The Prime Minister condemns balaclava-clad neo-Nazis who swarmed a Sydney train, Donald Trump ordered to pay E Jean Carroll more than $126 million in damages, The Australian Open finals weekend gets underway.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister condemns balaclava-clad neo-Nazis who swarmed a Sydney train.
- Donald Trump ordered to pay E Jean Carroll more than $126 million in damages.
- The Australian Open finals weekend gets underway.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his horror at images of balaclava-clad neo-Nazis walking through the streets of Sydney.
Mr Albanese praised police for taking urgent and immediate action, stopping the group at a North Sydney train station yesterday [[Jan 26]] and ordering them away from Australia Day events.
Fifty-seven fines were issued and six men arrested.
Two have since been released overnight.
The PM says neo-Nazi activity has no place in Australia, highlighting an ASIO warning about the rise of right-wing extremism.
"And on Australia Day, where we commemorate everything that is great about this country. We have a responsibility to look to what unites us, not what divides us. And I say to these people, quite frankly, look at yourself. There is nothing to be got in this country through hatred."
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Australia is being urged to reconsider its support for the Israeli government after the top United Nations court ordered the Israel to take all measures to prevent genocide in Gaza.
Multiple Australian-based humanitarian organisations have welcomed the ruling.
It comes as the Greens are calling on the Albanese government to place Magnitsky-style sanctions on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and his cabinet.
The World Court ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against the Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire as requested by the plaintiff South Africa.
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Donald Trump has been ordered to pay more than 125 million dollars in damages for defaming the writer E Jean Carroll.
The former U-S president is vowing to appeal the New York jury's decision.
Mr Trump was previously found liable of sexually abusing E Jean Carroll.
His lawyer Alina Habba says it's just another witchunt and that she has no second thoughts about representing President Trump.
"I have sat on trial after trial for months in this state, the state of New York, Attorney General Letitia James. And now this. Weeks, weeks, why? Because President Trump is leading in the polls, and now we see what you get in New York. So don't get it twisted whoever asked me that question, I am so proud to stand with President Trump, but I am not proud to stand with what I saw in that courtroom."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says changes to stage three tax cuts will benefit low and middle-income Australians.
The prime minister has been criticised for breaking his original tax promise to higher income earners but said he stood by the proposed package which would deliver a tax cut to 'every Australian'.
Under a reworked scheme unveiled by the prime minister on Thursday [[Jan 25]], anyone earning less than $150,000 will receive a larger tax cut while those earning more are in line for a smaller benefit than previously promised.
The changes to the original stage three tax cuts that were first implemented by the coalition will need to pass parliament before they are due to come into effect in July, with the government needing the support of the Greens and crossbench.
Mr Albanese says the decision will particularly help middle Australia.
"This is the right decision being done for the right reasons we have put forward what is a calibrated, sensible package. It has the same costs across the forward estimates, but it is a better package being put forward."
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In sport,
It’s the Australian Open’s final weekend.
The women's final will be decided tonight with China's Qinwen Zheng set to face off against Belarusian player Aryna Sabalenka.
The men's final is set to follow on Sunday, when Russia's Daniil Medvedev will go head-to-head with Yannik Sinner.
The rising Italian superstar on Friday ended Novak Djokovic's 10-from-10 semi-final record at Melbourne park with a commanding four-set win.
Meanwhile Medvedev stormed back from two sets down in his semi-final, beating Alexander Zverev 5-7, 3-6, 7-6, 7-6, 6-3 to gain his spot in the finals.
The 27-year-old says he went into this tournament with a different mindset.
"So mentally I'm stronger than before, and I'm happy about it. Probably honestly, it's better to be in the final winning three-set, four-set matches. That's the better way physically. But it is what it is, and I'm proud and looking forward to the final to give my 100% again."
