Five Sydney Swans players stood down for the remainder of the season, as police investigate an alleged sexual assault; Australia and Thailand pledge deeper co-operation to combat transnational crime; and in sport, Venus Williams handed a US Open wildcard
TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin;
- Five Sydney Swans players stood down for the remainder of the season, as police investigate an alleged sexual assault
- Australia and Thailand pledge deeper co-operation to combat transnational crime
- And in sport, Venus Williams handed a US Open wildcard.
Five Sydney Swans players have been stood down for the remainder of the AFL Season, following an alleged sexual assault investigation by Victoria police involving an incident at a Melbourne hotel on Monday.
In a statement, the club announced Riley Bice, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, James Jordon and Chad Warner as the players not available for selection.
The AFL says it is supportive of the sanctions handed down by the Sydney Swans.
The club says they respect that there is an ongoing investigation by Victoria Police, and the actions taken are independent of that.
--
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Thailand's Prime Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, have both issued a joint statement pledging deeper co-operation to combat transnational crime.
The Thai leader received a ceremonial welcome at parliament house in Canberra, in his first visit to Australia since taking office in late 2025.
Mr Albanese says the Royal Thai Police and Australian Federal Police already work side-by-side to intercept narcotics, dismantle scam syndicates, and boost regional responses to transnational crime.
"Today we undertake to expand on decades of work between our countries by committing law enforcement agencies to strengthen operational cooperation to disrupt increasingly sophisticated global criminal networks."
He says he's also pleased both countries have agreed to elevate their defence relationship, by committing to a biannual defence ministers meeting, which he says is an important evolution.
Thailand is Australia’s fourth-largest trading partner in Southeast Asia - and the 11th-largest trading partner overall.
--
Fire authorities are warning of an increased bushfire risk across parts of Australia this spring.
The Australasian Fire Authorities Council says heightened fire potential is expected across northern and south-eastern New South Wales, southeast Queensland, north-eastern Tasmania, parts of Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia, and much of the Northern Territory.
Below-average rainfall is increasing the risk in parts of Tasmania and Victoria, while dry soils and higher fuel loads are lifting fire potential in Western Australia.
The council's president, Darren Klemm, is urging communities to prepare now, rather than wait until a fire starts.
"It's the perfect time to prepare don't wait for a bushfire to start. Take the time now to make a plan, understand your risks; and discuss it with your loved ones."
--
More than five-thousand Ebola cases have now been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with almost half of those infected dying from the disease.
The World Health Organization says 5,021 cases have been recorded since May, along with 2,378 deaths, giving the outbreak a fatality rate of just over 47 per cent.
The UN agency says the outbreak remains a global health emergency, and warns the true number of infections could be significantly higher.
WHO official Dr Thierno Baldé, who is leading the response on the ground in Congo, says attacks on health workers are making efforts to contain the outbreak even harder.
"Yesterday, one our ambulances was attacked here in Bunia, the ambulance of the response operation was attacked here in Bunia and we are really, quietly, extremely, very regularly challenged by this situation, by these attacks on healthcare services."
--
A doctor in earthquake-hit eastern Indonesia is pleading for more help, as tens of thousands of displaced people face shortages of food, clean water and medical supplies.
At least 70 people were killed and nearly 1,200 injured when the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck East Nusa Tenggara on Saturday (Aug 15).
Aid, including food and emergency tents, is being distributed, but damaged roads and landslides have hampered access to some communities.
Doctor Melinda Bella was the only doctor treating patients in badly hit Dampek immediately after the quake.
(Indonesian* then English): "There was absolutely no one to help us on the first day. So I had to stabilise all those critically ill patients here with very limited equipment and medicines. I was extremely stressed. Our local clinic had collapsed, and we couldn’t get retrieve any of the medicines inside."
--
And in Tennis,
Two-time US Open singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild card entry into this year's tournament.
According to the International Tennis Federation, the 46-year-old has become the oldest entrant in singles at the tournament since Renee Richards played at the age of 47 in 1981.
Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round at Flushing Meadows last year; after falling to Czech player, Karolina Muchova.
Both Venus and her sister Serena Williams also returned to doubles action for the first time since 2022, suffering an opening round defeat at the Cincinnati Open.
Organisers say another women's singles wildcard spot is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, Australia's Alexei Popyrin is among the men's players to receive wild cards, joining 39-year old Frenchman Gael Monfils.
***
