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TRANSCRIPT
- Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong calls the Israeli air strike on aid workers a deadly failure.
- Julie Bishop appointed as the next United Nations Special Envoy to Myanmar...
- And in the NRL, Sydney Roosters winger Dom Young to be sidelined for at least two games after a high shot on Blake Taaffe.
Sydney Roosters winger Dom Young to be sidelined for at least two games after a high shot on Blake Taaffe.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has accused Israel of not taking appropriate action following drone strikes which killed Zomi Frankcom and six colleagues while they were delivering aid in Gaza.
The foreign affairs minister has called for clear, practical, action from Israel Defence Forces after it dismissed two officers for violating the army's rules of engagement.
Senator Wong has also confirmed the government will appoint a special adviser to ensure a thorough investigation into the air strike.
The Israeli Defense Forces say its drone operators had mistaken an aid worker for a gunman and targeted a World Central Kitchen vehicle with a missile.
Ms Wong says Israel is aware of Australia's view on full transparency regarding Israel's investigation into the deaths.
"We have made clear after we were verbally briefed that we have not yet received sufficient information to satisfy our expectations. The Deputy Prime Minister and I wrote to our counterparts overnight to reiterate Australia's expectations. In that letter, we raised Australia's concerns that Israel at that time had not yet taken appropriate action in relation to the individuals involved in that incident."
The World Central Kitchen says the Israeli investigation is an important step but there needs to be a systemic change to prevent more apologies and more grieving families.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution to halt all arms sales to Israel, in an effort to prevent further violations of international humanitarian law.
It's the first time the U-N Human Rights Council has taken a stance in the conflict.
The resolution urges countries to cease the sale, transfer, and diversion of arms, munitions, and other military equipment to Israel.
A Chinese representative says the Gaza Strip is suffering an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, and the urgent task is to ensure the timely and full implementation of the U-N Security Council resolutions on a ceasefire in Gaza.
"China calls on all parties to faithfully implement the resolution of the GA, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council on the rights of the Palestinian people, and urges Israel to investigate and hold to account the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people and compensate their victims. In view of the above, China will vote in favor of the draft resolution. And I’ll certainly call on other members of the council to do the same."
The United Nations has appointed former Australia Foreign Minister Julie Bishop to be the next UN Special Envoy to Myanmar.
In his announcement, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says Ms Bishop brings extensive political, legal, management and senior leadership experience to the role.
Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong says the special envoy plays a vital role in sustaining international attention and supporting co-ordinated efforts towards a peaceful resolution in the troubled Southeast Asian nation.
It's expected to be a challenging role, with the United Nations estimating 18.6 million people in Myanmar will need humanitarian assistance in 2024.
Lisa Doughten from the UN says food insecurity is affecting nearly 13 million people there.
"As a crisis is disproportionately impacting women and girls, almost 9.7 million of them are in need of humanitarian assistance. With escalating violence increasing their vulnerability and exposure to trafficking and gender based violence. Since November 2023, renewed conflict in Rakhine State, including shelling an urban areas, has been severely affecting the lives of people in all its communities. The stateless Rohingya population is particularly vulnerable and is increasingly caught between two fighting parties."
Victorian Police have arrested 50 young people in Melbourne's west as part of an effort to target youth gang members.
Operation Alliance has been conducted ahead of the school holidays, with police conducting arrest warrants and firearm prohibition order checks.
20 children aged 10-17 were arrested, as well as 15 youth aged between 18 and 24 years-old.
The operation has led to 387 known youth gang members being arrested over the last 12 months - charged with a total of over 3,000 offences.
And in sport,
The Sydney Roosters' Dom Young is set to be sidelined for at least two games after the NRL charged him over his high shot on Canterbury's Blake Taaffe.
After being sent off for the hit in the first half of the Roosters' 30-26 loss to the Bulldogs, Young suffered further bad news when handed a grade-three charge by the match review committee.
The winger will miss two games if he pleads guilty, and would risk a third match on the sideline if he contests the charge and loses.
It would mean Young misses a first clash with his former club Newcastle, as well as the blockbuster against Melbourne the following week.
