- Australians expected to spend more than $3.1 billion on Boxing Day sales
- Ukraine's President set to meet Trump in Florida this weekend
- Boxing Day Ashes Test sets a new attendance record for the MCG
Australians are expected to spend more than $3.1 billion on Boxing Day sales this year and two in five Australians made plans to shop during Friday's sale.
According to data released by PayPal 48 per cent of Gen Z and 46 per cent of millennials said they would be taking part.
However, 31 per cent of Australians who were surveyed said they were taking a "buy better, not more" approach this year and 24 per cent said they are now more cautious with big sales events.
With sales set to continue this week, shoppers like this one are hoping prices come down even further.
"Everything is getting more expensive, still, the sale, it's not like that much. We hope it's coming more down and down, because, you know, like the sale always, it's not just about ourselves. We have kids, we have family, so we want more sale and discount in the country please."
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Paddleboarders who narrowly avoided tragedy on Christmas Day have praised rescue teams in Victoria.
Rescue crews in Portarlington sprung to action after another family member raised the alarm when the pair failed to return after 5pm.
Local police, aerial units, lifesavers and a coastguard team searched waters before a helicopter spotted the pair on their paddleboards waving for help.
Elsewhere on Christmas, a mother and her daughters were lifted to safety by a helicopter after encountering difficulty while kayaking.
In a third rescue, a 41-year-old man missing for about two hours was spotted by searchers on Lake King in Paynesville, just before 3pm.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will meet with US President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend to discuss security guarantees and post-war reconstruction.
The Ukrainian leader says his side will also seek to raise territorial issues, which have been a key sticking point, with Russia refusing to relinquish key areas including the Donbas.
Mr Zelenskyy says he'd like to see Europeans involved in Sunday's meeting, but that he doubts whether it would be possible at such short notice.
He says significant progress has been made in talks which included what he called a "good conversation" with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
"To be honest, the 20-point plan we have been working on is 90 per cent ready. Our task is to make sure that everything is 100 per cent ready. It is not easy. And no one is saying that it will be 100 per cent ready right away. But, nonetheless, we must bring the desired result closer with every such meeting, with every such conversation."
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And in the Sydney to Hobart, line-honours favourite Master Lock Comanche has led the Sydney to Hobart fleet into the first night down the NSW coast.
Back-to-back line-honours champion LawConnect was first out of the Sydney Heads around 1.10pm on Boxing Day, but surrendered her lead tacking out to sea after 6pm.
While rough conditions forced five yachts to withdraw on the first afternoon of the race, as of 10pm, 124 boats remained on the journey to Constitution Dock in Hobart.
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And in cricket...
Australia and England's latest Ashes battle has broken the all-time attendance record for a day of cricket at the MCG.
A crowd of 93,442 fans poured into the venue before tea on Boxing Day, as England quick Josh Tongue claimed five wickets to help the tourists skittle Australia for 152.
The figure surpassed the previous record crowd of 93,013 for the ODI World Cup final in 2015.
Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg says the turnout cements cricket as the national sport.
"The numbers of interstate tourists and travellers is nothing short of phenomenal. Nearly thirty five percent of people who come today to this test match will be visiting the MCG for the very first time. So it's incumbent on us, the sport, the venue, the government, to give people a wonderful experience when they're here today, they're going to watch some great cricket, clearly, but it's more than about the cricket, it's actually bigger than cricket it's bigger than the bat sport, this is one of the nation's great events."
