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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong meets Qatar's prime minister after Gaza ceasefire talks;
- Israel's military recovers the bodies of six hostages captured by Hamas in the October 7 attack;
- And in sport, Australia considers a two-year cycling ban for defector and Olympic medallist Matthew Richardson.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has reiterated the government's position for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Ms Wong made the comments during a meeting with Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani at Parliament House in Canberra.
Qatar is playing a crucial role as mediator in the discussions between Israel and Hamas, alongside Egypt and the US, with hopes that a breakthrough will soon be reached.
Ms Wong says Australia fully supports any solution that would put an end to hostilities in the region.
"We know the situation in Gaza is catastrophic and the humanitarian situation is unacceptable. Not only the loss of life but we now see the emergence of polio and it makes a ceasefire all the more imperative."
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The Israeli military has retrieved the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza's southern area of Khan Younis.
The families of the hostages have been notified.
The Hostages Families Forum welcomed the news, but renewed calls for the government to secure a hostage release deal.
Meanwhile, Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan has criticised US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statement that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted an updated ceasefire proposal.
Mr Hamdan says Hamas already agreed to a proposal by President Joe Biden last month and the updated deal adds obstacles they can't abide by.
“We, in the Hamas movement, have confirmed to the mediators that we don’t need new negotiations nor new ideas. There is a proposal that we have approved and we need its implementation, because it is based on Biden’s initiative and the decision taken by the international security council, and it achieves the goals with which we started negotiations, which are a ceasefire, retreat of Israeli forces, providing relief and shelter to the people of Gaza, reconstruction, lifting of the blockade, and a fair exchange of prisoners.”
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The domestic family and sexual violence commissioner is set to release the first annual report tracking the progress of the nation's efforts to end gender-based violence in Australia.
Micaela Cronin met with more than 300 organisations and people this year, as services struggle to keep up with demand.
The report will be tabled in parliament, a year on from two subordinate action plans that outlined steps to ending violence in a generation.
The nation has been shocked by the spate of violent attacks on women this year, prompting calls for urgent action.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth says Labor has provided more than $3.4 billion for women's safety across three federal budgets, and convened a dedicated national cabinet on this issue earlier this year.
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Education Minister Jason Clare says he will announce the government's plans on student migration in the coming week.
The federal government has been clear on its intention to put a cap on international student visas, in an effort to relieve pressure on universities.
Mr Clare says the student visa program has been exploited by people who have come to Australia in search of employment, putting the education industry's reputation at risk.
He says student visa numbers could be increased again in the coming years, as long as universities meet accommodation requirements.
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In cycling,
Australia is exploring whether triple Olympic medallist Matthew Richardson can be banned from the sport for two years, following his shock defection to Great Britain.
Richardson stunned AusCycling by deciding to race for Great Britain, announcing his move just days after winning three medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics.
Richardson raced in Paris while keeping his decision to switch allegiances secret.
AusCycling says it's investigating whether a two-year non-competition clause could be applied to Richardson.
