A Gaza flotilla activist alleges mistreatment by Israeli authorities; An Australian man dies while hiking the Inca Trail in Peru; Socceroos midfielder Matthew Leckie says competition is fierce for World Cup spots.
Listen to Australian and world news, and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT:
- A Gaza flotilla activist alleges mistreatment by Israeli authorities.
- An Australian man dies while hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.
- Socceroos midfielder Matthew Leckie says competition is fierce for World Cup spots.
An Australian activist, who was part of a Gaza-bound flotilla, says she was mistreated by Israeli authorities.
Neve O'Connor was one of eleven Australians among the 428 people intercepted by Israeli forces on Tuesday.
She has now been flown to Türkiye.
Her account is at odds with Israel's ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, who maintains his country treated the activists sensitively.
His comments followed the release of a video of Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir taunting them.
"I myself was zip tied in a torture position with my hands behind my back for 40 minutes until I almost vomited from the pain and then I head my head slammed into many tables during the immigration process and there was just constant knees to the chest and face, any kind of way they could, there was pliers in my ears pulling them back."
.
An Australian man has died while hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.
The 53-year-old man fell to his death at Machu Picchu.
He is reported to have fallen up to 500 metres from an embankment after tripping through a damaged security barrier while taking part in a four-day hike.
.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor has backed Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after she distanced herself from a podcaster who said the Australian government should stop hundreds of thousands of migrants coming from India, China, Africa and the Middle East.
Ms Price did not contest the podcast host’s complaints about what he described as an influx of migrant groups from India, the Middle East or Africa, during an appearance on the show.
Labor's Multicultural Minister Anne Aly criticised Ms Price's interactions, posting a statement on social media saying Australians should not have to deal with the Liberal Party "questioning their existence and contribution to our nation".
In a statement, Ms Price says she does not agree with the podcast host's comments.
Mr Taylor says that should be the end of the matter.
"She has put out a clarifying statement. She made it very clear that she agrees with the party position and my position; which is that we shouldn't discriminate in immigration based on race - or ethnicity, or religion. But we should, based on values. People who come to this country should share our core values."
.
A Victorian Liberal MP has clashed with the state's Attorney General over the nightly arson attacks in Melbourne.
The latest crime saw three people smash their way into a luxury car dealership in Richmond and set it on fire, with two cleaners who were inside but escaped uninjured.
Victoria Police say it's unclear if the firebombing is linked to attacks on hospitality venues.
During a parliamentary hearing, Liberal MP Richard Riordan clashed with Attorney General Sonya Kilkenny, saying Victoria's bail laws are a failure.
"The types of offending that we are seeing now, particularly around the arson and the firebombing, it is really concerning and this is a new type of offending that we are seeing."
"Minister, arsonists have been a pain in the arse for decades and centuries. This is not new. What is new, is in Victoria, you can set fire to car dealerships, to bars, to tobacco shops and you wake up the next day and you're out walking around the streets again."
.
Volunteers are being celebrated this week for their contributions to the community during National Volunteer Week.
Polish Community Care Services is an organisation that provides culturally sensitive community care to seniors and people with disability or Polish background.
Director Bozena Iwanowska has told SBS Polish - many Polish speaking volunteers support the work of the organisation.
“Volunteers often take our clients to group activities. Clients living in aged care facilities or in their homes receiving home-care packages also are visited by volunteers from our support program, especially those living at aged care facilities who need someone to visit them and speak to them in Polish.”
.
Socceroos midfielder Matthew Leckie says there's intense competition for places in Australia's World Cup squad.
Coach Tony Popovic has put together a training squad of 31 players in Florida which will be reduced when he names the final squad of 26 for the World Cup in June.
35-year-old Leckie is hoping to go to his fourth World Cup which is being played in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
But he says he's facing plenty of competition.
"Obviously, every single player here wants to be in that final squad but in saying that, it's not like we're going out there trying to kill each other. We're a pretty good group, everyone is pretty humble, down to earth and easy to talk to and it's a good bunch of boys here."
