OCEANIA

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Ahmed al Ahmed, who was hailed as a hero for disarming one of the alleged perpetrators of the deadly Bondi Beach shooting, has been charged with assault. Australian media reported that the 44-year-old is accused of assaulting his father in March. The charges against him include domestic violence, common assault, stalking, and intimidation. The Bondi Beach attack in December resulted in 15 deaths and dozens of injuries.

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A mass stranding at New Zealand’s Farewell Spit has left six pilot whales dead and 15 others fighting for survival. Part of an original group of 55 that washed ashore on Thursday, the remaining 15 whales re-stranded after an initial attempt to return to sea. Volunteers are now working along a 1km stretch of beach to prevent further loss of life.

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The brother of an Australian soccer star has been found dead after a 24-hour search.

Jaryd Dawson, 35, who is the brother of Jordan Dawson, was last seen on the afternoon of April 14, according to local reports. Concern grew after he was reported missing, prompting a search effort in South Australia.

His wife, Jessica Dawson, shared a message on social media the following day, stating that he had been missing since around 2:30 p.m. the previous afternoon. Authorities and search teams then began efforts to locate him.

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As Sydney celebrates the New Year, thousands of heavily armed police officers have been deployed to patrol the streets—an unusual sight for Australia following the tragic Bondi Beach mass shooting. These heightened security measures include the rare authorization for some officers to carry high-grade weapons. The surge in security comes in direct response to the December 14 attack, which targeted a Hanukkah festival and resulted in the deaths of 15 members of the Jewish community.

Official New Year's Eve parties were paused at 23:00 local time (12:00 GMT) for a minute's silence to commemorate the victims of the attack, while the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up by a white light to symbolise peace.

Pictures from Sydney Harbour - where huge crowds gather every year to watch the city's famous fireworks display - show officers patrolling the crowds with longarm weapons.

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Five members of the Iranian women's football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup. 

It comes after the United States President Donald Trump urged the Australian government to grant asylum to the Iranian women's team. 

There have been fears that the team could face persecution if they returned to Iran after they were eliminated on Sunday, losing 2-0 to the Philippines. They were branded 'traitors' by Iranian media after they failed to sing the national anthem before their first match at the Asian Cup in Gold Coast amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

In a statement, Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the women "were moved to a safe location" by Australian police. He said other squad members had been told they are welcome to stay in the country.

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A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney’s Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, according to Australian police documents released on Monday.

The documents, made public following Naveed Akram’s video court appearance from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury, said the two men recorded footage justifying the meticulously planned attack.

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Two months after the Bondi Beach attack, Naveed Akram made a brief 5 minute first court appearance on Monday via video from prison. The 24-year-old faces a sweeping 59-count indictment — among them 15 murder charges and an allegation of committing a terrorist act — as authorities continue their prosecution in one of Australia’s most serious recent mass-shooting cases.

Naveed and his father, Sajid, allegedly attacked a Hanukkah event at the famous beach on 14 December, killing 15 people and injuring more than 40.

Sajid, 50, was shot dead by police at the scene, while Naveed was critically injured and later transferred from hospital to prison.

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Two alleged gunmen who attacked a Hanukkah event at Sydney's Bondi Beach had travelled to the Philippines before the assault, which killed 15 people, and appeared to be inspired by Islamic State, police said on Tuesday.

The attack on Sunday was Australia's worst mass shooting in nearly 30 years, and is being investigated as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community.