TRANSCRIPT:
- A stoush over public hospital funding likely to continue after a tense meeting in Brisbane;
- The US sanctions companies involved in moving Venezuelan oil;
- Injury heartbreak for a Matildas veteran before the Asian Cup.
State governments have rejected a $20 billion offer proposed by the Commonwealth to fund the nation's public hospital system.
The federal proposal is seen as a backward step from its previous offer to fund 42.5 percent of public hospital expenses.
The failure to reach a deal comes amid revelations that over 3,000 aged care patients are languishing in hospital who don't need to be there, but can't leave because of a lack of beds in residential aged care.
South Australian Health Minister Chris Picton - who has also acted as chair of the health ministers meeting - says more money is needed to ensure quality care.
"This is ultimately about patients. This is ultimately about the thousands, millions of Australians who rely on our public hospitals every year, and we need to have an agreement which is going to meet their needs in the context of an aging population and a growing population. Where we have seen, historically, the federal government's share of funding decrease and decrease, we need to make sure that our public hospitals are going to be sustainable."
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The United States has imposed sanctions on half a dozen shipping companies involved in moving Venezuelan oil.
The US Treasury Department has issued a statement confirming the measures, which have also been imposed on six crude oil tankers and three of President Nicolas Maduro's relatives, including two nephews of Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores.
The moves have garnered wide support from many Republican members of Congress.
But Democrats like Chris Van Hollen say they believe the U-S has another agenda that has nothing to do with allegations of drug trafficking, as the White House has repeatedly argued.
"The real goal here is clearly regime change in Venezuela and accomplishing regime change by force. And if that is the case, this requires obviously congressional action under the war powers resolution."
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Heavy rains have swept across the Palestinian territory, flooding tents and makeshift shelters in Gaza.
One child has reportedly died from exposure since Storm Byron began, and Gaza's civil defence agency says it has received more than 2,500 distress calls.
The UN has argued more aid is needed to help the hungry and homelessness.
Israel says it has recently let in 260,000 tents and tarpaulins, as well 1,500 trucks of blankets and warm clothes.
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Opposition leader Sussan Ley has offered the Prime Minister bipartisan support on potential reforms to politicians' expense entitlements.
The government has signalled it could consider changes to rules around parliamentary travel benefits, and the PM says he's already asked the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority for advice.
Ms Ley has told Sky News she has written to Anthony Albanese offering to work with him to review current rules.
"This is about the Prime Minister because it is about his ministerial code of conduct, and what that code of conduct requires ministers to do, is not to be extravagant, to have due regard for their expenditure of public money and to act with that very high level of propriety and accountability."
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A police memorial in Victoria honouring officers who have died in the line of duty has been vandalised for the second time in a year.
Victoria Police say red paint was splashed over the pillars and offensive slogans scrawled on the memorial in Melbourne.
Premier Jacinta Allan has called the graffiti disgusting, and says the state is seeing far too much of this kind of vandalism.
Acting Commander Belinda Jones says the crime appears to be motivated by prejudice.
"To think that someone would do this at a time we have recently lost two of our own is disgusting and beyond belief. It is an insult to every officer who wears the Victoria Police uniform and the community they serve."
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The South Australian government has released its response to the state's Royal Commission into domestic and family violence that concluded in August.
It says it's accepting 129 of the inquiry's 136 recommendations, which will include setting up a new unit within the South Australia Police force to confront DV.
The government also says it's going to make a major investment to combat domestic and family violence, committing $674 million over the course of 10 years.
Premier Peter Malinauskas says it's the biggest new-money investment to tackle the issue in the state's history.
"This is not a six hundred million dollar increase resulting in layers of bureaucracy. We have had a very deliberate design principle which says that this money will be invested principally in changing the nature of service delivery for the victims of this type of violence in our community."
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To sport,
Matildas veteran Tameka Yallop has been ruled out of the Women's Asian Cup - which would have been her fifth appearance at that level.
The midfielder requires an operation on her second serious hamstring injury this year, after having scans and meeting with a surgeon to talk about her options.
It's understood the procedure will sideline Yallop until next April's A-League Women finals.
