TRANSCRIPT
- Plan to reduce the cost of essential goods in remote and regional Australia.
- Australia's political leaders weigh up how to respond to new tariffs announced by Donald Trump.
- And in tennis, Alex de Minaur says he has learnt a lot from his defeat at the Rotterdam Open final.
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Regional and remote Australia will be subject to new price caps on the cost of 30 essential items, including flour, milk, cereal and fresh fruit.
It is part of a series of measures being announced by the federal government today as part of the response to the Closing the Gap indicators on the gap in health and wellbeing between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
The latest Productivity Commission report on the 19 indicators show only five are currently on track to be met, although 11 others are showing improvement.
The Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, told the ABC, the price caps aim to reduce the cost of living in remote and regional areas.
"Well, this is actually more about reducing the extra cost in remote and regional Australia. It's largely due to food supply chains. You would have seen - and we do currently - with flooding, with extreme temperatures. We see roads cut off. We see bridges collapse. There are usually lots of issues that create difficulties for those food supplies to get into our communities across the country."
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Four people accused of murdering an Indigenous teenager as he walked home from school are set to face trial.
Cassius Turvey, a 15-year-old Noongar Yamatji boy, died in a hospital 10 days after an incident in Perth's eastern suburbs on October 13th, 2022.
Brodie Lee Palmer, Mitchell Colin Forth, Jack Steven James Brearley and Aleesha Louise Gilmore have pleaded not guilty to murdering him.
They face an 11-week jury trial in the West Australian Supreme Court, which is set to start today.
Chief Justice Peter Quinlan will preside over the high-profile case that is expected to hear from dozens of witnesses.
Group members are also facing trial for several other charges they have denied.
Brearley, Forth and another man named Ethan Robert MacKenzie pleaded not guilty to unlawfully detaining and assaulting another boy on October 9th, 2022.
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Australian political leaders are weighing up how to respond to President Donald Trump's announcement to impose 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports.
He also says the US plans to impose what he calls "reciprocal tarrifs" on countries that put any import duties on US goods.
Mr Trump did not name specific countries that would be targeted.
He says more details will be forthcoming within 24 hours.
"US Steel was one of our great companies. And through a lot of stupidity and bad government and also bad management of the company, it lost that luster, but it's going to gain it back. And tariffs are going to help. Tariffs are going to make it very successful again."
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Federal Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says the federal government will consider further options to assist those on low incomes dealing with housing stress.
A new report by the Grattan Institute finds that retirees are being left behind as home ownership becomes increasingly out of reach.
Two-thirds of retirees who rent live in poverty, including more than three in four single women who live alone.
The report's lead author, Brendan Coates, says the rate of Commonwealth Rent Assistance must be increased by 40 to 50 per cent.
Minister Gallagher acknowledged that parts of the community are doing it particularly tough - and she says housing will be a key policy area in the election campaign.
"If you look at all the policies we've got in place. The push we've got on supply. The increases in rent assistance. But yes housing will be a key policy area in the election campaign. You will expect obviously a Labor government that has worked so hard in housing to continue to talk about housing. And things we can do to make it affordable, particularly for young people. But make sure that we're bringing everyone with us. So you have got to look at homelessness - all the way to home ownership. And you would expect that from a Labor government."
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In Tennis, Australian Alex De Minaur has been beaten by Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz in the Rotterdam Open final, telling the audience he has learnt a lot from the tournament.
World-number-three Alcaraz won the title, defeating de Minaur in three sets 6-4 3-6 6-2.
After his performance in the tournament, De Minaur now rises to number six on the official rankings — the equal highest of his career.
He says he is growing as an athlete and a person all the time.
"For my team, they have been there from the very beginning. We're pushing for bigger and better things. We've made great improvements. To everyone that is here - and to everyone who is back home, family, friends. A lot of improvements in my game over the last couple of year. And I am going to keep pushing for more. And it has been two years now with this runner up trophy (crowd laughs). I am hoping I will get my hand on the winner' one one day. So thank you guys! (crowd roars in approval)"
