TRANSCRIPT
- Hezbollah flags to be banned at a Gaza rally in Sydney ahead of October 7
- Google in New Zealand threatens to cut off news content from its search results
- Australia's women's T20 side preparing for their World Cup title defence
Flags belonging to Hezbollah and any other organisation listed as a terrorist group will be banned from a protest to be held on Sunday ahead of the October 7 anniversary.
An agreement has been struck between the organisers of a pro-Palestinian protest in Sydney and New South Wales Police, following reports a small number of demonstrators displayed Hezbollah flags at earlier rallies.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb says the details of the location and route of the protest are still being negotiated before it can be officially approved.
But she says the organisers have already accepted that particular condition.
"No flags, portraits or symbols connected to a prohibited terrorist organisation will be displayed. The NSW Police Force have not opposed the new Form 1 ((the document required to get approval for the protest))) and will work with organisers to conduct a high visibility policing operation on Sunday to ensure the safety of the community."
**
Armed men have killed at least 70 people in Haiti, after sweeping through a town firing automatic rifles at residents.
The killings are believed to have taken place in Pont-Sonde, a major rice producing town in Haiti's Artibonite region and an important crossing connecting the capital Port-au-Prince to the north.
The slaughter is the latest sign of a worsening conflict in the Caribbean country, where armed gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and are expanding to nearby regions.
United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says a solution to the crisis must be urgently found.
"The Secretary-General stresses the importance of the joint efforts undertaken by the Haitian National Police and the Multinational Security Support Mission. Those efforts need to be supported.”
**
Google's New Zealand division says it will have to stop linking to news content in its search results if the government passes a law requiring payment for articles it displays.
The legislation currently being considered by New Zealand would force tech companies to strike deals for sharing revenue generated from news content with the media outlets who have produced it.
The vow to sever Google traffic to New Zealand news sites echoes strategies the firm deployed as Australia and Canada prepared to enact similar laws in recent years.
**
Mining magnate Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest has committed more than $18 million to aid supplies in Gaza through his not-for-profit Minderoo Foundation.
About $7 million is earmarked for the United Nation's World Food Program, and another $7 million will support the World Central Kitchen, the organisation that slain aid worker Australian Zomi Frankom belonged to.
The remainder will be given to the Palestinian Water Authority, UNICEF and other local partners to help deliver water and sanitation infrastructure.
**
A group of industry organisations have formed an unlikely alliance to call for change to economic models they say incentivise the destruction of nature.
The conservationists, insurance companies, industry bodies, and accountants say Australia has one of the highest extinction rates in the world and that biodiversity loss could impact business supply chains and cause reputational risk.
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is one of the alliance members.
Head of Policy Christian Gergis says collaboration will be the key to finding workable solutions.
"Nature is key to our shared prosperity. A strong economy depends on a strong natural environment, and we need collective effort from business, government and the community to restore our natural environment for today's generation - and tomorrow's."
**
At risk babies in Victoria will be offered free immunisation against the Respiratory Syncytial Virus - or RSV - from next winter.
The infant vaccine provides protection for about five months, which covers the winter peak of RSV infections from April to September.
Premier Jacinta Allan says the program will ease pressure on hospital departments, which saw more than 3800 infants admitted with RSV-related conditions in the last year.
"One of my babies when they were only a couple of months old contracted RSV. It's a really awful, awful illness and it can be quite fatal for the littlest and sickest of babies."
**
To sport, Australia is preparing to launch their Women's T20 World Cup defence in Sharjah.
Coach Shelley Nitschke says competition for places in their all-conquering side are just about as hot as the-soaring temperatures in the UAE.
She says there are many world-class operators in the squad.
