TRANSCRIPT
- New clues in the search for missing hiker Hadi Nazari.
- Anthony Albanese pays tribute to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after resignation announcement.
- In tennis, Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates his win at the Adelaide International.
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New South Wales Police say new clues have been found, as the search for missing hiker Hadi Nazari continues.
320 people have helped with the search over the last 12 days, since the 23-year-old student from Melbourne was reported missing in the Kosciuszko National Park on Boxing Day.
Search teams have found items confirmed as belonging to Mr Nazari beside remnants of a small campfire, including a hiking pole, lighter and camera gear.
New South Wales Police Superintendent Andrew Spliet says crews remain "hopeful" that Hadi Nazari is still alive.
"We also rely on experts who have expert knowledge on survivability in these areas, given the conditions, given the terrain, given the age and the fitness of the person that is missing. And we will rely on that expert evidence in relation to how long this (search) continues. We're still hopeful that we're still detecting items of interest that belong to him. And I think that is a real credit - and shows how thoroughly the search has been - that we're actually locating those very, very small items in such a large, dense bushland."
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Justin Trudeau, describing the Canadian prime minister as a personal friend and a friend of Australia.
Mr Trudeau has announced his resignation after nearly a decade in power, bowing to rising discontent over his leadership and growing turmoil within his government signalled by the abrupt departure of his finance minister.
Mr Albanese says Mr Trudeau worked closely with different Australian governments over the years.
"Every single time there has been a natural disaster in Australia, we have had Canadians on the ground here. Whether it be flood events, bushfires... Those skills and indeed that equipment has been welcomed and I wish Justin Trudeau all the very best in whatever he chooses to do next in his life. I regard him as a personal friend. But he is a great friend of Australia."
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Authorities in the United States have recorded the country's first human death from bird flu.
The patient, aged over 65 and with underlying medical conditions, was hospitalised with the virus on December 18.
The Louisiana Department of Health says the patient had exposure to a combination of backyard chickens and wild birds, and there has been no evidence of person-to-person transmission in the state.
Federal and state officials say the risk to the general public remains low.
Infectious disease expert Dr Sarah Michaels from Tulane University says it is important to put the development in the proper perspective.
"It's still a good time to get your flu shot. Flu shot's going to prevent not avian influenza, but seasonal influenza and the possibility of being co-infected with those viruses. Which is really we're more concerned in the long run, that this bird flu that we have spreading across the US right now has some kind of mutation or a reassortment event, which makes it more transmissible between people, which is what we have not seen yet."
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The latest data shows that new vehicle sales in Australia have broken the annual record for a second year in a row.
1.24 million new vehicles were sold in 2024 – topped by the Ford Ranger ute for the second consecutive year, ahead of the Toyota RAV4 SUV.
It's a rise of 1.7 per cent compared to the year prior.
91,292 new electric vehicles were sold in 2024 - an increase of 4075 over the 12 months prior.
The data has been collated by the Electric Vehicle Council and the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
The chamber's chief executive, Tony Weber, says there has been shift to more purchases of SUVs and utes.
"SUVs and light commercials - or utes, as most people call them - are almost 80 per cent of the market now. Sedans have represented only 1 in 6 of sales in Australia. So that is quite a dramatic change from what we've had historically. I think the other thing is the growth in low-emission vehicles. There are a lot of sales of hybrids and plug-in hybrids. What was disappointing for us is the lack of growth in the EV (electric vehicle) market. It is now around 7.5 per cent. Last year, it was 7.2 per cent."
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In Tennis, hometown favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis says he is savouring his win at the Adelaide International.
He negotiated a tricky first round date with Japanese left-hander Yoshihito Nishioka, coming away with a 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory.
Kokkinakis, winner of the event back in 2022, says he is glad to be back on his favourite court at Memorial Drive to experience this moment.
"Best moment of my career by far. It is something that I knew is a special sort of feeling and special sort of moment. And it is not something that I ever take for granted. At the time I wasn't like this is easy, I'm going to win a lot of these. I knew how much of a struggle it was to win that. And I don't know if I will win another one. But I am going to try my best. One match at a time and see how I go. But definitely the most special moment of my career, for sure."
And earlier, Australian Chris O'Connell edged out Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech to avert a rankings disaster.
