National news LIVE: Elon Musk widens legal fight with Australia; Treasurer wants Australians to have more babies

Father-of-three Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he would like to see Australians have more children.

Ahead of next week’s federal budget that will reveal new plans to boost housing for the country’s burgeoning population and forecast a drop in immigration, Chalmers said the government wanted to give people support if they wanted to have children, but ruled out a Peter Costello-style baby bonus.

His comments come as the government prepares to reveal new budget forecasts showing the net migration intake will fall from 518,000 last year to about 260,000 next year, heightening the debate about adding to the population without relying so much on migration.

Channelling former treasurer Peter Costello, who in his 2004 budget urged Australians to “have one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country”, Chalmers said he supported people having more kids.

“It would be better if birth rates were higher,” he said in an interview with this masthead’s podcast The Morning Edition.

Read the full exclusive here.

Australia has been urged to support a Palestinian bid for United Nations membership as Israel acts against the wishes of its allies and invades Gaza’s last haven.

Palestinian envoy in Australia Izzat Abdulhadi has called for Australia to vote for a non-binding motion at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.

The draft resolution would call on the UN Security Council to reconsider elevating Palestine from a non-member observer state to full UN membership.

“It would give credibility to Australia and hope to the Palestinian people,” Abdulhadi told AAP.

Australia’s vote would follow like-minded partners Japan and South Korea, which voted in favour of a similar UN Security Council motion that was defeated due to a US veto, he said.

Canberra’s support would also align with the federal government’s policy to eventually recognise a Palestinian state, Abdulhadi said.

“The draft resolution is very acceptable and I urge Australia to vote on it,” he said.

Abdulhadi conceded Australia was more likely to abstain.

Israel has condemned any unilateral push to recognise Palestinian statehood before a negotiated two-state solution, in which an Israeli and Palestinian state would exist side-by-side.

AAP

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a US threat to withhold some arms would not prevent Israel from continuing its offensive in Gaza, indicating it might proceed with an invasion of the packed city of Rafah against the wishes of its closest ally.

President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday (Thursday AEST), he said the United States would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu.

But in a statement released Thursday, Netanyahu said “if we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails.”

Israel’s top military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup. “The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too – we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a news conference.

Israel’s top military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, also appeared to downplay the practical impact of any arms holdup.

“The army has munitions for the missions it plans, and for the missions in Rafah, too – we have what we need,” he said in response to a question at a news conference.

Here’s the full story, from AP.

Good morning, and thanks for your company.

It’s Friday, May 10. I’m Caroline Schelle, and I’ll be steering our live coverage for the first half of the day.

Here’s what’s making news this morning:

• Elon Musk’s company has launched a case in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to test the merits of the eSafety Commissioner’s order to remove church stabbing videos.
• Australians are having fewer children with the fertility rate tumbling, but Treasurer Jim Chalmers says people should think about having more kids.
• Teal independents, the Greens and even some Labor MPs are pushing back against the government’s gas plan.
• Sydney and Monash universities urged students protesting against the war in Gaza to stop using phrases such as “intifada”, as the country’s attorney-general dismissed a request for legal advice on the slogans.
• The high cost of gas in Australia is skewing investment decisions towards other countries, a leading manufacturing boss says.
• And in overseas news, the UN Security Council is being asked to reconsider elevating Palestine from a non-member observer state to full UN membership.