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TRANSCRIPT
- A deal to reunify the Liberals and Nationals
- A heavy police presence for the Israeli President's visit
- And in golf, Elvis Smylie makes a dazzling debut on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour.
The Liberal and National party leaders have announced a reunification deal after a three-week split.
The Coalition collapsed after three National senators voted against the government's hate-speech laws and were then sacked or stood down.
The deal to reunite includes allowing the sacked senators to return to the front bench.
After talks this weekend, Opposition leader Sussan Ley and Nationals leader David Littleproud say they trust each other.
"Yes, 100 per cent I trust David and I value and respect the National party as one of the two great parties where, as I said, teh greatest political partnership in our history and that's important and I think that has shone through." David Littleproud: "I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't trust Sussan Ley and I didn't trust the Liberal party, the National party wouldn't do that, that's not how we operate. We're upfront, we look people in the eye, we work them out and then we decide whether we back them or not."
Police are urging people to avoid non-essential travel in Sydney's central business district during Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit.
He's arriving in Sydney tomorrow before visiting Canberra and Melbourne.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Paul Dunstan says there will be additional police working due to the tensions associated with the visit.
"We often do guests of government visits to Austalia and Sydney, obviously, is a focal point for those visits. We always see a heightened police presence. You will see motorcades, you will see police out in stronger numbers. That is normal for a guest of government visit. Obviously, with the tensions associated with this visit you will see additional numbers but people should feel confident to go about their business over the next few days as per normal."
A man has died and several others have been taken to hospital after suffering medical episodes at a techno festival in Sydney.
They became ill at the Dreamstate festival at Sydney Olympic Park around 11.30 last night.
A man in his 40s died and six others were taken to hospital.
One is in a critical condition.
United States TV host Savannah Guthrie and her family have released a new video calling for the safe return of their elderly mother.
Police believe 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie was abducted from her home in Arizona on January 31.
In the video posted to Instagram, Savannah Guthrie says her family is prepared to pay for their mother's safe return.
"We received your message and we understand. We beg you now to return our mother to us so that we can celebrate with her. This is the only way we will have peace. This is very valuable to us and we will pay."
Polling has opened in Japan, where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is hopeful the election will allow her to push new conservative policies.
Polls predict the election will hand Ms Takaichi's ruling coalition a resounding win, though record snowfall in parts of the country could keep many voters at home.
Opinion polls suggest the conservative coalition, led by Japan's first female prime minister, could win more than 300 of the 465 seats in the lower house of Parliament.
Ahead of the vote, some residents say they fear the direction Japan is heading.
“I feel Japan may have drifted too far to the right. I also want Japan to be protected, but things seem to be moving towards an extreme direction, that scares me."
Coastal communities in Western Australia are bracing for destructive winds and life-threatening floods as a category three cyclone threatens to make landfall.
Tropical Cyclone Mitchell is continuing to the Pilbara coast, with landfall between Onslow and Exmouth forecast for late today or early Monday.
Major ports along the Pilbara coastline were forced to close on Saturday as the weather system passed north of Port Hedland.
Rising Australian star Elvis Smylie has made a dazzling — and lucrative — debut on the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour, winning his debut in Riyadh.
The 23-year-old winner of the Australian PGA Championship in 2024 took out LIV Golf's opening event with a flawless eight-under round of 64.
He scooped $5.7 million Australian dollars for individual victory plus $1.1 million dollars as his share of the team winnings.
