TRANSCRIPT:
- Two climate campaigners jailed after a Melbourne bridge protest;
- Orange to gets its very first Pride festival;
- Jimmy Webster receives the longest AFL suspension in six years under the league's tough new anti-concussion regime.
Football Australia says it's been blindsided by the news that Matildas captain Sam Kerr will stand trial in London over the alleged racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
C-E-O James Johnson says the organisation was not previously made aware of these charges before the news broke.
"I woke up this morning, like everyone else did, to the news. And that's when Football Australia found out about this unsettling event. I haven't spoken to Sam other than a text message just to check in on her wellbeing because she is an employee of ours and a player."
Kerr has plead not guily to the charges today and is set to stand trial in February 2025.
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Two climate protesters have been sentenced to three weeks in jail after a protest on a major Melbourne bridge on Tuesday.
The pair are members of the environmental action group Extinction Rebellion.
Police told the court they climbed on top of a rented truck on Melbourne's West Gate Bridge, unfurling climate protest banners and setting off a flare.
The protest caused a traffic gridlock with three city-bound lanes blocked and delays stretching back about 30 kilometres.
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An inquiry has been told the Defence Force doesn't have a reliable data system for sexual misconduct, and can't understand the scale of the issue without one.
Director of Mental Health and Wellbeing Brigadier Caitlin Langford has told the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicides that the urgency of delivering initatives on the issue is understood by the branch.
Counsel assisting Fiona Batten has probed Associate Secretary of Defence Matt Yannopoulos on why its data is still not up to the job.
BATTEN: "Do you think it's acceptable that the ADF relies on members who are convicted of sexual offences under state and territory legislation to voluntarily tell the ADF they've been convicted and that there are no other safeguards in place?"
YANNOPOULOS: "No, I think it would be good to get a feed from the relevant jurisdiction."
BATTEN: "Has this issue the fact that defence relies on people voluntarily disclosing, been raised with you during your tenure as associate secretary?"
YANNOPOULOS: "No."
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The town of Orange in central west New South Wales will run its first L-G-B-T-I-Q plus Pride festival.
Local councillors have overwhelmingly voted against a motion to withdraw official support for the event, prompting cheers from the public gallery.
The Rainbow Festival will now be held later this month.
Organisers say it will include celebrations like a parade and drag competitions, with the aim to increase visibility and tolerance in the growing region.
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The Australian Human Rights Commission has announced the appointment of a new Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.
Kaanju and Birri Widi woman Katie Kiss will take on the role.
Ms Kiss is currently the Executive Director of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body, supporting Queensland’s Path to Treaty.
Katie Kiss will commence her term next month, taking over from the outgoing Commissioner June Oscar who has been in the role since 2017.
Miss Kiss says she's grateful for the opportunity.
"It's been a big day. I'm very honoured and humbled to be asked to take on this very important role for our people. It's been a big journey for me, but I feel like it's a legacy that my old people have left and it's a big responsibility to take on."
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SpaceX has launched a satellite packed with Australian-made technology in the United States.
The Optimus satellite, made by the Sydney-based Space Machines Company, has successfully launched aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
It's designed to repair and refuel other space infrastructure, and is the latest in aerospace advancements for Australian firms over the past year.
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In AFL news, St Kilda defender Jimmy Webster has received the longest AFL suspension in six years.
Webster has been banned for seven games after a bump on Jy Simpkin in last week's practice match.
It's a far greater suspension than he would have received even 12 months ago for the high contact - because of a tougher stance the A-F-L is taking on concussion injuries under new chief executive Andrew Dillon.
