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Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Releases Additional Detail for Implementing a Safer, More Stringent International Air Travel   System

As we continue to work to protect people from COVID-19, today, the Biden Administration is releasing additional detail around implementation of the new international air travel policy requiring foreign national travelers to the United States to be fully vaccinated. This updated policy puts in place an international travel system that is stringent, consistent across the globe, and guided by public health. Starting on November 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the U.S., with only limited exceptions. The updated travel guidelines also include new protocols around testing. To further strengthen protections, unvaccinated travelers – whether U.S. Citizens, lawful permanent residents (LPRs), or the small number of excepted unvaccinated foreign nationals – will now need to test within one day of departure. Today, the Administration is releasing the following documents to implement these requirements: 1) a Presidential Proclamation to Advance the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic; 2) three Centers for Disease Control and  Prevention (CDC) Orders on vaccination, testing, and contact tracing; and 3) technical instructions to provide implementation details to the airlines and their passengers.  With science and public health as our guide, the United States has developed a new international air travel system that both enhances the safety of Americans here at home and enhances the safety of international air travel. The additional detail released today provides airlines and international air travelers with time to prepare for this new policy ahead of the November 8 implementation date. As previously announced, fully vaccinated foreign nationals will also be able to travel across the Northern and Southwest land borders for non-essential reasons, such as tourism, starting on November 8. Additional detail on amendments to restrictions with respect to land borders will be available in the coming days. Travelers can find full details about today’s air travel announcement on the CDC and Department of State websites.  A summary is below: Fully Vaccinated Status:

• Starting on November 8, non-citizen, non-immigrant air travelers to the United States will be required to be fully vaccinated and to provide proof of vaccination status prior to boarding an airplane to fly to the U.S.

Proof of Vaccination:

• For foreign nationals, proof of vaccination will be required – with very limited exceptions – to board the plane.
• Match the name and date of birth to confirm the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination;
• Determine that the record was issued by an official source (e.g., public health agency, government agency) in the country where the vaccine was given;
• Review the essential information for determining if the passenger meets CDC’s definition for fully vaccinated such as vaccine product, number of vaccine doses received, date(s) of administration, site (e.g., vaccination clinic, health care facility) of vaccination.
• The Biden Administration will work closely with the airlines to ensure that these new requirements are implemented successfully.

Accepted Vaccines:

• CDC has determined that for purposes of travel to the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and World Health Organization (WHO) emergency use listed (EUL) vaccines.
• Individuals can be considered fully vaccinated ≥2 weeks after receipt of the last dose if they have received any single dose of an FDA approved/authorized or WHO EUL approved single-dose series (i.e., Janssen), or any combination of two doses of an FDA approved/authorized or WHO emergency use listed COVID-19 two-dose series (i.e. mixing and matching).
• More details are available in the CDC Annex here .

Enhanced Testing:

• Previously, all travelers were required to produce a negative viral test result within three days of travel to the United States.
• Both nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs), such as a PCR test, and antigen tests qualify.
• As announced in September, the new system tightens those requirements, so that unvaccinated U.S. Citizens and LPRs will need to provide a negative test taken within one day of traveling.
• That means that all fully vaccinated U.S. Citizens and LPRs traveling to the United States should be prepared to present documentation of their vaccination status alongside their negative test result.
• For those Americans who can show they are fully vaccinated, the same requirement currently in place will apply – they have to produce a negative test result within three days of travel.
• For anyone traveling to the United States who cannot demonstrate proof of full vaccination, they will have to produce documentation of a negative test within one day of departure.

Requirements for Children:

• Children under 18 are excepted from the vaccination requirement for foreign national travelers, given both the ineligibility of some younger children for vaccination, as well as the global variability in access to vaccination for older children who are eligible to be vaccinated.
• Children between the ages of 2 and 17 are required to take a pre-departure test.
• If traveling with a fully vaccinated adult, an unvaccinated child can test three days prior to departure (consistent with the timeline for fully vaccinated adults). If an unvaccinated child is traveling alone or with unvaccinated adults, they will have to test within one day of departure.

Limited Exceptions from the Vaccination Requirement:

• There are a very limited set of exceptions from the vaccination requirement for foreign nationals. These include exceptions for children under 18, certain COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial participants, those with medical contraindications to the vaccines, those who need to travel for emergency or humanitarian reasons (with a US government-issued letter affirming the urgent need to travel), those who are traveling on non-tourist visas from countries with low-vaccine availability (as determined by the CDC), and other very narrow categories.
• Those who receive an exception will generally be required to attest they will comply with applicable public health requirements, including, with very limited exceptions, a requirement that they be vaccinated in the U.S. if they intend to stay here for more than 60 days.

Contact Tracing:

• The CDC is also issuing a Contact Tracing Order that requires all airlines flying into the United States to keep on hand – and promptly turn over to the CDC, when needed – contact information that will allow public health officials to follow up with inbound air travelers who are potentially infected or have been exposed to someone who is infected.
• This is a critical public health measure both to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of new variants of COVID-19 as well as to add a critical prevention tool to address other public health threats.

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• Fact Sheets

Frequently Asked Questions: Guidance for Travelers to Enter the U.S.

Updated Date: April 21, 2022

Since January 22, 2022, DHS has required non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States via land ports of entry and ferry terminals at the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide proof of vaccination upon request.  On April 21, 2022, DHS announced that it would extend these requirements. In determining whether and when to rescind this order, DHS anticipates that it will take account of whether the vaccination requirement for non-U.S. air travelers remains in place.

These requirements apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for essential or non-essential reasons. They do not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents, or U.S. nationals.

Effective November 8, 2021, new air travel requirements applied to many noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily. These travelers are also required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. All air travelers, including U.S. persons, must test negative for COVID-19 prior to departure. Limited exceptions apply. See  CDC guidance  for more details regarding air travel requirements.

Below is more information about what to know before you go, and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about cross-border travel.

Entering the U.S. Through a Land Port of Entry or Ferry Terminal

Q. what are the requirements for travelers entering the united states through land poes.

A:  Before embarking on a trip to the United States, non-U.S. travelers should be prepared for the following:

• Possess proof of an approved COVID-19 vaccination as outlined on the  CDC  website.
• During border inspection, verbally attest to their COVID-19 vaccination status. 
• Bring a  Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative  compliant border crossing document, such as a valid passport (and visa if required), Trusted Traveler Program card, a Department of State-issued Border Crossing Card, Enhanced Driver’s License or Enhanced Tribal Card when entering the country. Travelers (including U.S. citizens) should be prepared to present the WHTI-compliant document and any other documents requested by the CBP officer.

 Q. What are the requirements to enter the United States for children under the age of 18 who can't be vaccinated?

A:  Children under 18 years of age are excepted from the vaccination requirement at land and ferry POEs.

Q: Which vaccines/combination of vaccines will be accepted?

A:  Per CDC guidelines, all Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved and authorized vaccines, as well as all vaccines that have an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) from the World Health Organization (WHO), will be accepted.

Accepted Vaccines:

• More details are available in CDC guidance  here .
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your dose of an accepted single-dose COVID-19 vaccine;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after your second dose of an accepted 2-dose series;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine (not placebo) in a clinical trial;
• 2 weeks (14 days) after you received 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted COVID-19 vaccines administered at least 17 days apart.

Q. Is the United States requiring travelers to have a booster dose to be considered fully vaccinated for border entry purposes?

A:  No. The CDC guidance for “full vaccination” can be found here.

Q: Do U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land POEs and ferry terminals?

A:  No. Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs). Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation.

Q: Is pre- or at-arrival COVID testing required to enter the United States via land POEs or ferry terminals?

A: No, there is no COVID testing requirement to enter the United States via land POE or ferry terminals. In this respect, the requirement for entering by a land POE or ferry terminal differs from arrival via air, where there is a requirement to have a negative test result before departure.

Processing Changes Announced on January 22, 2022 

Q: new changes were recently announced. what changed on january 22.

A:  Since January 22, 2022, non-citizens who are not U.S. nationals or Lawful Permanent Residents have been required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States at land ports of entry and ferry terminals, whether for essential or nonessential purposes. Previously, DHS required that non-U.S. persons be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter the United States for nonessential purposes.  Effective January 22, all non-U.S. individuals, to include essential travelers, must be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request. DHS announced an extension of this policy on April 21, 2022.

Q: Who is affected by the changes announced on January 22?

A: This requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. It applies to other noncitizens, such as a citizen of Mexico, Canada, or any other country seeking to enter the United States through a land port of entry or ferry terminal.

Q: Do U.S. citizens need proof of vaccination to return to the United States via land port of entry or ferry terminals?

A: Vaccination requirements do not apply to U.S. Citizens, U.S. nationals or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents. Travelers that exhibit signs or symptoms of illness will be referred to CDC for additional medical evaluation. 

Q: What is essential travel?

A:  Under the prior policy, there was an exception from temporary travel restrictions for “essential travel.” Essential travel included travel to attend educational institutions, travel to work in the United States, travel for emergency response and public health purposes, and travel for lawful cross-border trade (e.g., commercial truckers). Under current policy, there is no exception for essential travel.

Q: Will there be any exemptions? 

A: While most non-U.S. individuals seeking to enter the United States will need to be vaccinated, there is a narrow list of exemptions consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Order in the air travel context.

• Certain categories of individuals on diplomatic or official foreign government travel as specified in the CDC Order
• Children under 18 years of age;
• Certain participants in certain COVID-19 vaccine trials as specified in the CDC Order;   
• Individuals with medical contraindications to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine as specified in the CDC Order;
• Individuals issued a humanitarian or emergency exception by the Secretary of Homeland Security;
• Individuals with valid nonimmigrant visas (excluding B-1 [business] or B-2 [tourism] visas) who are citizens of a country with limited COVID-19 vaccine availability, as specified in the CDC Order
• Members of the U.S. Armed Forces or their spouses or children (under 18 years of age) as specified in the CDC Order; and
• Individuals whose entry would be in the U.S. national interest, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Q: What documentation will be required to show vaccination status?

A:  Non-U.S. individuals are required to be prepared to attest to vaccination status and present proof of vaccination to a CBP officer upon request regardless of the purpose of travel.

The current documentation requirement remains the same and is available on the CDC website . Documentation requirements for entry at land ports of entry and ferry terminals mirror those for entry by air.

Q: What happens if someone doesn’t have proof of vaccine status?

A: If non-U.S. individuals cannot present proof of vaccination upon request, they will not be admitted into the United States and will either be subject to removal or be allowed to withdraw their application for entry.

Q: Will incoming travelers be required to present COVID-19 test results?

A: There is no COVID-19 testing requirement for travelers at land border ports of entry, including ferry terminals.

Q: What does this mean for those who can't be vaccinated, either due to age or other health considerations? 

A: See CDC guidance for additional information on this topic. Note that the vaccine requirement does not apply to children under 18 years of age.

Q: Does this requirement apply to amateur and professional athletes?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions.

Q: Are commercial truckers required to be vaccinated?

A: Yes, unless they qualify for one of the narrow CDC exemptions. These requirements also apply to bus drivers as well as rail and ferry operators.

Q. Do you expect border wait times to increase?

A:  As travelers navigate these new travel requirements, wait times may increase. Travelers should account for the possibility of longer than normal wait times and lines at U.S. land border crossings when planning their trip and are kindly encouraged to exercise patience.

To help reduce wait times and long lines, travelers can take advantage of innovative technology, such as facial biometrics and the CBP OneTM mobile application, which serves as a single portal for individuals to access CBP mobile applications and services.

Q: How is Customs and Border Protection staffing the ports of entry? 

A: CBP’s current staffing levels at ports of entry throughout the United States are commensurate with pre-pandemic levels. CBP has continued to hire and train new employees throughout the pandemic. CBP expects some travelers to be non-compliant with the proof of vaccination requirements, which may at times lead to an increase in border wait times. Although trade and travel facilitation remain a priority, we cannot compromise national security, which is our primary mission. CBP Office of Field Operations will continue to dedicate its finite resources to the processing of arriving traffic with emphasis on trade facilitation to ensure economic recovery.

Q: What happens if a vaccinated individual is traveling with an unvaccinated individual?  

A:  The unvaccinated individual (if 18 or over) would not be eligible for admission.

Q: If I am traveling for an essential reason but am not vaccinated can I still enter?

A:  No, if you are a non-U.S. individual. The policy announced on January 22, 2022 applies to both essential and non-essential travel by non-U.S. individual travelers. Since January 22, DHS has required that all inbound non-U.S. individuals crossing U.S. land or ferry POEs – whether for essential or non-essential reasons – be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and provide related proof of vaccination upon request.

Q: Are sea crew members on vessels required to have a COVID vaccine to disembark?

A:  Sea crew members traveling pursuant to a C-1 or D nonimmigrant visa are not excepted from COVID-19 vaccine requirements at the land border. This is a difference from the international air transportation context.

Entering the U.S. via Air Travel

Q: what are the covid vaccination requirements for air passengers to the united states  .

A:  According to CDC requirements [www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/noncitizens-US-air-travel.html | Link no longer valid], most noncitizens who are visiting the United States temporarily must be fully vaccinated prior to boarding a flight to the United States. These travelers are required to show proof of vaccination. A list of covered individuals is available on the CDC website.  

Q: What are the COVID testing requirements for air passengers to the United States?  

A:  Effective Sunday, June 12 at 12:01 a.m. ET, CDC will no longer require pre-departure COVID-19 testing for U.S.-bound air travelers.

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Visas for U.S. citizens traveling abroad

If you are a U.S. citizen planning to travel abroad, you may need a visa to enter a foreign country. Learn how to find your destination's visa requirements.

While not all countries require visas for American travelers, many do. Look up your destination using the U.S. State Department's Learn About Your Destination search tool . On the country’s information page, you will find entry, exit, and visa requirements. You will also find travel advisories and a link to the country’s embassy.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

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International Travel

Where can i find more information about preparations for international travel.

The following resources can help:

• Travelers' Health  (Centers for Disease Control)
• Travel Advisories  (State Department)
• Learn About Your Destination (State Department)
• Five Tips to Travel Smart from the Start (State Department)
• International Travel Tips  (Customs & Border Protection)
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Tips  (USDA)
• Spraying Aircraft for Insects — Disinsection  (Centers for Disease Control)

Does FAA provide safety oversight for international flights?

Under the International Convention on Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) each country is responsible for the safety oversight of its own air carriers. Other countries can only conduct specific surveillance activities, principally involving inspection of required documents and the physical condition of aircraft.

FAA conducts the  International Aviation Safety Assessment Program  (IASA), assessing the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of each country that has carriers operating to the United States. Because of the provisions of the Chicago Convention and national sovereignty, FAA is not permitted to evaluate a foreign carrier within its own sovereign state.

An IASA assessment determines if the foreign CAA provides oversight to its carriers that operate to the United States according to international standards. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a United Nations agency, and Annexes 1, 6, and 8 of the Chicago Convention develop those standards.

If the CAA meets standards, FAA gives that authority a Category 1 rating.

• Category 1 means the air carriers from the assessed state may initiate or continue service to the United States in a normal manner and take part in reciprocal code-share arrangements with U.S. carriers.
• IASA ratings  are released to the public.

What happens if a CAA does not meet ICAO standards?

If the CAA does not meet standards, FAA gives that CAA a Category 2 rating.

• Category 2 means the air carriers from the assessed state cannot initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the United States while corrective actions are underway.
• FAA does not support reciprocal code-share arrangements between air carriers for the assessed state and U.S. carriers when the CAA has been rated Category 2. During this time, the foreign air carrier serving the United States is subject to additional inspections at U.S. airports.

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5 facts about presidential travel abroad

American presidents and other world leaders frequently travel internationally, most commonly for conferences and bilateral meetings. This face-to-face diplomacy can offer insights into political priorities, partnerships and tensions, as well as key international issues.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted international travel in 2020 and 2021, but diplomatic travel picked up significantly in 2022. Here are five facts about presidential travel abroad:

Pew Research Center conducted this analysis to examine the international travel history of recent U.S. presidents and other heads of government through Jan. 20, 2023.

Dates and destinations of U.S. presidential travel prior to 2021 are from the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian, which has recorded international presidential travel since 1901. Travel data for 2021 and 2022 was compiled from White House press briefings. Information on visits to Ukraine by other world leaders were independently verified through official government websites.

Only trips where the head of government met face-to-face with another head of government are included. For example, Biden’s trip to the UK for Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral is excluded as Biden did not hold any diplomatic meetings with the British prime minister or other world leaders. Visiting leaders were only counted if they were the head of government at the time of their visit. Depending on the country’s political system, “head of government” could mean president or prime minister, but not both. Heads of state, monarchs and interim leaders are excluded from the visiting leaders count.

U.S. President Joe Biden has traveled internationally less frequently than his last two predecessors did. Biden traveled to 17 places outside the United States in his first two years in office, visiting some more than once. He made six international trips in 2021, all of them to Europe. In 2022, he made 12 trips, including to Europe, the Asia-Pacific region and the Middle East. And in early 2023, Biden traveled to Mexico for the North American Leaders’ Summit.

All told, Biden’s international visit count trails those of former Presidents Donald Trump, who made 23 international trips to 20 places during his first two years in office, and Barack Obama, who made 32 trips to 24 places in the first two years of his presidency.

Biden’s first presidential trip abroad was to the United Kingdom, while Trump’s was to Saudi Arabia and Obama’s was to Canada. A president’s first trip is often used to signal the importance of a strategic alliance. On his trip to the UK in June 2021, Biden reaffirmed the U.S.-UK partnership and committed to close cooperation throughout his presidency. Typically, U.S. presidents visit a close ally on their inaugural trip: Canada was the first international destination for both Obama and Bill Clinton, while Mexico was the first destination for George W. Bush.

U.S. presidents have visited the UK the most in the past decade – a total of eight times. American presidents have worked closely with their British counterparts over the past decade, cooperating on issues from defense and counterterrorism to climate policy . Travel to the UK has largely centered around conferences and summits, but in 2019, Trump made a ceremonial state visit to the UK .  

In the past decade of presidential travel, Belgium (home to NATO headquarters ), France, Germany and Japan are the second-most visited destinations, at six times each.

So far, Biden has made the most trips to the UK and Belgium – two each. (Biden’s additional visit to the UK to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is not included in this count, since he did not hold any diplomatic appointments.) Just as these two European allies stand out in Biden’s presidential travel thus far, France stands out in Trump’s administration and Germany stands out in Obama’s – they visited those respective countries four times while in office.

Biden is among 38 heads of government who have visited Ukraine since the beginning of the war there. Biden traveled to Kyiv as part of a surprise trip in February, days before the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion .

While many heads of government visiting Ukraine have come from neighboring countries or countries in Europe (such as Poland’s prime minister, who has visited five times since the beginning of the war) that is not always the case. For example, Guatemala’s President Alejandro Giammattei and Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló traveled to Ukraine in July 2022 and October 2022, respectively.

Biden hosted 28 heads of government at the White House as of the end of 2022. Foreign leaders come to the U.S. for events including conferences, summits and bilateral meetings. Among those to visit the White House in 2021 and 2022 were then-Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson of Sweden, who met with Biden to submit her country’s application for NATO membership ; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who traveled to the White House on his first known wartime trip abroad ; and French President Emmanuel Macron, whose trip marked the first state visit of Biden’s presidency . In fact, the president of France has been the first leader to make a state visit to the U.S. for the past three presidential terms, with Macron visiting Trump in April 2018 and his predecessor, François Hollande, visiting Obama in February 2014. In April 2023, Biden hosted the second state visit of his administration , meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

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Sarah Austin is a research assistant focusing on global attitudes research at Pew Research Center

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin's third international mission aims to boosts Virginia's European ties

G overnor Glenn Youngkin (R-Virginia) will lead his third international trade mission as governor to Germany, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland from April 28 through May 3, 2024.

While traveling, Youngkin will meet with President Stubb of Finland, government officials, strategic business associations, company executives, and global industry leaders to further strengthen Virginia’s economic and cultural connections.

SEE ALSO: Lithium battery plant may be coming to Lynchburg, bringing jobs

"This economic development trade mission with strong European partners will build on business relations, our shared priorities and highlight the Commonwealth’s capabilities. Virginia's strong workforce, incredible business environment, robust transportation system and world-class education institutions make the Commonwealth uniquely positioned to attract businesses around the globe. Germany, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland represent critical markets that will advance economic growth and prosperity in Virginia,” Gov. Youngkin said. “In strengthening these relationships, we are not only reaffirming our commitment to economic development in the Commonwealth but also strengthening the spirit of Virginia.”

According to Youngkin, Virginia is home to many foreign-owned businesses, including 119 from Germany, 30 from Switzerland, 13 from Denmark, and 8 from Finland.

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Israel’s war on Gaza updates: Hamas says reviewing new Israeli proposal

Official Khalil al-Hayya gave no details of offer, as Israeli FM says Rafah invasion to be ‘suspended’ if deal reached.

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage of the war in Gaza here .

• Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya says the group is reviewing a new Israeli truce proposal, as Israeli FM Katz says Rafah invasion would be “suspended” if a prisoner swap deal is reached.
• At least seven people were killed and others injured when the Israeli army bombed a home in southern Gaza’s Rafah, Palestinian news agency Wafa reports, citing local and medical sources.
• Hamas’s military wing has published a video of two Israeli captives held in Gaza, showing footage of them calling on PM Netanyahu’s government to make a deal to secure their release.
• Growing student protests in the United States against the war on Gaza and universities’ ties with Israel have spread into Europe and beyond.
• At least 34,388 Palestinians have been killed and 77,437 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s October 7 attacks stands at 1,139, with dozens of people still held captive in Gaza.

That’s a wrap from us

Thank you for joining us for updates on everything related to Israel’s war on Gaza.

For more news, analysis and opinion on the conflict, click  here .

A look at what happened today

We will be closing this live page soon. Here’s a quick recap from today:

• US news site Axios, citing two Israeli officials, reported that a new Israeli proposal for a possible deal with Hamas included a willingness to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza.
• Israeli FM Katz said the Rafah invasion would be “suspended” if a prisoner swap deal is reached.
• Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel.
• An Israeli strike in Srebbine, southern Lebanon, destroyed a house and injured 14 civilians, two of them seriously, according to Al Jazeera’s reporter.
• Student protests  in the United States against the  war on Gaza and universities’ ties with Israel continued.
• Students at Columbia released their five demands from the US university, including a demand to divest from companies that aid the Israeli government and another to sever ties to Israeli universities.
• Some senior US officials advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find “credible or reliable” Israel’s assurances that it is using US-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to an internal State Department memo reviewed by Reuters.
• Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in residential areas in the occupied West Bank.
• Hamas’s military wing released a video of two Israeli captives demanding the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach an exchange deal.
• At least seven people were killed in an Israeli army attack on a home in Rafah, Wafa reported.
• A flotilla hoping to deliver aid to Gaza was blocked in Turkey after the West African country of Guinea-Bissau withdrew its flagged vessels.
• Muqtada al-Sadr, an influential Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, expressed his support for the pro-Palestinian encampments at universities in the United States.

WATCH: A 74-year-old Palestinian activist spends six months in Israeli jail

Omar Assaf has just been released from an Israeli prison after six months in custody.

Our cameras caught him reuniting with his family and a little bit of his story.

Watch our video for more: 

‘We’re living this war in all aspects of life’

Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary was one of the signatories of the letter calling on US White House journalists to boycott the correspondent’s dinner.

She spoke to us from Deir el-Balah in central Gaza. Here is what she said:

I don’t have the words to describe what I have been going through since October 7.

This is not something that has been ending. It has been continuous every single day for more than 200 days. We have been killed, displaced and homeless, and we’re not only reporting on this, but we’re also living it with every single detail.

We’re living this war in all aspects of life. We have not seen our families as journalists. We have not been able to eat well. We have been dehydrated.

We have been reporting in one of the harshest conditions any reporter can go through despite losing a lot of colleagues, and it hurts our souls and our hearts every single day.

We have been constantly targeted by the Israeli air strikes and shelling.

All of these daily things we have been living as journalists are overwhelming [and] exhausting, but we still continue because there have been at least 100 Palestinian journalists whom I personally know that have been killed since October 7.

If they were here today with us, they would be reporting, and they would be raising the voice of the voiceless Palestinians.

Pro-Palestine protesters arrested at Indiana University

The Indiana University police department in Bloomington, United States, says that 23 protesters have been arrested.

Indiana State Police and Indiana University police told pro-Palestinian protesters they could not pitch tents and camp on campus.

When the tents were not removed, police arrested and transported protesters to the Monroe County Justice Center on charges of criminal trespass and resisting arrest.

A police statement read, “The Indiana University Police Department continues to support peaceful protests on campus that follow university policy.”

Protesters shout, ‘Shame on you’, outside White House correspondents dinner

Reporting from Washington DC, US

It’s astonishing. We’ve never seen a White House correspondent’s dinner like this.

At the Washington Hilton, the president is here to speak while being warmly applauded by the national US press core.

But these VIPs are all dressed up in the evening finery, and they have to run the gauntlet of hundreds of protesters out here who are shouting, “Shame on you”.

“Shame on you” for breaking bread when there are 140 journalists dead as a result of, as far as they say, Biden’s complicity in their murder.

Rockets fired from southern Lebanon at northern Israel

Al Jazeera’s correspondent reports that 30 rockets were fired from Lebanon towards Israel.

The Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported that rockets were fired from Lebanon towards the Meron area, which is located in northern Israel.

Israeli media and platforms broadcast scenes showing explosions over the area.

As we have reported, there were several exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border on Saturday.

An Israeli strike in Srebbine, southern Lebanon, destroyed a house and injured 14 civilians, two of them seriously.

Since October 8 , the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah and the Israeli military have traded fire regularly.

You can read our in-depth analysis of these cross-border attacks here .

Photos: Day 10 of pro-Palestine protest at Columbia University

Students continue to occupy an encampment at Columbia University’s campus in New York.

They have been protesting the university’s investments in Israel and showing their support for Palestine for almost two weeks – inspiring other students across the nation to do the same.

Prominent US activist expresses support for campus pro-Palestine protests

Linda Sarsour tells Al Jazeera that she is “extremely inspired and encouraged by these young people all across this country”.

Sarsour, who is of Palestinian descent, was visiting the protest at Princeton University where students, as they are on campuses across the country, are protesting in support of Palestinians, as well as against their institutions’ investments in Israel.

“These young people are reaffirming and demonstrating that the tide is shifting on Palestine, that the Palestinian people have solidarity not just across the United States of America, but across the world,” she said.

When asked why no major university presidents are supporting the students in their protests, she said that the institutions “are beholden to their donors, instead of being loyal to their students”.

Police staying away from Emory University after Thursday’s violent scenes

Reporting from Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Over the last hour or so, the number [of protesters has] steadily been growing. At the moment, it’s probably more of a gathering than a protest.

But this is very much a peaceful affair, and that’s been very much what the organisers have been selling it as on social media. [They say] come along, bring a blanket, bring some food, bring something to drink, sit on the ground, make some posters, write some slogans on the floor with chalk, just show your solidarity through peaceful motives.

There’s also a significant lack of police here. The occasional officer walks by, but compared to Thursday, when we saw those scenes and those mass arrests, the police are very much staying away.

The president of this university is coming under increasing pressure because he is the man who said that the police were right to be here on Thursday when we saw those violent arrests . Yesterday, one of the faculties here held a motion to hold a vote of no confidence in him.

Israeli truce proposal includes possibility of ‘restoration of sustainable calm’ in Gaza: Report

US news site Axios, citing two Israeli officials, reports that a new Israeli proposal for a possible deal with Hamas includes a willingness to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza after an initial release of captives on humanitarian grounds.

According to Axios, the Israeli officials said the new proposal was formulated jointly by the Egyptian intelligence delegation and the Israeli negotiations team.

The new proposal is reported to offer a response to several of Hamas’s demands, including a willingness to allow the full return of displaced Palestinians to their homes in northern Gaza and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Netzarim Corridor, which splits the north of Gaza from the rest of the enclave.

Axios states that “the proposal also includes a willingness to discuss the establishment of a sustainable ceasefire as part of the implementation of the second phase of the deal”, which would take place after the release of the Israeli captives on humanitarian grounds.

This would mark the first time since Israel began its war on Gaza that Israeli leaders have shown an openness to discussing an end to the war as part of a deal to release the captives.

WATCH: Aid ship delayed as Israel creates ‘administrative roadblock’

A flotilla aiming to deliver aid to Gaza has been blocked in Turkey after the West African country of Guinea-Bissau withdrew its flagged vessels.

“Sadly, Guinea-Bissau has allowed itself to become complicit in Israel’s deliberate starvation, illegal siege and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” said the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.

Watch our video to learn more:

491 Palestinians killed in West Bank since Oct 7: Ministry

The Palestinian Authority (PA) Ministry of Health has said that the number includes 123 children, five women, five elderly people and 10 detainees in Israeli prisons.

Earlier today, we reported that Israeli troops killed two men, ages 20 and 21, in Jenin, and injured two others moderately, according to medics at Jenin’s government hospital.

Palestinian journalists call for boycott of White House correspondents dinner

More than two dozen Palestinian journalists have called for a boycott of the upcoming White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, which annually brings reporters, politicians and a glitzy array of celebrities together.

With President Joe Biden heading a long list of VIP guests, Palestinian journalists penned an open letter urging their American colleagues not to attend the dinner.

“You have a unique responsibility to speak truth to power and uphold journalistic integrity,” said the letter. “It is unacceptable to stay silent out of fear or professional concern while journalists in Gaza continue to be detained, tortured, and killed for doing our jobs.”

According to the New York-based Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ), at least 97 journalists – including 92 Palestinians – have been killed since October 7. At least 16 others have been wounded.

In addition to the boycott call, an antiwar coalition is planning a demonstration not far from the Washington Hilton hotel where the dinner will take place.

The antiwar group Code Pink, part of the coalition, said it planned to “shut down” the dinner to protest “the complicity of the Biden administration in the targeting and killing of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli military”.

Four US state depts raise concerns in internal memo that Israel may be violating international law in Gaza

Some senior US officials have advised Secretary of State Antony Blinken that they do not find “credible or reliable” Israel’s assurances that it is using US-supplied weapons in accordance with international humanitarian law, according to an internal State Department memo reviewed by Reuters.

Under a National Security Memorandum (NSM) issued by President Joe Biden in February, Blinken must report to Congress by May 8 whether he finds credible Israel’s assurances that its use of US weapons does not violate US or international law.

By March 24, at least seven State Department bureaus had sent their contributions to an initial “options memo” to Blinken.

“Some components in the department favoured accepting Israel’s assurances, some favoured rejecting them, and some took no position,” an unnamed US official quoted by Reuters said.

A joint submission from four bureaus raised “serious concern over non-compliance” with international humanitarian law during Israel’s prosecution of the war on Gaza .

The assessment from the four bureaus said Israel’s assurances were “neither credible nor reliable.” It cited eight examples of Israeli military actions that the officials said raise “serious questions” about potential violations of international humanitarian law.

These included repeatedly striking protected sites and civilian infrastructure; “unconscionably high levels of civilian harm to military advantage”; taking little action to investigate violations or to hold to account those responsible for significant civilian harm and “killing humanitarian workers and journalists at an unprecedented rate”.

Protests in Israel constant reminder to the gov’t that it remains very unpopular

Reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel

There were perhaps as many as 30,000 people earlier on, both here outside the Defence Ministry and in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Modern Art, where the families of the captives gather every night.

These protests are gathering momentum. They have been here since long before October 7. I was here this time last year as people protested against the government and its attempts to change the way judges were appointed to the Supreme Court.

They picked up again in recent months as people called for an end to the war in Gaza and the resignation of the government, particularly [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu.

Many of the protesters here saying that Netanyahu is deliberately prolonging this war in Gaza, because it saves him from the ultimate reckoning at the ballot box.

The difference this year from last year is that there’s a more mixed crowd because many people have lost faith and Benjamin Netanyahu.

All the polls say that if there’s a new election, then he will almost certainly lose.

Israeli army says it hopes Gaza aid pier ready by early May

The Israeli army has said it hopes a pier to deliver aid to Gaza will be ready by early May, as it pushes ahead with its war on the besieged coastal enclave.

“We will be working with our partners on this endeavour … in the upcoming weeks, hopefully to make it fully functional early May,” Israeli army spokesperson Nadav Shoshani told an online press briefing on Saturday.

Shoshani said, “There will be no American boots on the ground, so once the aid gets to the land, the international organisations are going to be the ones carrying them out.”

Plans for the pier were first announced by US President Joe Biden in early March as Israel continues to hold up aid deliveries by land.

UN agencies have said maritime deliveries alone cannot deliver sufficient aid to ward off the threat of famine and have called on Israel to open up more border crossings for road convoys.

Hamas reviewing Israeli proposal for Gaza ceasefire

Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya has given no details of Israel’s offer, but said it was in response to a Hamas proposal two weeks ago.

Negotiations earlier this month centred on a six-week ceasefire proposal and the release of 40 captives in exchange for freeing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

A separate Hamas statement said leaders from three main factions active in Gaza discussed attempts to end the war. It didn’t mention the Israeli proposal.

The statements came hours after an Egyptian delegation wrapped up a visit to Israel.

Egypt has cautioned that an offensive into Rafah could have “catastrophic consequences” on the humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as on regional peace and security.

Israeli fighter jets target Hezbollah infrastructure: Israeli military

We reported earlier on an exchange of fire between Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and the Israeli military in the north of Israel.

The Israeli military now says that its fighter jets struck Hezbollah infrastructure in the areas of Markaba and Srebbine in southern Lebanon.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent, Zeina Khodr, reports that the strike in Srebbine destroyed a house and that 14 civilians were injured, two of them seriously.

Husam Zomlot, Jeremy Corbyn lead pro-Palestine protest in London

The official account of the Palestinian Mission to the UK has posted a picture of Husam Zomlot, Palestine’s ambassador to the UK, leading a protest in London.

Also pictured is Jeremy Corbyn , the former leader of the UK Labour Party and vocal critic of Israel’s war on Gaza.

#HappeningNow : Ambassador @hzomlot leading the massive protest in London to demand an end to the Israeli genocide in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/oHPECFV7fC — Palestine in the UK (@PalMissionUK) April 27, 2024

Injuries after Israel bombs town in southern Lebanon

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency, nine were injured in an Israeli raid on the town of Srebbine in the south of the country.

The Israeli raid targeted a house in the southern Lebanese town of Srebbine. NNA said one person was injured critically and that among the wounded were two Syrian citizens.

Police say they will not interfere in peaceful protests at George Washington University

It’s noisy at the moment. Several organisers have been speaking at a news conference, making clear their intent not to vacate this area.

At the moment, there are a little more than 100 students encamped in what is called University Square.

Unlike what is happening at other universities like Princeton, this is a public university, so effectively, this is all public space.

University administrators and the police are well aware of this. Administrators did ask the police to come in 24 hours ago and remove tents.

However, Washington, DC police declined to do so. They insisted that the demonstrations were peaceful and that they would not interfere as long as they remained so.

Now, some of the students have told us that the university is using retaliatory methods. It has suspended a number of the students who have been demonstrating. The university identifies them when they leave the square behind me and go into one of the adjoining buildings to use a bathroom, for example, and as they would need to log in to the system. They have then been identified by that login.

However, the students insist they will remain here. The police maintain that their job is to stand here and observe and take no action while these demonstrations remain peaceful.

Blinken set to travel to Saudi Arabia to discuss Gaza, regional security

The US State Department says that the secretary of state will make the visit on Monday and Tuesday to meet regional partners and discuss efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.

The State Department said in a statement, “[Blinken] will discuss the recent increase in humanitarian assistance being delivered to Gaza and underscore the importance of ensuring that increase is sustained.”

“The Secretary will also emphasize the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading and discuss ongoing efforts to achieve lasting peace and security in the region, including through a pathway to an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” it added.

Israeli foreign minister says deal would defer Rafah operation

Israel’s foreign minister says that a planned incursion into the city of Rafah could be suspended should there be a deal to secure the release of Israeli captives held by Hamas.

“The release of the hostages is the top priority for us,” said Foreign Minister Israel Katz during an interview with Israeli broadcaster Channel 12.

Asked if that included putting off a planned operation that would target Hamas battalions in the city of Rafah, Katz answered, “Yes.”

He went on to say: “If there will be a deal, we will suspend the operation.”

Israel’s allies, the United Nations and major NGOs have urged Israel not to invade the southern Gaza Strip city, in which hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are currently sheltering.

Princeton protestors won’t leave until the university divests from Israel

Reporting from Princeton, New Jersey, United States

This is day three at Princeton University, and these students are walking a fine line.

The university has said that they are not allowed to sleep here, so they have been coming in shifts to continually occupy this space for these past three days.

On Thursday, the first day, when a couple of them put up a tent, police came in and arrested them. So that’s the line they have to walk.

I talked to a history professor and he was saying there was a bit of irony here that this university is instilling values in the students and then punishing them for practising those values.

These students have decided to take their stand on this issue: They’re demanding divestment from the university from anything invested in Israel or in the war on Gaza, and they say they’ll stay here until they get what they asked for.

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ACTU calls for sanctions on Israel over Gaza war – as it happened

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• Anthony Albanese criticises X’s ‘extraordinary’ fight against removal of church stabbing posts
• Queensland police fatally shoot man at rest area south of Gladstone
• Get our morning and afternoon news emails , free app or daily news podcast
• 22 Apr 2024 Summary of the day
• 22 Apr 2024 ACTU calls for sanctions on Israel over Gaza war
• 22 Apr 2024 Man shot by Queensland police near Gladstone dies
• 22 Apr 2024 Electric utes rolling to Australia, mining sites first
• 22 Apr 2024 Greens want Musk to 'front parliament' after refusing to take Wakeley stabbing videos down
• 22 Apr 2024 Steve Gollschewski appointed as new Queensland police commissioner
• 22 Apr 2024 Murujuga traditional custodians call for investigation into leak of cultural heritage report
• 22 Apr 2024 PM says it is ‘extraordinary’ X not complying with takedown order
• 22 Apr 2024 ‘It just doesn’t work’: Liberal senator weighs in on job-sharing MP proposal
• 22 Apr 2024 Erin Patterson appears via video link ahead of today’s court appearance
• 22 Apr 2024 ‘Insulting and offensive’ to conflate X takedown order with censorship: Birmingham
• 22 Apr 2024 Inspection report finds ‘serious concerns’ at Western Australian detention centre
• 22 Apr 2024 Nationals leader denies tension in Coalition around nuclear power
• 21 Apr 2024 FA announces host states for Women's Asian Cup
• 21 Apr 2024 Assistant treasurer ‘incredibly disappointed’ by Elon Musk’s response to takedown directive
• 21 Apr 2024 'More determined to remove journalists than criminals': assistant treasurer on social media giants
• 21 Apr 2024 ‘An attitude they’re above the laws of a nation’: Bill Shorten on X
• 21 Apr 2024 Treasury downgrades growth forecasts ahead of budget
• 21 Apr 2024 International travel closer to pre-pandemic levels than domestic at Sydney Airport
• 21 Apr 2024 Albanese government announces 'largest-ever' tender for renewable energy projects
• 21 Apr 2024 Good morning

Summary of the day

And that’s where we’ll leave you this evening. Here’s a wrap of what we’ve learned today:

The federal government has announced Australia’s “largest-ever” tender to build renewable energy projects, which will be underwritten by the commonwealth.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese said it was “extraordinary” that X, formerly known as Twitter, did not comply with orders from the eSafety commissioner to take down footage of the Wakeley church stabbing.

The X boss, Elon Musk , should “front up here to parliament”, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has declared, calling the billionaire CEO a “tech thug” and “cowboy” after his platform refused to take down the videos.

The shadow foreign minister, Simon Birmingham , said the opposition would support any moves from the government to place penalties on social media companies that won’t remove content deemed damaging to social cohesion.

The Nationals leader, David Littleproud , has denied there is tension in the Coalition around nuclear power, telling Sky News that a “clear majority” of his party want nuclear power.

Global financial uncertainty has prompted the Treasury to downgrade its growth forecasts for major economies ahead of the federal budget.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions has called for the government to issue targeted sanctions on Israel and cease all military trade due with the country due to the war in Gaza. It has also called for a commitment of an additional $100m in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

An inspection report by the Australian Human Rights Commission has found a high-security immigration detention centre in Western Australia was, in part, “no longer fit for purpose”.

Steve Gollschewski has been named as the new Queensland police commissioner, following the resignation of Katarina Carroll last month.

Erin Patterson , the woman accused of murdering and attempting to murder her relatives by serving them a meal laced with deadly mushrooms, may spend 15 months in custody before she faces a committal hearing, a court has heard.

Murujuga traditional custodians have called for an immediate inquiry to investigate the alleged leak of a confidential report on the Burrup peninsula to the media.

International traffic is now closer to pre-pandemic levels than domestic flights at Sydney airport.

A man has died after being shot by police at a rest area south of Gladstone, Queensland.

Electric utes are being shipped to Australia for use on mining sites after a local firm signed a deal with one of America’s leading vehicle manufacturers.

Thanks so much for your company today. We’ll be back bright and early with all your news, live, tomorrow morning, just after 7am. See you then.

Crocodile euthanised after fatal attack on teenager

Wildlife officers have euthanised a large crocodile believed to have killed a 16-year-old boy in the Torres Strait last week.

The teenager, and a 13-year-old boy, reportedly attempted to swim back to Saibai Island from a broken-down dinghy early on Thursday morning last week, Queensland police said, with the younger boy making it to safety.

Wildlife officers located the four-metre animal responsible during spotlight searches on Friday night near where the boy died and it was killed on Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation.

Read the full story here:

Moody’s seems in no hurry to downgrade NSW credit rating

As we saw earlier today, NSW treasurer Daniel Mookhey was almost daring credit agencies to cut the state’s credit rating in the wake of what he dubbed a “rip-off” GST carve-up:

So bad was it from the budget outlook, Mookhey said, it was almost certain to cost NSW its remaining AAA rating with two of the big three agencies.

Well, one of the two, Moody’s, had kicked the tyres earlier this month and seems in no hurry to downgrade NSW.

John Manning , vice-president and senior credit officer for Moody’s Ratings, told Guardian Australia:

Moody’s retains its stable outlook on the state of New South Wales’ AAA rating ahead of the release of the state’s fiscal 2025 budget.

So nothing changing just yet. The NSW budget lands in June.

Fitch, the other agency with a top-notch rating for NSW, is yet to get back to us. (S&P cut NSW’s debt rating in 2020.)

The state opposition, meanwhile, aren’t impressed, saying Mookhey was using the GST carve-up complaints to divert attention from the impact on the budget of lifting the cap on public wage increases.

The parliamentary budget office had indicated prior to the 2023 election that Labor was relying on productivity gains to offset higher salaries – something the Coalition says is yet to happen.

Call for second Melbourne injecting room amid synthetic opioid fears

Health experts are warning of the looming threat of strong synthetic opioids called nitazenes among Australian drug users, as former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark said there was an urgent need for a second safe-injecting room in Melbourne .

Referring to the long-mooted facility, Clark, who is chair of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, said:

The bottom line is that people that are using drugs need to be safe. And that’s why a centre is so important … I hope it will go ahead. The first one is clearly highly successful .

Speaking at the World Health Summit regional meeting, Clark said there was a need for drug decriminalisation, public drug-testing facilities and safe-injecting sites to get ahead of what was described as the imminent threat posed by synthetic opioids, which are already causing an epidemic of drug fatalities in North America .

Nitazenes have already been identified in the ACT , New South Wales , Victoria and South Australia . Certain nitazenes can be from 10 to 100 times more potent than fentanyl, which is also a powerful synthetic opioid.

ACTU calls for sanctions on Israel over Gaza war

The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) has released a new statement on Gaza, calling for the Australian government to, among other things, place sanctions on “Israeli officials who have called for the denial of aid, and military and civil servants denying essential food and materials to civilians in Gaza”.

Speaking for the Australian union movement, the ACTU statement says it is “horrified by the escalating violence and death toll of civilians in Gaza”.

It continues:

The ACTU reiterates its statements and resolution of 19 October 2023 and 23 February 2024 and continues to call for an urgent and permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages and political prisoners.

The union movement has urged the Albanese government to use “all influence, pressure and diplomatic measures to achieve a permanent ceasefire” and the end to all military trade with Israel.

As well as targeted sanctions and the cessation of all military trade, the ACTU has called on the government to commit an additional $100m in humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank.

The statement says:

The ACTU calls on the Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership to promote open, tolerant and respectful societies through adherence to democratic principles in governance, respect for human rights and equal treatment for all. The ACTU calls for an end to the occupation of Palestine and a just and sustainable peace in accordance with UN security council resolutions. Including the removal of illegal settlements, the withdrawal of Israel from all Palestinian lands along with the dismantling of the separation wall. In line with the ACTU’s commitment to a two-state solution with the security of borders for both nations, we call on all countries to recognise, without delay, Palestine as a sovereign state with East Jerusalem as its capital. This will confirm the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination in a free and independent Palestine.

Greens press for student loan overhaul

Speaking of student debt, the Greens have renewed their push for sweeping loan reforms that would scrap the process of Hecs/Help rising with inflation.

The prime minister has been dropping his own hints that recommendations to reform student loans in the University Accord are being looked at in the federal budget.

One recommendation is to tie student loans to whatever is smaller out of the wage price index (WPI) and the consumer price index (CPI) rather than setting automatically to CPI. Last year, loans were indexed by 7.1% due to high inflation, with a rise in excess of 4% expected this year.

Another option, put forward by higher education economist Andrew Norton in this masthead , would impose a cap at 3% or 4%.

But the deputy leader of the Greens, senator Mehreen Faruqi , says this isn’t enough.

WPI is usually higher than CPI (including this year, according to the govt’s projections) so this change will make little difference ... a cap of 4% still means at least a $1k hike in the avg. HECS debt and almost $3k for someone with a $70,000 debt. A hike people should not be slugged with in a cost of living crisis.

Labor refused demands from the Greens to protect students from huge debt increases last year, but there's still time to stop the massive indexation hit coming again this June. No more tinkering around the edges. In the May budget, Labor must scrap indexation on student debt. — Mehreen Faruqi (@MehreenFaruqi) April 22, 2024

Man shot by Queensland police near Gladstone dies

A man has died after being shot by police at a rest area south of Gladstone.

Police said the man was shot by an officer on Monday, 20km south of Miriam Vale, around 10.50am.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesperson said the man was assessed in a critical condition but they did not transport him to hospital.

Guardian Australia understands that he died at the scene.

The Bruce Highway at Gindoran, 5km north of John Clifford Way, remains closed.

Guardian Australia is still awaiting further details about the circumstances of the shooting. A police investigation is under way.

Treasurer considers relief for ‘under pressure’ students

We mentioned it briefly earlier but the treasurer, Jim Chalmers , has further hinted that relief may be on the way for students completing mandatory unpaid university placements.

Students in a range of courses including nursing, teaching and social work are required to complete hundreds of hours of internships in order to graduate.

Academics, the Greens and grassroots group Students Against Placement Poverty have lobbied the commonwealth for years to address the burden, pointing to high drop-out rates and burnout .

The University Accord final report, handed down earlier this year, urged the government to front the bill for “care” degrees, and work with industry to implement stipends for remaining mandatory internships.

Speaking to the media today, Chalmers said both loan reform and placements were being looked at in the budget, acknowledging “students are under pressure”.

With the budget a mere three weeks away – watch this space.

Court hears conflicting accounts over Victorian school bus crash

A bus driver says he slowed to a near stop at an intersection west of Melbourne when a truck rammed into the back of his bus, seriously injuring eight students, a court has heard.

But another motorist has disputed Graham Stanley’s claims, telling the Melbourne magistrates court he saw no brake or indicator lights in the lead-up to the May 2023 collision that saw a truck crash into the back of the bus.

At the time, 45 students from the Exford primary school in Eynesbury were on the bus. Eight children suffered life-threatening injuries, with two students needing to have arms and hands amputated. Stanley was also hospitalised with a broken ankle.

The driver of the truck was charged with 11 offences, including four counts of dangerous driving causing serious injury.

He faced the Melbourne magistrates court on Monday for the start of a two-day committal hearing.

Read the full story from AAP here:

Funding boost for warning systems in flood-hit regions

Flood-prone areas across Queensland will receive $7m for early warning infrastructure, AAP reports.

The federal government has announced 170 projects, including new river height gauges, cameras, signage and sensor technology for areas heavily impacted by flooding in 2022.

The emergency management minister, Murray Watt , said that with more frequent and intense flooding in recent years, this infrastructure was crucial.

While we can’t predict the future, we know complacency is simply not an option when it comes to building disaster resilience. With earlier flood warnings and more comprehensive information captured we’ll significantly improve our defence against disaster events.

More than 20 Queensland councils will get $235,000 each for new flood warning infrastructure. An extra $1m will be set aside for “high-priority” projects within nine of these local government areas.

Many thanks for joining me on the blog today. Stephanie Convery will be here to guide you through the rest of today’s news. Take care.

Crocodile believed to be responsible for fatal attack on teen euthanised

A crocodile believed to be responsible for a fatal attack on a 16-year-old boy in the Torres Strait last week has been euthanised.

Last Thursday a search and rescue operation was launched near Saibai Island after reports a 16-year-old was missing. That night a spokesperson confirmed they had discovered his body with injuries consistent with a crocodile attack.

According to a statement from the Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, the four-metre crocodile was located during night spotlight searches on Friday, near where the teenage boy was killed.

The animal displayed parading behaviour such as raising its head as it swam, which is consistent with it being the target animal.

The crocodile was “humanely euthanised” on Saturday and disposed of at sea, the department said, “in keeping with the wishes of the Saibai Island community”.

The [department] expresses its sincere condolences to the friends, family and community on Saibai Island.

New Zealand PM interested in Taiwan trade, but not travel

In some international news via AAP : the New Zealand prime minister, Christopher Luxon , says he wants to increase trade links with Taiwan, but has ruled out visiting the island nation while leader in deference to the One China policy.

Last week, NZ sent its first-ever official cross-parliamentary delegation to Taiwan. Taiwan is eager to join the 11-nation CPTPP trade bloc ( which includes Australia and NZ) but is considered unlikely to be admitted, given China also wants membership.

NZ does not have an official diplomatic relationship with Taipei, but has a free trade deal signed in 2013.

Luxon said his government has a goal of doubling its export value in the next decade, and plans to lean on Asia heavily to do so. Asked specifically if that included Taiwan, he said: “Yes, we already have a free trade agreement with Taiwan.”

NZ’s openness to Taiwan comes at a moment of geopolitical inflection, with the new right-leaning government exploring closer ties with the US and “traditional” partners.

Each of the countries Luxon visited last week (Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines) have strong relationships with Washington – Thailand and the Philippines were formally allied to the US.

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