TRANSCRIPT:
- Penny Wong calls for an inquiry into the deaths of 15 aid workers in Gaza;
- An Australian man returns to earth after a record breaking private Space X flight;
- Two amateur cyclists die during a Tour of Flanders event.
Australia is pushing for an independent investigation into the Israeli military's killing of 15 humanitarian aid workers, after a new video emerged of the shooting in Gaza.
The footage from one of the victims' phones contradicts Israeli accounts that IDF troops opened fire because they were approached "suspiciously" by vehicles without lights and sirens.
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed the call for an inquiry, saying in a statement that all parties must abide by international humanitarian law.
It's a message reiterated already by International Red Cross permanent observer Dylan Winder.
"Even in the most complex conflict zones, there are rules. These rules of international humanitarian law could not be clearer: civilians must be protected, humanitarians must be protected, health services must be protected."
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U-S President Donald Trump will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week at the White House.
Mr Netanyahu's office has not confirmed the visit, but it's understood it likely will include discussions Israel's operations in Gaza, at a time when the Israeli government has said it remains committed to Mr Trump's plan for the enclave.
The UN says a third of the Gaza Strip is already under current evacuation orders, with more than 280,000 Palestinians displaced over the past two weeks so the Israeli military can build what it says are security corridors.
But the UN's Volker Turk says a diplomatic solution is the most appropriate way to resolve the conflict.
“The last 18 months of violence have made abundantly clear that there is no military path out of this crisis. The only way forward is a political settlement based on two states living side by side in equal dignity and rights, in line with United Nations resolutions and international law.”
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A passenger has been arrested after allegedly trying to open emergency exit doors and assaulting cabin crew staff on a Malaysian flight bound for Australia.
Police say the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney was airborne on Saturday when the Jordanian man attempted to open the rear emergency exit.
The man is expected to appear in court today on charges of endangering the safety of an aircraft.
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Opposition leader Peter Dutton has launched his election campaign in Tasmania by calling into question Labor's commitment to the future of the state's salmon farming industry.
On what is his first visit to the Apple Isle in this campaign, Mr Dutton has claimed credit for Labor's recently approved legislation that passed with Coalition support.
Some critics say reduces the ability to challenge federal environmental decisions, while the government has argued it's about protecting jobs in Tasmania's Macquarie Harbour salmon farms.
But Mr Dutton has argued Labor's environment policies are an ongoing threat to Tasmania's economy.
"Labor was on a pathway to destroy the Tasmanian salmon industry - exactly what they want to do to forestry in this great state as well, and I'm proud that we stood up with you, that we stood with salmon farmers here in Tasmania, and that we stopped Labor's plan to stop salmon farming here in Tasmania."
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Climate groups have welcomed the federal government's plan to subsidise household batteries, as Labor seeks to woo voters with promises of cheaper energy.
Home owners will be offered $4000 off the cost of household batteries, a pledge that builds on an existing scheme to reduce the cost of solar installation, and a promise to extend power bill rebates for another six months.
The Clean Energy Council says a national battery scheme would ensure more households could turbocharge their energy independence, while the CEO of Parents for Climate, Nic Seton, has declared he wants to see the policy adopted by all parties.
"Families are already up against it with the increasing cost from climate impacts, rising insurance - and all the other things that are being put under pressure right now. And this is something that can reduce the cost of living permanently."
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Four space tourists have returned to Earth after a private mission in a SpaceX capsule.
An Australian man identified as polar guide Eric Phillips was among those on board.
"It's unbelievable. You would not believe how much it is. It's just - it is mind boggling up here. It is so much fun."
The crew splashed down in California after their unique orbit around Earth.
It's the first human spaceflight to circle the globe above the poles and the first Pacific splashdown for a space crew in 50 years.
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Two amateur cyclists have died during an annual mass ride that marks the route of the Tour of Flanders race.
Organisers say a Dutch rider died of heart failure after falling ill on a steep climb at the start of the route in Belgium.
A second man from France died in hospital after collapsing on another climb.
