Gaza City's largest hospital still functioning due to the "heroic efforts" of its staff; An Adelaide council votes against flying the Palestinian flag; And in football, a 17-year-old sensation smashes the Australian transfer fee record.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Gaza City's largest hospital still functioning due to the "heroic efforts" of its staff.
- An Adelaide council votes against flying the Palestinian flag.
- And in football, a 17-year-old sensation smashes the Australian transfer fee record.
The World Health Organization say Gaza's Al-Shifa hospital is still functioning because of the "heroic efforts" of medical staff, despite insufficient electricity, water and basic equipment.
WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris has said the hospital now has more than 700 patients, more than 400 health staff and around 3,000 internally displaced people working or sheltering there.
The hospital has ceased functioning normally since Israel, which says Al-Shifa sits on top of an underground headquarter for Hamas fighters, denied by Hamas, began its offensive in Gaza.
Israel says Al-Shifa is not under siege and says its forces have allowed routes for those inside to exit, which medics and officials inside the hospital say is not true, with those trying to leave coming under fire.
Ms Harris says 20 inpatient deaths have been reported in the last 48 hours, although the situation could be "much worse".
"We know also that there's not enough food, that the staff are struggling to get any clean water because their water tanks were destroyed, but they are still doing everything they can to keep providing medical care for the desperately ill patients they have. So, we actually still describe Al Shifa as a functioning hospital because of the heroic efforts the staff are making.”
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Adelaide City Council has voted against a motion to light up the town hall in the colours of the Palestinian flag, as was done in solidarity with Israel after the 7th of October Hamas attack.
The motion was defeated by a single vote.
Local resident Aleyna Aydin has told SBS the amendment to light up the chambers white for peace was more hurtful than not lighting it up at all.
Souraya Serhan says the decision is "heart-wrenching" and makes her question her place in Australia after 42 years as an Arab Muslim woman.
"In other times you could say use white when there is a catastrophe that affects us all in different ways. But unfortunately, when the lights are lit up - rightly so - for the Israeli Jewish community, so they should be also for the Palestinian community, in equality, in fairness, because one community's hurt is also another community's hurt."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will head to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation leaders' meeting in the United States today.
Trade, climate and the digital economy are expected to be key topics for Mr Albanese at the talks, hosted by US President Joe Biden.
One of the most closely watched aspects of the summit will be Mr Biden's meeting with Chinese president Xi Jinping, their second in-person since the US president took office in January 2021.
The two leaders are expected to discuss what the White House described as "advancing the ball" on military-to-military communications with China, as well as the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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Gamblers will soon be banned from using credit cards to place bets online, after gambling reform measures passed the House of Representatives.
Credit cards had previously been banned for betting purposes at physical gambling locations such as casinos but the new laws would extend the ban to include websites and gambling apps.
Attempts to amend the gambling changes by the opposition and crossbenchers were unsuccessful.
Companies that don't enforce the ban on credit cards would be slapped with a fine of more than $234,000 under the changes.
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A new traineeship program between the Perth Zoo and an Aboriginal College has achieved a major milestone with its first students about to graduate with a conservation qualification.
Over the past year seven students from the Clontarf Aboriginal College have worked alongside animal carers, education officers and horticulturists at the Zoo.
Two of the students are on track to graduate this year - with a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystems Management - while the remaining five will continue working at the Zoo and are expected to graduate at the end of next year.
One student, Ezra Fejo, says the work has helped offer new opportunities and connection to country.
"I wanted to work back home on the land and when I heard that the zoo was opening up a Cert II in Conservation, I thought that would be perfect and thought I'd try something new as well. And coming to the zoo I feel very at home."
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In football, Adelaide United have confirmed the transfer of 17-year-old Nestory Irankunda to German giants Bayern Munich for a record transfer fee of $5.7 million.
The talented winger will be allowed to remain with the South Australian club for the remainder of the 2023/24 season, joining the six-time European champions from July.
Irankunda has showed great promise in his career with both Adelaide United and the young Australian national teams, scoring three goals in the recent U-17 Asian Cup in Thailand.
He is the second youngest scorer in the history of the A-League Men.
