TRANSCRIPT:
- Vladimir Putin accuses Europeans of sabotaging Ukraine peace efforts with their demands
- Another One Nation member faces accusations of fuelling Islamophobia...
- Sam Kerr helps the Matildas win against New Zealand in Adelaide.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is accusing European leaders of trying to thwart a deal on the Ukraine war.
Mr Putin has met with U-S President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner in Moscow on a possible way to end the deadliest European conflict since World War Two.
Just before the meeting, Mr Putin warned Europe that it would face swift defeat if it went to war with Russia, and he dismissed European counter-proposals on Ukraine as being absolutely unacceptable to Russia.
"They are on the side of the war. Even when they try to supposedly introduce some changes to Trump’s proposal, we see clearly what they are doing, all these changes are aimed at only one thing - to completely block the entire peace process by putting forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia. By doing so, they then intend to blame Russia for the collapse of this peace process."
A leaked set of US draft peace proposals emerged last week, alarming Ukrainian and European officials who said it bowed to Russia's main demands on NATO, Russian control of a fifth of Ukraine and restrictions on Ukraine's army.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong is warning that China has been asserting strategic influence in the Pacific, describing China's military build up in the region as "worrying".
Ms Wong delivered the Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Honner Leadership Oration last night an event which celebrates the shared history and mateship between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
In her address, she said modern resilience is vital for the region, and Australia is ready to tackle issues of climate change, governance challenge and economic insecurity with Pacific partners.
She spoke of her concerns over the pace of China's military buildup, saying it comes without the transparency that the Asia Pacific region expects.
One Nation representative Malcolm Roberts has been accused of fuelling Islamophobia, after interrogating Australia's envoy to combat Islamophobia about sharia law.
During Senate estimates, Mr Roberts has grilled Aftab Malik asking why his report on a national response to Islamophobia did not mention sharia law, and accusing him of trying to cast concerns about terrorism as Islamophobia by not making reference to ISIS or al-Qaeda.
Mr Malik says the question was a good example of why his role was established: to help people understand misconceptions around Islam and sharia law, which were fuelling anti-Muslim discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion.
Labor senator Murray Watt has criticised Senator Roberts, accusing him of consorting with neo-Nazis.
"I don't really know what point you're making, but I have to answer questions from you and your colleagues on a regular basis in the senate chamber, which I would describe as Islamophobic. So I would encourage you to think very carefully about the sorts of questions and sorts of statements that you and your colleagues make in the public domain, at a time when we are seeing social cohesion under threat and when we are seeing at a time when we are saying the rise of Neo Nazis and other extremists with whom you sometimes associate and you should think about that."
The telecommunications regulator says that over 470,000 Samsung devices in Australia may be unable to make triple zero calls.
Australian Communication and Media Authority General Manager Cathy Rainsford has told Senate Estimate that telcos such as Optus and Telstra have been tracking the number of Samsung devices that may lead to failed triple zero calls.
"On the 14th of November, Optus said the worst case scenario for them was approximately 470,000 devices, so that's 470,000 customer devices across 2240 text or device type code."
Ms Rainsford says Telstra has advised the regulator that it has notified over 140,000 customers that they will need to update software of their phones, to prevent risks of failing to make triple zero calls when Telstra's network is down.
ACMA boss Nerida O'Loughlin says her agency wasn't responsible for warning people about the issue, and it was up to the telcos.
In football, Sam Kerr has helped lift the Matildas to a 2-nil triumph over New Zealand in their last match before the Asian Cup.
Goals from Alanna Kennedy and Hayley Raso came in Kerr's first game on home soil in two years in Tuesday night's friendly in Adelaide.
Kerr delivered an emphatic 45-minute reminder of her talents - and importance to Australia's Asian Cup chances next March.
Kerr missed last Friday's 5-nil blitz of the Kiwis in Gosford with a calf complaint - and last played for the Matildas in October 2023 against England.
