TRANSCRIPT
- Venezuela's opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez says he will return to the country to claim the presidency.
- Emergency services face difficult conditions as heat wave continues in southeastern states.
- And in cricket, Australia reclaims the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on day three of the Sydney Test match.
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Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo Gonzalez says he will return to Venezuela for the Presidential inauguration as he commences an international tour to garner support.
Mr Gonzalez fled Venezuela to Madrid after a contested election in 2024 saw Nicolas Maduro secure a third presidential term amid widespread protest.
The Venezuelan opposition, as well as the US, EU and several other countries say the election results were manipulated and claim Edmundo Gonzalez is Venezuela's legitimate president.
He is now on a diplomatic tour ahead of the inauguration date on January 10, meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei before trips to Uruguay, Washington, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
Mr Gonzalez claims he will be in Caracas next week to be sworn in as president, though it remains unclear how the Maduro government will respond.
"The culmination of this will be the inauguration next January 10. Because that victory is to make the will of more than 7 million Venezuelans who expressed their support for our candidacy be respected. So, I thank you for this support; I thank you for your presence here at this moment, which increases our enthusiasm and makes us live moments of great joy. I say this to you in all truth.”
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Fire crews in Australia's southeast are facing difficult conditions as the region endures it's third day of a major heatwave.
An extreme fire danger day has been declared in the Mallee, Central and North Central regions and high fire danger in all other parts of Victoria.
Total fire bans are in place for the districts of Mallee, Wimmera, South West, North Central and Central, including Melbourne and Geelong.
The Country Fire Authority Chief Officer Jason Heffernan told Seven's Sunrise that potential lightning throughout Victoria is posing further risk of bushfire.
"Late yesterday afternoon, unfortunately, a dry lightning band went across the eastern part of the state. We've actually got a number of new fires that have now ignited. So this hot weather will ultimately be a challenge for firefighters right across the state as we brace ourselves for what is expected to be more lightning coming across the state later this afternoon."
Conditions are set to start easing on Monday.
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The federal government has announced it is committing $2.3 million to the McGrath Foundation to better connect cancer patients with expert care nurses.
Health Minister Mark Butler made the announcement near the SCG, where spectators watching the Test match turned the stands into a sea of pink to raise money for the foundation.
In recent years, the McGrath Foundation has expanded to provide care for all types of cancer.
Mark Butler says the funding for this service will improve equity for all cancer patients, wherever they are.
"More than twelve months ago, Glenn McGrath and I announced that the Albanese government was investing in a comprehensive nursing and navigation service for cancer patients that would ensure that all cancer patients, no matter where they lived, no matter their type of cancer would get the sort of support, treatment and care that had become synonymous with the support that the McGrath Foundation has been offering breast cancer patients now for about 20 years or so."
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To the cricket now...
Australia have reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in a decade after sealing a 3-1 series victory with a six-wicket win at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Set 166 to win in the final innings, Usman Khawaja set up the chase with a classy 41 before Travis Head and Beau Webster finished the job before tea on day three.
Webster hit a confident four to finish the match, as seen on Channel Seven.
"Down the wicket, in the air and that will do it. The Tasmanian, Beau Webster, hits the winning runs. Australia win the deciding test by six wickets. And after four losing series with India they regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and Pat Cummins adds that to the Ashes, the World Cup, and the World Test Championships, all won under his leadership over the last two years."
Australia's series win comes after they were thumped by India in the opener in Perth, before victories in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney set up the triumph.
