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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin...
- US forces disable two Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz;
- Voting underway in the seat of Farrer in a litmus test election for the Coalition;
- And in sport, Alex de Minaur has another early round exit in the Italian Open in Rome.
US forces have fired on and disabled two Iranian oil tankers, after exchanging fire with Iranian forces in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has called America's actions a "reckless military adventure" when a diplomatic solution is on the table again.
The strikes come as a CIA assessment has emerged, indicating that Tehran would not suffer severe economic pressure from a US blockade of Iranian ports for about another four months.
US President Donald Trump maintains he is expecting a response from Iran soon on an agreement to end the war.
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Labour and the Conservatives appear to have lost ground to Reform UK and potentially the Greens in a round of elections across Great Britain.
London School of Economics professor Tony Travers says Reform UK, led by the veteran nationalist politician Nigel Farage, has won hundreds of local council seats in working-class areas that once were solid Labour turf, and also made gains from the Conservatives in areas like Havering on the eastern edge of London.
"So it's a fragmentation of Britain's two-party system into, if we include the Liberal Democrats and then in Scotland and Wales, the nationalists, a five- or six-party-system."
The local and regional elections are widely seen as an unofficial referendum on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he led Labour to power less than two years ago.
But the PM says he will not resign.
"They've sent a message, that the change that we promised isn't being delivered in a way they can feel. And also, frankly, they are fed up with years of the status quo. But we were elected to deal with those challenges, and I am not going to walk away from that and to plunge the country into chaos."
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Voting is underway in a crucial by-election in the seat of Farrer, left vacant by the resignation of Sussan Ley.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation and a Climate 200-backed independent appear neck and neck to replace the former Liberal leader in the massive regional electorate, but analysts believe preferences could get the populist party over the line while coalition candidates will struggle.
The Redbridge Group says some voters now see One Nation or independent candidates as credible and viable alternatives, and are making deliberate choices to give their support to those candidates rather than engage in protest voting.
Director of Research at the RedBridge Group Simon Welsh says the Liberal's choices during the campaign might cost it votes.
"The Liberals may have made a mistake in their campaign here in Farrer. We're being told a lot of what the Libs are doing is just reminding voters that they are the establishment. So, they've run negative campaigns on the independent candidate, they've run negative campaigns on One Nation but they haven't really given these voters something to vote for. They've treated it as a protest vote problem when, in fact, it's actually a power problem."
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A warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences are advised that this story includes the name of an Indigenous person who has passed away.
A federal inquiry into racism against Aboriginal people has been told that racial narratives are spiralling out of control following the alleged murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, as she has been referred to since her death for cultural reasons.
The Alice Springs-based Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Women's Council spokesperson Jessica Baker has told the hearing in Adelaide these narratives included a comedian poking fun at Kumanjayi Little Baby's death, and Nationals Leader Matt Canavan's recent call for a royal commission into sexual abuse into Indigenous communities.
The councillor says right-wing media has perpetuated hatred by crossing cultural boundaries, disrespecting family members during sorry business, and creating stories that do anything but address rising rates of violence against women and girls.
She has called it a national disgrace, saying remote Aboriginal communities are suffering during a time of significant grief.
Readers seeking support can ring Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14, visit lifeline.org.au. Resources for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders can be found at Headspace: Yarn Safe.
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To sport and in tennis news,
Alex de Minaur has suffered another early clay-court tournament exit, this time at the Italian Open in Rome.
After his opening-match drubbing to rising Rafael Jodar at the Madrid Masters, de Minaur had been expected to get a chance at revenge by downing world No.106 Arnaldi.
But Australia's world No.8 was downed 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 by home favourite Matteo Arnaldi, who was cheered to the rafters at the Foro Italico by the excited Rome crowd.
De Minaur has now lost four of his past five matches on clay, which does not bode well as he sets his sights on the French Open later this month.
