4 days ago
Ten dead in school shooting in Austria
In this bulletin;
Australia issues sanctions against two Israeli ministers
At least ten people dead after a school shooting in Austria
Erin Phillips becomes the second woman inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame
Australia has issued travel bans and financial sanctions against two Israeli ministers, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The ministers have been identified as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has announced the sanctions in a joint statement with the governments of Canada, New Zealand, Norway and the United Kingdom. She says the ministers have used extremist rhetoric advocating the forced displacement of Palestinians and the creation of new Israeli settlements, describing it as "appalling and dangerous". Australia's largest Aboriginal Legal Service is calling for an emergency intervention into the Northern Territory justice system. The call from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency follows the death of a 68-year-old man at the Royal Darwin Hospital over the weekend, after he was taken into protective custody by the Australian Federal Police. The man died the same day as hundreds gathered at vigils across the country to mourn the death of a 24-year-old Warlpiri man in Alice Springs after being restrained by police at a Coles supermarket. Chair of NAAJA Theresa Roe says the justice system is in crisis in the Northern Territory and needs urgent intervention. "We don't think police can investigate police. There's a lot of conflict of interest there. There's a of mistrust out there in the communities, of police. People are fearful of police. The Commonwealth government, they're responsible for Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory. We have a federal minister, Malarndirri McCarthy, we have the prime minister, we're calling on them to have a look at these laws, have a look at our justice system, and work with our Aboriginal leaders across the Northern Territory." A second Australian news crew has been injured while covering the protests in Los Angeles. The ABC says its correspondent Lauren Day and her crew were tear-gassed as officers used the substance to disperse crowds in the protests around a neighbourhood identified as Little Tokyo. The network also says one of its camera operators was hit in the chest with what the ABC is describing as a "less lethal" round. It says they were filming protesters in Little Tokyo when officers opened fire. Austrians are in mourning after the deaths of at least ten people in a school shooting in the southern city of Graz. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner says six of the victims killed at the school were female and three were male. Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker has called the shooting a national tragedy. The European Commission's Paula Pinho is among the global leaders that have expressed their shock. "We would like to offer our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the entire city of Graz, and we stand together in mourning, and while we seek clarity in the wake of this horrible event in a school." Colombian senator Miguel Uribe remains in a critical condition after he was shot in the head while addressing a campaign event in Bogota at the weekend. Doctors have issued a statement saying the 39-year-old senator has barely responded to medical interventions that included brain surgery following the assassination attempt. A 15-year-old boy who was shot in the leg by a bodyguard during the attack has been charged with attempted murder. Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo says an investigation is ongoing. "We have examined approximately 1,000 videos. I don't know how many hours of recording time that is, but it is very important work and it gives us a lot of insight into this criminal event that we are examining. We looked at all the entrances and exits to the Morelia neighbourhood (where the attack took place) and the rally site." Erin Phillips has become only the second woman inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, while also completing its first father-daughter combination. The Adelaide and Port Adelaide star was a marquee name when the AFLW started in 2017. In her acceptance speech, Phillips has paid an emotional tribute to her dad Greg - as well as women's pioneer Debbie Lee, who was inducted four years ago. "To Dad, I can't imagine how hard it would have been to tell your 13-year-old daughter that she couldn't play the game she loves any more. And 27 years later, she's standing next to you in the hall of fame."
