Four people have been charged for a security breach after draping pro-Palestinian banners from the rooftop of Parliament. Meanwhile Labor Senator Fatima Payman has resigned from the party after disagreeing with the Albanese government over Palestine.

Canberra

Pro-Palestine group stages protest at Parliament House

A group of four activists staged a protest at Parliament House by breaching security and displaying banners in solidarity with Palestinians. The activists were arrested for Commonwealth trespass offences and have been banned from Parliament House for two years. In response, the Australian Federal Police has been ordered to investigate and review security protocols.

Senator Fatima Payman resigned from the Australian Labor Party, citing the government's indifference to Palestinian issues as the reason for her departure. Payman, a Muslim Australian, will now serve as an independent in the Senate. Her resignation comes after being suspended from the Labor Party for supporting a Greens motion to recognize Palestinian statehood. Payman's departure raises questions about Labor's ability to accommodate diverse opinions within the party.



Protestors climb on Parliament House rooftop; Senator Payman resigns

Activism writ large, the most volatile issue of the moment on the roof of Parliament House. The group of four dodged security, jumped a fence, walked across a glass canopy to display their banners, chant and send messages down below. They claim to be renegade activists and say their actions were a show of solidarity for Palestinians. The breach prompted a massive response but the activists remained in place for about an hour and a half before crossing the glass again to come down. Those flags should have been taken down immediately. The four were arrested for Commonwealth trespass offences. They've also been banned from Parliament House for two years. We are deeply concerned about this morning's event. The Australian Federal Police has been ordered to investigate the incident and conduct a review of security overall. This was not a peaceful protest. These actions have done absolutely nothing to advance any cause. All this transpired on the day Senator Fatima Payman quit the Labor Party over support for Palestine. With a heavy heart but a clear conscience, I announce my resignation from the Australian Labor Party. The Muslim Australian from Western Australia will now be an independent and sit on the crossbench. Witnessing our government's indifference to the greatest injustice of our times makes me question the direction the party is taking. I'm torn, deeply torn. If you want to stand on principle, well surely a principle is if I'm only here because I was a member of the political party, if I leave the political party, should I be in the parliament? She had been suspended indefinitely from Labor by the Prime Minister after she broke party rules and crossed the floor last week to support a Greens motion to recognise Palestinian statehood. This has been a complicated and problematic issue for the government which has now ended with it losing a young Muslim female and there's likely to be repercussions in Muslim communities. It's also laid bare Labor tribalism and raised the question whether party rules truly accommodate diversity. Was Senator Payman at that meeting spoken to in an aggressive or intimidating manner? The answer is no, Mr Speaker. So let's go live now to our political editor Ashley Raper who's in Canberra for us this evening. Now Ashley, you have just sat down with the Senator, Senator Payman. Yes, Sandra. When I spoke to Senator Payman she expressed relief that it was done but also said she felt devastated that it has come to this. She did give quite the parting shot on the way out the door though, repeating that she felt intimidated by her colleagues and had a damning reflection on the party. Labor supports a two state solution. So how do you feel like you are going to make a bigger difference on this issue outside of government? I'll continue advocating without having the restriction of towing party lines. And do you think that right now Labor caucus, all the people here in this building aren't serving the community's interests? On this policy matter in particular, they're not listening to their constituents. The Labor Party president has just released a statement saying that Senator Payman's actions only empower Labor's opponents. The government is very angry how this has gone down and has been in damage control this afternoon. It gives them a huge task in terms of trying to reconnect with Muslim communities who are tapped into this and are supporting Senator Payman. Now Labor has to go out and talk to those communities and try to get them back on side. It also comes down to numbers. Labor has lost a guaranteed vote in the Senate so it's going to be that little bit harder to get legislation through for this government, Sandra.

U.S. officials are warning that storm Beryl could regain strength and hit Texas as a category three hurricane. Beryl was downgraded to a tropical storm after hitting Mexico, leaving a trail of destruction and thousands without power.

Tulum

Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl heading towards Texas

U.S. President Joe Biden says last week's debate against Donald Trump 'wasn't his best performance' but vowed to still beat Trump in November's election. He made the comments at a rally in the battleground state of Wisconsin.

Madison

U.S. Presidential Election

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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said that he is scrapping a controversial Conservative policy to deport asylum-seekers to Rwanda as he vowed to deliver on voters' mandate for change.

London

New UK PM Starmer confirms end of Rwanda migration plan

Hamas has accepted a US proposal to begin talks on releasing Israeli hostages, including soldiers and men, 16 days after the first phase of an agreement aimed at ending the Gaza war.

Jerusalem

Israel-Gaza War

Hamas accepts US proposal on Israeli hostages in truce talks

Parts of Australia are set for winter drenching with an entire season's worth of rain forecast over the next few days. The Bureau of Meteorology will continue to extend to parts of central Australia - before moving east.

Council of the City of Sydney

Sections of Australia facing widespread heavy rains

With his re-election campaign in crisis, U.S. President Joe Biden is hoping an interview with ABC News will convince Americans, and fellow Democrats, that he is indeed fit to run after a disastrous debate performance.

Washington

Biden fights to salvage campaign with high-stakes interview

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, amid criticism from the European Union. Putin declaring it was Kyiv, not the Kremlin that is still not willing to end the conflict.

Moscow

UK General Election

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After meeting with King Charles, Britain’s new Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged a national ‘reset’ by bringing ‘stability and moderation’ to the United Kingdom after 14 years of often-chaotic Conservative Party rule.

Starmer promises ‘reset’ U.K. after chaotic Tory rule

Labour leader Keir Starmer has officially become the U.K.'s new prime minister with his party winning more than 400 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, the lower house of Britain's parliament. The landslide victory ends 14 years of Conservative Party rule.

Keir Starmer officially appointed U.K.'s prime minister

U.S. President Joe Biden is hoping a televised interview will steady his imperiled reelection bid -- but a repeat of his disastrous debate performance could be his downfall. In the week since his debate against Donald Trump, 81-year-old Biden has failed to quell panic among his Democratic Party.

Biden seeks campaign reset with high-risk TV interview

Beryl has made landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 2 hurricane about 10 kilometers northeast of Mexico's Caribbean coast resort of Tulum with maximum sustained winds of 175 km/h.

Cancún

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall in Mexico near Cancun

Britain's next prime minister, Keir Starmer, promised change early on Friday (July 5), as the Conservatives' Rishi Sunak conceded defeat, with Starmer's center-left Labour Party on course to win a huge majority in the country's parliamentary elections.

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Keir Starmer is set to become the UK Prime Minister after the Labour Party's significant election victory. They secured 410 seats, marking their first government role in 27 years, while the Conservative Party suffered its worst result since 1834.

Labour party wins majority in historic UK election

People in Mexico’s popular Yucatan Peninsula are bracing for Hurricane Beryl as it roars toward them after smashing through the Caribbean and killing at least 10 people. The system has strengthened to a Category 3 storm.

Yucatan

Hurricane Beryl regains strength as it approaches Mexico

The European Union has imposed extra duties of up to 37.6 percent on imports of electric vehicles (EVs) made in China, the bloc announced, despite Beijing's warnings the movie would unleash a trade war. The European Commission said that the tariffs were put in place due to "unfair" state subsidies and will kick off Friday.

Beijing

E.U. imposes tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles

Keir Starmer will be Britain's next prime minister with his Labour Party set to win a massive majority in a parliamentary election, an exit poll on Thursday (July 4) indicated, while Rishi Sunak's Conservatives are forecast to suffer historic losses. The poll showed Labour would win 410 seats in the 650-seat parliament, ending 14 years of Conservative-led government.

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Lebanon's Hezbollah launched a big rocket and drone attack at Israel on Thursday (July 4) and threatened to hit new targets in retaliation for the killing of a top commander, in the latest surge of violence in the steadily worsening conflict across the border.

Acre

Tensions at Israel-Lebanon border

Hezbollah launches rocket and drone barrage on Israel

Britons were voting on Thursday (July 4) in a parliamentary election that is expected to bring Keir Starmer's Labour Party to power, sweeping away Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservatives after 14 often turbulent years.

Britain votes as Labour expected to sweep to power

Hurricane Beryl pounded Jamaica with heavy rains and 200 km/h winds, knocking out power to much of the capital. Now churning toward Mexico, Beryl has already killed at least nine people and caused widespread destruction across the eastern Caribbean.

Kingston

Hurricane Beryl: Jamaica hit by powerful storm

Despite mounting pressure to step down after a dismal debate performance, Joe Biden will ‘absolutely not’ abandon the U.S. presidential race, the White House has announced. Biden reportedly told staffers, ‘I am running…. No one’s pushing me out.’

Defiant Biden remains in the Presidential race

Polls suggest Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is set to become Britain’s next prime minister with a majority government in Thursday’s national election. This would end 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative Party rule that saw Brexit, scandals and multiple leadership changes.

Watford

U.K.'s Labour Party expected to win in landslide

Hurricane Beryl surged over Jamaica Wednesday evening as a powerful Category 4 hurricane before heading to the Cayman Islands. Beryl has been blamed for at least six deaths in the Caribbean.

Hurricane Beryl batters Jamaica as Category 4

Hurricane Beryl struck Union Island, part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, overnight, leaving nearly everyone homeless. Grenada also faces devastation and communication systems are down after Beryl made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane. Jamaica is preparing for Beryl's approach, with residents urged to evacuate vulnerable areas.

Hurricane Beryl churns toward Jamaica as Category 4

Hurricane Beryl is roaring through the Caribbean, causing havoc on several islands. At least six people have died, including three in Grenada, and one in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Hurricane Beryl kills six, causes ‘immense destruction’

The Albanese government will invest more than $22 billion in renewable energy projects over the next decade. The initiative aims to attract private investment and phase out coal power by 2038, while competing with the Opposition's nuclear proposal.

Government unveils major renewable energy plan

For the first time, a Democratic member of Congress has called on Joe Biden to drop out of the race for president following his shaky debate performance last week. Biden’s team maintains the president is still fit for office.

Calls grow for Biden to leave presidential race

After devastating parts of the southeast Caribbean, Hurricane Beryl churned toward Jamaica as a monstrous storm. While the extent of the damage so far is unclear, authorities have said the picture on some islands is grim, with widespread destruction.

Bridgetown

Widespread destruction across Jamaica after Storm Beryl

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to consider a ceasefire to accelerate an end to the war with Russia, and also said he wanted a big cooperation agreement with Kyiv.

Kyiv

Ukraine Invasion

Putin supporter makes surprise Ukraine visit

More than 100 people were killed in a stampede at a religious gathering in India's state of Uttar Pradesh over the weekend. Officials say the commotion from overcrowding and extreme afternoon heat contributed to the stampede.