In this bulletin, police reveal a suspected female body found in a suitcase is not actually human, a warm welcome for Vietnam's president on his first state visit to Australia. And in football, La Liga president joins calls for the resignation of Gianni Infantino as head of FIFA.
Key Points
- Police say “human’ remains found in suitcase near Goulburn are something else
- Vietnamese President To Lam in Australia
- Calls for FIFA’s president to resign over investment plan
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TRANSCRIPT
Police have discovered what they thought was the body of a woman, found in a suitcase near Goulburn in regional New South Wales is not actually human.
The remains were found by drivers who stopped on Wolgon Road at Oallen in rural New South Wales on Sunday, with the suitcase lying on the edge of dense bushland and close to the road.
Superintendent Linda Bradbury says the remains are in a state of decomposition - and had the appearance of a female human.
"We are still undertaking more forensic work to identify what they are but we can identify that they are not human. They were mistaken for a human originally, so they are very realistic in the terms of looking like human remains, but we have confirmed by other means that they are not."
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Federal Transport Minister Catherine King has pledged to address any "systemic issues" that come out of an investigation into how two planes almost collided at Sydney Airport on Sunday.
The minister is due to meet with Airservices Australia CEO Rob Sharp in Canberra today over the incident, which is the second near-miss at Sydney Airport in a fortnight.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is conducting an investigation that will examine whether any individual errors were made.
National Senator Bridget McKenzie says with federal parliament now back in session after a five-week break, she will be pushing for more robust compensation measures in the government's consumer protections bill on aviation.
"But unfortunately, the government has left their own agencies out of that compensation scheme. And when you see 150 flights delayed last week for up to two hours; and the flow on impact right across the eastern seaboard affecting travellers. Not just getting to hospital appointments. The lag on productivity is significant. So we need to capture the whole ecosystem of the aviation sector."
Two airport workers have been stood down pending the outcome of the official investigation.
The union representing air traffic controllers, the Civil Air Association, says staff shortages have been an issue.
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Vietnam's president - and ministers from the country's government - have been welcomed in Australia.
It is To Lam's first visit to Australia, with official trade talks to occur tomorrow [[Tue 11 Aug]] in Canberra.
In his first public engagement, Mr Lam - who is also the Vietnamese Communist Party general secretary - attended an event at the University of Technology Sydney.
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Matt Thistlethwaite, says the state visit marks a significant turning point in the bilateral relationship between Australia and Vietnam, which was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2024.
"For Australia and Vietnam both, scientific and technological progress will help propel our nation's forward - above and over obstacles ahead. And under our comprehensive strategic partnership and invested Australia's southeast Asian to 2040, we're looking for more ways to do this together. Through greater co-operation, investment in science, research and innovation."
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Business groups are urging the federal government to engage in consultation with them before any major changes are announced on the immigration policy.
The federal government says it is working to finalise elements of an overhaul to migration legislation, after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke postponed his National Press Club speech on the topic last week.
The new policy is expected to impact international students, backpackers; and cover changes to family visa rules, and the appeal rights of asylum seekers.
Opposition leader Angus Taylor says the federal opposition wants to see the details of any proposed changes - but will be pushing for an emphasis on skilled migration.
"What we need to see is an end to mass migration and a return to skilled immigration that has worked so well for this country for such a long period of time. That is what we need to see. The numbers have been too high. And the standards have been too low. So we need to cap numbers based on housing supply, but we also need to make sure we get the skills we need as a country.”
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Hearings continue in an independent inquiry into the AUKUS defence deal, signed by the Morrison Government of Australia in 2021.
The inquiry was set-up to examine the deployment of $360 billion of taxpayer funding to commit to the three-way pact with the US and UK.
Inquiry chair and former Federal MP, Peter Garrett, says the hearings will look at whether the AUKUS deal will keep Australians safe - and the cost of doing so.
"This is an important part of picking up on a democracy deficit that our parliament is allowing to take place. Where they will not consider AUKUS. This inquiry will."
The trilateral deal saw Australia tear up an existing agreement with France for the supply of submarines, with Australia then paying hundreds of millions of dollars to compensate for backing out of that agreement.
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And to sport, in football, La Liga president Javier Tebas has called for the resignation of FIFA's President, Gianni Infantino, over the fallout from the now aborted plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
Mr Infantino has apologised to national associations over how the plan was developed, however the calls for him to step down have continued backed by the governing body of football in Europe, UEFA and the Football Association.
Javier Tebas has told French newspaper Le Monde, he thinks Mr Infantino's position has now become untenable due to recent events, and he has had concerns about his style of management for some time now.
