The Prime Minister flags changes to Australia's immigration system; Heatwave conditions, bushfires and a cyclone watch in different parts of the country; and in Tennis, Nick Kyrgios confirms he won't be competing in the Australian Open.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister flags changes to Australia's immigration system
- Heatwave conditions, bushfires and a cyclone watch in different parts of the country
- Nick Kyrgios confirms he won't be competing in the Australian Open
Immigration will be scaled back to a level considered sustainable and he has also flagged a crackdown on abuses of Australia's intake of overseas students.
The impending overhaul follows a once-in-a-generation review, released in April, which found the immigration system is "badly broken" and in need of a 10-year rebuild.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government's full response to the report's recommendations will be outlined on Monday - and there will be measures to stop abuse of the system.
"What we have seen in the Parkinson Review and other reviews of migration indicated this. Is that in some cases, the system has been abused. People are coming here, enrolling in courses that don't really add substantially to either their skills base or to the national interest here. So, it's not in the interests of our neighbours, nor is it in the interests of Australia, that there not be a crackdown on this."
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A sixth recently released immigration detainee has been arrested in Melbourne, following last month's High Court ruling on indefinite detention.
The Australian Federal Police says 36-year-old Eritrean-born man was arrested late on Friday in Melbourne's west for allegedly breaching his visa.
Around 150 non-citizens detained in immigration detention were released following last month's High Court ruled that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful.
Earlier this week, emergency legislation passed parliament allowing the immigration minister to apply to the court for the preventative detention of individuals affected by the High Court ruling.
The laws applies to those who have been convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence, if they are deemed so dangerous they could commit another serious violent or sexual offence.
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Heatwave warnings are in place in parts of all mainland states - as high to catastrophic fire danger alerts are issued for sections of South Australia, northern Victoria, outback New South Wales and Greater Sydney.
The most intense heat is concentrated in New South Wales, with the temperature at Sydney Airport reached 43 degrees (Celsius), before an expected cool change in the afternoon and evening.
Seventy-one fires are burning across the state.
Meanwhile, rain is pouring in Melbourne with temperatures up to a 23 degrees lower.
In South Australia, power is being restored to tens of thousands of households that lost power on Friday due to the risk from catastrophic bushfire, dry lightning and strong winds.
Of the 35,000 households affected, SA Power Networks says only 1,400 of its customers remain to be reconnected.
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A tropical cyclone could re-intensify before it crosses the Queensland coast late on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.
The Bureau of Meteorology says Tropical Cyclone Jasper could become a category-four or even a category-five system by the time it makes landfall anywhere between Cape Melville and Townsville, including Cairns and Cooktown.
As a result, a flood watch for mid-week is likely for Queensland's north coast, with expected rainfall totals above 200mm.
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The United Nations climate agency has published a new draft of its COP28 agreement that includes options for a historic phase out of fossil fuels.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries is rallying its oil-producing members to veto the proposed deal to phase out fossil fuels.
Denmark's Environment Minister, Dan Jørgensen, says he is hoping the language in the final document on ending the use of fossil fuels is strong and clear.
"There's no doubt that we do have differences of opinion here, it's also clear that we need a consensus decision in the end. I would say, however, that this is one of the areas that is very close to the hearts of many actors, and that is being argued with a lot of force and a lot of ambition. So I would be very surprised if in the end we did not find a text also addressing this issue."
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In Tennis, Nick Kyrgios has confirmed he will miss a second consecutive Australian Open through injury after failing to overcome a wrist issue.
The 28-year old officially confirmed he won't be competing in next month's event, without putting a timeline on his return.
The 2022 Wimbledon finalist says he feels he needs more time to fully recover and be at his top performance level.
