Australia on Friday launched its largest military exercises with Philippine forces, involving more than 3600 military personnel in live-fire drills, battle maneuvers and a beach assault at a Philippine town on the disputed South China Sea, where the allies have raised alarm over Beijing's assertive actions.

The exercises are called Alon, meaning wave in the Philippine language Tagalog, and will showcase Australia's firepower.

The drills will involve a guided-missile navy destroyer, F/A-18 supersonic fighter jets, a C-130 troop and cargo aircraft, Javelin anti-tank weapons and special forces sniper weapons.

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Military officials said defence forces from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Indonesia will join as observers.

"This exercise reflects Australia's commitment to working with partners to ensure we maintain a region where state sovereignty is protected, international law is followed and nations can make decisions free from coercion," Vice Admiral Justin Jones of the Royal Australian Navy said in a statement.

The combat exercises are "an opportunity for us to practice how we collaborate and respond to shared security challenges and project force over great distances in the Indo-Pacific," Jones said.

The exercises will run until August 29.

Australia is the second country after the US with a visiting forces agreement with the Philippines, allowing the deployment of large numbers of troops for combat exercises in each other's territory.

The Philippines has signed a similar pact with Japan, which will take effect next month. It is in talks with several other Asian and Western countries including France and Canada for similar defense accords.

China has deplored multinational war drills and alliances in or near the disputed South China Sea, saying the US and its allies are "ganging up" against it and militarising the region.

China claims most of the South China Sea, a busy global trade route, where it has had a spike of territorial faceoffs with the Philippines in recent years. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also lay claims to the resource-rich waters.

On Monday, a Chinese navy ship collided with a Chinese coast guard ship while trying to drive away a smaller Philippine coast guard vessel in the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.

The Australian Embassy in Manila expressed concern over "the dangerous and unprofessional conduct of Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal involving the Philippine Coast Guard" and said the incident "highlights the need for de-escalation, restraint and respect for international law."

In response, the US deployed two warships off the Scarborough on Wednesday in what it called a freedom of navigation operation to protest China's expansive claims, restrictions and its demand for entry notifications in the disputed waters.

In February, a Chinese J-16 fighter jet released flares that passed within 30 metres of an Australian P-8 Poseidon military surveillance plane in daylight and in international air space, Australian defence officials said at the time.

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All states and territories have agreed to rush through urgent childcare reforms after allegations of abuse at centres across the country.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, flanked by her state and territory counterparts, has announced "banned in one, banned in all" legislation to prevent someone banned from working with children in one jurisdiction from working in another.

All jurisdictions have promised to implement these changes by the end of the year.

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"There is a firm commitment from all states and territories to pull out all stops, and we are working together as a team," Rowland said. 

The attorneys-general have also agreed to raise their criteria on who can apply for a working with children check in each state and territory.

They will also strengthen information sharing to ensure that changes to someone's criminal history are captured and shared in real time under a National Continuous Checking Capability.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission is currently working on a pilot for this program.

"It is notable that nefarious individuals have been shopping around the working with children, check system and exploiting loopholes," Rowland said.

"These are complex reforms, and they won't be delivered overnight."

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These changes were first recommended in the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Rowland admitted families have been let down by successive governments at all levels, but said "a moment of political will" has brought the recommendations forward now.

"These are complex areas, but that is no excuse for saying this is too hard," she said.

"The fact is that we have come together, noting that a significant body of work has occurred in the lead up to today's meeting."

Rowland also knocked back suggestions of a national working with children check database, saying it was up to each jurisdiction to administer as laws differed in each state and territory.

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These reforms come in the wake of allegations against childcare workers in NSW and Victoria.

Joshua Dale Brown, 26, has been charged with 70 offences allegedly committed while working at childcare centres in Melbourne.

David William James, 26, has been charged with 13 offences while working at out-of-school-hours care services in Sydney.

Today's announcement by the attorneys-general comes in addition to work being done by the Department of Education to raise standards and safety within the sector.

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Thirty childcare centres slapped with compliance actions 

Earlier today, the Department of Education slapped childcare centres across the country with compliance actions under urgent new laws that were pushed through parliament last month.

An investigation by the federal education department, in collaboration with states and territories, found 30 childhood education and childcare services failed to meet national quality standards for seven or more years.

The centres have 48 hours to notify parents of the compliance actions and have six months to bring their performance up to the national standard.

Education Minister Jason Clare said he hoped today's announcement would help rebuild confidence in the childcare system. 

"This is not about closing centres down, it's about lifting standards up," he said.

"Over the next six months, these centres will need to lift their game or they will face further consequences, including the cutting off of funding.

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"This action puts those centres on notice that they need to put the safety of our children first."

The Department of Education will release the names of those 30 childcare centres once parents are notified by next week.

The compliance actions do not relate to any criminal allegations.

Under new powers passed through parliament in July, the government can cut off funding to childcare centres that fail to meet the safety and quality standards, breach laws, or act in a way that puts child safety at risk.

The compliance actions are the first time these new powers have been used.

The country's education ministers will meet next Friday to discuss more measures to strengthen the childcare sector, including a national register of childcare workers, the role of CCTV and mandatory child safety training. 

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

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.

The eyes of the world will be on Alaska tomorrow as US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin come face-to-face for a highly anticipated meeting.

The visit will mark the first time Putin has travelled to the US since his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2015.

Ahead of the historic meeting, Trump holds hopes Putin will "make a deal" on the conflict in Ukraine but White House officials are managing expectations by downplaying the meeting as a "listening exercise".

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When is the Trump and Putin meeting?

Putin's foreign policy aide Yury Ushakov has told reporters the world leaders would meet at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military site in Anchorage, Alaska at 11.30am on Friday (local time).

This is 5.30am (AEST) on Saturday in Australia.

The leaders are expected to first have a one-on-one discussion with the help of interpreters.

Ushakov told reporters this would be followed by a business lunch.

He said the length of the discussions "will depend on the presidents".

"Following the talks, Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will hold a joint press conference, in which they will sum up the results of the negotiations," Ushakov told reporters.

Trump said he could give solo remarks if the meeting "doesn't end well".

What are they discussing?

The world leaders are expected to discuss the settlement of the war in Ukraine.

We can also expect Trump and Putin to talk about potential economic cooperation between Russia and the US.

In the lead-up to the meeting, Trump has threatened Russia with "very severe consequences" if Putin doesn't agree to end the war in Ukraine.

However, when reporters asked if this meant new sanctions or tariffs, he simply said: "I don't have to say."

Trump has previously threatened Moscow with new sanctions as a punishment for the Ukraine war but has not followed through on the threats to date.

Before his journey to the US, Putin said the current US administration had made "energetic and sincere efforts" to stop the conflict in Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Trump indicated there could be some "land swapping" to end the war but this was a move both the Ukraine and Russia have rejected.

Why isn't Zelenskyy there?

Trump suggested his goal was to move toward a trilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shortly after the summit if discussions went well.

A Ukrainian source has told CNN it would not be logistically feasible for Zelenskyy to meet with the US President and Russian president in Alaska immediately after their talks.

"Remember that every international trip out of Kyiv starts with a 12-hour train journey. Getting to Alaska would take nearly two days," the source told the news outlet.

However, the Ukrainian source said "if a trilateral meeting is to be held, Ukraine would want Russia to agree to a ceasefire as a first step", before any talks could happen.

They added Trump is expected to call Zelenskyy to debrief him on the outcome of the Alaska summit and discuss future steps.

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A barking dog alerted a woman with partial deafness to a firebombing attack on her home in Sydney's west. 

Melanie Sullivan and her dog were inside her home on Hope Street in Penrith when flames erupted about 10pm yesterday.

CCTV shows two hooded men making their way around the brick home moments before one threw accelerant on the front door.

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The other man was seen setting the liquid alight.

The footage shows one of the men appearing to have burnt himself.

The pair then quickly fled the scene.

Sullivan told 9News she lives with epilepsy and partial deafness and was only alerted to the fire because of her barking dog, Buddy.

"I'm deaf in my right ear. If it wasn't for my dog barking, it might have been too late," she said.

Sullivan ran out of her home and grabbed a garden hose in an attempt to control the blaze.

"Lucky I had fire extinguishers and a fire blanket. Managed to put the fire out before the fire brigade even got here," she said. 

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No one was injured, and there was only damage to the front door. 

Sullivan said she has no idea who the hooded men were or why they would firebomb her home.

"I feel like crap. I'm really shaking, it was a really big ordeal," she said.

"It could have killed me. I could have lost everything and my dog and me." 

Police are investigating what they say was a targeted attack.

"It's obviously a very brazen attack," Detective Inspector Michael Cantrell said. 

"At this stage, we've got a number of lines of inquiry. We believe it is a targeted attack."

Police are searching for the two men. Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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A state attorney-general says she will consider a High Court challenge after a teenage murderer was granted a reduced sentence on appeal.

The teenager, who murdered a mother of two during a Christmas holiday home invasion, has had his time in detention reduced by almost 18 months on appeal.

The boy, who cannot be named as he was aged 17 at the time of the offences, fatally stabbed Emma Lovell in the heart after he broke into her family's house north of Brisbane about 11.30pm on Boxing Day in 2022.

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Following a successful appeal on Friday, the teen will now serve a minimum of about eight years and four months in detention instead of about nine years and nine months before he is released under supervision.

Queensland Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the appeal was an unacceptable outcome and claimed it was caused by the previous Labor government's "weak laws".

"I am now looking at my options to make an appeal to the High Court," she said.

Queensland Labor has been contacted for comment.

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Mrs Lovell's husband, Lee, who was wounded during the home invasion, was unable to attend court on Friday when the appeal decision was handed down.

The home invasion led to "adult crime, adult time" changes in Queensland law that allow for youth offenders to face a mandatory life sentence for murder with a minimum 20 years before parole.

"The murder of Emma Lovell rocked the State and Queenslanders made it very clear enough is enough and change needed to occur," Frecklington said.

"The community and Emma's family will be devastated by this outcome and our thoughts are with them on another very difficult day they should never have had to endure."

Justice Tom Sullivan in May 2024 sentenced the teen, then aged 19, to a maximum of 14 years with a requirement to serve 70 per cent of that time in detention, after he found the crime to be "particularly heinous".

The Court of Appeal on Friday allowed the teen's appeal against the length of his sentence, finding it was "manifestly excessive".

Justice David Boddice found the 14-year sentence should stand but reduced the detention period to 60 per cent.

He cited the teen's guilty plea, "genuine remorse and prospects of rehabilitation" as special circumstances justifying his release from detention after serving less than the statutory 70 per cent.

The teen had appealed Sullivan's "particularly heinous" finding in a bid to get his overall sentence reduced to 10 years.

However, Boddice found Sullivan's decision to impose the maximum overall sentence available at the time to be "plainly correct".

"The death of an entirely innocent person, on their own front lawn, as the consequence of a knife attack by a youthful offender… is properly described as provoking a sense of outrage," Boddice stated.

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The teen now has five years left to serve in detention after 500 days of pre-sentence custody in May 2024 were recognised as time served.

The teen's male co-offender, also a juvenile, was acquitted of murder at a judge-only trial in October.

He was found guilty of burglary and the assault of Mr Lovell and in December he was sentenced to 18 months' detention – time he has served.

Two people were injured in an incident on Colwill Rd, Massey.

Police say officers can use phones if it’s operationally critical.

District council says ‘poor social behaviours displayed are not acceptable’.

Gore paid $771,558 to three chief executives, ranking second after Christchurch.

Chief exec: ‘Defrauding ACC isn’t a victimless crime and we have zero tolerance for it.’