TRANSCRIPT
- Australia's Air Defence Force Chief calls Chinese actions towards an Australian helicopter 'unsafe' and 'unprofessional'.
- Thousands flee as Israel resumes its military operation in Rafah.
- The Mariners prepare to take on Sydney FC in the first semifinal of the A-League Men's.
The Chief of the Defence Force, Angus Campbell, says he supports Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's description of Chinese actions towards an Australian helicopter in the Yellow Sea last weekend as unsafe and unprofessional.
China has accused the Australian Navy Seahawk helicopter of spying on Chinese activities, and says that's why a Chinese Air Force J-10 jet directed flares at it, forcing it to take evasive action.
The federal government says the helicopter, which was with the ship HMAS Hobart in international waters the Yellow Sea, was not spying, but simply undertaking lawful actions as part of Australia's contribution to enforcing UN sanctions against North Korea.
General Campbell says Australian forces did nothing wrong.
"The incident involving our helicopter was unsafe and unprofessional, and that's all I have to say. The helicopter was behaving in a correct and disciplined fashion, and I don't accept that the (Chinese) response was anything but unsafe and unprofessional."
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Air Vanuatu has cancelled international flights, citing "extended maintenance requirements" amid reports that the company is going into voluntary administration.
Flights in and out of Sydney, Auckland, Brisbane and Nouméa, the capital of New Caledonia, have all been cancelled.
The Vanuatu Tourism Office said it is aware of reports that the national carrier has entered voluntary administration, but could not share further information.
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Israel is allegedly moving forward with its incursion in Gaza's south, with reports there's been non-stop shelling in Rafah over the last 24 hours.
Videos published on social media show families attempting to flee from the field of battle, as hospitals in the area begin preemptive evacuations.
US Joe Biden has warned Israel to not carry through with its military offensive in Rafah, saying the United States would withhold their weapons supply if they choose to do so.
World Health Organisation Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the latest developments are cause for concern.
"An estimated 30 to 40 thousand people have left Rafah for Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, but more than 1.4 million people remain at risk in Rafah, including 600 thousand children. Already, one of Rafah’s three hospitals – the An-Najjar hospital – has had to shut down and its patients have moved elsewhere."
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Greens leader Adam Bandt has threatened to withdraw his party's support from the federal government's energy policy.
It comes after yesterday's announcement that Australia would increase gas projects as part of its Future Gas Strategy, saying it was needed to meet surging demand.
Mr Bandt says the Greens will consider withholding their support for the energy policy, just days before the government hands down the next federal budget.
"Why should the Greens work with Labor on legislation that apparently cuts pollution, if Labor's going to undo all of that good work and increase pollution, by backing new coal and gas out past 2050? Labor has lost all climate credibility. People across the country know that you can't tackle a problem by making the problem worse."
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A new report has revealed the changing expectations of employers towards their workers regarding the use of Artificial Intelligence.
The 2024 Work Trend Index annual report, a collaboration between Microsoft and Linkedin, has shown 75 per cent of people are now using A-I at work, with a major uptake over the past six months.
It also revealed 79 per cent of corporate leaders agree their company needs to adopt AI to stay competitive, while 45 per cent of workers were worried they could be replaced by the new technology.
