February 18, 2025 • 9 mins
The New South Wales government and the rail union are heading to the Fair Work Commission in hopes of ending Sydney's bitter train dispute.
The United States and Russia say they've agreed on a path forward to end the war in Ukraine after meeting without Kyiv at the negotiating table.
The Israeli influencer who captured that anti-semitic rant from 2 Bankstown nurses has re-emerged online with a rallying cry for Australia's Jewish community.
7NEWS Headlines with Edwina Bartholomew for February 19, 2025.
For more news, head to www.7news.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Straight to breaking news this morning. And two people, including
a six year old girl, have been killed in a
tragic house fire in Sydney's West. The home on Saint
John's Road in Hekenburg went up in flames around twelve thirty.
A forty six year old woman and a six year
old girl have died. Four adults and four children managed
to escape the blaze. One of the children is fighting
(00:25):
for life at Westmood Children's Hospital. A man is also
fighting for life at Concord Hospital. It's too early to
tell what started the fire. More breaking news and a
gang of thieves have been arrested in Melbourne Southeast after
a wild pursuit with a minibus. The gang was caught
using stop sticks after leading police on a major chase.
(00:48):
It's understood two people have been arrested. The pursuit was
launched after a home invasion nearby. Queensland Police have released
video of the moment an elderly woman was used as
a human shield by a stranger wanted by officers. On
the Gold Coast, police were responding to reports of a
group fighting in a Southport unit block in October when
(01:11):
they confronted the twenty three year old he placed the
woman in a rear choke hold and briefly held her
in front of him. Tyrone Sampson had been granted parole
(01:32):
thirteen days before the attack. He has been sentenced to
ten months prison, but because of time already served, he
could walk free any day. They've never moved so fast,
Australia's big four banks slashing their interest rates within minutes
of the Reserve Bank's official quarter percent cut. It is
a very welcome breather for borrowers, the first rate cut
(01:54):
in more than four years. With the Albanese government also
breathing easier.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Interest rates down, the Treasurer's heart rate up. This is
the rate relief that Australians need and deserve. At its
last meeting before it's split in two, the Reserve Bank
Board delivers the first sign of real hope for mortgage
holders and small businesses, a twenty five basis point cut
to four point one percent, the first rate cut since
(02:21):
November twenty twenty, following thirteen straight interest rate rises coming
out of COVID. The markets were certain it would happen.
The RBA Board wasn't.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
It wasn't a lay down as are The board had
a very active debate of the arguments on both sides.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Leaning towards a cut, with inflation falling faster than the
RBA expected, unemployment stable and wagers pressures easing the Treasurer's reflection,
this is the soft landing that we have been planning
for and preparing for. All four major banks immediately announcing
they'll pass on the cuts, though mortgage holders won't see
them straight away on the age six hundred thousand dollars
(03:01):
mortgage saving ninety six dollars a month eleven hundred and
fifty dollars a year. Michelle Bullock issuing a sharp warning
though on market predictions of another two or three cuts
this year, that is.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Far too confident that that spending rate cuts as will be.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Having relaxed about further cost of living relief certain to
be promised on the election campaign as long as it
doesn't push up inflation.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Cost of living relief, I should point out, is really
helpful for households because it does help the financial pressures
there under.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The government will say it's proof its economic plan to
drive down inflation is working later that it had in mind,
but just in time for the coming election. It's not
mission accomplished because we know that people are still under pressure.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
It has been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It has been a long time coming and it keeps
the seven years election needle pointing towards a labor minority government.
In a toss up, an election is more or less
imminent a likely result, though still uncertain, Mark Riley.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
The new South Wales government and the rail union are
heading to the Fair Work Commission today in hopes of
bringing Sydney's bitter train dispute to an end. Premier Chris
Mins has revealed he's working on secret contingencies if the
make or break hearing with the union fails. The union
boss also sent a last minute offer to the Transport
Secretary claiming up to ninety percent of trains will run
(04:24):
on time today as a sign of good faith. An
Adelaide mother is set to face court after she was
filmed allegedly intimidating one of her daughter's classmates during a
wild rant last month. The thirty one year old pregnant
woman is now facing assault chargers, which carry a maximum
penalty of two years behind bars. The mother of five
(04:46):
says she was defending her daughter, who had been facing
relentless bullying from other kids for years the woman was
caught on camera allegedly threatening to slit the throat of
a student at Saint Paul's College. States in Russia say
they've agreed on a path forward to end the war
in Ukraine after meeting without keep at the negotiating table.
(05:08):
Life to Joel Drey in London. Joel, both sides say
the talks are positive, but what happens next.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
While both sides have agreed to continue talking and that
is probably the best result that could have happened out
of these talks between Russia and the US that took
place in the Saudi Arabian capital of read Post that meeting,
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, outlined at four
points on which both sides agreed to, and they are
all largely centered around normalizing relations between Russia and the
(05:38):
US and agreeing to continue with some of those high
powered leaders to come together and map out ultimately an
end to the war in Ukraine. On the Russian part, well,
when Lavrov, the Secretary of State equivalent for Russia he left,
he simply outlined that NATO forces within Ukraine as part
(05:58):
of any peacekeeping strategy would not be acceptable. On the
part of Russia, so that certainly flies in the face
of what the UK Prime Minister put forward yesterday. Here
is Marco Rubio shortly after he walked out of those talks.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
First step of a long and difficult journey, but an
important one. The goal is to bring an end to
this conflict in a way that's fair and doing, sustainable
and acceptable to all parties involved. What that looks like, well,
that's what the ongoing engagement is going to be all about.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
And where was Vladimir Zelenski, the Ukrainian President in all
of this, Well, he was in Turkey meeting their president,
but he also gave a press conference. He looked very
glum and dejected following being left on the sideline of
these key talks both in Saudi Arabia and in France,
where European leaders also met. He was due to go
to Saudi Arabia to talk to some other Middle Eastern leaders.
(06:52):
He has now postponed that trip and looks like he's
very much been left on the sidelines with all these
negotiations that very much have a big role and the
future of his people.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Joge Ry in London, thank you detectives in Sydney's South
are hunting for a gunman this morning after multiple shots
were fired from an AUDISUV towards three men near a
busy shopping strip. The men were standing behind a parked
car on the boulevard at Brighton the Sands when the
attack occurred.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I just said pop pop, pop, pop pop, and I
thought it was fireworks pages everyone was. He had a helicopter.
He earlier on hover and ran.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
The getaway car was found burnt out eight kilometers away
in Nawi. Police haven't revealed who the target was. The
Israeli influencer who captured that anti Semitic rant from two
Bankstown nurses has re emerged online with a rally cry
for Australia's Jewish community. Max Wifer has thanked his supporters,
(07:54):
confirming he's still in touch with New South Wales police
to finalize a statement for the courts. Let's make Australia
a safe lace for Jewish people. We've had enough.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The Jewish community in Australia had enough.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Detectives are navigating a legal minefield to ensure Vifer's Israeli
evidence is admissible under Australian law. There's fresh Mikey Mayhem
in Melbourne, with readers at Metro tunnel stations needing to
be ripped out and replaced when the rail project opens.
The new stations have been built using the old readers
(08:28):
that don't take payments from credit cards, smartphones or watchers.
The new rail project is already expected to cost fifteen
billion dollars. Billie eilish mania has taken over Brisbane, with
fans already lining up for her second show at the
Entertainment Center in Boondle. The music superstar shared with the
crowd that she'd been unwell for four months, falling sick
(08:52):
again in the days leading up to her first Aussie performance.
Loyal fans will need deep pockets, though, with just a
tour hoodie priced at two hundred and twenty dollars. Eilish
will perform two more shows in Brisbane before heading to
Sydney and Melbourne. Checking Wednesday's weather, now a shower tour
in Brisbane and twenty eight a shower to in Sydney
(09:12):
in twenty six, partly cloudy in canber and twenty seven
a shower tourn Melbourne and twenty shower tour in Hobart
in eighteen mostly sunny in Adelaide and twenty six sunny
in pers and thirty five and a shower or two
in Darwin and thirty three
Straight to breaking news this morning. And two people, including
a six year old girl, have been killed in a
tragic house fire in Sydney's West. The home on Saint
John's Road in Hekenburg went up in flames around twelve thirty.
A forty six year old woman and a six year
old girl have died. Four adults and four children managed
to escape the blaze. One of the children is fighting
(00:25):
for life at Westmood Children's Hospital. A man is also
fighting for life at Concord Hospital. It's too early to
tell what started the fire. More breaking news and a
gang of thieves have been arrested in Melbourne Southeast after
a wild pursuit with a minibus. The gang was caught
using stop sticks after leading police on a major chase.
(00:48):
It's understood two people have been arrested. The pursuit was
launched after a home invasion nearby. Queensland Police have released
video of the moment an elderly woman was used as
a human shield by a stranger wanted by officers. On
the Gold Coast, police were responding to reports of a
group fighting in a Southport unit block in October when
(01:11):
they confronted the twenty three year old he placed the
woman in a rear choke hold and briefly held her
in front of him. Tyrone Sampson had been granted parole
(01:32):
thirteen days before the attack. He has been sentenced to
ten months prison, but because of time already served, he
could walk free any day. They've never moved so fast,
Australia's big four banks slashing their interest rates within minutes
of the Reserve Bank's official quarter percent cut. It is
a very welcome breather for borrowers, the first rate cut
(01:54):
in more than four years. With the Albanese government also
breathing easier.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Interest rates down, the Treasurer's heart rate up. This is
the rate relief that Australians need and deserve. At its
last meeting before it's split in two, the Reserve Bank
Board delivers the first sign of real hope for mortgage
holders and small businesses, a twenty five basis point cut
to four point one percent, the first rate cut since
(02:21):
November twenty twenty, following thirteen straight interest rate rises coming
out of COVID. The markets were certain it would happen.
The RBA Board wasn't.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
It wasn't a lay down as are The board had
a very active debate of the arguments on both sides.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Leaning towards a cut, with inflation falling faster than the
RBA expected, unemployment stable and wagers pressures easing the Treasurer's reflection,
this is the soft landing that we have been planning
for and preparing for. All four major banks immediately announcing
they'll pass on the cuts, though mortgage holders won't see
them straight away on the age six hundred thousand dollars
(03:01):
mortgage saving ninety six dollars a month eleven hundred and
fifty dollars a year. Michelle Bullock issuing a sharp warning
though on market predictions of another two or three cuts
this year, that is.
Speaker 3 (03:13):
Far too confident that that spending rate cuts as will be.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Having relaxed about further cost of living relief certain to
be promised on the election campaign as long as it
doesn't push up inflation.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
Cost of living relief, I should point out, is really
helpful for households because it does help the financial pressures
there under.
Speaker 2 (03:30):
The government will say it's proof its economic plan to
drive down inflation is working later that it had in mind,
but just in time for the coming election. It's not
mission accomplished because we know that people are still under pressure.
Speaker 1 (03:43):
It has been a long time coming.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
It has been a long time coming and it keeps
the seven years election needle pointing towards a labor minority government.
In a toss up, an election is more or less
imminent a likely result, though still uncertain, Mark Riley.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
The new South Wales government and the rail union are
heading to the Fair Work Commission today in hopes of
bringing Sydney's bitter train dispute to an end. Premier Chris
Mins has revealed he's working on secret contingencies if the
make or break hearing with the union fails. The union
boss also sent a last minute offer to the Transport
Secretary claiming up to ninety percent of trains will run
(04:24):
on time today as a sign of good faith. An
Adelaide mother is set to face court after she was
filmed allegedly intimidating one of her daughter's classmates during a
wild rant last month. The thirty one year old pregnant
woman is now facing assault chargers, which carry a maximum
penalty of two years behind bars. The mother of five
(04:46):
says she was defending her daughter, who had been facing
relentless bullying from other kids for years the woman was
caught on camera allegedly threatening to slit the throat of
a student at Saint Paul's College. States in Russia say
they've agreed on a path forward to end the war
in Ukraine after meeting without keep at the negotiating table.
(05:08):
Life to Joel Drey in London. Joel, both sides say
the talks are positive, but what happens next.
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Good morning.
Speaker 4 (05:16):
While both sides have agreed to continue talking and that
is probably the best result that could have happened out
of these talks between Russia and the US that took
place in the Saudi Arabian capital of read Post that meeting,
Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, outlined at four
points on which both sides agreed to, and they are
all largely centered around normalizing relations between Russia and the
(05:38):
US and agreeing to continue with some of those high
powered leaders to come together and map out ultimately an
end to the war in Ukraine. On the Russian part, well,
when Lavrov, the Secretary of State equivalent for Russia he left,
he simply outlined that NATO forces within Ukraine as part
(05:58):
of any peacekeeping strategy would not be acceptable. On the
part of Russia, so that certainly flies in the face
of what the UK Prime Minister put forward yesterday. Here
is Marco Rubio shortly after he walked out of those talks.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
First step of a long and difficult journey, but an
important one. The goal is to bring an end to
this conflict in a way that's fair and doing, sustainable
and acceptable to all parties involved. What that looks like, well,
that's what the ongoing engagement is going to be all about.
Speaker 4 (06:30):
And where was Vladimir Zelenski, the Ukrainian President in all
of this, Well, he was in Turkey meeting their president,
but he also gave a press conference. He looked very
glum and dejected following being left on the sideline of
these key talks both in Saudi Arabia and in France,
where European leaders also met. He was due to go
to Saudi Arabia to talk to some other Middle Eastern leaders.
(06:52):
He has now postponed that trip and looks like he's
very much been left on the sidelines with all these
negotiations that very much have a big role and the
future of his people.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
Joge Ry in London, thank you detectives in Sydney's South
are hunting for a gunman this morning after multiple shots
were fired from an AUDISUV towards three men near a
busy shopping strip. The men were standing behind a parked
car on the boulevard at Brighton the Sands when the
attack occurred.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
I just said pop pop, pop, pop pop, and I
thought it was fireworks pages everyone was. He had a helicopter.
He earlier on hover and ran.
Speaker 1 (07:33):
The getaway car was found burnt out eight kilometers away
in Nawi. Police haven't revealed who the target was. The
Israeli influencer who captured that anti Semitic rant from two
Bankstown nurses has re emerged online with a rally cry
for Australia's Jewish community. Max Wifer has thanked his supporters,
(07:54):
confirming he's still in touch with New South Wales police
to finalize a statement for the courts. Let's make Australia
a safe lace for Jewish people. We've had enough.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
The Jewish community in Australia had enough.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Detectives are navigating a legal minefield to ensure Vifer's Israeli
evidence is admissible under Australian law. There's fresh Mikey Mayhem
in Melbourne, with readers at Metro tunnel stations needing to
be ripped out and replaced when the rail project opens.
The new stations have been built using the old readers
(08:28):
that don't take payments from credit cards, smartphones or watchers.
The new rail project is already expected to cost fifteen
billion dollars. Billie eilish mania has taken over Brisbane, with
fans already lining up for her second show at the
Entertainment Center in Boondle. The music superstar shared with the
crowd that she'd been unwell for four months, falling sick
(08:52):
again in the days leading up to her first Aussie performance.
Loyal fans will need deep pockets, though, with just a
tour hoodie priced at two hundred and twenty dollars. Eilish
will perform two more shows in Brisbane before heading to
Sydney and Melbourne. Checking Wednesday's weather, now a shower tour
in Brisbane and twenty eight a shower to in Sydney
(09:12):
in twenty six, partly cloudy in canber and twenty seven
a shower tourn Melbourne and twenty shower tour in Hobart
in eighteen mostly sunny in Adelaide and twenty six sunny
in pers and thirty five and a shower or two
in Darwin and thirty three
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