TRANSCRIPT
- A firefighter dies while fighting a fire in New South Wales
- Aid reaches hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza
- Jessica Stenson breaks the Australian marathon record
A firefighter has died on the Central Coast of New South Wales, after being struck by a tree while working to contain a fire.
Paramedics treated him at the scene on Little Nugra Road at Nerong, about 90 kilometres north of Newcastle - but he succumbed to his injuries.
The firefighter worked for the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
Deputy Secretary Alex Graham says the organisation's thoughts are with the firefighter's family during this difficult time.
Premier Chris Minns has told Channel Nine it is a very sad day.
"Authorities are in the process of contacting that firefighter's family. I can't say much more than that. We are heartbroken by this news. It is devastating. And it is a reminder of what firefighters have to do to keep the public safe. It is many ways a dangerous profession. And we are deeply indebted to the men and women who devote their time to keeping us safe. This is terrible news today."
At least 20 homes have been destroyed on the Central and Mid North Coasts over the weekend, with weather conditions easing overnight.
However, the fire danger is expected to remain and increase again come Tuesday with high temperatures and wind forecast.
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A senior federal minister is defending her taxpayer-funded trips as being within government guidelines, as new details emerge about other costs.
Anika Wells has been criticised after it was revealed in Senate Estimates that her overseas trip to New York to promote Australia's social media age ban cost taxpayers $100,000 - which covered the cost of last-minute flights for herself and staff.
Ms Wells says the trip was booked at the last minute due to fallout from the deadly Optus triple-zero outage.
Further details have since emerged about trips she took to Paris, Thredbo and Adelaide.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek has told Channel Seven, it was very important for Ms Wells to be in New York.
"When we're up against the big tech giants having that sort of global support really helps us in what we're doing. And the reason we're doing this of course is because we're being contacted by so many parents who are worried about the impact that social media has had on their kids - or is having on a whole generation of kids. Being in New York was valuable, important - it helps Australia's interests and it helps us do what we want to do, which is stand up to the big tech giants and protect our kids."
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The state governments in New South Wales and South Australia are joining the federal government to defend against a High Court challenge on the social media ban.
The case is being brought by two teenagers and supported by the "Digital Freedom Project".
They argue against banning kids from social media as it infringes on implied freedom of communication.
The social media ban takes effect on Wednesday and applies to 10 platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat and X.
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Mortgage holders aren't expected to get an early Christmas present from the Reserve Bank, with a cut to interest rates all but off the table.
The central bank will begin two days of talks on Monday in its final board meeting of the year, after which the official cash rate is expected to remain at 3.6 per cent.
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Nearly two months after a fragile ceasefire took hold in the Gaza Strip, international aid agencies say they have finally been able to reach hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with basic food supplies.
It marks a much needed change from the limited and sporadic aid permitted before the war was paused on the 10th of October and the months-long blockade was lifted.
The World Food Programme says it reached 1.1 million people in November, delivering food parcels and wheat flour to nearly half of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Boxes containing rice, lentils, canned beans, tomatoes and cooking oil are now being distributed across 59 sites, including in Gaza City.
Maxime Le Lijour is the W-F-P communication officer in Gaza.
"I’m currently at the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and Gaza, where today we picked up 47 trucks worth of lifesaving humanitarian aid. Thirty of these trucks contain WFP food supplies, while 17 are for other humanitarian partners that we are supporting through the logistics."
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British photographer Martin Parr died at his home on Bristol at the age of 73.
The Martin Parr Foundation confirmed the news.
A celebrated photographer, Parr was known for his documentary-style photography focusing on British social class that was often colourful and satirical, but also thought-provoking.
Having risen to prominence in the 1980s, his career went on to span decades.
In this interview, he says photography continues to play an important role in society.
"I think people still think of photography as something that's done as a craft rather than as an accessory to other arts. Whereas, if you look at the democracy of photography, you look at the incredible number of people who are posting images on Instagram, the support photography, photography shows are very popular. Photographic books sell very well. So, it's really just the establishment from the art world catching up and understanding how important photography is."
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In athletics, Jessica Stenson has broken the Australian marathon record with her race time in Spain.
The 38-year-old crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 25 seconds at the Valencia Marathon - nine seconds faster than the previous record set by her friend Sinead Driver of 2 hours, 21 minutes and 34 seconds.
Stenson says she had anticipated experiencing a lot of mental pain to break the record, but was pleasantly surprised to find a rhythm and flow in the race.
