TRANSCRIPT:
- A bus driver to spend decades in jail over a deadly Hunter Valley crash;
- Kamala Harris questions Donald Trump's fitness for office in a fiery presidential debate;
- Olympic medals belonging to Oarsome Foursome rower Drew Ginn stolen.
The bus driver responsible for a deadly crash in the New South Wales Hunter Valley has been sentenced to decades in jail.
Brett Button has been ordered to serve 32 years in prison, 24 of those without parole, for the deaths of ten people in the accident.
Newcastle District Court Judge Roy Ellis has said the 59 year old was clearly impaired by the opioid Tamerol and was driving too fast before the horrific crash in June 2023.
.
An unconfirmed number of protesters have been arrested outside the Melbourne Convention Centre this afternoon, as a demonstration against the weapons expo inside continues.
Heavily armed police have set off canisters of tear gas and used pepper spray foam to control the crowd, which is estimated to be in the range of 3000 people.
Victoria Police say protesters have set several small fires in the area, while pushing and punching police officers and other bystanders.
Disrupt Land Forces spokeswoman Jasmine Duff said the protest was triggered by the government's stance on the conflict in the Middle East - but premier Jacinta Allan says there is no excuse for getting physical.
"I say to anyone, anyone going down to threaten police to threaten community safety will absolutely be dealt with by Victoria Police. There is the right to protest peacefully, of course. But to behave in such a disgraceful way towards members of Victoria Police, who are there doing their job, who are there doing their job protecting community safety."
.
Kamala Harris has gone on the attack against Donald Trump in a fiery presidential debate that's now underway in the US.
The 59 year old former prosecutor appeared to get under Trump's skin with a series of jabs about abortion rights, his overall fitness for office, and the court cases he's currently involved in.
She's accused Trump of stirring up fear and division to gain and hold onto power.
"It is important that we move forward, that we turn the page on this same old tired rhetoric and address the needs of the American people... Frankly, the American people are exhausted with this same old tired playbook."
.
Experts say Australia needs to step up its diplomatic efforts to win hosting rights for the 2026 UN climate talks in the Pacific.
A report co-authored by the Climate Council and the Smart Energy Council has found that hosting the negotiations could be an economic boon for the host city.
But Richie Merzian from the Climate Council says for Australia to succeed, Turkiye needs to be convinced to drop out of the race.
"We would love to see the foreign minister, the PM, get on the phones, get on the blower, and make sure that Australia is all lined up and ready to go. Because the more time we have to prepare and use in the next two years, the better this opportunity can be both economically and diplomatically."
.
Meanwhile Australia has been urged to stop selling itself as a top source of iron ore, coal and gas, and to prepare for emissions to initially go up before they come down amid a transformation to a renewable energy economy.
In his first major speech, Assistant Climate Change and Energy Minister Josh Wilson has said hydrocarbons must come out of the global energy system, and that there will be increasing demand for low-carbon products of every kind.
By contrast, opposition leader Peter Dutton has pledged in his speech to the Minerals Council annual conference in Canberra to be the 'best friend' of the mining industry if he wins the upcoming federal election.
"The government that I lead will not allow activists to dictate economic policy and to pull the handbrake on prosperity. We will defund the Environmental Defenders Office... and we will cut green tape, while striking the right balance between our responsibilities to the environment and the economy."
.
The government is moving forward with plans for an independent watchdog to oversee assault complaints at universities.
It's introduced a new bill to establish a National Student Ombudsman that will hold the educational institutions accountable for the safety of their students.
Education Minister Jason Clare says it's about setting rules that everyone will be expected to follow.
"There's two parts to this. There's the legislation we introduce today to establish the ombudsman which, subject to passing through the parliament, will be established in February of next year. But the second part of that, as you rightly point out, is establishing a national code for universities on gender-based violence that sets standards that we expect universities to meet. And to ensure that when the Ombudsman sets recommendations for universities, that they're implemented."
The watchdog follows a report that scorched how universities have traditionally handled sexual assaults, with some students describing the process as worse than the attack itself.
One survey has suggested that one in 20 people have been sexually assaulted at university and one in six sexually harassed.
.
Four medals belonging to Oarsome Foursome rower Drew Ginn have been stolen in Melbourne.
Police say the three gold and one silver medals, from four successive Olympics, were taken from his car.
