In this bulletin;
- The Prime Minister announces special honours list for Bondi massacre heroes;
- Palestinian officials denounce new Israeli settlements in occupied West Bank;
- And in sport, Shane Warne's memory and legacy to be honored at first Ashes Test at the MCG since his untimely death.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has asked the governor-general to create a special honours list for first responders and others who intervened in the Bondi mass shooting.
Mr Albanese highlighted the bravery of bystanders, like Boris and Sofia Gurman, who lost their lives attempting to wrestle a gun from one of the alleged shooters.
He also highlighted emergency services personnel who put themselves in the firing line to race to the scene.
The honours list will be announced in 2026 and New South Wales Premier Chris Minns says his government will look closely at the nominations.
"There’s been some exceptional examples of bravery from regular members of the public and police officers and surf lifesavers. You know, in all of this terror and all of this sadness and evil, there’s been some incredible Australians that are still prepared to put their lives on the line and protect a complete stranger. And as dark as the clouds have been over the last week, I still take optimism from their heroism and it's a reminder that we live in a great country and there's still wonderful people here."
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The Palestinian Authority has condemned Israel's recent approval of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced the settlement approval in a move he says is aimed at preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Palestinian foreign ministry in Ramallah says the move is a continuation of apartheid, settlement and annexation policies that undermine the rights of Palestinian people.
The decision came days after the United Nations said the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law, had reached its highest level since 2017.
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Emergency services are bracing for one of the deadliest periods of the year, with data showing spikes in drownings, alcohol related injuries and car accidents over the Christmas period.
Between Christmas and New Years Day last year, an average of three people died drowning each day and around 30 per cent of those were born overseas.
Royal Life Saving chief executive Justin Scarr says alcohol is often a factor of summer drownings and data shows New Year's Day is often the worst day of the year for alcohol related harms.
The Christmas and New Year period also typically features a spike in domestic assaults as complicated family dynamics, stress and increases in alcohol and drug use lead to a rise in violence.
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Ukrainian forces have withdrawn from the embattled eastern town of Siversk as Russian troops wage a battlefield offensive aimed at threatening key defensive cities.
The fall of Siversk comes as Ukraine faces US pressures to quickly negotiate peace with Russia and brings Russian forces close to the hub of Sloviansk.
Sloviansk is a northern anchor of the so-called"fortress belt" of cities in Ukraine's heavily industrialised Donbas region, which Russia has demanded Kyiv cede before it agrees to peace.
In his nightly address, President Zelenskyy has confirmed his negotiating team had returned from talks in the United States.
"We sense that America wants to reach a final agreement, and from our side, there is full cooperation. Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace. We are working actively and doing everything necessary to ensure that the documents come to fruition and that they are realistic. The key is that Russia must not sabotage this diplomacy and must take ending the war 100 percent seriously."
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To sport and in cricket,
Shane Warne's memory and legacy will loom large over the first Ashes Test at the MCG since his untimely death.
So much of Warne's outstanding cricket career was forged at the ground - the Southern Stand is now named in his honour - and he will be remembered throughout the Boxing Day Test.
Health stations around the MCG will be available for fans to check their heart health, now a feature of the game thanks to the Shane Warne Legacy.
Warne took his first Test hat-trick and his 700th Test wicket in Boxing Day matches at the MCG against England.
His son Jackson fronted the media on Wednesday morning outside the ground.
"It doesn't really feel real that it's nearly been four years, it'll be four years in March and that's gone like that. So if we can just try and encourage as many people to you know look after your heart and I think a lot of people look after their brain and their muscles and their bones but you forget about your heart, so if you could just make a bit more conscious of it, that would be good."
