In this bulletin...
** Australia and U-S hold high-level security talks as alliance focuses on Indo-Pacific tensions...
** Magnitude 7.6 earthquake strikes Japan...
And in sport,
** Shane Richardson calls on NRL boss to look after Tigers fans.
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Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles are in Washington for annual talks with their US counterparts, a meeting set to centre on Indo-Pacific security.
They joined Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the State Department, with discussions also expected to cover the Russia-Ukraine war and the fragile ceasefire in Gaza.
The agenda is likely to include how to respond to China’s growing assertiveness in the region, from the South China Sea to pressure on Taiwan.
Secretary Rubio hails the relationship between the two nations.
"This is an incredibly strong alliance. In fact, as we were discussing a few moments ago, it is our only ally that has fought with us in every war over the last over the certainly over the last four or five decades, and and we're very grateful to them for that. And this is a very strong partnership, it's it's a strong alliance, and what we want to do is continue to build on it."
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The West Australian government has challenged the recommendations of a coroner who found failures in the justice system caused the death of Indigenous teenager Cleveland Dodd in 2023.
The 16-year-old was found unresponsive after self-harming inside a cell in the trouble-plagued youth wing of a high-security adult prison, and died about a week later in hospital.
Coroner Phil Urquhart said Mr Dodd was subjected to solitary confinement, isolation, and a lack of access to healthcare, education, and running water, along with other children.
He said the unit should be closed as a matter of urgency, but WA's Minister for Corrective Services, Paul Papalia has disagreed.
"There is no facility in the state more fit for purpose than Unit 18 to house this cohort. It's a dangerous complex and challenging cohort, that's why we're building a purpose, designed facility to replace Unit 18. Yes, I disagree with the coroner in this regard."
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Japan’s north-east has been shaken by a powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake, prompting late-night tsunami warnings and orders for coastal residents to move to higher ground.
The quake struck off Aomori just after 11.15pm local time.
Although only smaller tsunami waves have been recorded so far, authorities initially warned some areas could see surges of up to three metres.
Rail services were suspended, thousands briefly lost power, and checks began immediately at nuclear sites, none of which have reported irregularities.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says unity between Europe, Ukraine and the U-S was important when negotiating an end to Russia's war in Ukraine.
He's in London, where he is rallying support among Kyiv's allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron says Russia's economy is starting to suffer after the latest round of sanctions, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he is "sceptical" about certain aspects of the United States' position on ending the war in Ukraine.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says Ukraine can rely on his support in the negotiations.
"We stand with Ukraine and if there is to be a ceasefire it needs to be a just and lasting cease fire, and that's why it's so important that we've repeatedly set out a principle that matters about Ukraine being free."
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Golden Globes nominations are out, with two Australian actors among the field of nominees.
Joel Edgerton is up for a Globe for period drama Train Dreams, while Jacob Elordi has scored two nods for his roles in Frankenstein and The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Among the movies, Paul Thomas Anderson's politically charged One Battle After Another starring Leonardo DiCaprio leads with nine nominations.
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To sport now, and in NRL,
Shane Richardson has urged NRL boss Peter V'landys to look after Wests Tigers fans and declared Benji Marshall must stay on as coach after resigning as club's CEO.
Two years after arriving as the Tigers' white knight, Richardson capped a tumultuous week at the club on Monday [[081225]] by confirming his immediate exit.
His decision to quit comes after the club's owners, the Holman Barnes Group, removed the four independent directors from their board last week.
