TRANSCRIPT
- Governor-General Sam Mostyn urges Australians to protect democracy at 50th anniversary of Whitlam dismissal
- Donald Trump vows to fully support Syria after historic meeting with its president in Washington
- Geelong midfielder Tanner Bruhn returns to training after prosecutors dropped rape case against him...
Governor-General Sam Mostyn urges Australians to keep the country's democratic system away from fragility at the 50th anniversary of the dismissal of then Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam.
Fifty years ago, then Governor-General Sir John Kerr sacked Mr Whitlam and appointed the Opposition leader Malcolm Fraser to be the caretaker Prime Minister.
The dismissal is the only time in Australian history that a Prime Minister is sacked by representative of the Head of State, who was Queen Elizabeth the second at that time.
Ms Mostyn says the historical event is a reminder for Australians of the important values of democracy.
"But as you all know, I hope that hope against the tide of mounting evidence that tells us that now 50 years on from those events, Australia's general interest in and understanding of democratic institutions is much weaker than we needed to be. That we need to pay close attention to the potential fragility of our system today."
House prices have surged fastest in inner city areas and wealthy growth towns during the first month of the government's expanded 5 per cent deposit guarantee scheme.
According to data from Cotality, homes below the price cap for the scheme grew more than 20 per cent faster than those above.
The federal government says the 5 per cent deposit guarantee is working, with 5,778 first home buyers using the scheme in October.
However, Liberal housing spokesperson Andrew Bragg argues the scheme is driving demand at the low end and inflating entry-level prices.
The Coalition hit a record low 21 per cent primary vote among millennials at the 2025 federal election, according to the Australian Election Study by the Australian National University.
This continues a four-election trend of millenials moving leftward.
The study also shows that For Gen Z, 70 percent think climate change is a serious threat, pushing them further away from the conservative party.
US President Donald Trump has vowed to make Syria successful after a landmark meeting with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Tuesday.
Mr Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander had been sanctioned by the U-S as a terrorist until recently and is the first Syrian President to visit Washington since independence.
Mr Trump says he will do everything he can to support Syria, and Mr Al-Sharaa says he looks forward to help from the U-S.
"I believe that the situation in Syria is different from this situation of the countries that went on with the Abrahamic agreements. Syria has, borders with Israel and Israel occupies the Golan Heights since 1967. We are not going to enter into a negotiation directly, right now. Maybe the United States administration with President Trump will help us reach this kind of negotiation."
In May, the two leaders met for the first time in Saudi Arabia, the first time after the U-S lifted sanction on Syria.
The US Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal to overturn its landmark decision that legalised same-sex marriage across the country.
Former Kentucky court clerk Kim Davis had appealed to the Supreme Court to overturn an order by the lower court that she had to pay over $550,000 for refusing to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples.
In 2015, a high court ruling led to legalisation of same-sex marriages in the US.
Ms Davis and her lawyers have been arguing that the Supreme Court should overturn the 2015 ruling.
Chris Hartman, Kentucky Fairness Campaign, says the decision from the Supreme Court shows marriage equality is in a much strong position than before.
"You know, it's not a surprise. It is a good sign that there was not one justice that dissented in denying Kim Davis her day at the Supreme Court. Unanimous decision. I think that marriage equality is in a much stronger and safer position than almost any other LGBTQ right before the Supreme Court right now."
Now in sports...
The AFL has lifted the ban on Geelong midfielder Tanner Bruhn, after prosecutors dropped all charges against him in a sexual assault case.
Bruhn and his co-accused Patrick Sinnott were charged earlier this year, and Bruhn has been absent throughout the 2025 season.
During the duration of the case, Bruhn has been banned from playing, even though the league doesn't have an official no-fault stand-down policy.
Geelong has confirmed the 23-year-old will return to pre-season training.
The AFL Player Association has called the decision to ban Bruhn as premature and inappropriate.
