At least ten thousand people missing in floods in Libya; A new law to target defence personnel spilling Australia's state secrets; Port Adelaide unsure if Charles Dixon will play in their semi-final against G-W-S.
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TRANSCRIPT:
- At least ten thousand people missing in floods in Libya;
- A new law to target defence personnel spilling Australia's state secrets;
- Port Adelaide unsure if Charles Dixon will play in their semi-final against G-W-S.
Residents of the devastated Libyan city of Derna are desperately searching for missing relatives after a catastrophic flood that killed thousands of people and swept many out to sea.
Swathes of the Mediterranean city were obliterated by a torrent of water unleashed by a powerful storm that swept down a usually dry riverbed on Sunday night, bursting dams above the city.
It's understood multi-storey buildings have collapsed with sleeping families inside, and that at least 10,000 have gone missing across Libya in flooding caused by the storm.
Director of the Wahda Hospital, Mohamad al-Qabisi, says health workers are doing their best to account for everyone.
"The number of dead in this particular section (of the hospital) is 1,700 deaths so far. We counted them as they were lying in the hallways. Whoever is identified (by family or friends) is then buried. There are some who have not been identified - so we started photographing them and assigning numbers to them, then burying them as well. On the other side, they buried 500 people. Things are very bad; the hospital is dilapidated."
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Australia is introducing new laws that will require former soldiers and defence staff to get approval before they work for a foreign government or military service.
Those who spill the nation's most classified secrets will face decades behind bars.
Defence Minister Richard Marles says the new laws will strengthen national security by identifying people who may be working either unwittingly or deliberately for a foreign entity or government.
He says the legislation would also give Washington and London greater confidence in Australia's commitment to keeping secrets under the AUKUS agreement, through which it will acquire nuclear-propelled submarines.
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Supporters of Julian Assange have released an open letter to Washington in Parliament today.
The letter has 64 signatories from Senators and M-Ps, and calls on the United States to drop proceedings to extradite the WikiLeaks founder from the to the U-S.
Independent MP Andrew Wilkie is Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Julian Assange Group.
He says the vast majority of Australians believe it's the right thing to do.
"The fact that so many Senators and members have signed this letter reflects the broad and deep concern in the Australian community. In fact, by some polling, 9 out of 10 Australians agree that the Assange matter has gone on long enough, and that the extradition and prosecution needs to be dropped."
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Australia has been given more time by world heritage authorities to address threats to the Great Barrier Reef.
The World Heritage-listed site has been in danger of attracting what's known as an in danger listing, but Australia has lobbied hard against that.
The World Heritage Committee has now recommended Australia be granted until February next year to show how it's limiting the harm caused to the reef by climate change, poor water quality, and other menaces - and potentially avoiding the in danger listing.
Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says it's the right decision.
"Sources close to UNESCO said some time ago that the difference between the old government and our government, it's a bit like night and day and the real big change here is our commitment to act to reduce carbon pollution to take climate change seriously and I think this listing is a real reflection of that. So great news."
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A-F-L Legend Michael Long has just completed his 19-day walk from Melbourne to Canberra in support of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
The trek is a recreation of his 2004 Long Walk in support of reconciliation.
Mr Long says he retraced his steps because not enough has changed for the better since his meeting with then Prime Minister John Howard almost 20 years ago.
"In the 19 years since that meeting, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians has not closed. In some areas it has widened, according to our Productivity Commission latest report. That's why we set out from Melbourne again 19 days ago. A yes vote in the referendum on the Voice to Parliament will give Indigenous people the self-determination they asked for all those years ago."
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Port Adelaide are facing a tough call, on whether to gamble on spearhead Charlie Dixon's fitness for their do-or-die semi-final against G-W-S.
Power forward Dixon hasn't played since their round-20 loss on July 29 thanks to a foot injury.
The Power will have their main training session tonight when those pushing to prove their fitness will get one last chance at staking their claim.
Dixon had limited involvement in training on Monday, when teammate Connor Rozee described him as a "big chance" to face the Giants.
