Fallout after Nauru walks out of a Pacific Islands Forum plenary meeting; the federal government considers the implications of a High Court ruling on indefinite detention; and in the A-League, Sydney FC's new manager says he is confident the team can return to their winnings ways.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Fallout after Nauru walks out of a Pacific Islands Forum plenary meeting
- the federal government considers the implications of a High Court ruling on indefinite detention
- And in the A-League, Sydney FC's new manager says he is confident the team can return to their winnings ways
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he wants the focus of the annual Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in the Cook Islands to be on unity, after the Nauru delegation staged a walk out from the main session.
The delegation left in protest of reported criticisms of its preferred candidate for the position of Pacific Islands Forum secretary general, Baron Waqa.
The rupture recalled a damaging split last year, which threatened the viability of the regional body.
It is understood Nauru President David Adeang has since calmed and will take his place at the all-important leader's retreat tomorrow.
Mr Albanese says any issues will be worked through, adding that he has heard nothing but a message of unity in his interactions with leaders.
"Every country has spoken this morning during the plenary session and then informally as well. When I was here in my first Pacific Island Forum in Fiji last year, not every country was represented. Here the countries have come together in a spirit of unity. And I look forward to the next couple days' deliberations."
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Asylum seeker advocates are calling for every stateless person held in immigration detention to have their case reviewed immediately after a landmark High Court ruling.
Yesterday, the High Court overturned a 2004 ruling allowing unsuccessful asylum seekers who couldn't be moved to another country to be held in indefinite detention.
At least 92 detainees who can't return to their original country are expected to be freed and another 340 in long-term detention could join them.
The government leader in the Senate, Penny Wong, says the government is carefully considering the implications of the ruling.
"We are considering the implications of the judgment carefully and we’ll continue to work with authorities to ensure community safety is upheld. I am advised that the decision of the high court does overturn a 20-year precedent and could trigger the release of a number of people in detention. Obviously, the government will work through this decision."
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Those who were impacted by the nationwide Optus outage yesterday are being warned to be aware of scam text messages.
The messages claim to offer compensation - but the link takes users to a phishing website which attempts to steal personal and financial information.
It comes as businesses wait for information - about how Optus - will make up - for their loss of business.
The CEO of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia, Luke Achterstraat, told SBS the impact has been substantial.
"Certainly (it is) one of the most significant impacts on small businesses in recent memory. Some small businesses have reported to us that they have lost up to $10,000 in trade. So their costs continue to build up. They still have to pay rent. They still have to pay electricity. They still have to pay for labour. But they were left with no means of generating revenue. And in some cases, even opening their doors."
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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called for control of the Gaza Strip to be handed over to the Palestinian Authority, who oversee the West Bank, after the conflict.
The remarks were made during a meeting with G7 Foreign Ministers in Tokyo with members calling for humanitarian pauses to the conflict to allow aid and retrieve hostages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not elaborate this week when he said that Israel would maintain indefinite “overall security responsibility” in Gaza once it removes the militant Hamas group from power.
Mr Blinken says Gaza cannot be controlled by Hamas - or re-occupied by Israel - rejecting suggestions the IDF could oversee the territory's security in future.
"The reality is that there may be a need for some transition period at the end of the conflict, but it is imperative that the Palestinian people be central to governance in Gaza and in the West Bank as well, and that, again, we don't see a reoccupation."
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In the A-League, Newly appointed Sydney FC manager Ufuk Talay is confident the Sky Blues can salvage their horror A-League season and return to their old winning ways.
The former Wellington Phoenix boss took charge of his first training session on Thursday, just two days out from their clash against top-of-the-table Adelaide United.
Signing a two-year deal, Talay replaces the club's longest-serving manager in Steve Corica.
Failing to lead the club to a premiership or championship since 2020, Corica was sacked on Tuesday.
Sydney have yet to score in their opening three losses and sit bottom of the table, but it was only last month Corica guided the Sky Blues to victory in the Australia Cup final.
