TRANSCRIPT
- Crew members of Virgin Australia attacked in Fiji on New Year's Day
- The FBI investigate a deadly truck ramming attack as an act of terrorism
- In cricket, Mitch Marsh dropped from the team for Australia's fifth and final Test against India
Police in Fiji have launched an investigation after three Virgin Australia staff members were allegedly assaulted and robbed outside a nightclub in Nadi.
Acting Commissioner of Police, Juki Fong Chew told the Fiji Sun newspaper, officers are looking into allegations the Australians were victims of theft and assault clubbing on New Year's Day.
A Virgin Australia spokesperson says the three crew members have been advised to stay at the hotel but have not been detained.
The airline has sent a management team to investigate and dispatched a replacement crew to fly the original plane the staff were working on - back to Australia.
Family members of the crew are also travelling to Fiji.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is aware of the case, but due to privacy obligations cannot comment further.
---
At least 15 people have died - and dozens injured - after a driver rammed a truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
The FBI says the flag of the self-proclaimed Islamic State group was found in the vehicle - and they are investigating the attack as an act of terrorism.
Two homemade bombs were found nearby - and safely disabled.
The suspect has been identified as a 42-year-old US citizen and army veteran from Texas, Shamsud-Din Jabbar.
He was shot dead by police at the scene.
FBI special agent Alethea Duncan says authorities believe the suspect did not act alone.
"The FBI, we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism. We're aggressively running down all the leads to identify the possible subject's associates. We're working to ensure that there is no further threat. We do not believe that Jabar was solely responsible. We are aggressively running down every lead, including those of his known associates."
Organisers of the Sugar Bowl sport event in New Orleans say it has been postponed for 24 hours.
The classic American college football game is played in New Orleans each New Year's Day.
---
The flight data recorder of a plane that fatally crashed in South Korea is being sent to United States for analysis.
All but two people of the 181 on board died when the Boeing plan, operated by Jeju Air, burst into flames at Muan International Airport.
Joo Jong-wan, the deputy minister for civil aviation, says investigators have extracted initial data from the plane's cockpit voice recorder and that will be converted into an audio file.
"The team has determined it was not possible to extract its contents from the damaged Flight Data Recorder in South Korea. So it has been agreed, we will send it to the United States for analysis."
Meanwhile, bereaved families have begun to prepare funerals after authorities finished formal identification the victims.
---
Australian country music singer Chad Morgan has passed away at the age of 91.
The singer had a career spanning 70 years, after he was discovered in a talent radio competition - the title of the song he entered The Sheik Of Scrubby Creek.
Of mixed European and Indigenous heritage, Morgan was born in the town of Wondai in Queensland in 1933 and worked in cutting timber and sugar before winning the talent competition.
He released his debut album in 1958, with a further 18 album releases throughout his career.
Here he is performing in one his last shows in early 2024.
(Audio from Chad Morgan's performance)
---
For the first time in nearly two years, Australian property prices have fallen.
CoreLogic recorded a monthly decline in national home values of 0.1 per cent in December.
It follows a flat result in November and a gradual slowing in the pace of growth over the course of the year.
Sydney's market was down 0.6 per cent - and Melbourne 0.7 per cent.
Perth saw the biggest property price increase in December, a 0.7 per cent gain to be a whopping 19.1 per cent higher annually, Adelaide's market rose 0.6 per cent over the month, and Brisbane 0.5 per cent.
---
In cricket, Australian captain Pat Cummins says selectors have made the call to drop Mitch Marsh in favour of Beau Webster - for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series final at the SCG.
Starc was sent for scans on his sore ribs yesterday.
Webster has averaged 57.1 in first-class cricket since March 2022, while also picking up 81 wickets at 31.7.
He is Australia's 469th men's Test player.
Australia will regain the Border-Gavaskar trophy for the first time since 2014-15, if they win or draw the New Year's Test.
