TRANSCRIPT
- The Coalition's long-awaited costings due to be unveiled today
- President Biden commutes the sentences of 1,500 people and pardons 39 more
- Former Australian Test quick Jason Gillespie has resigned as Pakistan's red-ball coach
The federal opposition is expected to detail the long-awaited costings of its nuclear power policy later today.
They say the controversial energy source will deliver significant savings for consumers on their power bills, as pressure mounts on the government over cost of living.
But these claims have come under fresh scrutiny following the release of modelling this week by the CSIRO and Australian Energy Market Operator.
The independent modelling found renewables are the lowest cost option to replace Australia's ageing coal fired power stations.
Critics of the Coalition plan have also raised doubts about how soon, and how cheaply, the nuclear plants could be built.
Businessman and energy activist Simon Holmes à Court has told a parliamentary inquiry that establishing a nuclear industry from scratch comes with added costs.
"CSIRO's modelling is very simplistic on the South Korean experience, which has enjoyed a well established nuclear industry that has constructed 30 reactors over almost 50 years. Even with a mature design, the first unit built in Australia would encounter significant first of a kind costs. A 100 per cent premium would not be unusual. In fact, if the cost of our first unit was double CSIRO tenth of a kind, it'd be the cheapest nuclear built in the Western world this century."
Airports are bracing for potential delays as Qantas engineers go on strike for 24 hours attempting to break a stalemate with the airline over their wages dispute.
The Qantas Engineers Alliance - which is made up of members of several unions - have been requesting a pay rise of 25 per cent.
Around 500 workers have walked off the job at one of the busiest times for air travel all year.
Although most major airports will be affecting, major delays are not expected.
US President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of roughly 1500 people, and pardoned 39 more, in the largest act of clemency ever extended in a single day.
The pardons were mostly for people convicted of drug offences, and all were nonviolent crimes. The White House says they were pardoned because they've turned their lives around to become model citizens.
It comes after President Biden controversially pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, citing fears he would be unfairly pursued by the incoming Trump administration.
Colleen Long from the Associated Press says the commuted sentences mostly date from the COVID era.
“The 39 people who are pardoned today were mostly convicted of drug offences. They were all nonviolent crimes. And the people who were pardoned have turn their lives around and become what the White House says is their model citizens in their communities.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for a significant hike in defence spending to prepare for the possibility of conflict with Russia in coming years.
Mr Rutte told a conference in Brussels that Russia is already on a war footing and ramping up for a long-term conflict that could reach beyond Ukraine.
The NATO chief says member nations will need to raise their defence spending well above the current target of two per cent.
"We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years. Danger is moving towards us at full speed. We must not look the other way. We must face it. What is happening in Ukraine could happen here, too. And regardless of the outcome of this war, we will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defence production and defence spending."
Domestic violence crisis workers are preparing for the holiday season, and the impact of gender-based violence.
74 women across Australia have been killed in gender-based violence this year - with the most recent death in Sydney on Wednesday [[11th Dec]].
That figure from advocacy group Counting Dead Women is already higher than last year’s final death toll.
Sabrin Farooqui, founder of Cultural Diversity Network Inc says there will be a number of challenges over the Christmas and New Years period.
"We always see a rise at Christmas time in terms of victims of domestic violence numbers, and frankly speaking we are not equipped at this stage. Shelter is a big problem. There’s hardly any shelter available, and there’s a long, long queue. So, when women see that there’s no shelter to go to, they will think twice about leaving an abusive relationship. I don’t want to hear about another woman dying. We’ve had enough this year."
Former Australian Test quick Jason Gillespie has resigned as Pakistan's red-ball coach. It comes amid media reports of a breakdown in his relationship with the country's cricket board.
The 49-year-old had been signed on a two-year contract back in April, alongside South African Gary Kirsten, who also resigned two months ago.
Another ex-fast bowler, Aqib Javed, has taken over Gillespie's role in an interim capacity.
Pakistan is currently facing South Africa in a three match Twenty20 series.
