TRANSCRIPT
- Iran launches drones at Israel in retaliation to strikes on Tehran
- State and federal health ministers agree to a rapid review of IVF clinic rules
- Australia in deep trouble in the World Test Championship final
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The conflict between Iran and Israel continues to escalate, with both countries now attacking each other.
Israel has conducted its largest ever military attack on Iran, hitting around 100 targets including nuclear facilities and military command centres.
In response, Iran is now launching a series of retaliatory missile strikes inside Israel.
The Israeli military says its defence systems are operating to intercept, adding that the public has been instructed to enter a protected space and remain there until further notice.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, says Iran will not hold back in responding.
"Life will become bitter for them, without a doubt. They should not think they struck and it’s over — no. They started this and triggered a war. We will not allow them to walk away unscathed from the great crime they have committed."
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Australia has joined countries in calling for a de-escalation of the Iran-Israel situation.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the situation is highly concerning, and must be resolved diplomatically.
"We want to see a dialogue. We, of course, are very conscious of the threat that Iran becoming a nuclear state would represent to peace and security in the region as well. We want to see these issues resolved through dialogue."
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has since issued a do not travel advisory for Israel, saying nowhere in Israel is safe to travel - given the deteriorating security situation.
While Iran has long been on DFAT’s do not travel list, an update advises Australians in the country to shelter in place, and warns flights could stop with little notice.
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State and federal health ministers have agreed to a rapid review of IVF clinic rules, after two embryo mix-ups at a leading IVF clinic, Monash IVF.
However, a bid to create an independent regulator has been blocked by Queensland.
Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls told a meeting of health ministers that the state had recently made changes to tighten the oversight of assisted reproductive technology - and he doesn't think an independent regulator is necessary.
Victoria's Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas says the current system lacks adequate accountability.
"I think it's concerning that in fact, that there may well be more errors that we don't know about. And that is because the body that currently accredits fertility care providers is made up of fertility care providers. And that's why I find Queensland's position so perplexing."
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Aboriginal legal services and justice advocates have criticised the Queensland Government's proposal to reinstate laws criminalising public drunkenness.
Queensland became the last state or territory in Australia to decriminalise public drunkenness - with the change commencing last year in September.
The move came 30 years after the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody recommended it.
Police Minister Dan Purdie says the Crisafulli Liberal government is considering reinstating public drunkenness laws.
Greg Shadbolt is the Principal Legal Officer at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services.
He told NITV the laws, disproportionately target First Nations people, especially those sleeping on the streets.
"Who's most likely to be arrested? Myself or the homeless guy? I think it's a rhetorical question. So these things are very much applied disproportionately, and we'd hate to see that public intoxication without anything else being reintroduced to criminalised people. If someone's minding their own business, they're not doing anything and they're simply intoxicated - that shouldn't be an offence."
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In cricket, Australia is on the verge of an upset defeat to South Africa in the final of the World Test Championship in London- and star batsman Steve Smith is facing time on the sidelines with a serious finger injury.
With two days to go, South Africa needs just 69 more runs to win, with eight wickets in hand.
They are 2 for 213, chasing 282 to win.
Opening batsman Aiden Markram scoring an unbeaten century to put them in a winning position, after the bowlers from both teams had dominated the first two and half days of the match.
Smith dropped an easy catch that would have dismissed Temba Bavuma, had South Africa 3 for 76.
In doing so, he suffered a finger injury that could put him out of Australia's forthcoming tour of the Caribbean.
