Gaza ceasefire talks to begin in Qatar
TRANSCRIPT
Gaza ceasefire talks to begin in Qatar
Calls for mandatory education, after an attack on a synagogue in Melbourne
The Wallabies claim a narrow victory over Fiji Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet United States President Donald Trump at the White House amid renewed efforts to broker a Gaza ceasefire deal. It comes as an Israeli delegation travels to Qatar to discuss the new US sponsored proposal for a 60-day truce, which Hamas recently said it responded to positively. On the Israeli side, Mr Netanyahu's office has said Hamas requested "unacceptable" changes, as fighting continues in the Gaza Strip with casualties mounting over the weekend. Houthi forces in Yemen also continued their campaign in support of Gaza, with spokesperson Yahya Sarea confirming a missile was fired at Israel on Sunday. "Our support operations will continue until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege on it is lifted. By the grace of God, we are prepared and ready to deal with any developments that may occur in the coming days." Israel says the Houthi missile was shot down, and there were no immediate reports of injury, death or damage. The Australian government is calling for mandatory training across the education and corporate sectors, as police continue to investigate an arson attack on the East Melbourne Synagogue. Antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal has called for antisemitism training to reduce societal ignorance about the issue, as at least four antisemitic attacks were recorded in Melbourne over the weekend - including the synagogue attack. A man appeared in court in Melbourne on Sunday, charged with reckless conduct endangering life (among other charges), after he allegedly lit the front door of the East Melbourne Synagogue on fire, while families shared Shabbat dinner inside. Immigration and Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke says there is no place for bigotry in Australia. "As you see people become braver with their bigotry, we need to remember intersecting this at the first possible moment is one of the kindest things you can do and one of the things that is most consistent with who we are as a nation." At least 70 people have died following flash floods in Texas, as rescuers continue a frantic search for 11 missing campers. The worst affected area is Kerr County, where officials have reported 59 deaths, including at least 21 children. The death toll is expected to rise. US officials say more than 850 people have been rescued so far, after a sudden storm dumped up to 38 centimetres of rain in the area around the Guadalupe River. The disaster has prompted speculation about how the Trump administration's funding cuts have impacted the ability of weather agencies to predict the flooding and provide advanced warning. Former administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Dr Rick Spinrad says the loss of jobs will inevitably lead to more lives lost in natural disasters. "Without research, without staff to do the work. We can assume that the predictions, and not just hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, drought, wildfires, tsunamis, for that matter, are undoubtedly going to degrade. And that means that people's ability to prepare for these storms will be compromised. It undoubtedly means that additional lives will be lost and probably more property damage." Mortgage holders are hoping for a rate cut on Tuesday, as the Reserve Bank's monetary policy board begins a two-day meeting this morning. It would be the first back-to-back rate cut in more than five years, if the predictions being made by the majority of economists are right. The RBA decision is due within days of U-S President Donald Trump's self imposed deadline to end a pause on so-called reciprocal tariffs. In rugby union, a last-minute try from Wallabies captain Harry Wilson has helped Australia beat Fiji 21-18 in a thrilling game in Newcastle. Australia fell behind in the 55th minute but they managed to scramble for the much-needed win. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended the game, highlighting Australia's commitment to provide $10 million over seven years to support the Fijian women's and men's teams in the Super Rugby Pacific and Australia Super W competitions. He told Stan Sport it's about building relationships in the Pacific. "Rugby is such a source of passion and of course the Fijian Prime Minister, who'll be with us today, Prime Minister Rabuka played for Fiji and was a great athlete and a very passionate supporter. We provide a lot of support for Rugby in the Pacific. It's about building on our economic relationship, our security relationship, and we're all part of the Pacific family. We have an important responsibility in our region to show leadership."
The win for the Wallabies comes ahead of the series opener against the British & Irish Lions in Brisbane on July 19th.
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A second Israeli official said the issue of humanitarian aid had been discussed in Qatar, without providing further details. The truce talks have been revived following June's 12-day Israeli air war against its arch-foe Iran, which backs Hamas. The US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely. Ending the war has been the main sticking point in past rounds of talks, with Hamas demanding a full end to the conflict in return for releasing all hostages, and Israel insisting it would fight on until Hamas is dismantled. Some of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose ending the fighting, but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the 21-month-old war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire. The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. About 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, led to a hunger crisis, displaced nearly all the population and left most of the territory in ruins. Israel and Hamas are set to hold indirect talks in Qatar for a second day, aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, before a meeting in Washington between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The US president has said a deal could be reached this week. Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu that Israeli negotiators had been given clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire under conditions that Israel has accepted. An Israeli official described the atmosphere at the Gaza talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, as positive. Palestinian officials said initial meetings on Sunday had ended inconclusively. A second Israeli official said the issue of humanitarian aid had been discussed in Qatar, without providing further details. The truce talks have been revived following June's 12-day Israeli air war against its arch-foe Iran, which backs Hamas. The US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely. Ending the war has been the main sticking point in past rounds of talks, with Hamas demanding a full end to the conflict in return for releasing all hostages, and Israel insisting it would fight on until Hamas is dismantled. Some of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose ending the fighting, but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the 21-month-old war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire. The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. About 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, led to a hunger crisis, displaced nearly all the population and left most of the territory in ruins. Israel and Hamas are set to hold indirect talks in Qatar for a second day, aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza, before a meeting in Washington between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump. The US president has said a deal could be reached this week. Before departing for Washington on Sunday, Netanyahu that Israeli negotiators had been given clear instructions to achieve a ceasefire under conditions that Israel has accepted. An Israeli official described the atmosphere at the Gaza talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, as positive. Palestinian officials said initial meetings on Sunday had ended inconclusively. A second Israeli official said the issue of humanitarian aid had been discussed in Qatar, without providing further details. The truce talks have been revived following June's 12-day Israeli air war against its arch-foe Iran, which backs Hamas. The US-backed proposal for a 60-day ceasefire envisages a phased release of hostages, Israeli troop withdrawals from parts of Gaza and discussions on ending the war entirely. Ending the war has been the main sticking point in past rounds of talks, with Hamas demanding a full end to the conflict in return for releasing all hostages, and Israel insisting it would fight on until Hamas is dismantled. Some of Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners oppose ending the fighting, but, with Israelis having become increasingly weary of the 21-month-old war, his government is expected to back a ceasefire. The war was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, killing about 1200 people and taking 251 hostages. About 20 of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza are believed to be still alive. Israel's retaliatory military campaign against Hamas has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health authorities, led to a hunger crisis, displaced nearly all the population and left most of the territory in ruins.
