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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- Four ministers resign from the Ukranian government;
- The Liberal federal executive launches a takeover of the party's New South Wales division;
- And in the Paralympics, Australian sprinter James Turner smashes his own world record in the men's T36 400m.
The Ukrainian government minister who oversaw domestic arms production during the war with Russia has resigned, along with three other ministers.
The speaker of parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, said that deputies would examine the resignations of the Minister of Strategic Industries, Oleksandr Kamyshin, the Minister of Justice, Denys Maliuska, the Minister of the Environment, Ruslan Strilets, and Olha Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister responsible for European integration.
Oleksandr Kamyshin said on the Telegram messaging app that he would continue to work in the defense sector, "but in a different role.”
This comes after weeks of talks about an imminent change in government.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy also fired his deputy chief of staff Rostyslav Shurma on Tuesday, according to a decree published on the presidential website.
The Ukrainian leader said last week that he hoped to have a meeting with US President Joe Biden and his two possible successors to present a “victory plan” to pressure Russia into ending the war in Ukraine.
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The Liberal federal executive has launched a 10-month takeover of the party's New South Wales division.
It comes after party officials in Sydney failed to nominate 140 candidates for upcoming local government elections.
The party had threatened legal action after the state Electoral Commission refused its requests for an extension.
Three senior Liberals have been named as administrators for the state branch.
The Federal Secretariat says the NSW Division has been asked to comply with the request by next Thursday.
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Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockcliff says it was “ridiculous” and “stupid” that a group of hikers had to be rescued from Mount Wellington on Monday afternoon in sub zero temperatures.
The group of 13 set out on a day hike, having brought mobile phones but minimal food and water, and no equipment.
An emergency rescue was required when they became stranded on the summit.
The group, assisted by City of Hobart personnel, met another five hikers on the way down the mountain, who police say were similarly unprepared.
Tasmania Police Commander Jason Elmer has criticised their decision to proceed despite safety warnings.
"It's incredibly disappointing to see the totally irresponsible decision of a group of people to engage in bush-walking activities on Mount Wellington yesterday that resulted in requiring rescue from the top of the mountain. I thank the Hobart City Council employees who assisted Tasmania police."
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The number of homes listed under "distressed" conditions is rising in some parts of the country – up over 1 per cent nationally in August.
According to property researchers at SQM, the ACT and Tasmania experienced the sharpest year on year increases.
Elsewhere, conditions in the housing market appear to be softening alongside demand.
SQM Researcher Louis Christopher told SBS News it's not yet cause for concern.
"So currently, nationwide we have just over 5,000 properties selling under distressed conditions. To give you some perspective on that number, prior to COVID, that number was hovering around 11 to 12,000 listings, and then it dropped away significantly over the course of 2021. It's been rising a little from a low base between '23 an '24. NSW and Victoria are recording a little bit of an acceleration but they're still relatively low numbers."
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To the Paralympics,
Australian sprinter James Turner has smashed his own world record en route to claiming Paralympic gold in the men's T36 400m.
Turner was quickest off the mark at the Stade de France in Paris on Tuesday and began to take a lead as the runners made their way on the penultimate bend.
The 28-year-old then showed a remarkable turn of pace as he came down the home stretch to finish in a time of 51.54 seconds.
It beat Turner's own world record of 51.71 which he set in Dubai in 2019.
Turner has now won gold medals across Games in Rio, Tokyo and Paris.
The medal was Australia's ninth gold of the 2024 Paris Paralympics and the first on the track.
