Australia’s foreign affairs department seeking to verify reported death of Russell Allan Wilson on 12 December

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The department of foreign affairs is trying to confirm the death of an Australian man who was reportedly killed while fighting with Ukrainian forces against Russia last month.

According to multiple posts on social media, Russell Allan Wilson was killed on 12 December in the Donetsk region. The ABC reported that a friend of Wilson said he was killed during his final mission, and had been due to be married the week after his death.

A woman has also died after being swept into the ocean in Sydney on New Year’s Day, while the body of a man was found near Palm beach

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An Irish man has died at Whitehaven beach near the Great Barrier Reef, with three other people found dead and grave fears for two more after separate incidents in waters off Sydney during a horror New Year period.

Queensland police said that emergency services received reports that a 35-year-old Irish man had been found dead in the water at the popular beach in the state’s north at about 11am on Wednesday.

Foreign affairs department statement says Australia opposes any actions that ‘increase the risk of accident, miscalculation or escalation’

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Australia says it is deeply concerned about Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, and has raised the issue with Chinese officials.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) said the large-scale simulations risked destabilising the region and could result in an accident or escalation.