TRANSCRIPT
- Rail sabotage in France ahead of the opening ceremony of the Olympics
- Benjamin Netanyahu meets Donald Trump in Florida
- Port Adelaide defeats Carlton by 14 points
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics is underway on the Seine River.
It's the first time an Olympic opening ceremony has been staged outside of a stadium.
A crowd of half a million people is watching the parade of more than 80 barges and boats under tight security.
Meanwhile, some of the high speed rail lines in France have been sabotaged, causing lengthy delays for thousands of commuters.
The French rail company SNCF says there are likely to be delays all weekend while they deploy hundreds of staff to try to repair the damage.
Chief Executive Jean-Pierre Farandou says the sabotage was premeditated with the goal of causing harm.
"We can think that the attack was premeditated, calculated and coordinated. Yes, I think they really had the intention to do harm and serious harm by starting a fire at...they have hit two itineraries, two destinations, so yes they intended to cause harm."
**
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has visited Donald Trump at the former President's Florida resort to try to ease tensions between them.
The relationship has been put to the test in recent years with Benjamin Netanyahu congratulating Joe Biden on his 2020 election victory, which Mr Trump falsely claimed was stolen.
And by Donald Trump criticising Mr Netanyahu for Israeli security lapses during the 7th of October attack.
Mr Netanyahu gave the former US President a photo of a child he says is currently being held hostage by Hamas.
NETANYAHU: "A picture, a photo of one of the toddlers who is now held hostage, still held hostage in Gaza. Her grandfather wanted me to give it to you, President Trump."
TRUMP: "We'll get that taken care of."
**
Journalists from Nine newspapers are on day two of a five day strike.
The strike comes after a series of layoffs from the Nine Entertainment Group and closures in a multitude of publications owned by the group.
Rachael Dexter is a journalist for The Age in Melbourne and a union delegate with the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
She says it is inexcusable for their pay rise request to be turned down as Nine continues to remain profitable in difficult conditions.
"We are appalled at the call to pull jobs out of the publishing division at Nine. The publishing division of Nine is a profitable entity. That is on the record. Mike Sneesby, who is the CEO of Nine, has spoken to investors in recent times on how profitable the publishing divisions are. We're a subscription-based business. We're doing well. Our profit margins are healthier than that of The New York Times."
**
Two teenagers have been charged with vandalising the office of federal government MP Josh Burns.
An 18-year-old woman and a 17-year-old boy have been charged over an attack on the office in the inner-Melbourne suburb of St Kilda last month, which left it smeared in red paint, and covered in painted slogans relating the war in Gaza.
They've also been charged over an incident of vandalism on the 17th of July, involving red paint.
They've been charged with burglary, and two counts of criminal damage.
The woman will appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on the 11th of October.
The boy will appear in children's court at a later date.
Mr Burns, who is Jewish, says it has been a distressing period for him and his staff, but his St Kilda office has now re-opened, and he is keen to move on.
**
The federal government is to add the Jabiluka site to Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, which they say will ensure there will never be uranium mining there.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is due to officially make the announcement this morning at the New South Wales Labor Party's state conference.
He says the decision is in line with the wishes of the Mirrar people, the traditional landowners.
The Jabiluka site contains a pair of uranium deposits, discovered in the 1970s, but never mined.
The mineral lease for the site ends on the 11th of August, and the federal government hads advised the Northern territory government not to renew it.
**
Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, says this weekend's election is a battle between himself and foreign interests.
Mr Maduro is seeking a third term in office.
In one of his last rallies before the vote, he's told a crowd in the nation's capital, Caracas, there will be dire consequences if he loses the election.
"My compatriots, we have the definitive battle: either there will be a homeland or a colony. There will be peace or tranquillity that will end. On Sunday, send the account to the fascists, to the extreme right. Let's give them a beating so that they never rise again and do not bug this homeland anymore, this beautiful people."
Mr Maduro's opponent in the election is former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez.
Under Mr Maduro's rule, the Venezuelan economy has collapsed, and around one-third of the population has emigrated.
**
In AFL, Port Adelaide has fought back from being 31 points behind to defeat Carlton by 14 points and secure the third spot on the AFL ladder.
The Power winning 11.13.79 to the Blues 9.11.65.
