Evening News Bulletin 25 May 2025
In this bulletin;
- Flood clean-up begins in New South Wales amid fears of more severe weather;
- ASEAN host urges region to speak out against Israeli forces atrocities in Gaza;
- And in tennis, Australian teen Maya Joint powers through to her maiden WTA tour title.
State Emergency Services say communities in New South Wales are preparing to clean up the flood damage but may be facing more heavy winds and rain.
The SES says around 32,000 people remain isolated by floodwaters and estimate that about 10,000 properties will be affected by flood damage.
The flooding has killed five people on the state’s mid-north coast, with months of rainfall hitting the region in a matter of days.
SES commissioner Mike Wassing warns that while some clean up is underway, forecast winds are expected to impact efforts.
“Our focus very much is now into the clean up phase and the continued resupply. We’ve seen the roads now open into many communities. There is access into Taree , there is access into a number of our other significant townships. In saying that, though we still have large numbers of community members that it’s still very much isolated, either individual isolation locations or small township locations that remain isolated.”
Malaysia’s foreign minister has condemned Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, speaking to his regional counterparts ahead of Kuala Lumpur’s hosting of the ASEAN summit.
Mohamad Hasan says Israel’s atrocities reflect indifference and double standards on the plight of Palestinian people and are the result of international laws eroding sanctity.
In February, foreign ministers from the 10 nation bloc asserted their “longstanding support” for Palestinian rights.
Mohamad Hasan says the region must not remain silent.
“Excellencies, crises around the world continue unabated. The total siege of Gaza by the Israel forces is causing mass starvation and death. The atrocities committed against the Palestinian people continue to reflect the difference and double standards.”
Nationals leader David Littleproud says he does not care if he has to lose his job over the Nationals short-lived split from the coalition.
Following backlash from the Liberals and former coalition prime ministers, the Nationals and Liberals have put a pause on the separation.
Mr Littleproud says he took a principled decision after the party room voted to split amid disagreements over four key policy areas.
Now, after Liberal leader Sussan Ley offered in-principle support for the policies, Mr Littleproud expects to formalise a coalition deal in coming days.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Littleproud says he stands up for the policies he believes in.
“(The) men and women of my party room stood up, because those policies are going to change the lives of the people we represent and I’d rather go to that place standing for something, and if I have to lose my job for it, I don’t care, but I did what my party room said, and I backed them 110 per cent.”
Americans are marking five years since a US police officer killed George Floyd, catapulting the Black Lives Matter movement into the global spotlight.
As President Donald Trump works to backtrack reforms designed to tackle racism, an anniversary event is taking place in what’s now called George Floyd Square.
The murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 launched Black Lives Matter into a worldwide movement that sought to reject deeply rooted racial issues, from police violence to systemic inequality.
Amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity and education about race, some say the protests were unable to achieve lasting change.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says there are still plenty of people pushing for police reform.
“We got people who are in the national police scene who are for reform. And the officers, some are black, some white, some Latino, some different backgrounds. But they all know that trust is the key to a safer community and they’re not going to stop no matter what Trump does. So that’s the future that I see.”
Australian teen Maya Joint has given Australian tennis a major boost on the eve of the French Open, powering to her maiden WTA tour title in Morocco.
The 19-year-old Brisbane-based comet Joint collapsed to the clay in joy in Rabat after outplaying Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-3 6-2 in the Morocco Open final.
An impressive display from Joint, who has flown through the rankings in just 18 months since basing herself in Queensland.
Confirming herself as one of the sport’s finest young talents, Joint adds the singles crown to a maiden doubles victory she secured the day before.
