*US says Israel has begun a ground invasion into Lebanon;
* Australia's first Special Envoy To Combat Islamophobia appointed;
*Nelson Asofa-Solomona to miss Sunday's N-R-L Grand Final through suspension.
The US is set to send several thousand troops and fighter jets to the Middle East in order reinforce Israel's security in the region.
It comes amid reports that Israel has already begun ground incursions on the border with Lebanon.
In a statement, the US State Department said that the incursions are one-offs, that is, not yet a major ground invasion, and are taking place near the border with Lebanon.
Meanwhile, the additional forces sent by the US are set to bring the total number of troops in the region up to 43,000.
It includes squadrons of F-15E, F-16 and F-22 fighters, as well as A-10 attack aircraft, and the personnel needed to support them.
Also today [[SEP 1]], the Israeli Armed Forces declared areas in the north to be restricted military zones.
Australians in Lebanon are urging the federal government to do more to help them get out of the country.
Brian Raslan is an Australian citizen and is currently living at his parents home village of Ras El Matn, north-east of Beirut.
He says he's tried to heed the government's advice to Lebanon via commercial flight, but Qatar Airways cancelled his planned flight.
He says he recently helped his aunt who lives elsewhere move out of her apartment, as it was no longer safe for her.
[["People high up in Hezbollah moved in to their apartment, a few things happened and they had to evacuate the apartment. Because they then become a target - an Israeli target. So I help them. I don't go down to Beirut, because I don't want to put myself in any danger but every now and again you will hear some explosions."]]
He says his family in Australia are very anxious about the situation.
The federal government has appointed Australia's first-ever Special Envoy to combat Islamophobia.
Aftab Malik will take up the three-year-long appointment, starting on the 14th of October.
Mr Malik has worked in the New South Wales Premier's Department for nearly ten years, and is recognised as global expert on Muslim affairs by the U-N.
The government has struggled to fill this Special Envoy position for months, after appointing Jillian Segal to an equivalent position combating Anti-Semitism earlier this year.
Both positions have been established as result of concerns over social cohesion resulting from the current conflict in the Middle East.
Mr Malik says he'll work with Muslim leaders, as well as his counterpart, Ms Segal, to try and bring communities together.
Fire response services across states and territories are on alert, as they have issued a public warning for residents to prepare for a tough bushfire season ahead.
It comes as the New South Wales rural fire service say the official start of the bushfire season is today ((1 October)).
Authorities are urging residents and communities to prepare their homes and families, and have a bushfire action plan.
Rob Rogers is the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Commissioner.
[["One of the things that we have very much been working on since those 2019-20 fires is very much looking at technology helping us. We'll be starting tests next year for looking at satellite detection of fires and making sure within minutes of detecting those fires or fi we are aware of those fires, not waiting for someone to ring triple-zero ((000)). We've got artificial intelligence looking at plotting what those fires could potentially do over the next couple of hours, six hours to make sure we prioritise resources on those fires that are most risky."]]
The fire service department has responded to more than a thousand fires across the state since July 1.
They say their services are better prepared this season. The bushfire season is meant to last till March next year.
In rugby league, Melbourne Storm forward Nelson Asofa-Solomona will miss Sunday night's N-R-L Grand Final, after failing to have his suspension overturned.
Asofa-Solomona has tried and failed to have his grade three careless high tackle charge downgraded to a grade one.
He'll be suspended for five games- starting with the Grand Final against the Penrith Panthers.
Asofa-Solomona concussed Lindsay Collins with his illegal tackle in the opening moments of last weekend's preliminary final victory over the Sydney Roosters.
Either Joe Chan or Lazarus Vaalepu are expected to replace Asofa-Solomona in the lineup for the Grand Final, which will bring together the last four N-R-L premiers.
