TRANSCRIPT
- The United Nations says it is preparing to deliver large amounts of vital aid in Gaza
- An investigation underway after a deadly plane crash in New South Wales
- Two cousins, Arthur Rinderknech and Valentin Vacherot, to play against each other in the finals of the Shanghai Masters
The UN Children agency says hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who returned home in north Gaza are grappling with tremendous damage to their areas and are in critical need of a scaled up humanitarian response.
As the ceasefire appears to hold, the organisation and its partners are urging Israel to reopen more crossings and allow aid to flow into Gaza more freely.
Israel has approved expanded aid deliveries starting on Sunday local time, after the first phase of the Gaza peace plan was approved by Israel's cabinet.
UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram says a ceasefire alone is not enough - and it is crucial aid delivery is scaled up.
"UNICEF has 1,300 trucks positioned outside of the Gaza Strip with more on the way and that's the beginning of being able to respond to the needs of children. But in order to get that aid in, to see that scale-up that's so desperately needed, we need all available crossings into the Gaza Strip to open. And then on the ground we need the necessary operating conditions to reach families wherever they are. We must have access to children and their families, in their places of refuge."
A ceasefire took effect on Friday and the exchange of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners is expected to take place on Monday local time.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has scheduled a week off ahead of his departure for Washington next week, where it's expected he and US President Donald Trump will hold crucial trade talks.
Mr Albanese will be meeting the US leader with hopes of negotiating an exemption for Australia from his controversial tariff policy.
Australia and New Zealand have both been working to leverage critical mineral reserves against the US, with the goal of reaching a more favourable trade deal.
After a series of delays to their meeting, the Prime Minister insists the U-S President is now ready for talks in the wake of the Gaza ceasefire.
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Investigations are underway after a light plane crashed and caught fire south of Wollongong, killing three people.
The incident occurred at Shellharbour airport in New South Wales' Illawarra region, with a plane headed for the Western New South Wales town of Bathurst crashing soon after take-off.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau will carry out an investigation.
The chief inspector of Lake Illawarra Police District, Aaron Wunderlich, says the plane was privately owned and only made it about 30 metres into the air.
"At that point witnesses have described the aircraft has then dipped with its left wing coming down and contacting the tarmac. Unfortunately the plane was then engulfed and the three people onboard have all been confirmed deceased. I'd like to thank first responders that attended the scene - RFS, ambulance, police, fire and rescue. They did a fantastic job with what was really a horrific scene."
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The decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been welcomed by Venezuelans in the United States.
Ms Machado was been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work toward a fair and peaceful transition of power in Venezuela.
She has not been seen in public since January, after she took shelter in an undisclosed location in Venezuela to avoid arrest.
Economic and political instability over the last decade in Venezuela has seen millions of Venezuelans leave, including many who went to the United States.
In what's known as Florida's Little Venezuela, Leonardo Wilthew says he is proud Maria Corina Machado has been recognised.
"This what has happened is absolutely something that was completely out of anybody's thinking. And I'm so glad, not only for her, but also for my country. She is an extraordinary woman."
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In Tennis, cousins Valentin Vacherot and Arthur Rinderknech will meet in the Shanghai Masters final later today.
It comes after the pair after pulling off stunning upsets of former champions Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev in the semi-finals.
It is the first ATP Masters 1000 final for both men and Vacherot, at No 204, is the lowest-ranked finalist in Masters 1000 history.
Rinderknech says it is an extraordinary moment.
"I don't think even one person in our family dreamt about it. So it wasn't a dream. It's just a dream that came out of nowhere and you know, we started believing it. I'll say in the quarters maybe I was like, 'who knows?' You know, it's really hard. Maybe one guy or two can pull out or whatever can happen. And you know, now we are here and we fought through so many matches and somehow we are the both guys standing at the end, so just incredible."
