TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
Sydneysiders are being warned to expect heavily armed police on New Years Eve, as the New South Wales Premier signals a strong security response following the Bondi terror attack.
Two weeks after the antisemitic attack that killed 15 people, Premier Chris Minns urged residents to keep supporting local businesses and celebrate as planned.
Speaking in Bondi, he said heightened security was necessary, while warning against letting fear dictate daily life.
Mr Minns says the aim of terrorism was to disrupt ordinary life, and encouraged people to go out, spend time with family and friends.
"Because of the weird ideology of some of these terrorists, what they want is for us to crawl up into a ball and not have fun with our family and friends during this Christmas period. So I'm calling on the people of Sydney to step out to do what you would ordinarily do, to thumb your nose at the terrorists, to thumb your nose at some of the ideology that we've seen online and on social media, and ensure that you say loud and clear that we will not be cowed by these terrorists."
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Families of the victims of the Bondi Beach terror attack are calling on the Prime Minister to establish a national Royal Commission, saying Australians are owed the truth.
In an open letter, 17 Jewish families urged Anthony Albanese to immediately launch an inquiry into the rise of antisemitism and examine failures in law enforcement, intelligence and policy before the attack.
Fifteen people were killed when two IS group-inspired gunmen allegedly opened fire during Hanukkah celebrations on the 14th of December.
The families say warning signs were ignored and that they want answers on how extremist hatred was allowed to grow, and what changes are needed to protect Australians.
Nationals leader David Littleproud tells Channel 7 that the Prime Minister could have done a lot more in the wake of the attack.
"At best, the Prime Minister is tone deaf to a grieving nation, to grieving families, and they do deserve answers, and he can't be contemptuous to them. He has to open this up and and the other reason was, is quite openly that if we don't, then this will be in vain. And the reality is, unless you have a Commonwealth Royal Commission, you're not compelling the federal agencies to work with state agencies and to give all the evidence."
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US President Donald Trump says territorial disputes remain the biggest obstacle to ending the war in Ukraine, after meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Florida.
Speaking after talks at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Mr Trump says negotiations were moving forward but warned land seized by Russia remained deeply contentious.
“Some of that land has been taken. Some of that land is maybe up for grabs, but it may be taken over the next period of a number of months. And you're better off making a deal now. Look, let me tell you, they have been very brave. They fought very hard and continue to fight very hard and do tremendous damage."
Mr Trump says both Kyiv and Moscow were closer to agreement than ever before, following what he described as a productive phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
However, he cautioned the talks could still collapse, saying it would become clear within weeks whether a deal was achievable.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is travelling to Florida for an expected meeting with US President Donald Trump, as talks turn to the second phase of the ceasefire.
The first phase, which took effect on the 10th of October, was intended to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Mr Netanyahu is expected to seek US backing to intensify military action against the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in Lebanon.
He made no public comment before leaving Tel Aviv.
That was SBS News In Easy English. I'm Catriona Stirrat.
