Morning everyone,

With borders open, it seems more and more people are heading overseas right now (yep, we're jealous too).

My colleague Charlie Begg just got back from Thailand and she's shared everything you need to know about travelling there right now. You can read all about the COVID-restrictions and what you need to know before you fly right here.

But before you get stuck in, lets get you across the biggest news stories you need to know this morning, Friday March 25.

1. NSW MP Gareth Ward has been suspended after vote in parliament.

This post deals with sexual assault and may be triggering for some readers.

Former Liberal MP Gareth Ward has been suspended from the NSW parliament after he was charged with the sexual assault of a teenage boy and a man.

Police allege Ward indecently assaulted a 17-year-old boy at Meroo Meadow in February 2013, and sexually abused a 27-year-old man in Sydney in September 2015.

Acting Premier Paul Toole on Thursday moved the motion to suspend the Kiama MP from parliament until the outcome of the criminal proceedings is reached, noting Ward "had been charged with five criminal offences".

The motion received bipartisan support and was passed despite criticism from the Labor opposition.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward has been officially suspended from the NSW Parliament “…until the verdict of the jury has been returned on the five criminal charges laid against him on 22 March 2022 or until it is further ordered.”#nswpol @10NewsFirstSyd pic.twitter.com/fUPWItno3j
— Lachlan Kennedy (@lachlan_kennedy) March 24, 2022

Mr Ward, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, said he had been suspended "based on allegations that I completely deny and that have yet to be tested in a court of law".

"I am extremely disappointed with that decision," he said in a statement on Thursday.

If this post brings up any issues for you, or if you just feel like you need to speak to someone, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – the national sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling service. It doesn’t matter where you live, they will take your call and, if need be, refer you to a service closer to home.

You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.

The Men’s Referral Service is also available on 1300 766 491 or via online chat at www.ntv.org.au.www.ntv.org.au.

2. Search for missing four-year-old Tasmanian girl.

Almost 100 people are involved in a search for a four-year-old girl who went missing on the Tasman Peninsula and has not been seen for more than 24 hours.

Shayla Phillips was last seen about 2.30pm Wednesday near Stormlea Rd in Stormlea, wearing pink leggings, a cream top, and gumboots.

Police say she had been playing outside with dogs from a neighbouring property, and when her mother went to check on her after about half an hour, Shayla and the dogs were gone.

One of the dogs that was with her was found about 7pm on Wednesday about 800 metres from where she was last seen.

The search for a four-year-old girl missing on a remote farm in Tasmania is becoming increasingly desperate as it enters its third day.

Shayla Phillips was last seen playing in a backyard with two dogs around 2.30pm on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/dwKOKckfo9
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) March 24, 2022

Inspector Gavin Hallett said police were increasingly concerned, with divers, drone operators and detectives working on the search effort with the State Emergency Service, Ambulance Tasmania and a rescue helicopter.

"She is only four years of age and anybody who has to stay out in the elements, there are obviously concerns for their health and wellbeing," he told reporters on Thursday.

He said her family are understandably upset but staying strong.

"I've spoken to the mother, Bianca, and she's very stoic," he said. "She's a strong woman and hopeful we will find Shayla."

The Phillips family home is in an isolated area, surrounded by undulating pastures and dense bushland. Four nearby dams were searched and cleared on Wednesday night.

3. UN says more than 1,000 Ukrainians, including 90 kids, killed during war.

More than 1,000 people, including 90 children, have been killed in Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion, the UN human rights agency says.

On Thursday, the United Nations human rights office confirmed at least 1,035 people had been killed and 1,650 wounded but said figures were believed to be considerably higher due to delays in reporting.

The U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) also said 4.3 million children, more than half of Ukraine's estimated 7.5 million child population, have been displaced since the invasion.

"This includes more than 1.8 million children who have crossed into neighbouring countries as refugees and 2.5 million who are now internally displaced inside Ukraine," they said in a statement on Thursday.

UN says more than 1,000 Ukrainians killed during war, Kyiv's navy destroys Russian warship https://t.co/EoqVJhmQ5I
— ABC News (@abcnews) March 24, 2022

Meanwhile, NATO has agreed to strengthen the military alliance's forces in eastern Europe, saying it will set up new combat units in Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia.

"We must ensure that the decision to invade a sovereign independent country is understood to be a strategic failure that carries with it ruinous costs for Putin and Russia," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the EU parliament.

Still, the pledges stopped short of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's calls for a full boycott of Russian energy and a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

4. Domestic violence continues to rise in NSW.

New data has shown the rates of domestic violence and sexual assault have continued to grow in NSW despite a decline in other crimes.

NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research revealed this week the instances of domestic violence-related assault had risen 3.1 percent and sexual assault has risen by 4.8 percent between January 2017 to December 2021.

Disturbingly, domestic violence-related assault and sexual assault were the only crimes to increase, with all other crime rates either falling or remaining stable.

In some regional areas, the growth in those crimes were much higher than the state average.

Domestic violence-related assaults were up 39.5 per cent in the Bathurst region, 36.5 per cent in the Central Darling region, 36.2 percent in Burwood in inner west Sydney, and 29 percent in regional Armidale.

Domestic violence continues to rise in NSW https://t.co/xlOzfbl9pz
— Sofia Rita Belmonte (@Srb1970Rita) March 24, 2022

Support services for domestic and sexual violence victims, as well as local courts were allocated more than $148 million in the NSW budget last year by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, who was then the state's treasurer.

However, the opposition says some $12.7 million is still yet to be spent after nine months, and the program needs to be expanded.

Of 40 councils with rising rates of domestic violence-related assault, only 13 are serviced with SHLV programs.

You can also call safe steps 24/7 Family Violence Response Line on 1800 015 188 or visit www.safesteps.org.au for further information.

The Men’s Referral Service is also available on 1300 766 491 or via online chat at www.ntv.org.au.www.ntv.org.au.

5. School kids strike for climate action today.

School students around the country will take to the streets today, joining a global day of climate action.

Students will hold dozens of protests and actions in the lead up to the federal election, including school walkouts and strikes from Tweed Heads in northern NSW, Geraldton in WA, Toowoomba in Queensland and Melbourne in Victoria.

Friday's School Strike 4 Climate will demand the federal government divert funding away from coal and gas projects and to clean, renewable energy, providing secure jobs and First Nations solutions.

Hunter students prepare for Newcastle School Strike 4 Climate https://t.co/ctPgXIVVOp
— Newcastle Herald (@newcastleherald) March 24, 2022

"We are at the edge of a climate catastrophe, and our federal government is doing nothing to save us," said Braydon Monahan, a 15-year-old from Tweed Heads.

"People only have to look outside of their windows to see what's happening to our planet, yet our politicians continue to distract us with greenwashing campaigns rather than actual climate policy.

"(Prime Minister Scott) Morrison's Government has shown us time and again that they do not care about the future of young Australians."

It comes after the Federal Court last week found the Australian government does not owe children protection from the harm caused by climate change.

And that's it, you're all up to speed. We'll keep you in the loop with more of the biggest news stories throughout the day.

- With AAP.

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