TRANSCRIPT
- The Israeli prime minister has rejected a ceasefire with Hezbollah and told his military to keep fighting at full power.
- Jim Chalmers begins talks in Beijing, the first visit by an Australian Treasurer in seven years.
- And in NRL, The Brisbane Broncos sack coach Kevin Walters.
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Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected calls for a ceasefire with Hezbollah and instructed his military to keep fighting.
It comes as world leaders including the United States, France and Australia push for a temporary truce to begin after an escalation in violence in Lebanon which has killed nearly 700 people since Monday.
Israel's foreign minister says he will not accept the latest proposal for a ceasefire with Hezbollah.
And Mr Netanyahu says the Israel Defence Forces will not stop the conflict until Hezbollah's capacity is destroyed and Israelis who have fled the north can return home.
"My policy, our policy is clear, we are continuing to hit Hezbollah with full force and we will not stop until we achieve all our goals, first and foremost returning the residents of the north safely to their homes."
Lebanon's government estimates the number of people displaced by violence across the country has now likely surpassed 250,000.
The Australian government is still urging citizens to leave immediately on commercial flights, as Israel has indicated a ground invasion is a possibility.
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Treasurer Jim Chalmers is in Beijing for the first visit by a Australian Treasurer in seven years.
He's meeting with the chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission before talks with his Chinese counterparts.
China's sluggish recovery from COVID is impacting Australia's economy with coal and iron ore exports also down.
But Dr Chalmers has remained positive about the future of the relationship with China which remains Australia's biggest trading partner.
"The global economic environment has changed considerably in the face of dramatic environmental, technological, and geopolitical transformation. It is more important than ever that we continue cooperating and collaborating because it's only by working together that we will successfully manage all of this churn and change in a world in a way that sets up another generation of prosperity for our people."
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Hundreds of jobs are expected to be lost at gambling company Star Entertainment after it revealed a loss of almost $2 billion dollars.
It comes after it had received a $200 million lifeline from lenders to keep operations afloat as trading conditions deteriorated.
The company cited higher operating expenses, falling revenue and regulatory changes for the statutory loss.
Queensland Premier Steven Miles says the state government was also approached for tax relief, but knocked it back.
"There will be no consideration of any kind of arrangement while their executives insist on paying themselves performance bonuses."
Star is expected to respond to an inquiry into its suitability to hold a Sydney Casino License today.
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A $100 million maximum security youth detention centre will be built near the Banksia Hill facility in Perth.
It will replace the Unit 18 youth detention facility at Casuarina Prison, and accommodate high-risk young people who cannot be safely housed at Banksia Hill.
The state government has allocated $11.5 million to finalise planning and design of the facility, which will have up to 30 beds.
A 17-year-old Indigenous teenager died at the Banskia Hill Detention Centre in August, and 16-year-old Cleveland Dodd died in his cell at Unit 18 in October 2023.
But West Australian Corrective Services Minister Paul Papalia says things have improved at both facilities.
"Banksia Hill and Unit 18 have significantly changed and better than they were. We have elders and mentors going in both facilities at all times. And it's a seven day a week operation now, so there's no reduction in support. So a whole range of measures now that ensure the place is different, or both places are different and better, but we want to make it even better. And ultimately having a purpose design facility would be the thing that achieves that."
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And in sport,
Brisbane have sacked coach Kevin Walters after the team's fall from grace this year.
The Broncos went from NRL grand finalists last year to 12th spot in 2024.
Team officials told Walters his tenure as coach is over after months of speculation about his future.
The club legend won six grand finals as a player with Brisbane and Canberra, and coached 99 games at the Broncos.
He won 50 matches in total, but saw the team miss the finals in three of his four seasons in charge.
