Wild weather turns deadly, Royals in Rome, Sussan Ley backflips on Kevin Rudd

Victoria's wild weather emergency has turned deadly overnight with police confirming two men have died after being swept off Frankston Pier late yesterday afternoon.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have touched down in Rome for an historic visit with Pope Leo.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has back-flipped on her calls for Kevin Rudd to be sacked as Australia's ambassador to the United States.

7NEWS Headlines with Edwina Bartholomew for October 23, 2025.

For more news, head to www.7news.com.au

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good morning. To begin with breaking news this morning. Victoria's
wild whether emergency has turned deadly overnight, police confirming two
men have died after being swept off Frankston Pier late
yesterday afternoon. Emergency crews were called to help winch the
men to safety after they were spotted in the rough waters.

(00:25):
The Frankston Mayor has extended his condolences to the families
of the men, saying the devastating event is a reminder
of the power of nature and the real risk posed
by severe weather. Meantime, emergency crews across Melbourne have worked
through the night after those dangerous winds brought down trees
throughout the suburbs. More than two thousand homes are still

(00:47):
without power as authorities scrambled to fix fallen and damage
power lines. Residents are being reminded not to approach fallen lines,
but call emergency services instead. Millions of citysdents they'll be
breathing asigh of relief today after sweltering through a record
heat wave. Temperatures brushed forty degrees across the city, a

(01:07):
record for October. While the heat has now eased, there
are still urgent warnings in place across the state with
dozens of bushfires burning amid a total fireban. Emergency crews
are on high alert as lightning strikes in wind escalate
the risk around the state and in Queensland, firefighters will
be out in force again today tackling fires there too.

(01:29):
These pictures are from the Fire Department's Intelligence Aircraft. A
water bombing helicopter called in to help contain a blaze
at Bringwood, west of Brisbane yesterday. Residents in the area
are being told to look out for smoke. No properties
are under threat. King Charles and Queen Camilla have touchdown
in Rome for an historic visit with Pope Leo. Jacqueline

(01:51):
Robson is in Rome Forest Jackie Watt's on the agenda
for this visit.

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well Eddie. The royal couple landed just a few moments
ago ahead of what will be a packed agenda at
the Vatican Tomorrow. King Charles and Queen Camilla will be
welcomed by Pope Leo, meeting for the first time since
his election back in May. The King, who is the
Supreme Governor of the Church of England, will be the
first monarch to take part in an ecumenical service alongside
Pope Leo, and the pair will join together in prayer

(02:20):
in the stunning Sistine Chapel. Charles is the first kings
to do so in public since the Reformation. This visit
is to cement renewed bonds within the Christian faith, a
personal moment for his majesty in his work to bring
faiths together. This all coming as the Prince Andrew fall
out continues. His ex wife, Sarah Ferguson, has dropped Duchess
from her social media accounts after Andrew relinquished his dukedom

(02:44):
last week. But any hope that would prevent the scandal
from dominating headlines has been dashed Virginia Dewpray's posthumous book
resurrecting allegations and revealing new details of her encounters with
the Prince, which he denies. The royal couple will be
hoping to steer the headlines back towards what will be
a very moving service tomorrow in the Jubilee year.

Speaker 1 (03:07):
Thank You, Jackie to break in news in City Now
and police in the city's inner West to hunting an
armed attacker after a man was stabbed in a random
assault on a bus at Marrickville. The stabbing happened in
front of shocked witnesses around one o'clock this morning, Officers
speaking to a number of them after the victim was
taken to hospital. It's understood the attacker ran from the

(03:27):
scene to a nearby park opposite the vic on the park.
At this stage, the victim's condition remains unclear. Meantime, police
in city's west to hunting a hit and run cyclist
after a sixty five year old man was struck at
Toon Gabby overnight. The man was hit at the Settler's
Walk near green Meadows around ten pm. This is green
Meadows Crescent here. His injuries are so severe he's now

(03:50):
fighting for life in hospital. Police have set up a
crime scene. Anyone with information about what happened is being
urged to come forward. A Melbourne teenager charged over daylight
machete attack outside Luna Park has been allowed to walk
free on bail. The nineteen year old is also reportedly
the suspect of two other machete attacks this month. His

(04:10):
two co accused were also bailed. Police suppose the bail,
saying the teen is also expected to be charged over
a violent machete brawl a broad Meadow shopping Center earlier
this year, the trio was slapped with a curfew and
a bail condition to not carry bladed weapons opposition. Later,
Susan Lee has backflipped on her calls for Kevin Rudd

(04:31):
to be sacked as Australia's ambassador to the US. Live
matter Isabel Mullen and Canberra is if she criticized that
awkward interaction with Donald Trump by What's going on now?

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Yeah, she did, Eddie, good morning. Look, it was a
tough meeting for the coalition to criticize, considering it went
so well for Anthony Albanesi. But the one obvious hiccup
was that awkward interaction between Donald Trump and Kevin Rudd
where Donald Trump claimed he didn't know who our ambassador was.
I didn't like him and he probably never would. Susanly

(05:03):
came out pretty strong immediately calling for Kevin Rudd to resign,
saying he wasn't up for the job. She was contradicted
by her liberal colleague from the back bench, Jane Hume,
saying that that call was churlish or rude. Susanly later backflipping, well.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Kevin Right is the Prime Minister's choice for ambassador it's
a big job.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
Anthony Ebnezi did get those two major deals done, the
Orcist deal and the thirteen billion dollar critical minerals deal.
He is on his way home to Australia. There was
that emergency landing in Missouri, one of his crew members
injured by falling luggage. He is due to land back
here in Canberra later this morning.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
Thank you is here. Queen's Land councils are banding together
to call from an overhaul to the state's nightlife. The
Local Government Association of Queensland is urging the state government
to let councils give the green light to late night
trading in areas they choose. Currently, councils don't have the
power to approve trading hours themselves. The change would open
the door to events like night markets in smaller communities

(06:13):
across the state. The Louver has reopened to visit its
three days after that sensational heist rocked France. The Apollo
Gallery where the robbery took place, remains closed. It comes
as the Louver's director is set to face the French
Senate after the high Soore Crown jewels stolen, likely bound
for the black market into pol yesterday issued a world

(06:34):
wide alert for the jewels, said to be worth at
least one hundred and fifty seven million Australian dollars. Next
year is Rugby League World Cup promises to be the
biggest and most fiercely contested yet, and you'll see it
all right here on seven. The network has locked in
the tournament, just as interest in the international game ramps

(06:55):
up from the traditional powerhouses on the hallowed turf Ofmbly
to the infectious joy of the rapidly emerging Pacific Nations.
International rugby league's popularity is skyrockety. It'll hit an exhilarating
new peak at next year's home World Cup.

Speaker 4 (07:15):
I just feelt the international space is growing and I
think anytime you put your strange jersey on it, it should
be the pinnacle for you're representing your country. If you're
in the world of rugby league, this is where you
want to be.

Speaker 5 (07:23):
The seven network showed the home World's Cup back in
twenty seventeen, and we are proud to beat the exclusive
broadcaster for the twenty twenty six edition, a tournament certain
to be exponentially bigger.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
It's a great business decision by Channel seven. Executives. They've
got the number one sport and they've got the elite
level of the World Cup on Channel seven.

Speaker 5 (07:42):
With many of the NRL's biggest stars like pay Hass
now representing Pacific nations, the talent is spread more evenly
than ever before.

Speaker 4 (07:50):
It's always good to see players want to represent their heritage.
It always sort of puts a smile on my face
and you know it'll only make their team or their
country stronger.

Speaker 5 (07:58):
Tonga some always, New Zealand and England all have the
firepower to ensure it's no cakewalk where our star studded
Kangaroos particularly please Shanon Squadron a really good spot at
the moment.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
It's good to just be able to come on tour
and actually talk to those guys, share different insights and
learn different things.

Speaker 4 (08:14):
It's going to be one of the most open World
Cups ever. They've been very proactive Channel seven and I
take my hat off to them. They realize that rugby leaue'
is the number one sport in Australia and they wanted
it on their channel.

Speaker 5 (08:23):
It all begins with the Kangaroos versus the Kiwis at
Alion Stadium on October fifteenth. Next year, Mel McLaughlin's seven News.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
Great news, Let's get more on Thursdays. Whether now partly
cloudy for Brisbane thirty four degrees, partly cloudy the city
in twenty two claudy with the chance of a shower
for Melbourne eighteen, mostly sunny in Canberra twenty three degrees,
claudy with the chance of a shower for Hobart sixteen,
partly cloudy for Adelaide and twenty partly clady for twenty
one degrees