Key Points
- Labor MP pressures Federal Government to lay sanctions on Israel
- Reconciliation Week begins
- Australian Open champion Madison Keys defeats Daria Saville at the French Open
TRANSCRIPT
Labor MP Ed Husic says the Australian government should commit to targeted sanctions if Israel refuses to relent in its expanded military offensive in Gaza.
Hospital staff say at least 54 Palestinians have been killed in the last 24 hours, most of them in a school building sheltering displaced families.
Gaza's Hamas-run Civil Defence says multiple bodies, including those of children, have been recovered, after fires destroyed two classrooms that were being used as living quarters.
Israel's military says it intended to target "a Hamas and Islamic Jihad command and control centre" there.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Israel’s blockade of aid into Gaza is an outrage.
Mr Husic says he wants to see stronger action from the government.
"Particularly for kids what they're going through, I don't think anyone here in this country would be untouched or be failed to be moved by that. And so it does require us to step up. And to say one, the blockade end. And two, if it doesn't that we are prepared to do targeted sanctions."
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The number of completely destroyed homes from floods in New South Wales has doubled to about 800.
The State Emergency Service says 794 homes in the Mid North Coast region have been deemed as unfit for living in, after more than 5000 damage assessments were conducted.
The number is expected to sharply rise throughout the day.
Deputy Commissioner at the SES, Daniel Austin says more reinforcements are being brought in to help the recovery operation.
"On top of the 2,400 New South Wales emergency services personnel and volunteers there is over 200 people from SES agencies right across the country. And today, we're also expecting to see crews from New Zealand land on the ground in Sydney and then travel up the coast as well."
About 12,000 people remain isolated, a reduction from the peak of 50,000 last week.
Five people have died in the floods.
Weather conditions are set to ease from Wednesday, after damaging winds pass through the region first.
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Bundjalung woman Karen Mundine says Reconciliation Week - which begins today - is about learning from history, grounding us where we are today, and charting a new path forward.
The CEO of Reconciliation Australia says this year's theme is 'Bridging Now to Next' and pays tribute the year 2000, when 250 ,000 people crossed the Sydney Harbour Bridge for reconciliation.
Ms Mundine says 25 years later, there's still a need for reconciliation in Australia, with the issues of voice, Treaty and truth-telling not yet dealt with.
Aunty Robyn Williams we all have a role to play when it comes to building communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.
"Reconciliation to me means us getting long together. It doesn't matter where you come from, who you are, you can be black, white or brindle. But you also have to acknowledge that this always was and always will be Aboriginal land. And for everyone that comes and lives in Australia - just remember to provide that respect that we so richly deserve. But it is also us opening up to everyone else and making them feel welcome."
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A 53-year-old British man has been arrested, after a car drove into a crowd of Liverpool fans celebrating the team's Premier League title success.
Police say they believe the driver acted alone and the incident is not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
The Deputy Chief Constable of Merseyside Police, Jenny Sims, has urged people against spreading misinformation, saying investigators need to be allowed to finish their work.
"Extensive inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances leading up to the collision, and it is vital that people do not speculate or spread misinformation on social media. What I can tell you is that we believe this to be an isolated incident, and we are not currently looking for anyone else in relation to it. The incident is not being treated as terrorism."
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In Tennis, Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the US has defeated Australia's Daria Saville at the French Open.
Keys won in two sets (6-2, 6-1) - and will now face Katie Boulter in the second round [[on Wednesday local time]].
Meanwhile, four-times Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka has lost to Spain's Paula Badosa 6-7(1) 6-1 6-4.
The Japanese former world number one took a medical time out; but ultimately paid the price for a slew of unforced errors - at 54, twice as many as Badosa.
She says there are things she will need to review.
"Since Rome, I have had blisters on my hands. It is like from the friction of clay because I don't have blisters on any other surface so. I think she was probably more aggressive or something. I feel that's a mistake I have made the last two matches. And it is something that I am trying to fix. But also, yeah, it was a tough match."
