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TRANSCRIPT:
- Angus Taylor flags stronger security vetting in immigration crackdown
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy says US demands much more from Ukraine than Russia
- India braced for high-pressure World Cup clash with Pakistan
New federal Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is flagging a greater role for Australia's security agencies in his proposed crackdown on immigration.
Mr Taylor says he's focused not only on immigration levels numerically, but on making sure those who immigrate to Australia share Australian values.
He's citing the Bondi terror attack, and the federal government's repatriation of some so-called IS brides, as recent examples where this wasn't the case.
But Mr Taylor has told Sky News his agenda is not aimed at the Muslim community.
"This is not about any particular race or religion. It is about people who accept our way of life. And this is firmly what I believe Australians want to see. We are a great immigrant nation."
**
Australia's most-populous state will get an extra public holiday this year and next year.
New South Wales premier Chris Minns has announced that, in 2026 and 2027, when ANZAC Day falls on a weekend, people in his state will get the following Monday as a public holiday.
ANZAC Day- the 25th of April- is on a Saturday in 2026, and a Sunday in 2027.
New South Wales joins Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory in granting a public holiday in these circumstances.
Mr Minns says adding the public holiday will enhance ANZAC Day commemorations, not diminsh them.
Mr Minns has the support of the Returned and Services League, or R-S-L, which says war veterans who have to woirk on ANZAC Day will get a chance to spend time with loved ones on the additional public holiday.
**
Some automotive experts are urging the federal government to persist with the Electric Car Discount, despite a cost blowout and a statutory review into the scheme.
The policy, which removed fringe benefits tax from some electric cars, was introduced in 2022.
The resultant drop in price has tripled the rate of adoption of electric cars.
However, that means it's now costing 1.35 billion dollars per year.
Experts says the policy should not be a victim of its own success, and is a reason Australia might still be able to reach its 2035 emissions targets.
The Chief Executive of the National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association, Rohan Martin, says the policy is particularly useful for outer suburban workers who have long commutes.
**
There are reports the US military is preparing for an engagement against Iran lasting multiple weeks.
News agency Reuters is reporting the story, citing two anonymous US officials, one of whom says complex planning is underway for a situation in which the US would strike not only Iran's contentious nuclear facilities, but also security and state facilities.
The official says the US expects Iran would retaliate, leading to back and forth strikes.
US President Donald Trump has amassed US forces in the region, and White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly says all options are on the table.
One of Mr Trump's close allies, US Republican Party senator Lindsey Graham, claims Iran is vulnerable, yet still very dangerous to the US.
"They're the weakest they've been since 1979. It is a regime with American blood on its hands. It is a great disrupter of the region. It's a religious theocracy that, if they could get a nuclear weapon, they would use it to advance their religious goals, which are three, purify Islam, destroy the Jewish state, and come after us."
The US will hold negotiations with Iran this week in Switzerland.
**
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy says the United States is asking too much of his country, and not enough of Russia, in attempts to end the war in his country.
Mr Zelenskyy has met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference, ahead of the latest round of peace talks, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Switzerland.
Mr Zelenskyy says Russia, not Ukraine, needs to make more concessions in order for there to be peace.
"The Americans often return to the topic of concessions, and too often, those concessions are discussed in the context only of Ukraine, not Russia, Europe is practically not present at the table. It's a big mistake, to my mind."
**
In cricket, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav says he is embracing the pressure of tonight's huge match against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Twenty20 World Cup.
Political and military tensions between the two nations have forced this match to played on neutral territory in Sri Lanka, and Pakistan only consented to play the match at all last week, after threatening a boycott.
Yadav says once, the game starts, though, it's like any other international cricket match.
“Yes, there will be pressure. There will be nerves, butterflies in the stomach when we start the game tomorrow, But yeah, I mean, every time I say the same thing, at the end of the day, it's just another game. You have to back your skills, play some good cricket, focus on what you want to do better, and we'll see what happens.”
India has been aggressive in its shunning of Pakistan in recent times, with Pakistan recently retaliating, and matches between the teams have been mostly-restricted to World Cups only.
The two teams have played 16 times in all men's Cricket World Cup events.
India has been victorious 15 of these matches... Pakistan, just one.
