Another Australian found safe in Nepal; Australia declines to follow the UK's lead on West Bank trade sanctions; And in sport, the AFL discusses changes as a 19th team prepares to enter in 2028.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Another Australian found safe in Nepal
- Australia declines to follow the UK's lead on West Bank trade sanctions
- The AFL discusses changes as a 19th team prepares to enter in 2028
Another Australian feared missing after devastating floods in Nepal has been found.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says a citizen who was in Nepal has made contact, confirming they are safe and well.
35 Australians remain unaccounted for, two weeks after flooding that killed more than 1,300 people in Nepal and Tibet and left more than 5,000 missing.
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Israel has announced retaliatory measures against Britain after the UK, along with France and Canada, moved to block imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The three countries announced the measures over concerns about settlement expansion and increasing violence against Palestinians, with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband saying Israel's E-1 settlement project threatens the prospect of a two-state solution.
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar says Britain’s move is an attack on Israel’s sovereignty and announced the closure of the British Consulate in East Jerusalem, the removal of British officials from a Gaza coordination mission, and entry bans on some British nationals.
"With the agreement of Prime Minister Netanyahu, I decided on a series of Israeli countermeasures in response to the series of new sanctions announced today by the British Foreign Secretary of the Labour government, and following a series of anti-Israel decisions by the Labour government. The accusations made today by the Foreign Secretary in the British Parliament were outrageous lies.”
The UK says its actions target settlement expansion, which it says threatens the viability of a future Palestinian state.
Israel rejects claims its settlement policy is illegal and says the sanctions are politically motivated.
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The Australian government says it is unlikely to follow the U-K, France and Canada in banning imports from Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has previously ruled out a blanket import ban on Israeli settlements, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australia's position on the Middle East remains the same.
"I have made clear on a number of occasions we support a two-state solution in the Middle East. We think that is important for both Israelis and Palestinians to be able to live in peace and security."
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The leader of the One Nation party in Victoria has publicly admitted to a history of previous drug use.
Warren Pickering is the Victorian State President and the party's candidate for Pakenham at this year's state election.
The Australian newspaper has published allegations from his former partner that they used drugs together during their relationship.
Mr Pickering says it's true, but he has moved on since then to build a career in the military and public service.
"Not unlike everybody else that has ever been a young man in their 20s, I made mistakes... We're talking about speed, amphetamines, ecstasy, and marijuana."
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The New South Wales government says it plans to press ahead with controversial reforms to crown land management in the state, despite opposition from traditional owners.
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council ((NSWALC)) have long argued the changes are rushed, calling them an "attack by stealth" on land rights by reclassifying claimable land.
New South Wales Law Society President Ronan MacSweeney also expressed concerns the reforms would result in further potential injustice to Aboriginal communities.
But Premier Chris Minns says the government wants a system that can activate unused land for Indigenous councils but also allow community groups to operate with certainty.
"The truth is we haven't been able to get agreement. That's regrettable but we need to go ahead with the reform. There's a simple reason for that. If we lose that kind of community land - surf lifesaving clubs, bowling clubs, golf clubs, scout halls - we can't replace them. You can't get them back."
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In sport, AFL chair Craig Drummond says shortening games is on the agenda as the league weighs up how to structure the season when the new Tasmanian team enters the competition in 2028.
Speaking at the SportNXT conference in Melbourne, he said if more games are added, the length of games may need to be reduced.
He says the number of rounds will need to increase from 23 to at least 24, and clubs are being consulted on possible changes.
The AFL and clubs have discussed the future fixture conundrum, with radical options floated like a mid-season tournament and a group stage after the home-and-away season.
