TRANSCRIPT
- A man's body recovered after a mine collapse in Victoria
- Israel says it was targeting a Hamas commander with an air strike on a U.N food distribution agency in Gaza
- Mayor of Paris calls for Russian athletes to be banned from the Paris Olympics
Police have recovered the body of a man who died in a mine collapse at Ballarat, in regional Victoria.
The 37-year-old man was one of two struck by falling rocks in the mine at Mount Clear.
Australian Workers Union State Secretary Ronnie Hayden says the other is now in a serious condition in hospital.
He says everyone is devastated.
"It's devastating because we've lost another worker - and no worker should be injured or die at work - but it's even more devastating because it should have been avoided. They should not have been doing that task in that mine."
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Israel has confirmed an air strike on a United Nations food distribution centre in Gaza that has killed five people - but says the hit was targeting a Hamas commander.
The Israeli military has identified the man as Mohammad Abu Hasna, who they say was a Hamas militant responsible for providing intelligence to the group on Israeli troop positions and taking control of humanitarian aid to distribute to Hamas fighters.
There has been no immediate confirmation from Hamas that he was a member of the group.
The United Nations has continued to condemn the strike on the UNRWA office, spokesman Stephane Dujarric saying the agency should never be a target in the hostilities.
"Every day, UNRWA shares the coordinates of all its facilities across the Gaza Strip with parties to the conflict. The Israeli Army received the coordinates, including of this facility, yesterday. Since the war began five months ago, UNRWA has recorded an unprecedented number of violations against its staff and facilities that surpass any other conflict around the world. And as a reminder, 165 of our UNRWA colleagues have died in Gaza since 7 October."
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China's foreign minister is to visit Australia next week and meet counterpart Penny Wong as China looks at removing punitive tariffs on Australian wine.
Wang Yi is due to arrive in Canberra on Wednesday.
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Three Egyptian clerics have been fatally stabbed in an attack on their monastery in South Africa.
The monks were killed at the monastery east of the capital, Pretoria.
A fourth monk has survived after being beaten with an iron rod.
A 35-year-old suspect has already been arrested over the attack, with police confirming they are seeking others who they also believe to have been involved.
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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has defended his refusal to send long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, as the besieged country continues to call for support from its Western allies.
The German parliament is pressing ahead with a new motion today that urges the government to change its mind on the Taurus decision, amid speculation that some members hope for a vote that will exploit divisions in the governing coalition.
But Mr Scholz says Germany remains the second biggest supplier of weapons to Ukraine after the United States, and that this was a show of "great trust".
He has told the Bundestag he is standing firm.
"From my point of view, this is a very long-range weapon. Given the significance of not losing control over targets, this weapon could not be used without the deployment of German soldiers. I reject that."
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Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has called for Russian athletes to be banned from taking part in the Paris Olympics and their opening ceremony.
The International Olympic Committee, which decides on such matters, is due to discuss the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the opening ceremony at its next session.
Ms Hidalgo says the I-O-C should stop them from coming altogether - but not Israeli athletes, whose country is also embroiled in war.
"Sanctioning Israel in relation to the Olympic and Paralympic Games is out of the question for me. Yes, all the diplomatic work that's happening right now to push (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu towards a ceasefire, to stop targeting the civilians of Gaza, should be done. But he should not be considered as another Putin, who is a dictator in his country."
