TRANSCRIPT
- Calls for calm ahead of anti-immigration rallies
- Houthi rebels' Prime Minister killed in Israeli air strike on Yemen's capital Sanaa
- And in sport, Raiders seal first minor premiership in 35 years with win over Tigers
Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has called for calm, ahead of anti-immigration rallies set to take place in towns and cities around Australia today.
Some organisers with the group March for Australia have distanced themselves from the event, after neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell called the protests "our" rally on the messaging app Telegram.
Politicians earlier this week condemned any attempt to spread messages of hate - or violence.
Counterprotests are also being organised.
During the last federal election in May, the Coalition suffered a historic loss - with their policy platform including a vow to cut immigration levels if elected.
In a video posted on social media, Ms Ley says the party still believes in a policy of what she calls strong borders - but promoting violence or hate is not acceptable.
"Strong borders keep us safe, but they also allow us to be generous, to be compassionate to those fleeing conflict. That is the Australian story. Respect, tolerance, community. It belongs to all of us. And what unites will always be stronger than what seeks to divide us."
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Greens Senator David Shoebridge says Australia’s new deal with Nauru, allowing the deportation of former immigration detainees, undermines multiculturalism.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke signed the $400 million agreement on 29 August, saying it will enable the “continued management of the NZYQ cohort”, around 280 people freed after a High Court ruling last November that indefinite detention is unlawful.
Earlier in the week, the government introduced legislation to amend the Migration Act, making it easier to send migrants and refugees to third countries like Nauru.
Mr Shoebridge called the response to the ruling cruel, warning it has caused deep concern among migrant communities.
"In the same week that we are seeing far-right rallies attacking multiculturalism on the streets (March4Australia rallies and counterprotests on Sun 31 Aug), we have the Labor Party introducing laws in parliament to strip away the rights of natural justice and entering into yet another dehumanising deal with Nauru, playing into that same rhetoric of dehumanising people seeking asylum, and attacking multiculturalism. We need to have a government that leads with dignity and respect. And this government is failing on both those measures."
*Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025
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The Human Rights Law Centre has also criticised the legislation introduced last week by the government, saying it undermines key principles of procedural fairness and natural justice.
Laura John is the centre's associate director.
"So what that means is that people who might be subject to deportation to Nauru won't have a fair chance to explain whether they fear persecution in Nauru, whether they fear that they won't be able to access medical care if they are removed to Nauru, and whether being sent to Nauru would separate them from their families. What the legislation introduced last week does is to completely take away people's bare chance to be able to explain why they shouldn't be deported to Nauru."
At this stage, the bill has been introduced to the lower house and has yet to progress to the final stages before becoming law.
An attempt last week (Thu 28 Aug) to send the bill for a Senate inquiry was backed by the Greens and David Pocock, but ultimately blocked by Labor and the Coaition.
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A senior official has confirmed that the Houthi rebels' Prime Minister has been killed in an Israeli air strike on Yemen's capital Sanaa, earlier this week.
Ahmed Ghaleb Nasser Al-Rahawi, who was appointed last year for the Iran-backed group, was killed along with other officials in the Israeli attack [[on Thursday local time]].
He was the most senior Houthi official killed in the Israeli-US campaign against the Iranian-backed rebels.
Israeli forces had earlier said [[on Thursday]], that it had "precisely struck a Houthi terrorist regime military target."
Throughout Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched missiles and drones toward Israel and targeted ships in the Red Sea - in solidarity with the Palestinians.
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And in sport,
Canberra have secured their first NRL minor premiership in 35 years with a 24-10 win over Wests Tigers at a sold-out GIO Stadium.
The Raiders weren’t at their best but did enough through tries to Jed Stuart, Corey Horsburgh, Simi Sasagi and Ethan Strange.
The Tigers, already out of finals contention, pushed hard until Joe Tapine set up Strange for his 13th try of the season to seal the result.
Coach Ricky Stuart will hope for a sharper display as Canberra head into the finals.
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