TRANSCRIPT
- Australians are paying more than ever for petrol.
- Guinea-Bissau cancels registries of Freedom Flotilla ships preventing departure to Gaza.
- Rafael Nadal defeats Alex de Minaur at the Madrid Open.
The prime minister will join thousands of demonstrators as they march for a third day throughout Australia to demand action to end violence against women.
A dozen rallies will be held in major cities and regional towns today as part of a series of national events calling for a break in the cycle of violence that has claimed the lives of at least 26 women so far in 2024.
A 30-year-old Perth woman was allegedly murdered with W-A police taking a man in his 30s, who was known to her, into custody on Friday.
Anthony Albanese will attend the Canberra rally today.
NSW Premier Chris Minns joined crowds at the Sydney event on Saturday as did former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull who says change is needed.
"We have to have a society in which women are safe, in fact all of us are safe. But we need legislative changes, legal changes but above all we need cultural change. And that's why I've always quoted the wise words of Lucy (Turnbull's wife) said years ago which is that not all disrespect of women leads to violence against women but that's where all violence against women begins."
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Police in western Sydney are investigating a shooting overnight in which several shots were fired into a home.
Five people were in the house, including children, at 9pm when the shooting took place.
Police say the residents have no links to any gangs and that the offenders had targeted the wrong home.
No one was injured.
A burnt out Ford Ranger was also discovered a few streets away.
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Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles has announced a $100 million military aid package for Ukraine that includes short-range air defences and drones, with air-to-ground precision munitions coming separately.
Mr Marles says this contribution to Ukraine's military is one of many packages to come.
"But this tranch is just the next tranch. We understand that this will be an enduring conflict and we will be contributing more in the future because we are determined to stand side by side with Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to prevail."
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Demonstrators have taken to the streets of Istanbul, demanding a cease-fire and unhindered delivery of aid into the Gaza Strip.
The protest came after a three-ship flotilla planning to reach Gaza with 5,000 tons of humanitarian aid from Turkiye was prevented from sailing by Guinea-Bissau authorities, which took down their country's flags from two ships, organisers say.
A press release by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition describes the cancellation of the vessels' registry as a “blatantly political move,” adding: "Without a flag, we cannot sail.”
The organisers blamed Israel for applying pressure to prevent the flotilla.
Behesti Ismail Songur is with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition.
"I want to say this very clearly. The flag of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla is wanted to be taken down unlawfully. ... We clearly see Israel's effort to stop these ships, this fleet, in their own ports before they even set sail."
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Australians are paying more than ever for petrol as a weak Australian dollar collides with rising crude prices, new data shows.
The average price of 91 octane unleaded has soared to 217.92 cents per litre in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, according to Compare the Market data, breaking the $2.17 record set last September.
Brisbane motorists were paying the highest average price for their fuel at $2.30 per litre, and as much as $2.35 per litre.
Melburnians were paying around $2.25 for regular unleaded on Friday while in Sydney motorists were paying $2.13 a litre.
Perth had the lowest average price of the five major capitals at $1.94 per litre.
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Alex de Minaur has missed out on the chance of a lifetime to beat Rafael Nadal on clay in successive tournaments, blown away by the rejuvenated, emotionally-charged Spanish great in the Madrid Open.
The Australian Number One, looking a shadow of the player who swept aside Nadal in the Barcelona Open in straight sets 10 days earlier, seemed tight and slightly distracted in the face of the passionate support for the home favourite as he succumbed 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 in their second-round encounter.
But for the 37-year-old Nadal there were moments of his vintage best as he blasted spectacular winners past the fleet Sydneysider in a two-hour demonstration that no-one can write him off on the surface he adores.
Nadal, the former Number One, says he can do better.
“ I think at moments there was a good level of tennis. I was able to do positive things, but still not enough. Super happy to be able to be competitive against a great player like Alex. To play over two hours means a lot to me. And you know, the atmosphere here is just a joke. So I can’t thank enough everybody here.”
