TRANSCRIPT
- A UN vote on a ceasefire in the Middle East delayed
- A cyclone evacuation to occur off the Queensland coast
- The Mariners thrash Western United 4-0 in the opening game of the A-League Men's seventh round.
The United Nations Security Council vote on an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been delayed to allow for a planned meeting in Washington.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet representatives from the Palestinian Authority, as well as Turkiye, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
The vote on the ceasefire demand, presented by the United Arab Emirates, as the Arab representative on the 15-member Security Council, will now take place at 9.30am Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time.
The Palestinian U-N Envoy, Riyad Mansour, is urging support for the proposal.
"We call on you in the name of humanity, in the name of justice, in the name of peace, to vote for a ceasefire by supporting the resolution presented by the United Arab Emirates. We thank all those co-sponsoring it from across the globe. What is happening in Palestine now and what will happen next will determine the future of our region for generations to come.”
The US and Israel currently oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas.
The US is one of five countries with veto power in the Security Council.
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Mohammed Al Shawwa, an Australian that has been trapped in Gaza, has finally been granted approval to leave the territory by the Australian government and has been reunited with his family.
After watching his six children and heavily pregnant wife evacuate to Egypt two weeks ago he had been living in limbo, not knowing if his evacuation request would be approved or not.
He's now landed in Cairo and been reunited with his family just in time for the birth of his seventh child.
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A rescue helicopter will today evacuate a remote weather station, as a tropical cyclone looms off the coast of Queensland.
Four scientists will be picked off from Willis Island, which is in the Coral sea, about 450 kilometres off the coast of Cairns.
Willis Island is in the path of Tropical Cyclone Jasper, which has strengthened to a category four storm, with sustained winds of 195 kilometres per hour, and gusts of up to 270 kilometres per hour.
It's due to hit the Australian mainland in the middle of next week, somewhere between Cooktown and Townsville in northern Queensland.
A cyclone watch could be issued as early as tomorrow, and people from Mackay northwards are being urged to make preparations.
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Temperatures in Sydney and Melbourne topped thirty degrees on Friday as summer announced its arrival.
Heatwaves kept almost 20 government schools across New South Wales closed due to a bushfire warning.
Construction workers braved the rising temperatures while others flocked to the beach.
Steven Pearce from Life Saving NSW says they will need to be on high alert for the peak of the heatwave on Saturday when temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees in certain areas of the state.
"With temperatures forecast into the high 30s and potentially 40s, we really do need to make sure that we've got the right amount of people, and people really understanding that they need to come to a patrolled location."
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A man born in Eritrea has been arrested in Melbourne for failing to comply with a curfew that is part of his visa conditions.
The 36-year-old man was arrested in Melbourne’s inner-west last night.
He’s expected to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on one charge relating to the matter.
If found guilty, the man faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $93,000 fine.
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One person is missing and four others, including two firefighters, have been taken to hospital as fire crews fight to control a factory blaze in Melbourne's southeast.
The first crews arrived at the paint factory on Superior Drive in Dandenong shortly after midday on Friday and immediately called for back-up.
Police and paramedics were also called to help evacuate and treat workers amid reports of multiple explosions at the site.
A man in his 60s was taken to The Alfred Hospital in a stable condition with upper body injuries, while two other men in their 30s and 40s were taken to Dandenong Hospital.
Ambulance Victoria says both are in a stable condition with upper body injuries.
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In football, the Central Coast Mariners have thrashed Western United 4-0 at Gosford in the opening match of the A-League Men's round seven.
Dan Ball headed in a corner by Marco Tulio just after eleven minutes to put the champions in front, while fellow defender Brain Kaltack doubled the lead in similar fashion with Angel Torres providing the assist.
Tulio added his own name to the scoresheet a minute before the end of the first half with a lovely lob from inside the area, with substitute Alou Kuol settling the encounter.
The win saw the Mariners move to seventh place on the ladder, while the Melbourne side remains last.
Western United captain Josh Risdon says he game was essentially over after the first 45 minutes.
"Previously we've been playing good but I think today was definitely not our best and we can do a lot better than that. Second half we put up a bit of a fight but the game was done and I think we just had a lack of effort in the first half, didn't really stick to our game plan and we got punished."
