TRANSCRIPT
- Penny Wong declares the need for a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood
- Israel continues strikes across Lebanon as calls for a ceasefire mount
- Melbourne Storm player Nelson Asofa-Solomona hit with four game ban ahead of the N-R-L grand final
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says a clear timeline must be developed for reaching Palestinian statehood as she urges U-N member states to remember why the institution was first created.
The foreign minister says Australia shares the frustrations felt by a majority of nations that a Palestinian state still does not exist.
She has also announced $2 million in humanitarian aid to the U-N Children's Fund in Lebanon.
Penny Wong says the world is currently shrouded in darkness.
"Such entrenched violence has its own gravity, more violence becomes the path of least resistance, seeing past hatred is hard. Building trust is hard. Compromise is hard. Making peace is hard, but the future, otherwise, is not worthy of our children and the present, not worthy of ourselves."
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Israel is continuing to carry out air raids in Beirut as an unprecedented five hours of continuous strikes follow a week of deadly bombardments in Lebanon.
Authorities in Lebanon say Israeli strikes have killed at least 700 people in the attacks Israel claims are targeting Hezbollah command centres and senior officials.
Israel has displaced around 100,000 Lebanese citizens this week, increasing the total displaced population to around 200,000.
Local resident Jad Fayyad says Israel is attacking all Lebanese people.
"This targeting confirms one thing. Today all Lebanese people are targeted. The Israeli enemy is not differentiating between military personnel and a civilian. Just like the South and Bekaa Valley were targeted, the mountain (Chouf) was targeted as well. As I mentioned, this is the third targeting of the mountain (Chouf) Before that it was Jiyyeh, Joun, and today it is Baadaran. What is needed today is unity and solidarity in face of the disaster we are going through."
Hours before the latest bombardment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations his country has a right to continue it's campaign.
Hezbollah has also launched hundreds of retaliatory strikes towards Israel, reportedly causing minimal damage and one minor injury.
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At least 43 people have been killed in the United States as Tropical Depression Helene brings life-threatening flooding and power outages across wide sections of the southeastern states.
Helene struck Florida as a category four hurricane earlier in the week before being downgraded to a category one with heavy rains continuing to flood the affected states.
More than four million homes and businesses are without power as the unusually large storm continues triggering mudslides and threatening dams.
U-S Vice President Kamala Harris is urging people to remain vigilant and check current warnings.
"We have food, water and generators that are ready for deployment and we are working to restore power for millions of people who currently are experiencing outages. I just want to stress and for the press that is here, to those who are watching. The storm continues to be dangerous and deadly."
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Severe weather and flood warnings have been triggered along the New South Wales north coast as wild winds and heavy rain conditions continue.
The State Emergency Service says it responded to more than 200 calls for help between 2pm Friday and 2pm Saturday, including the rescue of two adults and an infant from floodwaters near Tweed Heads.
Conditions are expected to worsen through the evening with a minor to moderate flood warning issues for the Bellinger River.
Around 2200 homes and businesses have reportedly been left without power as a result of strong winds and fallen trees.
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Melbourne Storm's Nelson Asofa-Solomona has been hit with a four game ban ahead of the N-R-L Grand Final next Sunday.
Melbourne are set to seek legal advice before fighting the grade-three charge given for a high tackle that knocked out Lindsay Collins.
The charge will have to be downgraded two levels if Asofa-Solomona is to play in the decider against the winner of the second preliminary final between the Penrith Panthers and the Cronulla Sharks on Saturday night.
