TRANSCRIPT
- Australia says it's engaging with Indonesia as Russia requests access to a military base
- The Greens ditch a disco fundraiser on Anzac Day after accusations of disrespect
- A task force will support Afghan women cricketers.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the government is seeking further clarification from Indonesia about Russia's desire to base several long-range aircraft in the country.
Military website "Janes" has reported that Russia had sought permission for Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft to be based at a facility in Indonesia's easternmost province.
Anthony Albanese says the relationship with Indonesia has never been better.
"We have a good relationship with our friends in Indonesia, and we're seeking further clarification."
Anna Henderson: " Does it give you a pause for thought and concern about the state of the Indo Pacific and what this could mean, Prime Minister?"
Anthony Albanese: Well our friends in Indonesia, the relationship has never been better than it is right now."
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Australia's finance minister has defended Labor's housing alternative as the stronger policy, as both major parties announce centrepiece measures for first-home buyers.
Labor's policy is all about deposit sizes, allowing first-home buyers to purchase with just a 5 per cent deposit while using the Commonwealth as a guarantor.
In contrast, the opposition's pitch hinges on maximising borrowing power, with a push to let Australians draw from their superannuation accounts.
In both cases, economists have raised concerns about the potential for the schemes to further inflate house prices.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher has said she's been advised by Treasury that the impact of Labor's policy on prices would "not be significant".
Speaking to ABC Radio, she's restated her confidence in the plan.
"We're not allowing first home buyers to borrow more money or to ransack their super, under the Dutton idea, it's about allowing people to get into homeownership with a smaller deposit."
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A disco fundraiser on Anzac Day has caused a stir with the Greens backtracking after accusations of disrespect.
In a since-deleted social media event, Western Australia's Greens advertised a five-hour D-J event in Perth to help fundraise for candidate Sophie Greer and senator Jordon Steele-John.
The event reportedly offered tickets of between $30 and $1000 with an optional donation.
It drew scorn from Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, a former defence minister, who has called it "completely inappropriate".
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The World Food Programme is calling for an end to violence in Sudan on the second anniversary of the civil war.
While tens of thousands have been killed as a result of the fighting, nearly 25 million more — half of Sudan’s population — are facing extreme hunger, giving rise to what's been called the largest humanitarian crisis ever recorded.
Over 12 million people have been displaced from their homes amid a power struggle between the Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, which has sharply escalated the humanitarian crisis.
Famine was initially confirmed last August the Zamzam refugee camp in Sudan's western Darfur region, where about 500-thousand people have sought refuge.
Shaun Hughes, the W-F-P's emergency coordinator for Sudan and the region, says it's since spread to other areas in Darfur and Kordofan.
"Two years since the onset of the war, Sudan has now become the world's largest hunger crisis. Nearly half the population are acutely food insecure. Famine has taken hold in parts of Darfur and is spreading. In order to turn the tide, WFP needs access in order to reach people that have been isolated by the conflict and we also need funding."
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The International Cricket Council says it will form a task force to support Afghan women cricketers who have been displaced by the Taliban regime.
The initiative, backed by Cricket Australia, will involve funding and a high-performance program to ensure players can continue pursuing the game.
Halima Noori is former member of the Afghan team, and among the 22 players who were evacuated following the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.
Speaking to SBS Pashto, she has expressed her gratitude to Cricket Australia for their support, saying that none of this would have been possible without them.
"They were with us during this difficult time. They stood by us and supported us. God willing, they will continue to stand with us and support us, to see the results of their hard work."
