TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
Australia's former ambassador to Israel says a United States proposal to end the war in Gaza relies on the militant group Hamas agreeing to its own destruction.
The 20-point peace plan released by the White House includes an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners on both sides and an end to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
But it also includes conditions previously rejected by both sides, including that Israel withdraw entirely from Gaza before Hamas releases the remaining hostages.
Former ambassador and now Liberal senator, Dave Sharma, has told Channel Nine that getting Hamas to say yes to the deal will therefore be a challenge.
"Look, Hamas, yes - it has to sign its own extinction warrant. But the leaders are being offered amnesty and safe passage out of there - exile if you like. Depending on the level of military pressure they are feeling right now in Gaza City - and bear in mind they've lost a lot of their senior military leadership - that might be an attractive offer for some of them."
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France, Germany and Sweden will send military personnel and anti-drone systems to Denmark to boost security at this week's European summits in Copenhagen, after drone incursions that forced Denmark to shut several airports.
Drones disrupted air traffic at six Danish airports last week, including at Copenhagen, the Nordic region's busiest, in what Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called a hybrid attack on her nation.
Denmark has already said it has increased security around the events after the drone sightings.
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A desperate search for a missing preschooler has entered its fourth day after the boy vanished while playing in sand on a remote sheep property in regional South Australia.
Police say the four year old named Gus has not been seen since Saturday evening, when he was last sighted at his homestead about 40 kilometres south of Yunta, 275 kilometres north-east of the state capital of Adelaide.
Superintendent Mark Syrus says they have completed an extensive ground search with the assistance of SES volunteers, and are now searching dams and tanks on the property.
"This poor lad, just four years old. And very close to the family. Of course they're devastated. We're working very closely with the family."
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Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells has rejected calls for the government to commission an independent investigation after meeting today with representatives of Optus and its parent company Singtel.
Singtel CEO Yuen Kuan Moon says his board has commissioned an independent review to be led by Dr Kerry Schott, and has agreed to share the findings publicly.
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has maintained her calls for an independent investigation without saying who should conduct it, but Ms Wells says the ACMA is already investigating the failures and is best placed to do so.
The Minister says two Triple-Zero outages linked to four deaths are a compliance issue, and don't necessarily point to a need for broader reform of the emergency call service system.
"I have said that Optus will face significant consequences as a result of what has happened here, but it is for me as the minister to take those decisions after the ACMA investigation is complete."
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To sport and in AFL news,
A controversial social media post from AFL Geelong star Bailey Smith has drawn the ire of Mitch Brown, who has called it homophobic.
Smith made a series of Instagram posts from the Cats' Mad Monday function, which he had attended with captain Patrick Dangerfield in a pose referencing the movie Brokeback Mountain that depicted the story of a complex romantic relationship between two American cowboys.
Mitch Brown has called for the players to 'do better' in his own post on Instagram.
He has written that while losing a grand final doesn't make you gay, being homophobic definitely makes you a loser.
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
