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As it happened: Dozens of Ukrainians killed after railway station shelling; PM banned from entering Russia; wild weather continues in NSW

Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Good night
EU Commissioner says war crimes in Ukraine should not go unpunished
At least 30 killed and over 100 wounded after Ukrainian railway station shelled, state rail company says
Booster shot approved for children aged 12 to 15
Craig Kelly hit with egg in Melbourne park
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese banned from entering Russia
Flu jab becomes mandatory for Victorian healthcare workers
Australia records 31 deaths and 57,859 new cases of COVID-19
The Star casino inquiry extended by two months
Tasmania Health Minister Jeremy Rockliff named as new Premier

Good night

By Amelia McGuire

That’s where we’ll leave today’s live blog.

If you’re just catching up on the news of the day, here’s a summary of today’s main stories.

  • At least 30 people have been killed and 100 injured after two missiles struck a railway station in Kramatorsk. The station was used to evacuate civilians from the Donetsk region ahead of expected heavy fighting.The state’s railway company has confirmed reports of the attack with a statement that said,

    “According to operational data, more than 30 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the rocket attack on Kramatorsk railway station.”

  • Russia has banned 228 Australian politicians and officials from entering the country, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, in response to Canberra’s sanctions against Moscow.Morrison announced Australia will send an additional $26.5 million package of anti-armour weapons and ammunition to Ukraine.

        Russia has banned 228 Australian politicians and officials from entering the country, including Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Alex Ellinghausen, AP, Janie Barrett

        EU Commissioner says war crimes in Ukraine should not go unpunished

        By

        European Union Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson has stressed the importance of collecting war crimes evidence from fleeing Ukrainian refugees so the crimes will not go unpunished.

        “It is so important that these war crimes will not go unpunished,” she said at a news conference in Prague alongside the interior minister of the Czech Republic, a country that has taken in more than 300,000 refugees.

        European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson.AP

        Reuters

        At least 30 killed and over 100 wounded after Ukrainian railway station shelled, state rail company says

        By Amelia McGuire

        Multiple media publications are reporting two Russian rockets have struck a railway station used for Ukrainian evacuations, reportedly killing at least 30 and wounding 100.

        Russian troops allegedly shelled civilians waiting for special evacuation trains at Kramatorsk’s railway station to take them out of the Donetsk region ahead of expected heavy fighting there.

        People board a Kyiv bound train on a platform in Kramatorsk, the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. AP

        The state’s railway company has confirmed reports of the attack with a statement that said,

        “According to operational data, more than 30 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in the rocket attack on Kramatorsk railway station.”

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        Craig Kelly says he intends to take legal action over Melbourne egging

        By Marta Pascual Juanola

        United Australia Party leader Craig Kelly says he intends to press charges against a woman who allegedly threw two eggs at him during an event in Melbourne this afternoon.

        Mr Kelly told Melbourne radio station 3AW the attack constituted common assault and he would be taking legal action “to set a precedent”.

        “I’ve got no problem debating anyone about any issue in any public forum anywhere in the country,” Mr Kelly said.

        Craig Kelly shows a Victoria Police officer stains on his jacket after being egged in a Melbourne park on Friday.Chris Hopkins

        “But when it comes to someone actually engaging in physical assault, you’re hitting a new level of attacks, which actually is an attack upon our democratic system, and this is something that I think all Australians should be appalled about.”

        Ukraine’s Prime Minister expects grain harvest to be 20 per cent less than last year

        By

        Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Friday this year’s grain harvest is likely to be 20 per cent less than last year because of a reduced sowing area following Russia’s invasion.

        Global wheat prices have jumped following the war in Ukraine, which along with Russia makes up about a third of global supply.Vincent Mundy, Bloomberg

        He said there was a shortage of fuel for farmers, but Ukraine knew how to keep them supplied. He also said Ukraine had large stocks of grain, cereals and vegetable oil, and could feed its population.

        Reuters

        Booster shot approved for children aged 12 to 15

        By Mary Ward

        Children aged 12 to 15 are one step closer to receiving their booster shot, after the medicines regulator provisionally approved Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine as a booster for the age group.

        In a statement on Friday afternoon, the Therapeutic Goods Administration noted the provisional approval was “the first step in the two green light approval process”.

        A vaccine hub in Melbourne.Eddie Jim

        National vaccine advisory group ATAGI will need to determine how the shots will be administered, including how long after their primary vaccination children must wait to receive their booster and whether children with particular health conditions will be prioritised in the rollout.

        Following its meeting on March 30, ATAGI said it was “continuing to review evidence on the use of COVID-19 booster doses in adolescents aged 12-15 years, including data on serious illness, epidemiology and international use in this age group, including use in those with immuno-compromising conditions”.

        Children aged 12 to 15 have been eligible for vaccination against COVID-19 since September 2021.

        Australia-wide, 80 per cent of the age group have received two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines.

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        ASX closes 0.5 per cent higher

        By Colin Kruger

        The ASX 200 closed 0.5% higher at 7478 as mining stocks rebounded from a 3 day losing streak.

        Craig Kelly hit with egg in Melbourne park

        By Katina Curtis and Amelia McGuire

        United Australia Party leader Craig Kelly has had an egg cracked on his head by a woman who called him a “Nazi-lover” in a protest reminiscent of the 2019 election.
        The Sydney-based MP was holding a party “meet and greet” event at a park in Melbourne.

        Video of the incident posted online by the Whistleblowers, Activists and Communities Alliance shows he was sitting on the edge of a playground when a woman walked up behind him and broke an egg on his head.

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        “Stop hanging out with Nazis. You’re an anti-Semite, you’re a Nazi-lover,” she yelled.
        Mr Kelly shouted back: “You’re a disgrace, a disgrace, a disgrace to our democracy.“
        During the 2019 election, a woman threw an egg at Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s head during a campaign event in Albury. The egg did not break.

        Just before that election officially started, in another egg-related incident, a teenager hit far-right senator Fraser Anning with an egg. The senator responded by punching the boy but both escaped charges being laid.

        Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese banned from entering Russia

        By

        Russia has banned 228 Australian politicians and officials from entering the country, including Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Labor leader Anthony Albanese, in response to Canberra’s sanctions against Moscow.

        Russia has banned 228 Australian politicians and officials from entering the country, including Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Alex Ellinghausen, AP, Janie Barrett

        The Russian government said it had imposed entry bans on 228 Australian government members and lawmakers as retaliation for Canberra’s “unfriendly actions” including the suite of sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

        The ban was imposed on the same day Australia sent Ukraine 20 Bushmaster armoured vehicles, which were flown out of Brisbane for Europe on Friday and worth a total of $50 million.

        Read the full report by Anthony Galloway here.

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        Flu jab becomes mandatory for Victorian healthcare workers

        By Marta Pascual Juanola

        Victorian healthcare workers will need to be vaccinated against the flu in order to continue working in high-risk settings such as hospitals, ambulance services and aged care.

        Under the new mandate announced this afternoon, staff will have until August 15 every year to get the shot or risk being redeployed to other duties or have their employment terminated.

        Prospective healthcare workers who are not vaccinated will not be eligible to take up a role in the sector.

        Health experts predict an unusually busy flu season for 2022, as more people mingle in the community and are exposed to both COVID-19 and influenza.Jason South

        The mandate was first introduced by the state government in 2020 but its rollout was delayed as a result of the pandemic and COVID-19 vaccination roll-out.

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