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Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine, marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet Union and its allies in World War Two.
The Kremlin says the 72-hour ceasefire is set to run on May 8, 9 and 10.
On the 9th of May Mr Putin will be hosting international leaders to commemorate victory over Nazi Germany - including Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Residents in Ukrainian capital Kyiv are sceptical over Mr Putin's announcement.
"If Russia truly wants peace it must cease fire immediately. Why wait until May 8th?"
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Labor has announced it will fund some of its election promises by raising visa fees for international students.
In a bid to pressure the Coalition to release its costings, Labor unveiled the cost of commitments made since March's budget on Monday.
The move will mean the fee will rise from $1,600 to $2,000, if Labor is re-elected.
Finance Minister Katy Gallagher says the fee hike only amounts to a small rise.
"We think that's a sensible measure that really prices I think the value of coming here and studying in Australia, so that will also be used."
The Coalition also says it will raise the student visa application charge to $5,000 for Group of Eight universities and $2,500 for all other international students.
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A prominent Indigenous leader says politicians are using Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as a "political football", after two opposition leaders criticised Welcome to Country ceremonies.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has described Welcome to Country ceremonies as 'overused' and says if elected, he will not stand in front of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
His comments come just days after a small group of hecklers, including a self-described neo-Nazi, disrupted a Welcome to Country during the Anzac Day dawn service in Melbourne.
Alyawarre woman and co-chair of the Uluru Dialogue Pat Anderson A-O says it is not up to politicians to decide when Welcome to Country is appropriate.
Speaking to N-I-T-V, Bundjalung Lawyer & advocate Vanessa Turnbull-Roberts echoed those sentiments.
"He is not the person to be having that discussion, nor is he the person to be talking about whether it takes place or not. He is a non Indigenous man and it is up to the traditional owner of that land to determine whether they happen or not. When it comes to the rhetoric we've seen from the Liberal party and the conversation around what could potentially be our national leader here in this country it is quite concerning."
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United Nations' highest court has began holding hearings into Israel's obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid to the territories it occupies.
Last year the U-N General Assembly asked the International Court of Justice to weigh in on Israel’s legal responsibilities after the country blocked the U-N agency for Palestinian refugees from operating on its territory.
Israel denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff as part of its war with Hamas and did not attend the hearing.
Israel has blocked the entry of food, fuel, medicine and other humanitarian supplies since March 2.
The World Food Program said last week its food stocks in the Gaza Strip have run out, ending a main source of sustenance for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
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More than 20 per cent of Spain's power capacity has been restored, after power went out across Spain and Portugal - cutting train, cell phone and internet networks.
Spain had earlier declared a state of emergency in the the country.
Portugal's airport operator A-N-A says it is not expecting flights to take off from Lisbon until 10 pm local time (0700 AEST).
In Spain's city of Madrid, streets were filled with crowds rushing to withdraw cash from banks, and people were desperately trying to get signal on their mobile devices.
Some people were trapped in elevators or inside garages, with long delays for public transportation services.
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To sport now...
Australia's dragon boat racing team will, for the first time, have a para-athlete squad competing at the World Championships in Germany.
25 athletes with disability have been selected to form the Paradragon Auroras - using the Australian Championships in Sydney as a springboard ahead of their international debut.
This championship event marks the first time the Paradragons have raced on a competitive scale - and gives them the practice they need before heading to Germany in July.
Coach Lindy Chester says she's excited for the opportunity.
"I think other countries have been going for maybe three years. But this time they decided they would put that forward. And I was lucky enough to be offered the position as coach. So yeah, pretty awesome. Pretty excited."
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