TRANSCRIPT
- Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin talk about peace in Ukraine again
- The nurses from the notorious Bankstown hospital video to appear in court for the first time
- The AFL tribunal upholds bans on three players for rough conduct
Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy infrastructure for the next 30 days - but has stopped short of agreeing to a full ceasefire.
Mr Putin and United States President Donald Trump have again spoken on the phone about the conflict in Ukraine.
The Russian government says it was a detailed and frank exchange of views.
It says while Mr Putin has immediately ordered the Russian military to leave Ukraine's energy infrastructure alone, he expressed concern about a full ceasefire, having concerns Ukraine could use a 30-day truce to re-arm itself and mobilise more soldiers.
Ukraine agreed to a US proposal for a 30-day full ceasefire last week.
The US says further negotiations will begin immediately, and take place in the Middle East.
**
The Israeli Defence Force has issued evacuation orders for several neighbourhoods in Gaza, as a two-month ceasefire with Hamas appears to collapse.
Israel has intensified air strikes across dozens of sites in Gaza, vowing to continue attacks until all hostages are released.
The Hamas-run health ministry says more than 400 people have been killed in the strikes, many of them children.
Hamas also says the head of its government in Gaza, Essam al-Dalis, was among several officials killed in the strikes.
It has not so far responded to the strikes.
The office of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Hamas has repeatedly rejected proposals by US mediators to extend the ceasefire.
Hamas, in a statement, says Israel has decided to overturn the ceasefire agreement.
Palestinian man Ziad Ahmed says an attack near his home in Khan Younis produced a horrible scene.
“We woke up to the sound of strikes tonight, we woke up and got out of the tents to the street. They fired a missile here near us. We looked around and found fire coming from the strike. While we ran to see what had happened, we found a second missile had been fired. The tents were on fire, the women started to scream, and children were terrified. Of course, everything escalated suddenly. We ran towards the screams. Then we came here and started to pull out the injured people and those who had been martyred.”
**
The two nurses from Sydney's Bankstown Hospital who appeared in a notorious social media video will today appear in court for the first time over the matter.
In the widely-condemned video, Sarah Abu Lebdeh and Ahmad Rashad Nadir were shown saying they would refuse to treat Israeli patients, saying they'd kill them instead.
Ms Abu Lebdeh has been charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to threaten to kill, and using a carriage service to menace, harass, or offend.
Mr Nadir has been charged with threatening violence to a group, using a carriage service to menace, harass, or cause offence, as well as possession of a prohibited drug.
**
Greens leader Adam Bandt has condemned Peter Dutton's latest referendum proposal as racist dogwhistling in lieu of introducing a policy solution to address cost of living pressures.
It comes after the Opposition Leader said if the Coalition is elected to Federal Government, he might hold a new referendum on whether dual nationals who are guilty of serious criminal offences can be stripped of their Australian citizenship and deported.
The Opposition's legal spokeswoman Michaelia Cash later said they have no current plans to hold a referendum.
Adam Bandt claims the proposal is simply a distraction from issues that are pushing Australians to the brink.
"Peter Dutton's already starting his dog-whistling to cover up for the fact he has absolutely no plans to make people’s lives better, zero plans to address the housing and rental crisis or the massive cost-of-living crisis pushing people to the brink. Instead he just starts racist dog-whistling, trying to find any excuse other than coming up with policies that are actually going to make people’s lives better."
**
The Northern Territory government is expected to pass new legislation this week allowing major projects to bypass laws protecting Indigenous culture, land rights, and the environment.
Traditional owners and environmental groups have held a noisy rally on the steps of parliament to protest the Territory Coordinator Bill.
Organisers of the rally say 95 per cent of public submissions have opposed the legislation.
They fear the bill will erode Indigenous land rights and fast-track gas exploration.
Larrakia traditional owner Bill Risk says the government is not listening to the community.
"Whether there's opposition, I believe they brought this Coordinator Bill in with the stroke of a pen to just write it all away and open access to development right across the territory."
**
And in sport, the AFL Tribunal has upheld three contested suspensions.
North Melbourne defender Jackson Archer will miss games against Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney through a three- match rough conduct ban over a collision that knocked out Western Bulldogs defender Luke Cleary last Saturday.
Richmond spearhead Tom Lynch will miss this Saturday's [22 mar]] clash with Port Adelaide for rough conduct on Carlton's Tom De Koning.
While the Hawks' Scrimshaw is suspended for three matches for his high hit on Essendon's Jordan Ridley.
