The federal government announces support for those affected by Queensland bushfires; Prime Minister Anthony Albanese renews calls for an end to the war in Gaza; Lionel Messi wins a record eighth Ballon d'Or title.
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TRANSCRIPT
- The federal government announces support for those affected by Queensland bushfires
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese renews calls for an end to the war in Gaza
- Lionel Messi wins a record eighth Ballon d'Or title
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says support will be provided to those affected by the deadly wildfires in Brisbane as more homes have been lost in a deadly blaze to the west of the state.
The Western Downs fire has already claimed one life and forced hundreds to evacuate, burning 20,000 hectares over 10 days.
Fatigued crews face one of their toughest days yet with an extreme fire danger warning issued today for the Darling Downs and Granite Belt region where the Tara blaze continues to threaten homes.
Wind gusts of up to 40km/h are expected, along with 37C heat.
Mr Albanese says Agriculture Minister Murray Watt will survey the area to see how the afflicted can be further supported.
"We are providing support. Tara, as of 7.30 last night was at watch-and-act level. Today we will have established a recovery centre in Tara. We expect some 42,000 claims as a result of these fires so far. minister Murray Watt is visiting that area today to see what other support can be offered."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has once again condemned the unrest in Gaza.
It comes after the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network accused six of seven former Prime Ministers of hypocrisy over their take on the the rising tensions in Gaza.
But the six were accused by the advocacy group of allowing themselves to be used as a tool to minimise Israel's gross violations of international law for the past 75 years.
The Prime Minister says every innocent loss of life is a tragedy.
"It is important that we recognise that the attacks from Hamas on Israel are worthy of absolute condemnation in an unequivocal way. It’s also important to recognise that Israel has a right to defend itself, but how it does that matters. And we need to make sure as well that every civilian life is valued. Whether it be Israeli or Palestinian."
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The federal government will announce a $10 million campaign in conjunction with all states and territories to address teacher shortages across the country.
The campaign dubbed 'Be That Teacher' will feature public school educators sharing their stories on when they realised how important teaching really is.
They will be published on a government-owned website.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten says they hope to get more young people involved in teaching.
"We need more teachers. Teaching's a great profession and we want to encourage young people and people who might be thinking of what to do with a job to become teachers. So, be that teacher is a smart idea, it reminds you of the good teachers that we've had in our lives who've given us that inspiration to try harder or fall in love with a topic or an issue. So we just need good teachers so I think it's great to encourage people."
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Australia's largest bank will make solar panels and home batteries available through interest-free loans as part of a growing portfolio of green finance offerings.
The Commonwealth Bank will launch the product later today, offering loans of up to $30,000 for renewable energy technology ordered through partner UPowr.
The bank's latest green loan comes one month after it announced a deal with Tesla to finance electric cars, and after several of its banking rivals offered customers discounts and incentives to borrow money for environmentally friendly homes and products.
The announcement also comes after a CSIRO report found adding solar panels and switching to an electric vehicle could save households up to $1500 a year.
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In football,
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d'Or for a record eighth time in his career.
The Argentine lead his national team to success in the 2022 World Cup, while he also enjoyed club success with French club Paris Saint-Germain helping them win the domestic league.
Messi thanked his family and friends for helping him reach this success.
"Of course, I would also like to thank my family in Argentina, those in Miami, my wife who has been with me since the start of my career, who supported me in tough times and who allowed me to accomplish my dreams."
In the women's category, the award was given to Aitana Bonmati of Spain who won the Women's World Cup in the Australia and New Zealand tournament, while also winning the UEFA Women's Champions League with FC Barcelona.
Australia's Sam Kerr was the runner up.
