Health News at Your Fingertips

Luke Henriques-Gomes

The first two weeks of royal commission hearings into robodebt sought to answer a central question: how did the unlawful welfare scheme happen?

AFLW semi-final delayed due to stormy weather and lightning in Adelaide

The AFLW semi-final between Adelaide and Collingwood has been delayed due to lightning and heavy storms as uncertainty grows over whether the match can be completed.

The match was initially delayed by 30 minutes from the scheduled start time of 3.40pm on Saturday due to lightning within 10 kilometres of Unley Oval in Adelaide, but was able to get under way during a break in the weather.

The Crows and the Magpies played out the opening term before dark clouds and heavy storms returned in the dying seconds of the quarter.

With lightning again seen nearby during the first break, the match was delayed by a further 20 minutes, with uncertainty growing over whether it can be played in full on Saturday.

After the initial 30-minute delay it took the Crows just 17 seconds from the first bounce to kick the opening goal, after surging the ball forward for Eloise Jones to score from 20 metres out for a flying start.

The Crows were made to work harder for their second goal, even after locking the ball in their forward 50, until Lisa Whiteley took a diving mark deep in the pocket and overcame a tricky breeze to kick truly.

The Crows led the Magpies 2.1 (13) to 0.2 (2) when the game was again paused at quarter-time.

A public health message from the Victorian Department of Health:

A high risk of epidemic thunderstorm asthma has been forecast for the Northern Country and North Central districts on Sunday, 13 November 2022.

The combination of forecast extreme grass pollen levels and a certain type of thunderstorm with strong winds means there is a chance a large number of people may develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time.

All other districts have a moderate risk forecast tomorrow, including the Wimmera, Mallee, South West, Central, North East, West & South Gippsland and East Gippsland regions.

Health and emergency services are monitoring the situation closely and are ready to respond.

People in high-risk areas with asthma or hay fever, or who experience wheezing, breathlessness, a feeling of tightness in the chest or a persistent cough, should have their reliever medication with them at all times tomorrow, and avoid the wind gusts before the storm by going inside and closing their windows and doors.

People who have asthma or seasonal hay fever should review the asthma first aid steps.

People should call Nurse on Call on 1300 60 60 24 or see their local doctor if they require medical advice.

There are around 50 GP respiratory clinics across Victoria offering free respiratory care. Face-to-face and telehealth appointments are available and some clinics are open at night and on weekends.

For information on clinic locations and operating hours, visit: GP Respiratory Clinics

Call 000 immediately if someone is not breathing, if their asthma suddenly becomes worse or is not improving, or if the person is having an asthma attack and a reliever puffer is not available.

For up-to-date information, visit the VicEmergency website or download the VicEmergency App.

Experts believe the crime rhetoric in some WA community Facebook groups may be leading people to take the law into their own hands. Lorena Allam and Sarah Collard report:

‘Ukraine will always remember this support’, says country’s foreign minister of Australian aid

AAP reports from Phnom Penh:

Bushmasters have become the most popular Australian brand in Ukraine as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, commits an additional 30 vehicles to the fight against Russia’s invasion.

But the Ukraine foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has flagged support with energy infrastructure will be crucial to help his nation through the coming winter months.

Albanese met with Kuleba in Phnom Penh on the sidelines of the Asean summit.

The prime minister said after discussions with Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Australia would commit a further 30 Bushmasters, taking the total to 90.

“We’re very proud that this is making a substantial difference to the defence of your people … Be assured of Australia’s ongoing support and our admiration for your struggle,” Albanese said.

Australia has also sent 70 Australian defence force personnel to the UK to provide training assistance to Ukrainian soldiers.

Kuleba told the prime minister the armoured vehicles have become a symbol of Australia’s political and economic support to his nation.

“Bushmasters became the most popular Australian brand in Ukraine,” he said.

“Ukraine will always remember this support that the people in Australia extended to us.

“We will definitely prevail and when victory comes, it will be our joint success.”

But as Ukraine enters its winter months, Kuleba asked Australia and other nations present at the summit for help with energy needs. He said radiators in apartments are cold and buildings are experiencing long blackouts because of Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure.

“Transformers, generators, spare parts for the electricity grid. These are very technical things and they are all of humanitarian purpose,” he said. “This is humanitarian aid, they have nothing to do with military aid.”

Albanese told Kuleba he would take the request to his government to consider how Australia could support Ukraine further.

Global instability, energy shortages and inflation caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are key issues for Albanese as he embarks on his nine-day overseas trip.

PM appoints former Macquarie Bank boss Nicholas Moore as special envoy to south-east Asia

Katharine Murphy

Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, has used his opening remarks at the Asean-Australia summit to reveal Labor will appoint a new special envoy to south-east Asia, the former Macquarie Bank boss and company director Nicholas Moore, to drive what the prime minister has characterised as a “comprehensive south-east Asia economic strategy” between now and 2040.

Continuing the courtship of the region that the government has been focused on since winning the election in May, Albanese used Saturday’s address to underscore Australia’s commitment to Asean partners and to regional values, which he characterised as “the cherished ideals of peace, freedom, social justice and economic wellbeing”.

In a clear reference to geo-strategic tensions – meaning China’s aggression in the region – Australia’s prime minister said the challenge was to uphold those values in a “complex and changing world”. Albanese said Australia remained committed to a rules based regional order with Asean partners at the centre of that peace and security. “Working in close consultation, we can forge a more secure and sustainable future,” Albanese said. “Where international law and norms are upheld, and disputes are resolved amicably through diplomacy and dialogue”.

“With confidence in our cause, let us affirm the great founding vision of this institution, and carry it forward into a new era of peace and possibility”.

As I noted on the blog earlier this morning, Asean lacks a unified approach to the rise of China in the region, and the group often faces criticism for that.

At the same time as holding the Asean group close, Australia is also attempting to execute a delicate diplomatic rapprochement with Beijing even though many irriants remain in the bilateral relationship.

In the lead-up to summit season there has been speculation Albanese could meet the Chinese leadership at some point during the next week, either here in Cambodia or at the G20 in Bali.

The president of the United States, Joe Biden, who will meet the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, in Bali, has touched down in Phnom Penh this morning.

Jim Chalmers on G20 and B20 summits: ‘opportunity to forge deeper international collaboration’

The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, is travelling to Indonesia today to attend the G20 joint finance and health ministers meeting, and to accompany the prime minister to the B20 Summit from 12 to 14 November 2022.

It is summit season for government leaders around the world. Chalmers said the suite of meetings “come at a critical time for the global economy and our region, and provide an important opportunity to discuss global conditions and forge deeper international collaboration”.

The global economy faces significant challenges including from Russia’s war in Ukraine, a global energy and cost of living crisis, and the most synchronised global monetary tightening in recent decades – with a heightened risk of recession across major advanced economies.

These global challenges will be key issues at the G20, in addition to climate change and future pandemic preparedness.

I will take the opportunity to strengthen bilateral relationships with key strategic partners and engage with members of the global business community at the B20 Summit.

The B20 is a meeting of business and commercial interests, allied to the G20 summit.

Flooding update from the NSW State Emergency Service

The NSW SES is working to resupply a number of communities isolated by flooding in Collarenebri, Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Goodooga, Brewarrina and parts of Bourke.

SES assistant commissioner Nicole Hogan said this was a very complex and evolving situation.

“The size of the area is about 40,000 square kilometres – more than half the size of Tasmania,” she said.

“Roads have intermittently been cut for several weeks now, with resupply missions needing to take place by airplane to regional depots, before being loaded onto helicopters and finally transported by vehicles and boats to the desired recipients.

“With renewed flooding expected, we anticipate this remote outreach will need to continue for some time. We are conducting regular flights to ensure the 5000 or so isolated residents receive the essential foods, medicines, mail and essentials they need.

“As the flood water recedes we hope access will improve, however if people are in need of resupply they should get in touch with the NSW SES.”

Meanwhile, NSW SES volunteers have been busy in Condobolin as major flooding continues on the Lachlan River.

Volunteers have been active assisting the community with door knocking, sandbagging and conducting flood rescues.

Hogan said the NSW SES was bracing for declining weather conditions over the next 48 hours.

“Through Sunday and Monday we are prepping for a large amount of rainfall as a result of severe storms which are predicted to come through the state which unfortunately could lead to renewed riverine flooding and dangerous flash flooding.

“The NSW SES is urging residents to not drive or play in flood waters. The risk of flooded roads poses a very dangerous risk in already flood affected communities where rivers are full and all additional water will run off and cause some areas to flood very quickly,” she said.

For the last 24 hours NSW SES have performed five flood rescues and received 145 requests for assistance.

Katharine Murphy

Victory will be a ‘joint success’, says Ukraine’s foreign minister

During their conversation, Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has told the Australian prime minister he understands that everybody in the world wants this war to end – the Ukrainian people most of all.

But he says Russian aggression makes peace impossible at this point in time. “The war goes on,” Kuleba said. Ukraine’s foreign minister then made a moving observation:

Ukraine will always remember this support the people of Australia extended to us. We will definitely prevail and when victory comes it will be a joint success.

Anthony Albanese meets Ukraine foreign minister in Cambodia

Katharine Murphy

Australia’s prime minister has just opened Saturday’s program with a meeting with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who is in Phnom Penh at the invitation of the Cambodian government.

The pair had a warm conversation. Anthony Albanese characterised Russia’s conduct as “outrageous” and “reprehensible” and “illegal” and he outlined Australia’s recent military assistance and contribution to training Ukrainian forces in the UK.

Albanese, who is in Cambodia for the Asean summit, said the people of Ukraine could be assured of Australia’s ongoing support during the war, and the Ukrainian foreign minister quipped the Bushmasters (which are the Australian military vehicles supplied in the conflict) had become “the most popular” Australian brand in his home country.

The foreign minister said he understood the world wanted the conflict to end, but Ukraine was grateful to Australia and other global partners for the sustained assistance.

New flood warnings have been issued in New South Wales.

Here is a view on the weather system sweeping across country from the Bureau of Meteorology.

Australian men’s basketball team pulls out of Iran game over safety fears

Basketball Australia has cited player safety concerns for its decision to withdraw the men’s national team from an upcoming World Cup qualifier in Iran.

Following the defeat of Kazakhstan that sealed their spot in next year’s tournament, the Boomers had been due to travel to Tehran and meet Iran on Tuesday (AEDT).

Instead, the side will return to Australia and await instructions from FIBA as to whether the match will be rescheduled elsewhere.

“Basketball Australia have conducted a thorough risk assessment in conjunction with relevant authorities and as a result we will not be sending any teams into Iran at this time,” a statement read.

A series of protests erupted in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who was allegedly violently arrested by the country’s Guidance Patrol in September for failing to wear her hijab properly. She died in custody three days after falling into a coma.

Currently, Iran is one of 19 countries to which the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advises Australians not to travel.

“Protests continue around the country and there’s been an increase in the number of foreign nationals arrested,” DFAT’s advice reads.

“Medical evacuation may be difficult. If you’re in Iran, we recommend you leave. Airlines may cancel or reduce their operations to and from Iran at short notice.”

A representative said Basketball Australia had informed FIBA of its safety concerns prior to the current round of qualifiers.

Basketball Australia said they would not have travelled to Iran regardless of whether they had defeated Kazakhstan to confirm their spot at the World Cup.

The decision to withdraw will not affect Australia’s qualification for the World Cup, set to be held across Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines from August next year.

Australia have won all nine of their games on the road to the World Cup and are currently set to play Bahrain and Kazakhstan in February for the sixth round of qualifiers.

FIBA has been contacted for comment.

– AAP