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TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
A cabinet reshuffle in parliament is imminent with Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney and Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor stepping down from their roles.
Senator Burney was the first Indigenous woman elected to the New South Wales lower house, and Federal House of Representatives.
She says its time to move on from politics.
"I will not promise that I will not cry. So everyone today I'm announcing that I will not re-contest the seat of Barton at the next federal election. As the Prime Minister said after 21 years, as in politics, eight years in the federal parliament, and 13 years in the New South Wales parliament, it's time for me to pass on the baton to the next generation. It is time for me to pass on that baton."
Both Linda Burney and Brendan O'Connor will remain in parliament until the next federal election, with the Cabinet reshuffle to be announced on Sunday.
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Australia has sanctioned Israeli settlers involved in attacking and killing Palestinians, as calls for peace grow.
Seven Israelis have received travel bans and financial sanctions for participating in settler violence in the West Bank.
A statement from Foreign Minister Penny Wong's office says the individuals have been linked to beatings, sexual assaults and the torture of Palestinians, causing injuries and death.
Australia has also imposed sanctions on religious youth group Hilltop Youth for inciting and perpetrating violence against Palestinian communities.
Senator Wong was on ABC Radio this morning calling on Israel to hold perpetrators of settler violence to account and stop ongoing settlement.
"We have imposed these after careful consideration, and we would expect that all Australians would recognise the weight of these sanctions."
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United States President Joe Biden says stepping down ahead of the upcoming election and endorsing vice president Kamala Harris was the best way to unite the country.
In an address from the Oval Office, Mr Biden says he believed he had earned re-election, but he would not let personal ambition get in the way of "saving democracy".
The 81-year-old resisted weeks of pressure from Democrats to step aside, after a criticised debate performance in June against former president Donald Trump.
He says he decided to drop out of the presidential race to unite his party in the "critical endeavour" to beat Mr Trump.
"I believe my record as president, my leadership in the world, my vision for America's future all merited a second term. But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition. So I've decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. That's the best way to unite our nation."
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American pop star Katy Perry will perform at the AFL Grand Final in September.
Perry will lead the pre-game entertainment for a crowd of 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
It's the second time Perry will perform at the venue, previously headlining entertainment at the Women's T20 World Cup 2020.
"I'll be performing at the pre-game entertainment at the 2024 Toyota AFL Grand Final."
British performer Robbie Williams and American rock band Kiss led the pre-game entertainment at the past two grand finals.
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
