TRANSCRIPT
- Hezbollah's new leader open to a ceasefire in Lebanon
- A new report on Australia's climate warns of longer fire seasons and more intense heavy rainfall
- Ellie Carpenter congratulated on her Asian Football Confederation award
Hezbollah’s new leader, Naim Qassem, says he would agree to a ceasefire with Israel under acceptable terms - but adds a viable deal has yet to be presented.
In his first public comments since his appointment, he says a ceasefire is the only way Israel could guarantee the return of its residents to the north.
"We will continue to confront the aggression. If the Israelis decide to stop the aggression, we say that we accept, but with the conditions that we see as suitable and sufficient. We will not beg for a ceasefire. We will continue, we will not wait no matter how long it takes. Any political solution that occurs through indirect negotiations, the first pillar is a cease-fire and a cessation of aggression, then we will express our opinion in detail."
Naim Qassem replaces long-term leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut last month.
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Flash floods in Spain have killed at least 95 people.
Rainstorms that started Tuesday caused flooding across southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia.
It has turned village streets into rivers, ruined homes, and disrupted transportation.
Spain's national weather service says it rained more in eight hours in Valencia than it had in the preceding 20 months.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says the floods are "the worst storm of the century".
"Dear citizens, as you know, yesterday our country was hit by the worst storm so far this century. There are dozens of flooded municipalities, roads and rail lines shut down, and bridges destroyed by the violence of the waters. I want to convey my condolences to the families of those who have died during this tragedy."
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A new report has found Australia's weather and climate continues to change, with more extreme heat events, longer fire seasons, more intense heavy rainfall, and rising sea levels.
The Bureau of Meteorology and the CSIRO have authored the 2024 State of the Climate Report, released every two years, which finds eight of the nine warmest years on record in Australia have occurred since 2013.
The report also found emissions reductions must accelerate immediately to meet Australia’s 2030 emissions targets.
Dr Jaci Brown, from the CSIRO, says while the task of turning things around will not be easy, it's not something we can afford to ignore.
"It's sobering and it's a tough one, seven years for the whole globe to turn around. If we do go past that, there is still hope to then bring it back to 1.5 (degrees of warming), but that's a lot harder once the greenhouse gases are out there to bring it back down and some of the effects won't be reversible. We do have the technology out there. I try to remain positive and optimistic that we can pull that together."
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More than 1,000 Indigenous rangers will join the ranks to protect and manage land and sea Country across Australia.
The Indigenous ranger program will receive a $355 million boost from the federal government for this expansion.
Up to 770 of the new ranger roles will be set aside for Indigenous women, who play an important role in protecting women's sites, preserving cultural knowledge and practices.
The federal funding will go to 115 projects across the country.
It is the first time in more than a decade that new ranger groups have been able to apply to join the program.
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In football, Australia's Ellie Carpenter has made history by becoming the inaugural winner of the International Women’s Player of the Year award by the Asian Football Confederation.
The Cowra-born defender, who helped Australia beat Germany 2-1 in Duisburg earlier this week, edged fellow nominee Yui Hasegawa of Japan, to win the top prize.
The AFC says the award was presented for the first time in recognition of the growth of women's football and the success of the continent's top players.
The CEO of Football Australia, James Johnson, congratulated Carpenter, saying he is incredibly proud of the achievement.
