Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton have paused their federal election campaigns for a rare united display with their Easter addresses, a day after independent MP Bob Katter delivered a very different kind of message.

Both the prime minister and opposition leader issued Easter messages during the holiday weekend after a busy three weeks of campaigning ahead of the federal election.

"Whether you're reflecting, taking a break, spending time with family and friends or getting the kids ready for an Easter egg hunt, this is a wonderful time of the year," the PM said today.

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"So however you're spending this weekend, may it be everything you want it to be."

Albanese also thanked those working hard across the long weekend, including the country's first responders.

"If you're working, whether you're keeping us safe or playing your part in keeping our great country running, thank you for all that you do," he added.

Dutton, meanwhile, labelled Easter a time for "reflection" on the ties that "bind our nation together".

The opposition leader said he'd be joining millions of other Aussies in taking "time to rest, recharge and spend time with those we love".

Dutton's message comes after spending yesterday meeting voters at the Sydney Easter Show with his wife Kirilly, where Albanese also visited.

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"The Easter story is one of faith, renewal and enduring hope," Dutton said in his message released today.

"Whether you're attending a church service, hosting a family lunch, or enjoying a quiet moment with a hot cross bun and a cup of tea, Easter also reminds us of the values that help bind our nation together – service, kindness, compassion and grace."

The 54-year-old spoke about indulging in fun times across the holiday weekend, before thanking those who are giving up time with their own families to help others.

"There's plenty to look forward to this weekend – from chocolate eggs and the Easter Bunny, to a few games of footy and the joy of watching the kids race around the backyard," he said.

"Thank you to all those working through the weekend – especially our paramedics, nurses, police, firefighters and defence personnel – who give up time with their own families to serve others."

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The message of hope and compassion comes a day after Dutton's Arana Hills electorate office, north-west of Brisbane, was vandalised.

Queensland Police are investigating after the words "maggot" and "scum" were written in black paint across the outside the Dickson MP's office.

Pre-polling in the May 3 election begins as soon as the Easter break ends, opening on Tuesday.

Katter takes aim at supermarkets in Easter address

Independent MP Bob Katter took aim at the supermarket giants in an Easter message of his own, shared to Instagram yesterday.

Katter began his video by reminding followers of the religious aspect of the Easter holiday – but then launched straight into a tirade about Coles and Woolworths.

"It's Easter time, guess who's making all the money? Woolworths and Coles," he said.

"We had a beautiful little pop-out, a nativity scene of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the stable, and we gave it out to all the supermarkets in Cairns, and all the independents all put it up, and Woolworths and Coles refused to put it up."

"So I'll tell you what happened to the money changers in the temple," Katter added.

"They burnt in hell, and there's a message for the likes of Woolworths and Coles."

The politician expanded on his message in the caption, claiming the supermarkets refused to display his religious paraphernalia.

"Woolworths and Coles will very happily make squillions from Easter and Christmas but do you think they'd dare acknowledge the reason for the season?" he continued.

"Sounds a lot to me like the bankers and money changers in the temple."

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Longtime NASA astronaut Don Pettit, who has ventured to space four times, is due to return to Earth soon from the International Space Station.

An Australian expat running a cafe in Canada is celebrating after being given the green light to serve Vegemite after a brief ban on the pantry staple.

Australian-Canadian cafe owner Leighton Walters was ordered to stop selling the spread due to the added vitamin B in the product, which goes against Canada's food regulations.

Now, he's speaking out after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) yesterday ruled Walters can serve Vegemite in his Toronto cafe – and he has Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to thank for it.

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"This is a massive win for us as a small business. We are so proudly Australian and we are so grateful to every single one of you that gave us words of encouragement and support," Walters told Today this morning.

"This little thing," he added, holding a jar of Vegemite.

"Who would have thought it would be such a massive point of contention?"

The fight to keep serving Vegemite was aided by Albanese, who Walters said "opened doors" for the CFIA to backflip on its ruling.

"Of course the PM did a fantastic job kind of opening doors, getting it in the conversation and honestly, as an Aussie expat on the other side of the world, just building their dream coffee shop it's very easy to feel far from home," he added.

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"And so this whole experience has basically made me feel right at home all over again. It's given me a taste of Aussie culture that you guys actually care about us."

Walters said he has received hundreds of messages from fellow expats who also wanted a taste of home in Canada.

The most popular Vegemite-infused cafe treat are his cheesy scrolls.

"We sell thousands of them every month, and so we're glad that we're not going to go to jail for serving them," Walters laughed.

Albanese earlier described the food authority's latest decision as "a win for Australian industry".

"It's also a win for those people in Canada who get to enjoy this wonderful product that is so much a part of Australian culture and indeed, Australian pride as well," Albanese said.

"I can report after the discussions that my government has had with the Government of Canada, and I want to thank (Canadian Prime Minister) Mark Carney and his office and his team for ensuring that the Australian cafe owner Leighton Walters can once again have Vegemite back in his cafe, back on the agenda.

"Happy Easter to all those happy little Vegemites out there."

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Russian President Vladimir Putin declared a brief Easter ceasefire in his war with Ukraine, a declaration met with scepticism in Kyiv as reports emerged of the Kremlin's forces continuing with their attacks.

Putin said "all hostilities" would halt between 6pm Moscow time on Saturday (1am AEDT) and midnight on Monday (7am AEDT).

"We assume that the Ukrainian side will follow our example," he said, adding that the truce would help Russia determine how sincere Kyiv is about wanting to reach a ceasefire.

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However, just hours after the announcement, Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of continuing to fight.

"According to the report of the commander-in-chief, Russian assault operations continue in some parts of the frontline and Russian artillery continues to fire," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an address on Saturday night.

Kyiv has responded to the truce declaration with scepticism, with Zelenskyy pointing out that Putin still has not agreed to a US-led proposal for 30 days of ceasefire.

"If Russia is now suddenly ready to actually join the format of complete and unconditional silence, Ukraine will act in a mirror image, as it will on the Russian side. Silence in response to silence, strikes in defence of strikes," Zelenskyy said, calling for the Easter truce to be extended to 30 days.

"This will show Russia's true intentions, because 30 hours is enough for headlines, but not for real confidence-building measures. Thirty days can give peace a chance," he said.

The timing of the announcement also sparked some questions – coming one day after the Trump administration indicated it was running out of patience with Russia and Ukraine, and just hours after Russia's Defense Ministry announced its forces had pushed Ukrainian troops from one of their last remaining footholds in Russia's Kursk region, where the Ukrainians staged a surprise incursion last year.

"Unfortunately, we have had a long history of (Putin's) statements not matching his actions… Russia can agree at any time to the proposal for a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which has been on the table since March," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X.

Attacks continue, say Ukrainian officials

The head of Kherson's regional military administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said on Saturday evening local time that a high-rise building in the Dniprovskyi district of Kherson had caught fire after being struck by drones.

Russian drones also attacked the villages of Urozhayne and Stanislav, he said.

"Unfortunately, we do not observe any ceasefire. The shelling continues and civilians are under attack again," Prokudin said.

"This is another confirmation that Russia has nothing sacred."

CNN has reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.

Air raid sirens sounded in Kyiv and several other regions soon after Putin's announcement, with the city's military administration warning of a Russian drone attack. Officials urged people not to leave shelters until the alert was over.

Andrii Kovalenko, who heads the Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation, a government body, said on Telegram at 7pm local time that "the Russians continue to fire in all directions".

Moscow and Kyiv are currently on the same time.

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Ukrainian troops at three separate locations along the front lines told CNN that as of 8pm Saturday, there was no sign of fighting easing.

There have been no pauses in the conflict since Russia launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The sudden nature of Putin's announcement and the short duration of the proposed truce gave Kyiv little room to prepare or maneuver.

Many Ukrainian troops participating in ongoing assaults or reconnaissance missions would have been in position already, as any moves are typically made during the night due to the threat from Russian troops.

Ukraine has previously been sceptical about such temporary pauses in conflict, having rejected a temporary ceasefire in January 2023 believing that Russia had ulterior motives in calling for a stop to the fighting, such as using the pause to bring in more troops.

The 2023 truce was similarly announced by Putin to coincide with a holiday – this time with Orthodox Easter, back then with Orthodox Christmas.

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A key moment

Putin's announcement comes at a pivotal time for the war.

As well as in Kursk, fighting continues along the eastern front line, which has barely moved in the past three years as neither side has been able to make significant gains.

While Ukraine has recently managed to push Russian troops back from areas around Toretsk, Russia has been inching forward near Kupyansk, Lyman and Kurakhove, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a US-based conflict monitor.

Separately, the two sides conducted one of the largest prisoner exchanges of the conflict on Saturday.

According to Zelenskyy, 277 captured Ukrainian soldiers were returned home. The Russian Defence Ministry said it had swapped 246 captured Ukrainian soldiers for the same number of Russian troops, and that as a "gesture of goodwill" Russia also exchanged 31 wounded Ukrainian troops for 15 wounded Russian servicemen.

As with previous exchanges, the swap was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.

At the same time, US-led peace efforts are stuttering as Moscow continues to stall, having previously rejected the US proposal for a 30-day ceasefire.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned that the US was ready to "move on" within days from efforts to bring peace to Ukraine, if there were no tangible signs of progress.

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A man is recovering in hospital following a death-defying first date in the Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland.

The climber plunged 30 metres, sparking a major emergency rescue, which all unfolded in front of the girl he was trying to win over.

Scenes that should have resembled a rom-com quickly turned into an action film, after the first date took an unlikely turn on the Sunshine Coast.

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The pair set off for a romantic Easter weekend hike yesterday, free-climbing the rock face, until the 27-year-old man slipped, falling 30 metres down Mt Beerwah.

"Yeah, quite a significant fall and mechanics of injury are high," Queensland Fire Department's Luke Champman told 9News.

It isn't what falling head over heels is supposed to look like, with his fall leading to a multi-agency response, with emergency crews scaling cliffs with gear in hand.

"They were able to package the patient in conjunction with QAS (Queensland Ambulance Services) and move him to a location that was suitable to be winched/extricated by a helicopter," Champman said.

The hiker was found unresponsive, suffering severe head and pelvic injuries.

"He's really lucky," Jeff Bradfield from Queensland Ambulance Services told 9News.

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A group of army reserves on a training walk witnessed the man fall, rushing to the bottom of the cliff to help.

"They were able to render first aid pretty much immediately to the casualties and provide us good location details," Champman said.

His date lent a hand to first responders, as a rescue helicopter flew in and winched him to safety.

She's now by his side at the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, where her date is in a stable condition, receiving treatment for his injuries – and, perhaps, a bruised ego.

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Video shows debris scattered in all directions.

TV personalities, models and members of the world have fashion have paid tribute to renowned Australian fashion designer Aurelio Costarella, who has died at the age of 60.

The self-taught fashion guru's designs featured on runways across Australia, London, Paris and New York.

Costarella had been battling a rare brain disease before his death.

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Costarella "peacefully left this world this morning to begin his journey to a new one" the announcement on social media told friends and followers.

"Sending love to all whose hearts he had touched."

Fellow Australian fashion designer Toni Maticevski shared his shock with a comment on the post.

"Oh no. Dear Aurelio rest in peace dear friend," he wrote.

He wasn't the only one paying tribute.

"How terribly sad," The Block's Shaynna Blaze commented. "Such a talent that we all adore seeing his framing the celebration of women."

Australian model Kate Peck also shared her thoughts on the "devastating" news.

"I have one of your paintings hanging on my wall. Forever in my heart and my house," she wrote to him.

Comedian and TV personality Julia Morris has worn dresses by the designer and remembered him fondly

"I am so very sad and sorry to hear this news," she said.

"From fittings in the early mid 90's to Logies gowns over the years… Aurelio was a brilliant and generous artist and designer but even more so, a gentleman of note."

Costarella's designs were worn by trailblazers in their own right including Rhianna, Tyra Banks, Dannii Minogue and Julia Gillard.  

The Perth-born designer was a reflection of many immigrant families.

His father came to Australia in 1956 with a suitcase and $20, where he worked for four years to earn enough money to bring his family over.

Inspired by his mother, Costarella sewed his first garment at the age of 10 before he later became a household name and global success.

His designs featured on runways in London, Paris and New York, which he achieved without moving away from Australia.

In addition to his achievements in the fashion world, Costarella became a proud ambassador for Lifeline WA, after he was diagnosed with depression and anxiety.

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The US Supreme Court on Saturday blocked, for now, the deportations of any Venezuelans held in northern Texas under an 18th century wartime law.

In a brief order, the court directed the Trump administration not to remove Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet Detention Centre “until further order of this court.”

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

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The high court acted in an emergency appeal from the American Civil Liberties Union contending that immigration authorities appeared to be moving to restart removals under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

The Supreme Court had said earlier in April that deportations could proceed only if those about to be removed had a chance to argue their case in court and were given “a reasonable time” to contest their pending removals.

“We are deeply relieved that the Court has temporarily blocked the removals.

These individuals were in imminent danger of spending the rest of their lives in a brutal Salvadoran prison without ever having had any due process," ACLU lawyer Lee Gelernt said in an email.

On Friday, two federal judges refused to step in as lawyers for the men launched a desperate legal campaign to prevent their deportation, even as one judge said the case raised legitimate concerns.

Early Saturday, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to issue an order protecting the detainees from being deported.

The administration is expected to return to the Supreme Court quickly in an effort to persuade the justices to lift their temporary order.

The ACLU had already sued to block deportations of two Venezuelans held in the Bluebonnet facility and sought an order barring removals of any immigrants in the region under the Alien Enemies Act.

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In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan men held there of being members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which would make them subject to President Donald Trump's use of the act.

The act has only been invoked three previous times in US history, most recently during World War II to hold Japanese-American civilians in internment camps.

The Trump administration contended it gave them power to swiftly remove immigrants they identified as members of the gang, regardless of their immigration status.

Following the unanimous high court order on April 9, federal judges in Colorado, New York and southern Texas promptly issued orders barring removal of detainees under the AEA until the administration provides a process for them to make claims in court.

But there had been no such order issued in the area of Texas that covers Bluebonnet, which is located 24 miles north of Abilene in the far northern end of the state.

US District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, a Trump appointee, this week declined to bar the administration from removing the two men identified in the ACLU lawsuit because Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed sworn declarations that they would not be immediately deported.

He also balked at issuing a broader order prohibiting removal of all Venezuelans in the area under the act because he said removals hadn't started yet.

But the ACLU's Friday filing included sworn declarations from three separate immigration lawyers who said their clients in Bluebonnet were given paperwork indicating they were members of Tren de Aragua and could be deported by Saturday.

In one case, immigration lawyer Karene Brown said her client, identified by initials, was told to sign papers in English even though the client only spoke Spanish.

“ICE informed F.G.M. that these papers were coming from the President, and that he will be deported even if he did not sign it,” Brown wrote.

Gelernt said in a Friday evening hearing before District Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, DC, that the administration initially moved Venezuelans to its south Texas immigration facility for deportation.

But since a judge banned deportations in that area, it has funneled them to the Bluebonnet facility, where no such order exists. He said witnesses reported the men were being loaded on buses Friday evening to be taken to the airport.

With Hendrix not agreeing to the ACLU's request for an emergency order, the group turned to Boasberg, who initially halted deportations in March.

The Supreme Court ruled the orders against deportation could only come from judges in jurisdictions where immigrants were held, which Boasberg said made him powerless Friday.

“I’m sympathetic to everything you’re saying,” Boasberg told Gelernt.

“I just don’t think I have the power to do anything about it.”

Boasberg this week found there's probable cause that the Trump administration committed criminal contempt by disobeying his initial deportation ban.

He was concerned that the paper that ICE was giving those held did not make clear they had a right to challenge their removal in court, which he believed the Supreme Court mandated.

Drew Ensign, an attorney for the Justice Department, disagreed, saying that people slated for deportation would have a “minimum” of 24 hours to challenge their removal in court.

He said no flights were scheduled for Friday night and he was unaware of any Saturday, but the Department of Homeland Security said it reserved the right to remove people then.

ICE said it would not comment on the litigation.

Also Friday, a Massachusetts judge made permanent his temporary ban on the administration deporting immigrants who have exhausted their appeals to countries other than their home countries unless they are informed of their destination and given a chance to object if they'd face torture or death there.

Some Venezuelans subject to Trump's Alien Enemies Act have been sent to El Salvador and housed in its notorious main prison.

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The thunderstorms were expected to be accompanied by ‘torrential rain’.

NZDF members laid poppies and held a moment of silence for the uncovered remains.