Morning News Bulletin 4 February 2025

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Source: SBS News

A woman dies in north Queensland floodwaters; Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to meet Donald Trump amid talks for a second Gaza ceasefire round; and in sport, Spain's ex-football boss on trial for kissing a player at the 2023 World Cup.


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TRANSCRIPT
  • A woman dies in north Queensland floodwaters
  • Benjamin Netanyahu preparing to meet Donald Trump amid talks for a second Gaza ceasefire round
  • Spain's ex-football boss on trial for kissing a player at the 2023 World Cup
**

One person has died in North Queensland amid heavy rain and flooding emergencies in the region.

The 63-year-old woman was killed when a State Emergency Services boat helping people through floodwaters struck a tree and flipped over.

Authorities say the risk of rising water levels is still high and will continue into the week.

This Townsville local resident says he doesn't think it could get worse where he's at despite warnings saying it could.

"Being in a high block house, I can't see it coming right up to the floor level here. Before they built the dam, it used to flood a fair bit because they couldn't control the flow through the river."

**

Authorities say multiple homes and a shed have been destroyed in Victoria, which is battling over a hundred fires across the state.

The biggest of those fires is in the Grampians, with Forest Fire Management Victoria chief fire officer Chris Hardman saying it is a "long way from over".

More than 500 firefighters, aided by multiple aircraft, are working to contain the fires, particularly in the Victoria Valley.

Victoria's Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent says having a fire plan is critical to ensure no people are injured or harmed.

"In terms of the high risk season, it is far from over. If you live in a bush fire pro or a fire prone area, please stay informed. Please have a plan. Please enact that plan when you need understand your local risks. If you haven't already, please download the Vic emergency app and set up the watch sign on the app."

**

A man will remain in custody after allegedly hurling antisemitic abuse at a woman while he was living in a Jewish run home.

Sydney Magistrate Alexander Mijovich has rejected his bail application, saying the man had a history of breaching court orders and not showing up when required to.

Prosecutor Alexandra Tomasetti had opposed bail because she said the rise in antisemitic incidents had raised community expectations for tough penalties.

The 21-year-old has been accused of yelling intimidating slurs at a woman while he was a resident in short-term housing in Sydney's east.

**

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to meet with US president Donald Trump in Washington.

The PM will be the first foreign leader to visit Mr Trump since his inauguration in January, having had strained relations with Trump's predecessor Joe Biden.

Mr Netanyahu still faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over allegations of war crimes in Gaza.

Mr Netanyahu also leaves Israel with the ceasefire in Gaza still holding and negotiations aimed at a second phase expected to begin this week.

**

Qatar and Türkiye's foreign ministers say Donald Trump's plans to "clean out" the Gaza Strip violates international humanitarian law and should be opposed by all.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, along with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, say the key to resolving the conflict lies in ending Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories.

They say conflicts will continue to arise unless the Palestinian issue is resolved through the "two-state solution".

"Qatar has a very firm position against the deportation of the Palestinian people and this has been expressed yesterday in Cairo meeting among other Arab ministers as well. During our meeting, this is very clear for us that this is not a policy that we will support."

**

Djabugay Bulmba Rangers in Far-North Queensland have discovered a platypus in the wild, after decades of searching.

The rangers have used trail cameras around Flaggy Creek and two other sites north west of Kuranda to find images of the animal, better known as ngunba in their local language.

The search is part of a First Nations-led project established by the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia.

Djabugay Bulmba Ranger Caesar Hunter says the animals have been all but wiped out in some areas, with their habitats impacted by multiple floods and development.

"I'm proud of what I'm doing, it's just what the elders are wanting you know. And it just makes me feel good doing stuff that they want done. And we are getting it done. They have sort of guided us into this project."

**

And in sport, footballer Jenni Hermoso has told a high court in Spain she did not consent to the kiss by the country's former football federation boss after the 2023 Women's World Cup Final.

Luis Rubiales is currently on trial for sexual assault over the kiss, which triggered an international backlash against sexism in sport.

He has also been accused of attempting to coerce Hermoso with the help of three other men into declaring the kiss was consensual.

Mr Rubiales denies the charges.

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