Death toll rises after attacks in southern Russia; Victoria to trial pill testing of illicit drugs; and in cricket, Australia's T20 World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after shock defeat to India.
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TRANSCRIPT
- Death toll rises after attacks in southern Russia
- Victoria to trial pill testing of illicit drugs
- And in cricket, australia's T20 World Cup hopes hanging by a thread after shock defeat to India
The death toll from a series of attacks on churches and synagogues in Russia's Dagestan region has risen to 20.
The attacks took place in the cities of Derbent and Makhachkala on Sunday, the festival of Pentecost for the Russian Orthodox Church.
The head of the Dagestan region has said foreign forces were involved in preparing the attack in the mainly Muslim republic in Russia's North Caucus, but gave no details.
Gregory Shvedov, editor of the Caucasian Knot, which reports on the region, has told SBS Russian the attacks resemble previous attacks on churches and synagogues in Dagestan.
"I believe that that looks like an attack (by) terrorists, which have been organising attacks of that kind in Dagestan many times over many years. For more than 20 years, Caucasian Knot is recording those attacks, and a lot of them look quite similar, for example attacks on churches, Orthodox churches, have been happening in Dagestan earlier."
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Pill testing will be trialled in Victoria later this year as part of a major policy shift for the state's premier.
Jactina Allan says watching her two children grow up has impacted her stance on the issue.
"In a few years, they'll be heading off to parties, to music festivals, and like all parents I catch myself thinking - what if the worst happens? What if one of them doesn't make it home? That's every parent's worst nightmare - and more parents are living it."Paramedics responded to more drug overdoses at festivals in the first three months of this year than all of last year, while five Victorian coronial recommendations since 2021 have pushed for drug checking services in the state to reduce the risk of overdose deaths.
Ms Allan's predecessor Daniel Andrews was consistently against similar trials, saying in February last year he said he did not believe someone could take illegal drugs at any level and be safe.
The Victorian premier says evidence shows pill testing can be a "simple and common sense way to save lives", saying she would provide more detail about the scheme this week.
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Australians with diabetes have called on the federal government to do more to tackle high rates of the disease following a report saying Australia is experiencing a national epidemic.
Diabetes Australia estimates as many as two million Australians are living with a form of diabetes, and has called for greater regulatory measures for access to medications, and a tax on sugary drinks.
In the past decade, the number of people living with diabetes has risen by 32 per cent, but diabetes medications like Ozempic face global supply shortages because of their popularity for weight-loss.
Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has said the Government is waiting to receive a report from a parliamentary committee into the disease.
Jill Donohoo, who received a life-changing Type 2 diabetes diagnosis at the age of 31, says that can't come soon enough.
"Having known what my experience has been as someone who was first diagnosed, and then living with diabetes, it's not something I'd wish on anyone. And I think more has to be done from a public health policy perspective in terms of, how do we treat diabetes, not just individual patients, but holistically."
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The former head of Sweden's energy agency says Australia should take a careful look at the global record of nuclear power to understand the pitfalls of embarking on a new reactor construction program.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been criticised for releasing a plan for nuclear energy without detailed costings.
Mr Dutton last week announced the potential sites of seven nuclear plants around Australia.
Tomas Kaberger is the director of energy research at Sweden's Chalmers University and a former head of the Swedish Energy Agency, which monitors the country's nuclear and other power plants.
He says Australia can learn from Sweden's experience.
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In cricket, Australia's Twenty20 World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after a loss to India.
After Rohit Sharma's 92 from 41 balls helped India post 5-205. Travis Head's 76 kept Australia in the game before they finished 7-181 in reply.
The result means their World Cup will be over if Afghanistan beat Bangladesh.
A Bangladesh win would likely see Australia progress to face South Africa in the semi-finals, unless the Tigers are able to win by a significant margin and leapfrog Mitch Marsh's men on net run-rate.
