3M vows to defend itself against the federal government’s PFAS lawsuit; More than 250 diphtheria cases recorded across Australia’s north; And in cricket, Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes an IPL sixes record with 97 off 29 balls.
Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
- 3M vows to defend itself against the federal government’s PFAS lawsuit
- More than 250 diphtheria cases recorded across Australia’s north
- Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashes an IPL sixes record with 97 off 29 balls
The 3M company has said it will defend itself through the legal process after the Federal Government launched a $2 billion lawsuit relating to contamination from so-called forever chemicals at 28 defence sites.
Announcing the Federal Court action on Thursday [[280526]], Attorney-General Michelle Rowland alleged the multinational had withheld information and misrepresented one of its products.
In a statement, 3M said it had stopped selling the firefighting foam in Australia more than two decades ago, and had never manufactured PFAS in Australia.
Ms Rowland has said PFAS contamination at defence sites has cost taxpayers $1 billion so far and the legal action is intended to help recoup those costs.
"Our position is that 3M withheld a range of information and misrepresented the effects of this substance. This included withholding 3M's own environmental laboratory testing, which showed there were significant adverse environmental effects associated with the use of 3M firefighting foam."
.
Health Minister Mark Butler says more than 250 diphtheria cases have been reported in Australia’s north, with more than 90 per cent affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients.
Around 60 per cent of cases are in the Northern Territory, with most of the remainder in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.
To date, one death has been officially recorded as part of the outbreak, and Mr Butler says there has been no confirmation of a second death, despite some media reporting to the contrary.
Mr Butler says the outbreak remains a serious concern, and funding is being provided to support vaccination, treatment and community information.
"As I've indicated before, funding is being provided to Aboriginal Medical Services to continue to support heir work of vaccination, information, treatment of people who have been infected, and we've also provided more than five million dollars to the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre, which is based in Darwin, which is now surging the workforce to do that work alongside trusted Aboriginal health workers."
.
Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are causing flash flooding, road closures and travel disruptions across parts of eastern Australia.
Queensland and New South Wales have been hit by widespread storms, with forecasters recording around half a million lightning strikes across the two states.
The Bureau of Meteorology says severe weather warnings remain in place, with heavy rainfall continuing across parts of the east coast and Tasmania.
Authorities say conditions are expected to ease into the weekend as the weather system moves offshore.
.
The Nationals have demanded Prime Minister Anthony Albanese call an election over negative gearing and capital gains tax changes flagged in the federal budget.
It comes as the government introduces legislation in parliament to try and implement the changes, which also include the $250 Working Australians Tax Offset.
The reforms are widely expected to pass through the parliament with support from the Greens, despite staunch opposition from both Coalition parties.
On Thursday, Nationals leader Matt Canavan called a press conference in front of Parliament House to demand fresh elections.
"The people deserve their say. These tax changes should not be passed through the people's house. They should be first taken to the people. The Prime Minister should take his biggest tax increases in a generation to an election. Without a mandate, without the support of the Australian people, these changes should not be passed through our parliament."
.
The United States has reportedly carried out fresh strikes on an Iranian military site near the Strait of Hormuz, amid escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Iranian media says the strike near the port city of Bandar Abbas caused no casualties, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claims it responded by targeting what it described as an American airbase.
Meanwhile, Kuwait says its air defence systems intercepted missile and drone attacks overnight.
Oil prices have risen sharply off the back of renewed concern around the Strait of Hormuz.
.
The United States has reimposed sanctions against the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese.
Last week, an appeals court issued an administrative stay that lifted the sanctions while the court considers the merits of the case, but a notice on the US treasury website shows the department has reimposed the measures which blacklist Ms Albanese globally and constrain her use of the banking
The Italian expert in international law has been a staunch critic of Israel's treatment of Palestinians, leading senior Trump officials to label her as a supporter of terror and antisemitism.
Ms Albanese strongly denies the claims.
.
Fifteen-year-old Indian cricket sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has produced another stunning innings in the Indian Premier League, the world’s richest 20/20 cricket competition, to send Rajasthan Royals into the next stage of the finals.
Sooryavanshi smashed 97 off just 29 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad, including 12 sixes and five fours, while also breaking Chris Gayle’s record for the most sixes in a single IPL season.
Australia captain Pat Cummins was among the bowlers targeted, with the teenager hitting three straight sixes off the fast bowler during the eliminator.
Rajasthan defeated Hyderabad by 47 runs and will now face Gujarat Titans in the second qualifier.
