TRANSCRIPT
- A treaty between Australia and Tuvalu to be ratified at the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting
- Vocational training providers react to a newly announced cap on international students numbers
- Belgian Wout van Aert wins stage 10 of the Vuelta a España
Australia and Tuvalu are expected to announce later today that the Falepili Union treaty has entered into force on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Tonga.
Under the agreement, Australia will offer up to 280 visas to Tuvaluans each year to build lives in Australia, fund climate adaptation and development projects.
Tuvalu's Prime Minister, Feleti Teo, says it is a "groundbreaking arrangement".
The treaty was announced at last year's Pacific Islands Forum Meeting [[Nov 2023]] in the Cook Islands.
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Vocational training providers are responding to the federal government's cap on international students, which they say will have significant impacts on their businesses.
New international student commencements will be capped at 270,000 next year, with individual limits to be set per institution.
The government says providers will be contacted individually about institution-level caps.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says the caps will ensure the sector is sustainable into the future, as the government seeks to restrict the number of international student arrivals.
The Australian Institute of Workplace Training, based in Perth, delivers courses both to international and domestic students.
Chief executive Yvonne Yeo, who herself was an international student in the past, says the lack of clarity about how this cap will affect businesses like hers makes planning for the future impossible.
"How it's divided is still to be seen. We don't have much time to plan. It's just really really hard when you can't plan. Not only do we have to tell- the key stakeholders are huge. You have your staff, you have the agents from overseas, you have the students from overseas, you have the parents of the students overseas. How do you do any planning for students that are overseas? You can't put them on hold and expect them to wait to come to Australia."
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People from across the country have arrived in Darwin for the First Nations Land and Water Management Conference.
More than 600 water managers will spend the next two days sharing and showcasing their achievements looking after Country.
With water reserves under pressure from agriculture, mining and climate change the forum will focus on strengthening land and water management through culture, new technology and future planning.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Malandirri McCarthy says safeguarding the local environment benefits everyone.
"This forum also provides an important opportunity to hear from Indigenous land managers about their work so stronger programs can be developed leading to better outcomes for country. Caring for country is also an important way to achieve cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits. Caring for country provides valuable work and income that supports families and communities."
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New research has found almost one in three workers in their twenties are missing out on their full superannuation entitlements.
The research was conducted by the Super Members Council.
The Australian Taxation Office data showed roughly 2.8 million workers missed out on some of their entitlements in 2021 to 2022.
Nearly one in four workers are affected - particularly younger people, women in low-paid industries, and newly arrived workers.
Paying super at the same time as wages and salaries - rather than every quarter, as rules dictate at the moment - has been offered as a potential solution.
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In cycling, Belgian Wout Van Aert has won the 10th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, after a last-ditch sprint took him past Quentin Pacher who finished in second place, three seconds behind.
Van Aert and Frenchman Pacher broke away from the rest of the group 30km from the end - and Van Aert outsprinted his rival to claim his third stage win of the race.
He says it was a hard-fought win - his third stage victory at this year's Vuelta a Espana.
"It was really my aim to be in the breakaway. But I had a hard time on the first climb. And actually I almost gave up. I gave one more try, just before the top - but still then for 50 kilometres, we really needed to fight to get a bit of a gap. But to be honest I think it was my favourite because in the final (stretch), the climbers in the group had less fresh legs - and that is how I won."
Australian Ben O'Connor maintained the overall lead, three minutes 53 seconds ahead of Slovenian Primoz Roglic.
