Labor strengthens its position on gambling reform, but stops short of backing a national regulator; Queensland prepares for a potential bird flu outbreak; Australia claims its first Commonwealth Games victory.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Labor strengthens its position on gambling reform, but stops short of backing a national regulator.
- Queensland prepares for a potential bird flu outbreak.
- Australia claims its first Commonwealth Games victory.
Delegates at Labor’s national conference have voted unanimously to strengthen the party’s policy on gambling regulation.
The change follows a grassroots campaign by party members, but stops short of supporting a national gambling regulator.
That was a key recommendation of a 2023 gambling reform report led by the late Labor MP Peta Murphy.
Instead, Labor will commit to strengthening the powers of existing national regulators, and doing more to reduce the harm caused by gambling promotions and incentives.
Tim Costello, from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, says the party should have gone further.
"Why do we have the greatest gambling losses in the world? Because there is no national regulator. And the prime minister seems to want us to believe that the de facto regulator - the Northern Territory Racing Commission is doing a great job. They hadn't even filed a report for 31 years. That is why Labor can amend the Northern Territory act and take over the regulation of online gambling tomorrow. That's what they should do."
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The US military says it has completed a 13th consecutive night of strikes on Iran.
Footage posted on social media appears to show surveillance video of the attacks.
US Central Command says the operation lasted more than two hours, targeting military command centres, drone storage sites, communications networks and coastal surveillance facilities.
It says the strikes are aimed at reducing the threat Iran poses to civilian sailors and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
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Queensland's Minister for Primary Industries, Tony Perrett, says the state is prepared to tackle a bird flu outbreak, if it eventuates.
A migratory bird was found washed up on Moreton Island in the last 24 hours and has returned a suspected positive test result for the deadly H5 variant of bird flu.
The test results are now being checked by the CSIRO for official confirmation.
Mr Perrett says acting quickly is critical in keeping on top of a potential outbreak.
"I want to make it very clear to Queenslanders that we are prepared for this. I spoke to Federal Minister Collins last night. There's been constant communication federally with respect this, as there should be. Three's been 17 positive cases across this nation - most of those in Western Australia and South Australia, two in NSW, but this is the first detection in Queensland."
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In Chile, 13 people are dead and four others missing, after week-long rainfall triggered flashflooding.
The country is experiencing one of its worst weather disasters in decades, prompting officials to declare a state of catastrophe in Chile's northern regions.
Residents in Coquimbo have suffered from water outages, with the city of La Serena to receive up to 50 water trucks to provide drinking water to local residents.
President of the Neighbourhood Association of La Florida Condominium, Juan Cortes, says residents have gone five days without fresh water.
"This is a critical situation with the consumption of drinking water because we've been without drinking water in the area for five days."
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One of Australia's most celebrated artists is back in the spotlight, with Brett Whiteley's former home and studio reopening to the public after a two-year restoration.
The Surry Hills studio reopens tomorrow, featuring an exhibition of Whiteley's work from the 1970s, including his 16-metre masterpiece Alchemy.
Senior curator of the Brett Whiteley Studio, Beatrice Gralton says since the studio opened as a public museum in 1995, it's supported the development of upcoming artists.
"It has been a place of experimentation, of performance - a stage, a set, a private space. And also a space for younger artists and new artists to come to and see Brett's work. It is a very unguarded space. And I think we get to know through the collection of almost 2,00 works that Wendy owns by Brett, which will be gifted to the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Brett Whiteley Foundation on her passing. And it is this extraordinary gift from Wendy and Arkie Whiteley."
Whiteley was known for his distinctive use of line and colour, and for paintings inspired by Sydney Harbour.
The artist died in 1992, but his work remains highly sought after, with more than 40 of his paintings selling for more than one million dollars at auction.
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Dawn Hayman and Kelsey Cottrell have claimed Australia’s first victory, defeating Zambia in the women’s pairs bowls in Glasgow.
For the first time in Games history, the bowls competition is being played indoors on an artificial surface, rather than on outdoor greens.
Kelsey Cottrell says the change took some adjustment.
"Chalk and cheese so we don't get the wind, the rain and all of that sort of stuff. Perfect start - don't have to worry about all this extra stuff in the bag. But the surface itself can vary. The carpet can vary with the different temperatures. So we noticed in the first ends that it felt a bit quicker. And I was thinking to myself maybe that is adrenalin. But I think as more people come in. And as we continued into the game, the green started to slow just a touch. So it is just adapting to those little changes. But definitely love playing on the carpet and not being out in the wind."
Australia’s 86-member athletics team, including 23 para-athletes, will compete in 50 of the 59 events at the Games, which continue until August the second.
