Australia activates its bird-flu response following H5 strain detection on mainland; Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire paves way for renewed US-Iran talks; and the Socceroos face a must-win clash against Paraguay to keep their World Cup hopes alive.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Australia activates its bird-flu response following H-5 strain detection on mainland
- Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire paves way for renewed US-Iran talks
- The Socceroos face a must-win clash against Paraguay to keep their World Cup hopes alive
The government says authorities are implementing contingency plans to combat any potential spread of the H5 avian flu strain, which has been detected for the first time in mainland Australia.
The strain was identified in a migratory bird that died on Sunday night after being found sick on a remote beach near Esperance, south of Perth.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Beth Cookson says the plans will be activated as investigations continue into the risk of the disease potentially spreading among birds or to poultry.
"We just don't have that knowledge at the moment. We're actively investigating that. And where we see those risks arise is where we've got, um, wild waterfowl, in particular ducks and the like aggregating and interacting with livestock on the premises. And so part of the planning that we've been doing over the last couple of years is working very closely with industries and with state and territory agricultural agencies to raise awareness, to put in place effective bio-security planning."
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President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff is travelling to Switzerland for talks with Iran after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah eased concerns about the future of the talks.
The negotiations had been postponed after a surge in fighting in Lebanon threatened broader efforts to secure a lasting agreement between Washington and Tehran.
Lebanon's Health Ministry says Israeli strikes after midnight on Friday killed 47 people and wounded 97, while the Israeli military says four soldiers were killed in fighting with Hezbollah.
The United Nations says the focus must now remain on ending the violence and preventing further escalation across the region.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says recent developments highlight the importance of diplomacy.
"We're seeing a lot of things play out in real time, right? We saw the announcement that the talks in Burgenstock had been postponed. Then we saw that there was an agreement for a ceasefire. We hope that all of the parties to this conflict will understand that the most important thing right now is to end this conflict. That is the important thing, above all else?"
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The Prime Minister says a decision will be made in the coming days about the future of the temporary fuel excise cut.
He's urging consumers to act in a sensible way and to not hoard petrol, amid concern an impending end to the cut could cause another spike in demand.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Australia has plenty of fuel resources and that there are also 51 ships on the way to our shores.
He backed the Prime Minister's message about accessing fuel.
"I speak to the chief executives of the petrol companies most days. We'll continue to monitor the situation on regional demand very closely, working closely together. The message remains the same though, to all Australians. If all continue to buy just what we need - no more, no less - then we'll get through just fine. We'll get through just fine. Because there's more petrol in Australia today than there was on the day Iran was bombed."
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British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says his thoughts are with the family of the person killed in a collision between two passenger trains north of London.
Emergency services say 89 people were injured in the crash, including 11 seriously.
British Transport Police says the collision involved two East Midlands Railway trains, with investigators now working to determine the cause.
Bedford Mayor Tom Wootton says the town will rally around those affected as the community comes to terms with the tragedy.
One passenger tells the BBC he realised something was wrong moments before impact.
"I knew something was up because the train never slows down from Bedford to Luton. And I felt it break. And it was gradual. And as soon as reacted 'like huh' then it was like a boom smash. And everyone that was sat down went flying into one another."
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Australia's World Cup hopes have suffered a setback after a 2-nil loss to the United States in Seattle.
The Socceroos fell behind in the 11th minute when Cameron Burgess inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, before Alex Freeman doubled the Americans' lead just before half-time.
Tony Popovic's side showed greater urgency after the break, with substitutes Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe adding energy as Australia pushed for a way back into the contest, but the Socceroos were unable to find a breakthrough.
The defeat leaves Australia with work to do, with attention now turning to a crucial final group match against Paraguay.
Despite the disappointment, Australian fans are already looking ahead.
"Look you know it was a tough game, they were bloody strong the USA. We couldn't handle it unfortunately, we were hoping for better but we still got Paraguay, We will take it as an aberration. We will put that out of the way, Paraguay 2-nil, 2-nil Paraguay.”
