TRANSCRIPT:
- A man knocked unconscious by a whale off the coast of Queensland;
- US president Joe Biden prepares to address the Democrat's national convention;
- Aussie golfer Richard Green in the lead on the Champions Tour in Calgary.
A man has suffered serious injuries after being struck by a whale in a boat near the border between Queensland and New South Wales.
Queensland Police say the man in his 40s was knocked unconscious when he was struck by the whale's tail just before 9am this morning [[Sunday 18 Aug]].
They say the man didn't know the whale was there until it appeared in front of him.
He is reportedly now in a stable condition at Gold Coast University Hospital where he is being treated for facial and spinal injuries.
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A volunteer firefighter has died after being hit by a police car on Flinders Island, off the coast of Tasmania.
Tasmania Police say the man was on foot when he was hit by the police vehicle driven by an on-duty officer.
A full Professional Standards investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.
They will also provide a report to the coroner.
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Wildfires are raging across western Turkiye for a third straight day, exacerbated by high winds and warm temperatures.
The country's Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate says more than 130 fires have erupted across Turkiye in the past week, though most have been brought under control.
That includes a wildfire on the Gallipoli Peninsula that raised had fears the blaze could reach Australian war graves at Anzac Cove.
RSL Australia president Greg Melick has told SBS News the sites do appear to be safe.
"The families (of those killed in action) are very concerned. We were contacted several times asking for information as to how close the fires were going... The latest information we've got is the descendants shouldn't be too worried at this stage. We have a watching brief, and no doubt you and we will let them know if anything changes."
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US President Joe Biden is preparing to give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention, about to get underway in Chicago.
He will make a symbolic hand over to Vice President Kamala Harris and press the case for what he says is the threat to the US if Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Biden ended his bid for re-election four weeks ago, as his party descended into a crisis of confidence over his chances against the Republican nominee after a devastating performance in their June debate.
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Hospitals in Pakistan say they are preparing for the possibility more mpox patients might arrive soon, a day after a case was confirmed in someone who had recently returned from Saudi Arabia.
The Police Services Hospital in Peshawar has been designated as an isolation facility for suspected cases in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Hospital superintendent Dr Muhammad Niaz says they are doing whatever they can to ensure they're not caught off guard in case of a sudden increase.
“We have prepared a whole seven bed isolation ward here at Police Services Hospital. We have oxygen, oxygen concentrators, emergency medicines, IV fluids, IV cannulas, antibiotics, antipyretics and whatever is required by these patients is available here. So far, no patient (of mpox) has arrived here. If someone comes, we have full arrangements here.”
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Social media platform X has announced plans to shut down its operations in Brazil.
X has been embroiled in a legal battle with the Brazilian government after refusing to comply with orders to shut down accounts accused of spreading false information and hate messages during the government of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The company says they have made the decision to close operations in the country to ensure the safety of their staff members and protest what it calls "censorship orders".
But X says its platform remains available to the people of Brazil.
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To sport,
Aussie Richard Green has shot a dazzling eight-under 62 to grab a narrow lead going into the final round of the Rogers Charity Classic in Calgary, Canada.
Green collected nine birdies through the first 11 holes.
