TRANSCRIPT
- The South Australian government backs a new search for the Beaumont children
- Hamas freezes the release of Israeli hostages as part of its Gaza ceasefire agreement
- A UK jury considers its verdict in the trial of Sam Kerr
The South Australian government has agreed to the excavation of a piece of land in Adelaide in the renewed search for the Beaumont children, who have been missing since the 1960s.
The former factory site in the Adelaide suburb of Castolloy has been explored twice before.
But the government says new information suggests a third examination is required in the search for nine year old Jane, seven year old Arnna, and four year old Grant, who vanished from Glenelg Beach on Australia Day in 1966.
South Australian Premier says the private search is to be carried out before the area goes up for sale.
"They have a theory; they wanted to test it. We were happy to facilitate that."
**
Hamas has announced it is stopping the release of Israeli hostages as part of a Gaza ceasefire agreement until further notice.
Hamas was to have released some hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and other Palestinians held in Israeli detention, as has happened over the past three weeks.
But military wing spokesman Abu Ubaida says guarantees for the ceasefire are no longer in place, given a plan announced by President Donald Trump to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer says they are still committed to discussions for the next round of the ceasefire, which would involve more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
"When it comes to phase two, these discussions on a permanent ceasefire with our partners in the US have most definitely begun and and as I said, in reality they've never really ended. So yes, these discussions, we believe will be difficult, but we are committed to getting our hostages home and achieving all of the other war aims, and we will not end this war until all of our goals are met."
**
Businesses say they are concerned Australian jobs and living standards will be threatened by tariffs promised by Donald Trump.
The United States President has pledged to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the US.
But Minerals Council of Australia chief executive Tania Constable says the tariffs would have significant implications for Australian industry.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese must not fail to change the President's mind in his phone call today, where he is expected to raise the issue.
"There's significant - this has come out of the blue that Australia would be impacted despite the best efforts of Australian negotiators to exempt Australia. Now the hard work begins to get Australia cut out of these tariffs. If we don't, there's significant costs for Australian industry."
**
At least 50 people have died in Guatemala after a bus plunged into a ravine near the country's capital.
Police say 75 people were on board the bus when it went off the road on the Puente de Belice bridge at the northern entrance to Guatemala City, trapping them under the wreckage in a river.
Spokesman Carlos Hernandez says the bodies of 36 men and 15 women have been recovered.
They have been sent to a provincial morgue set up for the accident.
**
A key pillar of Labor's flagship decarbonisation policy has been approved in the Senate overnight.
The Upper House passed the tax incentives for renewable hydrogen production and critical minerals processing with amendments from the Greens, after the government struck a deal with the minor party.
But independent crossbenchers like Lidia Thorpe and Fatima Payman have also backed the bill.
The legislation has now been sent back to the lower chamber for approval.
**
Mark Latham has launched an appeal against the thousands of dollars he has been ordered to pay over a tweet ruled to have been defamatory.
The former federal opposition and New South Wales One Nation leader had been ordered by the Federal Court to pay $140,000 to independent MP Alex Greenwich over the social media post.
But Mr Latham has now reportedly retained a solicitor to appeal the finding he defamed Mr Greenwich – and to challenge the amount the court wants him to pay.
**
An Indigenous financial counsellor says a government plan to cap the cost of essential groceries could help improve the health of First Nations communities in remote Australia.
The Prime Minister has revealed the cap following confirmation that just five of 19 Closing the Gap targets were on track to being met.
Bettina Cooper, from Mob Strong Debt Help, says most of these communities are among the most disadvantaged socioeconomic areas in the country, with only one local shop for groceries and hours away from other facilities.
The Boandik woman has been advocating for price caps on essential items following a CHOICE investigation in October, which revealed some remote residents were paying double for their groceries than consumers in the city.
**
The jury in Sam Kerr's London trial has retired to consider its verdict.
The Matildas captain has been accused of causing racially aggravated harassment to policeman Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
The charge carries a maximum sentence of 26 weeks in prison.
