TRANSCRIPT
- U-S Secretary of State Antony Blinken to make another trip to Israel
- New laws to reduce vaping
- Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has signed a two-year contract extension
U-S Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to travel to Israel during his tour of the Middle East, in yet another attempt to gain support for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The U-S State Department has said Israel will be the final stop of Mr Blinken's tour, which kicked off from Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and is set to move to Egypt later on Thursday.
It comes at a time of growing discontent between Israel and the U-S, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing criticism for comments made from the U-S which said that his government had lost its way.
State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel says the issue of allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza is going to be on the agenda of Mr Blinken's discussions with the Israeli officials.
"He's (US Secretary of State Antony Blinken) going to discuss, with the government of Israel, its leadership, the ongoing negotiations to secure the release of hostages. He's going to discuss the need to defeat Hamas, including in Rafah, in a way that we believe will hopefully protect civilian populations, does not hinder the delivery of humanitarian assistance and advances Israel's overall security."
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The government is continuing to crack down on vapes, with new laws to be introduced to parliament today.
The stricter regulations will ban the importation, commercial possession, and sale of single use vapes without a prescription.
Vaping continues to grow among young Australians, with 1 in 10 high school students reporting regular use of e-cigarettes.
Associate Professor Becky Freeman says these laws are needed to protect children.
"When we talk to kids they tell us that vapes are extremely easy for them to access, that they are incredibly confident that if they needed to buy a vape tomorrow that they could, and that when they stop in shops on the way home from school, where they buy their lollies, fizzy drinks, and ice creams, they can also buy vapes that come in candy flavours. I stand supporting this law today. I hope that we can see that it is the best way to protect children from the easy access to vapes, and nobody wants to see another generation addicted to nicotine for decades to come."
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Nationals M-P Barnaby Joyce says Kevin Rudd is "cooked" if Donald Trump wins the U-S election later this year.
Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong yesterday confirmed Dr Rudd would remain as ambassador if Mr Trump is elected.
Mr Joyce has told Nine he doesn't believe Donald Trump will back down.
"Trump will do lots and lots and lots of things, which we will have lots of time to speak about, but rolling over won’t be one of them. And once he sets a path, I think that, Rudd’s cooked and so, you know. Might as well drag him back, send him to another country, send him over to France or, I don’t know, The Hague or make him deputy secretary of the United Nations. I don’t know, do something else with him."
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The World Food Program says Sudan is experiencing a hunger crisis as over one million people across the country face starvation.
The nation has been torn by a civil war that has left tens of thousands of people dead and created horrific circumstances in the streets of the nation's capital, Khartoum.
United Nations officials have described the situation as one of the worst humanitarian nightmares in recent history.
Carl Skau is Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Program.
"WFP's inability to move aid in since permissions were revoked has impeded our plan to reach about 1 million people each month across Darfur. But more border crossing must also, reopen to get aid into the greater Darfur region, which has recorded some of the highest rates of hunger and malnutrition."
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In AFL,
Adelaide coach Matthew Nicks has signed a two-year contract extension to remain at the helm of the AFL club until the end of 2026.
Nicks, who is entering his fifth season at the Crows but yet to reach the finals, had been due to fall off-contract at the end of this season.
