Cars were set ablaze and anti-government protesters dragged through the streets metres from where politicians argued over the austerity measures.

"Bold, original and unique."

That is how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is describing the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, which will see 10,500 athletes parading down the Seine river on 94 boats for a six-kilometre stretch on July 26.

It is the first time an opening ceremony will be held outside of a stadium in the Olympic Games' 128-year history.

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The ambitious ceremony is open to all in Paris for free and 1.5 billion people are expected to watch it on television and online.

But the daring ceremony comes with the complex task of protecting the huge crowds and athletes from a possible terrorist attack, something that's easier to do when it's contained inside a stadium.

How is France preparing for potential terrorism threats?

Victoria University Professor Ramón Spaaij told 9news.com.au the Paris 2024 security plans were similar to recent Games but this event would "take it to the next level".

"It's the largest, most elaborate kind of security planning outside of war," Spaaij said.

"The Olympics require and justify really extraordinary security measures.

"The Olympics are both a really highly symbolic value to the organising country and the organising city, but also, of course, to potentially extremist organisations."

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The country plans to deploy 45,000 police and security officers, 20,000 private security personnel and around 15,000 military each day of the Olympics, according to Reuters.

Spaaij said military-style displays at big events, like in London 2012, were often used to demonstrate to would-be terrorists to leave the event alone.

Spaaij said they would also have "cutting-edge" surveillance software and drones.

'Anti-terrorism perimeter'

French President Emmanuel Macron said authorities will have an alternative plan in case of a terrorism threat at the opening ceremony.

"If we think there are security risks, we'll have plan B, and even plan C," Macron said in an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV with 100 days to go.

The president added that authorities will put a security perimeter around the ceremony site days, if not weeks, before the start.

Special anti-terrorism measures are being put in place, which include subjecting people who work and live at buildings along the Seine to have background security checks," the Associated Press reports.

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said the opening ceremony parade would be inside a high security "anti-terrorism perimeter".

Earlier in March, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced that the attendance capacity at the ceremony – the first to be held along a river – will be halved due to security reasons.

About 104,000 people in stands will line the river, with a further 220,000 on raised roadways.

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'Be alert, not alarmed'

Some researchers debate whether a strong policing and military presence made people feel safer or more aware of the potential risks.

Spaaij said a potential attack was more likely to occur at smaller places like shopping malls near venues.

"Be alert, not alarmed," he said to any Australians heading to Paris 2024.

"So be vigilant and have your eyes wide open, be smart, familiarise yourself with protocols, things like that.

"But don't live in fear otherwise you're better off not going."

Grieving family and friends have paid tribute to a mother and baby who died in a car crash on the Sunshine Coast last Friday.

Amy Maher, 33, and her three-month-old baby son Arlo died after the car she was driving struck trees off Caboolture River Road in Upper Caboolture.

Maher died at the scene while Arlo was rushed to the Queensland Children's Hospital in a critical condition, but died on Sunday afternoon.

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A GoFundMe crowdfunding page has been started by Maher's sister-in-law Jade Baulch to help support the family.

Baulch described Maher as an "exceptional mother and loving wife".

"Amy's love knew no bounds for her husband, Alan, and their children, Abby, Alex and Arlo," Baulch wrote.

"This unimaginable loss has left Alan and his children devastated.

"As they navigate this incredibly challenging time, we want to support them in any way we can."

Meanwhile, police are calling for any witnesses to the crash to come forward.

The Forensic Crash Unit, which is investigating the fatalities, is looking for dashcam or CCTV footage.

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A collection of fossilised bones more than 100 million years old found in Queensland belong to a previously unknown species of ancient flying reptile, new research has revealed.

The bones were unearthed in western Queensland in 2021 by local fossil museum curator Kevin Petersen.

Now, a new study of the bones by Curtin University researchers has determined they belong to a new genus and species of pterosaur – a formidable flying reptile that lived among the dinosaurs.

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Based on the shape of its skull, the arrangement of its teeth and the shape of the shoulder bone, a research team led by PhD student Adele Pentland, from Curtin's School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, identified the specimen as an anhanguerian.

The anhanguerian is a group of pterosaurs known to have lived across the world, including in what is now Brazil, England, Morocco, China, Spain and the United States.

"With a wingspan of approximately 4.6 metres, Haliskia would have been a fearsome predator around 100 million years ago when much of central western Queensland was underwater, covered by a vast inland sea and globally positioned about where Victoria's southern coastline is today," Pentland said.

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The specimen is 22 per cent complete, making it the most complete specimen of a pterosaur discovered in Australia to date.

"The specimen includes complete lower jaws, the tip of the upper jaw, 43 teeth, vertebrae, ribs, bones from both wings and part of a leg," Pentland said.

"Also present are very thin and delicate throat bones, indicating a muscular tongue, which helped during feeding on fish and cephalopods."

The pterosaur remains are set to go on display at Petersen's museum, the Kronosaurus Korner in north-west Queensland, alongside a number of significant marine fossil specimens.

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Petersen said the discovery was an exciting boost for science, education and regional tourism.

"I'm thrilled that my discovery is a new species, as my passion lies in helping shape our modern knowledge of prehistoric species," he said.

The research has been published in Scientific Reports – Nature today. 

The family of one of the hostages rescued in an Israeli operation over the weekend has said that he experienced psychological abuse at the hands of his Hamas captors during the eight months that he was held in Gaza.

Andrey Kozlov, 27, was rescued alongside Noa Argamani, Almog Meir Jan and Shlomi Ziv during a raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza on Saturday. The operation was only the third Israeli rescue of hostages held in Gaza and has been celebrated in Israel.

But it left a trail of devastation, with authorities in Gaza saying at least 274 Palestinians were killed in the raid and the ensuing firefight with Hamas militants.

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Kozlov and the others were held in two civilian buildings in the densely packed territory. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said that the raid was carried out in the two buildings simultaneously for fear the captors would kill some of the hostages if they knew an operation was unfolding.

A Russian citizen, Kozlov moved to Israel almost two years ago. He was working as a security guard at the Nova music festival on October 7 when he was kidnapped and taken into Gaza.

In an interview with CNN, Kozlov's family revealed some details of their son's ordeal, including that he initially believed the Israeli forces who saved him had been sent to kill him.

Kozlov's father, Mikhail Kozlov, said his son was "very scared" because Hamas militants had for months falsely said that "Israel wanted to kill them all" claiming "they were a problem for Israel".

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"He was told that Israel wants to kill him. He didn't understand why the IDF came. He was afraid that the IDF came to kill him. It took him some time to realise that they came to rescue him."

Mikhail said his son would not reveal all the ways he'd been mistreated, saying "he wasn't seen as a human by them."

"I would say that they would punish him for any behaviour that they considered was wrong," he said.

"One of the examples that Andrey gave us… is that at the hottest time of the day they would cover him with blankets.

"It is a very difficult ordeal. To be dehydrated during heat."

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His brother, Dmitry, said "they were trying not to leave [physical] marks … But they would still punish him this way or the other. Very often for trivial things."

"He was told not to speak in Hebrew, you need to whisper and [even that] in English."

Describing their reunion, Mikhail said: "The first meeting was very touching… We expected to have a vibrant meeting and some joy, but instead, he knelt down and burst into tears and that was very moving for us."

Dmitry said his brother felt indebted to Israel. "He says that he doesn't understand what he has done to deserve this generosity towards him, because he hasn't done anything. So he feels obliged to pass this goodness on to the next person and help get others [hostages] out."

With the rescue of the four hostages, 116 remain in Gaza from the October 7 attacks, of which 41 are believed to be dead.

Mikhail said that he was in favour of securing the release of the remaining hostages by any means – by negotiation, or further military action.

"If it can be a deal, if a deal can help to release them, then be it," he said.

"If it's possible to carry such an operation again, then it should be an operation for the release of these hostages. We need to use any means to return these people back to their families."

'A lot of abuse, almost every day'

The doctor in charge of medical treatment for the four Israeli hostages rescued Saturday said they were beaten while in Hamas captivity in Gaza.

"It was a harsh, harsh, experience, with a lot of abuse, almost every day," Dr Itai Pessach told CNN.

"Every hour, both physical, mental and other types, and that is something that is beyond comprehension."

Pessach said the eight months spent in captivity "left a significant mark on their health" and despite appearing in good condition initially, they are all malnourished. "They had no protein, so their muscles are extremely wasted, there is damage to some other systems because of that."

He said the hostages told him they were moved several times, dealing with a number of different guards. The supply of food and water was unstable.

"There have been periods where they got almost no food whatsoever, there were other periods where it was a little better, but all in all, the combination of the psychological stress, malnutrition or not getting enough food or not getting the right kind of food, medical neglect, being limited to space, not seeing the sun and all of the other things have significant effect on health."

The testimony is the latest insight into conditions Hamas keeps hostages in. Other hostages have previously outlined their ordeals.

Keren Munder, her mother and her nine-year-old son – who were among scores of hostages released under a temporary truce last year – endured days with only pita bread to eat, according to her cousin Merav Mor Raviv.

Munder and her mother both lost between six and eight kilograms in weight.

Another hostage, 72-year-old Adina Moshe, endured "horrible" conditions while she was held captive, according to her nephew, who added that she didn't have access to basic facilities like a shower.

Israel launched its war in Gaza following the Hamas attacks of October 7, when militants killed about 1200 people and took more than 250 hostage. Since then, the Israeli campaign has killed more than 37,000 people, according to the ministry of health in Gaza, and triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Concerns over food insecurity and famine are growing, with a UN report warning recently that more than one million people, half of Gaza's population, are "expected to face death and starvation" by mid-July.

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The wreck of the last ship belonging to Sir Ernest Shackleton, a famed Irish explorer of Antarctica, has been found off the coast of Labrador in Canada, 62 years after it went missing.

The wreck was found by an international team led by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

The Quest was found using sonar scans on Sunday evening, sitting on its keel under 390 metres of churning, frigid water, the society said. Its towering mast is lying broken beside it, likely cracked off as the vessel was sucked into the depths after it struck ice on May 5, 1962.

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Shackleton's death aboard the ship in 1922 marked the end of what historians consider the "heroic age" of Antarctic exploration. The explorer led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, and he was in the early stages of a fourth when he died. He was 47.

The Quest's discovery was "profoundly moving", John Geiger, leader of the Shackleton Quest Expedition said on Wednesday.

"It's just such a great story. It links Canada to this most-famous-of-all polar explorers."

Geiger called it a a very important ship historically.

The Norwegian-built ship, used for Arctic research and sealing after Shackleton's death, appears to be in "incredible condition", though it was damaged when it slammed into the seabed, Geiger said.

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https://twitter.com/RCGS_SGRC/status/1800834220421714235

Now that it has been found, the next step will be sending down remotely operated vehicles to capture images of its remains.

In 2022, researchers discovered another wreck of Shackleton's. The Endurance was found in 3000 metres of icy water, a century after it was swallowed up by Antarctic ice.

A team of marine archaeologists, engineers and other scientists used an icebreaker ship and underwater drones to locate the wreck at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, near the Antarctica Peninsula.

The expedition Endurance22 embarked from Cape Town, South Africa, in early February in a ship capable of breaking through one-metre-thick ice.

The team, which included more than 100 researchers and crew members, deployed underwater drones that combed the seafloor for two weeks in the area where the ship was recorded to have sunk in 1915.

https://twitter.com/RCGS_SGRC/status/1800178481655058772

Shackleton never achieved his ambition to become the first person to cross Antarctica via the South Pole. In fact, he never set foot on the continent during the failed Endurance expedition, though he did visit Antarctica during earlier voyages.

Two Australian passengers injured on flight SQ321 say they found out what compensation they were entitled to through a Singapore Airlines Facebook post, and say the offer isn't enough.

Keith Davis and his wife Kerry Jordan from Adelaide are among those who were injured on the flight that hit extreme turbulence last month.

Jordan's spine was broken and she's still in hospital, paralysed from the chest down.

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Her husband said the airline's offer of compensation has only left the couple in more distress.

"I'm actually not on Facebook, so when this was circulated to me it was a bit of a shock," Davis said.

Singapore Airlines announced yesterday it'll offer around $15,000 to those with minor injuries and $37,000 to seriously injured passengers.

It's a sum that Davis says doesn't make up for the life-altering event.

"At this stage it is a catastrophic injury," he said.

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"It is a totally life-changing condition that's going to face her."

"I expect that they will provide adequate compensation for the whole of Kerry's life."

An international team of lawyers is now banding together to fight for better compensation.

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"This offer of Singapore Airlines adds insult to injury. Not only is it woefully inadequate but the way that Singapore Airlines has gone about this is pretty shabby," lawyer Nick Xenophon said.

Lawyers expect they'll learn more about the facts of the investigation to form their case in the next couple of months.

Singapore Airlines has been contacted for comment.

Activists from an animal rights group have vandalised the first official portrait of King Charles, which is on display in a London gallery.

Campaign group Animal Rising posted a video on its social media channels on Tuesday showing two activists using a paint roller to stick signs over the portrait of the monarch.

Members of the public have been free to visit the portrait of the monarch, which is on display at the Philip Mould gallery in central London until June 21.

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The painting, the first official portrait of King Charles as monarch, raised eyebrows when it was unveiled earlier this year. Artist Jonathon Yeo depicted the king against a background of crimson red brush strokes, sparking mixed reactions.

Activists covered the king's head with an image of British animation character Wallace, from the hit Wallace and Gromit series. A speech bubble sign was then also tacked onto the painting with the following caption: "No cheese Gromit, look at all of this cruelty on RSCPA farms."

The action was designed to bring attention to a new report, released on Sunday by the group, which investigated 45 farms whose welfare standards are guaranteed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA).

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The RSPCA's Assured scheme promises that animals in protected farms are given more living space and are never kept in cages.

Meat, fish and dairy products produced by these farms are marked with the RSCPA logo. Animal Rising described their findings as "damning," alleging that they found "severe animal cruelty" at all farms visited.

Last month, King Charles became the royal patron of the RSPCA. In a statement provided to British newspaper The Telegraph, an Animal Rising activist explained, "With King Charles being such a big fan of 'Wallace and Gromit,' we couldn't think of a better way to draw his attention to the horrific scenes on RSPCA Assured farms! Even though we hope this is amusing to His Majesty, we also call on him to seriously reconsider if he wants to be associated with the awful suffering across farms being endorsed by the RSPCA."

(During a 2012 engagement at Clarence House for the late Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, Queen Camilla told a group of children of her husband that "Wallace and Gromit are his favorite people in the world".)

Animal Rising describes itself as a non-violent organisation campaigning for an "urgent transition to a sustainable and just plant-based food system." It is also petitioning for the RSPCA's Assured scheme, which it says covers up "cruelty on an industrial scale," to be scrapped.

The RSPCA responded to Animal Rising's claims in a statement provided to CNN on Tuesday, stating that "any concerns about welfare on RSPCA Assured certified farms are taken extremely seriously and RSPCA Assured is acting swiftly to look into these allegations."

"We have responded openly and transparently to Animal Rising's challenges to our farming work," the statement continued. "While we understand that Animal Rising, like us, want the best for animals, their activity is a distraction and a challenge to the work we are all doing to create a better world for every animal."

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The organisation also said it was "shocked" by the vandalism of the painting.

"We welcome scrutiny of our work, but we cannot condone illegal activity of any kind," their statement read.

According to Philip Mould, owner of the gallery where the portrait is on display, the painting sustained "no damage" since it was protected by a layer of Perspex. Mould told CNN the adhesive stickers used by the activists stayed on the portrait for "less than ten seconds."

The activists left the premises after being asked to do so, Mould said, adding that the gallery has also filed a police report.

There are currently no plans to curtail the display of the painting, although staff will remain "on alert" after the incident, Mould said.

Jarryd Hayne has been released from jail and reunited with his family after being granted bail following the former NRL star's rape convictions being quashed for a second time.

But the prospect of a fourth trial still looms for the 36-year-old as he awaits his next court date.

Hayne has been behind bars for more than a year after a jury found him guilty in April 2023 of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent.

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His lawyer Lauren MacDougall declined to comment about the prospect of another trial as she left the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal on Wednesday after a successful bid to overturn the April finding.

"He's really, really looking forward to getting home to his family," she said.

Prosecutors did not oppose Hayne's bail on Wednesday afternoon, but need time to consider holding another trial before returning to court on July 26.

"Any decision about a possible retrial will be made in accordance with the prosecution guidelines," a spokeswoman for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said in a statement.

The state's highest court quashed Hayne's convictions, ruling the trial judge erred by not allowing further cross-examination of the complainant over her communications with third parties regarding the night of the alleged sexual assault.

The appeal court ruled the judge did not properly direct the jury regarding allegations from Hayne's lawyers the complainant had lied about the contact, exacerbating the earlier error in not allowing her to respond to questions about it.

Hayne's third ground of appeal, arguing the now-quashed guilty verdicts were unsafe or unreasonable, was not upheld, despite convincing one judge.

"I am of the view there is a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted," Justice Deborah Sweeney said in the court's published reasons.

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But she was overruled by Justices Stephen Rothman and Anthony Meagher.

Justice Meagher did not support any grounds of the appeal.

"I am comfortably of the opinion that it was open to the jury to be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt (Hayne) was guilty," he said.

Hayne was accused of raping a woman with his hands and mouth at her Newcastle home on the night of the 2018 NRL Grand Final.

Three separate criminal trials were told the woman, who cannot be identified, changed her mind about having sex with Hayne after realising he had a taxi waiting outside.

He was sentenced to four years and nine months in jail, but had already served some of that time before his earlier successful appeal.

Justice Rothman said there was good reason for no fourth trial, noting it was unlikely to occur before Hayne's three-year non-parole period expired in May 2025.

Justice Sweeney was of a similar view given the matter's history.

"To put (Hayne) on trial for a fourth time would not be in the interests of justice," she said.

Hayne's barrister, Tim Game SC, told April's appeal hearing messages the woman sent to Hayne and others, deleted from her phone, amounted to deliberate concealment of evidence.

The ex-player's defence team argued the woman should have been cross-examined on why she allegedly told police, "If those messages get out, I'm f***ed and he will get off".

Judge Graham Turnbull, who oversaw Hayne's third trial in the NSW District Court, refused requests for the woman to be cross-examined further, saying her anticipated answers, and their ultimate absence, would not create any real unfairness.

But Justices Sweeney and Rothman ruled Hayne's lawyers should have been able to question the complainant further and the jury left to consider her evidence and credibility.

Hayne's quashed convictions followed a hung jury in his first trial in 2020 and a previous appeal overturning guilty verdicts from his second trial in 2021.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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The father of three hasn’t been seen since Friday.