Good afternoon. Anthony Albanese isconsidering a snap visit to Europe to meet Donald Trump, days after their first meeting at the G7 in Canada was cancelled amidthe escalating Israel-Iran conflict. Albanese said he could join a gathering of Nato leaders in The Hague next week, a move that is incumbent on a face-to-face meeting with the US president being locked in.
Meanwhile, the prime minister said he hadaccepted the EU’s offerof high-level negotiations on a new defence and security pact. Albanese said Australia’s partnership with the EU will focus on areas including defence industries, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism. It is not legally binding and would not include troop deployment, but is designed to strengthen cooperation on global security challenges. The EU already has similar deals in place with countries including Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Ban on gay and bisexual men donating blood and plasma in Australia to be scrapped
Four teenagers charged over alleged six-hour gang-rape of girl in Sydney
Jim Chalmers says media’s ‘rule-in rule-out game’ on tax reform has ‘cancerous effect’ on policy debates
Malfunctions, overreactions and a steep learning curve: wargaming a Chinese attack on Taiwan
Trans people can obtain US passport that aligns with their gender identity, judge rules
What is rat lungworm disease and why are cases rising in dogs in Australia?
Leaked footage and prison logs reveal Aung San Suu Kyi’s life in detention
A volcano in eastern Indonesia has erupted,forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights to and from Bali.Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spewed an ash cloud 10km high into the air, the country’s volcanology agency said. Indonesian officials raised volcano alerts to their highest level after the eruption, but so far there have been no reported damages or casualties. The volcano erupted several times in November, killing nine people and forcing mass evacuations.
“She’s not on trial for lying. This is not a court … of moral judgment.” – Colin Mandy SC
Erin Patterson’s defence barrister has continued his closing remarks to the jury in the Victorian woman’s triple murder trial, telling the court there was “no venom” in her relationship with her estranged husband and his parents, and that there was “no evidence” to suggest any disagreements presented to the jury were more than “a minor thing”.Catch up on all the day’s developments.
Optus has agreed to pay a $100m penalty after conceding it engaged in “inexcusable” misconductwhen it sold phones and contracts to hundreds of customerswho could not afford them, did not want them, or didn’t even have coverage to use them. The negotiated penalty, if approved by a federal court judge, came after court action taken against Optus by the consumer regulator. If imposed, it would be the largest ever for the telco sector.
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The shorter man’s search for love: ‘One woman cried when I told her how tall I am’
Tinder is trialling a height filter, following in the footsteps of some other popular apps.What is behind the “6ft fixation” in dating– and could it be scuppering the chance of true connection?
Today’s starter word is:HEST.You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word.Play Wordiply.
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