TRANSCRIPT:
- Nationals MPs are poised to formally abandon support for net-zero
- Tanzania's incumbent president claims a landslide win
- Kangaroos edge England to retain the Ashes series.
The Nationals are expected to formally drop their support for a net-zero policy when the party room meets today to discuss climate and energy issues.
The party's Federal Council has already voted to withdraw its support for net zero, with leader David Littleproud telling the group he supports the idea of reducing emissions, but not the government's approach to it.
Mr Littleproud maintains a net zero platform is not the only way to address climate change.
He says nothing has yet been decided but he anticipates taking action with the Nationals' coalition partner.
"Working constructively with the Liberal party, who have the same concerns that we do and sees the same human toll that we do. Not just in the job losses in industry but also in regional areas where regional communities are being disregarded for this reckless race of a 1.4 trillion dollar renewables rollout."
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A warning that this next story contains reference to domestic violence.
A man has been arrested after a woman was found dead in a suspected domestic violence incident in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
Police discovered the 39-year-old’s body at a home in Kearsley, near Cessnock, on Friday night.
Officers were alerted after a child walked several hundred metres to seek help from neighbours.
Detectives launched a search for 37-year-old Christopher James McLoughney, who was in a relationship with the woman and lived at the address.
He was arrested in Bellbird yesterday evening, about six kilometres away.
Police say a black Hyundai Tucson linked to Mr McLoughney was seized, with a sawn-off shotgun and ammunition allegedly found inside.
He remains in custody at Cessnock Police Station.
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Incumbent President Samia Suluhu Hassan has been declared the winner of Tanzania's election, which the main opposition party says has been marred by the killing of hundreds of protesters.
The government says the figures as exaggerated, with the UN confirming credible reports of 10 deaths, as electoral authorities declare Ms Hassan won more than 97 per cent of the vote.
Critics say the poll was not a contest but a coronation, with opposition candidates either jailed or barred from running, and police firing teargas and gunshot to disperse demonstrators.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has been in power since taking over from her predecessor in 2021, says her almost-total victory demonstrates the maturity of Tanzania's democracy.
"We thank the security apparatus for ensuring that all the chaos witnessed did not altar or stop the election process. The incidents experienced, especially around cities like Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Mwanza, Mbeya and Songwe, were unacceptable, uncivilised and unpatriotic. Patriots build their countries and not destroy what their fellow countrymen's blood and sweat built. The government strongly condemns these recent events."
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Israel says the remains of three people handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross do not belong to any hostages, a setback that could jeopardise the US-brokered ceasefire deal.
The transfer came after Israel returned 30 Palestinian bodies to Gaza on Friday, completing an earlier exchange in which militants had handed over the remains of two hostages, a rare sign of progress in the fragile truce effort.
The three unidentified bodies were received late Friday and examined overnight, with an Israeli military official cautioning that intelligence indicated they weren’t among those taken captive during the October 7 attack that triggered this escalation in the conflict.
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To sport now, and in Rugby League, Australia have retained the Ashes for a 14th consecutive time, overcoming a bruising challenge from England with a 14–4 win in Liverpool.
England threw everything into defence from the opening minutes, but the Kangaroos kept their composure.
Cameron Munster broke the deadlock early in the second half, followed by a try from Hudson Young.
Australia held firm despite Reece Walsh being sent to the sin bin for a high tackle on Dom Young, an incident that could see the Brisbane star face further sanction.
