Australian news and politics live: Anthony Albanese not attending NATO summit in The Netherlands

Iran has fired a fresh wave of missiles into Israel.

Images shared on social media show buildings on fire in Beersheba, with firefighters working to put out blazes.

The Times of Israel said the missile caused heavy damage, hitting just outside apartment blocks and setting several cars on fire while damage was also caused to nearby homes.

Ambulance service Magen David Adom said “no reports of casualties have been received at this stage”.

It is now easier for Australians to buy a home but a key change to credit limits could push up the price of housing, a leading economist has warned.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority has announced that higher education loan program debts would be excluded from the credit limit for prospective homebuyers from September 30.

Independent economist Saul Eslake said the change’s two most obvious effects would be to “allow some people who’d buy a home anyway to buy a more expensive one and to allow some people who wouldn’t have been able to buy a home because of their student debt to do so”.

“The net effect of those two factors will be to increase the demand for housing,” he said.

“The likely result is that it will, along with other things that governments are doing, put further upward pressure on the prices of property.”

Mr Eslake said the change meant some people would be able to enter the housing market more quickly than otherwise but “it would come at the expense of others”.

There would have been more to NATO than just a meeting with Donald Trump.

After a couple of days of consideration, and probably an acknowledgement that the uncertainty around the Israel-Iran crisis makes it possible the US President won’t ultimately attend, Anthony Albanese has decided to stick to Plan A and send his deputy Richard Marles in his place.

The latest round of volatility in an already unstable world should have been reason enough for the Prime Minister to attend. Finally securing the crucial face-to-face meeting with the President would have just been a bonus.

Read Ellen Ransley’s full analysis here:

Environment Minister Murray Watt says he’s optimistic about pushing through long-delayed environmental reforms within the next 18 months.

“We know our current environmental laws aren’t working for the environment, they’re not working for business, they’re not working for the community. And it’s high time that we got them changed,” he told the ABC.

Senator Watt held a roundtable yesterday with guests including BHP, Rio Tinto, WWF and the Climate Council.

“There are obviously areas that are still in dispute between these different groups, but there was a lot of goodwill shown at (our) meeting,” he added.

“Everyone recognises this is an urgent task because, of course, it’s important for our natural environment to protect it going forward.

“I’m confident that we can get a deal done.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke about her conversation with US counterpart Marco Rubio during a press conference in Adelaide on Friday.

“We had a good discussion…about the way through the conflict and issues in the Australia-US relationship about our bilateral cooperation,” Senator Wong said.

“I emphasise…given what President Trump has said, there is an opportunity over the next two weeks for de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy.”

Senator Wong confirmed there was no request from the US for Australia’s support if America joined the conflict in the Middle East.

“We’ve had a diplomatic relationship with Iran since 1968 from memory,” she said.

“It is obviously for some of that time being with a regime that we have very different views about.

“But we have always believed that you have diplomatic relationships with not just whom you agree (with).”

Former Coalition Minister Simon Birmingham has been named the next Chief Executive of the Australian Banking Association.

He is set to take over from former Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who has headed the organisation since 2017.

ABA Chair and National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Irvine said, “We are delighted to have Simon lead our industry and help ensure Australian banks continue making the right decisions for customers and the broader economy.”

“Simon’s ability to navigate difficult and complex environments, bringing together varied interests and perspectives, makes him ideal for this role. He will be a sensible, consistent and respected voice on behalf of the industry.”

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he looked forward to working with Mr Birmingham “on the big issues” that shape Australia’s banking sector.

“The Australian Banking Association is fortunate to be bringing in someone of Simon Birmingham’s calibre as its new CEO,” he said.

Mr Birmingham starts his new role on August 18.

Australia is “not a central player”, Senator Wong has again repeated, when asked if Australia could get involved in the Middle Eastern conflict.

Asked what concerns the Government have about the US potentially using bunker-busting bombs in Iran, Senator Wong wouldn’t go there.

“These are matters that the US will make decisions about,” she said.

“I can only articulate what Australia’ position has been. We want dialogue diplomacy, and we want de-escalation, and we want Iran to return to the table.

“We want Iran to stop any nuclear weapons program. That’s the point we’ve made, and that’s the point many countries have made.”

She said US President had given Iran “the opportunity to engage in diplomacy, and they should take it.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will not attend the NATO summit next week, putting an end to hopes for a long-awaited face-to-face meeting with US President Donald Trump.

As originally planned, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles will travel to the Netherlands to represent Australia.

Mr Albanese had left open the possibility of attending the meeting in The Hague after a planned meeting with Mr Trump on the sidelines of the G7 summit was cancelled.

Military personnel and aircraft are being deployed to the Middle East to assist the Government and support Australians trying to leave the region.

Senator Wong has emphasised that those assets are not there for combat.

“I emphasise the airspace remains closed, and we are doing this as part of preparing contingency plans post the airspace becoming open,” she said.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong is speaking after the Government directed the departure of all Australian officials and dependents from Tehran, suspending operations in Iran.

She said this was not a decision taken lightly but had been made “based on the deteriorating security environment”.

“I am sure people do not know that we do not have to cast our minds back too far in history to understand the risk to foreign officials in Iran in times of unrest,” she said.

Ambassador Ian McConville will remain in the region, she said, with extra departmental consular staff deployed to neighbouring Azerbaijan, including to the border crossing, to help Australians able to leave Iran.

“We continue to plan to support Australians departing Iran, and we remain in close contact with partner countries. Unfortunately, at this stage, our ability to provide consular services is extremely limited. Due to the situation on the ground,” she said.