TRANSCRIPT
- Tens of millions of voters in the United States cast their ballots on election day
- An independent review into the deaths of two babies in a WA hospital released
- Australia's team line-up announced for the Pacific Cup final against Tonga.
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Tens of millions of voters are casting their votes on election day in the United States.
The contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is expected to be decided by voters in the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
The winner may not be known for days, if the margins in key states are as slim as expected.
These voters say there are key issues that have been influential in deciding how they will vote.
Voter 1: "Probably the economy, just how much the price of everything has risen. Rent is kind of sky-high right now. I know a lot of people that have personally struggled under the Biden administration, and I just really hope that Trump can do something about that."
Voter 2: "Yeah, the biggest issue for me is just general safety in the LGBT community. Trump has a history with January 6th and not stopping that. And so I believe that Harris will push us towards a safer country and safer communities."
Voter 3: "I would say definitely it's like women's reproductive rights and just women's rights in general. I feel like people should have the right to do what they want with their own body."
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Donald Trump says he's confident he ran a great campaign and would be the first to acknowledge if he loses a fair election.
His campaign has suggested he may declare victory on election night as he did four years ago.
The former president has repeatedly said any defeat could only stem from widespread fraud, echoing his false claims from 2020.
The winner may not be known for days if the margins in battleground states are as slim as expected.
Donald Trump dismissed concerns about possible violence over the election result.
"My supporters are not violent people. I don't have to tell them that. And I certainly don't want any violence, but I certainly don't have to tell. These are great people. These are people that believe in no violence. Unlike your question. You believe in violence."
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The World Health Organization is conducting a rare medical evacuation of more than 100 critical patients out of Gaza.
The patients, who include children, are suffering from trauma injuries and chronic illness and will be travelling to the United Arab Emirates and Romania.
The WHO representative for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Rik Peeperkorn, says there are thousands more in Gaza who need this.
“These are ad hoc measures. What we would have been requested for, repeatedly, we need a sustained medevac outside Gaza. An organised, a better organised, sustained medevac. So, we estimate that approximately 12,000 to 14,000 critical patients need to be medevac’d, half of them probably trauma related etcetera, or the serious trauma cases, amputation, spinal cord injuries, burns, etc. But the other half is also the chronic patients, oncology, etc.”
Overnight, Israel has reportedly killed at least 54 people in Gaza and seven more in raids on the occupied West Bank as it continues its bombardment of the region.
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Private health provider Ramsay Healthcare says it will adopt all nine recommendations made in an independent review of the care of children at Joondalup Health Campus in Western Australia.
The review was sparked by the deaths in March of a one-year-old boy who had undiagnosed leukaemia - and of stillborn baby Amir.
The WA manager of Ramsay Health Care, Dr Shane Kelly, says the independent review aligned with the hospital's internal investigation that the clinical care provided was acceptable.
The patient families have been critical of the review findings, saying it is inappropriate that they were not consulted in the process.
Dr Kelly says the concerns of the families were relayed to the independent reviewer.
"We met with the family and we ascertained all of their concerns. And we conveyed all of those concerns to the independent specialist, who addressed them all in his response. It's not always usual practice to do that. It is more common to ascertain what the concerns are - and to provide those to the independent reviewer."
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In Rugby League, Australia’s head coach Mal Meninga has named his team to take on Tonga in Sunday’s Pacific Cup final.
In a surprise pick, Meninga has chosen Penrith forward Lindsay Smith to make his Test debut.
He told Channel Nine, the two-time premiership winner has a lot to offer.
"I know he is one of the best young front-rowers coming through the game. I have watched him for a long time now. And he has always been a great player promise. He has had a tremendous last couple of years, obviously playing for the Panthers. He knows how to win. I am pretty certain him and his family will cherish the moments."
Meninga has made just one enforced change to his 17-man squad.
Canberra's Hudson Young has been promoted to the starting side in the back row, replacing South Sydney skipper Cameron Murray, who has a serious wrist injury.
Tonga are aiming to become the first Pacific nation to win the final of a major tournament.
