Former prime ministers have co-signed a statement regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Trade Minister Don Farrell says trade negotiation between Australia and EU are set to continue, And Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen makes history as first driver to take 16 victories in a season.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Former prime ministers have co-signed a statement regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict.
- Trade Minister Don Farrell says trade negotiation between Australia and EU are set to continue.
- And in formula one, Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen makes history as first driver to take 16 victories in a season.
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All living former Australian prime ministers, except Paul Keating, have co-signed a statement regarding the Israel-Hamas war.
The statement condemns the October 7th attack by Hamas militants on Israel, calls for the unconditional release of hostages taken by Hamas, and for sustained humanitarian access for Palestinians.
It is signed by John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.
The statement also endorsed a two-state solution as the basis for long-term lasting peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
On Sunday, Mr Keating says he was contacted by Mark Leibler, current chairman of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, proposing the joint statement, but he decided not to sign it.
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Trade Minister Don Farrell says negotiation between Australia and the European Union are set to continue, with a free trade deal hanging in the balance.
This comes after a collapse in the trade talks at the G7 summit in Osaka over the issues of better access to Australian meat and greater protection of continental goods.
The collapse of trade talks means there are unlikely to be further negotiations until 2025, as the EU enters an election period early next year and Australia is also set to enter one at mid-2025.
Even so, Minister Farrell says that he is optimistic about a different outcome in the future.
"My job as Australia's trade minister is to get the best deal that we can for our producers, our businesses, our workers, and our consumers. Unfortunately, we've not been able to make progress. Negotiations will continue, and I'm hopeful that one day we will sign a deal"
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Students have returned to school for the first time with tributes and many with tears after the death of young water polo coach at St Andrews Cathedral school last Wednesday.
21-year-old Lilie James was found murdered with severe head injuries inside the school gymnasium just before midnight.
The school is holding a private assembly for Ms James and a GOFundMe page set up in her memory has raised over $14,000.
Lilie’s grandmother Barbara Adelt pays tribute to her granddaughter on 2GB.
"Look Lilie, they’re all turning out for you. She’d love that, she would. Just a beautiful person. A beautiful, beautiful young woman and so full of life, never stopped. I mean she she went to uni, she worked four and a half days a week. She coached swimming, she coached water polo. She played water polo. She had to give up her ballet lessons which was a shame, she couldn't fit them in."
Ms James's former boyfriend, a 24-year-old sports coach at the school, has also been found dead.
Detectives have indicated he is the prime suspect in her murder.
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Nearly half of all self-employed Australians have not lodged their tax as the tax return deadline approaches.
According to 500 Australians surveyed by accountant and tax automation tool Hnry, 47 per cent of sole traders are yet to lodge and 17 per cent haven't begun preparations.
Australians have until October 31st to claim their tax, or risk facing a fine that could worth more than $1500.
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And in sport,
Red Bull's triple world champion Max Verstappen has made Formula One history as the first driver to take 16 victories in a season winning a crash-halted and action-packed Mexico City Grand Prix.
The Dutch 26-year-old has also equaled French great Alain Prost's haul of 51 career wins with his fifth win in six editions of the Mexican race at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton finished second, with fastest lap, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third in a race red-flagged and restarted just before the halfway point when Haas's Kevin Magnussen crashed heavily.
Verstappen's under-pressure Mexican teammate Sergio Perez retired after colliding with pole-sitter Leclerc as he tried to pass into the first corner.
The Dutch pilot says the mid-race collision forced his team to re-think their strategy, but it all worked out for them in the end.
“We had a very good start. Stayed out of trouble in turn one. And basically, from there was actually just managing my race. Opted for the two-stop, which I think was going to work out really well. But unfortunately, with the red flag, we had to restart again and it was all about again having a good start and staying out of trouble in turn one, which I think we did. And after that, I could just manage the pace to the end.”
