TRANSCRIPT
- The Coalition promises to cut international student numbers
- A $2.35 billion election pledge to subsidise home batteries welcomed by environmental groups
- Australia's Oscar Piastri says he has a simple game plan for the Japan Grand Prix
Federal Opposition leader Peter Dutton says under the Coalition, the intake of international students would be reduced by 80,000.
He says the election pledge is aimed at reducing demand for housing.
The Coalition has vowed to introduce a flat 25 per cent cap on foreign students at universities, in a bid to reduce overall numbers to about 240,000 each year.
Campaigning in Melbourne, he would also seek to mandate that no more than about a quarter of students at public universities are enrolled from overseas from next year.
"I am going to be the prime minister of this country that restores the dream of home ownership. And we can do that in a sensible measured way. And this is the latest iteration, the latest part of our positive plan to get young Aussies into housing as quickly as possible. And to make sure that rents are affordable again. So if you've got 42 international students for every 1 student unit being built - that has a huge impact."
A study released by researchers at the University of South Australia last month found no link between between international student numbers and the cost of rent.
The study analysed rental data between 2017 and 2024, and also included data from government departments and the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
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The Australian Council of Social Service has joined environmental groups and unions in welcoming a federal government pledge to subsidise home batteries.
The $2.3 billion plan would reduce the cost of installing a new home battery by 30 per cent - or around $4,000.
Labor argues that a higher uptake of batteries would push down household power bills and reduce reliance on power from the grid.
It is proposed the plan would be in place from July, with the aim to have one million new batteries installed by 2030.
ACOSS acting CEO Edwina MacDonald says the policy is critical to addressing the climate crisis and lowering power bills.
She also called for a greater investment in thermal efficiency, electric appliances and solar for Australians who are struggling the most.
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Israel's army has admitted its soldiers made mistakes over the killing of 15 emergency workers in southern Gaza on 23 March – but insists some of those killed were linked to Hamas.
The convoy of Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulances, a UN car and a fire truck from Gaza's Civil Defence came under fire near Rafah.
It says the incident is the deadliest attack on its personnel in eight years.
Israel's military now admits its earlier claim that the vehicles had approached without lights on was inaccurate, attributing the report to the troops involved.
It insists six of the 15 people killed in the convoy are believed to be Hamas operatives, without providing evidence.
Paramedic Munzer Abed survived the attack. He says he rejects the claim that Hamas operatives were in the vehicle.
"We were on duty at the British field hospital and we got an emergency call that a neighbourhood in Rafah had been targeted. We set out, me and my colleagues, and on the way there, we came under direct fire on our vehicle."
The admission comes after mobile phone footage, filmed by one of the paramedics who was killed, shows the vehicles did have lights on as they answered a call to help wounded people.
The video footage shows the vehicles were clearly marked and the paramedics wore reflective hi-vis uniforms.
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The UK's foreign secretary, David Lammy, has criticised Israeli authorities after two Labour MPs were detained and denied entry to the country.
The Israeli population and immigration authority says MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were refused entry because they intended to spread "hateful rhetoric" against Israel.
In a statement, Mr Lammy says he has made clear to his counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians.
He says the foreign office has contacted both MPs to offer support.
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In motor racing, Max Verstappen will start from pole position for today's race after beating Lando Norris and Australia's Oscar Piastri in qualifying.
There was only 40 milliseconds separating the top three cars.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella says that shows just how competitive this race has become.
Piastri says he is making the most of the situation - and he will be aiming to climb to the top spot.
"Obviously, a little bit frustrated to be so close to pole and in third. Yeah, I felt like I was good at the right times of qualifying. I just needed to find a little bit more in the last lap that I didn't quite get. And yeah, it is a bit of a shame to be just those 400 hundredths off pole. But I think I still have got opportunities tomorrow to try and go forwards."
