A second day of delays for Sydney air travellers; Thailand's government calls for stricter gun laws after a deadly school shooting; And in sport, former world tennis # 1 Ash Barty dusts off her racket one more time.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- A second day of delays for Sydney air travellers
- Thailand's government calls for stricter gun laws after a deadly school shooting
- Former world tennis # 1 Ash Barty dusts off her racket one more time
Passengers hoping to fly out of Sydney Airport today are being warned to expect a second day of delays all day.
Air Services Australia is blaming a lack of air traffic control staff.
It says operational restrictions have caused it to reduce departing and arriving flights to ensure the safety of passengers.
Yesterday, travellers faced delays of up to two hours across both domestic and international flights.
Industry group Airlines for Australia described the delays as 'catastrophic'.
Former airline pilot Richard de Crespigny tells Channel 7 it's going to be another frustrating day for travellers:
"There's a shortage of air traffic controllers and they're doubling the separation between aircraft to halve the flow which will cause delays of up to an hour all day today out of Sydney."
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A warning: This story contains a reference to suicide.
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has called for stricter enforcement of gun laws after a school shooting outside Bangkok left eight people dead and more than 30 injured.
Police say the 14-year-old gunman killed his grandparents before opening fire at Debsirin Nonthaburi School, killing five teachers and then taking his own life.
Authorities say the handgun recovered at the school is believed to have belonged to the boy's grandfather.
The Prime Minister says existing laws banning civilians from carrying firearms in public must be more strictly enforced.
Nine people remain critically injured, with Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat saying doctors are especially concerned about one student.
"We are very worried about one of the girls that got shot in the head. She is in a very severe condition. So all the doctors insist and try their best to take care of her and her family whatever it takes, yes."
Readers seeking support can call Lifeline crisis support on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 and Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
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Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan have signed a joint defence agreement, pledging to treat an armed attack against any one of them as an attack against all three.
The deal was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The agreement is intended to strengthen collective deterrence and regional security and is not directed against any particular country.
Türkiye has NATO's second-largest military, while Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state and Saudi Arabia is one of the world's biggest oil exporters.
It comes amid heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of the US-Israel war with Iran in February, which has seen Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states targeted by Iran and its proxies.
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Former Republican congressman David Brat has been confirmed by the US Senate as the next ambassador to Australia.
Mr Brat was among a block of 74 nominees approved on Friday [[US Time]].
The post has been vacant since Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of former U-S President John F. Kennedy, ended her term as ambassador in late 2024.
He is expected to take up the post in Canberra ahead of next month's 75th anniversary of the ANZUS treaty, the security alliance between Australia and the United States.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Mr Brat described Australia as integral to U-S interests and identified defence cooperation, critical minerals and the U-S-Australia partnership in the Indo-Pacific among his priorities.
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Poultry producers in Victoria are being told to house their birds rather than allow them to be free-range in a bid to stem the spread of cases of H5-N1 bird flu.
Any farm with more than 50 birds will be affected by the state government's order.
Victoria's chief veterinary officer Graeme Cook tells radio station 3-A-W that the detection of bird flu cases in coastal areas requires a stronger response from farmers.
"The reason why we're introducing a precautionary housing requirement is because within distance of our coastline we do have a large amount of poultry industry."
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Three-time Grand Slam champion Ash Barty has joined more than 160 aspiring tennis players in the Top End for the National Indigenous Tennis Carnival.
The four-day event is Australia's largest gathering of young First Nations tennis players - bringing together sport, culture, health and education.
Players have travelled from every state and territory, including nine teams from Northern Territory communities, and players from Badu Island in the Torres Strait.
The former world number one, who retired in 2022, tells SBS News that making the special appearance has inspired her to dust off her racket.
"Yeah, when I was at home, I got my racket out of my bag, it was a little bit dusty, but I can't wait to get it out and have a good time with these kids on the court."
The carnival's winning cup is named in Ash Barty's honour, and her home state of Queensland are the reigning champions.
