TRANSCRIPT
- Australians rally against the violent deaths of more than 100 women.
- Donald Trump hails "productive talks" with Russia about peace in Ukraine.
- And in sport, former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom handed a two-year prison sentence.
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Protestors have gathered around Australia with a simple yet powerful message: stop killing women.
Organisers say 117 women have been killed by violence since January 2024, with 14 of those deaths occuring since the start of this year.
The rallies were held in 14 cities to memorialise the women who have lost their lives.
Organiser Sherele Moody spoke to SBS News.
"We're also rallying today to let people know, mainly men, that violence against women is not acceptable - never was, never will be - that it needs to end, and that the responsibility of violence against women sits with men. Gendered violence is a man's problem. It's not a woman's problem to solve."
Ms Moody says Australian governments need to increase funding and services "because too many women are falling through the cracks"
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United States President Donald Trump says he's getting "some pretty good vibes" from Russia about the prospect of a peace deal to end the war in Ukraine.
The comments come after discussions between US Envoy Steve Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin over the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.
The plan has been endorsed by Ukraine, and Russia says it supports the proposal in principle, but has not yet agreed.
Instead, the Kremlin is intensifying efforts to expel the Ukrainian forces occupying its Kursk region.
Mr Trump has called on President Putin to avoid a "horrible massacre...not seen since World War Two".
"I'm very concerned about the field. In the field, there's a very vulnerable group of Ukrainian soldiers right now that are actually surrounded, and that's not good, because we don't want them to die. Enough people have died. So we'll see what happens with regard to all of it."
These comments prompted Mr Putin to say Russia would spare the Ukrainians soldiers if they surrender.
Ukraine says reports their troops have been encircled are "false and fabricated by the Russians for political manipulation".
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Two astronauts stuck in space for nine months are set to come back down to Earth after the launch of a spacecraft crewed by four people who are set to replace them.
Butch Wilmmore and Suni Williams were originally supposed to return in a matter of days after they arrived in June of 2024, but the Boeing Starliner they were testing suffered propulsion issues, trapping the pair in space.
On Friday, a Space X Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida bound for the orbital outpost where the US astronauts have been holed up.
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Cuba's national energy grid has collapsed, leading to widespread blackouts in the capital Havana, as well as other regions across the country.
It's the latest in a string of nationwide blackouts in recent months as the network comes under pressure from fuel shortages, natural disasters and economic crises.
Speaking on a dark street in Havana, resident Leonardo Castro says the blackouts take a big toll.
"There was once a blackout that lasted three days, it was long, very long, three days, it was very complicated, food spoils and there's many things, also the connection, communication is terrible."
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Victoria Police are investigating the death of a male following a serious assault in the Melbourne suburb of Lyndhurst on Friday.
Emergency services responded to reports of a group of men fighting in the vicinity of Society Avenue about 8.30 pm.
They say they arrived to find a male with serious injuries consistent with stabbing.
All other parties fled the scene, and the injured male who later died in hospital is yet to be identified.
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Former Wallabies captain Rocky Elsom has been handed a two-year prison sentence by a French court after being found guilty of misusing corporate funds.
The 42-year-old was also hit with large fines and ordered to pay compensation to the liquidator of the Narbonne rugby club where he was president between 2015 and 2016.
Mr Elsom was convicted in his absence and is now the subject of an international arrest warrant.
