Immigration minister to outline the federal government's immigration policy at the National Press Club; A report reveals gap in safe drinking water standards in remote First Nations communities; And a date set for a formal farewell for Lionel Messi, following his international retirement.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The immigration minister to outline the federal government's immigration policy at the National Press Club.
- A report reveals gap in safe drinking water standards in remote First Nations communities.
- A date set for a formal farewell for Lionel Messi, following his international retirement.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke will announce Labor's long-awaited migration plan on Thursday at the National Press Club.
Mr Burke has already indicated plans to make more changes to the visa system to try to slow visa applications in certain areas in order to meet Treasury forecasts for net overseas migration.
The minister was due to announce Labor's migration plan at the Press Club a month ago, but his appearance was abruptly postponed.
Tomorrow's speech is titled, “The work of managing the migration program: Who arrives, who stays, who leaves”.
One Nation also announced its migration plan this week, which proposed cutting Australia's temporary migrant population by 750,000 over three years.
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A social media-linked betting platform, Dabble, has paid more than $1 million in penalties, after it breached online gambling self-exclusion rules.
An investigation by an Australian Communications and Media Authority found Dabble failed to close 157 wagering accounts, after the account holders had registered with BetStop – the National Self-Exclusion Register.
The regulator also found Dabble sent 45 customers more than 2,000 push notifications, without including information about BetStop, which is required.
Carolyn Lidgerwood, from the Australian Communications and Media Authority, says the breaches had the potential to cause real harm – and fails to respect the decision made by people who register with BetStop.
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The United Nations (UN) human rights agency says recent discoveries of bodies in Gaza, predominantly women and children, point to potential violations of international law and could constitute war crimes.
Human remains believed to belong to 96 people from three Palestinian families have been recovered from under the rubble in Gaza City this month.
Around half of them were women and children.
The UN believes that at least 8,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble across the Gaza strip.
Thameen Al-Kheetan, the spokesman for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says recovering and burying the victims does not substitute for establishing the circumstances in which they were killed.
"The painstaking recovery of extensive human remains in Gaza, mostly of children and women, almost three years after their homes were heavily bombed by Israeli forces underscores the concerns over compliance with international law and the possibility that serious violations, including war crimes, may have been committed."
Israel says its military follows international law and uses human oversight for strikes.
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A report has found more than 6,500 First Nations people living in remote communities were supplied with water that did not meet the Australian Drinking Water Guidelines at least once over the past two years.
Water Services Association of Australia compiled the report, which included tests results showing the levels for microbiological contaminants and chemicals like nitrates and chlorates were above acceptable levels – in at least one test result.
Water Services Association of Australia Executive Director Adam Lovell says the report shows progress has been made over the last decade due to greater investment in water and wastewater infrastructure — but an unacceptable gap remains.
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An inaugural five-year national reading campaign has been launched in Singapore with the aim to nurture reading as a habit.
Singaporeans are being encouraged to pick up a book for at least 15 minutes a day and track their behaviour online with rewards, including small amounts of redeemable virtual coins that can be converted to a dollar payment.
Librarian Jennifer Ho says there are benefits in long-form reading.
"So, whether it is fiction or non-fiction, long-form reading gives us time to slow down and reflect. It encourages us to question, make connections and see things from different perspectives."
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To sport, and in football, Lionel Messi has been invited by Argentina to make a farewell appearance in a home friendly in October.
Despite having already announced his international retirement, the 39-year-old Inter Miami star has been named in Argentina's national team, ahead of three home friendlies.
Messi has yet to confirm whether he will join the team, but the president of the Argentine Football Association says the icon has accepted the invitation for the October 6 game against Benin in Buenos Aires for a farewell.
