TRANSCRIPT
Questions are again being raised about the vulnerability of the Bruce Highway to major weather events in north Queensland.
Some communities have been left isolated after floodwaters cut the major highway in parts, forcing authorities to airlift essential supplies to residents.
The Commonwealth has recently committed $7.2 billion to a $9 billion upgrade of the 1600km route, and a temporary replacement for the Ollera Creek Bridge that connects the hard-hit town of Ingham with the highway has been installed.
Ingham Mayor Ramon Jayo says he appreciates the efforts of federal and state authorities to overcome the issues with the road that Premier David Crisafulli once labelled a goat track during the 2024 election campaign.
"This bridge alone is going to make a big difference. I've got a community that's really hurting at the moment, and right here right now they're screaming out for resupply, resupply. It's been very difficult to get anything into our town for resupply into our town at the moment because we've been restricted to helicopter access. The problem with the helicopters is the weather. As you see it's closing in all the time and the access is reduced."
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The Northern Territory government has struck a multimillion-dollar deal with Indigenous organisations to deliver services for remote areas.
The $842.6 million Northern Territory Remote Aboriginal Investment fund will be underwritten by the federal government over six years for services like policing, women's safety, education and alcohol harm reduction, boosting interpreter services and continuing to fund hearing and oral health services.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says more money has been sorely needed.
"Australians want to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. And we know that we're frankly not doing well enough - and no governments have done well enough. Which is why so many of the indices that will be released next week simply aren't up to scratch."
Aboriginal Peak Organisations NT convener John Paterson says the agreement goes to the heart of what they have been asking for.
"What this agreement demonstrates is that when the partners along with the Aboriginal leadership get around the table to negotiate under those framworks of the Closing the Gap National Agreement, we can achieve the outcome that we're all aspiring and wanting; particularly for our constituents, the most vulnerable here in the Northern Territory, particularly in those remote locations."
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The Coalition says more pressure should be put on Laos to accept Australian help in its fatal methanol poisoning investigation.
Laos authorities have not said yes to an Australian Federal Police offer to join the inquiry into the deaths of six tourists - including two Australians - who died after consuming tainted alcohol in the tourist town of Vang Vieng.
Education Minister Jason Clare says the government's view is that the Laos authorities haven't actively rejected the request, they have just not taken it up yet.
But Deputy Liberal Leader Sussan Ley has told Channel 7 Laos' response has made her angry.
"It's not okay, and they need to rethink this. There's clearly a problem in this country with bootleg alcohol and that does involve the government... $53 million of foreign aid is going to the country in this financial aid... We're helping them a lot and they need to help us."
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A US taskforce that helped to target the finances of Russia and its wealthy oligarch supporters has been disbanded.
The group had been launched during Democratic President Joe Biden to help freeze Russia out of global markets and enforce wide-ranging sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine - but newly sworn in Attorney General Pam Bondi [[BON-dee]] says the Department of Justice is now shifting its focus and funding to drug cartels and international gangs.
The decision has come ahead of Vice President JD Vance's attendance at the Munich Security Conference next week, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also attend.
Chief of Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak says the Ukrainian delegation will present the country’s position on ending the war and their views on how a long and lasting peace could be achieved alongside a new US administration.
"We want the Americans to look to us, not just for democracy, which they help to survive during this terrible war, Russia against Ukraine. But look to us as it is very important and very interesting strategic partner in the future."
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To sport, the director of the Fiji Rugby Union has been sacked after making a controversial remark about lesbians on the country's national women's team.
Laijipa Naulivou told the Fiji Sun newspaper that "those who played with me know that I do not condone being gay for women in rugby", and that Fiji's women's side - ranked 16th in the world - had probably been hamstrung by a "gay problem".
The Union has issued a statement confirming it had terminated her appointment for making the comments.
