Rights group says Israel is depleting all means of survival in northern Gaza, Neo-Nazis clash with pro-refugee protestors, Commonwealth Games boss says axed events can come back.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Rights group says Israel is depleting all means of survival in northern Gaza
- Neo-Nazis clash with pro-refugee protestors...
- Commonwealth Games boss says axed events can come back.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says Israel is taking advantage of the fact global attention is being diverted from Gaza in order to commit what the human rights group is describing as ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza.
The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories says Israel has intentionally cut northern Gaza off from communications and is preventing aid groups from accessing the area.
They say the rare testimonies making it out of northern Gaza are reporting dead bodies lining the streets as bombs strike civillian homes, with no food or water available anywhere.
The United Nations Secretary-General spokesperson Farhan Haq says Israel is rapidly depleting all means of survival in the north.
"Israeli authorities continue to deny OCHA's requests to help rescue civilians under rubble. We're still waiting for the green light to help dozens of people trapped under the collapsed homes in the Fallujah area of Jabaliya. OCHA says a requests to bring desperately needed humanitarian assistance to northern Gaza have also been denied. This includes planned missions by U.N. agencies and our partners to deliver lifesaving supplies, including blood, essential medications, food parcels and fuel to hospitals and water facilities."
Independent M-P Allegra Spender says neither major party has a plan to deal with structural deficit in the budget.
Addressing the National Press Club, Ms Spender says that between 2004 and 2016, the wealth of older Australians increased by 50 per cent, whereas those under 35 barely moved.
She argues that people no longer believe in the so called Australian dream.
"Less than one in ten believe that the standard of living in Australia will be better off for the next generation. We're not going to hand them more, and only around a quarter of us feel very confident that retirement will be financially secure. I find this absolutely shocking. But it's not surprising when you talk to people in our community. It's why we need to do better. The Australian dream is that you get a fair go."
A group of Neo-Nazis in Melbourne have disrupted the final night of a 100-day encampment that was calling for permanent visas for refugees. Around 400 people were gathered outside the Department of Home Affairs in Docklands when a group of 20 people dressed in black approached the rally.Spokesperson for the Refugee Action Collective, David Glanz, told SBS, the protesters formed a human shield while police pushed the Neo-Nazi's back.Mr Glanz says this did not deter the protesters from finishing the rally.
"The rally came back together and we had a very powerful march through the city calling for refugees who are victims of the fast track process who have been living in this country for 12 years on short-term temporary visas, we're calling for them to get permanent visas and for that to happen as soon as possible, right now"
Parks Australia has been found criminally liable in a long-running legal battle over a sacred site of the Jawoyn people, the Traditional Owners of Kakadu National Park.
The agency responsible for national parks pleaded guilty to the offence that centred on building a walkway near sacred men's rock art close to Gunlom Falls.
The five-year-long case went all the way to the High Court before being sent back on appeal to the Full Court of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.
Northern Territory Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris handed down the guilty verdict on Jawoyn Country in Kakadu.
"I find that the actions were not willfully ignorant nor in complete disregard of the interests of the Jawoyn People, but nor were they in any way sufficient to properly provide for the consultation necessary to avoid the cultural disturbance of the site with the commissioned works. It is important that the penalty reflects the significance of the offending. The defendant is convicted of the charge. I impose a fine of $200,000 and there is also the mandated victim levy of $1,500."
The Australian Energy Market Operator says it is providing the cheapest and most reliable way to power homes and businesses under net-zero plans but cannot guarantee power bills will fall.
In an inquiry, senators questioned the operator over the government's plan for renewable energy generation, storage and transmission needed to meet 2050 net-zero targets.
The plan is projected to cost $122 billion - not including the price of new poles and wires.
The market operator says its role is to deliver the plan at the lowest price while ensuring reliability, rather than model alternate scenarios.
But Coalition senator Matt Canavan has criticised what he says is a lack of detailed modelling on the relative cost of different approaches.
To sport now ...
Commonwealth Games Federation boss Katie Sadleir says sports excluded from Glasgow may be able to make a come back for future games, while warning the event will never return to its previous size.
Several Australian sports bodies had been left concerned after being culled from a program pared back to just 10 sports following Victoria's wihtdrawal from hosting the 2026 games.
The axed sports include cricket, hockey and rugby sevens.
Ms Sadleir says that the cuts were driven by cost.
