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The Federal Government has announced plans to sell nearly 70 Defence Department sites across the country and reinvest the proceeds in the defence force.

In its first meeting of the year, the Reserve Bank has decided to increase the interest rate to 3.85 per cent in an attempt to slow the growth of inflation.

The leader of the National Party, David Littleproud,  has retained his position after an attempt to topple him failed this afternoon.

After a stand-off with the states, the Federal Government has agreed to allocate an extra $25 billion to fund public hospitals for the next five years.

The approaching visit to Australia of the Israeli President Isaac Herzog is already dividing opinion, as anger about the Israel-Palestine conflict continues.

In Victoria, fire fighters are battling six major bushfires, three of which are out of control.

A severe heatwave is continuing to grip much of south-eastern Australia. Victoria has recorded a new all-time temperature record, with one town reaching 48.9 degrees.

Australia Day has been observed with citizenship ceremonies and celebrations across the country.

In central west New South Wales, police have flown in specialist officers to search for a gunman suspected of killing three people including a pregnant woman.

Australia's National Day of Mourning is honouring the 15 victims of last month's terror attack at Bondi Beach.

The fallout from the negotiations over the Government's new hate speech laws is continuing, with three Nationals senators quitting their positions on the Opposition frontbench.

It now appears the Federal Government's watered down hate speech laws will get the support of Parliament after Labor struck a deal with the Liberal Party.

In Canberra, federal MPs have passed condolence motions for the victims of the Bondi terror attack as negotiations continue on proposed hate speech laws.

The Albanese Government's senior ministers are on the offensive as the proposed hate speech and gun laws face criticism from the Opposition and the Greens.

The head of Australia's peak Jewish body is pleading with the country's political leaders to come together to pass laws aimed at tackling antisemitism.