Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands by criticism of a Chinese vessel that injured Australian navy crew; Queenslanders prepare for another cyclone as recovery efforts continue, and in tennis, Alex de Minaur and Storm Hunter advance to the third round of the Australian Open.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stands by criticism of a Chinese vessel that injured Australian navy crew.
- Queenslanders prepare for another cyclone as recovery efforts continue.
- Alex de Minaur and Storm Hunter advance to the third round of the Australian Open.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he stands by comments made regarding a Chinese naval vessel that emitted sonar pulses which injured members of the Australian navy.
It comes after the Chinese ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian denied the sonar pulses came from a Chinese vessel.
He has suggested the warship may have belonged to Japan, because the incident occurred within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone.
But the Prime Minister says he will not back down from the government's position.
"I haven't seen the ambassador's comments but I stand by the comments that were made at the time. We made strong representations to China about this incident and we stand by the representations that we made."
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Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has met with her Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki in the West Bank city of Ramallah.
Wong's visit came on Wednesday following a surge of in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry in the occupied West Bank has said four people were killed by Israeli forces on Wednesday in the city of Tulkarem.
In another incident the Israeli army says it killed a senior Palestinian militant in an airstrike in the West Bank refugee camp of Balata.
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Medicine for Israeli hostages was en route to Gaza on Wednesday as fighting continued there, with Israeli vehicles and tanks seen around the southern city of Khan Younis.
Hamas' Health Ministry says at least seven people have been killed in Israeli strikes near the Nasser hospital complex in the city, with the total number of people killed in Gaza now more than 24,400.
This man says Israeli tanks shelled homes and a school where displaced Palestinians are sheltering, as they expanded ground operations in Khan Younis.
“We don’t know, we just saw the tanks are above our heads. The tank shell entered from the window. I crawled on the stairs until I got to the ground floor. We stayed at the centre of the house. Women and children, nearly 30, 40 people are with me. It is beyond imagination."
A deal brokered by Qatar and France, the first agreement since a week-long cease-fire ended in November, will see medicine and aid delivered to around 45 of more than 100 hostages still held by Hamas, in exchange for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
Israel has continued its ground and air offensives, which have seen more than 80 per cent of Gaza's population of 2.3 million internally displaced, in its efforts to eliminate Hamas from the region, following its October 7 attacks in which Israel says around 1200 people were killed and 250 taken hostage.
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Far north Queensland is preparing for another cyclone as rain persists in the flood-hit region.
A massive clean-up effort is finally gaining momentum after record flooding caused by Tropical Cyclone Jasper devastated the area just weeks ago.
One of the worst hit regions, Degarra, north of Cairns, is set to receive temporary housing for its displaced residents while a major highway is expected to reopen.
However, a tropical low that has developed off Cairns is set to strengthen into a cyclone by Sunday.
It is expected to remain offshore this week, but there is a chance the system will track back toward north Queensland next week as a cyclone.
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New South Wales health authorities are warning against a potential measles outbreak in the community.
The warning comes after it was discovered that several children at a shopping centre playground may have been exposed to the disease after coming into contact with an infected baby.
The seven-month-old had just come back into the country from the Middle East, where there have recently been several reported outbreaks of the highly infectious disease.
This is the second reported measles case in the state, prompting authorities to alert those who travel to Asia and the Middle East to remain vigilant.
NSW Health has also recommended people use the Medicare app to ensure they are up to date on their vaccinations.
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In tennis, Australia's Alex de Minaur has eased his way into the third round of the Australian Open, beating Italy's Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-0, 6-3.
The new men’s world number ten needed only two hours to wrap up the encounter.
It was a dominant display by the young Australian, who has recently seen his play reach new levels, pulling off wins against Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev.
De Minaur has told Channel Nine he used the support of the crowd to his advantage.
"Yeah look, very happy. I mean, Matteo, he's a hell of a player. Very exciting player, has got a lot of fire power and has a very, very high level. I thought I just had to be solid here, use the crowd, try to stay focused and I'm very happy to get the win today, so thank you guys."
In the women's singles, Storm Hunter has also made her way into the third round after a difficult match with Germany's Laura Siegemund, winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
