Australia news LIVE: Albanese admits regret over podcast for the first time; Woman at centre of Sydney Swans allegation breaks silence

Pinned post from 4.28am
Go to latest

Today’s headlines

By Emily Kaine

Hello and welcome to our national news live blog for Friday, August 21. Here’s what is making news today.

• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has conceded for the first time that his decision to participate in a podcast episode with comedian Nikki Osborne on her show Bush Deep in July was an error. Speaking to ABC’s 7.30 last night, Albanese said: “If I had my time again, which you don’t, then I wouldn’t have done that podcast.”
• Foreign Minister Penny Wong has expressed her “outrage” at Israel’s decision not to pursue criminal charges against the soldiers who launched a fatal strike on Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six of her colleagues in Gaza. Yesterday, Israeli ambassador Hillel Newman was hauled before Wong to explain how Israel had reached the decision. Albanese vowed that the government would continue to demand justice for Frankcom and her family.
• Labor’s News Bargaining Incentive, which will tax social media giants who do not strike deals with news companies, passed the Senate yesterday. Digital platforms will now have to pay a 2.5 per cent levy on their digital advertising revenue if they do not strike deals with Australian news outlets for their journalism.
• And the woman at the centre of an allegation of sexual violence that occurred while she was inside a Melbourne hotel room with a group of Sydney Swans players has spoken publicly. The woman reportedly told the Herald Sun: “I don’t want money. All I care about is justice.” Swans star Isaac Heeney is the focus of the investigation by Victoria Police’s sexual crimes squad. It involves an allegation of touching beyond what was agreed.