*** Concerns raised over free speech as the government drafts a digital duty of care bill... *** Veterans protest the goverment's plans to cap healthcare... And in cycling, *** Wout van Aert wins stage 15 of the Vuelta A Espana...
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TRANSCRIPT
The coalition is raising concerns about a Federal Government proposal for a digital duty of care, which will be tabled in parliament this week in a draft bill.
The policy is part of a suite of reforms, with a bill to strengthen the under age social media ban to be introduced tomorrow and expected to pass parliament this week.
Liberal Party Senator Jane Hume says the Labor party's plan to police the internet by determining what causes online harm, is alarming and should be subject to scrutiny.
"Now if there is work to be done on those harmful algorithms and they are sometimes harmful and they are addictive, particularly for children and they are pushing them in the direction of online harms, we would like to see agency go back to the individual and put more control back in the hands of the individual and particularly of parents."
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Australia has now deployed 49 personnel to support the disaster response in Nepal, with two social workers arriving overnight.
Thirty-six Australians remain missing, while Nepal's disaster management authority says 589 foreign nationals are among 4,996 people still unaccounted for.
The authority says 1,341 bodies have been recovered in Nepal, while Chinese authorities are reporting 43 deaths in Tibet.
Nepal is observing a National Day of Mourning today for those killed in the disaster and memorial services have also been held in Australia.
Prabha Wagle attended a candlelight vigil in Hurstville in Sydney's south and says her family has begun the traditional 13-day mourning period for three relatives lost in the floods, although their bodies have not been recovered.
" We couldn’t really communicate properly with our family. They were completely out of contact for two or three days because there was no electricity and no internet. They live in a village, and even now, the situation is extremely difficult. All the bridges that were there were washed away, so they are still in a completely isolated area."
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Veterans are accusing the government of failing to honour commitments made in response to the Royal Commission into Veteran Suicide, two years after the final report was handed down.
The Coalition of Veterans’ Voices is calling on the government to abandon plans for a $5000 annual limit on allied health treatment and also wants an independent inquiry to probe the handling of claims by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
John Armfield, who is a Decorated former Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver, joined other members of the coalition to lay down their medals in a symbolic protest in front of Parliament House in Canberra this morning.
"Each medal represents deeds of valour, loyalty and sacrifice by both the veteran and their families - a sacrifice gladly and proudly rendered in service of the country we love. But the honour of these sacrifices cannot be honoured in ceremony and then abandoned in policy."
People seeking support can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14.
ADF members and their families can call the Defence all-hours Support Line, a confidential telephone and online service, on 1800 628 036.
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A new report from men's health advocacy group, Movember, shows the potential barriers and opportunities for fathers taking up paid parental leave in their children's early years.
The organisation has also unveiled a so-called Dad's Caucus, enlisting M-Ps who are fathers, to consult with their electorates on issues impacting fathers around the nation.
Movember's Director of Advocacy, Jeremy Phillips Yellens, says the 'More Time with Dad report' found Australia ranks 34th among 38 O-E-C-D countries for dedicated, well-paid parental leave for fathers.
"And in our conversations with men from across the country, we found that 82 per cent of those fathers said it was great for their own mental health to spend more time with their families and their youngest ones. But more than 50 per cent said they were nervous about the impact on their career if they took any more leave."
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Ukrainian, U-S and European officials are expected to hold further talks on efforts to end the war with Russia, after U-S envoys met separately with the leaders of both countries.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday [[6 September]], a day after holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Mr Zelenskyy described the Kyiv talks as substantive, but says the war currently appears likely to continue into winter, as Ukraine seeks further support from the U-S and Europe.
"If the war continues in the winter. So far it looks like that, yes, but nevertheless, the teams today positively assess our future capabilities. Also, if the war continues in the winter, we are counting on the winter package, which we discussed in great detail today with Steve and Jared, with our European partners"
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[[in-language grab
To sport and in cycling,
Wout van Aert has secured a victory in stage 15 of the Vuelta a Espana, winning a five-rider sprint at the end of the shortened route from Palma del Rio to Cordoba.
Van Aert broke away from the pelaton in the final stretch before the finish line, in a late surge that saw him overtake Alessandro Romele and Thibau Nys.
The stage was supposed to cover 190 kilometres, but race organisers cut 80 kilometres from the program after days of severe heat.
"I knew people would not expect that we would choose attack. I smelled the moment there on the intermediate sprint and with Matthew (Brennan) behind there was no risk to try because we always had a good option in the bunch. So that’s how I like to race."
That's the latest SBS News and sport, and you can catch up with some of those stories in more detail on our News in Depth podcast series, available wherever you get your podcasts.
