Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says Australia's deal to accept Tuvalu climate refugees a "watershed moment", Foreign Minister Penny Wong joins international calls for Israel to end Gaza hospital strikes, and in football, Ange Postecoglou's honeymood period at Tottenham comes to an end with a second straight defeat.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Assistant Prime Minister Richard Marles says Australia's deal to accept Tuvalu climate refugees a "watershed moment"
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong joins international calls for Israel to end Gaza hospital strikes
- Ange Postecoglou's honeymood period at Tottenham comes to an end with a second straight defeat
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles says a new agreement between Australia and the Pacific nation of Tuvalu will not anger China
Mr Marles says the deal, announced at the Pacific Islands Forum on Friday (November 12), under which residents from Tuvalu facing displacement from climate change will be able to resettle in Australia, is a "watershed moment."
Australia will take in 280 people each year from the Pacific nation, which has a population of around 11,000 people, and in exchange will have a veto over Tuvalu's security arrangements with other countries.
Mr Marles has told Sky News the elevated bilateral partnership between the countries would be received well by other countries, despite China having ambitions in the region.
"The Pacific is a place of greater geo-strategic contest, there's no doubt about that, and we seek to be the natural partner of choice for countries in the Pacific. We were engaging with countries in the region, and we spoke with other countries in the region about what we were doing."
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Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong has joined international calls to urge Israel to stop attacking medical facilities, as Gaza's largest hospital comes under siege.
Israeli has denied its forces are firing directly on Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, but says there are clashes with Hamas militants around the medical centre.
Hamas health officials say a baby has died and dozens more patients are at risk, with Israeli snipers near the hospital limiting the ability of medics and people to move.
Israel has ordered civilians sheltering at hospitals in northern Gaza must leave so it can attack Hamas' command centres placed under and around them, which Hamas has denied.
Senator Wong has told the ABC's Insiders she believes Hamas is hiding under civilian infrastructure, but says Israel should respect that hospitals are facilities "protected under international law".
German Foreign Affairs Minister Annalena Baerbock, visiting Tel Aviv to show support to Israel, also raised concerns about attacks on hospitals.
"Hospitals are the most sensitive places as part of the humanitarian rule of international law. Israel, just like any country, must respect that, just as Israel like any other country has the right to self-defence."
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Almost 200 new storm and rescue vessels will help protect parts of New South Wales most at risk of flooding following record disasters that battered communities last year.
The $25 million and vessels to the N-S-W State Emergency Service flood rescue fleet follows recommendations from the Independent Flood Inquiry to improve disaster response capabilities.
Record flooding last year resulted in more than 80,000 calls for help to the NSW SES.
The upgrade includes 40 inflatable rescue vessels, 50 ark angel inflatable rescue rafts, 10 high clearance trucks, eight light flood rescue vehicles, 30 command vehicles and two heavy rescue vehicles.
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In football,
Ange Postecoglou's honeymoon period in the Premier League has come to end, after the Australian's Tottenham side suffered a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Wolves at Molineux.
Both goals for the home side were scored in injury time of the second half, after the visitors gained the advantage three minutes after the opening whistle through Brennan Johnson.
This was the second consecutive loss for the Spurs, after last week's 4-1 home defeat to London rivals Chelsea, and their second overall in the season.
It comes just after Postecoglou made history in the Premier League becoming the first coach to be named Manager of the Month three consecutive times after the start of the season.
The former Socceroos manager says the result was largely due to the changes in his lineup, forced by injuries.
"Oh look, it's always a tough game here and (the) Wolves are always going to come on strong. We probably ran out a bit of legs at the end there. Which is understandable. A lot of these guys haven't played. They scored a couple of good goals. Hard one for us to take but it is what it is."
