The Unreil Collection will go under the hammer via a live auction event in Sydney on Sunday January 29, from 12pm, as part of an Australia Day Classic Car weekend at Lloyds Auctions.

Gold Coast theme park Dreamworld has to pay $2.15 million to the husband and two children of a woman who died when a ride malfunctioned in 2016.

Sydney woman Cindy Low, 42, died on the Thunder River Rapids ride along with Kate Goodchild, Luke Dorsett and Roozi Araghi when a water pump failed and caused the raft they were in to overturn.

Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Susan Brown last week approved a settlement agreement between Dreamworld parent company Ardent Leisure Limited and Cindy's husband, Matthew Low.

READ MORE: Dad and daughter perish in horror Queensland shed fire

Mr Low sued Ardent and filed a claim for dependency costs and economic loss in June 2019 on behalf of the couple's two children, Kieran and Isla, aged 10 and six respectively at the time of Cindy's death.

Kieran was on the ride when his mother was killed but suffered only minor injuries.

The terms of the settlement were not revealed in court but public documents now show that Ardent Leisure agreed in September to pay $2.15 million plus $280,000 in costs and outlays to the Low family.

The two children's share of the settlement will be managed by a discretionary trust until they turn 18.

Mr Low's legal representatives, the Clayton Utz firm, had originally filed a claim for more than $2.46 million.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy arrives in US to meet Biden amid Kremlin warning

Some of the settlement costs were based on Ms Low's plan to start a full-time role in administration at a large commercial and real estate firm with an above-average salary plus bonuses.

Mr Low, 47, stated in an affidavit for the lawsuit that his wife was the primary carer of children and they both planned to keep working until at least age 67.

He said he and Cindy, whom he met in New Zealand in 1997 and married in Fiji in 2004, enjoyed experiencing life in other countries and expected to travel more once their children became older and more independent.

The Low family decided to split up during their visit to Dreamworld on October 25, 2016, because Kieran wanted to ride the Thunder River Rapids for a second time.

After waiting at a coffee shop, Mr Low and Isla were tracked down by a Dreamworld staff member.

READ MORE: When double demerits are in force in each state

"I saw Kieran sitting outside the ride's entrance with staff looking very distressed. I was told 'the paramedics are with Cindy'," Mr Low said in his affidavit.

"Kieran said to me words to the effect that another empty boat on the ride hit them a few times and the boat that he and Cindy were on flipped over. He was very sure Cindy was badly hurt and he was upset he could not save her."

Mr Low had to rush to tell their families about his wife's death due to the national publicity around the tragedy.

"It was one of the most difficult tasks I have ever had to do, and I lost count of the calls I made," he said.

Mr Low, his family members and representatives have been banned from making comments on the settlement under the agreement with Ardent Leisure.

Ardent Leisure was fined $3.6 million in 2020 after pleading guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to breaching the Work Health and Safety Act.

The company has reportedly paid a total of more than $5 million in compensation claims as of 2020 to other family members of the victims as well as emergency responders and witnesses.

Hundreds of international tourists – including Australians – stranded in the ancient city of Machu Picchu are being evacuated after Peru was plunged into a state of emergency.

Following interruptions and closures last week, train services and airports are now reopening.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) says as of Wednesday, December 20, the majority of affected Australian travellers who contacted diplomats for help have been able to leave the area.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy arrives in US to meet Biden

"The majority of the 171 Australians who have contacted the embassy for assistance have been able to access onward transportation options following evacuations by train from Machu Picchu and the reopening of Cusco airport," a DFAT spokersperson told 9News.com.au.

"We continue to provide assistance to a small number of Australians in locations that still do not have transport options."

DFAT is not aware of any Australians detained or injured.

Cusco and Arequipa airports have reopened, but commercial flight operations across the country continue to be disrupted.

READ MORE: When double demerits are in force in each state

DFAT warns other airports, including in Puno, may still be closed and roadblocks are widespread, limiting transport options.

Civil unrest swept Peru earlier this month when former president Pedro Castillo was impeached and arrested, and his removal from power accelerated long-simmering political tensions in the country.

Rail and air travel services were disrupted as protesters stormed airports.

– Reported with CNN

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a defiant wartime visit to Washington on Wednesday to thank U.S. leaders and "ordinary Americans" for their support in fighting off Russia's invasion and pledged there would be "no compromises" in trying to bring an end to the war.

President Joe Biden and Congress responded with billions in new assistance and a pledge to help Ukraine pursue a "just peace."

Biden welcomed Zelenskyy to the Oval Office, saying the US and Ukraine would continue to project a "united defence" as Russia wages a "brutal assault on Ukraine's right to exist as a nation."

READ MORE: Zelenskyy arrives in US to meet Biden amid Kremlin warning

Zelenskyy, on his first known trip outside his country since Russia invaded in February, said he wanted to visit earlier and his visit now showed the "situation is under control, because of your support."

Pressed on how Ukraine would try to bring an end to the conflict, Zelenskyy rejected Biden's framing of a "just peace," saying, "For me as a president, 'just peace' is no compromises."

He said the war would end once Ukraine's sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity were restored, as well as the "payback for all the damages inflicted by Russian aggression."

"There can't be any 'just peace' in the war that was imposed on us," he added.

The highly sensitive trip was taking place after 10 months of a brutal war that has seen tens of thousands of casualties on both sides and devastation for Ukrainian civilians.

Zelenskyy's visit was meant to reinvigorate support for his country in the US and around the world, amid concerns that allies are growing weary of the costly war and its disruption to global food and energy supplies.

Just before his arrival, the US announced a $1.8 billion military aid package for Ukraine, including for the first time Patriot surface-to-air missiles, and Congress planned to vote on a spending package that includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine.

Russia, Biden said, is "trying to use winter as a weapon, but Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world." Later, in a joint news conference, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin has "no intention of stopping this cruel war."

The two leaders appeared to share a warm rapport, laughing at each others' comments and patting each other on the back throughout the visit, though Zelenskyy made clear he will continue to press Biden and other Western leaders for ever more support.

READ MORE: Dad and daughter perish in horror Queensland shed fire

He said that after the Patriot system was up and running, "we will send another signal to President Biden that we would like to get more Patriots."

"We are in the war," Zelenskyy added with a smile, as Biden chuckled at the direct request. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Biden said it is "important for the American people, and for the world, to hear directly from you, Mr President, about Ukraine's fight, and the need to continue to stand together through 2023."

After the White House meeting, the Ukrainian president traveled to Capitol Hill, where he was scheduled to give an address to Congress that he billed as a "speech to Americans." Vice President Kamala Harris was planning to attend.

Zelenskyy headed abroad after making a daring and dangerous trip Tuesday to what he called the hottest spot on the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) front line of the war, the city of Bakhmut in Ukraine's contested Donetsk province. He praised Ukrainian troops for their "courage, resilience and strength" as artillery boomed in the background.

Poland's private broadcaster, TVN24, said Zelenskyy crossed into Poland early Wednesday on his way to Washington. The station showed footage of what appeared to be Zelenskyy arriving at a train station and being escorted to a motorcade of American SUVs. TVN24 said the video, partially blurred for security reasons, was shot in Przemysl, a Polish border town that has been the arrival point for many refugees fleeing the war.

Officials, citing security concerns, were cagey about Zelenskyy's travel plans, but a US official confirmed that Zelenskyy arrived on a U.S. Air Force jet that landed at Joint Base Andrews, just outside the capital, from the Polish city of Rzeszow.

Biden told Zelenskyy, who wore a combat-green sweatshirt and boots during their Oval Office meeting, that "it's an honor to be by your side."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in her invitation to Zelenskyy to speak to lawmakers, said "the fight for Ukraine is the fight for democracy itself" and that they were looking forward to "hearing your inspiring message of unity, resilience and determination."

US and Ukrainian officials have made clear they do not envision an imminent resolution to the war and are preparing for fighting to continue for some time. The latest infusion of US money would be the biggest yet – and exceed Biden's $37 billion request.

Biden has repeated that while the U.S. will arm and train Ukraine, American forces will not be directly engaged in the war.

Biden and Zelenskyy first discussed the idea of a visit during a telephone call on Dec. 11, with a formal invitation following three days later, according to a senior U.S. administration official. Zelenskyy accepted the invitation on Friday and it was confirmed on Sunday, when the White House began coordinating with Pelosi to arrange the congressional address.

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The White House consulted with Zelenskyy on security, including the risk of Russian action while he was briefly out of the country, said the official, who declined to detail the measures taken to safeguard the Ukrainian leader. The official briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the visit.

The latest U.S. military aid package will include not only a Patriot missile battery but precision guided bombs for fighter jets, U.S. officials said. It represents an expansion in the kinds of advanced weaponry intended to bolster Ukraine's air defenses against what has been an increasing barrage of Russian missiles.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has said the delivery of the advanced surface-to-air missile system would be considered a provocative step and that the system and any crews accompanying it would be a legitimate target for Moscow's military.

"It's a defensive system," Biden said of sending the missile system. "It's not escalatory – it's defensive."

It was unclear when the Patriot battery would arrive on the front lines in Ukraine, given that US troops will have to train Ukrainian forces. The training, expected to be done in Germany, could take several months, the Pentagon said Wednesday.

The visit comes at an important moment, with the White House bracing for greater resistance when Republicans take control of the House in January and give more scrutiny to aid for Ukraine. GOP leader Kevin McCarthy of California has said his party will not write a "blank check" for Ukraine.

Biden and Zelenskyy frequently have talked by phone, with Biden praising Ukraine for remaining steadfast against the Russians and Zelenskyy thanking the US president for support.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened the chamber's session by saying that passage of the aid package and confirmation of the new US ambassador to Russia, Lynne M. Tracy, would send a strong signal that Americans stand "unequivocally" with Ukraine. Tracy was confirmed later on a 93-2 vote.

Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Zelenskyy arrives not only as a president but an "ambassador to freedom itself."

The Senate's top Republican, Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, said "the most basic reasons for continuing to help Ukraine degrade and defeat the Russian invaders are cold, hard, practical American interests." He said "defeating Russia's aggression will help prevent further security crises in Europe."

Russia's invasion, which began February 24, has lost momentum. The illegally annexed provinces of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia remain fiercely contested.

With the fighting in the east at a stalemate, Moscow has used missiles and drones to attack Ukraine's power equipment, hoping to leave people without electricity as freezing weather sets in.

In a video released by his office from the Bakhmut visit, Zelenskyy was handed a signed Ukrainian flag and alluded to delivering it to US leaders. "We are grateful for their support, but it is not enough," he said. "It is a hint – it is not enough."

Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Kyiv-based Penta Center think tank, said Zelenskyy's visit to the U.S. "should determine the course of the war – Zelenskyy for the first time dared to leave Ukraine and is counting on being able to maintain, and possibly even strengthen, US military and economic assistance."

Hanna Danylovych, 43, who lives in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, and works as a scientist, welcomed the prospect of additional military supplies, saying "there is a great desire and dream to speed up the removal of Russian evil from our land."

Putin on Wednesday told his country's military leaders that Russia will achieve its stated goals in Ukraine and use the combat experience to strengthen its military. His defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, said Russia's military must be expanded from the current 1 million to 1.5 million during the fighting in Ukraine.

As Australians prepare for the first restriction-free Christmas since 2019, one top health official has issued a warning over COVID-19 rapid antigen tests.

New South Wales Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant urged people to remain indoors if they had any symptoms of COVID-19.

And she warned that just because a rapid antigen test came up negative, didn't mean that was accurate.

READ MORE: Dad and daughter perish in horror Queensland shed fire

"RAT tests will often not pick COVID up early on in the illness," she said in a video address.

If people with symptoms have to go outside, she said, they should wear masks, and practice good hand hygiene.

And she urged them to avoid hospitals or aged care homes – again, even if an RAT had come up negative.

Past the peak in NSW

Cases have been stable-to-declining in NSW this week, Dr Chant said, suggesting we have passed the peak of the latest COVID-19 wave.

However, transmission remains high in the community.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy arrives in US to meet Biden amid Kremlin warning

And case decline may slow as people mix with family and friends during the holiday season.

There were 38,769 people diagnosed with COVID-19 this week in NSW, a decrease of 5.2 per cent since the previous week, according to the state surveillance report released today.

The proportion of PCR tests that were positive for COVID-19 has remained stable at 20 per cent, but PCR testing rates have declined by 5.6 per cent overall.

READ MORE: When double demerits are in force in each state

The seven-day rolling average of daily hospital admissions decreased to an average of 119 admissions by the end of this week, compared with 128 admissions at the end of the previous week.

There were 834 people with COVID-19 admitted to hospital and 58 people admitted to ICU this week.

Medibank today announced it would return another $207 million in COVID-19 claims savings to customers, bringing its total support to $950 million since the start of the pandemic.

The latest financial boost is derived from the firm's permanent net claims savings.

Customers will receive their money directly through a deposit into their bank account.

READ MORE: Dad and daughter perish in horror Queensland shed fire

It will range from up to $151 for those with extras-only policies and up to $667 for customers with hospital and extras policies.

On average, this will be $30 for extras-only policies and around $129 for hospital and extras policies.

Customers will receive their cash by late May 2023 and this will occur automatically, Medibank said.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy arrives in US to meet Biden amid Kremlin warning

Medibank group executive customer portfolios Milosh Milisavljevic said the insurance giant was committed to not profiting from the pandemic.

"While nearly all public health measures implemented during COVID-19 have eased and claims are recovering, they still remain below normal levels," Milisavljevic said.

"This is why we're returning those savings to our customers."

READ MORE: When double demerits are in force in each state

Medibank found restrictions still in place at the beginning of this year affected some customers' ability to access services.

Medibank and ahm customers in Australia holding an active hospital or extras policy, or both, at any time between July 1 and December 31 this year will be eligible for the cash back.

Australians travelling to the UK over the Christmas holiday period are being warned to expect major delays at airports, including Heathrow in London due to planned strike action.

UK Border Force staff will hold industrial action from Friday, December 23 to Monday, December 26 and Wednesday, December 28 to Saturday, December 31.

Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and Cardiff airports will be affected. Staff at the port of Newhaven in southern England will also walk off the job.

READ MORE: When double demerits are in force in each state

British government officials said armed forces personnel and public servants have been trained to check passports when Border Force begin striking.

"We apologise for any disruption caused to travellers entering the UK," Border Force CEO Steve Dann said.

"We are working together with partners across the travel industry to ensure we can continue to meet critical demand and support the flow of passengers and goods through our border.

He urged passengers to contact their airlines or travel company to check that their flights are running as planned.

UK Home Secretary Suella Braverman warned of "undeniable, serious disruption" because of the strikes and urged anyone flying to rethink their travel plans over the holidays.

But there are concerns that delays in checking the passports of arriving passengers could spark long queues and even travellers being held on aircraft, impacting subsequent departures.

READ MORE: Airports, roads to be busy as travel rush peaks

"It could go really, really badly," said UK travel expert Rhys Jones.

Delays getting through the border could lead to overcrowding in the terminal, meaning that airplanes could be asked to keep passengers onboard – leading outgoing flights to be delayed, too.

From then, it's a snowball effect.

"Aviation works on planes being in the right place at the right time," Jones said.

"If aircraft are out of position, all of a sudden you have a massive network crisis."

Airlines have not cancelled flights so far, and anyone with a biometric passport can use the e-gates.

READ MORE: Dad and daughter perish in horror Queensland shed fire

"The main bottleneck will be where you have to see an officer," Jones said.

The airport strikes are just one industrial action besetting the UK over the Christmas period as public sector workers press for pay increases to keep up with the inflation rate of 11 per cent.

Strikes have been called for nearly every day of December: for nurses (their first ever strike), health workers, ambulance drivers, postal workers, driving examiners, bus drivers, rail workers, highways workers, baggage handlers and Border Force.

– Reported with CNN

While the first few weeks of summer have been unusually cold in most of south-eastern Australia, a wave of heat is set to hit South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania just after Christmas.

Temperatures will begin to climb in the three states from Christmas Day, according to Weatherzone.

Adelaide is forecast to reach 25 degrees on Christmas Eve, then 32 degrees on Christmas Day and 38 degrees on Boxing Day.

READ MORE: What will the weather be like on Christmas Day?

By December 27, the temperature could tip 40 degrees.

In Melbourne, maximum temperatures could jump from the mid-20s on December 24 to 30 degrees by Boxing Day.

The city could potentially reach the mid-30s around December 29 and 30.

Meanwhile, Hobart could see temperatures reaching the high 20s around December 27 and 28, which could climb six to eight degrees above average for this time of year.

The hot spell is set to hit after weeks of unusually cold temperatures in south-eastern Australia.

Melbourne has endured its coldest first half of December since 2001 and Victoria registered its lowest summer temperature on record on December 14, with the temperature dipping to -5.4 degrees at Mt Hotham at 5:09am.

More than 100,000 passengers are expected through Melbourne Airport today as the Christmas travel rush builds to a peak.

Tomorrow is expected to be the busiest day across the country as the week ends the day before Christmas Eve.

Australia is celebrating its first Christmas holiday without restrictions since 2019, with a travel frenzy on the cards.

READ MORE: Man survives close to 24 hours in crocodile and shark-infested waters

Roads are also expected to be chock-a-block.

Drivers are urged to fill up their tanks soon, as petrol prices are set to rise just as the holidays kick off.

Industry bodies are expecting fuel to remain expensive until mid-January.

And drivers are reminded that double demerits come into force in New South Wales, Western Australia, and the Australian Capital Territory from tomorrow.

A man has survived close to 24 hours in crocodile and shark-infested waters in Queensland.

A search commenced about 10pm on Tuesday with a co-ordinated effort between the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Queensland Water Police.

READ MORE: Video footage shows shark feasting on dead whale off SA coast

It's understood the alarm was raised about 6pm after the 31-year-old who was travelling between Getullia Island and Sue Island in Torres Strait failed to arrive at his destination.

He had set off on the journey about 9.30am before being hit by bad weather, with the conditions also hampering initial search efforts.

READ MORE: 'You are a hero and will never be forgotten'

After the search was called off at night, the rescue mission resumed about 6.30am with the Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft, a rescue helicopter and police boat all taking part.

An upturned dinghy was located in the water first around 11.30am, AMSA said, and a short time later the missing man was discovered about 2km away, clinging to a piece of debris in the open waters.

The man was winched to safety and taken to Thursday Island to receive medical assistance.