Australian news and politics live updates: ABC exec denies knowing Antoinette Lattouf’s views on Gaza war

As foreshadowed, US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court.

It allows for financial and visa sanctions to be imposed on ICC officials and their families who are found to have assisted in investigations of US citizens or its allies.

The move comes after the ICC sparked backlash when it issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, claiming there was reason to believe they had used “starvation as a method of warfare”.

The claims were furiously denied by the Israelis.

The Trump executive order claims this created a “shameful moral equivalency”, according to a copy of a fact sheet supporting the order obtained by ​NBC News​.

During his first term, Mr Trump argued the ICC has “no jurisdiction, no legitimacy and no authority” in the US.

The US president has announced the creation of a task force “to eradicate anti-Christian bias”.

“It’s about time, isn’t it?” he said at a prayer breakfast.

Newly appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi is set to head up the taskforce which will look to immediately halt “all forms of anti-Christian targeting and discrimination within the federal government”.

Mr Trump said the Justice Department, the IRS and the FBI would be among the agencies to be scrutinised.

It’s been an emotional day in the trial of soccer star Sam Kerr after her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, broke down on the stand.

Mewis accused police of “gaslighting” after a “very scary” incident in which the pair claim they were taken “hostage” by a taxi driver.

She made the claim during the trial of her partner Sam Kerr, who is facing a charge of causing racially aggravated harassment to a London policeman in the early hours of January 30, 2023.

When asked by Kerr’s defence counsel about how police treated the pair after the incident, Mewis said: “PC Lovell was immediately dismissive. He wasn’t believing what we were saying.

“We were saying we had been taken against our will, we couldn’t get out and (the driver) was driving like crazy ... he was dismissive in a way in which he didn’t want it to be true.

“In my opinion, (the police) were trying to change the story and make it into something it wasn’t.”

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The Government is pressing Laos to accept assistance from the Australian Federal Police in the investigation into the methanol poisoning deaths of two teenage Melbourne backpackers, Education Minister Jason Clare confirmed on Friday.

Bianca Jones, Holly Bowles and four other foreign nationals died after drinking alcoholic drinks containing methanol at the Nana Backpackers Hostel in the popular resort town of Vang Vieng last year.

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told parliament that Laos had not yet taken up the invitation of help from the AFP with its inquiries.

The Nightly’s Nicola Smith reports the government of Laos had promised to “bring the perpetrators to justice” but two months after the tragedy, families are still waiting for answers.

Laos’ decision not to work more closely with the AFP to track down the perpetrators was “really disappointing”, Mr Clare told Sunrise.

“Two young Australian women died here. We need to know why, how this happened. Their mums and dads deserve to know how they died,” he said.

“The important point to make here, is that the Laos authorities haven’t rejected the request by the AFP to support, they just haven’t taken up the offer yet,” he said, confirming the Government was still in talks with the Laotian authorities.

“The AFP are really good at the work that they do. They can help here to track down the criminals, work out what happened. And I would just encourage, we would just encourage, the Laos authorities to take up this offer because we can help.”

Deputy opposition leader Sussan Ley drew a link between Australia’s aid to Laos and its lack of cooperation, although she did not suggest it be withdrawn.

“$53 million of foreign aid is going to the country in this financial year, and we’re helping them a lot, and they need to help us. They need to help us. And we need justice for Holly and Bianca,” she said.

White House officials have confirmed Donald Trump is poised to sign an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court.

The order will encompass both financial and visa restrictions on ICC officials and their families if they target the US or its allies.

The move was triggered after what the White House described as the targeting of the US and its allies.

The Laotian government has not taken up an offer from the Australian Federal Police to help investigate the deaths of two Melbourne teenagers from methanol poisoning.

Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both 19, died after consuming tainted alcohol in the tourist town of Vang Vieng last year.

Defence Minister Richard Marles told federal parliament on Thursday that he was sad to report the response from authorities in Laos.

“I would want to assure the families of Bianca and Holly that we remain in contact with the Laos authorities and that the offer of assistance is consistently being offered and raised.”

West Australians — led by disillusioned women and younger voters — have delivered an emphatic message to Anthony Albanese, resoundingly declaring in a devastating new poll the Prime Minister is done, and it is time to give someone else a go.

The shock research reveals the love affair with “Albo” is over, with half the voters in WA believing Mr Albanese does not deserve to be re-elected after just one term. The majority of women and those under 34 polled are the most brutal in their rejection of the inner-city Sydney PM.

Even 20 per cent of Labor voters in the highly respected Newspoll want to give Mr Albanese the flick. Only a third of voters in the State say Mr Albanese deserves to be re-elected, while 50 per cent want someone else in the Lodge.

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Donald Trump has given a few more details of his audacious plan to ‘level’ Gaza and takeover the war-torn slice of land bordering Israel.

Overnight he has taken to his Truth Social platform to declare that Israel will hand over Gaza to the United States after fighting was over and the enclave’s population was already resettled elsewhere.

This meant, he said, no US troops would be needed on the ground.

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It’s been a huge week in politics and news in Australia and around the world and shaping to be another big one as we close out the working week.

Join us for the latest.