TRANSCRIPT
* The United States vetoes a United Nations resolution for a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas conflict...
* Australians disembark in Sydney on a second repatriation flight
* And in AFL, The 2023 AFL trade period is officially closed
The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that would have called for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israeli defence forces and Palestinian Hamas militants to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
The vote on the Brazilian-drafted text was twice delayed in the last couple of days as the United States tries to broker aid access to Gaza.
Twelve members voted in favour of the draft text on Wednesday while Russia and the United Kingdom abstained.
US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the 15-member council after the vote that the U-S was on the ground doing the work of diplomacy.
"President Biden is in the region. The United States is actively engaging at the highest levels to secure the release of hostages, to prevent the conflict from spreading, to stress the need to protect civilian lives, to address the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in Gaza, and to demonstrate to the Israeli people that the United States stands with them."
Since conflict began on 7. October, Gaza authorities say 2,800 people have died and 11,000 have been injured during days of bombardment.
More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, and at least 199 others, including children, were captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza, according to Israel.
Demonstrations erupted across the West Bank following a deadly hospital blast in the Gaza Strip,
Palestinians gathered in the city of Ramallah carrying Palestinian flags to protest against Israel's military action in Gaza.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike caused the destruction at the hospital.
The Israeli military denied involvement and blamed a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another militant group.
That group has also denied responsibility.
The Israeli military has pounded Hamas-ruled Gaza with airstrikes, blocked deliveries of food, water, fuel and electricity and told people to leave the northern half of the strip ahead of a possible ground invasion.
A second Australian repatriation flight landed at Sydney airport on Wednesday night [[OCT 18]]
Almost 200 passengers have arrived in Australia after being stranded in Israel with the start of the war between Hamas and Israel.
The Qantas flight flew in from London and also carried 65 citizens of the Solomon Islands and 18 citizens of Vanuatu.
The government has said it is also working to help Australians leave the West Bank, as it is liaising with international partners to arrange transport to Jordan
The lower house of Russia's parliament has given its approval to a bill revoking the ratification of a global nuclear test ban treaty.
The State Duma lawmakers voted unanimously to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in the third and final reading on Wednesday October 18.
This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin warned earlier this month that Moscow could revoke its 2000 decision to ratify the treaty.
Russian State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin, says the move has put Russia on a par with the stance of the United States, which has signed but not ratified the treaty.
"The United States of America - if they take on the responsibility - should have been the first to ratify this treaty (Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, CNTBT) and take the lead."
The bill will now go to the upper house, the Federation Council, which will consider it next week.
New research has revealed that the crown-of-thorns starfish is becoming more resistant to warming waters and could exacerbate the effects of climate change on coral reefs.
Study from the University of Sydney has found that its resistance to heat is one of the main reasons for the biggest starfish outbreaks.
The crown of thorns can tolerate almost three times the intensity of the heat that causes coral bleaching.
Matthew Clements from the University of Sydney explains.
"Generally for marine invertebrates, the juvenile stage is usually less tolerant of changes in temperature, it's called a thermal window. They have a lower thermal window compared to the adults."
The federal and state governments have invested more than 4.4 billion dollars over sixteen years until 2030 to help protect the reef, including programmes to kill the starfish.
In AFL,
The 2023 negotiating period has officially closed, with the clubs now turning their attention to next month's national draft.
Port Adelaide has completed a major AFL trade period as it prepares for Premier League contention, securing long-term target Esava Ratugolea and three other recruits at the deadline.
More than a dozen players found new homes on Wednesday [[OCT 18]].
But the number one pick in the draft held by West Coast and coveted by rivals keen to land teenage sensation Harley Reid, has yet to change hands.
Exchanges of picks can still be agreed until draft night on 20 November.
