TRANSCRIPT
- National memorial events held one week on from the Bondi shooting
- Further steps taken to advance Ukraine peace talks
- In cricket, Australia close to Ashes victory
Australia is marking one week since the terror attack on Bondi Beach that claimed 15 lives.
As part of a National Day of Reflection, flags will fly at half-mast and buildings will be lit in yellow, before a formal public service for victims and survivors.
At Bondi Pavilion, where thousands of flowers and tributes have been laid since the tragedy, lights will beam into the sky.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says Australians are asked to light a candle in their front windows at 6.47pm - and observe one minute of silence.
"Sixty seconds carved out from the noise of daily life, dedicated to 15 Australians who should be with us today. It will be a moment of pause to reflect and affirm that hatred and violence will never define us as Australians."
NSW Police says specialist officers will be attending various memorial locations as a precautionary measure, and they say the community should not be alarmed by the additional police presence.
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New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says he supports calls for a Royal Commission into the Bondi mass shooting attack.
Mr Minns says there needs to a comprehensive look into what happened at Bondi and possible failures that allowed it to occur.
"I think we need a Royal Commission. Right now, we've got bits and pieces of the jigsaw puzzle here, but we don't have the full picture and until we've got a full and accurate picture of exactly how this happened with a plan to ensure that it doesn't happen again, then I don't have answers to the people of New South Wales about what happened on Sunday."
Opposition leader Sussan Ley has also backed a royal commission in a statement to the media, calling on Anthony Albanese to recall parliament before Christmas to immediately legislate a response.
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The United States has offered a potential new format for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, with the US and possibly European envoys participating.
Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not go into the specifics of the negotiations.
However, Mr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will decide on the format once it is clear that progress has been made in bilateral discussions involving U-S negotiators that resumed on Friday.
"The issues are all the same. How the United States will react after consultations with the Russians — to be honest, I do not know yet. But I will know today."
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The Trump administration has launched military strikes in Syria targeting IS fighters and weapons sites in retaliation for an ambush attack that killed two US troops and an American civilian interpreter almost a week ago.
President Donald Trump pledged "very serious retaliation" after the shooting in the Syrian desert, for which he blamed IS.
Those killed were among hundreds of US troops deployed in eastern Syria as part of a coalition fighting the militant group.
President Donald Trump boasted about the strikes at a rally in North Carolina.
"We hit the ISIS thugs in Syria who were trying to regroup after their decimation by the Trump administration five years ago ... We hit every side flawlessly and we are restoring peace through strength all over the world."
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In cricket, Australia are just four wickets away from retaining the Ashes for a fifth straight series, after day four of the third Test at Adelaide Oval.
Chasing a world record 435 runs to win, England were reduced to 207 for six at stumps, still 228 runs short of victory.
Three wickets from Nathan Lyon and bowling from captain Pat Cummins has helped Australia reach this stage.
Alex Carey says it has been wonderful to see Cummins play at his best in his first match back, after injury saw him miss the first two Tests of this Ashes series.
"It's great to see him back after quite a long time, to come in and get what he can out of the wicket. And even if the ball's a little bit older, he still finds something. It's not surprising. We know he's done it for years and years. He's leading beautifully as well, but I thought he bowled really well with the new ball, actually, as well, just before lunch and just after lunch. Took two, took the third wicket. And then, yeah, just, I think, rotated through a few other plans."
