Saudi Arabia and US announce deal to develop nuclear power; Two bodies recovered after PNG boating incident; Former Socceroos captain Paul Wade reveals traumatic brain injury.
Listen to Australian and world news and follow trending topics with SBS News Podcasts.
TRANSCRIPT
- Saudi Arabia and US announce deal to develop nuclear power
- Two bodies recovered after P-N-G boating incident
- Former Socceroos captain Paul Wade reveals traumatic brain injury.
The United States is preparing to approve a major nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, allowing American companies to build and run reactors in the kingdom.
Reports say Saudi Arabia could also be allowed to enrich its own uranium, raising fears the material could one day be used for nuclear weapons.
The Trump administration says the agreement will be safe, but critics warn it could spark a nuclear arms race across the Middle East.
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett says the deal would put Israel’s security at risk.
"The (proposed) nuclear agreement taking shape with Saudi Arabia (and U.S.) over Israel's head is a severe strategic failure that endangers our security. Enrichment of nuclear material on Saudi soil could lead to a regional nuclear arms race and a dangerous loss of control."
.
The United States and Iran have exchanged new threats, as US President Donald Trump prepares to farewell US service members killed in Iranian attacks.
In a post on social media, President Trump has warned the US will destroy one bridge or power plant for every future Iranian strike in the Strait of Hormuz.
In response, Iran's top joint military command has said if the US acts on its threats, Tehran will stop all Gulf oil flow and target oil, gas, electricity and economic infrastructure in the region.
The exchange come as President Trump is headed to Dover Air Force Base for a ceremony for the four US service members killed in Iranian attacks in the Middle East over the past week.
"We're going to Dover. Some of you are going with us to honor our heroes and they are indeed great heroes, actually. They said, and all of them said very strongly, we can't let, you cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. They won't have a nuclear weapon. So we're going to honor them. And, one of the hardest things to do for me, it's one of the hardest things to do as a president. But, has to be done."
.
Flash flooding triggered by heavy rainfall has claimed 20 lives in Nuristan province in eastern Afghanistan.
Around 80 people have been injured and a further 100 remain missing.
Spokesperson for Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, Yousuf Hammad, says search-and-rescue operations have been launched, including efforts to recover the bodies of victims, rescue the injured and search for those missing.
The preliminary figures on casualties and property losses will be updated after investigations and damage assessments are completed.
.
Two bodies have been recovered in a major search and rescue operation after a boating incident in Papua New Guinea.
Five families took off in two boats on Saturday from the Duke of York group of islands and disappeared while attempting to cross to Kokopo.
The operators of the two boats survived after swimming ashore and have been questioned by police.
Sea and aerial searches are ongoing for the remaining 25 people.
East New Britain Province disaster and emergency services director, Donald Tokunai, says
"Today our pilot followed that trip model and found the debris between Kolube and Messi on the west coast of New Ireland so they came in, now they're back out again just to circle the area to see if there is any other debris out there or any chances of survivors being found."
.
Protesters have gathered outside a New York court, rallying for the release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from custody.
Maduro has returned to court for a directions hearing ahead of a trial next year, as his lawyers continue their objections to the U-S military action that snatched the leader from power.
A group of supporters led chants against the Trump Administration, outside the courtroom.
(Chants) "Resistance is justified, resistance is justified, when people are occupied, when people are occupied."
He and his wife, Cilia Flores, have pleaded not guilty to charges that they sided with drug dealers in a multi-decade scheme to ship large quantities of drugs to the United States.
They are being detained ahead of the trial in the United States, and a date has not been set.
.
Former Socceroos captain Paul Wade says he has been diagnosed with probable CTE, a brain disease linked to repeated blows to the head.
The diagnosis has renewed calls for children under 12 to be banned from heading the ball.
Wade says he is experiencing mood swings and memory loss, which are common symptoms of the disease.
The 62-year-old played 84 games for Australia and says his diagnosis was upgraded after further neurological tests and specialist assessment.
