TRANSCRIPT:
- Fears an Australian teacher captured in Ukraine has been killed;
- Chaos in South Korea as authorities try to arrest the impeached president;
- Australian footballer Sam Kerr makes another court appearance in London.
The Foreign Minister says all options remain on the table as a response against Russia if reports are verified that an Australian prisoner of war has been executed.
Senator Penny Wong says Russia is expected to comply with international humanitarian law.
Federal Labor MP Ed Husic says it's hoped the Russian ambassador can shed some light on the fate of Melbourne teacher Oscar Jenkins, who was captured while fighting for Ukraine.
"The foreign minister, at her direction, DFAT called in the Russian ambassador to get details about what has occurred to Mr Jenkins, and also to remind the Russian Federation of their obligations under international humanitarian law, with respect to prisoners of war."
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The Prime Minister says he wants to see people properly punished for acts of antisemitism they may commit, as incidents increase across Australia.
Australia's envoy to combat antisemitism Jillian Segal has called for harsher measures like mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of attacking synagogues.
Anthony Albanese says he supports moves towards accountability.
"What I want is to ensure that any act of antisemitism, that it stops. That it stops. I want people who are responsible for these acts to be prosecuted fully because they're a crime and people should be held to account with the full force of the law."
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A standoff has developed in South Korea as authorities attempt to enter the residence of impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol.
Video footage shows hundreds of police officers marching up the road to his hillside villa, where he has been holed up for weeks guarded by a small army of personal security.
A previous arrest attempt on January 3 failed after a six-hour standoff between investigators and Yoon's presidential security agents and military guards.
Police have sought to enter the home to arrest him after the president's failed declaration of martial law - but Yoon's lawyers say these attempts are illegal and designed to publicly humiliate him.
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Authorities in California say they're continuing to work on housing the thousands of people forced to evacuate from the path of wildfires in Los Angeles.
LA Mayor Karen Bass says 1200 housing units are expected to become available within the next week or so, once they get regulatory approval.
Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration, as well several charities, have also arrived at special centres set up to help people process disaster claims and access resources.
The mayor says while the crisis is not over yet, she wants them to start thinking about recovery and rebuilding.
"While we're going through what I hope is the final hours of this emergency, it's also time to begin to talk about our recovery. And so the first step of our recovery is opening this Disaster Assistance Centre for people to begin coming in. Now, as a matter of fact, this centre will open up shortly."
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One of Australia’s largest oil and gas companies has been fined just $10,000 for a major oil spill off the coast of Western Australia.
The penalty follows the release of around 25,000 litres of oil released into the Indian Ocean from the Santos owned Varanus Island Gas Plant off the Pilbara coastline in 2022.
The level of the fine has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Australia’s environmental regulations.
Advocates say the spill had devastating impacts on marine life and the Ngarluma and Yindjibarndi people, for which the land holds significant cultural importance.
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The latest data on consumer spending shows Australians have continued to pull back sharply on buying household goods.
Figures from the Commonwealth Bank indicate consumer spending fell just under two percent in December after a rise in November.
CBA chief economist Stephen Halmarick says that means essentially consumers are still financially stretched, and aren't spending if there's no sales.
The report has raised speculation about an interest rate cut at the Reserve Bank's next meeting in February.
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Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has appeared in a British court charged with racially aggravated harassment of a police officer.
The captain of Australia's women's national football team is accused of causing a police officer harassment, alarm or distress during a January 2023 incident in Twickenham, south-west London.
The all-time leading Australian international scorer has already pleaded not guilty during a previous appearance at Kingston Crown Court in March last year.
