Christina Kukola

Australian Federal Police confirmed that two of the women, aged 53 and 31, were charged with multiple counts of crimes against humanity, including enslavement, after being arrested at Melbourne Airport on Thursday.

Each of the offences carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

Police allege the women travelled to Syria in 2014 with family members.

The older woman is alleged to have purchased a slave for $10,000.

The other woman, aged 32, was arrested at Sydney Airport and is accused of being a member of a terrorist organisation and faces lesser charges.

The return to Australia follows an earlier attempt by a group of women and children held by Kurdish forces that were stopped by authorities before leaving Syria.

For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukola in Melbourne.

Naveed Akram appeared via video link from prison before a Sydney court.

He did not enter a plea in response to the 59 charges against him, including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act over the shooting attack on a Jewish community gathering.

During the short hearing, the 24-year-old confirmed that he understood the terms of court orders suppressing the names of survivors who do not wish to be publicly identified.

He's due back in court in April.

Akram was wounded in a shootout with police while his father, Sajid Akram, was killed.

For NPR News, I'm Christina Kukola in Melbourne, Australia.

Keep in mind this is a region that isn't used to this much snow and the roads really did become dangerous.

We saw an incident just outside Charlotte where a tractor trailer got stuck on some train tracks and was hit by a train.

Officials say no one was injured.

Also, the National Guard was deployed after a wreck shut down I-85 north of Charlotte, stranding about 100 vehicles.

All told, North Carolina officials reported 750 collisions yesterday, even as they urged drivers to stay off the roads unless it's an emergency.

Match point under the lights at Melbourne Park for world number five Elena Rybakina after a thrilling win against top-ranked Irina Sabalenka in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.

This is Rybakina's first Australian Open title and her second Grand Slam after Wimbledon in 2022.