Jacinta Allan resigns as Victorian premier; firefighters in France brace for scorching temperatures as wildfires continue to burn; Australia's swimmers add 15 medals to the country's medal tally at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Jacinta Allan resigns as Victorian premier
- Firefighters in France brace for scorching temperatures as wildfires continue to burn
- Australia's swimmers add 15 medals to the country's medal tally at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow
Jacinta Allan has resigned as Victorian premier, saying it is the right decision for Victorians.
The announcement came just half an hour before an expected leadership challenge at a planned caucus meeting, marking the return of the state parliament.
Deputy Premier Ben Carroll is challenging for the role, and Ms Allan says he has her support.
This morning, Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny emerged as another likely contender for the top job.
Ms Allan says she carefully considered her options ahead of resigning.
"It is the right thing by the Labor Party and by the Victorian people. I was prepared to put my record and my plan to a ballot of members, as our rules allow. I believe I would have won. But doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources, including the most precious one: time. More importantly, it puts the state in a position of uncertainty."
Two senior leaders have announced they will be stepping back from their roles at the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
ACTU President Michele O'Neil and Secretary Sally McManus say they made the decision to allow for renewal at the union - the national group for the Australian union movement, which represents 1.8 million Australian workers.
The pair are the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history and also the longest-serving leaders since 1969 - serving for almost a decade.
They say they are proud of what they have achieved - including 47 new rights for working Australians that have become law under the Albanese government and a growth in union membership.
In a statement, the prime minister paid tribute to the pair's "tireless advocacy and strong leadership", saying working families are in a stronger financial position today than they would otherwise be due to their contributions.
A proposed new oil refinery to be built in Western Australia would aim to strengthen energy security amid ongoing global shocks.
If built, the facility would be the first new large-scale petrol refinery built in Australia since the 1960s.
Australia currently has two refineries in Brisbane and Geelong.
Both the Western Australia state government and federal government will contribute funding to conduct a pre-feasibility study into a new large-scale oil refinery at Karratha in the Pilbara.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is acting to shield Australians from the worst effects of supply chain shocks arising from the war in the Middle East.
"Now we can see from what's happening in the Middle East with the ongoing conflict that the world is very much uncertain place. And if Australia just remains at the end of supply chains then that makes us more vulnerable, which is why the key to our budget was making us more resilient, more self reliant; as well as promoting reform."
Firefighters have stabilised a large wildfire in France that has prompted hundreds of thousands of evacuations.
Two wildfires in the Bordeaux region of southwest France have burnt 405 square kilometres of land.
In total, some 220,000 people have been evacuated in France.
Authorities have deployed 2,500 firefighters, 18 aircraft and 1,500 soldiers to contain the blazes.
French President Emmanuel Macron thanked the emergency services for their work.
"The fire did not spread today, so over the last 24 hours we can clearly see that all the work carried out by our aerial resources and by the men and women on the ground — our firefighting units that have truly held it back. So, congratulations to them. We are in a much better position. That said, I remain cautious as temperatures are set to rise again, and the wind is still present."
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, says he has called on Israel to end its occupation of large areas of southern Lebanon and halt the demolition of homes.
Lebanese and Israeli officials are set to meet in Rome for talks next week on implementing a framework deal reached last month.
It set out a plan for the deployment of Lebanese military forces in areas in southern Lebanon and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, alongside the disarmament of Hezbollah.
Mr Turk says what he observed on his trip to Lebanon - his second in just over a year - is troubling.
"Demolition of this type raises huge flags about compliance with international humanitarian law, because this, I mean, you cannot use military necessity when it comes to civilian objects, and that seems to be the case here, and, you know, wholesale destruction just doesn't make any sense on international humanitarian law."
Australia's swimmers have added 15 medals to the country's growing medal tally on day four of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Paralympic swimmer Beau Matthews claimed his first Games gold in the SB9 100-metre breaststroke event.
Meg Harris beat defending champion Mollie O'Callaghan to win the 100 metres freestyle title.
Shayna Jack rounded out the top three, taking home the bronze medal.
The women’s 4x200-metre freestyle relay team of O’Callaghan, Lani Pallister, Hannah Casey and Inez Miller delivered Australia's seventh and final gold medal of the day.
Australia remains at the top of the medal tally - with 59 medals overall, including 26 gold medals.
