In this bulletin;
- The Prime Minister says the ADF personnel involved in serious road crash are heroes
- More than a 1,000 people killed in two days of fighting in Syria
- Carlton star Charlie Curnow ruled out of the Blues' AFL season opener against Richmond
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Six Australian Defence Force personnel have been seriously injured after two military trucks rolled while assisting with storm and flood recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
According to New South Wales Police, 13 personnel were injured and are being treated in local hospitals.
The accident occurred around 5pm on Saturday when one truck left the road and rolled several times into a paddock.
A second truck tipped onto its side while trying to avoid the first.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the 32 soldiers on board the two trucks are heroes.
"For the extraordinary members of the Australian Defence Forces there are no easy days, everyday could bring danger, everyday carries risk and yet they step up and face them for us, the Australian people, for our nation and for their fellow Australians. ... These men and women are heroes who were on their way to help people in need. They were doing this at a time when some of their own families were bearing the brunt of Alfred."
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WA Liberal Party leader Libby Mettam says the results of the state election were disappointing but show that her party has work to do.
In a historic win, the WA Labor Party secured a third term in state government with a resounding victory over the Liberals.
According to ABC News, Labor is on track to win 41 seats, the Liberals five and the Nationals four.
Among the top voter concerns ahead of this election were cost of living, housing, health and climate action, with big swings also recorded toward Greens and independents.
Libby Mettam says the defeat means her party must work harder.
"We know democracies aren't perfect, but we know that as a Western Australian and as an Australian as well, it is a system that we must all respect, and the people of Western Australia have cast their vote and the result is certainly very clear. "
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More than 1,000 people have died in two days of clashes between security forces and loyalists of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that 745 civilians were killed, mostly killed in massacres, along with 125 government troops and 148 Assad-linked militants.
The fighting, which began on Thursday, marks a major escalation against the new government in Damascus, three months after al-Assad’s removal.
The government says its troops were responding to attacks by al-Assad loyalists.
The revenge killings by Sunni gunmen against al-Assad’s Alawite sect began on Friday, dealing a major blow to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the faction behind his overthrow.
Among those allegedly killed by al-Assad loyalists was the brother of Mostafa Al-Shogari, a member of the government’s security forces.
He says Tahrir-al-Sham will avenge his brother's death.
“If it was not for the pure blood of these martyrs, we would not have reached this point, Assad loyalists would have committed the most horrific acts. But we swear before God, by God Almighty, that we will make them taste what we endured 200 times, 2,000 times.”
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Israel and Hamas are preparing for the next round of ceasefire talks as mediators work to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.
Hamas says there are positive indicators for the second-phase negotiations but gave no details.
Israel's government says it will send a delegation to Qatar on Monday after accepting an invitation from mediators.
Meanwhile in Tel Aviv, protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Defence to push the government to secure the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Among those protesting is Gilad Graber.
He says one obstacle to peace is Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, himself.
"The majority of the Israelis are for bringing back the hostages and against starting some military actions back. The problem is the government and Mr. Netanyahu that with all this panic of being charged with criminal crimes he's interested is to keep on the war in order not to be... not to complete his trial and get his punishment."
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Carlton star Charlie Curnow has been ruled out of the Blues' AFL season opener against Richmond as he continues recovering from knee surgery.
However, the club remains hopeful the key forward could return as early as round two, with Curnow recently resuming full training.
Coach Michael Voss told fans at an open training session today that the 28-year-old would miss Thursday night’s clash at the MCG.
Carlton says they preferred to give Curnow an additional block of full training rather than rush his return after February's knee surgery.
The Blues will be eager to have one of the league’s top forwards back for a challenging start to the season.
