US President Donald Trump said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro does not want to "f*** around" with the United States, amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.

Trump's comments followed a Reuters report, citing three sources, that the US military was holding two survivors on a Navy ship after a US strike on their suspected Caribbean drug vessel killed two others.

Thursday's strike was the latest in a campaign declared by Trump against a "narcoterrorist" threat he says is emanating from Venezuela and is linked to Maduro.

READ MORE: Former Trump adviser pleads not guilty in classified documents case

In response to a reporter's question about a report that Maduro had offered "everything," including the OPEC member's natural resources, to secure a deal with the US, Trump said: "He's offered everything. You're right. You know why? Because he doesn't want to f*** around with the United States."

Trump's remarks, during a joint appearance with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy at the White House, came against the backdrop of a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean that includes guided missile destroyers, F-35 fighter jets, a nuclear submarine and around 6500 troops.

The Venezuelan communication ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but the Venezuelan government has scoffed at media reports of negotiations by high-ranking officials to oust Maduro.

READ MORE: Revealed: What Australians really think of Donald Trump

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez posted a selfie with Maduro to Telegram on Thursday in response to what she said were "liars."

On Wednesday, Trump disclosed he had authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela, adding to speculation in Caracas that the United States is attempting to oust Maduro.

Maduro has denied any connection to drug smuggling and denounced the U.S. boat strikes as a pretext for regime change, portraying them as violations of sovereignty and international law.

Trump, who had campaigned unsuccessfully for this year's Nobel Peace Prize, also brought up this year's winner, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The 58-year-old industrial engineer was awarded the coveted prize last Friday.

"I didn't get a Nobel Prize. Somebody got it, who's a very nice woman, very nice," Trump said. "I don't know who she is, but she was very generous. So I don't care about all that stuff. I just care about saving lives."

Prince Andrew has announced that after consulting with King Charles he has given up his Duke of York title.

The move comes ahead of the posthumous release of Virginia Giuffre's memoir next week, which is speculated to include more accusations against the royal, all of which he denies.

"In discussion with The King, and my immediate and wider family, we have concluded the continued accusations about me distract from the work of His Majesty and the Royal Family," Andrew said in a statement released by Buckingham Palace on Friday evening (5am Saturday AEST).

READ MORE: 'Arc de Trump': Plans for Presidential arch unveiled

"I have decided, as I always have, to put my duty to my family and country first. I stand by my decision five years ago to stand back from public life.

"With His Majesty's agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me.

"As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me."

The decision to stop using his title and honours was made in consultation with not only the King but also the Prince of Wales and members of the wider royal family.

King Charles is believed to be glad about his 65-year-old brother's decision.

Prince Andrew's other titles that have been relinquished include his knighthoods – as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order (GCVO) and a knight of the Order of the Garter.

It's understood the changes will impact Andrew's ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, who will continue to be known in a personal and professional capacity as Sarah Ferguson.

However, it's not expected to have any impact on the couple's daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie.

Relinquishing his dukedom won't impact Andrew's living arrangements, with the prince to remain at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

While the royal has given up all of his titles and honours voluntarily, there's one that can't be taken away from him, and that is the title of prince.

Once second in line for the British throne, Andrew was born in 1960 as a son of a monarch and as per the Letters Patent issued in 1917 by George V, was born a prince.

Prince Andrew first stepped back from his royal duties in 2019 following his car crash Newsnight interview about his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Giuffre was a victim of Epstein's who said she was sex-trafficked by the businessman.

She claims in her book to have had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions, saying the royal thought it was his "birthright". Prince Andrew has denied all allegations made by Giuffre.

After his Newsnight interview, Andrew was sued by Giuffre. Andrew has always denied Giuffre's allegations about him but settled the matter out of court in February 2022, reportedly for many millions of dollars.

The court case resulted in Andrew being stripped of remaining military titles, charity patronages and the title of His Royal Highness. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, was the monarch at the time.

Andrew also ceased to be a Counsellor of the State as non-working royals are not included in the group of people who can act on the monarch's behalf in case they are incapacitated.

Giuffre took her own life in April, in Western Australia, where she was living with her husband and three children.

It's understood the announcement today by Buckingham Palace was made not only to get ahead of the release of Giuffre's memoir but also to avoid distracting from King Charles and Queen Camilla's historic visit to The Vatican next week.

Excerpts of Giuffre's Nobody's Girl: A Memoir Of Surviving Abuse And Fighting For Justice have been serialised in newspapers this week ahead of the book's full release and already brought the spotlight back on Prince Andrew's friendship with Epstein.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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 diabetic camper missing for nine days in remote Victorian bushland has told how he feared he would not survive the ordeal.

Troy Milne, 61, was rescued about 5pm yesterday near the town of Buchan in the east Gippsland region, when he lit a fire to alert searchers.

Today he arrived at Essendon Airport in outer Melbourne on his way for hospital treatment and spoke exclusively with 9News.

READ MORE: Woman randomly stabbed while walking to work in broad daylight

"I thought I was a dead duck in water … I just drank lots of water," he said.

Milne lit the fire near the Kirby Cross Track and succeeded in drawing firefighters to the area.

They finally found him after spotting his Jeep Wrangler SUV close to the small blaze.

The vehicle had bottomed out on the terrain and was not drivable, prompting Milne to light a fire in the hope emergency services would respond.

He was taken to a local hospital for treatment and observation.

Milne went missing after leaving his campsite at Woodside Beach for a quick trip collect supplies last Tuesday.

It triggered an extensive nine-day search to try and find the insulin-dependent diabetic amid fears he had suffered a medical episode.

READ MORE: Storms to bring winds, hail to millions today

Police said finding Milne alive was a remarkable result.

"We really feared the worst so to be able to contact Troy's family and give them the fantastic news was a wonderful result," Inspector Wayne Rothwell said.

"Troy was without his medication for a long period which left him disorientated and confused so we believe he turned off the highway at some point and became lost in the bush.

"It was a challenging search due to the huge area that Troy had been spotted travelling around so it was extremely difficult to narrow down where to concentrate our efforts.

"Once Troy lit the fire, it drew the attention of our fire crews who quickly responded and located him."

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.

Vince Cocurullo exits after 12 years on council and one term as mayor.

Stephanie Grech was hard at work when a radio report of a fatal road rage incident caught her attention.

The police employee stopped to check the details of the vehicles involved.

"It's my baby brother, it's Rhyce," she recalls crying out after seeing details of her brother's ute.

READ MORE: Inside Trump and Putin's two-hour phone call

"I rang Mum on the phone … 'I think Rhyce is dead'."

Rhyce Harding was 27 when he was killed in an altercation on his drive to work in Sydney's outskirts in June 2024.

His distraught relatives relayed their grief to the young landscaper's killer, Bradley Wayne Wilkinson, on Friday during a sentence hearing in Downing Centre District Court.

Harding's ashes – brought into the court hearing by his brother Michael Grech – sat beside his four family members in the witness box as each spoke of the incident's lasting effects.

CCTV footage played in court showed Wilkinson cutting off Harding after exiting a roundabout in Blackett.

READ MORE: Storms to bring winds, hail to millions today

A horn is heard, before Wilkinson refuses to allow Harding to merge and avoid a parked car.

The young landscaper then stepped out of his car to approach Wilkinson's window.

The Crown said Wilkinson, then 39, pinned the younger man to the outside of the car and drove past several houses before Harding fell under the wheels.

He died of his injuries.

Wilkinson left the area before turning himself in the next day.

"Rhyce would want me to forgive you, but I can't and I don't know that I ever will," Ms Grech said to Wilkinson, who appeared by video link.

READ MORE: Woman randomly stabbed while walking to work in broad daylight

Harding's parents spoke in glowing terms of the compassion and generosity the avid kickboxer showed in his life and the high regard he was held by his friends, family and his gym mates.

"Rhyce was a much-loved member of our club, who will always be remembered for his kindness, humbleness and dedication to his training," his gym said at the time of his death.

The public gallery in the courtroom was filled with his loved ones in matching T-shirts with a design of his tattoo to commemorate him.

"As a parent, you don't ever think you're going to organise your own child's funeral," Rhyce's father, John Harding, said in court.

"Rhyce was the glue that held our mismatched family together."

Mary Harding recalled how her son would rise at 4.30 in the morning just to make her breakfast.

"There is not enough paper or ink that would fulfil the person he was," she said.

Wilkinson sat quietly while the statements were read out, occasionally wiping his eyes.

He reconfirmed on Friday his guilty pleas to Harding's manslaughter and failure to provide necessary assistance, first entered in April in the local court.

Wilkinson's barrister said there was no evidence his client intended to kill or cause grievous bodily harm to Harding.

Both sides were prevented from making further submissions because material such as a sentencing assessment report and evidence from a psychiatrist were outstanding from the court file.

The sentence hearing will continue on October 30.

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.

The woman said it was the boy who made sexual advances, which she’d rebuffed.

Both schools linked to those involved are helping with the investigation.

A man who allegedly tried to carjack four different shoppers during a terrifying rampage in a Victorian Bunnings car park has been arrested in a dramatic police swoop.

Moments before the alleged attempted carjackings, he allegedly drove a stolen car almost into a woman getting a pram out of her car in the Bunnings car park on the Princess Highway in Norlane, Geelong.

The drama began earlier when police spotted a stolen grey Haval on Dorcas and Moray streets in South Melbourne about 1.15pm.

READ MORE: Five hospitalised due to 'prohibited substance' at Australia Post outlets

Upon seeing officers, a man and woman allegedly drove off in the car and officers began tracking the vehicle along the Princes Freeway towards Norlane.

It is alleged they then drove the car into the Bunnings car park and nearly collided with a woman getting a pram out of her car.

Police said the man got out of the stolen Haval and allegedly attempted to carjack four separate vehicles.

No members of the public were physically injured.

Police arrested the man about 2.45pm.

The woman was chased by police into the hardware store, where she was arrested shortly after.

The 20-year-old Abbotsford man was loaded into an ambulance and taken to hospital under police guard.

The 25-year-old Abbotsford woman will be interviewed by police.

It is alleged the Haval was stolen from the Port Melbourne area on October 6.

After 75 years on NZ shelves, Reader’s Digest has moved on to the digital world.

Jonathan Larsen secured 3138 votes to become Kaipara’s new mayor.