The Australian and international news stories you need to know today, Wednesday April 28.

Another two Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Seven Indigenous Australians have died in custody in the last two months, following another two deaths confirmed in NSW and Victoria.

A man died at Port Phillip Prison in Melbourne's west on Monday night, Corrections Victoria said.

It is believed he suffered a medical episode. A smoking ceremony was being arranged.

Separately, NSW authorities confirmed a 37-year-old man was found dead in his cell at Cessnock Correctional Centre on Tuesday morning. 

Both deaths have been reported to the coroner.

This is a national crisis. Two more Indigenous deaths in custody take Australia's tally to seven since the start of March - SBS News https://t.co/eXj6JniWTd

— David Campbell OAM (@DavidCampbell73) April 27, 2021

They follow the deaths of five other Aboriginal people in custody across Victoria, NSW and Western Australia since March 2.

They include a man aged in his 30s at a NSW prison hospital, and another man and a woman, at Victoria's Ravenhall Correctional Centre and in custody in NSW respectively.

Barkindji man Anzac Sullivan, 37, died during a police pursuit in Broken Hill and a 45-year-old man died in hospital in Perth.

NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge said the deaths were a national crisis and reinforced the urgent need for the 339 recommendations of the Royal Commission into Deaths in Custody to be implemented.

"Every First Nations death in custody is an inevitable result of the racist criminal justice system that results in First Nations people in NSW being the most incarcerated people in the world," he said in a statement. 

"The government is on notice and action is urgently required. It cannot be accepted that First Nations people routinely die in custody."

More than 470 Indigenous people have died in detention since a 1991 royal commission report into Aboriginal deaths in custody.

Australian Olympic stars prioritised for vaccination.

Australian athletes destined for the Tokyo Olympic Games will be prioritised for vaccination.

National cabinet on Tuesday agreed the Australian team would be vaccinated under priority group 1b, which includes health care workers, Indigenous Australians aged over 55 and elderly people older than 70. 

About 2050 people will be vaccinated - up to 480 athletes and more than 1500 support staff.

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Richard Colbeck said the measure would not come at the cost of at-risk Australians.

Breaking: Australia's Olympic and Paralympic teams will receive early access to COVID-19 vaccines ahead of the Tokyo Games in July | @phillutton78 https://t.co/F4664AwQoL

— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) April 27, 2021

"While vulnerable Australians remain an absolute priority as the vaccine rollout continues, National Cabinet understands the pressure our high-performance athletes have been facing as the Tokyo Games draw closer," he said in a statement.

"We want to see our athletes head to Tokyo to compete and then return to Australia safely," Health Minister Greg Hunt added.

Athletes headed to the Paralympic Games, which will run from August 24 to September 5, will also be jabbed early.

QLD man tackled trying to burn family home.

Police have crash tackled a man who doused himself in fuel and allegedly threatened to set his partner and adult children alight on the Gold Coast, days after the death of Kelly Wilkinson.

Officers risked their lives to prevent what could have been a horrific scene at a Coomera property on Sunday night, Queensland Police Acting Chief Superintendent Geoff Sheldon said.

When police arrived they found the man clutching a cigarette lighter and drenched in fuel. The family dog had also been doused and fuel was splashed throughout the home, police say.

The man had earlier allegedly threatened his partner, two adult children and one of the children's partners but they managed to make it outside.

The incident follows the death of mother-of-three Kelly Wilkinson one week ago. She was allegedly set on fire by her estranged husband, Brian Earl Johnston, in the backyard of her Gold Coast home.

Ms Wilkinson was the third woman to die in such a manner in just over a year.

Supt Sheldon said the courage of police had prevented a potentially tragic event on the night.

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.

Medical supplies begin to reach India.

Vital medical supplies have begun to reach India as hospitals starved of life-saving oxygen and beds turn away coronavirus patients as a surge in infections pushes the death toll towards 200,000.

A shipment from the UK, including 100 ventilators and 95 oxygen concentrators, arrived in the capital New Delhi, although a spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK had no surplus COVID-19 vaccine doses to spare.

International cooperation at work! Appreciate the shipment of vital medical supplies from 🇬🇧 including 100 ventilators & 95 oxygen concentrators that arrived early this morning. pic.twitter.com/MBZFwSn4cH

— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 27, 2021

France is this week sending eight large oxygen generating plants and Ireland, Germany and Australia are sending oxygen concentrators and ventilators, an Indian foreign ministry official said, underlining the crucial need of oxygen.

India's first "Oxygen Express" train pulled into New Delhi, laden with about 70 tonnes of oxygen from an eastern state, but the crisis has not abated in the city of 20 million at the epicentre of the latest wave of infections.

9000 Aussies are stranded in India following yesterday's travel suspension which isn't expected to lift until mid-May.

The prime minister made it clear Australian cricketers stuck in the country, including Pat Cummins, David Warner and Steve Smith, would not jump the queue for repatriation flights whenever they resume.

Safety first: David Warner and Kane Williamson in full PPE as the Sunrisers head to Delhi #IPL2021

📷: @davidwarner31 pic.twitter.com/Y52kMUsD16

— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) April 27, 2021

Vic plans to welcome overseas students.

International students, actors and other foreign workers could return to Victoria from next month under a new proposal from the state government. 

Under the plan, which is yet to be approved by the federal government, the state will begin accepting up to 120 international students and other "economic cohorts" each week from May 24. 

Federal Education Minister @AlanTudgeMP has confirmed Victoria was the first state to submit a plan to bring back international students, but also quickly moved to temper expectations | @madeleineheff + @ @michaelfowler08 #AgeSchools https://t.co/AFHjFByJcp

— The Age (@theage) April 27, 2021

Those arrivals would not be included in Victoria's weekly cap of 1000 returned travellers and would be housed in a dedicated quarantine hotel, similar to the program for the Australian Open earlier in the year. 

Users of the system, including universities, stage and screen productions, and major events groups, would foot the bill, which is "over and above" the $3000 hotel quarantine fee for returning Australian adults.

Australia earmarks $747m for Top End bases.

The federal government has earmarked almost one billion dollars to upgrade military training bases and ranges across Australia's Top End.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected to travel to the Northern Territory capital of Darwin on Wednesday to announce the five-year $747 million defence infrastructure package.

The four bases in line for the funding are used by the Australian Defence Force and US marines based in the territory.

.@ScottMorrisonMP has fired a warning shot to China, announcing major upgrades to Australia's military. #9Today pic.twitter.com/SMjy14JahY

— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) April 27, 2021

"Working with the United States, our allies and Indo-Pacific neighbours, we will continue to advance Australia's interests by investing in the Australian Defence Force, particularly across Northern Australia," Mr Morrison said in a statement, published by The Australian.

"Our focus is on pursuing peace, stability and a free and open Indo-Pacific, with a world order that favours freedom."

The bases include Robertson Barracks Close Training Area, Kangaroo Flats Training Area, Mount Bundey Training and Bradshaw Field Training Area.

Australia Post board rejects privatisation.

Australia Post's directors have railed against claims privatising parcel deliveries was considered as pressure increases for the entire board to be sacked.

The posties' union and a group representing post office licensees called for the board to be dumped and replaced on Tuesday at a Senate hearing.

A secret $1.3 million Boston Consulting Group report that raised selling off the parcels division was presented to the board in February 2020.

The Australia Post board did not get written confirmation from its boss Christine Holgate that she had agreed to stand aside before announcing her decision to do so | @LisaVisentin https://t.co/j87HASt2Lf

— The Sydney Morning Herald (@smh) April 27, 2021

But deputy chair Michael Ronaldson - a former Liberal senator and Abbott government minister - said the board never discussed privatisation.

"You never let the truth interfere with a good story. This is a complete and utter beat up," he told the hearing.

"It'd have a snowflake's chance in hell of getting up."

Mr Ronaldson said the inquiry into former Australia Post boss Christine Holgate's bitterly contested departure was trying to take scalps.

All board members agreed with chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo that Ms Holgate wasn't owed an apology.

Service to mark 25 years since Port Arthur.

A small commemoration service will be held at Port Arthur to mark 25 years since the 1996 massacre.

At the time, the incident was considered the world's worst mass shooting, with 35 people killed and 23 injured at the popular tourist site on the Tasman Peninsula.

It remains Australia's most deadly massacre. 

The shooting prompted significant gun reform under then-prime minister John Howard via the 1996 National Firearms Agreement. The new law banned rapid-fire guns from civilian ownership except under certain, restricted licences.

Tomorrow marks the 25th anniversary of the mass shooting at Port Arthur, where 35 people were killed. For three of the men who responded to the tragedy, the anniversary is an opportunity to remember the victims and raise awareness. #abc730 pic.twitter.com/BHHiyUvfRo

— abc730 (@abc730) April 27, 2021

It also tightened requirements for firearms licensing, registration and safe storage, and established a government buyback of semi-automatic and pump-action rifles and shotguns.

Martin Byrant is serving 35 life sentences and more than a thousand additional years' jail without parole over the shooting.

Tasmania's former Labor premier Michael Field will deliver a welcome at Wednesday's commemoration, which begins at 1pm AEST.

Australians treated to a pink supermoon.

Those who missed the chance to see a pink supermoon light up the sky above Australia will have another shot to take in the phenomenon in a month.

Australians were treated to the breathtaking spectacle on Tuesday night, with the moon appearing 17 per cent bigger and 30 per cent brighter than usual.

Although stunning, the moon was not actually pink. Its name relates to the timing of the supermoon.

Enjoy the calming sound of the waves as a pink supermoon lit up the sky over a beach in Sydney, Australia. https://t.co/M20t470K4s pic.twitter.com/kccTPpUHrp

— ABC News (@ABC) April 27, 2021

"Hundreds of years ago the Americans used to call it the pink supermoon because a beautiful wildflower would bloom around the same time, so they would associate that with big, bright full moon," Astronomer Sara Webb told AAP.

The phenomenon, which usually takes place every year around April, is caused when a full moon occurs while it is on its closest approach to earth.

"It's one of those moons that when you're driving along or you're outside that you really like 'woah'."

This year Australians will be treated to two supermoons, with a blood supermoon due on May 26.

Queen back at work after husband's funeral.

Queen Elizabeth has carried out her first public duties since the funeral of her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, conducting engagements by videolink with foreign diplomats.

Pictures showed the smiling 95-year-old monarch holding an audience with the new ambassadors for Latvia and Ivory Coast.

The Queen is back at work following the death of Prince Philip. https://t.co/yEwsDTvvgn

— BBC London (@BBCLondonNews) April 27, 2021

The Queen carried out the engagements from her Windsor Castle home to the west of London where Philip's funeral was held two weeks ago and it was the first since a period of official royal mourning ended.

It was, however, not the first official duty since the death of her husband of more than seven decades, hosting a number of audiences the week that followed.

Around the world.

- Court records indicate Derek Chauvin's sentencing date has been pushed back to June 25. 

- US President Joe Biden will sign an executive order raising pay for federal contract workers to at last US$15 an hour.

- Prince Harry and Meghan will serve as campaign chairs at a concert to raise funds to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to medical workers around the world. 

- With AAP

Feature image: Getty/Cricket.com.au Twitter/Getty.