A Sydney woman feared missing in Nepal found safe; Rescue efforts continue in difficult conditions as the death toll from the floods rises to over 600; And in sport, runners prepare for this year's Sydney marathon.
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TRANSCRIPT
- A Sydney woman feared missing in Nepal found safe.
- Rescue efforts continue in difficult conditions as the death toll from the floods rises to over 600.
- And in sport, runners prepare for this year's Sydney marathon.
A Sydney woman feared missing in the Nepal flooding disaster has been safely located.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong says 26 year old Cara Severino has made contact with her parents and was safely located by Australian consular officials in Nepal.
Almost 3000 others remain unaccounted for, including 41 Australians who have not made contact since a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river near the Himalayan border with China.
Usha Kiran Bariya has told told SBS Nepali that they have gathered in Martin Place overnight for a candlelight vigil to support families still waiting for news.
"We are still processing that pain. Because a lot of people are still holding out hope that their family, their children their parents will come back home safely so this is also the reason that we want to say hey you are not there alone; we all are there together on this heartbreaking situation."
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Army engineers have built a pipe at a hydroelectric plant in Nepal amid fears dozens of workers remain trapped underground.
Home Minister Sudan Gurung says the Nepali army is sending air through the pipe at the Trishuli 3A hydroelectric site, and that excavation work is now beginning so a rescue team can be send into the tunnel to find the 100 or so workers believed to still be alive.
Meanwhile, the death toll from the flood disaster has risen to 626, with almost 3-thousand people still missing across the Nepal Tibet region.
Geological expert Chen Hongqi, says the terrain is making the search for them extremely difficult.
"The risks stem from two main aspects. First, the terrain in this area is extremely narrow, making it very difficult for heavy equipment to deploy and advance rapidly. Constrained by the surrounding environment, our operational space is severely limited."
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At least 37 people have been killed after a Russian drone strike on a Kyiv-area warehouse sparked a detonation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to punish those responsible for the warehouse explosion in the village of Myla, which appears to be the second such occurrence in two months.
The promise has come as Moscow's air attacks on the Ukrainian capital and surrounding region drag into a third straight day.
Russia has escalated its air war on Ukraine, using more ballistic missiles and jet-powered drones that are difficult to shoot down.
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The Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting will get underway today in Palau.
A wrestle takes place each gathering between the needs of developed powers Australia and New Zealand and the 16 island nations of varied development levels, with some of those impatient for climate change action.
Host Surangel Whipps Jr has form in pressuring Australia on its climate record, with the Palau president calling the nation one of the largest contributors to global emissions.
He said in a speech to the Lowy Institute that Australia had to demonstrate solidarity by phasing out coal and gas production, and halting approvals of new fossil fuel projects.
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People with several rare and advanced cancers will be able to access another treatment option at low cost under an expanded government subsidy.
From Tuesday clinicians will be able to prescribe pembrolizumab for several new forms of advanced cancer under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
The drug is already subsidised to treat more than a dozen cancers, and will now be available at discounted cost to those diagnosed with advanced bile duct cancer, ovarian cancer and Merkel cell carcinoma, which is a rare form of skin cancer.
The change is expected to benefit about 700 Australians a year, who would otherwise be required to pay $14,800 per script without the expanded listing.
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More than 40-thousand runners will hit the streets this morning for the annual Sydney marathon.
Defending champion Hailemaryam Kiros returns after setting the course record last year at two hours, six minutes and six seconds.
Tanzanian world champion Alphonce Simbu is making his Sydney Marathon debut and is among the headline challengers.
He says he’s ready for the race.
"I'm here because I'm ready for competition, I can say that we are prepared to compete here and I think we're planning to make a new record."
REPORTER: "Okay so 206.06 - so something in the 205's?"
SIMBU: "Yes the 205's I think it's possible."
