Turnbull visits troops in Iraq, Afghanistan Anzac service on Sydney Harbour Bridge raises money for veterans 25/4/2017 (Translation of this article appears in Arabic section) An Anzac Day dawn service with a difference was held – on top of Sydney Harbour Bridge with 100 people climbing 1300 steps to the summit before dawn for a ceremony in front of a spectacular sunrise. "There's something about the magic of Sydney and the sunrise and the harbour that really makes it more of an emotional experience," former naval officer and Mates4Mates spokesperson Nathan Jacobsen said. All ticket sales from the climb were donated to the Mates4Mates charity, which supports current and former service men and women wounded, injured or fell ill as a result of their service, as well as their families. Bridge Climb staff also donated their time. "It's been a great opportunity to pause and reflect and think about the sacrifice of others," Mr Jacobsen said. "Today was particularly special because we were actually raising money for a charity that's making a difference in the lives of veterans." The service included readings, prayers, The Ode, the national anthem, bagpipes and The Last Post, which was sounded by Bugler Lance Corporal David Wood from the Australian Army Band. Bridge Climb expects its ticket sales and donations to raise between $8000 and $10,000 for Mates4Mates. Day marked in Gallipoli, Villers-Bretonneux Against a cold, dark sky, thousands of Australians and New Zealanders gathered for Anzac Day dawn services in Gallipoli, Turkey, and Villers-Bretonneux, France. In Gallipoli, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop led tributes to the soldiers. "April 25 is etched into our calendar as a most sacred national day, not by a government edict or decree, but through the deep understanding of generations of Australians that this horrendous sacrifice was made in our name and for our nation, our freedoms, our democratic values and our way of life," she said. Ms Bishop also thanked the people of Turkey for allowing Australians to commemorate the 11,400 Anzacs who died and 24,100 who were wounded during the eight-month Gallipoli campaign. Meanwhile, in Villers-Bretonneux, about 2130 people attended the dawn service, well down on the 3400 who attended last year. Australia suffered nearly 77,000 casualties on the Western Front in 1917. Turnbull visits troops in Iraq, Afghanistan Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull travelled to Iraq and Afghanistan to meet Australian troops ahead of Anzac Day and to assess Australia's contribution to the wars in both countries. Mr Turnbull met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in Baghdad, as well as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and the United States Secretary of Defence, James Mattis, in Kabul. The Australian Prime Minister also met Australian special forces in Baghdad and committed another $110 million in humanitarian aid for the war-torn nation. He also travelled to Taji to meet Australian troops who are training the Iraqi army and police. In Afghanistan, Mr Turnbull met with Mr Mattis who is visiting that country to reassess US strategy. The Prime Minister reiterated the Federal Government's commitment to the war effort against the Taliban in Afghanistan and said Australia would continue to work with other countries to build up the country's security institutions. |