Anthony Albanese confirms dozens of Australians missing in Nepal flooding; international troops prepare to deploy to Gaza under US-backed plan; Ben Mahoney seeks review after controversial Nikita Tszyu draw.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Anthony Albanese confirms dozens of Australians missing in Nepal flooding
- International troops prepare to deploy to Gaza under US-backed plan
- Ben Mahoney seeks review after controversial Nikita Tszyu draw
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed 34 Australians are missing after catastrophic flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border.
Nepali police say 157 people have been killed, while Chinese state media has reported another three deaths across the border in Tibet.
Nepali officials say 403 people are missing, including 341 foreign nationals after a torrent of mud, rock and water swept through Himalayan communities, destroying homes, roads and bridges.
Experts believe an avalanche from a glacier was the likely trigger.
Mr Albanese says information remains difficult to obtain as Australian officials work to establish the welfare of those missing.
"A truly horrific event. At this point, there are 34 Australians who are missing. We are asking for those with information ... can contact our consular people. At this point, Nepal, you know, is a developing country. It doesn't have the resources that an event like that would have in Australia. So information is difficult."
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The United States says international troops are preparing to deploy to Gaza as efforts continue to implement President Donald Trump's ceasefire plan.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told the Security Council that several countries have offered thousands of personnel to the International Stabilization Force.
"Now, for the first time, troops and personnel from partner nations are scheduled to arrive to keep the peace. Tactical vehicles are already at the ISF logistics base, countries as far as Uganda, Morocco, Kazakhstan have offered thousands of troops to this effort. No, they are not moving as quickly as we would like, but they are moving. And yes, the disarmament of Hamas must and will be closely scrutinised. It must be verified by objective parties."
The force is intended to help stabilise Gaza and oversee demilitarisation under the US-backed plan.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions accepted a roadmap to surrender their weapons and transfer governing authority to a transitional administration.
Israel says it remains committed to Trump's broader plan, but insists Hamas must be fully disarmed before Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford says it's time to tone down his war of words with US President Donald Trump and restart negotiations over tariffs.
Trade talks between the US and Canada collapsed last week, with both sides blaming the other for derailing negotiations.
Mr Ford told President Trump twice, that he could "kiss my ass", but says he stands by his criticism.
"Those words resonated. And I usually don't use those words, but when your country is under attack and your province is under attack, and this guy is just nothing but a bully, it resonated around the world. ... If there's two great things President Trump did for our country, he woke us up, woke us up real quick, and he's united the country that I've never seen before."
Mr Ford says both sides should now "simmer down" and return to the negotiating table.
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The Middle East conflict has taken a $420 million bite out of Qantas's annual earnings, as higher fuel prices and flight disruptions weighed on the airline.
Qantas has reported a net profit of $1.3 billion for the financial year, down about 20 per cent, despite revenue climbing to $25.5 billion.
The US-Iran war sent jet fuel prices sharply higher and forced Qantas to re-route aircraft through Asian hubs.
The airline responded by cutting domestic capacity and delaying a planned $150 million share buyback.
But chief executive Vanessa Hudson says travel demand remains resilient.
"As the Qantas Group enters the new financial year, we are in a strong position with our diversified portfolio, a strong balance sheet, and clear momentum across the business. Demand remains resilient , intention to travel is high, and the investments we are making in our fleet, our product, our customers, and our people position us well for the years ahead. Most importantly, we will keep building on this progress."
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Ben Mahoney's team is seeking a review of the judging in his controversial IBF super-welterweight world-title fight against Nikita Tszyu on the Gold Coast last night.
The unbeaten Australians fought to a split draw after 12 rounds, with one judge giving Tszyu nine rounds, another awarding the fight to Mahoney and the third scoring it even.
Mahoney insists he did enough to win.
"What else do you need? I thought I won. He thought he won. The fans thought I won. I won. That's the nature of the beast. But the scorecards are the scorecards. .... He was strong. He was tough. He was durable. He. Everyone says he hits really hard. Like he does. He's got a lot of power. Don't get me wrong. But I've been hit pretty hard in my life. So you know he had all the attributes of a really good strong fighter."
Mahoney now says he won't fight at another event promoted by No Limit Boxing, after also receiving a controversial split draw on one of its cards in 2023.
Tensions boiled over after the decision, with No Limit boss George Rose confronting the booing crowd and challenging critics to meet him outside.
