TRANSCRIPT
- Five dead after severe storms in eastern Australia.
- Russia says one of its warships damaged in an attack by Ukraine.
- Andoo Comanche takes the lead in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.
At least five people are feared dead, including a nine-year-old girl, following intense storms in southeast Queensland.
The girl's body was found following an extensive police search after she was feared lost in storm waters drains in Brisbane.
Another body was recovered in Moreton Bay after a boating accident feared to have taken the lives of two more.
A woman has died in regional Victoria after a campground was hit by flash flooding.
And a man in Victoria's east and a woman on the Gold Coast have also died after being hit by falling trees.
The Bureau of Meteorology's Angus Hines says the challenging weather conditions are expected to continue into the late evening.
"A couple of areas to watch out for, with severe storms remain possible on Wednesday from about Sydney to Melbourne. Primarily around the border between Vic and New South Wales and some further thunderstorms possible around central and northern parts of the Queensland coast, maybe clipping Brisbane at times. But by and large by Wednesday afternoon, we're starting to see the end in sight for this thunderstorm outbreak. There will be a slight easing trend to the conditions by then."
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A man's body has been found following a search at a newly opened beach in Sydney's west.
Emergency services were called to Penrith Beach on Boxing Day after a man was seen going underwater and not resurfacing.
Three rescue boats and two helicopters joined the police search and the waterway was closed to the public.
Emergency crews found the body of a man believed to be in his 30s.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The man-made beach at Penrith Lakes opened to the public one week ago.
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Russia has confirmed damage it one of its warships in the Black Sea during an attack by Ukraine.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said the large landing ship Novocherkassk was struck by Ukrainian aircraft carrying guided missiles.
The Russian-installed governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, says one person was killed in the attack.
Earlier, Ukraine’s air force said it destroyed the Novocherkassk in an air attack, adding that it suspected the vessel was carrying Iranian explosive drones that Russia has used regularly to attack Ukraine.
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A United Nations officials says many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have followed Israeli army evacuation orders, only to find there is no space left to take refuge.
Gemma Connell, deployed in Gaza for several weeks now, says thousands of people have been displaced multiple times already - and nowhere is safe.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has warned the offensive in Gaza will expand in coming days.
The emergency medical team co-ordinator from the World Health Organisation, Sean Casey, has been visiting hospitals in Gaza to deliver much needed supplies.
He says there are multiple crises facing civilians in Gaza.
"There's the risk of a famine here in Gaza, actually, and even here in the hospital, everybody says that they only have rice. They have very often only one meal a day and they're hungry. So, you know, we've brought medical supplies here, we've brought surgical supplies here. Everybody wants food. And we're currently in the kitchen trying to find a way that we can reactivate this kitchen."
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A plane carrying 276 Indian passengers has landed in Mumbai, after it was grounded in France for four days pending investigation into possible human trafficking.
Security and immigration officials questioned the passengers upon their arrival and many were allowed to leave after the questioning.
The passengers avoided the media as they left the airport.
The flight, by Romanian charter company Legend Airlines, had departed from Dubai bound for Nicaragua, landing in France at the Châlons-Vatry Airport for a technical stopover when police intervened.
After being interrogated by police, two people investigated for human trafficking were placed under "assisted witness" status as the investigation continues.
Authorities say another 25 people, including five children, have stayed in France where they wish to seek asylum.
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A group representing the Australian retail sector says the Boxing Day sales will be an indicator of the strength of retail activity heading into January 2024.
The Australian Retailers Association says it is forecasting 1.6 per cent year-on-year increase in sales between December 26 and January 15.
That will be $23.9 billion in sales activity over that period.
The chief industry affairs officer at the Australian Retailers Association, Fleur Brown, says cost-of-living pressures have impacted spending.
"The cost-of-living crisis is very real. Retailers are very conscious of that. That has driven a lot of the bargain offerings this year. And it is affecting spending. So we're finding that spending overall has been subdued in the last few months. We're pleased to see that Christmas spending and post-Christmas spending slightly up on last year. Of course, there is price inflation, extra supply chain costs in that number. So it's a good result overall."
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The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast challenging conditions for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, including rain, strong winds and hail.
Andoo Comanche has taken the lead, followed by LawConnect and Wild Thing 100 is third.
