Authorities are warning people to be vigilant at Australian beaches this summer. It comes after four separate drownings along the New South Wales coastline in the past week. A father drowned at the newly-opened Penrith Beach in Sydney's west, after rescuing his children who had fallen off a paddle board, while two men were swept out to sea on the New South Wales Central Coast. Another man has also died after he and four people were pulled from the water at Anna Bay on the state's Hunter coastline yesterday afternoon. Two other people who were rescued from the water remain in hospital.

LawConnect owner and skipper Christian Beck says his team’s line honours win in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race was a “complete surprise”. 'LawConnect' crossed the finish line just after 8:00am on Thursday after being neck and neck up the Derwent River with Comanche. “They took the lead pretty close to the line – we thought there was no way we could get it back,” Mr Beck said. “We thought we’d definitely lost it 15 minutes before because they were three miles ahead of us.” Wild weather saw 11 yachts retire from the race.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. Mr Erdogan said Israel's bombing campaign against Gaza is comparable to the persecution of Jewish people by the Nazis. Israel's PM said his Turkish counterpart is “the last person who can preach morality” to Israel – accusing him of committing genocide against Kurdish people in Turkey. He also accused Erdogan of holding the world record for imprisoning journalists who oppose his rule. While it supports a two-state solution to the conflict, Turkey has called for Israeli leaders to be tried in international courts.

‘LawConnect’ has just claimed the line honours victory in the Sydney to Hobart, beating defending champions ‘Andoo Comanche’ by seconds. 'LawConnect' crossed the finish line just after 8.00 am on Thursday after being neck and neck up the Derwent River with Comanche. 'Andoo Comanche’ crossed the line in second place. Wild weather has seen 11 yachts retire from the race. Experts predict the rough conditions could force the retirement of dozens of other contenders who are yet to clear the Bass Strait.

‘Andoo Comanche' and 'LawConnect' are making their final charge down the Derwent to the finish line of the Sydney Hobart race. ‘Andoo Comanche’ is leading with ‘LawConnect’ about 2 nautical miles behind. Both yachts are expected to arrive in Hobart around 8am eastern daylight time. Wild weather has seen 11 yachts retire from the race. Experts predict the rough conditions could force the retirement of dozens of other contenders who are yet to clear the Bass Strait

Two people have been killed in Ukraine after an overnight Russian drone attack, Ukrainian authorities said. The governor of the Odesa region said one was killed by debris from a falling drone, while another man died in hospital of his injuries. Ukrainian forces said 32 of 46 Iranian-built drones targeting the Kherson region were intercepted. One person was also reportedly killed by shelling in the city of Kherson on Wednesday. It comes just one day after Ukraine hit a Russian warship on a Crimean port in the Black Sea.

Paris' famous Eiffel Tower has been shut down to visitors as workers at the landmark go on strike. Industrial action began on the 100th anniversary of the death of the tower's creator Gustave Eiffel. It is unclear how long the strikes will go on. The unions claim the walkout is in honour of Gustave Eiffel's memory, ensuring maintenance and renovations are not neglected. Tourists can still access the esplanade beneath the tower.

'Andoo Comanche' and 'LawConnect' are locked in a tight battle for line honours in the 78th edition of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. The two super maxis are just over an hour away from the finish line. Both yachts are expected to arrive in Hobart around 8am eastern daylight time. Wild weather has seen 11 yachts retire from the race. Experts predict the rough conditions could force the retirement of dozens of other contenders who are yet to clear the Bass Strait.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is investigating reports that an Australian man and his wife have been killed by Israeli air strikes in the south of Lebanon. DFAT is currently seeking confirmation of these reports after a residential building was hit by a suspected Israeli air strike. There are reports the Australian's brother was also killed in the strike. Local media in Lebanon claims the missile came from an Israeli war plane, however it has yet to be verified. When asked about the attack the Israeli military said one of its jets had struck a Hezbollah military site

DFAT investigates claim of an Australian killed in Lebanon, interstate crews to assist in Queensland cleanup, two bodies found in eastern Victoria flooding, more cocaine bricks wash up along New South Wales, two people killed in Russian drone strikes, strikes shut down Eiffel tower in Paris. See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.

Former Speaker of the House Bronwyn Bishop says Hamas wants to push every Israeli out of Gaza and “wipe” out all Jewish people. “If you look at the world population now there is 16.5 million Jews in the entire world,” Ms Bishop told Sky News contributor Gary Hardgrave. “There are 2.3 billion Muslims in the world. “When they say ‘this is all we got’ and when they say ‘the river to the sea’ – they mean push the Jews out and wipe them off – they want them gone. “You can see what that statement means and you can see what they are fighting for.”

US President Joe Biden has come under fire for ordering air strikes on Iranian-aligned groups instead of focusing on the migrant crisis currently impacting his own country. “Pointing to a foreign foe is a time-tested, and trusty strategy for distracting away from poor performance domestically,” said Sky News contributor Kosha Gada. “It also reminds people of how in the wake of a week in America, Iran is stronger and is emboldened. “It also raises a bigger question many Americans are increasingly asking, which is ‘Why do we have so many bases and troops in that part of the world and elsewhere anyway’? “There is a shift in the domestic appetite back home towards non-interventionism and focusing more on the problems at home, instead of being all over the world.” Ms Gada sat with Sky News contributor Gary Hardgrave to discuss Joe Biden's decline in support, his actions overseas, and the migrant crisis plaguing his borders.

Free Speech Union of Australia’s Professor Andrew Timming says academics “have a right” to be “offensive and shocking”. Mr Timming sat with Sky News host Caroline Marcus to discuss the hate he receives when he comments on the Me Too movement and freedom of speech. “First thing I would say is that I have published and peer-reviewed journals on the Me Too movement before, so I have every right to comment publicly on this particular matter,” he said. “I understand that some individuals may have been offended by the tweet, I understand that there were a number of complaints that were made to the university. “But that’s neither here nor there.”

News Corp Columnist Louise Roberts says the situation in Far North Queensland is a “national problem”. Clean-up efforts have begun in the region after ex-Tropical Cyclone Jasper wreaked havoc in the area causing major flooding and damage. “Bruce Highway – roughly 1,600 kilometres stretching from Brisbane … up to Cairns itself,” she told Sky News contributor Gary Hardgrave. “Infrastructure Australia has identified that at least 17 parts and 17 points of this highway need urgent review and urgent work on them. “So that’s roughly every 100 kilometres, you’ve got a major issue on that highway – and people are sending goods up there not knowing if they’re actually going to reach their destination.”

Nationals Leader David Littleproud says it is “more profitable” for Australian farmers to export their products. Mr Littleproud told Sky News contributor Gary Hardgrave that Coles and Woolworths are “too difficult to deal with”. “We will be importing food, you’ll be eating second-class food coming from another country rather than our own. “Because these supermarkets are trying to drive down farmers' costs. “When the costs do come down, they’re keeping the prices up. “We just need transparency, we need fairness.”

Universities are becoming increasingly hostile to the concept of free speech, says Sky News senior reporter Caroline Marcus. Ms Marcus’s comments come after it was revealed one professor is taking Melbourne’s RMIT University to the Fair Work Commission over claims of bullying and unlawful dismissal. Professor Andrew Timming was a professor of human resource management and at one stage a deputy dean at RMIT but was fired after getting involved in an online feud on X (formerly twitter) between Andrew Tate and Greta Thunberg. “We've seen a disturbing trend in universities here and around the world where free speech is simply not appreciated,” said Ms Marcus. “You would think that universities should be grounds for free, intellectual speech, even challenging speech, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. “The irony is that some of the universities – top universities, both in the US and here in Australia - seem to only be fiercely protective of free speech when that free speech involves anti-Semitism.”

Sky News contributor Teena McQueen says it is “disgraceful” that pro-Palestinians are protesting during Christmas time. Ms McQueen told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus that people want to have a “joyous” time. “But I’m happy to say they are getting very little response. “It’s so frustrating and I’m just sick of the Palestinian flags everywhere. “It has to come to a stop.”

Dominic West who plays King Charles in the hit Netflix series ‘The Crown’ has revealed he and Prince Harry are no longer acquaintances. Reportedly, the pair are no longer friends after Mr West said during a press conference that he and Harry while “on a bender”, drank from someone’s prosthetic leg, according to The Australian’s Media Writer Sophie Elsworth. “Isn’t this ironic that the man who demands privacy doesn’t like it when people reveal things about him,” Ms Elsworth told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus. “The very thing that he has done to his own brother, his own father, his entire family – he’s trashed them in the media. “He doesn’t like it when the shoe is on the other foot … what comes around, goes around. “So little sympathy from me for him.”

Australian Retailers Association Fleur Brown says people are looking to “get a bargain” at the Boxing Day sales. Ms Brown told Sky News Senior Reporter Caroline Marcus that people are feeling “pressure” on their household budgets. “And trying to reduce the overall cost of their shopping. “Many Australians have saved up purchases for that period. “To try and get the necessary household items off their shopping list.”

IDF Reservist Nimrod Vromen says the central Gazan refugee camps are one of the “last few areas” the IDF needs to “assert control”. Mr Vromen sat with Sky News host Caroline Marcus to discuss the IDF’s approach to combat Hamas for the ongoing war in Israel. “Now the way that the IDF is doing it is sort of like an area by area approach, and therefore it always seems like it’s expanding,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the Gaza Strip is a finite piece of land and I predict that once this part of the process will be over then the next phase will begin. “Which will be a far more surgical phase and it will optically be less destructive but I do hope it will continue to be destructive for Hamas specifically.”