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TRANSCRIPT:
- Australia set for a record boost to military spending;
- The U-S looking to impose more financial sanctions on countries and companies who support Iran;
- The Matildas beat Kenya in Nairobi.
Australia is set to spend the most amount on defence outside of wartime as the military's strategy for coming years is released.
It's known that tens of billions of extra dollars will be spent on drones - but the federal government will today announce it will spend three per cent of its Gross Domestic product on defence from 2033 - starting with an extra 14 billion dollars over the next four years.
The announcement is in line with a request from the United States, which has been encouraging allies to lift their defence spending.
Defence Minister Richard Marles says the increase is necessary, given changes in the global environment.
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A school student has shot at least nine people dead at a middle school in southeastern Turkiye.
Turkiye's Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci says eight students and one teacher died in the attack in the province of Kahramanmaras, with six in critical condition.
Thirteen others have been wounded in what authorities say is the country's second school shooting in two days.
In that incident, a former student opened fire at a school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, wounding at least 16 people before taking his own life.
[[If you or someone you know needs crisis support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467 and Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800 (for young people aged up to 25). More information and support with mental health is available at beyondblue.org.au and on 1300 22 4636.
Embrace Multicultural Mental Health supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.]]
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The United States Treasury has declared it is preparing action that it says will bring pain to Iran and be the financial equivalent of the recent bombing campaign by the U-S and Israel.
Treasury says the US government has told companies and countries it is willing to impose secondary sanctions if they hold Iranian money or buy oil from Tehran.
Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has rejected reports the U-S formally requested an extension of the ceasefire with Iran, which is due to expire next Tuesday.
She says the US remains engaged in a second round of talks, which are likely to be held again in Islamabad.
"We feel good about the prospects of a deal. The president mentioned that in his interview yesterday, and it's obviously in the best interest of Iran to meet the president's demands. I think he's made his red lines in these negotiations very clear to the other side. And so we are continuing to see how these conversations go.''
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Australia's Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, is calling on the government to implement the National Anti-Racism Framework after the release of a new Human Rights Commission report that has highlighted a spike in racism and discrimination.
The report details rising discrimination against communities in Australia - targeting Jewish and Muslim communities - since Hamas's attacks on Israel in October 2023.
Mr Sivaraman says the government is yet to implement the framework, despite repeated calls to do so.
"If all these communities that are continuously impacted by racism, and if it surges after events overseas, it means we've got a problem over here. It means we need to improve our education, workplace, justice, media, and other systems. The Roadmap is there to improve the systems, it's in the National Anti-Racism Framework - which is a whole of government, a whole of society approach to tackling racism. The problem is that the government has had this for framework for a year and a half and they're yet to endorse it, let alone fund and implement its recommendations."
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Victoria's Premier has defended her decision to create a new cabinet portfolio focusing on men and boys.
Newly promoted minister Paul Edbrooke has been sworn into the position, along with other members of Jacinta Allan's new cabinet at Government House in Melbourne on Wednesday morning.
Ms Allan and Mr Edbrooke say males are facing different challenges and pressures from five to 10 years ago, and the portfolio will confront those changes.
"As a former educator I'm sure everyone here has seen there's been a definite change in how young boys become men. I think this portfolio is firmly focused on how we make young boys into healthier men. And that has so many repercussions across our whole community, whether it be family violence, whether it be suicide rates. There's a lot of work to be done there."
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Prince Harry has visited the Australian War Memorial in Canberra during his tour of the country.
The former British Army helicopter pilot has laid wreaths at a sculpture commemorating Indigenous soldiers and at the Pool of Reflection during the Last Post ceremony.
The Prince has also met with a group of Indigenous veterans, who shared their personal stories of service.
He says First Nations soldiers in particular are important to the story of war.
"And here at the Australian War Memorial we are reminded viscerally of service, sacrifice and the enduring cost of conflict. to the veterans and families in the room today, this afternoon and this event is for you."
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To sport and in football news,
The Matildas have beaten Kenya overnight in Nairobi, two goals to nil.
Sam Kerr scored the first goal from a Kenyan goalkeeping error in the 25th minute, with Clare Wheeler adding the second after half-time.
Meanwhile with her appearance in this game, defender Alanna Kennedy has become just the fifth woman to make 150 appearances for Australia.
