TRANSCRIPT
Foreign Minister Penny Wong has met the new Trump administration on their first full day in office.
Foreign Ministers of the so-called Quad - Australia, the United States, India, and Japan - have met in Washington.
It's shaping as the first of several such meetings early in the life of the new U-S administration.
New Secretary of State Marco Rubio says this Trump administration is focused on working with allies, and the meeting with Ms Wong and the Quad foreign ministers is an example of this.
Mr Rubio says one of his main focuses will be promoting world peace.
"The United States, I think, is now, as President Trump pointed out last night, and I believe, deeply, we are headed into a new era that I think will make the world a safer place. We have a president who yesterday; President Trump made clear in his inaugural speech that one of the primary goals of American foreign policies is the promotion of peace. Of course, peace through strength, peace and always without abandoning our values."
Two main concerns for Australia with the new administration are making sure of its support of the AUKUS [[or-kiss]] defence pact, and trying to avoid Donald Trump's promised tariffs.
The World Health Organisation says it regrets U-S. President Donald Trump's announcement that he will begin the process of withdrawing from the organisation.
Many scientists fear the move could roll back gains made in fighting diseases like AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic says the U-S withdrawal puts the W-H-O in an awkward spot financially.
“It was 18 per cent of the budget in 2023, and as I said the U.S. is the largest single donor. So, we have to see really how this will play out and we need to see what will be the consequences.”
Experts have also cautioned that the U-S withdrawing from the organization could weaken the world’s defenses against new outbreaks capable of triggering pandemics.
Israel's army chief, Herzi Halevi, says he will resign over the security lapse that caused the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas.
Despite public anger over October 7, Benjamin Netanyahu's government has resisted calls to open a state inquiry into the attack that resulted in 1,200 Israelis killed and about 250 hostages taken.
It is not yet clear who will replace Lieutenant General Halevi, who will officially leave his post on the 6th of March.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced extra efforts to combat antisemitism, after convening a snap meeting of the National Cabinet on Monday.
He says the government will work with states and territories to create a national database to track antisemitic crime and behaviours.
This comes following the recent firebombing on a daycare centre in Sydney's beachside suburb of Maroubra, leaving the community angry and seeking answers.
Mr Albanese condemns the act of violence directed towards the Jewish community.
The Australian National Imams Council has also strongly condemned the firebombing of a childcare centre in Maroubra and the vandalism of properties in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
A statement from the Council says the perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions.
A teenager from the Tiwi Islands north of Darwin has sparked a movement that’s seen people from across the Islands come together to rally against violence.
The event held on Bathurst Island saw service providers, police and dignitaries unite with community members in support of violence prevention.
Wyndell Puntatameri is a 19-year-old Murrup team leader from the island community of Wurrumiyanga.
His community experiences some of the highest rates of domestic and family violence in the country - something Puntatameri hopes to change.
Longtime anti-family violence campaigner, Charlie King is a familiar face on the island.
"I made a call to them about engaging to empower to the organisations, get involved with communities but make sure that what you're doing is helping them develop the strategies they think that need to be done on their own community."
And if you or someone you know needs support, you can seek 24 hour help through 1-800 Respect. That's 1800 737 732.
World Number One women's tennis champion Aryna Sabalenka has advanced to the semi finals [[Jan 21, Mon night]],
The 26-year old two-time defending champion was pushed to three sets by the 27th seed, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Ms Sabalenka says she was praying as she tried to put the ball back in tough conditions.
"We both were like just trying to put the ball back and it was very difficult to play and I mean she played amazing tennis and very aggressive and I mean I'm just super happy I was able to somehow somehow magically win this match and of course guys, thank you so much for the atmosphere."
The Belarusian player is hoping for a third consecutive Australian Open championship title.
