Dolly Parton wants everyone know she's fine and "not dying."

An odd thing to have to say, yes. But the country music icon, actress, activist and humanitarian posted a video to social media on Wednesday to clear up rumours that had been going around to the contrary.

"I wanted to say, I know lately everybody thinks that I'm sicker than I am," Parton, 79, said in the video from a set where she was filming a commercial for the Grand Ole Opry. "Do I look sick to you? I'm workin' hard here."

READ MORE: Qantas facing countdown as hackers threaten 5.7 million customers

Dressed in a red and black fringe top, the "9 to 5" star added that she "wanted to put everybody's mind at ease" because many seemed "real concerned, which I appreciate."

"And I appreciate your prayers because I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I'm ok," she added in the video, which was captioned "I ain't dead yet!"

Parton went on to acknowledge that she's had "some problems" health-wise, which she had mentioned last month when she cancelled a series of December concerts in Las Vegas. She then elaborated on the reasons behind those issues.

"Back when my husband Carl was very sick – that was for a long time – and then when he passed, I didn't take care of myself," she said. "So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of. So, anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said 'We need to take care of this, we need to take care of that.' Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home."

Parton's husband of nearly 60 years Carl Dean died in March.

Heightened concerns about Parton's health were spurred on Tuesday, when her sister Freida posted to Facebook that she'd been "up all night praying" for the "Jolene" singer.

READ MORE: 'I may go': Trump flags shock trip to Middle East amid Gaza talks

"Many of you know she hasn't been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me," Freida Parton's post read. "She's strong, she's loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she's going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!"

Mass panic ensued, reasonably.

But someone apparently had words with Freida, because she went back on Facebook later to tell everyone that she didn't intend for her words to spark worry. "I didn't mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly," she wrote. "It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister."

Later, another Parton sister appeared. This one was named Stella. "My sister Freida is always concerned when one of her siblings isn't feeling well so she ask for prayers on Dolly's behalf," she explained. She then went on to say she was mad about being asked for health updates on her sister.

READ MORE: Cargo door on Jetstar flight wide open as plane readies for takeoff

Fans were on particularly high alert because this call for prayers came soon after the death of Parton's husband. The death of a long-term spouse has been associated with illness and even death in the surviving partner.

Late last month, Parton announced that she was postponing her December concerts in Las Vegas due to some "health challenges."

She added that she had been told by doctors she had to undergo "a few procedures," without elaborating further.

"Given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see," she wrote at the time.

READ MORE: Man charged after fatal shooting while hunting on NSW property

Parton was set to perform six shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in December in her first Las Vegas residency in more than 30 years. Those concerts were rescheduled for September 2026.

Parton is one of the most-beloved musicians – likely even one of the most-beloved people – in the world.

She is a long-time best-selling songwriter and performer and actor. Her charitable works include helping underwrite Moderna's vaccine for COVID-19. Her program that sends books to children has changed an untold number of lives; the Louisville chapter alone noted recently that it had just mailed its 500,000th book to a child.

In her video on Wednesday, Parton said she hoped that if her admirers "heard it from me, you'd know that I was ok."

"I'm not ready to die yet. I don't think God is through with me and I ain't done workin'," she added. "So I love you for caring and keep praying for me."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

US President Donald Trump has flagged a potential trip to the Middle East in just days as negotiations continue toward a potential ceasefire in Gaza.

Speaking in the White House, Trump said he was hopeful of a good result as talks continued in Egypt.

"Peace for the Middle East, so it's a beautiful phrase, and we hope it's gonna come true, but it's very close and they're doing very well," he said.

READ MORE: Qantas facing countdown as hackers threaten 5.7 million customers

"We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they're – unfortunately great negotiators on the other side also, but it's something I think that will happen, got a good chance of happening. I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday."

It's the first indication Trump might join the table, as the US's top Middle East adviser, the prime minister of Qatar, and other senior officials joined the third day of peace talks between Israel and Hamas in an Egyptian resort overnight, a sign that negotiators aim to dive deeply into the toughest issues of an American plan to end the war in Gaza.

Hamas says it's seeking firm guarantees from mediators that Israel won't resume its military campaign in the Palestinian territory after the militant group releases all the remaining hostages.

All sides have expressed optimism for a deal to end the two-year war that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and most of the Gaza Strip destroyed.

READ MORE: Do you have what it takes? Experts reveal what Mars astronauts need

But key parts of the peace plan still haven't been agreed to, including a requirement that Hamas disarm, the timing and extent of an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, and the creation of an international body to run the territory after Hamas steps down.

US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived overnight at Sharm el-Sheikh for the discussions, as did Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's top adviser, Ron Dermer.

Representatives for the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were also in attendance, and a delegation from Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another fringe militant group that holds an unknown number of Israeli hostages, were scheduled to arrive, according to officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to speak to the media.

READ MORE: Manchester synagogue attacker 'claimed allegiance to Islamic State'

Their participation underscores the aim of the talks to encompass all Palestinian groups.

A senior Hamas official, Taher Nounou, said the group has provided a list of Palestinian prisoners it wants released from Israel in return for hostages in Gaza as part of the deal.

Two officials from Arab countries said progress was made in Wednesday's talks and that a deal could be reached in the coming days. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

Trump's peace plan

The Trump plan calls for an immediate ceasefire and release of the 48 hostages that militants in Gaza still hold from their attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that started the war and triggered Israel's devastating retaliation. Around 20 of the hostages are believed to still be alive.

It envisions Israel withdrawing its troops from Gaza after Hamas disarms, and an international security force moving in. The territory would be placed under international governance, with Trump and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair overseeing it.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said Wednesday in televised comments that the negotiations so far "were very encouraging."

READ MORE: Tony Abbott's provocative advice to UK politicians raises eyebrows

Netanyahu has already accepted Trump's plan. His office said Tuesday that Israel was "cautiously optimistic," framing the talks as technical negotiations over a plan that both sides already had approved.

In a statement Tuesday, Hamas reiterated its longstanding demands for a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, but said nothing about disarmament, a step it has long resisted. Hamas has also spoken against the idea of international rule, though it has agreed it will have no role in governing post-war Gaza.

Speaking in Sharm el-Sheikh, Khalil al-Hayya, Hamas' top negotiator, told Egypt's Qahera TV that the group wanted solid guarantees from Trump and mediators that the war "will not return." It appeared to be his first public appearance since an Israeli strike targeting him and other top Hamas leaders in Qatar last month killed six people, including his son and office manager.

In January, the two sides had a ceasefire that brought the release of some Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Under the agreement – which Trump and Witkoff played a major role in brokering – the two sides were then supposed to enter negotiations over a long-term truce, an Israeli withdrawal and a full hostage release.

But Israel broke the ceasefire in March, resuming its campaign of bombardment and offensives, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas for the remaining hostage releases.

Past rounds of negotiations have frequently fallen apart over the same obstacle, with Hamas demanding assurances of the war's end and Netanyahu vowing to keep fighting until the group is destroyed. The Trump plan attempts to resolve all the issues at once, by laying out Hamas disarmament and a post-war scenario for governing the territory with provisions for a major reconstruction campaign.

Foreign ministers from European and Arab countries will meet in Paris on Thursday to signal their support for Trump's plan and discuss the future of Gaza. The meeting will focus on the potential deployment of an international stabilisation force, Gaza's post-war governance, Hamas' disarmament and humanitarian aid and reconstruction, officials said on condition of anonymity because they couldn't publicly disclose details of the meeting.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar criticized the French initiative as being "concocted behind Israel's back at the sensitive timing of the negotiations in Sharm el-Sheikh."

Sa'ar said that he hopes the initiative won't "undermine the critical negotiations for the release of hostages, as it already happened in the past."

Praying for a deal

In the Hamas-led attack two years ago, militants stormed into southern Israel and killed around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted 251. Most hostages have since been released in ceasefires or other deals.

A growing number of experts, including those commissioned by a UN body, have said that Israel's offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide – an accusation Israel denies. More than 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and nearly 170,000 wounded, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants but says around half of the deaths were women and children, is part of the Hamas-run government. The United Nations and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties.

The ministry said Wednesday that the bodies of 10 people killed by Israeli strikes had been brought to local hospitals over the past 24 hours.

In the Gaza Strip, where much of the territory lies in ruins, Palestinians are desperate for a breakthrough. Thousands fleeing Israel's latest ground offensive in northern Gaza and Gaza City have set up makeshift tents along the beach in the central part of the territory, sometimes using blankets for shelter.

"There is no food, nor good water, and blockage of crossings," said Um Sulaiman Abu Afash, a displaced woman from Gaza City.

"Our kids sleep in the streets. We buy drinking water. Where do we go? There's no mercy."

Sara Rihan, a displaced woman from Jabaliya, said she was praying for an end to the war.

"I hope we return to our places and homes even if there are no homes," she said.

"Our existence in our land is the biggest happiness for us."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Footage has captured a Jetstar flight taxiing on the runway of Sydney Airport with its cargo door wide open yesterday morning.

Jetstar flight 456 was set for Ballina before the pilots were alerted by a cockpit warning light and returned to the gate safely.

"It's horrific," Transport Workers' Union national secretary Michael Kaine said.

READ MORE: Alleged 'kill team' arrested en route to Sydney daycare centre hit

"This is what happens when the workforce is stretched beyond limits."

Jetstar said: "We are currently investigating how this could have happened and are working with our ground handler to ensure it does not happen again."

After Qantas sacked its baggage handlers, Swissport was one of the companies brought in by the major airline.

This year, the union surveyed 300 Swissport workers in Australia and said 73 per cent claimed they were pressured to work unsafely.

"They are under so much time pressure, they are poorly paid, highly casualised. All of that adds up to a deadly recipe," a Transport Workers Union spokesperson said.

Swissport has been approached for comment but has not responded.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A growing number of ordinary Australians are pouring billions of their savings into exchange-traded funds (ETFs), but what are they and what are the risks?

ETFs are an investment fund full of a basket of assets, like shares, bonds, or commodities, and are typically an affordable way to obtain a diversified share portfolio.

For example, the A200 ETF tracks the ASX200, Australia's largest 200 companies, in a single bundle so investors can spread their risk and diversify their investments, rather than betting on a singular stock.

READ MORE: What we know about the latest uni cybersecurity breach – and how to protect yourself

They can also get access to overseas companies like Apple or Google. 

About 2.7 million Australians now own ETFs, which is up by 20 per cent in a year, and have invested $300 billion. Women make up nearly 680,000 of ETF holders.

Phillip Vassallo is one of those people.

The 24-year-old social worker prefers to ride his investment with the market as a low-maintenance way to grow his money.

"As a young person, if you just have money in the bank, you're never really going to get ahead, you might just be treading water," he said.

"It's super easy. Just transfer the money and it's automatically invested in all those shares rather than having to pick out 200 different ones yourself."

Betashares chief executive Alex Vynokur said ETFs are a convenient and cost-effective way to grow wealth, especially as soaring house prices put many out of reach of property ownership.

"It's the convenience, accessibility, transparency and cost effectiveness," he said.

READ MORE: Optus sent triple-zero outage notification to wrong email address

"ETFs really open up access to wealth creation without having to be a property owner."

Betashares expects more Australians to invest in ETFs and push the industry to $500 billion in assets by 2030.

Australians can invest directly with an ETF provider, but they can also use an online broker or pick ready-made portfolios.

But Nine's money editor Effie Zahos says ETFs are not completely risk-free.

ETFs will rise and fall in line with the value underlying assets, and global ETFs can also be hit by currency swings.

Depending on the ETF, fees can range between 0.03 per cent and 2.56 per cent.

Brokerage fees can also apply each time you make a contribution or sell, so it is important to read the product disclosure statement before investing.

ETFs also require a medium to long-term investment time frame to generate returns.

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

The daughters of convicted paedophile Daniel Hume have been disgusted to learn that Corrective Services NSW granted their abuser a dying wish to have a family photo by his bedside.

The daughters, who were subjected to years of abuse from Hume, say they were traumatised after learning the photo went unchecked by guards.

"It makes me feel sick to my stomach he was allowed to look at me while he died," Neveah Jett said.

READ MORE: Alleged 'kill team' arrested en route to Sydney daycare centre hit

Hume was seven years into a 30-year sentence for the sexual abuse of 14 victims when he died in August. He had terminal cancer and was allowed to end his life via the voluntary assisted dying process, incensing his victims who say they were not informed ahead of time.

The family photo by Hume's bedside was taken when both of his daughters were being abused and was requested by the inmate to have in palliative care at Cessnock Hospital.

It was taken to his bedside by his mother and was not checked by guards.

A full investigation has been launched into Corrective Services protocols, with Commissioner Gary McCahon admitting a huge mistake and not ruling out punishment for the guards involved.

"I'm deeply concerned the photos were not screened, that concerns me greatly," McMahon said.

"I sincerely apologise for the trauma this has caused to any victims.

"If there is any wrongdoing by my staff, they'll be held accountable."

READ MORE: The world is anxious and it's fuelling a new Australian gold rush

Hume, who was terminally ill, was serving a 30-year sentence.

It was reported that he was able to walk around hospital grounds unrestrained, even being able to wear a button-up shirt instead of his prison greens on the day of his medical suicide.

When asked if being unshackled and able to roam the grounds was protocol, McMahon said it was not and that it was also subject to investigation.

"That is outrageous. He died a free man," Jett said.

"He did not die a prisoner, and that man's password on every account he had was freedom, the word freedom, and you guys gave it to him."

Jett is now working to become a victim advocate as she pushes for reform.

"I've sent an email off to Corrective Services, Health Services, and the Premier asking for VAD reform, and I have received no response. This can't go unanswered," she said.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A shooter is on the run after a man was gunned down in Sydney's north-west this evening.

Emergency services were called to Annaluke Street in Riverstone about 6pm, where they found a man with gunshot wounds.

He was treated by paramedics but died at the scene.

READ MORE: Bad news for alleged criminals nabbed in AN0M app sting

The man has not yet been identified.

About 15 minutes later, emergency services were called about a car fire nearby on Riverstone Road, near Clarke Street.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but the car was destroyed.

Police have set up crime scenes where both incidents happened as they investigate whether the crimes were linked.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

It’s the fourth time this year the jackpot has climbed above $15m.

A former AFL player who killed two elderly women in a car crash while driving under the influence of drugs with his daughter in the vehicle will spend at least eight-and-a-half years behind bars.

Shannon John Cox, 39, admitted unlawfully killing Thelma Clausen and Coral Seinor after he fell asleep at the wheel and crossed into the path of oncoming traffic about 170 kilometres north of Perth on June 7 last year.

The women, who were in their 80s and on their way to a Country Women's Association event, suffered significant injuries in the head-on collision and died at the scene.

READ MORE: New video shows moment police intercepted alleged 'kill team' en route to hit

Cox, who played 25 AFL games for Collingwood between 2007 and 2009, had 0.77 milligrams per litre of methamphetamine in his system and was suffering from fatigue, Western Australia's Supreme Court was told today.

His Toyota Parado struck the Suzuki Ignis carrying the women after colliding with the side of a truck on the Brand Highway in wet conditions at about 84km/h.

Cox was travelling from Geraldton to Perth with his 12-year-old daughter, Josephine, who was also injured, to pick up his wife after she was released from custody when the incident happened.

READ MORE: Littlnown bacteria causing increasing rates of potentially deadly infections

He was sentenced to 10 years and six months' imprisonment, eligible for parole after serving eight years and six months, backdated to October 25, 2024.

Cox, a father of two daughters, will also be disqualified from driving for four years after he is released.

The former half-back flank started using methamphetamine and alcohol at age 13 after he was exposed to drugs and violence in the early part of his childhood, the court was told.

Football initially provided discipline for Cox, who didn't learn to read until he was an adult, but after he moved to Melbourne at age 20, he used alcohol to cope with his stress and a gambling habit.

After retiring from the game, Cox entered the mining industry.

But in 2015 he started using a significant amount of methamphetamine and previously served two years and six months for drug-related offences, Justice Stephen Lemonis said as he delivered the sentence.

About 18 months before the accident that killed Clausen and Seinor, Cox's methamphetamine use escalated significantly, and he was on a community-based order for drug-related charges at the time of the accident.

His arrest over the women's deaths was the third time in two years he had been caught driving with methamphetamine in his system, and while on bail for the manslaughter charges, he was again caught using the drug."The impact of your offending has been devastating," Justice Lemonis told Cox.

"This offending has tragically come about because of your addiction to methamphetamine."

Leanne Clausen said her mother Thelma's death had caused her family significant grief and trauma.

"Mum was the most selfless, kind-hearted and community-driven person," she said while reading her victim impact statement.

"Her volunteering efforts were endless."

Suzanne Seinor said her mother Coral "lived for those she loved and loved unconditionally".

"You chose to drive a car with drugs in your system," she said, addressing Cox during her victim impact statement.

"That choice resulted in taking two lives that weren't yours to take.

"Your choice affected over a 1000 people, who were my mum and her friend's family, loved ones and community."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Police say the man fled before being tracked by the police Eagle helicopter.

New Zealand officials are seeking more information.