TRANSCRIPT
- Police are investigating attacks on two Muslim women in a Melbourne shopping centre.
- Israeli negotiators in Cairo for the next round of Gaza ceasefire talks.
- Rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca makes history in Argentina.
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Police have confirmed they are investigating the assaults of two Muslim women in Melbourne’s north.
A police spokeswoman says the probes into the two separate incidents at a shopping centre in Epping are ongoing, with detectives seeking to determine if the alleged assaults were "prejudice motivated".
One of the women has told SBS News the situation left her feeling unsafe and scared to leave her house.
The alleged attacks come amid a reported spike in anti-Muslim incidents, with Australia's Islamophobia register recording a 510 per cent increase in attacks since October 2023.
Israel's security cabinet is expected to convene soon to discuss the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal with Hamas.
Israel says negotiators are also on their way to Cairo where the details of the next round in the ceasefire will be agreed upon.
In the meantime, Israel says its forces will remain at military posts inside Lebanon today, when the deadline for troop withdrawal from the neighbouring country expires.
Israeli government spokesman David Mencer says it has already used intelligence to target a man identified as Muhammad Shaheen.
"Shaheen was head of Hamas' operations department in Lebanon. He recently planned terror attacks directed and funded by Iran from Lebanese territory against our people, and Shaheen was a source of knowledge within Hamas responsible throughout this war for terror attacks and rocket launches aimed at our civilians.”
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called for unity between Europe and the US on responsibility for Ukraine security, following the commencement of talks between Russia and the United States.
He has told a meeting of leaders in Paris there must be no division of security and responsibility between the two, citing the principle of NATO that they always act together and guarantee everyone's security by sharing the risk.
There has been growing concern the continent has been locked out of negotiations to end the three-year conflict.
The Chancellor says Germany remains open to the idea of sending troops as part of a peacekeeping mission to secure Ukraine - something Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also says they are considering.
"We will take part in those discussions and of course that is absolutely a possibility. There needs to be a very clear mandate for those forces, and I don't think we can see that until we have come further in those negotiations. But Sweden, we are normally a part of strengthening security in our part of the world, so I foresee us to be a part of that this time as well."
Rwanda-backed rebels have continued advancing in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, capturing a second city on the shores of Lake Kivu.
The Congolese government says it's monitoring the situation and remains committed to restoring security and territorial integrity, but witnesses have reported government soldiers have fled, putting up little resistance amid reports of looting and panic.
Bukavu is home to 1.3 million people and located about 100 kilometres south of Goma, a provincial capital that was captured last month.
M23 leader Bernard Maheshe Byamungu says he will restore order on the streets of Bukavu.
"When the old regime was in power it was a jungle. It’s been 60 years that you’ve been living in this. 60 years is too much. We are going to clean up the disorder left over from the old regime. We know this will take time. If we work together, it’s possible."
The player tipped to be the next men's tennis star has become the youngest Brazilian to win an ATP tournament.
Joao Fonseca has defeated 5th seed Francisco Cerundolo in straight sets to claim the Argentina Open title.
One of the game's most exciting young talents, the 18-year-old overcame 9th seed Andrew Rublev at the Australian Open last month.
Fonseca says his latest win in Argentina feels unbelievable.
"I just want to thank my family, my friends, my sponsors, for just helping me achieve my dream to just play tennis. My real dream is play tennis. Of course, I want to be number one. Of course, I want to want to win slams, titles, but my dream is just play tennis, and I'm living it."
