Midday News Bulletin 22 March 2025

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Source: SBS News

Israel demolishes Gaza's only specialised cancer hospital; Researchers contest claims international students are driving the housing crisis; Collingwood crash the Western Bulldog's centenary celebrations.


TRANSCRIPT

Israeli forces have pushed further into Gaza on Friday, demolishing the territory’s only specialised cancer hospital, located in the Netzarim Corridor.

The corridor, which cuts Gaza in two, has been under Israeli control for much of the 17-month conflict.

 Israel reclaimed the corridor this week after the collapse of a ceasefire that had brought relative calm since late January and enabled the release of over two dozen hostages.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce says efforts to restore a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas are ongoing.

She blames the resumption of Israeli strikes on Hamas.

"We're still dealing with the efforts to have a ceasefire, which we had and was, courtesy of, of Hamas, broken because of their lack of action on the parameters of the ceasefire itself. We of course, of course standby our ally Israel, as I mentioned, every day, happily so."

Israeli leaders say they will continue to seize territory until Hamas frees the remaining captives.

                                                         

First Nations advocates are calling for more investment in crime prevention after a 42-year-old Aboriginal man died in Bathurst jail on Tuesday afternoon.

New South Wales Police were called to Bathurst Correctional Centre around 2:30pm after the man was found unresponsive in his cell.

Blake Cansdale, an Anaiwan man and national director of Change the Record, a not-for-profit focused on reducing the over-representation of First Nations people in prison, says he is deeply angered by what he describes as yet another avoidable death in custody.

He criticises the justice system for continuing to fail First Nations communities, saying prisons focus on punishment rather than rehabilitation, and that profit and crisis are often prioritised over genuine care.

Mr Cansdale is calling on governments to stop funnelling funds into incarceration, and instead invest in long-term solutions that prevent people from entering the justice system in the first place.

                                                         

US President Donald Trump says he thinks a full ceasefire that will take place soon between Ukraine and Russia.

"Yeah, I think we're going to have we have a ceasefire on a lot of areas and so far that's all held very well. ... I believe we're going to have pretty soon have a full ceasefire, and then we're going to have a contract and the contracts being negotiated. The contract in terms of dividing up the lands, etc., etc., it's being negotiated as we speak. "

Mr Trump's remarks come as Russia and Ukraine accused each other of blowing up a Russian gas pumping station in a border area where Ukrainian troops have been retreating.


Footage showed a fire at the Sudzha facility, located just inside Russian territory, a few hundred metres from the Ukrainian border.

Russia’s defence ministry says Ukrainian troops destroyed the pumping station while retreating, calling it a breach of the informal moratorium agreed after a recent call between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

Ukraine has dismissed the accusation, stating Russia blew-up up the facility itself, as a provocation.

                                                         

New research suggests international students are not contributing to the housing crisis in the way politicians from both major parties have claimed.

In an Australian-first study, researchers examined data collected by government departments and the Australian Bureau of Statistics between 2017 and 2024.

Associate professor Michael Mu says the research found no direct link between international students and soaring rents.

"We actually look at several different variables, international student numbers, rental vacancy rate, inflation rate, and rental cost. The structural issues such as the vacancy say rate are way, way more important in predicting the rental cost. It's a supply issue."

International students make an annual contribution of almost $50 billion to the Australian economy, sparking concerns the political push for a cap on student numbers could damage the education sector.
                                                         


The Coalition’s push to wind back work-from-home arrangements for public servants is costing it support in key mortgage-belt seats.

New YouGov polling shows Labor gaining ground in outer-metropolitan electorates just weeks out from the federal election.

Earlier this month, the Coalition held a strong lead - 40 per cent to Labor’s 28 - but the latest figures put them neck and neck at 36 and 35 per cent.

Outer-suburban seats are vital for the Coalition to win government, with Opposition Leader Peter Dutton focusing his campaign on these areas.

But YouGov’s director of public data, Paul Smith, says the return-to-office policy has shifted voter sentiment.
                                                         

Collingwood have crashed the Western Bulldogs’ 100-year celebration with a six-point win at the MCG, making it two victories in a row.

The Bulldogs, playing under their old name 'Footscray' for the night, raced to an early 22-point lead, powered by standout efforts from Sam Darcy and Tom Liberatore.

But the Magpies fought back, and a late snap from Steele Sidebottom sealed a 10.16 (76) to 10.10 (70) win.

More than 78,000 fans packed the MCG for the centenary clash.

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