Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
- Israeli President Isaac Herzog ends his Australian trip with a visit to Melbourne
- the Liberal Party leadership to be determined in a ballot
- Australia's T20 team makes a winning start to the World Cup in Sri Lanka against Ireland
Israeli President Isaac Herzog is spending the last day of his trip to Australia in Melbourne.
He had planned to visit the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea, which was the target of a firebombing in 2024, but that was cancelled due to safety concerns.
Protesters have gathered in Melbourne to protest against his visit, with police deployed to monitor activity.
Police were granted special powers under terrorism legislation ahead of Mr Herzog's arrival in Melbourne.
Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill says that includes powers to stop and search vehicles or people in public places.
Mr Herzog has told Channel Seven, he views his trip to Australia as valuable.
"I am saying to my people - and to the Jewish people worldwide - that I found in Australia, which was different from what was depicted there is antisemitism. It is frightening and worrying, but there is also a silent majority of Australians who seek peace, who respect the Jewish community; and of course want a dialogue with Israel."
---
The leadership of the Liberal Party will be the subject of a ballot on Friday morning after several frontbenchers quit their roles to back Angus Taylor's challenge for the party's top job.
The leadership ballot will take place at 9am on Friday in Canberra.
Senator James Paterson is among those who quit their roles.
He says Sussan Ley's leadership is untenable after the latest polling put the Coalition's primary vote at 18 per cent.
"I think it's now very clear what the verdict on Sussan Ley's leadership is. Newspoll shows she's at negative 39 personal approval rating. That is the worst performance of an opposition leader in 23 years."
---
The latest Closing the Gap report reveals only four of the 19 targets are on track, with just five years remaining under the current agreement.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered the annual report to parliament on the 18th anniversary of Kevin Rudd's Apology to the Stolen Generations.
Among the six targets that are improving is an indicator on preschool enrolment figures, with 95 per cent of First Nations children enrolled.
However, several key measures continue to stall or deteriorate — including incarceration, out-of-home care and suicide rates.
Mr Albanese says the government is allocating $13.9 million dollars to boost funding for the 24-hour Indigenous crisis support hotline 13YARN.
"Suicide shatters families and it tears apart communities. So often amidst the grief loved ones return to the heartbreaking question-how did it come to this? Compared to non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are two and a half times more likely to die by suicide."
---
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan says she acted appropriately in responding to allegations of corruption in the CFMEU construction union two years ago, as first reported in Nine Newspapers.
The full report into CFMEU corruption - commissioned by the federal government - has yet to be publicly released; although a redacted version has been published as part of a submission to a Queensland inquiry.
Nine Newspapers is reporting that removed sections of the report show the Victorian government knew about corruption in the construction sector, but failed to act.
Ms Allan says she has handled the matter appropriately, including referring it to the relevant authority when the allegations were raised with her directly when she was minister.
"Further to that action when there was the widespread reporting of this rotten culture. And I absolutely acknowledge that this is a rotten culture that needs to be weeded out. We took further immediate action. Both supporting the work of the federal administrator, but we went further than that here in Victoria and we now have in place - as a result of that further work, a strengthened compliance and reporting regime."
---
In cricket, Australia's injury hit T20 team has made a wining start to the World Cup in Sri Lanka against Ireland.
Already without Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins for the tournament, Mitch Marsh was hit in the groin during training.
Travis Head replaced him as captain as Australia scored 6 for 182.
Adam Zamap and Nathan Ellis each took four wickets as Ireland slumped to 115 all out.
