Morning News Bulletin 29 July 2024
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- The prime minister defends his government’s record on immigration
- Venezuelans are voting in presidential elections
- Alex de Minaur withdraws from the singles at the Olympics
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has defended his government’s record on immigration after he announced a cabinet reshuffle.
Andrew Giles will move from his immigration portfolio to become the Minister for Skills and Training, and Clare O’Neil will vacate her position as Home Affairs Minister to become the Housing Minister.
The changes come after former ministers Linda Burney and Brendan O’Connor resigned.
It also follows months of controversy for the government, after a High Court decision brought an end to the indefinite detention of migrants and allowed a number of people with criminal histories to leave custody.
But Anthony Albanese argues his government has been tough on the issue of border security.
“In spite of the rhetoric, the truth is that we’ve maintained border security. The resources that have been allocated have never been higher than they are today. We’ve made sure that Operation Sovereign Borders continues today and what we’ve done as well is put in place a measure to reduce the migration numbers going forward.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has responded to calls from New South Wales Labor to recognise Palestinian statehood.
The New South Wales Labor conference passed a motion on Saturday urging the government to recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, as a matter of priority.
A similar motion was also passed at the ACT Labor conference.
Richard Marles reiterated the federal government’s position of an eventual act of recognition in the context of a two-state solution.
“We want to see a Palestinian state but we want to see it in the context of a two-state solution in the context of a negotiated peace and that’s been the longstanding principle of Labor over a very long period of time.”
A two-state solution favoured by Western powers remains further out of reach than ever, after the Israeli Knesset passed a motion earlier this month rejecting any establishment of a Palestinian state.
The United States has blamed Lebanon-based Hezbollah for a rocket attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that killed 12 children and teenagers on a soccer pitch.
Israel also claims Hezbollah is responsible, and has launched several air strikes on targets in Lebanon after the attack, raising the threat of a wider war in the Middle East.
Hezbollah, in a rare move, is denying responsibility for the attack, with Axios reporting the group claims it was an Israeli anti-rocket interceptor that is to blame.
Ibrahim Safadi is a resident of Majdal Shams.
“It’s shocking. Some people are still in denial, some people in shock. Some people are dealing with it by throwing blame at politicians and all of that. And media, media, people and media, everybody tries to spin it as they want it to be spun.”
The Israeli army says they have targeted Hezbollah weapons depots and combat infrastructure, in response to the Golan Heights attack.
Israeli forces also bombed a school in central Gaza, killing at least 30 Palestinians including 15 children on Saturday.
Analysts say the Australian government will have to ensure that a plan to compensate victims of unlawful killings by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan will not leave money in the hands of the Taliban.
The new compensation plan was a key recommendation of the 2020 landmark Brereton report, which found “credible evidence” of 39 potential murders of prisoners and civilians committed by Australian special forces in the 20-year Afghanistan war.
But William Maley, Emeritus Professor of Diplomacy at the Australian National University, says the government will be careful to ensure the money won’t benefit the Taliban, which returned to power in 2021 after the United States withdrew its forces.
“Any measures to make payments to the victims of unlawful killings, would have to be carried out with great discretion. Partly to avoid any kind of engagement with the Taliban but also to protect the people who might be receiving the compensation.”
Venezuelans are casting their ballots in what’s being called the most consequential election in a quarter century of socialist party rule.
President Nicolas Maduro is up against opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, a 74 year-old former diplomat known for his calm demeanour.
Nicolas Maduro’s 2018 re-election is considered fraudulent by the United States, among other countries.
But the leader says Venezuela has the most transparent electoral system and has warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses.
Mr Gonzalez has drawn wide support, securing backing even from former supporters of the ruling party.
Seventy-year-old voter Gelga Divina Puchet says she hopes everyone will vote.
“May the best win, and that’s it. Nothing more. There are no expectations, the expectation is that everyone must vote. As I like to say, to throw away the rubbish.”
In tennis, Alex de Minaur has withdrawn from his Olympic singles first round clash with German Jan-Lennard Struff, opting to focus on doubles as he manages his hip injury.
The Australian world number six suffered the injury at Wimbledon, tearing his hip cartilage in the last moments of his round-of-16 win over Arthur Fils. [[fees]]
De Minaur made it to Paris, desperate to play after having been forced out of the Tokyo Games at the last minute in 2021 after contracting COVID-19.
He admits he is still recovering from the injury, but hopes to wear green and gold on the clay in the France capital, having reached the quarter-finals at the French Open.
