A $10 billion social housing fund set to pass the Senate; Republican US House Speaker calls for an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden; Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard escapes suspension following a controversial knockout.
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TRANSCRIPT
- A $10 billion social housing fund set to pass the Senate
- Republican US House Speaker calls for an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden
- Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard escapes suspension following a controversial knockout
Parliament is set to pass a $10 billion social housing fund after a deal struck with the Greens.
The legislation won the support of the Greens and cross bench senators with the promise of more immediate spending on community and public housing.
The Housing Australia Future Fund will dedicate up to $500 million a year on affordable housing projects, which are expected to deliver 30,000 homes in the first five years.
Housing Minister Julie Collins says the money will ensure a construction pipeline to help Australia's most vulnerable well into the future.
"The fact that it is there not just for a few years, but in perpetuity is important to provide confidence to the sector, and importantly confidence for Australians who need homes the most."
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The federal government is being urged to develop a national strategy on the security risks arising from climate change.
A group of former defence force and security leaders have travelled to Canberra to deliver a briefing to MPs, while also urging the federal government to waste no time in developing a game plan to deal with wide-scale impacts.
It comes five days after a major United Nations report found the world needs to "rapidly" cut emissions to limit the worst impacts of climate change.
In response to Senate questions on notice, the prime minister says a commissioned report on the topic won't be released because of classified information.
Former Defence Force Chief Admiral Chris Barrie, from the Australian Security Leaders Climate Group, told SBS that this is concerning as those findings would be important in forming an effective strategy.
"We're missing in action. My 42 years being in the Defence Force and thinking through how do we manage to organise, train and equip a Defence Force - what it requires is for you to sit down and make some really hard decisions based on good evidence - via an intelligence system - and what I call nous, you know, what you think might be going on. But if you haven't bothered to collect the evidence in the first place, what you're doing is making this up on the run."
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Republican United States House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy has called for an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden.
Mr McCarthy said the inquiry would focus on "allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption" by Mr Biden.
Republicans have been investigating the president since January, but hearings have found no concrete evidence of misconduct by Mr Biden.
Mr Biden, who defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election, is seeking re-election next year.
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Libyan officials say around a quarter of the eastern city of Derna has been swept away after dams burst during Storm Daniel, with at least 1,000 bodies already recovered.
A Red Cross official says as many as 10,000 people are feared missing across the country in floods, while Libyan officials expect the death toll will be much higher, saying as many as 2,300 people may have perished in Derna alone.
Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused havoc and flash flooding on Sunday night in many towns in eastern Libya after causing deadly flooding in Greece, Hungary and Turkiye last week.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose country has already sent aircrafts carrying aid and rescue workers, says Turkiye stands in solidarity with the flood-stricken nation, which has been in policital turmoil after over a decade of conflict.
"Unfortunately, it seems that the number of deaths will increase along with the number of missing. As Turkey, just as we have not left the Libyan people alone until now, we stand by our brothers with all our means in these difficult days."
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Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard has escaped suspension for his controversial smother attempt which knocked out Melbourne midfielder Angus Brayshaw in their qualifying final last week.
During a marathon four-hour hearing at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, Collingwood called upon a neuroscience expert in a bid to clear Maynard, who is now free to play in Collingwood's preliminary final next week after being cleared of wrongdoing.
Maynard would have been banned for at least three weeks if he had been found guilty of the rough conduct charge, with the defender arguing he did not have time to react to avoid contact.
The decision is set to divide the footballing community given the devastating effect the collision has had on Brayshaw, who has a history of concussion issues.
