TRANSCRIPT
- Thirty people slightly injured in a Houthi missile strike on Tel Aviv
- Victorian Fire authorities say a blaze in the Grampians National Park could take weeks to contain
- Auckland F-C's unbeaten run in the A-League Men comes to an end
A rocket fired from Yemen has hit an area of Tel Aviv, the Israeli military says, leaving 16 people slightly injured by shattered glass from nearby windows.
A further 14 people suffered minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before the projectile hit early on Saturday.
A Houthi military spokesman says the group aimed at a military target, which they did not identify.
The attack comes less than two days after a series of Israeli air strikes on Yemen's Houthi rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people.
A local Tel Aviv resident says he was sleeping at home with his wife and six-year-old when their building was damaged.
"We heard a boom, really huge boom from the missile, and something like 40 seconds after the sirens, we heard the boom, and all the glasses from the windows came on us."
**
People have gathered in Magdeburg to honour the victims of a Christmas market attack, with flowers and candles spreading across the cobblestones near the site.
According to a Magdeburg city official, Ronni Krug, the vigil at Saint John’s Church came a day after a Saudi doctor with a history of anti-Islam rhetoric drove into crowds at the market, killing five and injuring hundreds on Friday evening.
“As of now, we are talking about 205 people affected, injured. Of the 205, we're talking about five dead, five victims. And we're talking about 41 seriously injured, some of them very seriously injured. In other words, it cannot be ruled out that these figures are still in flux and could turn out to be even more negative.”
Those killed include a nine-year-old child and four adults.
Authorities say the motive remains unclear, but a local prosecutor suggested the suspect’s frustration with Germany’s handling of Saudi refugees could be a factor.
The suspect, a 50-year-old psychiatrist who has lived in Germany for nearly two decades, was arrested at the scene after the attack in the city centre.
**
Uncontrolled bushfires are raging across the nation, with leave immediately warnings issued for multiple towns.
A fast-moving fire in Victoria's Grampians National Park had destroyed tens of thousands of hectares, despite firefighters battling through the night.
Residents in Bellfield, Halls Gap, Lake Fyans, Pomonal, Mafeking, and Watgania have been ordered to evacuate immediately.
Emergency services are reporting that firefighters have slowed the fire's spread but warned it won’t be contained for weeks, with conditions liable to change rapidly.
Country Fire Authority Deputy Chief Officer Garry Cook has explained the difficulties firefighters are dealing with in the area.
"Those who know the Grampians ranges, it's a beautiful country but really difficult to fight fires in and the second bit is - and this is the important piece - it is exceptionally dry. That area was identified and has been identified for months that it is in the, I'll call it the red zone in terms of fire risk this summer and that's now been realised. So, no surprises to how dry it is there it's making it so difficult for the fire fighters to fight and get on top of that fire. The fuels are really ready to burn."
Meanwhile, emergency warnings remain for residents in The Gurdies, South Gippsland.
While a fire northwest of Melbourne at Bullengarook in the Macedon region has been downgraded to a "watch and act."
**
A tropical low has brought more torrential rain to north Queensland, with more than 340mm falling in six hours in some areas and widespread totals of up to 100mm.
Heavy rains drenched areas from Cairns to Mackay, with Toolakea recording 346mm and nearby locations exceeding 200mm in six hours.
Flood warnings remain in place, including in Townsville, where residents near the Bohle River and Bluewater Creek were urged to prepare for evacuation on Friday night.
The Bureau of Meteorology’s Miriam Bradbury says heavy rain is expected through the weekend.
"As we move further through Saturday, the tropical low pressure system will gradually start to move away from the coast, continuing to push east across the Coral Sea as we go into Sunday. Now, rainfall totals out until the end of the weekend show fairly widespread heavy falls across much of northern Queensland, with the focal point for the rainfall really focused in on the north Tropical Coast there."
**
lIn football,
Auckland FC's undefeated run in the A-League Men has fallen to shambles after a 4-nil home thrashing by Western United.
Things went the wrong way from the start for the home side as the visitors were able to grab the lead thanks to a successfully converted penalty by Riku Danzaki.
By the end of half time, the score was already at three-nil for the Victorians, with Noah Botic and Hiroshi Ibusuki adding their name to the scoresheet.
Auckland tried to find a way back into the match in the second half, but after wasting several chances, they saw Matthew Grimaldi find a fourth, putting an end to the game.
This is the first-ever recorded defeat for the New Zealand club, which is in its inaugural season in the A-League Men.
