Key Points
- Anthony Albanese responds to critics over nation's position on Gaza
- Calls for end to war in Gaza after two charity workers killed
- Carlos Verona secures stage win at Giro d'Italia
TRANSCRIPT
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he has been clear about the Australian government's position on Gaza, with repeated statements on the need for an immediate ceasefire.
Calls are growing for Australia to join the UK, France and Canada in threatening sanctions, if Israel's campaign continues.
Over the weekend, Labor MP Ed Husic called out his own party in an opinion piece for the Guardian, saying Australia "could have proudly joined" the three countries last week in taking "an important stand".
Mr Albanese says he has made numerous joint statements on the need to end the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
"Joint statements that I have made with the Prime Ministers of Canada and New Zealand, calling for humanitarian aid to be allowed. Australia isn't a participant (in the conflict). People should not be bringing conflict here, which some of the acts of antisemitism have attempted to do. But you can be a clear opponent of that. And still be able to critical of the actions of the Israeli government."
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The International Committee of the Red Cross has made an urgent appeal to end the war in Gaza, after two of their staff members were killed in an air strike.
The aid group did not say who was behind the attack, but Israel has acknowledged it carried out strikes in Khan Yunis on Saturday.
Gaza health authorities say Israel's military offensive has now killed more than 53,900 Palestinians since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ali Abu Hashem is a friend of the two Red Cross staff members killed, Ibrahim Eid and Ahmad Abu Hilal.
He says they didn't need to die.
"What is the reason for assassinating them? What did they do? Words cannot express all this. Israel don’t distinguish press or safety; they don’t have any red lines."
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Weather conditions are expected to complicate recovery efforts for flood-hit communities on the mid-north coast of New South Wales.
Multiple states are facing wind gusts of up to 125 kilometres-per-hour across Australia's south-east, as a strong cold front moves in.
About 32,000 residents across 14 communities remain isolated, even as floodwaters recede.
Joe Buffone- from the National Emergency Management Agency - says animal welfare is a big concern for the farming communities.
"Significant stock have been affected. And this cold front coming through will also have an impact on that. I want to give everybody comfort that Commonwealth, state and local governments are all working collaboratively to make sure the community that are affected are being supported. However, unfortunately, we're still seeing some flood rescues. If it is flooded, forget it. SES are continuing to do rescues; and it is pulling resources away from a whole range of other priority activities."
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Russia and Ukraine have completed a three-day prisoner of war exchange, with each side swapping 303 more detainees.
The agreement to exchange 1,000 prisoners each was the only concrete step towards peace to emerge last week from the first direct talks between the warring sides in more than three years.
They failed to agree to a ceasefire.
This Russian solider was part of the swap.
"I have no words. To be honest, I didn't believe till the last moment, until I changed into my uniform, that I had really been changed and that I am in Russia."
Some Ukrainian soldiers celebrated their freedom by sharing chocolate.
Meanwhile, Russian forces launched a barrage of 367 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities overnight, including the capital Kyiv, in the largest aerial attack of the war so far.
Officials say at least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured.
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Australians are marking National Sorry Day and the start of Reconciliation Week.
This year's theme is Bridging Now to Next - connecting the past, present and future.
The day and week remember the impact of government policies that saw as many as 1 in 3 Indigenous children forcibly removed from their families between 1910 and the 1970s.
These children have become known as the Stolen Generations.
Heidi Tucker is the CEO of Anchor Community Care, which works with vulnerable children at risk of homelessness.
"Aboriginal children are still 22 times more likely to be taken into the care of the state than non-Aboriginal children. Those are statistics that we need to change. What can we do now that bridges future goals and future outcomes for Aboriginal people. We need to commit to now and the future of reconciliation."
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In cycling, Carlos Verona has claimed his first Grand Tour stage win, using a long-range solo attack in stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia.
The 32-year-old Spaniard has been cycling on the World Tour for 13 years, and it was just his second professional victory after winning a stage on the Criterium du Dauphine in 2022.
He says he didn't set out to the win stage, but then circumstances changed.
"And actually I was enjoying this Giro the most because it was the first one I didn't have the ambition maybe to win a stage, you know? Yeah, and then everything changed yesterday, like we lost Cicco. And today I said 'Okay, maybe I don't want to do it for me, but I have to do it for the team'. I only got one victory before, it was in the same situation - the day before we lost our leader. And today I was riding with my mind and my legs in them. And today I was fully with all my heart for this team."
Isaac Del Toro has retained his overall lead heading into the final week.
