Morning News Bulletin 26 November 2024

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TRANSCRIPT
Reports of an imminent ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon
The Greens to support Labor’s key housing bills
India claims its biggest-ever test victory on Australian soil
Israeli and United States officials say Israel and Lebanon are close to forging a ceasefire deal, with the Israeli cabinet due to meet to discuss the proposal.
 
It’s reported to involve a 60-day truce to end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah with the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon and an end to the Hezbollah presence in the area.
There are reports the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to the deal “in principle” and the news agency Reuters is quoting the Lebanese deputy parliament speaker, Elias Bou Saab, saying there are now “no serious obstacles” to a ceasefire.
**
The Greens have announced they will vote with Labor on the government’s Help to Buy and Build to Rent bills.
 
The first bill proposes to support 40,000 eligible buyers with an equity contribution of up to 40 per cent for new homes, with a deposit as small as 2 per cent, while the second seeks to incentivise developers to increase supply.
Greens leader Adam Bandt says the party has reached a point where it has pushed as far as it can.
But he says his party will continue to pursue the scrapping of negative gearing.
“Greens were hopeful that just as under pressure from the Greens and others Labor changed their position on Stage 3 tax cut, they would get Labor to change their position on that unfair tax handout like negative gearing and capital gain tax, that are tilting the playing field against first home buyers.”
**
Senator Lidia Thorpe and her former Greens colleague Senator Mehreen Faruqi have called for an inquiry into racism against women of colour in federal parliament.
 
They say they are calling out white privilege, as they demand for the senate’s Procedure Committee to investigate racism and sexism in parliament.
Ms Thorpe and Ms Faruqi had criticised standards of behaviour and debate in the senate, which included Senator Thorpe being censured following her protest against King Charles.
Senator Thorpe says white men in the senate are not subject to the same rules as women of colour.
“So we are calling on the parliament, the senators, to support our inquiry to ensure that our workplace is a safe one, and that we don’t have to deal with disgusting racism every time we open our mouth in our workplace.”
**
Eight people, including six children, have died in a shipwreck north of the Greek island of Samos.
 
The coast guard says 36 survivors were found on a rocky shoreline while three others were rescued earlier.
A total of about 50 migrants are said to have been on board the boat.
Authorities say accidents involving migrant boats, which are often heavily overcrowded, occur repeatedly in the waters surrounding Samos.
Compared with last year, the number of migrants trying to reach Greece has significantly increased this year.
**
At least 16 people are missing, including tourists, after a yacht sank in the Red Sea.
 
Egyptian authorities say 28 people have been saved from the vessel south of the coastal town of Marsa Alam.
It’s not immediately clear what caused the yacht to sink, but there had been warnings issued about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea.
**
More than 30 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a New Zealand beach in the country’s north, have been safely returned to the ocean.
 
Conservation workers and residents safely returned the majority of the whales by intricately re-floating them using bed sheets.
 
New Zealand’s Indigenous people consider whales a taonga – a sacred treasure of cultural significance.
 
Dave Milner is from the Patuharakeke Trust.
“We’ve had, you know, a really awesome response from the community. Thousands of people have come down to help, and you know, it was great to see their unity, you know, for the same purpose.”
**
And in cricket,
 
India has won the first test in Perth with a 295-run victory over Australia, taking a lead in the Border-Gavaskar series.
 
Taking a one-nil lead in the five match series, India has claimed its biggest ever test victory on Australian soil.
Australia was short of making the match competitive despite an improvement in its second innings, finishing on 238.
Australian captain Pat Cummins described the last four days as fairly disappointing.
“We thought our prep leading in was really good, everyone was firing. It’s one of those games, not much went right. So fair bit to look out ahead of next week.”
The second test is set to begin on December 6 at Adelaide Oval.