Two Australians rescued from a burning ferry off Indonesia ; The government’s gambling reforms sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission; And in sport, Geelong awaits an AFL decision over its concussion waiver saga.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- Two Australians rescued from a burning ferry off Indonesia
- The government’s gambling reforms sent to the National Anti-Corruption Commission
- Geelong awaits an AFL decision over its concussion waiver saga
Two Australians are among more than 211 people rescued after a ferry caught fire while travelling from Bali to Lombok.
A 19-year-old Indonesian woman has died, with authorities saying all passengers and crew have now been evacuated.
The rescue involved navy ships, ferries and a helicopter after the blaze broke out in rough seas.
Mataram Search and Rescue chief Muhammad Hariyadi says crews moved quickly to the scene.
“We deployed a vessel and coordinated with the navy and air police units to move to the location of the burning vessel.”
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Israel's Defence Minister says Israeli forces will not withdraw from security zones in Lebanon, Syria or Gaza, despite an agreement aimed at ending the conflict with Lebanon.
Israel Katz made the comments during a visit to Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.
He says the military's presence is necessary to protect Israeli communities following the October 7 attacks.
"We — as the Prime Minister and I have made unequivocally clear — are not withdrawing from this security zone. I stand here in the heart of the security zone, from the seashore in the west to the expanses of Beaufort and the approaches of Mount Hermon in the east. The IDF is here to protect the northern communities, to protect its forces, and we are not moving from here, not withdrawing."
His comments come despite a June agreement outlining an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in exchange for the disarmament of Hezbollah, and steps towards an eventual peace agreement.
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United States President Donald Trump is again claiming the United States has complete control over the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on social media, President Trump describes the US naval blockade as a wall of steel, insisting Iran has no power in the situation.
His comments come as Iran and the United States remain in deadlock over efforts to agree to a permanent end to the war in the Gulf.
A senior Iranian source has told Reuters there has been no progress in talks to revive the interim deal agreed to in June, or define a time frame to implement it.
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The government's proposed gambling reform legislation has been referred to the National Anti Corruption Commission.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie has told the watchdog that the proposed laws may have been improperly influenced by the private sector.
The reforms would restrict the number of gambling commercials.
Mr Wilkie says gambling companies reportedly donated $4 million to the Labor Party between 2021 and 2025.
"Donations, gifts, hospitality, and personal relations have resulted in a gambling policy diametrically opposed to research, public opinion, and the public interest. "
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A senior Coalition MP 's suggestion that net migration should be cut back to 180,000 a year has received short shrift from his fellow party members.
Shadow Housing Minister Andrew Bragg told the National Press Club that the cuts could be achieved by reducing the number of backpackers and international students and concentrating on skilled workers.
BRAGG"More builders, fewer baristas.
REPORTER: "Is the message that backpackers don't expect to come here and just have a good time."
BRAGG: "They've got to work hard, we've gotta get our pound of flesh."
However, it's understood the Shadow Cabinet has yet to make any decisions on migration numbers.
Pauline Hanson's One Nation would like to lower the cap even further, however, to 130,000.
One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce says it's good to see the Coalition taking a leaf from One Nation's book.
"They're on a path to try and mimic One Nation - that's very flattering."
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Australian journalists are a step closer to being paid fairly for content hosted on social media platforms, after Labor struck a deal with the Coalition on new bargaining laws.
The proposed scheme would encourage tech companies including Google, Meta and TikTok to strike commercial deals with Australian news organisations for content appearing on their platforms.
Companies that reach agreements would pay a smaller share of their Australian advertising revenue to the government than those that refuse.
Under changes made to secure Coalition support, tech companies will need to sign at least eight deals with news organisations to reduce those payments.
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Geelong coach Chris Scott says he does not know why defender Jake Kolodjashnij has been ruled out of AFL and VFL football this weekend.
Kolodjashnij is at the centre of a controversy over a concussion waiver in his contract- that was not lodged with the AFL or players’ association two years ago.
Scott says coaches are not involved in contract or medical decisions and he has not been told why Kolodjashnij is unavailable.
"Yeah I can understand there's some ignorance around the way these things work and maybe if there's one silver lining, maybe I'm clutching at straws, maybe this will lead to a better understanding of how these processes work but this is not part of the coaches job."
The AFL is now considering whether the Cats should be sanctioned.
