Aid Agencies welcome the international community's commitment to the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28; Australia vows to end HIV transmission by the end of the decade; And in golf, Ashleigh Buhai seizes the clubhouse lead during the second round of the Australian Open.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Aid Agencies welcome the international community's commitment to the Loss and Damage Fund at COP28;
- Australia vows to end HIV transmission by the end of the decade;
- And in golf, Ashleigh Buhai seizes the clubhouse lead during the second round of the Australian Open.
Aid Agency Caritas Australia has welcomed an agreement at COP28 to establish a fund to support vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters.
On the first day of the annual climate conference in Dubai, United Nations member organisations agreed to a model for the Loss and Damage Fund, and international governments have pledged $400 million in financial commitments.
The fund aims to acknowledge that developing nations are the most heavily impacted by climate change, despite having contributed the least to historic emissions.
Caritas delegate Dr Damian Spruce says Australia's Pacific partners have made clear the significant impact a Loss and Damage Fund will have on their ability to deal with the impacts of climate change.
"What our Pacific partners tell us is that you know, all these things are really important for them. Emissions reductions, keeping warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius is absolutely key. But they also tell us that the loss and damage fund is absolutely essential to help them deal with the climate change impacts the disasters, the slow onset climate, climate impacts that are happening right now."
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Australia has vowed to end HIV transmission by the end of the decade as World AIDS Day honours the lives affected by the epidemic.
A report from the nation's HIV Taskforce lays out a strategy for eradicating the virus by 2030.
In Australia, nearly 29,500 people are living with HIV, and the rate of new infections has dropped by half over the last decade.
Taskforce chair and Health Minister Mark Butler says while Australia's HIV response has been impressive, more needs to be done to completely end transmissions.
And Executive Director of the National Association of People with HIV, Aaron Cogle says Australia is on a good path to stopping HIV transmission permanently.
"Australia is just one of a handful of countries that has the potential to end HIV transmissions. and we can do it by 2030 if we make the HIV prevention pill, so PREP, more easily available and increase its use amongst everyone who would benefit from it. If we expand HIV testing amongst hard-to-reach populations, reduce financial barriers to accessing appropriate HIV treatment, We need to work with the states and territories to reform laws that criminalise people with HIV."
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A busload of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel has arrived in in the West Bank in the city of Ramallah.
It comes hours after Hamas militants also released eight Israeli hostages from captivity in Gaza.
The Israeli hostages have arrived at Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv.
The exchanges have been taking place each night since last Friday as part of a Qatari-mediated truce between Israel and Hamas.
The cease-fire is set to expire today, but international mediators are working to extend it by at least another day.
Israel has vowed to resume its offensive against Hamas in Gaza once the truce ends.
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And to sport,
Defending champion Ashleigh Buhai has seized the clubhouse lead during the second round of the Australian Open in Sydney.
South Africa's former British Open winner gave a performance at The Lakes which pushed hear ahead of above first-round pacesetters Jenny Shin of the USA and Sydney teenage prodigy Rachel Lee.
Buhai is seven under at the halfway point, one stroke ahead of Shin, who posted an even-par 73 at The Lakes, and also Lee, who was playing in the afternoon at The Australian.
After opening with a four-under 69 at The Australian on Thursday, Buhai made a fast start to her second round with three consecutive birdies from the second hole.
