TRANSCRIPT
- Qatar says it is putting on hold its role as mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks
- Pacific Island nations call for urgent funding to address the loss and damage caused by extreme weather events
- Fremantle is a step closer to a maiden AFLW premiership
Qatar's Foreign Ministry says it is putting "on hold" its role as mediator in the ceasefire and hostage release talks between Israel and Hamas.
It added that reports that it is withdrawing from the negotiations are inaccurate.
The ministry says it feels neither side has negotiated in good faith - and that it will resume its role as mediator when there is enough seriousness to end this brutal war.
In a statement on social media, Israel's minister of economy, Nir Barkat, says he doesn't think highly of Qatar's actions as mediator, accusing it of being a defender of Hamas.
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The United Nations' Famine Review Committee says immediate action is needed within days to alleviate the impacts of imminent famine in northern Gaza.
It comes as Israel continues to block aid shipments as it continues its military offensive against Hamas in the area.
Aid shipments into Gaza are now at the lowest levels they have been since October 2023.
The expert committee says the cost of everyday items on the black market have skyrocketed.
Cooking gas rose by 2,612 per cent, diesel by 1,315 per cent and wood by 250 per cent.
UN spokesperson Stephanie Tremblay says the situation is catastrophic.
"We really need to have more access. We need to have more security. We need to ensure that once, that supplies that enter Gaza are able to reach everywhere inside Gaza, to reach all of these people that are desperately in need of assistance. And so we're going to keep advocating for more and more assistance, reaching everywhere and in sufficient quantity."
Israel's military says it rejects the assessment of the Famine Review Committee, adding it has increased aid efforts, including opening an additional crossing on Friday.
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As world leaders prepare to head to the U-N Climate Change Conference, Pacific Island nations are calling for urgent funding to address the loss and damage caused by extreme weather events.
Fiji has been called a hotbed for ocean warming, with crucial reefs devastated this year due to global coral bleaching events.
Experts in Fiji say there's no time to wait and they want their voices heard at the upcoming climate talks in Azerbaijan.
Meteorologist Samisoni Waqavakatoga outlines the widespread impacts of coral bleaching.
"One of the impacts of ocean warming is coral bleaching and with that being said ecosystems are affected right from the sea with fish and everything that is living in the ocean to the people who live off the sea.”
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A 32-year-old man has been arrested after the body of a teenage boy was found in Sydney's southwest.
Emergency services were called to bushland in Wilton, where they located the 15-year-old's body by the side of the road.
Police say the deceased teenager, who has not yet been formally identified, was a local resident in in the area.
New South Wales Police Acting Superintendent Tim Calman says a crime scene has been set up and police are treating the death as suspicious.
"At this stage, we're dealing with as a suspicious death. And that is where we stand at the present time. The information that we have at this stage is there may have been a group that were camping in that area. And we believe that persons associated with that camping event may have been involved. As with the process with most of these investigations, police are speaking to a number of witnesses. And we're canvassing the local area premises, service stations, everything down there, anything that may lead us to get some idea of what has actually happened."
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To sports,
Fremantle has defeated Essendon in an AFLW elimination final.
The Dockers will now travel to Adelaide next week for a knock-out semi-final against the Crows.
After trailing by four points at the final change, Fremantle scored the final two goals of the game to win 5-6-36 to 4-2-26 in front of a record crowd.
Fremantle coach Lisa Webb says she's proud of the team for bringing home the win.
"I was pretty nervous up in the box, as per usual with these tight games. You think I'm used to them, but I'm not. Yeah, we just had to, I was really composed with my messaging to the playing group at three quarter time. I thought it was really important that we just made better decisions with ball in hand. I thought especially early on, we were just a bit panicky and a bit chaotic at times, and we just didn't make the most of our opportunities and Essendon clearly did, so just being a bit more composed scanning when we could have a look."
