TRANSCRIPT
- More than 400 Palestinians granted humanitarian visas in Australia
- Syrian rebels capture the city of Hama in major setback for the President
- Australia thrashes India in the first One Day International of the women's series
More than 800 Palestinians who came to Australia on tourist visas have been granted humanitarian visas.
Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke has confirmed the numbers in an interview with SBS Arabic.
In the interview, Mr Burke has said nearly half of the Palestinians on 12-month visitor visas have been transferred to temporary humanitarian visas, which are valid for three years.
He says the government has speeded up its processing of the visas, which grant work, Medicare and study rights.
"We've got through a bit less than half of the caseload at the moment and we are now starting to speed that up as well. Everyone is going through all the ASIO checks and all the checks you that you would want people to go through. Can I say they have been some of the happiest meetings I have ever done."
Since Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent offensive, about 3,000 tourist visas have been granted to Palestinians fleeing Gaza.
1,732 have arrived in Australia.
More than 7,100 applications have been rejected.
**
A video published by a group affiliated with the Syrian rebels on Thursday is said to show detainees pouring out of the Hama prison after rebels freed them.
Syrian rebels captured the city of Hama earlier in the day, celebrating a major victory after a week advancing across northern Syria.
It's a significant setback to President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.
Reuters was able to confirm the location as Hama by the prison layout and buildings, residential buildings, trees and road layout seen in the video which matched satellite imagery of the area.
The insurgents said they were ready to march on south towards Homs, a key crossroads city that links the capital Damascus to the north and to the coast.
**
Human rights organisation Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The group has released a new report that says Israel has "unleashed hell and destruction" since the October 7 attack on southern Israel last year, which killed 1200 people.
In a statement to SBS News, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defence Forces has rejected the findings as "entirely false and based on lies", while the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says the question of whether the crime of genocide has been committed is a matter for the appropriate courts and tribunals.
But Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard maintains Israel has carried out acts prohibited under the Genocide Convention.
"We do not come to that conclusion lightly, politically or preferentially. We studied Israel's many actions in Gaza closely and in their totality. We took into account their simultaneous occurrence and re-occurrence.
**
The Palestinian Ambassador to Australia, Izzat Abdulhadi, has welcomed Amnesty International's report.
"This report has a lot of evidence about genocide in Gaza, and I think the countries which signed the Genocide Convention 1948 should adhere to the finding of this report and take the necessary actions against Israel, including sanction on Israel."
**
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been indicted on charges of inciting attacks against the military.
This follows deadly anti-government rallies held by his party last year.
The indictment was the latest in dozens of cases against the 72-year-old former cricket star turned politician, who has been in jail since late last year.
It came hours after a court issued warrants to arrest Khan's wife.
Khan pleaded not guilty as the judge read out the charges against him and dozens of others including his former ministers, leaders and supporters.
In May 2023, thousands of Khan's supporters attacked and torched several military buildings and offices in a protest against Khan's arrest on graft allegations.
**
Defence Minister Richard Marles has reportedly ordered a rapid review into Australia's submarine agency due to concerns over how it will handle implementation of the AUKUS agreement.
Guardian Australia reports the review will take place over coming months and focus on the agency's governance. It will be led by former defence and security bureaucrat Dennis Richardson.
News of the review follows the sudden resignation of one of the agency's most senior leaders and an annual survey of staff that revealed problems with morale and internal communications.
**
The Western Australian government has described the jailing of a Perth grandmother in Japan on drug charges as a "kick in the guts".
The legal team of Donna Nelson say they plan to appeal after the 58 year old's conviction and six year sentence for trafficking methamphetamine into Tokyo in January 2023.
WA Premier Roger Cook says the Japanese justice system has to be respected, but the government hopes to see the grandmother brought home sooner rather than later.
Her daughter Kristal Hilaire told media the six-year sentence is difficult to come to terms with.
"Now that I'm out of there it's hard because I though I'd be leaving here thinking that I'd be helping plan her return home."
**
Australia has defeated India by five wickets in the first One Day International of the women's series.
Megan Schutt starred with the ball, taking her first five-wicket haul before debutant Georgia Voll sealed the win with an unbeaten 46 off 42 balls.
The visitors lost 6-11 and made just 100 after opting to open the batting at Brisbane's Allan Border Field.
It was India's lowest total in the 50-over format since 2012.
