Israeli forces carry out their biggest Gaza ground attack to date; Brumbies to be culled in the Kosciuszko National Park; A 2-0 victory for the Matildas over Iran in an Olympic qualifier match.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Israeli forces carry out their biggest Gaza ground attack to date
- Brumbies to be culled in the Kosciuszko National Park
- A 2-0 victory for the Matildas over Iran in an Olympic qualifier match
Israeli forces have carried out their biggest Gaza ground attack in their 20-day-old war with Hamas overnight.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli troops were still preparing for a full ground invasion, while the United States and other countries urged Israel to delay, fearing it could ignite hostilities on other Middle East fronts.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says it may soon have to shut down operations in Gaza if no fuel reaches the Hamas-ruled territory amid a desperate need for shelter, water, food and medical services.
The agency's chief spokesperson Juliette Touma says fuel is needed for a range of essential services.
"We need fuel for the UN cars, we need fuel for the trucks to be able to go and bring the little supplies that are coming in. We also need it for water pumping station. We also needed desalination stations. We needed for the bakeries that we've been supporting. We need it for the vehicles that have been transporting wheat flour to the bakeries in Gaza. So, all of this is on the brink and we might not be able to continue to do any of this, if we do not get an urgent shipment of fuel to the Gaza Strip."
The Israeli military says Hamas is holding large reserves of fuel which could be used by hospitals.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is urging the United States to maintain open lines of communication with China, saying Australia understands the importance of dialogue between all parties.
The prime minister on Thursday addressed a state lunch co-hosted by US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken as his visit to Washington drew to a close.
Opposing the threat posed by China in the Indo-Pacific featured strongly in his speech.
"Australia strongly supports the Biden Administration’s efforts to maintain open lines of communication between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China. As a great American President and the father of the current US Ambassador to Australia, proved 60 years ago, during the Cuban Crisis, the true measure of a superpower’s strength is the ability to pull the world back from the brink of conflict."
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Two people have dead and 32 homes have been destroyed by a bushfire in the Western Downs region in Queensland.
An emergency warning has been issued for a large, fast-moving bushfire near Mt Isa in northern Queensland, with people in the area being urged to leave immediately.
The warning area is for Lake Moondarra Road, Barramundi Way, The Junction, and tracks and parks around Lake Moondarra, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services said early on Friday.
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New South Wales police say a body has been found during the search for a missing man wanted over a woman's suspected murder.
It comes after the body of 21-year-old Lilie James was found in the toilet area of the gym at St Andrew's Cathedral School in the CBD, just before midnight on Wednesday.
Authorities have revealed a body has been found at the base of a cliff in Vaucluse this morning during the search for the missing man, although the identity of the person found remains unclear.
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Brumbies will be shot from the air in New South Wales for the first time in an effort to cull the growing population in Kosciuszko National Park.
Environmental groups have long called for the use of aerial shooting, a move supported at a federal parliamentary inquiry in early October.
That inquiry found brumbies posed an immediate risk to native species in the Australian Alps.
Environment Minister Penny Sharpe says the approach is essential.
"It brings me no pleasure to stand here and say that we are going to have to cull all of them. But the point here is that we do have to do this and if we're going to do this then we need to do it in the most humane way. The department is working closely with the RSPCA and vets in relation to how they will manage this into the future."
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Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has described Mary Fowler as "mind-blowingly good" following the rising star's stunning cameo in their 2-0 victory over Iran.
Australia were still only holding a slender 1-0 lead when Gustavsson decided to bring on reinforcements in the 65th minute.
Superstar Sam Kerr, Fowler and Steph Catley were all introduced, to big effect.
Although it was Kerr who found the back of the net in the 78th minute to seal victory for the Matildas, Fowler was the standout player.
This fan attended the match with his daughter named Matilda.
"Awesome game, Tilda come over. Awesome game, so good and she saw Sam Kerr score right infront of her. And you could not get better than that".
