TRANSCRIPT
- New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Luxon meets Anthony Albanese in Canberra.
- An emotional school service held for a girl killed on the Gold Coast.
- And in sport, could Jahrome Hughes become New Zealand's next face of rugby league?
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Australia and New Zealand have reaffirmed a shared commitment to defence and security during the annual talks between the two leaders.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted his New Zealand counterpart Chris Luxon in Canberra today.
As the threat of online attacks grows, the two nations have confirmed that a significant cyber attack on either nation could be treated as any other type of attack under the ANZUS treaty.
Mr Luxon says both countries are aligned on security issues.
"We are working hand-in-hand with Australia and it's more important that we do so than ever before. We both face, as we've talked about extensively, a challenging global environment that we haven't seen in decades. Our conversation, I think, reflected our shared assessment, our alignment on the issues, and the broad set of shared priorities that we have."
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An emotional school service has been held for a girl allegedly killed by her mother, with hundreds of mourners paying tribute to the 10-year-old.
Students, staff and families at Gold Coast's Emmanuel College gathered to remember Sophie Wang on Friday morning after the community was left reeling by the tragedy.
Floral tributes have been laid at her home and a candlelight vigil has also been organised on Friday afternoon amid a public outpouring of grief for the year five student.
Her mother has been charged with murder.
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A former deputy secretary of the Department of Immigration says the oppositions criticism of Australia's security agencies is unprecedented.
The opposition is calling for a thorough investigation into visa rules after ASIO head Mike Burgess said indirect support for Hamas would not automatically disqualify people from getting a visa.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton is also pushing for a complete ban on migration from Gaza due to national security concerns.
Former deputy secretary Abul Rizvi says the calls form the opposition have surprised him.
"We have never, that I can recall, had a major party political leader say in response to a war or major conflict, that we should establish a blanket ban on helping people out of that conflict. That's never happened before. This is unprecedented. The second part that worries me is that it questions the efficacy of our security agencies. And that is unusual. It is very unusual for political leaders to express doubts about the competency of our security agencies."
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A landmark inquiry into the disproportionate rates of murders and disappearances amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and children has found that victims and survivors receive 'little, if any, justice'.
The committee, which delivered its final report to parliament on Thursday, reported it could not over emphasise how disturbed it was by the case studies presented to it.
The report makes 10 recommendations for federal, state and territory governments to implement.
Karen Iles, founder of Violet Co Legal & Consulting says many First Nations women have poor experiences with police.
"It can certainly be said that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and families do not have a trusting relationship with police in this country. Many Aboriginal women when they attend police stations to report family violence, or to report sexual assault, or the fact that they suspect one of their children has been abducted, they're met with suspicion, they're met with disbelief, and some of them are actually charged with offences themselves."
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Jahrome Hughes says he's willing and ready to embrace becoming New Zealand's next face of rugby league, detailing how last year's Kiwi camp spurred on his career-best form.
Hughes remains one of the front-runners for this year's Dally M Medal, after Melbourne all but wrapped up the minor premiership with Thursday night's win over Penrith.
The 29-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career in 2024, playing with control while also setting up 21 tries.
The Storm No.7 is on track to become the fourth Kiwi to win the Medal which could see him become New Zealand's biggest-name player after Shaun Johnson's impending retirement, an unofficial role previously held by the likes of Benji Marshall and Stacey Jones.
