TRANSCRIPT
- World leaders sign a historic Middle East peace deal in Egypt.
- All surviving hostages freed from Gaza in exchange for thousands of Palestinians.
- And in football, A women's Indigenous football team prepares to make history.
United States President Donald Trump has claimed the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is over, and a new era of peace in the Middle East has begun.
It comes as world leaders have signed the Gaza ceasefire deal at the Egypt summit.
The US leader says it's a historic moment.
"After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger today, the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace, a land and a region that will live God willing in peace for all eternity."
But long-term peace in Gaza still remains up in the air, with world leaders now continuing peace negotiations in Egypt.
While the two sides may have signed on to the US-proposed peace plan's initial stages, next steps including the disarmament of Hamas and the total withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, remain contentious.
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All of the surviving Israeli hostages in Gaza have now been released after two long years in captivity.
The exchange is part of the first phase of a United States-proposed peace plan, which is also set to see nearly 2000 Palestinians return home from Israeli prison*.
Released in two batches, the 20 Israeli men were handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross and then to the Israeli Defence Forces.
Tens of thousands of Israelis were seen cheering at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv following the news that their loved ones and countrymen were free.
Einav Zangauker, the mother of Matan Zangauker, couldn't wait to see her son in person, speaking to him on a video call.
(Hebrew) translated "God is great, Matan, you are coming back home, you are all coming back home, I love you. My life, thank God, the war is over, the war is over, there is no more war. You are coming home, you are mommy's life, you are coming home. There's no war, there's no war, it's over. My life, I love you, I'm waiting for you."
*The group includes those who have been convicted, and others who remain held without charge or trial.
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The federal opposition says it is considering whether to back the changes to superannuation tax policy announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers (13 Oct) when the amended bill comes before parliament.
The federal government has made two major concessions to its bill on taxes for the largest superannuation balances.
The threshold at which higher tax rates will apply will now be indexed to inflation, and the proposal will no longer apply to unrealised capital gains.
The changes have yet to pass parliament, with the proposed start date set for July 2026.
Opposition treasury spokesperson Ted O'Brien says the changes are an embarrassing backdown for the government.
He says the changes would also have implications for the budget.
"Now the Treasurer has to explain where he's going to get $4 billion to plug the black hole that now exists in the budget. Today's decision creates that black hole. At this stage, all we know is the treasurer will go after other people with higher taxes, or he'll just throw it on the national credit card and leave it to the next generation of Australians to pay."
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The Australian Federal Police says it is investigating widely-condemned comments that independent Senator Lidia Thorpe made at a pro-Palestinian protest over the weekend.
"We will fight everyday and we will turn up everyday, and if I have to burn down Parliament House to make a point. I am not there to make friends, I am there to get justice for our people."
In a statement, Senator Thorpe said her remarks were a figure of speech and not a literal threat - and she denounced what she described as ridiculous mock outrage.
She says she has always rejected violence.
A spokesperson for the AFP says an investigation is underway on whether the comments breach the law.
The spokesperson says the investigation will be done methodically and in a timely manner.
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Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush has outlined a major restructure aimed at tackling the state's rising crime rate and rebuilding trust with the public.
The number of deputy commissioners will be reduced from six to four, with one dedicated to crime prevention.
He says the changes will free officers up from administrative work, while also slimming down the executive team, to put more officers on the frontline.
"The second problem we have is the lack of trust and confidence in the Victoria Police. We need to lift that. So in terms of those two very significant issues, we need to police differently. We need a reset. We need to reorganise ourselves, and today, I announced to our people here at Victoria Police what the proposed change looks like."
Trials will be launched in the next 3 to 6 months and if successful, the measures will be rolled out across the state.
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In football, a team of female Indigenous footballers is preparing to make history when they compete at the First Nations Football Festival this week in Dubbo (16-18 Oct).
The East Arnhem Land community of Borroloola has not had a women's football team in many years.
Now, the Borroloola Strikers will be competing in the First Nations Football Festival, marking the first time many of the players [[most under the age of 18]] have joined a registered competition.
Georgia Miller says being part of the team has meant a lot.
"Most of these young girls, they enjoy playing soccer. Just to get away from everything else around them and they can come and play soccer where they can have a yarn with each other - and play sport and be happy with one another. Yeah, and get along."
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