TRANSCRIPT:
- Australians trapped in New Caledonia as rioting turns deadly;
- Slovakia's Prime Minister expected to survive after being shot in an assassination attempt;
- Australia named as the host nation for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.
At least four people have been killed and dozens more injured in riots following a move to change voting rules in New Caledonia.
France has now declared a state of emergency on the Pacific island, and a curfew in the capital from 6pm to 6am has been extended, along with a ban on all gatherings, the carrying of weapons and the sale of alcohol throughout the territory.
The airport remains closed to commercial flights leaving a number of Australians stranded.
Among them is Marie-Helene Barbe, who has told SBS News the situation is dire.
"We're scared, let's be honest. As I'm talking to you I'm shaking. We are very worried about what the future's going to hold. I mean I have faith in hopefully the leaders and the Elders that they will bring everybody to see good sense and be logical and stop what they're doing. But yes, we are basically defending ourselves."
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Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is no longer in a life-threatening condition after being shot in a politically motivated assassination attempt.
Deputy PM Tomas Taraba has told the BBC's Newshour that the leader has undergone surgery which he understands "went well", and that "in the end he will survive."
Opposition member of parliament, Maria Kolikova, has called the shooting an attack on the ''internal security" of the country, while Slovakian president Zuzana Caputova has blamed "hateful rhetoric in society" for leading to "hateful acts".
Defence Minister Robert Kalinak has reiterated that it was a 'political assault'.
"We're just talking about the level of democracy. About capability to understand each other, to accept the other opinion. And not only one is the good one. That somebody has a different opinion, it's also his place on the Earth, and political field. So this is the issue that's happened. It's a political assault."
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The Coalition says the government's response to comments by a Labor senator over the war in Gaza will be a test of Anthony Albanese's leadership.
Opposition home affairs spokesman James Paterson says West Australian senator Fatima Payman's description of Israel's Gaza offensive as a genocide is wrong, and that she has "outed" herself as an opponent of a two-state solution, which Labor supports.
He says the Prime Minister needs to react strongly.
"Will he stand up? Will he show strength? Or will he again show weakness and equivocation? Will he tolerate these extreme statements from a member of his own caucus, or will there be consequences for Senator Payman today?"
Anthony Albanese says he has spoken out against the senator's comments, calling them "inappropriate".
He says an enormous amount of grief is being seen in Gaza which is having a significant impact on people who have relatives and friends there, and that a lot of trauma is also being experienced by Jewish Australians because of a rise in local anti-Semitism, where "people who happen to be Jewish are being held responsible for actions of the (Israeli) government."
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Meanwhile, pro-Palestine protesters remain locked in a building at the University of Melbourne, prompting campus authorities to cancel classes for a second day.
The university says it is concerned by the escalation and are working closely with authorities to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
At Monash University, student protesters say nine organisers have been accused of misconduct and threatened with suspension or expulsion.
An encampment at Deakin University in Melbourne also remains in place, with student organiser Jasmine Duff saying there are no plans to disband the camp.
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Former prime minister Scott Morrison has interrupted his promotional book tour of the US to meet with Donald Trump.
Australia's 30th prime minister posted a photo of him with the presidential hopeful on X, formerly Twitter, hours after Mr Trump attended court over hush money allegations.
Mr Morrison says their discussions included canvassing the key defence alliance, AUKUS, and that the agreement had received a "warm reception".
The meeting between two ex-leaders could allay fears about the AUKUS alliance should the Republican nominee return to power.
Mr Trump's comments ignited a political firestorm at the time, but Anthony Albanese says he remains confident in Australia's alliances.
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Australia has been named as the host nation for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup.
Australia was the only member nation to submit a bid to host the tournament, but the decision has now been confirmed at a meeting of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) executive committee in Bangkok.
Matches will take place in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
