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- Fighting continues between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
- Search continues missing NT five-year-old.
- Jarome Luai excited to join the PNG Chiefs in 2028.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the country has blown up a tunnel used by Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The strike has come despite a US brokered ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, with Hezbollah continuing to fire rocket attacks and launch drones at targets in northern Israel, and also Israeli troops in Lebanon.
Israel says its own attacks are designed to destroy homes it maintains are being used by the Iran-backed militant group.
Mr Netanyahu says these strikes will continue.
"Today, we blew up a massive Hezbollah terrorist tunnel. We are destroying their terrorist infrastructure, we are killing scores of terrorists, and we are not done yet. We are operating within the security zone, south of the Litani, north of the Litani, in the Beqaa Valley, and in northern Lebanon. A few weeks ago, I gave a directive for a special project to eliminate the drone threat. It will take time but we will blow that up too."
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King Charles has spoken of the importance of nations working togther, in an historic address to a joint sitting of the United States Congress.
It's only the second time a British Monarch has addressed the US Congress. The first was his mother, Queen Elizabeth.
The comments come a day after a British parliamentary committee released a report about the AUKUS partnership, saying the deal is threatened by dwindling political leadership and faltering investment, as well as some associated doubts about the ability to comfortably meet the terms of the agreement.
King Charles has described the AUKUS partnership as the most ambitious submarine program in history.
"We do not embark on these remarkable endeavours together out of sentiment. We do so because they build greater shared resilience for the future, so making our citizens safer for generations to come. Our common ideals were not only crucial for liberty and equality, they are also the foundation of our shared prosperity."
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A former OPEC officer says the United Arab Emirates decision to leave the organisation could weaken the group.
OPEC, or the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, is a group of 12 countries that controls around one-third of global crude oil production; and the OPEC+ Alliance controls just over half of global crude oil production.
Geopolitical analyst at Rystad Energy, Jorge Leon is a former OPEC officer in Vienna.
He says the new development does make it more difficult for OPEC to achieve its main purpose to stabilise oil markets, which by their nature are prone to volatility, instability, and geopolitical risk.
"The fact that the UAE, a very important member of the organisation, which has a lot of spare capacity, around one-third of the spare capacity of the organization, even a bit more, is held by the UAE, really means that this could be detrimental for the cohesion of the group. And the important question now is, what is Saudi Arabia going to do?"
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Police in the Northern Territory have used thermal imaging drones in their continuing search today for a missing five-year-old girl.
On-the-ground work resumed this morning with police on foot and mounted police, other emergency services, helicopters and members of the public scouring tough terrain near Alice Springs in the hunt for Sharon Granites and recently released prisoner Jefferson Lewis.
Sharon was last seen in a home at the Old Timers Aboriginal camp on Saturday night and was reported missing early on Sunday morning.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says more than $45 million will be allocated over the next four years to progress environmental bilateral agreements with states and territories.
The funding is designed to encourage state governments across the country to prioritise signing on to new assessment and approval agreements with the Commonwealth.
Mr Albanese made the announcement in a speech to the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA in Perth ahead of the federal budget.
He says the measure will remove approval duplication.
"So instead of two statesa two-track process with all of the cost delays and doubling up that occurs. This will be a one-step process. With one clearer, faster yes or no. After too many wasted years, this can be a circuit-breaker if the states step up and sign up. And I pleased that premier Roger Cook has been the first to sign a MOU (memorandum of understanding) to begin formal negotiations for a bilateral assessment agreement."
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In the N-R-L,
Jarome Luai says he's excited for the good the Chiefs will do for Papua New Guinea, after confirming he'll leave Wests Tigers to take up a tax-free contract and become the face of the team in 2028.
The Samoan international has joined South Sydney winger Alex Johnston in signing-on with the new NRL club.
Luai has signed a two-year deal with the Chiefs, which includes an option in his favour for a third year.
He says it's big decision for him.
"Probably more a vision - something that I resonated with. Being Polynesian, there are a lot of similarities with Samoa and things like that. What that team is eventually going to do for people is grow a nation, so that is something that resonated with me."
