TRANSCRIPT
- Israel tells civilians in Gaza's southern region of Rafah to evacuate.
- The bodies of Australian brothers missing in Mexico identified by family.
- And in tennis, Andrey Rublev defeats an Felix Auger-Aliassime to win his second Masters 1000 title.
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The Israeli military has called on Palestinians in eastern parts of Rafah to move to a nearby “humanitarian area” in what appears to be the beginning of a civilian evacuation ahead of a ground invasion of the southern Gazan city.
A military statement says posters, text messages, phone calls and media announcements would be used to “encourage ... the gradual movement of civilians in the specified areas”.
This comes after an escalation of violence in Rafah since yesterday, with Israeli attacks killing at least 22 people including eight children according to local news agency Wafa.
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The family of two Australian brothers who went missing on a surfing trip in Mexico have identified their bodies.
The remains of 33-year-old Callum and 30-year-old Jake Robinson were found in a well, along with those of their American friend Jack Carter Rhoad.
Authorities are treating the discovery as a murder investigation.
Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the confirmation of their identities is "frankly horrendous news".
"We can only imagine what this whole ordeal has been like for them, and for the loved ones of Callum and Jake. I think the whole country's heart goes out to all of their loved ones. It has been an absolutely horrendous, absolutely horrific ordeal and our thoughts are with all of them today."
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The body of a man has been pulled from rough seas off Sydney after he went overboard from a cruise ship early Monday morning.
Water police battled big swells to search for the passenger from P&O's Pacific Adventure after a ship alarm was sounded at 4AM.
New South Wales Police's Marine Area Command retrieved the man's body more than six hours later.
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The government has flagged it will deliver $1 billion in savings in the upcoming federal budget by cutting the public service's use of contractors, consultants and other external labour.
Finance minister Katy Gallagher says the government is restoring the balance in the public service by delivering "responsible, reasonable, needed" investments for areas that didn't have ongoing funding.
She named some areas of what she called unavoidable spending, including sustaining the portal MyGov, providing extra staff at Services Australia, and improving digital capabilities.
But the minister says there are considerable savings to be found by cutting the use of external labour.
"You will see savings in this budget. They are getting harder to find, I don't pretend otherwise. We're looking line by line, we look under each desk to see what we can find. But we have taken the decision to find another billion dollars in savings around the use of external labour - consultants, contractors, labour hire."
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A spreadsheet which circulated at a prestigious Melbourne school rating the appearance of female students has been condemned by the Victorian Premier as "utterly unacceptable".
At least three male students from Yarra Valley Grammar in Ringwood have been suspended over the list, which principal Mark Merry says has shocked and outraged the co-ed school's community.
Dr Merry told ABC News the spreadsheet used offensive terms to rank female students and referenced sexual violence.
Premier Jacinta Allan linked the list to high rates of violence against women and says sexist commentary about women is utterly unacceptable and must be called out wherever it occurs.
"We do need to think about how we understand and provide support to young men and boy as well. Helping them to understand why this is utterly unacceptable. Giving them the tools to call it out as well, in their social circumstances. This is something that sits on each and every one of us, that we've got a responsibility to play a role."
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In tennis,
Andrey Rublev overcame an opening set wobble to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6 7-5 7-5 in the Madrid Open and win his second Masters 1000 title.
Auger-Aliassime was chasing his first ever Masters title and looked well set for victory
