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TRANSCRIPT
- Donald Trump increases global tariffs from 10 to 15 per cent in defiance of the Supreme Court.
- Police say the ramming of a Brisbane synagogue gates was not an act of terrorism.
- And in rugby league, Penrith Panthers co-captain Nathan Cleary faces suspension.
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US President Donald Trump says he will raise a temporary tariff on all US imports entering the country from 10 to 15 per cent, one day after the US Supreme Court struck down his previous tariff program.
The court found the president had exceeded his authority when he imposed an array of higher rates under an economic emergency law.
After the decision, President Trump immediately announced a 10 per cent across-the-board tariff yesterday and says he's now raising that rate to 15 per cent.
The new levies are grounded in a separate but untested law, known as Section 122, that allows tariffs up to 15 per cent but requires congressional approval to extend them after 150 days.
No president has previously invoked Section 122, and its use is likely to lead to further legal challenges.
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Police say they believe the ramming of the gates of a major Brisbane synagogue on Friday night was not an act of terrorism.
But Queensland Police superintendent Michael Hogan says they still think the incident was targeted and racially motivated.
A 32-year-old man is facing court on multiple charges over the incident, including willful damage, and committing serious vilification or a hate crime.
Superintendent Hogan says they are also looking into what other factors might have contributed to what happened.
"Our specialist counter terrorism officers have been involved in the investigation from the very start, and I can confirm this is not being considered a terrorist incident. This is a criminal investigation. Police are considering the man's mental health and intoxication as contributing factors."
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Police say they are probing potential links to overseas crime groups after the shooting of former N-R-L premiership winger Matt Atai.
Detective Acting Superintendent Brad Abdy says they believe a string of other offences took place following the initial shooting, which police believe was aimed at Matt's son Iziah Utai, due to Iziah’s alleged gang associations.
Police allege those other incidents involved shots and a firebombing at two other western Sydney homes.
He says all of these attacks were targeting the Utai family, and they are looking at all possibilities to explain who is responsible.
"Crime of this type - or this crime for hire type - is generally compartmentalised. So there is a dissassociation sometimes between the overseas entities and the people who commit the offences here in New South Wales. But we certainly are investigating whether there are links to overseas entities."
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The United Nations Secretary-General has called for diplomacy between the United States and Iran amid escalating tension between the two countries.
US President Donald Trump says he is considering military action if Iran doesn't make a deal to resolve their longstanding nuclear dispute immediately.
UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric has urged restraint from both countries.
"We are very concerned about the heightened rhetoric we're seeing around the region by the heightened military activities, war games or just military, increased military, naval presence in the region. And we encourage both the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran to continue to engage in diplomacy in order to settle the differences."
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Officials say humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip remains far below the levels required to meet the daily needs of the suffering population.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has blamed much of the delay on the heavy restrictions Israeli authorities apply to aid deliveries.
OCHA says that out of 67 aid deliveries between the 12th and 19th of February, 43 were approved and nine were denied outright.
Salim Oweis from the United Nations Children's Fund tells the China Global Television Network that with severe shortages of food, clean water - and shelter - families are struggling to observe Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.
"The ceasefire has brought some hope, but it's not enough. We're talking about the volume of aid coming in. We're talking about the kind of aid coming in. Also, the commercial goods market might be more stocked now than ever, but it's still far away from the reach of so many families because it's highly priced. And to just balance that, we need more aid in for those families that are completely reliant on aid."
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To sport now,
Penrith superstar and team co-captain Nathan Cleary is set to miss the opening two rounds of the NRL season.
Cleary was sent off mid-game in the Panthers' 26-12 trial loss to West's Tigers on Friday after hitting teenage winger Heamasi Makasini flush on the jaw.
The NRL's match review committee has now hit the halfback with a grade-two dangerous contact charge which carries a penalty of a two-game suspension.
If he takes the early guilty plea, Cleary will miss Penrith's opening two games against Brisbane and Cronulla - though he would remain eligible for the Dally M Medal.
