Key Points
- Australia bids for UN Security Council place 2029-30
- Australian mother's emotional bid gets UN standing ovation
- Melbourne Storm backing Jahrome Hughes on comeback from injury
TRANSCRIPT
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used his debut speech at the United Nations General Assembly, to bid for Australia to have a seat at the U-N Security Council in 2029 to 30.
Mr Albanese also outlined Australia's vision for regional security and climate change, saying Australia is ready to play a part in reforming the U-N Security Council.
"The United Nations is much more than an arena for the great powers to veto each other's ambitions. This is a platform for middle powers and small nations to voice and achieve our aspirations. And that is why Australia is seeking a place on the U-N Security Council in 2029-30."
Australia first held a temporary seat on the U-N Security Council in 1946, with its most recent term in 2013-2014.
---
Australian mother Emma Mason has received a standing ovation at the United Nations, for her speech urging global leaders to take immediate action on banning teenagers from accessing social media.
Ms Mason lost her 15-year-old daughter Tilly to suicide, after she was bullied on social media.
During her speech, she slammed tech giants including Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, for refusing to take responsibility for implementing safety measures for children.
Australia is the first country to impose a social media ban on users under 16 from December, and Ms Mason wants other nations to follow.
"I implore leaders and nations of our great world to act but act now. Making it illegal for children to access social media under 16 will improve lives. It would save lives. It was once said that all it takes for evils to flourish is for good people to do nothing, so it's time to do something."
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says the bloc will watch how the ban is rolled out in Australia, saying she's inspired to see Australia make what she calls a bold move.
---
A hospital in southern Gaza says it has received ten bodies of victims, who were killed while seeking aid on Wednesday.
It comes as Israel continues a major offensive it began early September, aiming to occupying Gaza City.
The Gaza Health Ministry says at least 65,382 Palestinians have been killed in the strip since October 2023.
Hussein Abu-Amsha is the uncle of a young man killed during collecting aid.
“A while ago my nephew was killed, then my sister's son and today my other nephew. What aid? It's soaked in blood. Every day we lose martyrs, every day we lose young men. For what? You starve me and then kill me? And you say come get food, and after I come to get food you execute me? We don't want this food. Stop the war we are in, stop it.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu has rejected the recognition of Palestinian state by several western countries - including Australia - at the United Nations General Assembly this week.
---
A new report by AustCham ASEAN and RMIT University have found Australian businesses are confident of growing their businesses in the southeast Asian market.
More than 300 Australian businesses were surveyed, with one third expecting a significant rise in revenue from the region in the next five years.
But it also found political instability and regulatory changes in the ASEAN countries pose challenges for Australian businesses who operate onthe ground.
RMIT Professor of Economics, Ashton de Silva, told SBS News it's important to remember each country in the region has a unique business environment.
"One of the findings in the survey is that while a lot of people have knowledge of the different agreements that are in place, there's also equally a lot of people and a lot of business respondents that said they don't. So I think there are some ongoing challenges for the government, there's new businesses emerge, there needs to be a continual information flow and a continual communication from the government as to how they might facilitate and provide the opportunity for doing business in the different countries that the survey focuses on."
The survey comes as the Lowy Institute releases its annual Southeast Asia Influence Index Map, which shows that while Australia is seen as the second most influential defence partner in the region, it only ranks 9th in terms of economic relationships with Southeast Asia.
---
Federal arts minister Tony Burke is meeting with his state counterparts from New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia at the Sydney Opera House to discuss tax reforms for artists.
The summit will form recommendations for the next National Cultural Policy due in 2028.
In 2023, the first National Cultural Policy was launched: a $286 million plan to revive the arts in Australia over five years.
Some of the tax reform ideas include tax rebates for live music - and a review of the settings that require winners of government funded arts prizes to pay tax on that prize money.
Mr Burke says tax is an area that has been challenging for artists and creative organisations.
"As a nation we need to get this right; it's called the cultural policy for a reason: this goes right to the heart of who we are, how we see ourselves, how we see each other, and how the world comes to know us. And that means you need to get the funding right, the taxation policy right."
According to a report by Creative Australia, half of artists made less than $10,000 per year on average from their creative work in 2021-22.
---
In the National Rugby League, Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy is confident returning halfback Jahrome Hughes' team mates will look after him in tomorrow night's preliminary final against the Cronulla Sharks.
With a spot in the Grand Final on the line, Hughes will play just his second game in the last two months, coming back from arm and shoulder injuries.
Cronulla have admitted they will target Hughes defensively.
But Bellamy says he has no need to try and influence the referees to try and protect Hughes.
"Our blokes have got a job to do, and the officials have got a job to do. If that goes on, Hughesy has got his team mates there to help him out. So, he'll be right."
The winner of this game will play the winner of Sunday's Brisbane Broncos versus Penrith Panthers game in the Grand Final next weekend.
