TRANSCRIPT
- Two hostages released by Hamas are returned to Israel
- New South Wales police investigate the cause of several fires across the state
- Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham have beaten Fulham to go two points clear in the Premier League
Israel says that two hostages released by Hamas are in the care of the Israeli military and are being taken to a medical facility in Israel.
The office of Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed their release after Hamas said it had freed two elderly female hostages on Monday for humanitarian reasons, in a move facilited by the Red Cross after mediation from Egypt and Qatar.
The hostages, named by Hamas as Nurit Yitzhak and Yocheved Lifshitz, are the third and fourth hostages released after a US mother and daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan, were handed over on Friday.
This follows unconfirmed reports on the possible release of 50 hostages with dual nationality, after Israel's military says it now believes 222 people, including foreign citizens, were captured by Hamas during its October 7th attacks on Israel.
The grandson of Yocheved Lifshitz, Daniel, says he is happy his grandmother is returning home.
"Very soon we will see her, meet her and unite with her, and we hope that this will only open a door for the rest of the captives to be released, which is most important, even more than their ((the women's)) release."
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The President of Microsoft has said that a $5 billion dollar investment in Australia by the company will strengthen the nation's cyber defences.
In the first major announcement of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to the United States, the single largest investment in Microsoft's 40-year history in the country, will be used to boost artificial intelligence and cloud computing infrastructure.
The investment will include a skiillng program for 300,000 workers in the country, which the Prime Minister says will help Australia to create the "jobs of the future" and take advantage of its position in the Indo-Pacific region, which has the fastest-growing population in the world.
Microsoft's vice chair and president, Brad Smith, says that AI is reshaping how nations keep their citizens safe.
"With A-I it is possible to do a far better job of detecting cyber-threats, and a far faster job of analysing what is happening, and with that data and that analysis one can take new steps to keep a nation secure."
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New South Police say they are investigating the cause of several fires on the state’s mid-North Coast which they believe to be suspicious, as fires continue to burn across the state.
The police have appealed to the public for information about a fire on October 17, 15km east of Kempsey, which has been brought under control after burning through nearly 3,000 hectares in the Hat Head National Park.
Detectives are also investigating if the fire has any links to two blazes that occurred on Crescent Head on the same day, and are keen to speak with the driver of a white Nissan ute which was seen in the area.
New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner Rob Rogers has told Channel 7 that fire services are helping police determine the causes of multiple fires.
"There's some that are escaped from property owners that have been trying to do hazard reductions themselves and they've lost control, but other ones are deemed to be suspicious and obviously we'll work with police to try and work out what happened there."
Meanwhile, rural residents in southern Queensland are being urged to evacuate as their lives could be at risk from a large fast-moving bushfire.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have today reissued a warning to leave immediately for residents in Tara and Kogan, with more than 40 firefighting crews battling to contain a blaze west of Brisbane.
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Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham have climbed to the top of the Premier League table after their 2-0 win over Fulham at the Tottenham Stadium.
Two goals in either half were enough to give the Spurs the three points, leaving them on their own at the top of the table, two points clear of Manchester City and Arsenal.
This makes Postecoglou the first manager in Premier League history to secure 23 points from the opening nine games of the season, leaving another previous coach of the Australian national team in second place.
The Australian manager says his team's great start is a credit to the fans.
"Supporters need to enjoy this. They're a big part of what we've created so far, this is our fourth home game and they've played a massive role in creating a great energy within the stadium and that helps us and makes it difficult for opposition. So, they're a big part of what we're trying to create here."
