Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend their truce by another day, the announcement coming only a few minutes before the end of the current agreement.
Israel has reportedly called off plans to resume fighting at dawn in exchange for a list of the hostages Hamas plans to release each day.
The truce has also allowed some humanitarian aid into Gaza after much of the coastal territory of 2.3 million people was reduced to wasteland in an Israeli campaign in retaliation for the deadly rampage by Hamas militants.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres says more needs to be done to save the people of Gaza from a "humanitarian catastrophe".
"We know that the measure of success will not be the number of trucks dispatched or the tons of supplies delivered, as important as these are. Success will be measured in lives that are saved, suffering that is ended, and hope and dignity that is restored. The people of Gaza are in the midst of an epic humanitarian catastrophe before the eyes of the world. We must not look away."
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Teams have begun visiting homes on the New South Wales south coast to assess the damage from wild weather, ahead of more rain expected to hit the region this weekend.
The State Emergency Service says it estimates at least 40 homes around Lake Conjola have been impacted by floodwaters.
But the SES says the impact of the heavy rain is being felt across the region, with more than 1,300 calls for help since the start of the storms on Thursday afternoon.
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China says it has begun reviewing its tariffs on Australian wine, another sign of improvement in the bilateral relations after four years of deterioration.
China imposed tariffs on Australian wine in 2021 after the decline in diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Shu Jueting, from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, says they are re-examining the tariffs on Australian wine imports based on the application from the Australian Grape and Wine Association.
"The Ministry of Commerce has reviewed the applicant's claims and the accompanying evidence, and believes that the application meets the filing conditions and evidence requirements. It has decided to accept the application and initiate a re-examination. Subsequently, the Ministry of Commerce will conduct a review and investigation in accordance with the law, fully safeguarding the rights of all stakeholders."
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Real estate experts say the housing market downturn of last year has reversed - but the pace of growth is now slowing.
Data from CoreLogic shows the national median home value is now $753,654, with growth of seven per cent recorded on an annual basis.
CoreLogic says the increase in its index is the smallest monthly gain in the latest streak of growth that began in February.
Research director Tim Lawless says an ongoing imbalance between supply and demand is still keeping "upwards pressure" on prices in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
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Global leaders have paid tribute to Henry Kissinger, Richard Nixon's Secretary of State, who has died at the age of 100.
Among them has been China, with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Wang Wenbin calling Kissinger “an old friend".
"Dr. Kissinger is an old friend and good friend of the Chinese people, and a pioneer and builder of China-US relations. He has long cared for and supported the development of China-US relations, visiting China more than a hundred times and making historic contributions to promoting the normalisation of China-US relations. The Chinese people will remember Dr. Kissinger's sincere emotions and important contributions to China-US relations."
But there has also been sharp criticism of the man who remained an influential figure decades after his official service as one of the most powerful diplomats in US history.
On social media, he has been widely called a "war criminal" who left lasting damage throughout the world.
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New figures show telecommunication companies have blocked millions of scam texts over the past year or so - but many are still getting through.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority says roughly 16 scam text messages were blocked by phone companies for every single adult in Australia over the past year and a half.
ACMA rules require telcos to identify, trace and block scam texts.
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To sport,
Australia's swim team has been essentially halved for the next world titles.
Swimming Australia's head coach Rohan Taylor expects a Dolphins team of fewer than 20 at the world titles in Doha next February.
Australia sent 38 swimmers to this year's worlds in Fukuoka, Japan, where the team collected 25 medals - a record for the nation at any world championships.
But with Australia's women's world 400 metres freestyle champ Ariarne Titmus to skip the Doha edition to focus on the Paris Olympics starting in late July, Taylor expects others to follow suit ahead of team selection in mid-December.
