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TRANSCRIPT
- Venezuela's military recognises a new acting leader.
- Australia's Venezualan community hope for freedom and democracy for loved ones abroad.
- England dominate day one of the final Ashes test in Sydney.
Venezuela's military has recognised Delcy Rodriguez as the country's acting leader.
Venezuela's Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, says the country's Supreme Court ruling appoints Ms Rodriguez as acting president for 90 days.
He also used his televised address to condemn the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife by US troops over the weekend - and he called for their immediate release.
Mr López says the US strike on Venezuela constitutes a threat to geopolitical stability.
"We activate, throughout the entire national geographic space and in perfect popular–military–police fusion, the Complete Operational Readiness Posture, in order to integrate the elements of the national power in the mission of confronting imperial aggression, forming a single combat bloc to ensure the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of the nation. This represents severely a threat against the global order. If today was against Venezuela, tomorrow it can be against any state, any country."
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has defended the US operation in Venezuela that led to the arrest of the country's long-time leader Nicolas Maduro, saying congressional authorisation was not required.
President Maduro is in a New York detention centre waiting to face drug charges from the Department of Justice, after President Donald Trump ordered the raid to capture him.
Donald Trump says the US will take control of the oil-producing nation.
Marco Rubio said the aim was to improve the lives of the Venezuelan people.
"Everyone knows I'm pretty involved in politics in this hemisphere, obviously the secretary of state and national security adviser are very involved in all these elements. The department of war plays a very importamnt role here along with the department of justice for example because they're the ones that have to go to court, so this is a team effort by the entire national security aparatus of our country, but it is running this policy and the goal of this policy is to see changes in Venezuela that are beneficial to the United States first and foremost because that's who we work for but also we believe beneficial for the people of Venezuela."
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The Venezuelan Association of Australia says their community is hoping that the removal of President Nicolás Maduro results in a more democratic Venezuela.
President of the association, Genesis Lindstrom, says her family are thankfully safe after the U-S strikes on Venezuela, after they were woken at 2am by the sounds of explosions.
She says her community has varied opinions on the U-S military intervention, but they ultimately hope this can provide their home country an opportunity to rebuild.
"Honestly, it was a little bit shocking for me. It's a lot more complex than saying you support it or not. But what we do call for is for a democratic transition of power, something that we have been fighting for for two decades. We are now calling for the liberation of political prisoners, around 1000 people including teenagers that are imprisoned unjustly and kept inhumane conditions, and we are just watching out for each other."
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Severe heatwave warnings have been issued for large parts of the country, with temperatures forecast to top 40 degrees Celcius in at least four states in the coming days.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued warnings for parts of New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and the A-C-T, which will remain in effect until Wednesday.
The Buraeu predicts temperatures reaching 40 degrees and above will be felt in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and W-A.
They are warning of the potential heat impact on more vulnerable members of the community, including older Australians, babies, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and people with medical conditions.
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In cricket, England have enjoyed one of their best days of the Ashes series, after a 154-run stand between Joe Root and Harry Brook drove them to 211 for three on day one of the last Test.
Play was called off early due to the weather conditions.
At 3-1 down in what has been a mostly miserable series for the tourists, nothing England can do will prevent Australia from lifting the urn in triumph at the end of the series.
However, their two best batsmen finally combined for a meaningful contribution with Brook 78 not out and Root unbeaten on 72.
