Bird flu detected in a mammal in Australia for the first time; Iran says it's still exporting oil despite US blockade; And in sport, Lucas Herrington impresses on debut for Hull City in Premier League.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Bird flu detected in a mammal in Australia for the first time
- Iran says it's still exporting oil despite US blockade
- Lucas Herrington impresses on debut for Hull City in Premier League
A case of bird flu has been detected in a mammal in Australia for the first time.
The case was detected in a long-nosed fur seal found at Beachport in South Australia and has been confirmed by the CSIRO.
Agriculture Minister, Julie Collins, says the seal was found dead with no signs of injury.
She says the seal was likely infected through exposure to infected wild birds or the shared environment.
"I know this news will be distressing for many Australians, particularly for those people with a close connection to the wildlife and the land, including our First Nations people, and although this is a concerning development, it is not unexpected for us to start to see infection in other wildlife, particularly in marine mammals, particularly in areas where there are high infection rates in wild birds. I have been advised at this time the detection does not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals."
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The Coalition's Foreign Affairs spokesman, Ted O'Brien, has spoken for the first time about a visit to North Korea more than a decade ago.
The MP was living in China at the time and joined a small group of 15 people on the visit.
He says he spent most of his time in the capital Pyongyang, including a visit to the sprawling Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the embalmed bodies of former leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il are preserved.
In an exclusive interview with SBS News, Mr O'Brien says what he saw on the trip will always stay with him.
"The North Koreans choreographed everything, but you can't hide everything. The malnutrition was stark, the poverty was extraordinary, the level of propaganda was something else, it was truly eye opening and an experience I won't forget but its also just a reminder of the importance of good governance."
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Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezaei, says countries who join what he called the United States "economic war" against his nation to be enemies.
Speaking on state television, he says Tehran will target the interests of countries helping the United States.
US President Donald Trump has warned of economic consequences against any country that provides "any type of lifeline to Iran."
Mr Rezaei also says a naval blockade imposed by the United States is not stopping it from selling oil.
“On the naval blockade: The naval blockade is nothing new. We have been under a naval blockade for several months now, yet we have continued to sell our oil. In just the past one or two months, we have sold 70 million barrels of oil. The first week after the agreement was a good week because we shipped out the 70 million barrels of oil we had on hand. Every day, we are selling oil equal to our daily production despite the presence of US naval vessels. That is what Mr Trump's naval blockade has amounted to.”
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Police in Sweden have searched two homes as they investigate an 18-year-old man suspected of carrying out a sword attack at a school.
One person was killed and two others seriously injured in the attack at Brinell School in Fagersta.
The suspect is in police custody, while a wide area around the school remains cordoned off and several nearby schools were locked down following the attack.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson says police are working intensively on the investigation and his thoughts are with all those affected.
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A five-metre python is believed to be the first snake in the world to receive a pioneering cancer treatment usually reserved for humans.
The 50-kilogram reptile is cancer-free after receiving an innovative treatment combining surgery and electrochemotherapy (ECT).
Chester Zoo, in northwest England, says the 4.5 metre (15-foot) reticulated python has fully recovered after treatment for a cancerous tumour in her jawbone.
Animals are increasingly being treated for cancers with drugs and therapies once only used on humans.
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In sport, Socceroo Lucas Herrington has had a dream debut for Hull City, coming on as a second-half substitute in their win against Manchester United.
The 18-year-old defender is the only Australian in English soccer's top-flight.
He helped protect a two-goal lead for the final 30 minutes of the game.
It's Hull's first league victory over United in 52 years.
Herrington's debut makes him the first Australian teenager to play in the Premier League since Harry Kewell and is the third-youngest from his country to play in England's top-flight.
