A cabinet reshuffle is imminent after two ministers step down; Australia sanctions Israelis for settler violence in West Bank; And in sport, Australia advances to rugby sevens quarter-finals at Paris Olympics.
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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- A cabinet reshuffle is imminent after two ministers step down;
- Australia sanctions Israelis for settler violence in West Bank;
- And in sport, Australia advances to rugby sevens quarter-finals at Paris Olympics.
A cabinet reshuffle is imminent with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor stepping down.
Senator Burney was the first Indigenous woman elected to the New South Wales lower house, and Federal House of Representatives.
She says its time to move on from politics.
"I will not promise that I will not cry. So everyone today I'm announcing that I will not re-contest the seat of Barton at the next federal election. As the Prime Minister said after 21 years, as in politics, eight years in the federal parliament, and 13 years in the New South Wales parliament, it's time for me to pass on the baton to the next generation. It is time for me to pass on that baton."
Both Linda Burney and Brendan O'Connor will remain in parliament until the next federal election, with the Cabinet reshuffle to be announced on Sunday.
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Australia has sanctioned Israeli settlers involved in attacking and killing Palestinians, as an appetite for peace grows.
Seven Israelis have been hit with travel bans and financial sanctions for participating in settler violence in the West Bank.
A statement from Foreign Minister Penny Wong's office says the individuals have been linked to beatings, sexual assaults and the torture of Palestinians, causing injuries and death.
Australia has also imposed sanctions on religious youth group Hilltop Youth for inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities.
Senator Wong was on ABC Radio this morning calling on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and stop ongoing settlement.
"We have imposed these after careful consideration, and we would expect that all Australians would recognise the weight of these sanctions."
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A former justice department boss has told an inquest into the first juvenile to die in West Australian custody the teen's death was a preventable failure and apologised to his family.
Cleveland Dodd was found unresponsive inside a cell in the trouble-plagued youth wing of a high-security adult prison in the early hours of 12 October 2023.
The 16-year-old was taken to hospital in a critical condition and died a week later, causing outrage and grief in the community.
Former director general of the Department of Justice, Adam Tomison, addressed Cleveland's family from the witness box saying he is truly sorry for what happened with Cleveland, adding that it was a total tragedy and that the department had failed.
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Two spirited wins have rocketed Australia into the men's rugby sevens quarter-finals with one pool game to spare despite a jittery start to the Paris Olympic Games.
Australia's 21-14 defeat of Samoa was followed by a 21-7 win against the dangerous Kenya, both in front of 80,000 at the Stade de France on Wednesday.
It wasn't pretty, as dropped ball and intercept passes opened the door for their rivals.
But huge defensive plays ensured they escaped unscathed in their quest to progress beyond the quarter-finals for the first time in the sport's third Games appearance.
Back in the squad after a season with the ACT Brumbies, Corey Toole ensured the win over Kenya with a flying run down the right wing.
