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Ukraine’s deepest strike inside Russian territory since the war began

Ukrainian drones attacked one of Russia's biggest oil refineries and a drone factory in the Russian province of Tatarstan, officials said on Tuesday, in what appeared to be Kyiv's deepest strike inside Russian territory since the war began more than two years ago.

The attack on facilities near the cities of Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, located some 1200 kilometres east of Ukraine, injured 12 people, Russian regional authorities said.

In recent months, Russian refineries and oil terminals have become priority targets of Ukrainian drone attacks, part of stepped-up assaults on Russian territory.

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A boy holds on to the barrel of a tank, part of a display of destroyed Russian military equipment, in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, March 31, 2024.

Ukrainian drone developers have been extending the weapons' range for months, as Kyiv attempts to compensate for its battlefield disadvantage in weapons and troops.

The unmanned aerial vehicles are also an affordable option while Ukraine waits for more US military aid.

Neither side currently has the capacity to make much of a dent on the around 1000-kilometre front line.

Ukrainian security and intelligence officials said they targeted a "drone-production site" in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, using Ukrainian-produced long-range drones.

Tatarstan is known for its high level of industrialisation, and a factory near Yelabuga has reportedly built Iranian-designed Shahed exploding drones.

A Ukrainian Emergency Situation sapper carries an unexploded shell after using a mine-clearing machine to clear the site of explosives after battles with Russian troops, near Balaklia, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, April 1, 2024.

The Ukrainian officials also said that intelligence services were involved in an overnight attack on the Nizhnekamsk oil refinery.

The officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly.

It was a rare claim of responsibility, as Kyiv officials normally decline comment about attacks on Russian soil, though they sometimes refer obliquely to them.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the claims.

Russia has commonly used Shahed drones for aerial attacks on Ukraine, including major barrages deploying up to 90 of them at a time in a bid to overwhelm air defenses.

Tatarstan officials said the attack didn't disrupt industrial production, while Nizhnekamsk's mayor said the attempt to strike the refinery was thwarted by air defences.

A woman enjoys a warm afternoon on the bank of the Dniepr River in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said Kyiv was trying to divert attention from its military setbacks by attempting to strike the Russian territory "to persuade its Western sponsors that it remains capable to confront the Russian military."

Speaking during a meeting with the top military brass, Shoigu claimed Russian troops have gained more than 400 square kilometres since the start of the year.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian military was taking steps to strengthen defenses against such attacks.

"The military is working to minimize this threat and eventually remove it altogether," he said in a conference call with reporters.

Ukraine previously has launched drone attacks in and around St. Petersburg, which lies about 1,000 kilometres north of the border. But the facilities in Tatarstan, a province on the Volga River, appears to be the most distant target Ukraine has tried to hit.

People cross a bridge on a warm afternoon on the bank of the Dniepr River in Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said last year his country had developed a weapon that hit a target 700 kilometres away, in an apparent reference to a drone attack on Russian soil.

Late last year, Ukraine's minister for digital transformation, Mykhailo Fedorov, said the government was bent on building a state-of-the-art " army of drones " and that its value to the war effort will be evident by the end of this year. Ukraine trained more than 10,000 new drone pilots last year, he said.

Ukraine has also developed deadly sea drones that have struck Russian navy ships in the Black Sea.

Those successful strikes have embarrassed the Kremlin, and on Tuesday Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree to appoint Adm. Alexander Moiseyev as the new navy chief, the Russian Defence Ministry said.

Putin also named Vice Adm. Sergei Pinchuk as the new commander of the navy's Black Sea Fleet after the dismissal of his predecessor, Adm. Viktor Sokolov.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force said on Tuesday it intercepted nine out of 10 Shahed drones launched overnight by Russia in the latest attack on the country's power grid.

Such attacks also claim civilian lives. Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Tuesday that the war has killed more than 10,500 Ukrainian civilians and injured more than 20,000.

"The conflict increasingly is becoming entrenched and protracted, punctuated by recurring waves of attacks, as seen across the country last week," he said in a speech.

Netanyahu says ‘unintentional’ Israeli strike in Gaza killed ‘innocent people’

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed the country's forces carried out an "unintentional strike" that killed seven aid workers, including one Australian, working for a charity in central Gaza.

"Unfortunately, in the last 24 hours there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip," Netanyahu said, according to the BBC, in a message delivered in Hebrew.

"It happens in war, we check it to the end, we are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again."

READ MORE: 'Selfless, outstanding' Australian aid worker killed in Gaza airstrike

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

As a result of the deaths, which also included three British nationals, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian, the charity World Central Kitchen suspended delivery on Tuesday of vital food aid to Gaza, where Israel's offensive has pushed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to the brink of starvation.

The Israeli military earlier expressed "sincere sorrow" over the deaths while stopping short of accepting responsibility.

Footage showed the bodies, several wearing protective gear with the charity's logo, at a hospital in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah.

The charity, founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, was key to a recently opened sea route for delivering desperately needed aid to northern Gaza — where the UN says much of the population is on the brink of starvation, largely cut off from the rest of the territory by Israeli forces.

Andrés — whose charity operates in several countries wracked by wars or natural disasters, including Israel after the October 7 attack that triggered the current conflict — said he was "heartbroken" by the deaths of his colleagues.

"The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The charity said the team was traveling in a three-car convoy that included two armored vehicles, and its movements had been coordinated with the Israeli army.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the top military spokesman, said officials have been "reviewing the incident at the highest levels." He says an independent investigation will be launched that "will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again".

A man displays blood-stained British, Polish, and Australian passports after an Israeli airstrike, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Monday, April 1, 2024.

Erin Gore, the CEO of the charity, said "this is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organisations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war. This is unforgivable."

UNRWA, the main UN agency in Gaza, said in its latest report that 173 of its workers have been killed in the territory since the war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1200 people and abducting around 250 hostages.

Israel responded with one of the deadliest and most destructive offensives in recent history.

In the face of a growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza's north, several countries worked to open a sea route, hoping it would allow more aid to enter the territory, where supplies have only trickled in through the land routes controlled by Israel.

The United States and other countries have also airdropped aid, but humanitarian workers say such efforts are far from sufficient to meet mounting needs.

Palestinians carry the body of a World Central Kitchen worker at Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Israel has barred UNRWA from making deliveries to the north, and other aid groups say sending truck convoys north has been too dangerous because of the military's failure to ensure safe passage.

Three aid ships from the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus arrived earlier Monday carrying some 400 tons of food and supplies organised by World Central Kitchen and the United Arab Emirates following a pilot was run last month.

The United States, which has provided key military and diplomatic support for Israel's offensive, has touted the sea route and plans to build its own floating dock, with construction expected to take several weeks.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said the US was "heartbroken and deeply troubled" by the strike.

"We urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened," she posted on X.

Nael Eliyan, a displaced Palestinian, was in his tent about 100 metres away when he heard the explosion late Monday and raced to the scene.

"Their injuries were serious, and they died quickly," he said, describing them as "heroes, martyrs, brave people."

The bodies of the aid workers were taken to a hospital in the southern city of Rafah on the Egyptian border, according to an Associated Press reporter at the hospital.

People inspect the site where World Central Kitchen workers were killed in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 2, 2024.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that Zomi Frankcom, 44, of Melbourne, was among those killed and said his government has requested an explanation from Israel.

"This is someone who was volunteering overseas to provide aid through this charity for people who are suffering tremendous deprivation in Gaza. And this is just completely unacceptable," Albanese told reporters.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said his country was working to verify reports of the deaths of UK nationals in the strike, which he said was "deeply distressing."

"It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work," he wrote on X, also calling for an investigation.

Poland's Foreign Ministry posted "sincerest words of sympathy" to the family of a volunteer who had offered assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, without saying how he was killed. The Foreign Ministry said it is requesting an explanation from Israel.

The mayor of Przemysl, Wojciech Bakun, named the victim on Facebook as Damian Soból and said he was from the city in southeastern Poland.

At least 32,916 Palestinians have been killed in the war, around two-thirds of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count.

Israel blames the civilian toll on Palestinian militants because they fight in dense residential areas but the army rarely comments on individual strikes.

Two other apparent Israeli strikes late Monday killed at least 12 Palestinians, including five children, in Rafah, where Israel has vowed to expand its ground operation despite the presence of some 1.4 million Palestinians, most of whom have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.

One of the strikes hit a family home, and a father and his three children, ages 7, 13 and 19, were among those killed, according to hospital records. Another hit a gathering near a mosque, killing at least six people, including three children.

Aid groups have repeatedly called for a humanitarian cease-fire, saying it's the only way to reach people in need. The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent months trying to broker such a pause and a hostage release but the indirect talks between Israel and Hamas remain bogged down.

Hamas is believed to be holding some 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others after freeing most of the rest during a cease-fire in November in exchange for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

Albanese seeks meeting with Netanyahu over aid worker deaths in Gaza

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he is yet to speak with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the air strike that killed seven aid workers, including one Australian.

Melbourne-born Lalzawmi "Zomi" Frankcom was among the seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in an airstrike on central Gaza yesterday.

Albanese said on Tuesday night that the Australian government had "spoken with the Israeli government" but he was still waiting to speak directly with Netanyahu as he pushed for an explanation "for this tragedy".

READ MORE: 'Selfless, outstanding' Australian aid worker killed in Gaza airstrike

Anthony Albanese on ABC's 730

"To have aid workers, not just from Australia but other nations as well, going about the business of assisting, in the most humanitarian way, their fellow global citizens – in this case the people of Gaza, who are suffering from incredible deprivation – to have them killed in this way is completely unacceptable," Albanese said on the ABC's 7.30 tonight.

"The targeting of these people is just a tragedy."

Netanyahu acknowledged late tonight that Israel's forces had carried out the "unintended strike" on "innocent people in the Gaza Strip".

He said officials were looking into the strike and would "do everything for this not to happen again".

As well as Frankcom, those killed include three British nationals, a Polish national, an American-Canadian dual citizen and a Palestinian.

Albanese said the strike was "completely unacceptable".

"We await the details and we await a full explanation. But we want, as the Australian government, accountability for what has occurred to this Australian citizen."

Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong issued a strongly-worded statement condemning the strike.

A man displays blood-stained British, Polish, and Australian passports after an Israeli airstrike, in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Monday, April 1, 2024.

"The government has made representations to the Netanyahu government and seeks a thorough and expeditious review," she said.

"We expect full accountability for these deaths.

"We repeat our demands for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire leading to a sustainable ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and that international humanitarian law be upheld."

Wong paid tribute to Frankcom for "a life dedicated to the service of others, including her fellow Australians during natural disasters" and expressed her "deepest sympathies" to her family.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

"Her tireless work to improve the lives of others should never have cost Ms Frankcom her own," Wong said.

Albanese said he had spoken to Frankcom's brother.

"They are, of course, devastated by this news," he told 7.30.

"This is just an extraordinary tragedy, it's one that they certainly weren't expecting.

"Zomi knew the risks, but when you're there providing aid and support and doing such extraordinarily good work, you don't expect that to happen."

The prime minister repeated the government's calls for "a humanitarian ceasefire and a sustainable ceasefire" in the region.

"We have called for ceasefires," Albanese said.

"We've voted that way in the United Nations and we've put out statements calling for that way. But it must be sustainable. You don't want a ceasefire and then it to recommence in just a short period of time.

"The hostages have to be released as well. And we need a path to a sustainable peace in the region."

Father dies after fire tears through his home, north of Perth

A father has died after a fire tore through a home in Alkimos, north of Perth.

The blaze broke out just before 10.30pm on Monday. Neighbours heard a bang and called triple zero.

They armed themselves with hoses and tried to fight the flames but the man could not be saved.

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A father has died after a fire tore through a home in Alkimos, north of Perth.

"When we got out the house has just erupted, the roof has gone up and we just saw a massive orange fireball and smoke blowing over that way," one neighbour, Matthew, said. 

"Then I saw the flames out the back and then the popping just got bigger and bigger and then flames," another neighbour, Kerry, said.

"We started hosing our fencing and tried to do a little bit of our house and some of theirs but it was so intense the flames." 

READ MORE: 'Selfless, outstanding' Aussie aid worker killed in airstrike in central Gaza

The fire completely gutted the property north of Perth.

Firefighters cut their way through the garage door to get water on the blaze.

Inside at the back of the house crews found the man dead.

It's understood the couple who own the property recently moved interstate.

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The man's wife and young daughter were not home at the time.

Neighbours said earlier in the night they heard a man yelling and the sound of glass breaking.

"Police don't believe there's any third person involved in lighting the fire," Detective Sergeant Chris De Bruin said. 

Murder charge after woman found dead inside a unit in Brisbane

A woman has been found dead in an apartment building in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley, while a man related to her has been charged with murder.

Emergency services were called to perform a welfare check about 1.30pm and found the woman's body with stab wounds inside one of the units.

"As a result of that welfare check, police made forcible entry into a unit and found a deceased female," Inspector Karl Hahne said this afternoon.

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A woman's body was found inside a unit in an apartment block in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

It's understood the call for a welfare check came from the woman's husband, who is currently in Western Australia.

Ambulance officers were first on the scene, and police arrived a short time later.

A man in his 40s, believed to be the woman's son, was arrested at the scene.

READ MORE: 'Selfless, outstanding' Aussie aid worker killed in airstrike in central Gaza

Queensland Police were seen removing evidence, and a crime scene has been established.

"At this stage it's an ongoing crime scene and investigations will continue through the night," Hahne said.

This evening a 42-year-old man was charged with one count of murder (DV offence) and will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court tomorrow.

The deceased is a 66-year-old Western Australian woman who is related to the man, police said.

Olympians and Paralympians plead with premier to reconsider Brisbane 2032 plan

A group of Queensland Olympians and Paralympians has penned an open letter to Premier Steven Miles urging him to reconsider the venues for Brisbane 2032.

Swimming champion Grant Hackett is among 14 high-profile names imploring Miles to revisit his decision to host events at the Queensland Sport and Athletic Centre in Nathan.

"While we understand that you want to get the best value for taxpayers out of the Games, we do not believe that the QSAC site represents that," an excerpt from the letter reads.

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"And frankly, a main stadium with a capacity of only 40,000 would be an embarrassment."

Paralympic swimmer Karni Liddell said the government had lost sight of the Games' legacy and claimed Paralympians had been left out of the conversation completely.

"When it comes to QSAC, Suncorp Stadium or Woolloongabba, whatever stadium it is, I think we should be talking about those places, as places we can all access for events for other sport," she said.

Steven Miles Queensland youth crime February 7, 2024.

But the premier has knocked back the plea and maintained his decision was firm.

"I can't justify spending billions more on stadiums, no matter how many swimmers ask me to," he told reporters at a press conference.

He instead called on the athletes to look at what the current plan will deliver.

"For the first time in a long time it delivers an athletics legacy to a host city," he said.

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