TRANSCRIPT
- A second man arrested as part of an investigation into an attack at a Sydney synagogue
- The Australian government urged by aid groups to advocate for the continued work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees
- And in Tennis, Emerson Jones is through to the Australian Open junior semifinals
Police have arrested a second man over an attack targeting a synagogue in Sydney's inner west.
A man was arrested two days ago for his alleged involvement in the attack on the synagogue in Newtorn, which was spray-painted with Nazi symbols and briefly set alight on January 11.
The alleged accomplice was arrested at a hotel in inner-city Pyrmont about 1pm on Thursday, after officers used a Taser before he was taken into custody.
Premier Chris Minns has congratulated the police on their work - and warned other potential offenders that investigators are not finished.
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25 Australian aid groups are urging the federal government to engage with Israel to advocate for the continued work of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.
In a joint statement, groups - including the Australian Council for International Development - say Israel's looming ban of the agency will be a devastating blow to relief efforts in Gaza.
The aid groups are also calling on the Australian government to push for unrestricted access for international media agencies and journalists into Gaza and the West Bank.
UN spokesperson* Gloria Lazic says the lack of access to areas in Gaza means the scale of destruction and death is still yet to be fully measured.
"I'm standing here in Jabaliya camp, an area that has been subject to intense bombing since the last three months. We have not been able to access it to observe the situation, provide shelter, provide medical points or provide food to older people who either fled from here or were trapped here. And now we have been driving for the last ten minutes, and I haven't seen a single building standing."
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Mexican authorities are constructing tent shelters in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, as they prepare for US President Donald Trump to fulfill his pledge to carry out mass deportations.
The Mexican government is building nine shelters in border cities to receive deportees.
Those running migrant shelters in Mexico say the arrival of thousands of migrants could overwhelm the city of Tijuana and other border cities, creating a crisis.
Interior Minister Rosa Icela Rodriguez says the temporary shelters in Ciudad Juarez will have the capacity to house thousands of people and should be ready in a matter of days.
"The Government of Mexico has the operational capacity to assist our returning brothers and sisters. They are not alone. On this side of the border, we are ready to receive them."
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Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released the crew of a cargo ship more than a year after its fighters hijacked the vessel in the Red Sea.
The move by the Iranian-backed Houthis marks their latest effort to de-escalate their attacks, following a ceasefire in Gaza.
The rebels say they released the sailors after mediation by Oman.
The 25 crew members includes 17 Filipinos, three Ukrainians, two Bulgarians, two Mexicans and a Romanian.
Jalal al-Rowaishan, the Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Affairs in the Houthi-led government, says wider attacks will resume if the Gaza ceasefire fails.
"We emphasise that if the Israeli enemy do not commit to the signed deal and if they returned to their aggression on Gaza that Yemen is ready and has the capabilities which qualifies it to control the seas, and also reach more targets in the depth of Israel."
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And to sport, in Tennis, Australian teenager and top seed Emerson Jones has moved into the Australian Open junior girls' semi-finals at Melbourne Park.
Gold Coast super talent Emerson Jones is two wins away from breaking a 30-year title drought.
The 16-year-old was a runner-up in both the Australian Open and Wimbledon girls' finals last year.
