TRANSCRIPT:
- Greater scrutiny promised after reports of Hezbollah flags at an Australian rally; F
- ears the death toll from a category four hurricane in the US will rise again;
- Australia wins its one day international series against England.
Federal Police say there's unlikely to be arrests over the carrying of Hezbollah flags by a small group of demonstrators at a Gaza protest over the weekend.
The A-F-P says the display of prohibited symbols doesn't reach the threshold for prosecution required under Commonwealth law.
But Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke says he condemns any indication of support for a terrorist group, and that he'll consider refusing and cancelling visas for anyone who seeks to incite discord in Australia.
Federal opposition leader Peter Dutton meanwhile has told Brisbane radio station 4BC that the Minister should throw the book at anyone who supports Hezbollah.
"I think the government needs to get serious here and start deporting a few people to send a very clear message that if you live in Australia you abide by our laws, you live by our values. And if not you go and live somewhere else. That's fine by us."
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Israel says it has bombed Houthi targets in Yemen in response to missile fire by the Iran-aligned rebels over the past two days.
The Houthi run health ministry says at least four people have been killed in the strikes, while residents have said the bombing caused power outages in most parts of the port city of Hodeidah.
It's the second such Israeli attack on Yemen this year.
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The death toll has continued to rise in the wake of a category four hurricane in the southwestern United States.
Authorities estimate at least 89 people have been killed in Hurricane Helene, across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia.
But it's feared still more bodies are yet to be discovered.
North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper says those recovery missions will take place alongside a massive clean-up, after winds, rain and storm surges from the hurricane took out power for millions, destroyed roads and bridges, and caused catastrophic flooding.
"People are desperate for help and we are pushing to get it to them... Please know that we are sending resources and coordinating closely with local governments, first responders, state and federal partners, and volunteer organisations to help those impacted by this tragic storm."
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The federal government has released its final budget outcome for the last financial year, revealing a surplus of almost $15.8 billion.
Opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume has argued that the extent of the surplus is exaggerated, and higher deficits are on the way.
But Treasurer Jim Chalmers says it's simply larger-than-expected, and it's down to the government's responsible economic management.
"Spending in the last financial year was much lower than anticipated at budget and revenue was lower as well. Spending was down by around twice as much as revenue was down. So this bigger surplus is not because we taxed more, it's because we spent less."
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The man jailed for kidnapping Cleo Smith from a campsite in Western Australia has lost an appeal that sought to reduce his sentence.
Terence Darrell Kelly was jailed for 13-and-half years for abducting Cleo at the Blowholes campsite, about 70 kilometres north of Carnarvon in the early hours of October 16, 2021.
Cleo was missing for 18 days before being found by police alone in a room at a property in Carnarvon.
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Australian health groups have accused the federal government of dragging its feet on establishing a permanent national centre for disease control.
Australasian Society of Infectious Diseases president Joseph Doyle says that while the COVID pandemic might essentially be over, significant threats still exist, including Mpox, syphilis, and whooping cough.
A spokesperson for federal health minister Mark Butler says there is an interim centre which is part of a phased approach to allow for the lessons of the COVID pandemic to inform its design.
Professor Paul Griffin says one of those lessons is that public health messaging to culturally and linguistically diverse communities needs to improve.
"We saw a lot of issues during the pandemic where certain communities are really left behind in some of those interventions, some of that messaging. Certainly migrant populations, rural and remote locations, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as well were also not necessarily the focus at certain times. So we need to have a response that includes messaging and preparedness that covers the entire country no matter where you are or what your background is."
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Australia says it considers its tour to the UK a success, after the squad won the one day international series against England 3 to 2.
The team’s next assignment is a three-match ODI series against Pakistan on home soil, which gets underway in early November.
