TRANSCRIPT
- A four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to come into effect this afternoon
- Australian authorities looking to determine if 12 people who arrived by boat in W-A are refugees or illegal fishermen
- Min Woo Lee expresses satisfaction at his performance at the Australian PGA Championship
Qatar says a four-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will come into effect this afternoon at 4pm AEDT (7am Friday morning in Israel and Gaza).
Officials say an exchange of hostages and prisoners will follow hours later.
The breakthrough four-day truce, facilitated by Qatar with help from Egypt and the United States, had been due to take effect on Thursday but was delayed.
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The United Nations childrens agency UNICEF says more than 5,300 Palestinian children have been killed since the war between Hamas and Israel began.
The head of the United Nations agency made her report to the U-N Security Council after visiting Gaza last week.
Executive Director of UNICEF Catherine Russell says the number of displaced children is worrying.
"We are particularly concerned by reports of increasing numbers of displaced children who have been separated from their families along evacuation corridors to the south, or otherwise arriving unaccompanied to hospitals for medical care. These children are especially vulnerable and they urgently need to be identified, provided with temporary care, and given access to family tracing and reunification services."
The head of the UN Population Fund also told the Security Council there are 5,500 pregnant women expected to give birth in Gaza next month.
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Australian authorities are investigating how a group of 12 people landed on a remote part of the West Australian coast after travelling by boat from Indonesia.
The people are not Indonesian nationals and it is unclear yet if they are fishermen or asylum seekers.
The Australian Border Force has so far refused to comment.
The boat was undetected and landed in the Wyndham East Kimberley Shire in the north of the state.
The area is extremely remote and three hours away from any settlement.
Shire president David Menzel says he is not surprised by the situation and that illegal fishing vessels had been reported in the area in the recent months.
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Ten homes have been destroyed in bushfires in metropolitan Perth with fears the toll could climb higher as authorities warn it's likely to be days before the situation is under control.
More than 150 firefighters are battling a massive blaze in the city's northern suburbs that forced hundreds of local families to leave as embers rained down on their homes overnight.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm says the fire broke containment lines in the early hours of Thursday with spot fires breaking out about a kilometre ahead of the fire front.
"We continue to have significant fire weather ahead of us, over the course of the rest of today, and the next two days. Although we are looking at a forecast that does show a reduction in wind strenghts over the next 24 to 48 hours."
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In the Netherlands,
The country is dealing with the aftermath of a general election that has seen the far-right, anti-Islam populist Geert Wilders headed for a landslide parliamentary election.
The result puts him in line to lead talks to form a new ruling coalition and possibly become the country’s prime minister at a time of political upheaval through much of Europe.
He called on other parties to constructively engage in coalition talks, and spoke about his focus on immigration.
This Dutch voter, Norbert van Beelen, offered his reaction.
"I think, to be honest, very many people are very focused on one particular problem, which is immigration. And this party has had that as a theme for for many, many years. So I think that's what people voted for, immigration and all the other aspects of leaving the European Union looking very inward as opposed to outward are just forgotten. It's all about immigration."
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In India, rescuers are drilling through debris, hoping to reach 41 men still trapped in a highway tunnel in the Himalayan region.
The men have been stuck in the 4.5 kilometre-long tunnel in Uttarakhand state for 11 days since it caved in early on November the 12th.
Authorities confirm the men are still safe and have access to light, oxygen, food, water and medicines.
But efforts to bring the men out have been slowed by snags in drilling in the mountainous terrain.
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In golf, Min Woo Lee fed off huge early-morning galleries to launch his Australian PGA Championship campaign with swagger, only for a surprise Spaniard to steal his thunder.
World No. 1162 Joel Moscatel Nachshon carded a flawless eight-under 63 to finish the day one shot clear of rising West Australian Lee.
The Spaniard just missed a long birdie putt on the 18th that would have eclipsed Jed Morgan's mark set during his romp to the title in January 2022.
Min Woo Lee expressed satisfaction at his performance.
"Pretty stress-free, I had the control of my ball and I putted pretty well. But my approach play was pretty solid, which you need around this course, and everything went well."
