TRANSCRIPT
- Sudan's RSF agrees to a humanitarian ceasefire
- Typhoon Kalmaegi slams into Vietnam after killing at least 114 people in the Philippines
- Calls for moving the AFLW seasons back to summertime
Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has agreed to a proposal from the US and Arab powers for a humanitarian ceasefire.
The RSF says it's open to talks on a cessation of hostilities.
The RSF spokesperson Al-Fateh Qurashi Bashir has thanked the Quartet countries, led by the US.
"The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) affirm their agreement to enter the humanitarian truce proposed by the Quartet countries - the United States of America, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the Arab Republic of Egypt. This agreement aims to address the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war and to enhance the protection of civilians through the completion of the provisions of the humanitarian truce agreement, enabling the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid to all Sudanese people.”
In more than two years of their civil war, both the RSF and the Sudanese army have agreed to various ceasefire proposals, but none have succeeded.
The Sudanese army did not immediately respond to the announcement.
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Former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has been asked to appear before a United States congressional panel investigating Jeffrey Epstein’s network.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee have written to the late Queen Elizabeth's second son, seeking answers about his past ties to the convicted sex offender.
The committee says it will examine allegations of abuse and gather information about Epstein’s associates.
However, US subpoenas don’t apply to foreign nationals, meaning Mr Mountbatten-Windsor cannot be compelled to testify.
He was known to be close to Epstein between 1999 and 2008.
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Typhoon Kalmaegi has struck Vietnam after leaving at least 114 people dead in the Philippines, where another 127 remain missing.
The storm regained strength before making landfall in Vietnam, prompting the evacuation of 350,000 residents in Gia Lai province.
Six airports have been closed, with hundreds of flights expected to be disrupted, while more than 260,000 soldiers have been placed on standby for rescue operations.
In the Philippine province of Cebu, one of the hardest-hit areas, residents are struggling to clean up the devastation.
Krizza Espra, who lost most of her family, recounted her ordeal:
“I lost my three children, husband, mama, papa, my sibling’s child, two children of my cousin and my cousin’s mother. We were all together on the roof, the roof collapsed, we all fell and were washed away. Only four of us survived. My husband is now dead.”
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The coalition is expected to lock in its energy and climate policy in a matter of days.
This follows months of damaging internal debate and intense speculation about Sussan Ley's long-term prospects as opposition leader, and the Nationals' decision to abandon any commitment to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Liberal MPs have been summoned to a series of special meetings next week to discuss their highly contentious approach to energy and emissions reduction.
The party is widely expected to water down its commitment to Australia's climate targets,
Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson wants the party to follow the Nationals' lead.
"I very much hope that my Liberal colleagues support the position where we turn our back entirely on net zero."
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Firefighters have extinguished a massive fire in an abandoned building in Parramatta's CBD.
More than 80 firefighters battled the blaze overnight as the area was blanketed in thick smoke.
Firefighters have now searched the building to confirm the fire is extinguished and no people are inside.
Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry says crews managed to avoid having to evacuate people from an adjoining unit block.
"The main concern was the fire spreading into the adjoining unit complex - 20 storeys, a lot of people in there."
It is yet to be established if the fire was deliberately lit.
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Now in sport, North Melbourne captain Emma Kearney says the AFLW should reconsider its current spring scheduling, even though the season was already shifted later in the year to avoid the summer heat.
From 2017 to 2022, the competition ran from January or early February through to April.
Following feedback from coaches and players about extreme heat, the league moved the season to run from August to November.
But Kearney says the new timing has created a different problem, with matches now often played in the windiest months of the year, posing fresh challenges for players.
