Australia to recognize Palestinian state in September: PM

Australia will formally recognize a Palestinian state at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Monday.

Speaking at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, Albanese said that Australia will recognize the "right" of the Palestinian people to a "state of their own."

A two-state solution is humanity's best hope to break the cycle of violence in the Middle East and to bring an end to the conflict, suffering and starvation in Gaza, he said.

Albanese said that his cabinet met on Monday morning and endorsed the move to recognize Palestinian statehood as part of a "coordinated global effort" building momentum for a two-state solution.

He said that the decision followed conversations with leaders in Britain, France, New Zealand and Japan as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The Palestinian Authority has promised Australia that it would recognize Israel's right to exist, hold general elections and demilitarize, Albanese said.

The prime minister reiterated criticism of Israel's withholding of aid in Gaza and of increased settler violence in the West Bank, describing the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "beyond the world's worst fears."

"There have been threats to annex the occupied Palestinian territories and proposing the permanent forced displacement of the Palestinian people. These actions, together with the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, risk putting a two-state solution out of reach for a generation," he said.

Monday's announcement came after Albanese and senior members of his Labor Party government escalated criticism of Israel, and called for a ceasefire, in recent weeks.

Australia to recognize Palestinian state in September: PM

Australia to recognize Palestinian state in September: PM

Australia to recognize Palestinian state in September: PM

Australia to recognize Palestinian state in September: PM

A wildfire that engulfed part of a forest in Shantou City of south China's Guangdong Province on Sunday has been extinguished after 17 hours of concerted efforts by multiple departments including emergency response, firefighting and public security units.

Villagers living at the foot of Xianglu Mountain were the first to notice the fire erupting on its slopes.

"It looked far away and I thought it was just someone burning garbage," recalled one villager.

Upon discovering the fire, local authorities immediately organized personnel to combat the flames, with mobilization of over 200 rescuers from surrounding areas to assist in the firefighting efforts.

"We were divided into two to three groups, with one conducting regular firefighting and another using water pumps to extinguish the fire," said one rescuer.

Given the rapid spread of the fire, local officials also called in aerial support with helicopters to aid in extinguishing the blaze. Furthermore, many personnel organized by local grassroots departments were actively involved in the firefighting efforts.

By 06:00 on Monday, the wildfire was finally extinguished without causing any casualties. The dry climate in winter increases the risk of forest fire in the region. However, the cause of the forest fire is still under investigation.

Wildfire extinguished in south China's Guangdong after 17 hours of efforts