In this bulletin, jailed Whistleblower David McBride released from prison, Tasmania records its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu. And in Sport, Socceroos star Lucas Herrington signs a five-year deal in the English Premier League.
Key Points
- Jailed whistleblower released from prison
- Tasmania records first case of H5 bird flu
- Star Socceroo Herrington signs to Hull City
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TRANSCRIPT
Jailed Whistleblower David McBride has been released from prison after being granted parole.
Mr McBride has asked for privacy while he spends time with his family and has announced he has been diagnosed with treatable lung cancer.
The former military lawyer who leaked Australian Defence Force information has served his full non-parole period of 27 months.
McBride plead guilty to stealing classified Australian Defence Force material and leaking it to journalists in November and was sentenced by the A-C-T supreme court to five years and eight months jail.
The federal attorney general Michelle Rowland approved his parole this morning.
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Tasmania has recorded its first case of the deadly H5N1 bird flu and says it's preparing for the risk of a mass mortality event.
A dead brown skua tested positive overnight.
The single migratory bird was found at Burgess Cove on Tasmania's north-west coast.
The state minister for primary industries and water Gavin Pearce says the government has been working with experts to ensure the state is prepared to protect threatened species as best it can.
"We have worked closely with the federal government to deliver protection plans for species considered most at risk. This includes the orange-bellied parrot, the Tasmanian devil, the shy albatross, the short-tailed shearwater, the Furneaux white-fronted tern, the fairy and little tern, Australian and long-nosed fur seal, and the Australasian gannet."
Yesterday the federal government announced a $2 million vaccination program targeting captive populations of vulnerable native species.
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Opposition leader Angus Taylor has revealed a divide in the party's migration reduction strategy, walking back plans announced by opposition housing spokesman Andrew Bragg.
On Wednesday Mr Bragg revealed the Coalition is seeking to take net overseas migration levels under 180,000 people per year on average, identifying cuts to working holiday visas as one means to lower the migrant intake.
Mr Taylor says the party believes migration numbers need to be capped and should be matched by housing supply - but would not be drawn on more detailed plans.
"Look, Andrew expressed some of his personal views yesterday. I made it clear to him that his job is that his job is to express the views of the coalition and the senior team, of which he is a member."
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The Climate Council has welcomed the government's plan to accelerate the decarbonisation of Australia's largest electricity user as part of a bailout of a New South Wales aluminium smelter.
The Federal and New South Wales state governments have agreed to spend $2.5 billion dollars over ten years to secure the future of the Tomago aluminum plant in the Hunter region.
The Albanese government says as part of the agreement, it will underpin nearly 3 gigawatts of new renewable generation, and Rio Tinto will invest $100 million dollars in decarbonisation activities.
The Prime Minister says the deal, reached after months of negotiations, is a significant win for Australian industry
"This announcement today secures the future of this facility. An example as well of governments working with the private sector to make sure that we're not at the end of supply chains, making sure that there is a future made right here in Australia and a future made right here in the Hunter."
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Colombian officials say rescue efforts have entered their 'final phase', as the government declares an economic emergency after this week's powerful earthquake.
Authorities say the magnitude 7.4 quake has killed at least 265 people, injured more than 3,500 and left almost 500 missing.
According to government figures, more than 11,000 dwellings have been destroyed, and thousands of families are homeless.
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella says the next phase of his government's crisis response will focus on economic recovery.
"I have decided to invoke the economic emergency, a mechanism provided for in our Constitution, in order to address this crisis appropriately. The emergency I am proposing will create a “miracle fund,” an entity that will channel national and international contributions toward the reconstruction of hospitals, schools, buildings, roads, and airports that were damaged by the earthquake."
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To sport and in football, Australian Socceroos star Lucas Herrington has signed a five-year deal with English Premier League club Hull City.
The composed defender has been the subject of interest from European clubs, including Barcelona and Liverpool, since before the World Cup.
The 18-year-old's stunning start to life as a Socceroo, and his impressive debut World Cup, only ramped up interest.
While Herrington's fee is undisclosed, it's understood to be about $33 million, a record transfer fee for an Australian player.
