Post-Christmas cleanup after wild weather hits Australia's east coast; 119 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea; And in cricket, Usman Khawaja accuses the International Cricket Council of double standards over a dove logo ban.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Post-Christmas cleanup after wild weather hits Australia's east coast;
- 119 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean Sea;
- And in cricket, Usman Khawaja accuses the International Cricket Council of double standards over a dove logo ban.
Two people have died after thunderstorms battered the nation's east coast across Christmas and Boxing Day.
Southeast Queensland has been the hardest hit as damaging winds brought down trees and cut power to more than 100,000 homes.
Gold Coast resident Naomi Fowler says the storm was horrific.
"It actually sounded like an animal was coming through. And I was trying to put the kids to bed. We then looked outside and you couldn't see a metre around you. All you could hear was the damage taking place. So we could hear smashed glass. We could hear trees coming down through fences. Our neighbour had a tree come down through heir garage and smash their car. So it was a really scary experience. It was like being in a cyclone. So lots of damage here. It hasn't been fun. But the community spirit is high. And we're all helping each other clean up."
The wild weather also brought a giant hail storm to the central west of New South Wales.
While, parts of regional Victoria have felt its wrath too.
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Two boats in distress carrying 119 migrants in the central Mediterranean Sea have been rescued in two operations by the NGO Sea-Watch.
The migrants, including at least a dozen children as young as three were rescued and transferred to the vessel Sea-Watch 5.
The boat remained south of Lampedusa to assist the search for a fishing boat with around 150 people on board, which was then discovered by two patrol boats of the Italian Coast Guard.
It resumed sailing towards Marina di Carrara, more than 1000 km away from the point where the migrants were rescued and indicated by the Italian authorities as the port of disembarkation.
This Sea-Watch spokesperson is on board the rescue says those rescued are suffering from exhaustion and dehydration.
"This is Christmas in the Mediterranean. Last night, we rescued 118 people from two boats in distress at sea. The people are now on board our ship, Sea-Watch 5, and our doctors are looking after them. We are now on our way north."
This year, 2,678 people have drowned while fleeing across the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration.
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Shipping firm Maersk says it is preparing to allow vessels to resume sailing through the Red Sea, thanks to the start of a US-led international naval operation to protect shipping from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Houthi attacks have led to a major disruption of shipping through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, one of the most important arteries for trade in oil, natural gas, grain and consumer goods between Europe and Asia.
Some ships were already being rerouted around the southern tip of Africa, raising concerns about prolonged delivery times and new charges on goods.
In a statement, Maersk says it is preparing its first vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea "as soon as operationally possible", but says it will be continuing to re-evaluate the security situation.
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In cricket, Australia opener Usman Khawaja has again accused the International Cricket Council of double standards, after being refused permission to display a dove of peace on his bat during the Boxing Day test.
The Pakistan-born Khawaja, who has been keen to show his support for the people of Gaza during the ongoing conflict in the enclave, was reprimanded for wearing a black armband in the first test against Pakistan in Perth earlier this month.
He had originally intended to show his support by writing the messages "Freedom is a human right" and "All lives are equal" on his boots in the colours of the Palestinian flag but that gesture also fell foul of ICC regulations.
The ICC has also rejected the move to have the logo of a dove on his bat with the message "01: UDHR", in a reference to the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that says "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights."
In a video on Instagram, Khawaja posted pictures of other international players with religious symbols and messages on their bats, with the message: "Merry Christmas everybody, sometimes you just gotta laugh #inconsistent #doublestandards".
