Hīkoi mō te Tiriti protester numbers are expected to swell.

Fire crews were quickly on the scene and it appeared to be under control within minutes.

Rawiri Waititi defends party’s MP after she copped criticism from Shane Jones.

Emma Upton combines passion for running and charity.

Hīkoi mō te Tiriti reaches Hawke’s Bay on Friday afternoon.

The massive sculpture, named Homage to Will, was being used as a temporary shelter.

President-elect Donald Trump has picked Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his next secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, a choice that would add to Trump's list of provocative picks whose confirmation processes will test the loyalty of Senate Republicans.

Trump on Thursday announced the selection, confirming CNN's earlier reporting, saying he was thrilled to share the pick.

"The Safety and Health of all Americans is the most important role of any Administration, and HHS will play a big role in helping ensure that everybody will be protected from harmful chemicals, pollutants, pesticides, pharmaceutical products, and food additives that have contributed to the overwhelming Health Crisis in this Country," Trump said in a post on X.

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"Mr. Kennedy will restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!"

Kennedy, who accepted the offer Thursday, has been in Palm Beach, Florida, for several days following the election.

The move, first reported on by Politico, is a notable one given that only days before the election, Trump's transition co-chair Howard Lutnick told CNN that Kennedy was "not getting a job for HHS."

"He would not be in charge of HHS?" he was asked on "The Source with Kaitlan Collins."

"No," Lutnick said, "of course not."

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That answer set off an internal uproar in Trump's orbit, with Trump making clear to Kennedy that he would make the ultimate decisions.

Kennedy has been one of the nation's most prominent anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists for years and has frequently spread false conspiracy theories about the safety and efficacy of vaccines.

He launched his own presidential bid last year – first as a Democratic challenger to President Joe Biden, then as an independent – focused largely on reversing "the chronic disease epidemic." He proposed numerous policies aimed to overhaul food safety and environmental guidelines, promote holistic medicines and restructure public funding for vaccine research.

In the final days of Kennedy's campaign, he met with Trump on multiple occasions, in which the two discussed the possibility of him endorsing Trump in exchange for a role in his administration. Kennedy suspended his campaign in August and endorsed Trump that same day.

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In October, Trump teased Kennedy would oversee a public health portfolio while speaking at a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City, telling the audience he would let Kennedy "go wild on health," "go wild on the food" and "go wild on medicines" if reelected.

Since Election Day, Kennedy has pledged to take major steps to reshape the nation's public health guidelines. Last week, Kennedy he would "immediately" begin studying vaccine safety and efficacy but promised to not "take vaccines away from anybody."

He also committed to formally recommending states and municipalities remove fluoride from public water.

Kennedy has also floated significant employee turnover at public health agencies. He said in an interview with MSNBC that he would cut workers in "the nutrition departments" at the US Food and Drug Administration.

While speaking at a conference in Arizona on Saturday, Kennedy proposed replacing 600 officials at the National Institutes of Health with hand-picked staff.

In an interview with NPR News following the election, Kennedy laid out his areas of focus in Trump's administration.

"President Trump has given me three instructions," Kennedy said.

"He wants the corruption and the conflicts out of the regulatory agencies. He wants to return the agencies to the gold standard, empirically-based, evidence-based, science and medicine that they were once famous for. And he wants to end the chronic disease epidemic with measurable impacts on a diminishment of chronic disease within two years."

Israel's military ground operation in southern Lebanon has been expanded, the country's Defence Minister Israel Katz said.

Katz did not clarify when the decision to expand operations was taken and did not offer any details on what the expansion entails.

Israel launched what it described as a "limited ground operation" to expel Hezbollah from southern Lebanon early last month.

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"We have expanded the ground manoeuvre in southern Lebanon and we are operating against Hezbollah targets in the Dahiyeh district in Beirut and wherever necessary," Katz told soldiers on Wednesday during his first visit to Israel's Northern Command.

There were nearly 20 Israeli airstrikes against what the Israeli military described as Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Beirut on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The newly appointed defence minister maintained that Israel will not agree to "any ceasefires."

"We will not take our foot off the pedal," Katz said, adding that Israel will not "agree to any deal that does not ensure the disarmament of Hezbollah and its withdrawal across the Litani River – and especially Israel's right to enforce … and act against any terrorist activity and organisation."

The Litani river is about 20km from Israel's northern border.

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Despite the Israeli ground operation into southern Lebanon, Hezbollah has maintained a daily barrage of rockets against parts of northern Israel and continues to launch drones against Israeli cities.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said about 50 projectiles were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israel on Wednesday.

Hezbollah on Wednesday said it had carried out at least 20 attacks against Israel and its troops in Lebanon with drones, missiles, and rockets, saying its actions were "in support of our steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip … and in defence of Lebanon and its people."

Hezbollah's Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Wednesday praised the militant group's fighters for their support in a handwritten letter published online.

The letter comes after the group's members expressed support over the weekend for his leadership. Qassem was named the group's new leader in late October, a month after his predecessor Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike.

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Growing toll on civilians

Israel's offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon continues to exact a heavy toll on civilians. Airstrikes on several towns across Lebanon have killed at least 20 children since Sunday, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

In the town of Joun in southern Lebanon, at least eight children were killed on Tuesday, the ministry said. A separate attack on Tuesday killed at two children in Baalchmay, southeast of Beirut.

On Wednesday, an Israeli attack in the village of Dawhet Aramoun, south of Beirut, left three children dead. On Sunday, an Israeli strike in the village of Aalmat, north of Beirut, left seven children dead.

The Israeli military told CNN on Thursday that it has been "operating to defend Israel's northern border, striking military targets in order to counter the continuing threat Hezbollah poses to Israeli homes and families," since cross-border hostilities escalated on October 8, 2023.

"Hezbollah has continued to escalate its attacks against Israel, firing over 16,000 rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, killing civilians and displacing tens of thousands from their homes," the IDF said, adding that it makes "great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage."

The number of children killed in Lebanon over the past 50 days now accounts for 80 per cent of all children killed in the past year, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said Wednesday in a post on X.

"Children in Lebanon are enduring the deadliest phase of this war," he added.

As of Tuesday, at least 2683 people had been killed and 12,144 injured in Lebanon since mid-September when Israel stepped up its campaign against Hezbollah, according to a CNN tally of health ministry figures. The health ministry numbers do not distinguish between combatants and civilians.

Katz's announcement about expanding Israel's ground operation also comes as the military confirmed the death of six Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. This marks one of the deadliest days for Israeli troops in Lebanon since the start of the ground incursion on October 1.

The deadliest day so far was on October 2, when eight soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon.

Those killed on Wednesday were all from the Golani brigade – regarded as an elite infantry unit – and included a platoon commander, a squad commander, a squad sergeant, and three soldiers, the IDF said.

At least 41 Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon since the start of Israel's ground incursion on October 1, according to a CNN tally of the IDF figures. At least 792 Israeli soldiers have been killed, including 373 killed inside the Gaza Strip, since Hamas's deadly attacks on the country on October 7, 2023, according to the IDF.

Several hundred people are believed to remain in an illegal mine in South Africa after the government cut off vital supplies and refused to help them, in a dramatic bid to crack down on the industry.

Food and water supplies to those underground have been halted by police seeking to force the illegal miners to come to the surface, according to Reuters.

Ilegal miners can travel up to 4km underground and spend months below ground in old mines, according to a report by South Africa's Minerals Commission. But without supplies, conditions are believed to be deteriorating underground.

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One decomposed body was brought to the surface on Thursday, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said Thursday, who added that pathologists were at the mine in Stilfontein.

Family members gathered near the mining site Thursday afternoon, telling Agence France-Presse they were worried about relatives who were still underground.

"We are here for our brothers and sisters, and my husband is here, he has been eight months underground," Ntomboxolo Qwanti told the AFP.

Reports vary as to how many miners were in the abandoned gold mine in the North West province. North West police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone told the Associated Press that three miners who had come to the surface indicated that up to 4000 miners could be underground. Other police reports said the number in the mine was in the hundreds.

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'We are going to smoke them out'

Minister in the Presidency, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, said on Wednesday that no help would be given to the illegal miners.

"We are not sending help to criminals. We are going to smoke them out," she said.

Speaking to state media, Mametlwe Sebei, who heads the General Industries Workers Union of South Africa, criticised Ntshavheni's comments, warning that that approach "is almost criminalising the entire 4000 people – many of whom are just poor desperate people."

The illegal industry often takes place in "horrific conditions" and under the control of organised crime syndicates, Sebei said.

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According to Mathe, the police spokesperson, at least 1172 illegal miners have so far surfaced voluntarily amid the pressure campaign.

Mathe also said that locals are organizing a community-led rescue attempt to extract the remaining miners, but would be required to indemnify the police first.

"Community members are stepping in and demanding to go and rescue these illegal miners themselves. We are making them sign indemnity forms as a way of exempting us. We have taken them through the dangers and consequences of doing so," she said.

Police have been escalating attempts to stamp out the activity of illegal miners, known locally as "zama zamas." More than a billion dollars is lost to illegal mining in South Africa annually, according to the country's Minerals Council.

The blackmarket trade in gold has also fueled violent turf wars, according to a parliamentary brief, as the nation grapples with one of the world's highest murder rates.

Police and defence officials are due to visit the scene on Friday. A police statement said the intention was to "reinforce the government's commitment to bringing this operation to a safe and lawful conclusion."

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Boxing legend Mike Tyson is going up against Jake Paul, a popular YouTuber turned pro-fighter, this Saturday.

It may be an unlikely matchup, but it's proving to be one of the most anticipated boxing events of the year.

Here's everything you need to know about the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight.

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What time is the Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight in Australia?

It's not exactly known when Paul and Tyson will fight, as there are several fights scheduled before the main event.

The whole event is likely to last several hours, with the start of the card beginning at 12pm AEDT on Saturday.

There are six fights on the card before Paul vs. Tyson.

It's estimated the Paul vs Tyson fight could start about 3pm, but it depends on how long the previous fights go for.

How to watch the fight in Australia?

Viewers in Australia can tune in on Netflix at 12pm AEDT.

Anyone with a subscription can watch on Netflix in Australia.

Viewers do not need to pay for an extra pay-per-view.

Where is the fight?

Jake Paul and Mike Tyson are fighting near Dallas at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, USA.

The stadium is the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and claims to be the largest domed structure in the world.

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Do I have to pay extra to watch the fight on Netflix?

No, you don't have to pay extra to watch Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson on Netflix.

Anyone with a subscription can watch on Netflix in Australia without paying more.

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight card

These are the fights on the card for Saturday:

• Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson

• Katie Taylor  vs. Amanda Serrano for the lightweight titles

• Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos for the WBC welterweight title

• Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes

• Shadasia Green vs. Melinda Watpoo

• Lucas Bahdi vs. Corey Marksman

Have Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fought before?

The two fighters have not faced each other in the ring.

They had been due to fight earlier this year, but it was postponed after Tyson developed an ulcer.

Their biggest confrontation to date was in the pre-match press conference.

The bout between Paul and Tyson has been criticized due to the 31-year age difference between the two fighters.

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How long have Tyson and Paul been boxing?

Mike Tyson competed between 1985 and 2005 and is set to come back to the ring after almost 20 years off.

Tyson has a career record of 50 wins to six losses, with 44 knockout wins.

Jake Paul debuted in world boxing in 2020.

Paul has a record of 10 wins and one loss.

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