Local medics working with the community and DoC rangers to refloat dozens of pilot whales.

Peter Yealands has died at 76 leaving a lasting legacy in wine.

A group of 13 men, including two minors, have been charged as part of the largest-ever cocaine bust in Australian history.

Police seized a whopping 2.34 tonnes of cocaine with an estimated street value of $760 million from a vessel off the coast of Queensland on Saturday.

The Australian Federal Police, Queensland Police and Australian Border Force arrested the men on the vessel and several others on-shore during the joint drug investigation.

READ MORE: Tupperware reportedly winding up operations in Australia after filing for bankruptcy

The operation, named Operation Tyrrendor, began in November following a tip-off that the Comanchero bikie gang was allegedly planning to import drugs into the country.

Police tracked a fishing boat as it travelled out to sea to meet a mothership which allegedly had the huge vat of cocaine on board.

The boat was intercepted before it returned to the Queensland coastline.

It became stranded off the north-east tip of K'gari over a suspected mechanical issue.

A search of the boat uncovered 51 bales containing 40kg of a white substance in individual 1kg blocks, police said.

The estimated gross weight for the suspected cocaine, which is awaiting tests, is 2.34 tonnes.

This makes it the largest amount of cocaine seized by the AFP.

READ MORE: Treasure hunt for five chests worth $3 million hidden around US

Police made multiple arrests at sea and again on-shore in Bundaberg and Brisbane.

The 11 men, aged between 20 and 57, and two juveniles are alleged to be members of the criminal syndicate.

Police will allege one of the men arrested on Saturday was the vice-president of the Comanchero's Brisbane chapter. 

All were charged with one count of conspiracy to import a commercial quantity of border-controlled drugs, which carries a maximum penalty of life behind bars.

The men are expected to appear in courts in Brisbane today.

READ MORE: Police launch fresh appeal over mystery body found in suburban lake

"We know that criminals go to extreme lengths, and often risk their own lives, to smuggle drugs into Australia with no regard to the harm they cause to Australian communities," AFP Commander Stephen Jay said. 

"This alleged attempt to collect more than two tonnes of cocaine from the ocean shows that criminals will do anything for their own greed and profit."  

Jay added: "Let these arrests serve as a warning to those criminal syndicates plotting attempts to bring illicit substances into our country, we stand together ready to act and disrupt your criminal activities, together with our law enforcement partners."  

A man aged in his 60s has been rushed to hospital after being attacked by a shark off the Queensland coast.

He was bitten by the shark at Curtis Island near Gladstone about 8.25am today and suffered lacerations and abrasions on both arms and a hand.

Paramedics rushed to the site as local water police helped return him to shore.

READ MORE: Man pursued through four countries before 50-plus charges laid

The man was taken to Gladstone Hospital in a stable condition.

Fisheries Queensland has been advised of the incident and is working with authorities to provide any assistance as required.

"Our thoughts are with the injured man and anyone who witnessed the incident, as well as those who assisted at the scene," a spokesperson said.

READ MORE: Man accused of throwing rock at police car and spitting on officer

There are no shark nets or drumlines at the site of the attack.

There is no further information on the circumstances around the incident or the species of shark responsible. 

Fisheries Queensland advises people to swim in clear water away from fishers, keep fish waste out of swimming areas, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk, not to swim alone and swim between the flags at patrolled beaches.

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Need a job that makes you smile? According to job seeker platform Indeed, this careers will do just that.

The federal government has accepted more than 100 recommendations from the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide and promised major reform following the 3000-page-plus inquiry.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said today his government had initiated "one of the fastest responses in government" to a royal commission inquiry – the final report was released three months ago – and vowed there would be systemic change.

The PM revealed 104 of the 122 recommendations have been accepted, 17 have been selected for further consideration and one is not supported in part.

READ MORE: Iconic kitchen giant Tupperware pulls out of Australia

"We can't bring back those who we've lost but we can fight to stem this terrible epidemic and strive to bring it to an end," Albanese said.

"We have the deepest respect for every Australian who wears our nation's uniform.

"We will work tirelessly to improve the system and keep them safe."

As part of the government response, Albanese announced a new Defence and Veterans Service Commission would be established immediately.

READ MORE: House prices slow, sales fall as Aussie market leans into downturn

"My government will establish a new Defence and Veterans Service Commission, to undertake the most comprehensive reform to the culture, systems and processes across defence, the ADF, and the Department of Veterans' Affairs to prevent suicide and improve the mental health and wellbeing of service personnel and veterans," he said.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the Defence and Veterans Service Commission would begin work straight away.

He also gave special thanks to veterans advocate Julie-Ann Finney, who lost her son David to suicide in 2019.

Finney was integral in petitioning the government to hold a royal commission into veteran suicide.

"I thank Julie-Ann Finney, whose advocacy was at the heart of this royal commission occurring in the first place. But for her advocacy, this would not have happened," he said.

READ MORE: Biden pardons his son Hunter despite previous pledges not to

Among the recommendations backed by the federal government will be an independent inquiry into sexual violence within the Australian military.

The government has accepted sex offences such as stalking and abusively distributing intimate images should result in a mandatory discharge from service, subject to appeal.

"Sexual misconduct and unacceptable behaviour have no place in Defence," the government's published response to the royal commission said.

"The rates of sexual violence being reported in the ADF are completely unacceptable."

The only recommendation knocked back by the government was removing the "service differential" for permanent impairment compensation.

Albanese explained it was not supported as it allows for higher compensation for servicemen and women who are injured or sick during "operational type service" compared to during training.

"We regard that feature as being important. And that is why we have made the decision to maintain it," he said.

The Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide delivered its final report with 122 recommendations in September.

Veterans and their families had lobbied for an inquiry to take place for over a decade.

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

If you are a current or former ADF member, or a relative, and need counselling or support, you can contact the Defence All-Hours Support Line on 1800 628 036 or Open Arms on 1800 011 046.

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

President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, sparing the younger Biden a possible prison sentence for federal felony gun and tax convictions and reversing his past promises not to use the extraordinary powers of the presidency for the benefit of his family members.

The Democratic president had previously said he would not pardon his son or commute his sentence after his convictions in the two cases in Delaware and California.

The move comes weeks before Hunter Biden was set to receive his punishment after his trial conviction in the gun case and guilty plea on tax charges, and less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to the White House.

READ MORE: US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, convicted of all three felonies in federal gun trial

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It caps a long-running legal saga for the president’s son, who publicly disclosed he was under federal investigation in December 2020 — a month after Joe Biden’s 2020 victory.

In June, as his son Hunter was facing trial in the gun case in Delaware, Biden ruled out a pardon or clemency for his son in an interview with ABC News.

As recently as November 8, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre ruled out a pardon or clemency for the younger Biden, saying, “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is no.”

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In a statement released Sunday evening, Biden said, "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter," alleging that the prosecution of his son was politically motivated and a "miscarriage of justice."

"The charges in his cases came about only after several of my political opponents in Congress instigated them to attack me and oppose my election," Biden said.

"No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter's cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son."

"I hope Americans will understand why a father and a President would come to this decision," Biden added, claiming he made the decision this weekend.

The president had spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Nantucket, Massachusetts with Hunter and his family.

READ MORE: Trump makes a victor's return to Washington as he meets with Biden

He was convicted in June in Delaware federal court of three felonies for purchasing a gun in 2018 when, prosecutors said, he lied on a federal form by claiming he was not illegally using or addicted to drugs.

He was set to stand trial in September in the California case accusing him of failing to pay at least $1.4 million in taxes.

But he agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanour and felony charges in a surprise move hours after jury selection was set to begin.

Hunter Biden said he was pleading guilty in that case to spare his family more pain and embarrassment after the gun trial aired salacious details about his struggles with a crack cocaine addiction.

READ MORE: Harris allies blame Biden for resounding loss to Trump

The tax charges carry up to 17 years behind bars and the gun charges are punishable by up to 25 years in prison, though federal sentencing guidelines were expected to call for far less time and it was possible he would avoid prison time entirely.

Hunter Biden said in an emailed statement that he will never take for granted the relief granted to him and vowed to devote the life he has rebuilt "to helping those who are still sick and suffering."

"I have admitted and taken responsibility for my mistakes during the darkest days of my addiction – mistakes that have been exploited to publicly humiliate and shame me and my family for political sport," the younger Biden said.

A spokesperson for special counsel David Weiss, who brought the cases, did not respond to messages seeking comment Sunday night.

Bankrupt container giant Tupperware may have been saved from the brink of collapse but it seems the Australian operations have not been spared.

Tupperware has reportedly decided to wind up manufacturing and sales Down Under, potentially resulting in around 10,000 consultants and 300 warehouse staff losing their jobs.

Ben Fordham broke the news on 2GB and a listener claimed Tupperware production will now focus on core markets in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, India, Korea and Malaysia.

READ MORE: House prices slow, sales fall as Aussie market leans into downturn

It appears Australia has not been included in the mix.

Tupperware consultant Maria told Fordham the brand announced to team members it is "not proceeding" in Australia.

"They're only keeping eight countries open out of 70 and unfortunately Australia is not one of them," Maria claimed.

"We don't know a final date for Australia as of yet. We've been told we'll be paid all our commission and what we're owed, that's all we know."

https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/exclusive-tupperware-shutting-down-operations-in-a/embed

US-based company Party Products bought legacy brand Tupperware in October, marking a huge change for the 78-year-old food container company.

Tupperware kickstarted bankruptcy proceedings earlier this year after bosses claimed finances had been "severely impacted" by the economic environment.

Australia hosted its first-ever 'Tupperware party' back in 1961 and it has been distributed around the world.

It pulled operations out of New Zealand in 2022 following a decline in sales during COVID.

READ MORE: Police launch fresh appeal over mystery body found in suburban lake

Maria told Fordham consultants in Australia knew the famous food storage brand was doing it tough.

"Some of these women have made it their career, and they're the ones that I feel sorry for," she said.

"But the writing has been on the wall for us oldies. We've been in Tupperware for 15 years. 

"The writing has been on the wall for, I'd say, maybe four years."

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In a statement shared in late November, Tupperware's creditors at Party Products LLC said it will be "focused initially on offering Tupperware products in certain core markets throughout the globe".

"Operations in these global core markets will continue uninterrupted and customers will be able to purchase products from independent Tupperware sales consultants, Tupperware ecommerce sites and retail partners."

9news.com.au has contacted Tupperware Brands for comment.

A nationwide crackdown on social media is just one step in solving the hold it has on our kids, and enforceable laws are still a while away. 

So what can parents do in the meantime to make sure their children have a positive and safe online experience?

"Even us as adults have that hard time letting go of social media and putting our phones down," mother Melissa Stradiotto said.

READ MORE: Aussie kids banned from social media as critics slam 'sham' debate

"So how can we expect our children to have that same mental capacity…

"I wish we were without it to be honest with you."

Another Adelaide mother, whose 10-year-old daughter fell victim to online grooming and bullying, leading to a loss of self-worth, said she doesn't know how to deal with social media. 

"It's heartbreaking," she said.

"She doesn't see the reflection of life in the mirror, and that's terrifying."

She's not the only one who's struggling to tackle the dangers of social media.

"You don't want to disconnect them from their friends and social groups but you do get a bit worried about some of the things they do get exposed to," parent Brett Coshell said.

With any law changes to bar under-16s from social media still over a year away from taking effect, experts have offered advice for parents to regain control.

Acclaimed author Johann Hari has suggested locking phones away in a safe for part of the day.

"Start by having 15 minutes a day where you all put your phone in the phone jail, and you have to look into each others eyes like people did in the 19th century," he said.

Clinical psychologist Danielle Einstein, meanwhile, recommends practising "device discipline".

"When people between the ages of 17-25 reduced their social media use, reduced it to one hour a day, they had reductions in anxiety, in their depression in their fear of missing out, so we can do this," she said.

Parents can also use the tools provided by social media platforms. 

READ MORE: Revealed: What apps will and won't be covered by social media ban

TikTok's Family Pairing allows parents to set screen time limits and pause notifications, while Snapchat enables parents to monitor their children's chats. 

Meta's Family Centre offers additional safety information.

Engaging with children and understanding their online world is crucial as well.

"Participate, don't just police," Dolly's Dream CEO Sarah Davies said. 

"So actually talk to your child, play with them, get online with them, partner with them and walk alongside them in their digital worlds so that we get to understand, we learn the language, we can see what they are doing. 

"Build the trust and then talk to your children."

Parents can seek guidance from resources like the eSafety Commissioner's website and the Carly Ryan Foundation. 

Despite the challenges, experts remain optimistic that online dangers can be managed.

"The entire internet has existed for less than 10,000, we can fix this stuff if we want to, we can put it right," Hari said.

Support is available from the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees says it is halting aid deliveries through the main cargo crossing into the war-ravaged Gaza Strip because of the threat of armed gangs who have looted recent convoys. It blamed the breakdown of law and order in large part on Israeli policies.

Sunday's decision could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as the cold, rainy winter sets in, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in squalid tent camps and reliant on international food aid. Experts were already warning of famine in the territory's north, which Israeli forces have almost completely isolated since early October.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the main aid provider in Gaza, said the route leading to the Kerem Shalom crossing is too dangerous on the Gaza side. Armed men looted nearly 100 trucks travelling on the route in mid-November, and he said gangs stole a smaller shipment on Saturday.

Kerem Shalom is the only crossing between Israel and Gaza that is designed for cargo shipments and has been the main artery for aid deliveries since the Rafah crossing with Egypt was shut down in May. Last month, nearly two-thirds of all aid entering Gaza came through Kerem Shalom, and in previous months it accounted for an even larger amount, according to Israeli figures.

In a post on X, Lazzarini largely blamed Israel for the breakdown of humanitarian operations in Gaza, citing "political decisions to restrict the amounts of aid", lack of safety on aid routes and Israel's targeting of the Hamas-run police force, which had previously provided public security.

There was no immediate comment from Israel on the decision.

Israel says it allows enough aid into Gaza and blames UNRWA and other agencies for failing to deliver it. It accuses UNRWA of having allowed Hamas to infiltrate its ranks — allegations denied by the UN agency — and passed legislation to sever ties with it last month.

Israeli strikes kill at least six people, including children

Israeli strikes in Gaza, meanwhile, killed at least six people overnight, including two young children, ages six and eight, in the tent where their family was sheltering, medical officials said on Sunday.

The strike in the Muwasi area, a sprawling tent camp housing hundreds of thousands of displaced people, also wounded the children's mother and their 8-month-old sister, according to nearby Nasser Hospital. An Associated Press reporter at the hospital saw the bodies.

A separate strike in the southern city of Rafah, on the border with Egypt, killed four men, according to hospital records.

The Israeli military said it was not aware of strikes in either location. Israel says it only targets militants and tries to avoid harming civilians, but its daily strikes across Gaza often kill women and children.

In a separate development, a projectile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen set off air raid sirens in central Israel. The Israeli military said it intercepted the projectile before it entered Israeli territory. The Houthis said they fired a ballistic missile at the northern Israeli city of Haifa.

Former defence minister accuses Israel of war crimes

A former top Israeli general and defence minister has accused the government of ethnic cleansing in northern Gaza, where Israeli forces have been waging the latest in a series of offensives against Hamas since early October.

The army has sealed off the northern towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya, and the Jabaliya refugee camp, and allowed almost no humanitarian aid to enter. Tens of thousands of people have fled, while the United Nations estimates up to 75,000 remain.

Moshe Yaalon, who served as defence minister under Benjamin Netanyahu before quitting in 2016 and becoming a fierce critic of the prime minister, said the current far-right government is determined to "occupy, to annex, to ethnically cleanse".

Pressed by an interviewer with a local news outlet on Saturday, he said: "There is no Beit Lahiya. No Beit Hanoun. (They are) operating now in Jabaliya, and (they) are actually cleaning the territory of Arabs."

Yaalon doubled down on the remarks on Sunday in an interview with Israeli radio, saying "war crimes are being committed here".

Netanyahu's Likud party criticised his earlier remarks, accusing him of making "false statements" that are "a prize for the International Criminal Court and the camp of Israel haters".

The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu, another former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas commander, accusing them of crimes against humanity. The International Court of Justice is investigating allegations of genocide against Israel.

Israel rejects the allegations and says both courts are biased against it.

Israel says Gaza ceasefire talks resume 'behind the scenes'

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around people 250 hostage. Some 100 captives are still being held inside Gaza, around two-thirds of whom are believed to be alive.

Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,429 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

Israel reached a ceasefire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militants last week that has largely held, but that agreement, brokered by the United States and France, did not address the ongoing war in Gaza. Iran — which supports Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and armed groups in Syria and Iraq — has exchanged fire with Israel twice this year.

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent much of the past year trying to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the remaining hostages, but those efforts stalled as Israel rejected Hamas' demand for a complete withdrawal from the territory. The Biden administration has said it will make another push for a deal in its final weeks in office.

"There are negotiations taking place behind the scenes, and it can be done," Israel's mostly ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, said Sunday.

He spoke after meeting with Yael Alexander, whose son, Israeli-American Edan Alexander, is being held by Hamas and appeared in a recent video released by the militants.

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the wars in the Middle East, without saying how. He was a staunch defender of Israel and its policies toward the Palestinians during his previous term.

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