TRANSCRIPT
- Police investigate after billboards of a federal politician were defaced with Nazi symbols
- Celebrations as Thailand's law on same-sex marriage takes effect
- In Tennis, Alex De Minaur says he will learn from his loss against Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open
Billboards belonging to a federal politician have been defaced with Nazi symbols.
The billboards in regional New South Wales promote Nationals candidate Sam Farraway.
In a statement, Mr Farraway says far-right extremism and neo-Nazism has no place in Australia and he hopes the perpetrators "cop the full force of the law".
A spokesperson for New South Wales Police says the incident is being investigated - and officers are working together with the community to make New South Wales safer for everyone.
State Premier Chris Minns condemned the attack, saying there is no place for racism, bigotry, or antisemitism anywhere in New South Wales.
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In the United States, firefighters are responding to a new fast-moving wildfire in Los Angeles County, prompting the evacuation of about 19,000 residents.
The region is already reeling from the most destructive fires in its history.
The Hughes fire ignited northwest of the city of Los Angeles, close to Castaic Lake in a mountainous area that borders several residential areas and schools.
Winds and dry brush have acted as fuel, allowing the fire to grow rapidly over five hours.
No homes or businesses have been damaged so far.
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Same-sex couples in Thailand are celebrating a landmark achievement many decades in the making: the legal right to marry.
A marriage equality bill comes into effect today, allowing members of the LGBTQ+ community in Thailand to get married and have the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.
To mark the occasion, more than 300 couples have registered to get married today.
Thailand's Prime Minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra says it is an important milestone.
"I think that it is very important that (people) around the world notice us and know that in this small country we have this kind of thought, we have this kind of support for our people. We all should be proud."
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US President Donald Trump says he will likely impose sanctions on Russia, if Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate on ending the war in Ukraine.
In a statement on social media, Trump gave no details on possible additional sanctions but the United States has already sanctioned Russia heavily for its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Trump administration is also looking at sending weapons to Ukraine, and wants Chinese President Xi Jinping to do more to stop the Ukraine war.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he is seeking a meeting with Trump.
Addressing leaders at the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, he called on European politicians to be more than just bystanders.
He says at least 200,000 European peacekeepers would be needed to prevent a new Russian attack after any ceasefire deal.
"From all the Europeans? 200,000, it's a minimum. It's a minimum, otherwise it's nothing. Otherwise it is something like we had OSCE (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) and nobody knew where they could help you. They just had offices – and that’s all."
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In Tennis, Alex de Minaur says he will learn from his loss against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
After reaching the Melbourne Park final eight for the first time, de Minaur was trying to reach his maiden semifinal at any slam.
But defending Open champion Sinner defeated the Australian in straight sets — 6-3 6-2 6-1 — in just an hour and 48 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
De Minaur says he will bounce back.
"I just need to sit with my team and figure out a way to hurt Jannik on the court. That is ultimately, the way we have got to look at it and find different ways. Because at the moment, we don't have it. So back to the drawing board, like I have done my whole career. As I said, I still don't think this is my ceiling. I still think I have got more in the tank. So I will be searching for that."
