Chirag Shah says he didn’t realise insurance payments had lapsed until after the blaze.

Emergency services were called to the crash just after 4pm.

The visitor claimed to be from Auckland Council but had no official ID.

Volcanic ash has been identified more frequently in the steam and gas plume.

Stargazers, you are in luck: those keen to stay up until early hours of the morning may be rewarded with an astronomical event that has been observed for thousands of years.

The Lyrid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak tonight and tomorrow with up to 10 to 20 meteors per hour in the late-night sky, according to NASA.

Although best seen in the Northern Hemisphere, Aussies with patience, a dark sky and a good eye are still able to see the meteors.

Want to observe for yourself? Here's what you need to know.

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What is the Lyrid meteor shower?

The Lyrid meteor shower, also simply known as the Lyrids, is an annual celestial event that usually occurs every April.

It holds its distinction with being one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, with observations dating back approximately 2700 years, according to NASA.

The phenomenon occurs as Earth intersects with the debris trail left by Comet Thatcher – more formally known as C/1861 G1 (Thatcher).

As our planet passes through this trail, small particles from the comet disintegrate upon entering Earth's atmosphere at up to 47km/s.

This creates short but bright streaks of light visible across the night sky.

Unlike other meteor showers, they typically don't leave long glowing dust trails – but they do occasionally produce very bright flashes known as fireballs.

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When can I see it?

The Lyrids occur annually in mid-to-late April, typically becoming active around April 17 to April 26.

In Australia, the peak viewing time is usually April 21 to April 22, with anywhere between 10 to 20 meteors per hour.

The best time to observe is generally in the very early hours of the morning.

Luckily for us, the meteor shower is visible to the naked eye without any special equipment and is safe to observe.

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How can I see the Lyrids?

Make sure to look for a clear, dark sky at night without any light pollution and dress appropriately for the weather.

Look around north to north-east just above the horizon and allow for half an hour for your eyes to adjust.

Watch for bright flashes or streaks of light across the night sky into the early hours of the morning.

When it does happen, it will appear pretty quickly – make sure to make a wish when you see the meteors!

Don't worry if you miss the Lyrids, the next visible meteor event is in early May.

The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is another annual event that peaks May 6 and 7.

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US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat that included his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

The revelation comes as some of Hegseth's closest advisers have begun sounding the alarm about the secretary's judgment, including his former press secretary, John Ullyot, and three former senior officials Hegseth fired last week — his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defence.

It's been a month of total chaos at the Pentagon. From leaks of sensitive operational plans to mass firings, the dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president — who deserves better from his senior leadership," Ullyot said in a statement obtained by CNN.

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The second Signal chat is in addition to the one Hegseth used to communicate with Cabinet officials last month about military plans, which is now under investigation by the Defence Department's acting inspector general.

The chat was set up during the confirmation hearing process as a way for Hegseth's closest allies to strategise, two of the people familiar with the matter said.

But Hegseth continued using the chat, which was on his personal phone, to communicate with them after he was confirmed, the people said.

Similar to the first Signal chat, which was revealed publicly by The Atlantic after its editor was mistakenly included by national security adviser Mike Waltz, the military plans Hegseth shared in the second Signal chat were about strikes against the Houthis, the people said.

Hegseth's brother Phil, as well as his lawyer Tim Parlatore, both have jobs at the Department of Defence.

But his wife, Jennifer, does not, despite Hegseth regularly including her during the beginning of his tenure in meetings with foreign leaders.

It is not clear whether everyone in the second Signal chat has a security clearance.

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CNN has reached out to Hegseth's spokesperson for comment.

The New York Times was first to report on the second Signal chat.

News of the second Signal chat follows days of turmoil at the Defence Department, after Hegseth fired Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll and reassigned his chief of staff, Joe Kasper.

Last week, Pentagon spokespeople said the chaos had resulted from a leak investigation.

A series of leaks about military planning for the Panama Canal and the Middle East, about a possible consolidation of the combatant commands, and about a classified China briefing for Elon Musk at the Pentagon had deeply rattled Hegseth by mid-March, sources told CNN.

So he and Kasper launched a leak probe, complete with polygraph tests.

Hegseth began to lash out and grew suspicious that senior military officials, as well as some of his closest advisers, were leaking to undermine him, the sources added.

And they said the firings are just one symptom of the dysfunction that has enveloped Hegseth's office over the last five weeks, as leaks and infighting have left him increasingly suspicious of even his closest longtime advisers.

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Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll wrote Saturday in a joint statement that they are "incredibly disappointed by the manner in which our service at the Department of Defence ended" and denied leaking information.

"Unnamed Pentagon officials have slandered our character with baseless attacks on our way out the door," they wrote.

"All three of us served our country honourably in uniform — for two of us, this included deployments to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"And, based on our collective service, we understand the importance of information security and worked every day to protect it.

"At this time, we still have not been told what exactly we were investigated for, if there is still an active investigation, or if there was even a real investigation of 'leaks' to begin with."

Ullyot, who served as Hegseth's press secretary until earlier this month, also said Sunday that it is "not true" that Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll were fired for leaking sensitive information.

"While the Department said that it would conduct polygraph tests as part of the probe, not one of three has been given a lie detector test," Ullyot said.

"In fact, at least one of the three has told former colleagues straight out that investigators advised him he was about to be cleared officially of any wrongdoing.

Unfortunately, Hegseth's team has developed a habit of spreading flat-out, easily debunked falsehoods anonymously about their colleagues on their way out the door."

Hegseth has also grown increasingly concerned about the inspector general's investigation into his use of Signal, the sources said.

Caldwell, Selnick and Carroll expect to be interviewed as part of that probe, the sources added.

The turmoil has raised more concerns about Hegseth's judgement and priorities among current and former officials, and comes as the Pentagon is executing a major military operation in the Middle East against the Houthis, moving assets to the region in the event of a wider war between Israel and Iran, and surging troops and equipment to the southern border.

"Even strong backers of the secretary like me must admit: The last month has been a full-blown meltdown at the Pentagon — and it's becoming a real problem for the administration," Ullyot said.

Federal election day on May 3 is creeping closer but many Australian voters have the option to head to the polls early, either via postal vote or at an early voting centre.

Early voting starts tomorrow on April 22, 2025 – the Tuesday after Easter.

It's Australian law that pre-polling doesn't begin more than 12 days before election day.

READ MORE: The severe penalties on the table for anyone caught voting twice in the election

Thousands of early voting centres will be open after Easter, so here's how and where to cast your vote so you don't miss out.

Search for your nearest early voting centre in our interactive below:

How to vote early 

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website has a handy guide for those who want to vote before election day.

You are eligible to vote early if you tick any of the following boxes:

• You will be travelling
• Are outside the electorate you are enrolled to vote
• Are located more than 8km from a polling centre
• Are working and can't leave to vote
• Are seriously ill or in hospital
• Are about to give birth
• Have religious reasons you cant vote on May 3
• Are in prison
• Are afraid for your safety
• Are a silent elector (meaning your address can't be included on the electoral role)

On the AEC website, you need to put in your postcode and it will bring up a list of early voting centres near your electorate.

For example, the postcode 2000 in Sydney brings up 12 early voting locations within a short distance.

Most voting centres are open between 8.30am and 5.30pm and operate like normal voting booths.

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What if I need a postal vote?

Postal voters need to apply before 6pm on April 30. You can do that via this link.

If you are voting this way, you can fill out the pack and send it on as soon as you recieve it in the mail.

Postal voters are also allowed to vote on May 3.

Telephone voting

Australian voters who are blind or have low vision can vote early using the AEC's telephone voting service.

This will be in operation from April 22.

You need to fulfil strict eligibility criteria to access this service.

Fun fact: Australians stationed in Antarctica vote this way.

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.

In her 28 years working for the federal government, Shea Giagnorio provided daycare for the children of US soldiers, training for employees and oversight for safety net programs.

Public service took her from Germany to Alaska to Kansas City, Missouri, where she moved last year for a long-sought promotion.

But when she reported to a downtown federal building for work one day last month, her access card did not work. After a co-worker let her into the building, she checked her email: her entire office had been let go in the latest mass firing ordered by President Donald Trump’s administration.

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The 46-year-old single mum has cancelled her apartment lease, is selling her new furniture and may have to pull her daughter out of college. She wonders what will happen to the at-risk populations her team helped serve at the Administration for Children and Families, a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“Not only me, but all these peoples’ lives are turned upside down,” Giagnorio said.

The impact of the cuts by Trump appointees and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency can be found everywhere in the Kansas City metropolitan area, which has long been a major hub for federal agencies about 1600km away from Washington, DC.

Money once promised to the region for public health, environmental, diversity, food aid and an array of other programs has been axed, and thousands of local jobs are in jeopardy.

With nearly 30,000 workers, the federal government is the largest employer in the region. One longtime Kansas City economic researcher said the region could lose 6000 good-paying federal jobs, which in turn would wipe out thousands of others in service industries.

An IRS worker said thousands of her co-workers fear they will lose their jobs, even as they put in overtime processing tax refunds in a building so crowded that they struggle to find desks. Under pressure, hundreds more agreed this past week to retire early or take a buyout.

“It’s a kick in the stomach to people that are doing everything they can to meet what’s required of them,” said Shannon Ellis, a longtime IRS customer service representative and president of the union representing local workers.

By Thursday, at least 238 Kansas City workers had taken the buyout offers and were expected to leave the agency in coming weeks. Ellis noted many of those same workers had been told they were essential and required to work overtime during tax season, some seven days per week.

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A US Department of Agriculture grant revocation disrupted a historically black neighbourhood’s plan to expand its program growing fresh produce in a food desert. A nearby pantry reduced its monthly grocery allotment for those in need after federal cuts left food banks shorthanded.

Urban farmer Rosie Warren grew about a ton of fruits and vegetables last year in community gardens to help feed the Ivanhoe neighbourhood, where many black families were concentrated under housing segregation policies of much of the 20th century.

Warren harvested greens, potatoes and watermelons as part of an effort to address food insecurity and health concerns in a neighborhood challenged by blight, crime and poverty. She was ecstatic last fall when the USDA awarded the neighbourhood council a three-year, $US130,000 ($20grant to expand the gardens and farmers’ market serving the area.

In February, the council received a notice terminating the grant. The USDA had determined the award “no longer effectuates agency priorities regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and activities.”

“What do you do if you don’t support providing access to food to people who don’t have it? Wouldn’t this make your job easier?” she said. “I think it’s absurd. It doesn’t make any sense.”

The withdrawal of federal funding for new lab equipment and vaccines means the city may be less prepared for the next pandemic.

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The Kansas City Health Department’s laboratory is badly in need of an upgrade, with equipment dating to when the building opened in the 1990s.

One basement space is water damaged and rarely used. Another has equipment that is so inadequate that the city has to ship samples to a state laboratory 150 miles away, causing inefficiencies, agonizing waits for results and delayed response times.

But the funding for lab upgrades was abruptly eliminated last month as part of the Trump administration’s $US11.4 billion cancellation of federal grants to states for public health.

An HHS spokesperson said the agency's downsizing, including cutting jobs and consolidating divisions, would save money and make the organisation more efficient. As for the $US11.4 billion in grant funding cuts, the spokesperson said, “HHS will no longer waste billions of taxpayer dollars responding to a nonexistent pandemic that Americans moved on from years ago.”

The IRS has offered a similar rationale for its downsizing, saying it is making process improvements that will ultimately more efficiently serve the public.

Musk said last year that Trump’s budget cuts would cause a “temporary hardship” that would soon put the economy on stronger footing.

One local economic researcher said it remained unclear just how deep that hardship would be in Kansas City, including whether it would just slow growth or cause population losses.

“It's a big burden that’s being placed on a narrow group of people,” said Frank Lenk, director of the Office of Economic Development at the Mid-America Regional Council, a non-profit of city and county governments in the Kansas City region. “It will definitely take some of the steam out of the local economy."

Trump has credited DOGE with helping end “the flagrant waste of taxpayer dollars,” saving billions to help improve the nation’s finances.

The White House didn't respond to questions about Kansas City. But Trump said recently he would invite the Kansas City Chiefs to the White House to make up for a 2020 Super Bowl victory celebration that was canceled during the pandemic.

Building owner says everyone in the community believes they know who the digger driver is.

Ernestina Bonsu-Maru kept the money from one commission instead of paying her models.