The Prime Minister apologises to the survivors of thalidomide; Hamas releases more hostages as part of a truce deal with Israel; And in sport, Socceroo Brandon Borrello ruled out of January's Asian Cup after fracturing his foot in the A-League.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The Prime Minister apologises to the survivors of thalidomide;
- Hamas releases more hostages as part of a truce deal with Israel;
- And in sport, Socceroo Brandon Borrello ruled out of January's Asian Cup after fracturing his foot in the A-League.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has delivered a formal apology to thalidomide survivors and their families.
Mr Albanese has told Parliament that the survivors had repeatedly summoned "remarkable resolve" when they had not been protected by successive governments.
The statement is a reference to the failure of federal and state governments to ban the importation or sale of the drug - widely prescribed to expectant mothers for morning sickness and anxiety - despite it being linked to birth defects in November 1961.
Mr Albanese says the apology is a long overdue national acknowledgement of what survivors have endured.
"Today, on behalf of the people of Australia, our government and this parliament offers a full unreserved and overdue apology to all thalidomide survivors, their families, loved ones and carers, to the survivors. We apologise for the pain thalidomide has inflicted on each and every one of you each and every day. We are sorry."
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Israel has freed 30 prisoners from their jails as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement with Hamas.
The group are believed to be comprised of 15 women and 15 teenage males.
Hamas in turn has freed 12 more hostages, handing the ten Israeli citizens and two foreign nationals to the Red Cross.
As mediators gather in Qatar to negotiate an even longer extension to the truce, hundreds of family members of hostages still in Gaza have held a rally in front of the Kirya military base.
27 year old Gali Lev says they want the Israeli government to ensure the remaining hostages are released.
"We want to pressure the government to release not only the children - also the children, but their parents are still kidnapped, there are young people, there are young soldiers, people who are innocent who were in this party and now they’re kidnapped and we don’t know if they’re dead or alive. We have to have them home as soon as possible.”
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Australia is moving to set up an even tougher "preventative detention" regime following the disappearance of a released asylum seeker who refused to wear a tracking device.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil says the Albanese government is working on legislation to allow it to re-detain detainees convicted of crimes after it was forced to release some when the High Court ruled indefinite detention to be unlawful.
The Minister has urged the opposition not to stand in the way of laws to protect the public.
But deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley says the problem isn't the Coalition's position, but the government's mismanagement of the whole situation.
"Dan Tehan and James Paterson - shadow immigration and shadow home affairs ministers - are working through the detail of this. But what we have always said is that we need a preventative detention regime. The High Court hasn't disagreed with that. What unfortunately has happened is that the government could have been working on this weeks ago."
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To sport,
Socceroo Brandon Borrello will miss January's AFC Asian Cup after fracturing his foot in the Wanderers' A-League Men derby win over Sydney FC.
Western Sydney has confirmed the star forward will be sidelined for the next three months.
It's a devastating blow for Borello, who has fought hard to earn back his spot in the national side after missing out on selection in last year's World Cup squad.
Borrello has played seven of a possible eight Socceroos games in 2023 year and featured in Australia's 1-0 win earlier this month against Palestine in Kuwait.
