TRANSCRIPT:
- Australia lifts its terror threat alert to probable;
- The Coalition weighs in on the debate over an Indigenous truth-telling Commission;
- The hunt is on for a new Matildas coach after the side's poor showing at the Paris Games.
Australia has increased its National Terrorism Threat Level from possible to probable.
While it has not been raised due to one specific thing, it's understood there have been multiple incidents in Australia investigated by security officials for possible terrorism links.
The conflict in the Middle East is also understood to have exacerbated concerns about politically motivated violence in Australia.
But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the status change is no cause for alarm.
“I want to reassure Australians probable does not mean inevitable and it does not mean it is intelligence about an imminent threat or danger. But the advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant.”
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The search has continued today without success for a man feared to have been taken by a crocodile in far-north Queensland.
Police say the man was fishing with his wife and children near Cooktown on Saturday when he fell into the water and didn't resurface.
Locals have described the riverbank as a popular spot to view and photograph crocodiles.
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Authorities have identified the source of Victoria's deadly legionnaires' disease outbreak.
Chief Health Officer Clare Looker says they've pinpointed a cooling tower at Laverton North in Melbourne's west.
And she says they're confident the outbreak has now been contained.
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has accused the government of confusing Australians on the question of an Indigenous truth telling commission.
The Prime Minister appeared to back down from an election pledge for a Makaratta commission as he attended the Garma Festival over the weekend in the Northern Territory.
Anthony Albanese has instead said the government remains committed to the ideals of the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, even if there's no formal body.
But Peter Dutton - who didn't go to Garma - says the prime minister is misleading the Indigenous community.
"He gave a commitment in relation to implementing the Uluru statement in full. Now, the prime minister says one thing when he's in Garma, he says another thing when he's in Canberra - and it's no wonder now that the Indigenous community are very concerned about what the prime minister says, what he believes in. Can we take his word; is he telling the truth? The government has money in the budget for a Makaratta Commission."
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Meanwhile, Labor has declared the persistent loneliness identified in a new report must be addressed.
New research from the charity Ending Loneliness Together indicates one in four adults feel persistently lonely, as well as over 40 percent of young Australians.
Assistant Minister for Health Ged Kearney says these feelings can have a significant impact
"This is something that we really do need to talk about. We need to make sure that people feel connected, they feel connected at work, at school, in their community. It's incredibly important and it's something that I think is not really spoken about enough. People simply don't understand that feeling lonely has very serious impacts. People who feel lonely are those who suffer with chronic disease, who are divorced, who are feeling financial stress. And these are things that the Australian government feel very strongly about correcting."
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It's been revealed that thousands of children and young people are being turned away from homelessness services every year.
A report from Homelessness Australia says almost 20,000 were turned away without receiving any help between 2022 and 2023.
But the report has also found tens of thousands of children are finding it hard to find a place to call home even after seeking professional help.
Acting Chief Operating Officer of Bridge Housing, Jamie Brewer, says a lack of funding for affordable homes and frontline services is worsening an already dire crisis.
"From where we work, we've seen a huge increase in the number of people coming to us asking for temporary accommodation, and so now we're seeing so many more people come to us for help, and then that means so many more applications for housing assistance. I would expect the number of people on the waiting list has been increasing in the last 12 months."
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Hybrid cars appear to be speeding past electric and petrol vehicles in the popularity stakes in Australia.
The latest figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries indicates the sales of hybrid cars have doubled in the past year.
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The hunt continues for the next coach of the Matildas.
Football Australia have not identified a number one target yet, after confirming the contract of Tony Gustavsson contract won't be renewed, following the Matildas failing to progress beyond the group stage at the Paris Olympics.
Asian Cup-winning Matildas coach Tom Sermanni says whoever it is must be bold enough to oversee a radical shake-up to the national team by placing Mary Fowler.
He says the 21 year old struggled to make an impact in Paris.
