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Welcome to SBS News in Easy English. I’m Sam Dover.
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Sam Mostyn has been sworn in as Australia’s 28th Governor General, taking over from David Hurley.
Ms Mostyn has now become the second woman to represent the British monarchy in Australia.
She is known for her work as a lawyer, businesswoman, political advisor and AFL commissioner.
In her first speech as governor general, she said what she hopes to see from a future Australia.
“If I can capture in a few words my aspirations for our country, I believe that these testing times call for an unstinting focus on kindness, on care, and on respect. Across my career, and particularly in the past decade, I’ve seen how care can be an uplifting force. I’ve seen it in the reform of workplaces where inclusion and respect now prevail. I’ve seen it in our renewed focus on the roles of teachers, nurses, care workers, volunteers, and all frontline workers.”
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Australian Muslim leaders from mosques and community organisations have released an open letter in support of Senator Fatima Payman.
The letter criticised a decision by leaders of the Labor party including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to suspend Senator Payman from the Labor caucus indefinitely.
The Muslim leaders also criticised the government for failing to condemn Israel for its devastating assault on Gaza and called for political leaders to recognise a Palestinian state.
This comes after the WA senator pledged to cross the senate floor again in support of Palestinian statehood, against Labor’s expectation that members vote together as a bloc.
Greens Senator Max Chandler-Mather says the federal government should be ashamed of their decision.
“It is utterly extraordinary and disgraceful that the Labor Party have suspended a young Muslim woman and first term senator, just for speaking up for Palestine. Right now. We have a Labor government that has taken more sanctions out against sad Fatima Payman than they have against Israel for carrying out a genocide in Gaza.”
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Researchers have identified evidence of Indigenous Australian rituals dating back 500 generations, uncovering new details about the heritage of one of the world’s oldest living cultures.
The findings have been made through a partnership between the GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation and Monash University.
The archaeological excavations revealed evidence of the ritual practices of the mulla-mullung, or Indigenous healers, which dates back to 12,000 years ago.
Local elder Uncle Russell Mullett says the findings are remarkable.
“It’s very, very exciting. Everything that’s come out of the small excavations that have been placed has produced information that’s just opened the door to a broader understanding of the cultural use of place.”
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Australian golf star Cam Davis has claimed his second PGA Tour win with a dramatic one-shot victory at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit.
An emotional Davis was crying after winning the tournament for the second time in three years with a final-round two-under-par 70.
The victory continues a roller-coaster season for the Sydneysider, who missed the US Open cut two weeks ago and hasn’t finished higher than tied for 38th in seven events since sharing 12th at the Masters in April.
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I’m Sam Dover. This has been SBS News in Easy English.