Key Points
- Reactions to Emmanuel Macron's move to recognise Palestinian State
- Australian women to sue over 2020 Doha airport medical examinations
- Ben O'Connor claims 18th stage of Tour de France
TRANSCRIPT
The Palestinian Authority has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s pledge to recognise the State of Palestine, calling it a historic and principled step in support of Palestinian self-determination.
In a post on social media platform X, Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh thanked President Macron for confirming France’s intention to formalise recognition at the U-N General Assembly in September.
“This position reflects France’s commitment to international law and its support for the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and the establishment of our independent state.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the move a move toward terror and it is expected to provoke a strong response from the United States.
France’s announcement marks a significant shift, making it the most prominent Western nation to commit to recognising Palestinian statehood.
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The UK will sign a new 50-year AUKUS treaty with Australia during ministerial talks in Sydney today, amid uncertainty over U-S commitment to the submarine pact.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey will meet their Australian counterparts Penny Wong and Richard Marles at the annual Aukmin meeting.
They will then travel to Melbourne to meet businesses involved in the programme.
They will also visit Darwin as the U-K Carrier Strike Group arrives in the Northern Territory.
AUKUS, agreed in 2021, aims to build nuclear-powered submarines and deepen defence ties, but the Trump administration is now reviewing U-S involvement.
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Five Australian women who were allegedly subjected to invasive medical examinations at Doha Airport in 2020 have won the right to take their case to trial.
The women were among dozens removed from a Qatar Airways flight bound for Sydney after a newborn baby was found abandoned in a terminal bathroom.
They claim they were forcibly taken from the plane by armed guards and subjected to non-consensual genital exams in an ambulance on the tarmac.
Qatar Airways, backed by the Qatari government, had attempted to dismiss the case, arguing the women weren’t technically injured under international aviation law.
But the court has now ruled the case can proceed and ordered Qatar to pay their legal costs.
Lawyer Damian Sturzaker represented the women who are seeking an apology, compensation, and assurances that such treatment will never happen again.
“We’ve now got an opportunity to have a full hearing with all of their evidence coming out, and in those circumstances, we’re very, very pleased with the outcome today.”
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers says tackling Australia’s long-running productivity slump will require a national effort from business, unions and the community.
The latest Productivity Commission report, released overnight, shows the past decade, under Coalition governments, was the weakest for productivity growth in 60 years.
Mr Chalmers says the problem has been decades in the making.
“The Productivity Commission makes it really clear that this challenge in our economy has not been just a feature of our economy the last couple of years, but for the last couple of decades, our productivity Challenge is a long-standing challenge. The weakest decade for productivity growth in the last 60 years was the decade that our political opponents presided over. So, this challenge has been in our economy for some time."
Mr Chalmers adds that boosting productivity remains a key priority for the Albanese government, alongside improving economic resilience and long-term budget sustainability.
The Commission's report calls for urgent reforms in areas like education, energy and digital capability, stating that bold policy is needed to reverse the productivity slowdown and secure future living standards.
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Brisbane writer Siang Lu has won the $60,000 Miles Franklin Literary Award for his satirical novel Ghost Cities, a decade after it was rejected by more than 200 publishers in Australia and abroad.
At the Sydney ceremony last night, the 39-year-old, who was shortlisted for the first time, revealed he was so stunned by the win he lost feeling in his hands and legs.
Mr Lu, who began writing the novel in 2015, told ABC he is unsure what his win will mean for his career, but it means a lot for his parents.
"I think, you know, talk to me in a year. I really don't know right now, but in terms of my career, that's difficult to say right now. I can say that, in terms of my family, definitively, it's great to be finally the favourite son."
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Australia’s Ben O’Connor has claimed a stunning victory in stage 18 of the Tour de France, conquering a gruelling 171.5 kilometre mountain route from Vif to the Col de la Loze.
Riding for Jayco Al-Ula, the 29-year-old launched a well-timed attack before the final brutal 26.4 kilometre climb, holding off the chasing pack to cross the line first.
"It's a rough race. It's the biggest race in the world, but it's, for sure, the cruellest. I've wanted another victory for so many years now. I've been fighting with thirds and fourths, and always so close. But yeah, I couldn't be more proud of myself and the boys who back me every single day of this whole race, even through the pretty rough times. So yeah, thanks to everyone, and to Jayco AlUla, it's what the team needed, and it's what I needed."
Slovenian Tadej Pogacar finished second, extending his overall lead to 4 minutes 26 seconds over Jonas Vingegaard, who placed third.
