Australia news LIVE: Australia, UK, Canada urged to consider probe into Zomi Frankcom killing; Tributes pour in for country music legend Dolly Parton

What’s making news todayBy Emily KaineGood morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Wednesday, August 26. Many Australians will be waking to the tragic news that country music legend Dolly Parton has died, aged 80, as tributes to the Jolene and I Will Always Love You songwriter and 11-time Grammy winner pour in from around the world.Here’s what else is making news today.It was business’ night of nights at the Business Council of Australia’s annual dinner last night, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the headline guest, alongside a slew of corporate bigwigs, executives and politicians. Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn also made an appearance, despite much speculation surrounding his attendance.The chair of the Sydney Swans Foundation apologised yesterday to those affected by allegations of sexual assault being investigated by Victoria Police, and the suspension of five Swans players for breaching club standards.Some of the nation’s top international law experts have argued Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada should consider launching an MH17-style joint criminal investigation into the fatal Israeli drone strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza in 2024.And Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and be freed from prison was rejected by a US federal judge who said on Tuesday (US time) the claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate that new evidence had emerged were “demonstrably meritless”.Latest Posts6.40am‘Lake America’: Trump threatens to rename Lake Ontario over Canada trade warBy Windsor, Ontario: With his trade war with Canada intensifying, US President Donald Trump floated the idea of renaming Lake Ontario to become “Lake America.” His latest branding idea – reminiscent of his move to rechristen the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” – highlights how much his rhetoric and trade policy have sundered the previously warm relationship between Washington and Ottawa.Trump introduced the idea hours before Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced reciprocal tariffs on US imports into his country.“The United States is giving serious consideration to changing the name of Lake Ontario to Lake America in that we don’t expect to doing much business with Ontario any longer,” Trump posted on Truth Social.6.36amAustralia, UK, Canada urged to probe killing of Zomi Frankcom in GazaBy Matthew KnottSome of the nation’s top international law experts have argued Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada should consider launching an MH17-style joint criminal investigation into the fatal Israeli drone strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza.The Israel Defence Force’s military advocate general last week cleared the military personnel involved in the 2024 drone strike of criminal wrongdoing, infuriating the Albanese government.Australian Zomi Frankcom was one of seven aid workers killed in an Israeli airstrike while helping to deliver food in Gaza.LinkedInThe UK, Canada and Australia branded the decision not to pursue criminal charges “shameful” in a joint statement over the weekend.“The victims of this incident and their families deserve justice and accountability, and we will continue to seek answers on their behalf,” the nations said.As well as Frankcom, the seven aid workers killed in the attack included humanitarians from the United Kingdom and a dual Canada-US national.What’s making news todayBy Emily KaineGood morning and welcome to our national news live blog for Wednesday, August 26. Many Australians will be waking to the tragic news that country music legend Dolly Parton has died, aged 80, as tributes to the Jolene and I Will Always Love You songwriter and 11-time Grammy winner pour in from around the world.Here’s what else is making news today.It was business’ night of nights at the Business Council of Australia’s annual dinner last night, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as the headline guest, alongside a slew of corporate bigwigs, executives and politicians. Commonwealth Bank boss Matt Comyn also made an appearance, despite much speculation surrounding his attendance.The chair of the Sydney Swans Foundation apologised yesterday to those affected by allegations of sexual assault being investigated by Victoria Police, and the suspension of five Swans players for breaching club standards.Some of the nation’s top international law experts have argued Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada should consider launching an MH17-style joint criminal investigation into the fatal Israeli drone strike that killed aid worker Zomi Frankcom and her World Central Kitchen colleagues in Gaza in 2024.And Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her sex trafficking conviction and be freed from prison was rejected by a US federal judge who said on Tuesday (US time) the claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate that new evidence had emerged were “demonstrably meritless”.1 of 1