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TRANSCRIPT
- Up to 100 police officers involved in search for a gunman in a country town in New South Wales
- Donald Trump says a large US military fleet is moving towards Iran
- And in tennis, Aryna Sabalenka advances to the fourth round of the Australian Open
A large-scale search continues for a gunman who police allege shot four people in a New South Wales country town.
Heavily armed tactical police, negotiators, and homicide investigators have been deployed to the town of Lake Cargelligo in western New South Wales
Local residents are being urged to stay indoors as the search continues.
A 32-year-old man and a 25-year-old woman were fatally shot inside their car on Thursday afternoon in what police allege is a suspected domestic violence attack.
A 50-year-old woman and a 19-year-old man were reportedly shot in a driveway.
The woman died at the scene, while the man is in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Holland says up to 100 police officers are assisting in the search.
"We are concerned about the local villages. He has had areas where he's gone to those locations before. Currently we have Aboriginal community liasion offices working the Murray Bridge Aboriginal community to obviously see if they can get some information for us. The search area is if fluid obviously we're getting information we move to that location as this before we've cleared a number of premises."
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President Donald Trump has announced a US naval fleet is headed towards Iran, as tensions escalate following a deadly crackdown on protests.
US officials say a military aircraft carrier strike group - including several destroyers and fighter aircraft - will arrive in the Middle East region in the coming days.
President Trump has repeatedly threatened to intervene in Iran's deadly crackdown on protesters, but he appeared to back-pedal last week on his threats of potential military action after he said he received assurances that no executions of protesters would take place.
He says at this stage he is not seeking to use the naval fleet in a military operation, but it will be stationed nearby as he monitors the situation.
"We have a big force going toward Iran. I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely. But we have an armada, we have a massive, we have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won't have to use it, we will see."
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Australia's southeastern states are preparing for what's forecast to be a prolonged and severe heatwave this weekend.
Temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius have been forecast for parts of Victoria.
While Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra are forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius on multiple days.
David Nugent from the Victoria State Control Centre says the heatwave has the potential to fuel another round of dangerous bushfires.
"Three of our major fires that are still going a number of other fires that we have been able to contain over the last last few days, but as these conditions get hot and we have extreme fire danger ratings in some district tomorrow and that will occur again. Next week is that we are particularly focused on on the effort. It's to make sure our fires don't spread significantly of those conditions."
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65,000 Australians gained employment in December [[2025]], up from November - with the rate of Australians who are underemployed also reducing by half a per cent.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics data revealed a strong jobs market - but it is not good news for everyone.
Motley Fool chief investment officer Scott Phillips says the numbers don't paint a full picture of the health of the economy.
"Still 4.1 per cent of us want a job and can't get one. But it gets to a point where you haven't got the right people with the right skills in the right places. And that's what causes wage pressure. Again, great for all of us who want a pay rise. But basically the R-B-A are worried it will cause inflation - or be adding to inflation. And that's going to keep them on the edge of their seats."
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In tennis, world number one Aryna Sabalenka advances to the fourth round of the Australian Open, after defeating Anastasia Potapova 7-6, 7-6.
It wasn't an easy win for Sabalenka though after Potapova fought back from 4-0 down in the second set, breaking the Belarusian's serve three times and forcing her into a surprising scrap to the finish.
Later tonight, Australian world number six Alex de Minaur takes on 34th-ranked Frances Tiafoe on Rod Laver Arena.
