TRANSCRIPT
- Melbourne's Moomba Parade cancelled as sweltering weather continues in the southeast
- Israel strikes Rafah's largest residential tower
- The Gold Coast Suns beat Richmond in their first match of the season
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Melbourne's iconic Moomba Festival parade has been cancelled due to safety concerns as heatwave conditions are forecast across southeast Australia until Tuesday.
A total fire ban has been enacted in five Victorian districts and parts of Victoria's southwest are forecast to record their sixth-highest maximum temperatures on record.
Several other festivals in Victoria, such as Pitch Music and Arts Festival, are also facing pressure to cancel with organisers advising those already at the site to head home early and others to delay their arrival.
Parents and families of festival-goers say they are concerned for the well-being of their family members, many of whom do not have phone service at the campsites.
Senior meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology Sarah Scully tells the ABC it's important to limit time outside during the heatwave.
"That with heatwave conditions or extreme heat, it's important for people to try and limit the amount of time that they're exposed to the heat and direct sunlight during the peak of the day, to make sure that they remain hydrated, and also just checking on any vulnerable or family members and make sure pets have water and shade to be able to seek refuge."
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Authorities in Queensland are pledging to find answers after an 18-year-old woman died when she was pinned to a wall by a bus in Brisbane's CBD on Friday night.
The woman, identified as Tia Cameron, suffered critical injuries and died at the scene after the bus mounted a kerb near one of the city's busiest intersections during peak hour.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says the accident will be thoroughly investigated.
"What happened was a tragedy which saw the loss of a young life a tragedy that we all want answers for. At this point in time, many of those questions that we have unanswered but I want to assure the people of Brisbane that we will find the answers. "
The driver will not continue driving buses while the investigation is ongoing but he is said to have a safe driving history.
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Israel has struck one of the largest residential towers in Rafah, the last area of the Gaza Strip it has not invaded and where over a million displaced Palestinians are sheltering.
Dozens of families were made homeless in the strike on the 12-floor building, although no casualties have been reported.
Hopes are fading that Israel and Hamas will reach a ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on or around the 10th of March.
Israel's intelligence agency Mossad says efforts to mediate are ongoing, but Hamas has said their delegation is unlikely to return to talks in Cairo this weekend.
Displaced Palestinians like Iman Hindi are preparing for a month of fasting like no other.
"There are no rituals for the coming of Ramadan this year as in previous years, where we used to decorate our homes and go to the markets to buy supplies. But this year, we are living in the atmosphere of war and lost many of our loved ones who died, we will miss their presence and visits to us. Frankly, the month of Ramadan this year is sad, not like other years."
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Palestinians in Gaza say they will have to pray outdoors as an estimated 1000 of the approximately 1200 mosques in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli airstrikes.
Social media posts from Palestinian journalists in Gaza show recent flyers dropped by Israeli forces, calling on Palestinians in the famine stricken enclave to be generous during Ramadan and asking them to feed those in need.
Human rights lawyer May el-Sadany denounced the leaflets as psychological torture, calling the move 'deeply depraved' as Israel continues blocking the entry of critical aid into Gaza.
A spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Jeremy Laurence says the situation will become far worse should Israel's assault continue into Ramadan.
“We fear that this already catastrophic situation may slide deeper into the abyss as many Palestinians mark the holy month of Ramadan – a period that is meant to honour peace and tolerance – should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into Rafah, where 1.5 million people have been displaced in deplorable sub-human conditions.”
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To AFL now, the Gold Coast Suns have taken home the victory over Richmond scoring 99 points to 60 in front of a full house in their home stadium.
Damien Hardwick started his Suns era strong with a fluctuating match against his former club.
The Gold Coast were at one point up by 67 points but were brought back to earth as Richmond closed the gap to just 23 at one point.
Suns midfielder Matt Rowell spoke to Fox Sports reporters after the match.
"At three quarter time we thought they got us on the contest a bit. So we did that well in the first half and we just saw it in ourselves down a bit there so.. in the last quarter we just wanted to be really tough around the contest and I think we were able to do that."
