TRANSCRIPT
- The head of Hezbollah in Lebanon threatens Cyprus
- Hundreds of heat-related deaths during the Hajj pilgrimage
- Erriyon Knighton to compete in US Olympic running trials despite testing positive for a banned substance
The head of Hezbollah has threatened Israel and Cyprus in a televised address to the nation of Lebanon, a day after a top US envoy met officials in an attempt to ease tensions.
Hezbollah has spent the past eight months trading fire with Israel in parallel with the Gaza war.
Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in his address that nowhere would be safe from "our missiles and drones" if Israel escalated the conflict in the region.
He has also singled out Cyprus, saying it had been allowing Israel to use its airports and bases for military exercises.
"The Cypriot government must be warned that opening Cypriot airports and bases for the Israeli enemy to target Lebanon means that the Cypriot government has become part of the war and the resistance (Hezbollah) will deal with it as part of the war."
_
Hundreds of people have died from heat-related distress during this year's Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
One list circulating online suggests there are at least 550 casualties.
Heat-related deaths are not new and have been recorded back to the 1400s - but Climate Analytics scientist Fahad Saeed says since the timing of the hajj is determined by the lunar year, by the 2040s it will coincide with the peak of summer in Saudi Arabia.
He says that makes even more people vulnerable to heat stress.
"We need to prepare, we need to adapt, we need to introduce the adaptation option as much as we can. While realising that it will compromise on the centuries old ritual, but still we need to save people. But at the same time, we must do climate action to stop the global warming at 1.5 degrees centigrade. At anything beyond that, we are putting those pilgrims at risk of death."
_
The New South Wales government has defended its decision to introduce a payroll tax rebate for GPs at bulk billing clinics, as well as a waiver for past unpaid tax liabilities.
Once the rebate is legislated, it will give an ongoing rebate for contractor GP wages for clinics with bulk-billing rates above 80 percent in metropolitan Sydney, and above 70 percent in the rest of the state.
Doctors have said the previous payroll tax would have made clinics unviable, and force GPs to charge patients around $20 extra per visit.
Health Minister Ryan Park says they have heard the concerns of the medical community, and are also confident that the measure will reduce the strain on the state’s busy hospital system.
"What we know in New South Wales right now is this: the pressure on our emergency departments has never been as great as it is now. The last quarter, we saw over 800,000 patients present to our emergency departments. What we cannot afford to see is any further reductions in bulk billing, and as a result leaving people with no other opportunity other than to attend their local emergency department. That's not sustainable."
_
Remote communities in Far North Queensland will soon get a reprieve from skyrocketing cost of living expenses with a 20 percent discount on groceries.
The reprieve will come in the form of a 15 percent increase to the Remote Communities Freight Assistance Scheme, with the discount on essential goods such as milk, bread and fresh produce rising from 5.2 per cent to 20 per cent.
About 32 retailers across the Cape York, Torres Strait and Gulf regions have signed up to participate in the scheme.
Premier Steven Miles says the change will help with cost of living pressures.
"This is all about addressing what Queenslanders have said to me, which is their number one concern right now is how much it costs to pay for the basics. And we want to support these remote communities so that they can put fresh food on the table for their families."
_
To sport,
Sprinter Erriyon Knighton will remain eligible to run at the upcoming US Olympic trials, despite testing positive for a banned substance.
An arbitration panel has determined the presence of the performance enhancer trenbolone was the result of contaminated meat purchased in Florida.
But the decision can be appealed by either the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which oversees doping in track and field, or the World Anti-Doping Agency.
