1 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,399 Speaker 1: Hello and welcome to the Morning Update. I'm Tina Quinn. 2 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,639 Speaker 1: The Prime Minister says authorities are urgently investigating whether Australian 3 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 1: foreign fighter Oscar Jenkins is still alive after being captured 4 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: by Russian forces late last year. Mister Jenkins was captured 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: after traveling to fight alongside Ukrainian forces, with soldiers who 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: served with him saying they were convinced that he'd been killed. 7 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: Authorities have previously said they held grave fears for the 8 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: prisoner of war, but Anthony Albanezi is now saying he's 9 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: received a report from Russia that mister Jenkins is alive. 10 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:45,960 Speaker 2: We are demanding more information so that we can be 11 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 2: certain that what has been suggested is in fact the case. 12 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:54,360 Speaker 1: A new report from the Australian Energy Market Operator has 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: found that wholesale energy prices have increased eighty three percent 14 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: on twenty twenty three. The slow rollout of renewables and 15 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: unreliable coal power stations are driving up prices. New South 16 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: Wales is the worst affected. Stage counter Terrorism police say 17 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 1: there is no ongoing threash. After explosives were found inside 18 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:19,560 Speaker 1: a caravan in Sydney's Northwest. Detectives are investigating if the 19 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: explosives discovered at Jural were taken from a mining site 20 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: and we're going to be used in an anti Semitic attack. 21 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: New South Wales Police Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson says they're 22 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: confident that the community is now safe. 23 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:35,759 Speaker 3: We've recovered the explosives that are known to be out there. 24 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 3: We believe that through the arrests that have been made 25 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 3: on the periphery of this job, through Stretforce peerl that 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 3: we have mitigated the risk as much as possible. 27 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:50,040 Speaker 1: This stage, nine newspapers is reporting that the owner of 28 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:53,240 Speaker 1: the caravan is in police custody but hasn't yet been charged. 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:57,120 Speaker 1: The state's Premier, Chris Mens, has defended the decision to 30 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,760 Speaker 1: keep the discovery of the caravan plot client for more 31 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:02,920 Speaker 1: than a week now. Mister Minn says he kept silent 32 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: to let police respond Accordingly. 33 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 4: They've kept us safe for decades. If I have to 34 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:13,080 Speaker 4: make an operational decision to conduct clandestine investigations, that's exactly 35 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 4: what needs to happen. No one would keep that information 36 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 4: from the public except if it was necessary. 37 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,200 Speaker 1: Turning overseas now and at least fifteen people have been 38 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,280 Speaker 1: confirmed dead in a pre dawn stampede at the world's 39 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: largest religious gathering in India. Authorities say that as people 40 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,600 Speaker 1: rush to participate in the Festival of the Sacred Picture, 41 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 1: though sleeping or sitting on the ground, were trampled in 42 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 1: the darkness. Israel's ban on the operations of the UN 43 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: Agency for Palestinian Refugees comes into force today. The band 44 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,800 Speaker 1: will prevent UNRA from operating in Israel and stop government 45 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:51,079 Speaker 1: officials from liaising with the agency in the occupied Palestinian territories. 46 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: Unral spokesman in Jerusalem, Jonathan Fallas, says the band effectively 47 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: smothers the AID agencies work and will have dire consequences 48 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 1: for five point nine million people who access it for 49 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 1: services such as health centers, schools, and food distribution. 50 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,240 Speaker 5: If we can no longer operate, what will that mean 51 00:03:08,280 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 5: for the Palestine refugee population. 52 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: Israel has accused ENRA of being intertwined with hamas acclaim 53 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: the agency completely denies. 54 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 4: Well. 55 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:21,040 Speaker 1: After a day of chaos in Washington, the Trump administration 56 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: is rescinding an order which would have frozen trillions of 57 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: dollars in grants and loans. The freeze would have impacted 58 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: government spending on foreign aid, healthcare, and education programs. It 59 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: caused a flood of calls to the White House from 60 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: politicians who had questions about its impact on their home states. 61 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: A federal court temporarily blocked the freeze yesterday. The White 62 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: House is now saying that the administration has simply rescinded 63 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 1: the memo from the Office of Management and Budget and 64 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 1: that it is still pursuing a federal funding freeze. Meanwhile, 65 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: the Trump administration is offering eight months of pay to 66 00:03:55,000 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: all federal employees who opt to leave their jobs next 67 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: week in a bid to downsize the US government workforce. 68 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: The move will impact frontline health workers in the Veterans 69 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 1: Affairs Department, officials who process loans for home buyers or 70 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: small businesses, experienced food inspectors, and scientists who test the 71 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:16,880 Speaker 1: water supply. And Robert F. Kennedy Junior has undergone an 72 00:04:16,920 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: intense grilling during his Senate confirmation hearing in Washington to 73 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:23,800 Speaker 1: become the United States top health official. The seventy one 74 00:04:23,880 --> 00:04:27,080 Speaker 1: year old nominated by President Donald Trump, has been labeled 75 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: a predator who is addicted to attention and power by 76 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: his cousin, the former US Ambassador Caroline Kennedy addressing the 77 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,280 Speaker 1: Senate hearing. RFK Jr, who was heckled by protesters, tried 78 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: to respond to reports that he's an anti vaxxer. 79 00:04:41,240 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 5: I believe that vaccines play a critical role in healthcare. 80 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:48,719 Speaker 5: All of my kids are vaccinated. I've written many books 81 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 5: on vaccines. My first book in twenty fourteen. A first 82 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,920 Speaker 5: line of it is I am not anti vaccine, and 83 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 5: the last line as I am not anti vaccine. 84 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: To sporusch and. In women's cricket, Australian captain Alissa Healy 85 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: says it's up to medical staff to decide if she 86 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: can play in today's Ashes Test against England at the MCG. 87 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: She missed the T twenty leg of the multi format 88 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: series due to a foot injury. Heally, who's been put 89 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: through a series of fitness tests, says that she's done 90 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: all she can to be selected. 91 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:20,400 Speaker 2: There's a little bit taken out of my hands in 92 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 2: that regard, and obviously still want to do the best 93 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: by the team. But yeah, I'm excited and I feel 94 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 2: like body wise and ready to get out there and 95 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 2: lead the side in test match which is called. 96 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: And Western Bulldog Star Jamari ugil Hagen will not attend 97 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,920 Speaker 1: the club's pre season camp in Queensland, has doubt over 98 00:05:38,040 --> 00:05:41,039 Speaker 1: his availability for the first half of the season continues 99 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: to grow. The twenty two year old was again a 100 00:05:43,640 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: no show at club headquarters yesterday as his teammates took 101 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,600 Speaker 1: part in their last training session before flying to Noosa tomorrow, 102 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: and in entertainment, Cher has hinted she may toour down 103 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: Under soon. The superstar has opened up about finding love 104 00:05:58,240 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: and happiness at seventy eight while promoting a new ad 105 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: campaign for Uber Eats Australia. The campaign pokes fun at 106 00:06:04,760 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: her appearance and pays homage to her nineteen eighty nine 107 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,599 Speaker 1: mega hit turn Back Time. And that's the latest from 108 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: the Nova podcast team. We'll see you this afternoon for 109 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: another episode of The Update.