ABC managing director
Daivd Anderson was up at Senate estimates at 9am this morning after he was recalled to be questioned about the end of the
Christian Porter defamation suit, which the former attorney general dropped last week.
The MD is expected to be grilled about the details of the confidential agreement with Porter after the Australian reported that Porter would receive “a sum in the vicinity of $100,000 from the ABC” – a claim the ABC denies.
“The ABC has not and will not pay any amount to Mr Porter,” a spokesperson said.
“ABC managing director David Anderson has been asked to appear before the Senate estimates committee on Monday 7 June and will have the opportunity to respond to a range of issues,” a spokesman said.
Andrew Roth here: Read more
Belarus has been accused of hijacking a European jetliner and engaging in an act of state terrorism when it forced a Ryanair flight to perform an emergency landing in Minsk after a bomb threat and arrested an opposition blogger critical of authoritarian president Alexander Lukashenko
.
Roman Protasevich, a former editor of the influential Telegram channels Nexta and Nexta Live, was detained by police after his flight was diverted to Minsk national airport. Minsk confirmed that Lukashenko ordered his military to scramble a Mig-29 fighter to escort the plane.
Marise Payne has responded: Pablo Viñales
Time to wind the blog down for the evening. Here are todayâs main events:
Four Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in Melbourneâs northern suburbs, three of which are close contacts of the original case. Victoriaâs health minister, Martin Foley, has said there are no current plans for a lockdown.
The disability royal commission heard residents of a national disability insurance scheme accommodation provider in western Sydney were subjected to alleged instances of physical and racist verbal abuse.
The Australian of the year, Grace Tame, said the prime minister, Scott Morrison, responded to her powerful speech at this yearâs Australia Day awards ceremony by remarking, âWell, gee, I bet it felt good to get that outâ.