Key Points
- Pentagon’s AUKUS deal recommendations under review
- Severe heat warning in New South Wales into the weekend
- Formula One trio race for the champion title in Abu Dhabi
TRANSCRIPT
Australia is working through the details of the Pentagon's review of AUKUS, which has given the nuclear submarine pact the green light.
The highly anticipated review took six months to complete and has been handed to the Australian government, with details not expected to be made public by the US.
Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said US President Donald Trump's remark that AUKUS is "full steam ahead" was positive, adding that milestones of the deal are being met.
The Federal government has briefed the Trump administration on Australia's biggest overhaul of Defence departments in 50 years, which was announced earlier this week.
This agency is separate to the Australian Submarine Agency that is responsible for delivering vessels under AUKUS.
The trilateral AUKUS pact includes Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom and was signed by the countries in 2021.
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A severe heatwave warning has been issued for most of New South Wales with temperatures in parts of Sydney expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius.
High temperatures are forecast for areas including greater Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra and Gosford.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Sarah Scully says it’s going to be a hot and windy day across south-eastern parts of the country.
"From Friday afternoon into Saturday, a strong cold front crosses the south-east for Victoria and Tasmania, bringing a much colder air mass behind it. More significantly, it pushes the trough northwards, with elevated fire dangers expected to move into eastern, inland and northern parts of New South Wales. This includes the Sydney Metro and Illawarra Shoalhaven districts, where fire weather warnings are likely."
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The Australian Medical Association’s Private Health Insurance study reveals a system increasingly failing to deliver value for money to about 15 million Australians who have private health insurance.
The report shows while more Australians hold private health insurance policies than ever before, fewer now offer top-level coverage, and exclusions are at record levels.
The number of Australians with gold-tier health cover has fallen by 360,000 since the start of COVID, to just 743,000 despite overall growth in health policy coverage.
Many Australians have shifted to silver or bronze policies, which often exclude critical services such as in-hospital psychiatric care.
AMA President Dr Danielle McMullen told the ABC there are various factors at play behind price hikes.
"We've seen under indexation of the Medicare schedule for decades, and that does actually underpin a lot of our private pricing. We've also seen private health insurers really bump up the premiums for their products far beyond wage price indexes beyond CPI and beyond the cost of even health CPI."
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This week, Australian states and territories have passed or introduced legislation to ensure if someone is banned from holding a Working with Children Check in one jurisdiction, they’re banned in all.
The Albanese Government announced the legislation in August at the Standing Council of Attorneys-Generals meeting.
Attorney General Michelle Rowland has confirmed the change.
"Now all states or territories have passed or introduced laws to ensure if someone is banned from holding a working with children check in one jurisdiction, they're banned in all. Banned in one, banned in all."
Five jurisdictions New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia have laws in place that enable mutual recognition of negative notices.
The remaining three states and territories have now introduced legislation, and once passed, will give effect to this nationwide.
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Colombian President Gustave Petro has criticised the U-S at a military ceremony in Bogota on Thursday, vowing to defend its citizens from attacks.
"They are insulting us, and not only insulting us, but humiliating us, and not only humiliating us, but killing our people, whether they are wrong or not, they are our citizens, and if they have to go before a judge, let them go, but in Colombia there is no death penalty."
The comments were made after the deaths of more than 80 people in strikes in the Caribbean which the US claims are to stop the flow of drugs out of South America.
Defence secretary Pete Hegseth says the US has only just begun targeting alleged drug-trafficking vessels.
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To sport and in Formula 1, Oscar Piastri, McClaren teammate Lando Norris and Red Bull's Max Verstappen are each vying for the F1 title in the final race of the season this weekend.
Sunday's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be the first time in 15 years that more than two riders are fighting for the top spot at this point of the season.
Verstappen has held the world champion title for four consecutive years, since 2021, and has won 70 Grand Prix races to date.
The trio spoke at a press conference hosted by Formula One overnight, with Piastri admitting it has been a tough year.
"Definitely on my side of things, there have been a few races and moments I would like to have again. Probably like the team, I'm sure. But yeah, picking one, I don't think there is one that has hurt more than others."
