Wild weather moves south | Morning News Bulletin 23 May 2025

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Source: SBS News

Two more people dead in flooding in northern New South Wales; Authorities identify the Israeli embassy couple shot dead in Washington; Australian rider Kaden Groves misses out on a second stage win at the Giro D'Italia.


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TRANSCRIPT:
  • Two more people dead in flooding in northern New South Wales;
  • Authorities identify the Israeli embassy couple shot dead in Washington;
  • Australian rider Kaden Groves misses out on a second stage win at the Giro D'Italia.
Three people have now died on the state's mid north coast where communities are being battered by heavy flooding.

New South Wales Police have recovered an additional two bodies in the last 24 hours: a woman in her 60s and a man in his 30s.

Assistant Commissioner David Wardell says they both died while driving through floodwaters - something people should avoid doing.

He says concerns remain for at least one missing man and thousands who have been left isolated or at risk from rapidly developing flash floods.

"We've actually had around 590 flood rescues during the course of this operation, so it's a significant number of people that have needed to be rescued. Obviously, we've been fast flowing waters, and some of those have been done by helos [[helicopters]], as we've seen in the media, but some significant rescues have been made."

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Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has identified the two Israeli embassy staff members who were shot dead in Washington yesterday as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.

It's understood that Mr Lischinsky was a research assistant, while Ms Milgrim organised visits and missions to Israel.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith says they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when a suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, allegedly yelling 'free Palestine' as he did so.

Mr Saar says the shooting was clearly antisemitic.

"This is the direct result of toxic, antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world that has been going on since the October 7th massacre."

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The White House has condemned a US judge who has ruled the Trump administration violated a court order over deportations.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has called Judge Brian E. Murphy in Boston a “liberal activist”, accusing the jurist of threatening U.S. diplomatic relationships.

Murphy had earlier ruled the Trump administration violated a court order on deportations to third countries with a flight linked to South Sudan, saying that the eight migrants on the plane had not been given a meaningful opportunity to object that it could put them in danger.

But Ms Leavitt says the president has the authority to deport migrants as he sees fit.

"This massive judicial overreach by Judge Murphy is part of the same opposition our administration has faced since day one. Radical left-wing judges are egregiously trying to stop President Trump from using his core constitutional powers as head of the executive branch and Commander-in-Chief."

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The federal government has dismissed conservationists' request for an eleventh-hour review of Woodside's proposed extension to a West Australian gas project known as the North West Shelf.

Greenpeace and the Conservation Council of WA had suggested approving the controversial gas processing plant would drive up demand for gas extracted near coral reefs.

But officials representing Environment Minister Murray Watt have dismissed the request, saying it did not contain substantial new information about environmental impacts.

The decision is likely to pave the way for a long-awaited decision in coming weeks, with Woodside seeking a license that lasts until 2070.

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Australia's Therapeutic Drug Administration has approved a new drug that could offer hope to those with Alzheimer's.

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and affects around 600,000 Australians.

Associate Professor Michael Woodward is the Director of Aged Care Research and Memory Clinic at Austin Health.

He says the drug called Donanemab represents a significant step on the path to better treatments, working to remove the build-up of the protein called amyloid plaque, which is linked to memory loss and impaired thinking.

"So I think we're seeing with Alzheimer's what we saw with cancer research about 50 years ago. We no longer have drugs just for the symptoms, we have drugs that now target the underlying disease process in Alzheimer's disease."

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Queenslander Kaden Groves has missed out on a second stage win at the Giro D'Italia.

Instead, flying Dutchman Olav Kooij has taken the honours in another chaotic bunch finish at Viadana, after a 172 kilometre ride.

Michael Storer from the Tudor Pro team remains the top Australian in the race in 14th place.

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Wild weather moves south | Morning News Bulletin 23 May 2025 | SBS News