TRANSCRIPT
- Changes to visa rules to to stop what the government calls 'visa hopping'
- A report by the United Nations finds both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes
- Australians Ariarne Titmus and Mollie O’Callaghan both beat the 200-metre freestyle world record.
The federal government is making it more difficult for foreign citizens to carry out what it calls 'visa hopping'.
Additional measures will come into effect from July 1st to tighten regulations around those coming to Australia to study.
The changes will close two pathways the federal governments says are being used to "subvert" offshore student integrity measures.
Visitor Visa and Temporary Graduate Visa holders will no longer be able to apply for Student Visas onshore.
Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil says in a statement the "visitor to student pathway has become increasingly prevalent, with over 36,000 applications since 1 July 2023 to the end of May 2024."
Ms O'Neil says the change aims to reduce the numbers of people who are likely to become "permanently temporary".
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken says some changes proposed by Hamas to the Gaza ceasefire deal are not workable.
The deal, as outlined by U-S President Joe Biden, sets out conditions for a "full and complete ceasefire", the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of dead hostages' remains and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
Speaking in Doha after meeting Qatar's [[cutter's]] Prime Minister, Mr Blinken says he wants to see a resolution.
While Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, says Qatar - in its role as a mediator - wants a permanent ceasefire.
"United States, Qatar and Egypt as guarantor for this process to ensure these negotiations keeps going until we reach the permanent ceasefire - it is something significant that we are putting ourself at stake. It is not an easy process. It is a very complex negotiation."
The so-called 'teal' MPs, who won traditionally safe Liberal seats in the last federal election, say the stance by the federal opposition on its climate change policy will alienate voters at the upcoming election.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has refused to commit to 2030 emission reduction targets, confirming he won't announce the Coalition’s proposed target before the election.
Independent federal MP Kylea Tink won the previously safe Liberal seat of North Sydney at the last election campaigning on the issue of climate change.
She says the federal opposition's stance on climate change is out of step with the perspective of voters in her electorate.
"I am feeling like North Sydney are going to continue to express its voice, very loudly, that we need to move forward. If the opposition continues to move down this path, I think it is the extinction of the opposition that they're facing, not the extinction of our planet. Because Australians have had enough of this sort of climate denialism. And they want to see us take advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to us."
Sexual and domestic assault reports have spiked in New South Wales during the past five years in quarterly data released by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics.
Crime data shows four major offences have increased dramatically, with non-domestic assaults and motor vehicle theft reports also rising.
There has been a 42 per cent jump in sexual assault reports in the 12 months leading to March 2024, compared with five years ago.
A spokesperson for the Bureau says it's likely some of the rise was a real increase in sexual assault occurrences, rather than simply more people bringing reports to police.
Early education and family services industry leaders are looking to improve First Nations policy decision-making in the sector.
More than 200 delegates have gathered in Victoria for the inaugural summit aimed at developing a strength-based definition of Aboriginal Early Years policy in the state.
Federal and state government representatives will address the summit later today.
Lisa Thorpe is the CEO of Bubup Wilam Aboriginal Child and Family Centre.
She says the gathering is an opportunity to put First Nations self-determination at the forefront of funding and policy discussions.
"The government is only ever funding end of the line - as in child protection, justice (criminal justice system), as in everything as a negative or a deficit. They should think about funding the upstream. Early childhood development is prevention. We teach our children to be strong. We teach children connectedness. We teach our children identity. And they can learn who they are as an Aboriginal person. And they can also learn how they can fare in the mainstream world."
In swimming, Ariarne Titmus has broken the 200-metre freestyle world record, delivering a strong performance in front of a hometown crowd at Australia's Olympic swimming selection trials in Brisbane.
The 23-year-old clocked one minute and 52.23 seconds - that's 0.62 seconds faster than the previous record set at last year's world championships by Mollie O'Callaghan.
O'Callaghan was also in the same race and beat the time she set last year by 0.37 seconds - the second-fastest time in history.
Titmus now holds the 200m and 400m freestyle world records and is the reigning Olympic champion in both events.
