Paul Sakkal
Political reporter
Paul Sakkal is federal political correspondent for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald who previously covered Victorian politics and has won two Walkley awards.
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Gaza Strip
Fine unis that fail to crack down on ‘racist’ pro-Palestine encampments: Coalition
While there have been flare-ups with Israel-supporting counter-protesters, local protests have not led to significant outbreaks of violence.
- by Paul Sakkal
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Digital identity
New government app to sound alert if criminals are using your private information
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has announced $11 million for an online register that informs people if their data is being used to fake an identity.
- by Paul Sakkal
Labor wipes $3b off student loans as cost-of-living relief measure
Facing blowback over its agenda to help financially insecure Millennials, Labor has revealed a major change to the calculation of student loan indexation.
- by Paul Sakkal
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Social media
‘Meta will play hardball. So will the government’: Facebook threatens Canadian option
“Meta’s threat to pull news content from Australia should send a shudder down the spine,” says Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones.
- by Paul Sakkal
‘A welcome backflip’: Porn passport trial to keep kids off adult websites
Children will be blocked from watching explicit content online under a $6.5 million federal trial as governments attempt to counter the rising rate of violence against women.
- by Paul Sakkal
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Property market
Coalition looks to turbocharge super withdrawals, easy loans in battle for first home buyer votes
Party insiders say the shadow cabinet is weighing which policies to include in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s budget-in-reply speech.
- by Paul Sakkal and James Massola
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Domestic violence
PM to attend rally, vows to unite governments against domestic violence
The federal Coalition joined several premiers, including Victoria’s, in demanding urgent national cabinet attention on the number of women being killed by men.
- by Paul Sakkal, Angus Thompson and Natassia Chrysanthos
Updated
Crime
‘Unacceptable risk to the people’: Teens arrested in counter-terror raids
Seven teenagers alleged to adhere to a “religiously motivated violent extremist ideology” have been arrested as part of the investigation into the stabbing attack at a Wakeley church by a 16-year-old boy.
- by Clare Sibthorpe, Christopher Harris, Jessica McSweeney, Paul Sakkal and Perry Duffin
Stabbed bishop backs Musk in fight to keep church attack footage online
In the lead-up to a Federal Court hearing on May 10, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has provided X with an affidavit supporting the images remaining on the platform.
- by Paul Sakkal and Angus Thompson
Exclusive
Social media
Musk’s war with Australia: Coalition pushes compulsory age limits for social media
As Elon Musk provoked worldwide attention for his fight against the Australian take-down order, the Coalition revealed it was in favour of barring young children from digital platforms.
- by Paul Sakkal and Angus Thompson