TRANSCRIPT
- South Australia authorities issue fire ban for parts of the state
- World Bank announces $19 million recovery fund for Vanuatu
- Dyson Daniels help Hawks to 117-104 win over Minnesota
Fire authorities in South Australia have called a total fire ban in the Mount Lofty Ranges and the far west coast for Christmas Day due to dangerous weather conditions.
Temperatures today are set to peak at 32 degrees Celsius which, combining with the dry winds blowing in the area, are likely to create an ideal setting for a bushfire.
South Australia Country Fire Service chief officer Brett Loughlin says he understands this ban may intervene with the holiday plans of people in the area.
"I know this will have (an) impact on some people's plans for how they planned to do their cooking and the activities they might otherwise hoped to have enjoyed with family and friends. And this is not something that we do lightly. But given the dynamic fire behaviour we observed yesterday in the Onkaparinga Hills, in, as the Premier (Peter Malinauskas) described, relatively benign conditions, goes to show what that risk will be when we have that high heat and the winds that are likely to be there on Christmas Day."
It comes as several firefighters suffered injuries as they attempted to put out what has been described as a suspicious bushfire on Tuesday.
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas says the thought of these blazes being set by individuals during a most difficult period for fire services in the state made him sick to his stomach.
**
The World Bank has announced a support package worth $19 million for Vanuatu to aid in the recovery efforts of the devastating 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation last week.
The earthquake caused major damage in the area, leaving at least 14 people dead, over 200 injured and reducing buildings to ruins.
Another earthquake - around 6.1 in magnitude - hit the area on Sunday.
Relief efforts have been difficult for emergency crews due to the scale of the disaster and limited medical resources.
Chen Mulei, the leader of a small medical team from China, says they are doing everything they can to aid survivors.
"Each day we come here in the morning at about 08:00 to help all the rounds and see the seriously ill patients. And also in the afternoon and each night, we are on call. They moved [patients] to the ICU to do the operations. The operation room is very small and the resources are not enough. So there's limited treatment of the patients."
**
Survivors of Cyclone Tracy say the memory of that Christmas is still raw 50 years on.
Cyclone Tracy killed 66 people when it hit Darwin in 1974, destroying or seriously damaging eight out of ten buildings.
It is regarded as one of the most significant storms in Australia's history as it formed a blueprint for disaster preparedness and recovery.
Lloyd Stumer was a meteorologist in Darwin who had been tracking the cyclone as it headed towards the city.
He says it was a terrifying experience.
"It's a little bit surreal because you're watching this monster coming towards Darwin and it's got you in its gun sights. You had the observations coming in from the automatic weather stations saying this thing is very dangerous, people will get killed. But you're always hoping that this thing is going to turn before it hits you. That's human nature. As this thing was coming in, I was sort of thinking 'no it's got to turn, it's not going to hit me, I'm a good guy, and it's not going to take us out'."
**
The Israeli Minister of Defence has openly admitted that his nation was behind the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.
Haniyeh, who was leading the negotiating efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, was killed by an explosive device in Tehran, with the Israeli government never officially claiming responsibility for the attack.
Mediators from Qatar and Egypt said that Haniyeh's death would likely prolong the war in Gaza.
Speaking at a military event Minister Israel Katz says Israel will deal with the Houthi rebels of Yemen in the same manner as it did with Haniyeh.
"We will also deal a severe blow to the Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen, which remains the last to stand and fire at Israel. We will damage its strategic infrastructure, and we will behead its leaders – just as we did to Haniyeh, Sinwar and Nasrallah in Tehran, Gaza and Lebanon – we will do it in Hodeidah and Sana'a. Whoever will raise his hand to Israel, his hand will be severed. The IDF's (Israeli Defence Forces) long arm will harm him and will settle the score."
It comes as the number of people killed during Israel's military operation in Gaza exceeds 45,300, with over 107,700 left injured, based on reports from the Gaza health ministry.
**
New figures show Australians are set for a record-breaking $1.3 billion Boxing Day shopping spree, despite cost-of-living pressures.
Data from the Australian Retailers Association and Roy Morgan shows projected figures are likely to be a 1.8 per cent increase compared to last year.
Total spending is projected to reach $3.7 billion, up by 2.7 per cent from the same time in 2023.
New South Wales will be topping the charge, with Victorians following closely behind.
The figures show the changing shopping habits of Australians, who are now more likely to dish out during bargain periods, with overall spending on Black Friday going up by 4 per cent.
**
In sports, and in the NBA, former Bendigo Braves player Dyson Daniels has spurred the Atlanta Hawks to a 117-104 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the State Farm Arena.
The 21-year-old Boomer remained on the court for the majority of the game, contributing 10 points, four assists and four rebounds to his team's efforts.
It brings Atlanta's record in the eastern conference to a total balance, with 15 wins and 15 loses in 30 games.
Daniels has been improving throughout the season, playing an average of 33.6 minutes for the Hawks and scoring around 13 points per game.
