TRANSCRIPT:
- Victoria to issue an official apology to the state's First Nations communities;
- A date set for Israel's Prime Minister to meet with the US President;
- Alex De Minaur collects his fourth John Newcombe medal.
Victoria will deliver a historic apology to Aboriginal people today.
Premier Jacinta Allan will address a special sitting of parliament to apologise for the laws, policies and practices that fuelled generations of injustice.
The apology will fulfil a key recommendation of the Yoorrook Justice Commission and a commitment under Australia’s first statewide treaty process.
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Australia has praised the AUKUS agreement ahead of a meeting between two senior ministers and their US counterparts in Washington DC.
Both Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defence Minister Richard Marles have touched on the subject during their opening remarks in a press conference alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"We are living in a much more contested world where it really matters to be doubling down with friends and allies, and obviously America is front and centre and foremost for Australia in that respect. ... President Trump has given us the motto for our meeting today, which is 'full steam ahead.' And it is very much full steam ahead in terms of the alliance, in terms of the progress on AUKUS."
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has echoed those positive comments.
He says that the US expects to move "full steam ahead" on AUKUS.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet U.S. President Donald Trump after Christmas to discuss the next steps of the Gaza ceasefire.
The meeting will take place on December 29.
Under the first phase of the peace plan, the fighting stopped and dozens of hostages held in Gaza were exchanged for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prison - while the second phase includes the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Both Israel and Hamas have repeatedly accused each other of violating the terms of the first ceasefire stage - and Benjamin Netanyahu says he anticipates discussions about the next stage will also be difficult.
[["You asked pertinent questions about what will be the timeline? What are the forces that are coming in? Will we have the international forces? If not, what are the alternatives? These are all topics that are being discussed, but I haven't seen yet a clear delineation of the, what you say is the American position which is contrary to our position. In fact, that's exactly what I'm going to talk to President Trump about."
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The Japanese government says it's begun to assess the impact of a tsunami triggered by a late-night earthquake.
The 7.6 magnitude quake struck in the Pacific Ocean around 80 kilometres off the coast of Aomori, the northernmost prefecture of Japan's main Honshu island.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi says the government has set up an emergency task force to make urgent assessments of damage, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara has urged residents to go to higher ground or seek shelter until advisories are lifted.
Japan Meteorological Agency official Masashi Kiyomoto says the threat remains active.
“Firstly, we are currently declaring a tsunami warning. The tsunami warning covers the three regions of Hokkaido’s central Pacific coast, Aomori prefecture’s Pacific coast and Iwate prefecture. People near coastlines and rivers in these regions where the tsunami warning is in place should immediately evacuate to higher ground.”
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The West Australian government has challenged the recommendations of a coroner who found failures in the justice system caused the death of Indigenous teenager Cleveland Dodd in 2023.
Coroner Phil Urquhart said the 16 year old was subjected to solitary confinement, isolation, and a lack of access to healthcare, education, and running water, before his death.
He recommended the unit be closed as a matter of urgency.
But W-A's Minister for Corrective Services Paul Papalia says that's not the right approach.
"There is no facility in the state more fit for purpose than Unit 18 to house this cohort. It's a dangerous complex and challenging cohort. That's why we're building a purpose, designed facility to replace Unit 18. Yes, I disagree with the coroner in this regard."
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State governments are calling for federal action to restrict high-speed e-bikes after another fatal accident - this time in Melbourne.
Victoria Police say a 14-year-old e-bike rider died after a collision with a four-wheel-drive in Diamond Creek, in Melbourne’s outer northeast.
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To sport and in tennis news,
Alex de Minaur has won his fourth Newcombe Medal in Melbourne.
It is his third consecutive win and places him behind only Ash Barty, who claimed the honour five times.
The award caps another season of steady improvement, with de Minaur matching his career-high ranking of world number 6 in October, the only Australian man since Lleyton Hewitt 20 years ago to crack the top 10.
