Good morning, Thomas Morgan here with your AM NewsMail. The United Nations and the European Union are among those condemning controversial plans revived by a far-right Israeli minister, that could spell doom for the two-state solution.

Plus, the nation's productivity debate ahead of next week's roundtable, the troubling trend in the latest NAPLAN data, and a weekly quiz where yours truly fell short of perfection.

'Definitively buries the idea of a Palestinian state': In the West Bank, an Israeli minister is vowing to take a step that many consider to be the death knell of the two-state solution. Bezalel Smotrich, who is sanctioned by Australia and the UK, overnight declared that a controversial settlement expansion that would effectively break the Palestinian territory in two will go ahead, provoking international condemnation.

The shadowy agency delivering aid to Gaza: When the UN was supplanted as the main aid provider in the Palestinian territory, few knew what the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation was. Today, with GHF's aid hubs being labelled "death traps", we lift the lid on the organisation's links to soldiers, spies and anti-government extremists.

Meanwhile, in Alaska: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are just hours away from meeting face-to-face, with the future of Ukraine potentially hanging in the balance . As the US president puts the odds at a 25 per cent chance of failing, Ukrainians and Alaskans tell our correspondents how they're feeling about the peace process.

Analysis: As his forces chip away at Ukrainian territory, Vladimir Putin is set to walk into today's talks believing he has the upper hand. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is searching for a path to peace. But as our Europe bureau chief Mazoe Ford writes, that could take a lot more than a conversation between the two leaders.

• Health's hidden cost: Depression, breast cancer, migraines and other medical conditions are costing the economy billions of dollars in lost work and lowered productivity. That's according to a new study from Monash University. Among those who can attest to that is Katie Thorpe, 27, who says she faced huge challenges battling cancer while navigating the job market.
• Also costing the economy billions: Shorter opening hours at your local supermarket, and other decisions made because of what the Business Council calls "red tape burden". The peak body will call for a root-and-branch review of regulations at the Productivity Roundtable, promising a $110 billion benefit.
• Analysis with Gareth Hutchens: We've heard about health, red tape, but how about property? As bold ideas go, an "imputed tax" on homeowners sure is out there. But it's not without precedent, both here at home and around the world.
• Artificial intelligence: The technology's productivity benefits are showing potential, but it could be a double-edged sword. Its presence is already being felt in some quarters, with one worker fearing he may be "the canary in the coal mine" of a wider employment problem.

• Distance disadvantage: We've been sifting through the latest NAPLAN scores, and some interesting trends become alarmingly clear when you break down students' performance based on how far they are from major capital cities. It's a trend that can be found across all year levels and subjects.
• Staying in the classroom: Japanese is a popular choice for Australian schoolkids, but few are learning it like this Year 9 student. Jacinta McIntyre, who is blind, is studying the language's complicated script through braille with the hopes of one day visiting the country.
• Bumper-to-bumper ski season: Good snowfalls and hordes of visitors have been great for the operators of Australia's alpine slopes this year. But sometimes you can be the victim of your own success, and that's certainly the case when it comes to managing the Snowy Mountain's crowded car parks.

— That's Steve Evans, describing his children Emma and Jacob's heartbreaking fight to overcome a genetic autoimmune condition. 

Originally only given a life expectancy of 30 years old, the pair are now prepping to compete in their first World Transplant Games. That's all thanks to groundbreaking treatment that has given them a second chance at life.

Now I don't usually brag on this newsletter, but I must admit I feel pretty good about how I did at the weekly quiz this morning. At 5:01am AEST, I scored eight out of 10. Pretty good aye?

Unfortunately not perfect, which means you can still beat me. So dust up on on this week's stories about Taylor Swift, tennis champs and eight-year-old chess prodigies, then have a go!

And that's it for today. Thanks for reading. We'll be back at the same time on Monday with more. Have a great weekend!

Thomas and the ABC News Digital team.

Bezalel Smotrich, who is sanctioned by Australia and the UK, says a controversial new development "definitively buries the idea of a Palestinian state".