exercise caution in crowded areas.”

The travel threat level remains at “Exercise normal safety precautions”.

Australia has supported a UN motion that backs an “irreversible pathway” to a Palestinian state and demands Israel withdraw from the Occupied Territories “as rapidly as possible” — after another shift in its Middle East position that will inflame tensions and puts the Federal Government at odds with the US.

In a UN vote on Wednesday morning, Australia backed a resolution on the “peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine”, which called for the “realisation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and the right to their independent State”.

The resolution — which passed 157 votes to eight — included an annex stating a conference would be held next year in New York, which would adopt a plan to “urgently chart an irreversible pathway towards the peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-State solution”.

Australia’s new position puts it at odds with Israel and the US, which were among the eight countries to vote against it.

Read the full story here.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol shock overnight move to declare martial law will spur calls for his impeachment and undermine the Asian powerhouse’s international reputation.

President Yoon threw the world’s 12

largest economy into turmoil by suspending parliament and introducing military rule to eradicate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” who were paralysing the government.

There is no evidence to support the claim of a heightened North Korean security threat. The president’s actions appeared to be grounded in the political stasis caused by his own rockbottom popularity ratings and ineffectual rule tainted by allegations of scandals.

The stunning error in judgement took even the nation’s Prime Minister by surprise, but the fact that it was blocked within hours is a testament to the robustness of South Korea’s young democracy.

Images of opposition leader Lee Jae-myung scaling the parliament walls with a GoPro went viral on social media as politicians and ordinary members of the public rushed to the building’s gates in protest.

Bewildered soldiers following the president’s orders made half-hearted efforts to manage the angry crowd but at least 190 politicians still managed to breach the National Assembly to overturn the decree. Before most of Australia had woken up for a first coffee, Mr Yoon had conceded defeat.

It would be hard to imagine a scenario Yoon has not sealed his own political demise through a course of action that has left the country reeling.

But in doing so, he has also undermined South Korea’s rising global reputation as a trusted and stable economic and security ally – a legacy Mr Yoon had, until now, been successfully building through strengthening ties with the US, Japan and regional like-minded democracies including Australia.

Since the Korean Peninsula was ripped apart by the 1950s Korean War, leaving both sides in dire poverty, the South has proven its resilience by emerging as a democratic, modern, economic miracle.

South Korean society is strong enough to withstand the latest crisis, but it now faces an unexpectedly uncertain few months ahead.

Commonwealth Bank is under increasing pressure to reverse a controversial change that will force some customers to pay a $3 fee to withdraw their own cash.

In a move Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones has described as a “kick in the guts”, Commonwealth Bank will in January shut one type of account and shift customers to its main transaction account – which charges a $3 fee to take money out at brank branches, post offices or by phone.

Cash withdrawals from an ATM would not incur the extra fee.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher urged the Commonwealth Bank - which posted a $9.5 billion profit last financial year - to “reconsider” the decision.

“I think people understand that there’s some charges relating to banking transactions, but this seems pretty extraordinary to have a charge of this size for a simple transaction of going into a bank and withdrawing your own money. So, we think this sounds pretty rough and that CBA should really reconsider it,” Senator Gallagher told The Today Show.

Speaking on ABC News Breakfast Minister for Finance Katy Gallagher said there was “uncertainty” in South Korea and Australia had been briefed.

“Obviously, we’re being briefed by our agencies. I think the best message we can give on this unfolding situation is for any Australians in South Korea to really listen to official advice.”

“Stay away from some of the mass gatherings as we continue to get across and understand the full implications of what’s happened overnight.

Not long after becoming president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol emerged as an unpopular and divisive figure. He has been described as the “South Korean Donald Trump” and his policies “K-Trumpism” — allegations he and his supporters deny.

On Tuesday night, local time, President Yoon added to his list of controversies by declaring martial law — the first declaration of this kind since 1980 — sparking fierce protests into the evening. Parliament voted to immediately lift the declaration and, under the constitution, the president must comply.

Mr Yoon won the presidency in 2022 by a slim margin of less than half the vote, promising a more confrontational, hard-line approach to North Korea. The election result was considered more of a condemnation of his progressive predecessor than an enthusiastic swing in his favour.

Before entering office, the 63-year-old had worked as a prosecutor for 26 years. In 2019 he was appointed South Korea’s prosecutor general of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office under his presidential predecessor Moon Jae-in.

Mr Yoon’s clashes and investigations into the Moon administration led to his rise as a presidential candidate among conservative voters. He resigned as prosecutor general in 2021 and joined the right-wing People Power Party, becoming their official presidential nominee that year.

As a candidate, his platform promised economic deregulation and measures such as abolishing the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family — he has continued to align himself with anti-feminist sentiment in office, claiming there was no structural sexism and blaming feminism for falling birth rates.

He also advocated for a 120-hour work week — later, when elected, he attempted to raise the maximum weekly working week from 52 to 69 hours — and deregulate food safety standards.

However, since winning the presidency, Mr Yoon has been in an almost constant political stand-off with his opposition, which controls Parliament, and his approval rating has fallen sharply.

In 2024, his party lost the parliament in a landslide result, which has rendered Mr Yoon a “lame duck” of sorts, struggling to implement his conservative agenda.

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South Korean law makers, who had climbed walls and clashed with the military to gain entry into the National Assembly building in Seoul have officially revoked the president’s shock martial law declaration.

After gaining entry into the building, the 190 members blockaded entries with chairs and remained in place.

The Cabinet has now officially lifted the declaration of martial law.

What President Yoon Suk Yeol will now do, after losing control of his imposed martial law declaration remains to be seen, with many locals calling for his imprisonment or immediate resignation.