Apiata is NZ’s only living Victoria Cross recipient, awarded in 2007 for bravery.

The Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko has erected a giant black net to block views of Mount Fuji, a reaction to the town's huge popularity on Instagram and other social media platforms.

"It is regrettable that we had to take such measures," a local official said last month, when the town's council decided to block the most popular Fuji views with a 20-metre black screen, which was erected on May 21.

The small town in Yamanashi prefecture has become the center of an international controversy in recent weeks. A specific viewpoint in Fujikawaguchiko, which is at the foot of Mount Fuji and near the starting point for one of the most-used trails up the mountain, became so popular with visitors that it was causing problems for locals.

The situation has gotten so bad that even businesses with no connection to tourism have weighed in. The Ibishi Dental Clinic, located in the building next door to the photo spot, is one of them. According to the clinic, their employees and patients have had to deal with harassment by tourists.

"There was a series of nuisance illegal activities such as leaving garbage, trespassing on the premises, smoking, eating in the parking lot or under the roofs of private homes, and trespassing on the rooftop, which often resulted in a call to the police," said a statement issued by the clinic. "It became not uncommon for people to shout insults at us or to throw away their cigarettes while they were still lit when we asked them to move their cars."

The statement added that the photo spot "attracts a constant stream of foreigners from early morning to late at night, and even local residents are unable to communicate with them when they caution them in Japanese."

The Ibishi Dental Clinic confirms that it was one of the businesses that asked Fujikawaguchiko officials to deal with the problem.

Japan's overtourism problems

Since Japan reopened to foreign tourists after the pandemic, "revenge travellers" have swarmed the country and its most popular attractions. More than three million people per month visited in March and April 2024, and the record-shattering trend seems on track to continue as North American and European tourists plan their summer holidays.

While overtourism is an issue around the world, from Paris to Hawaii, Fujikawaguchiko's story is notable for several reasons. In this case, it's not a specific attraction bringing hordes of visitors – it's a viewpoint where people like to take pictures of Mount Fuji. The vantage point is in front of a convenience store, with people standing in the road to get the best shot.

Most visitors do not spend the night in Fujikawaguchiko, preferring to come in for a day trip but stay in busier Tokyo – just 100 kilometres away – at night.

This means that there's no money coming in – from entry tickets, museum passes, or hotel fees – to balance out the damage caused by thousands of visitors or the erosion, trash and traffic issues they bring with them. As a result, the town of just 10,000 people has struggled to cope.

"I've seen people walk into roads, people using electronic [scooters] without following traffic rules and getting into accidents. There have been many accidents involving foreign tourists recently," Haruhito Tsuchiya, a 49-year-old local who works in the tourism industry, told Reuters.

Lawson's, the convenience store in front of Fuji that is often featured in social-media pictures of the mountain, has also said it will take measures to stem the flow of badly-behaved tourists.

"We offer our sincere apologies to local residents, customers of these stores, and others for inciting inconvenience and concern due to the popularization of the Lawson Kawaguchiko Station Branch," the company said in a May 5 statement.

Lawson's added that it would hire private security guards for the Kawaguchiko store and put up signs in multiple languages asking tourists not to litter or block roads.

Jamie Downard was living in Te Awamutu after being granted parole.

An infant girl has been taken to hospital after she fell from a hotel balcony in Sydney's upper north shore.

NSW Ambulance paramedics and the Mounties Care CareFlight Helicopter were called to the scene at Wahroonga at about 11am this morning.

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CareFlight's doctor and paramedics treated the girl at the scene.

She was taken to the Children's Hospital at Westmead in a stable condition.

‘A reminder of how quickly things can happen during weather events’

Steve Braunias reports on the guilty verdict against conspiracy hobbyist Liz Gunn.

The dangers of "clear-air turbulence" are on full view today after a terrifying, and deadly, incident that saw a Singapore Airlines plane drop about 1800 metres mid-air.

A British grandfather en route to Australia for a holiday died of a suspected heart attack during the incident, while dozens of other passengers were injured.

Some on board said people struck their heads as the plane dropped, leaving them with bleeding gashes.

READ MORE: Singapore Airlines boss 'very sorry' after passenger dies during extreme turbulence

Eight Australians so far are confirmed to be in hospital in Bangkok, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed.

While turbulence-related fatalities are quite rare, injuries have piled up over the years.

Some meteorologists and aviation analysts note that reports of turbulence encounters also have been increasing and point to the potential impacts that climate change may have on flying conditions.

Most incidents of planes hitting bumpy air are minor, however, and airlines have made steady improvements to reduce accident rates from turbulence over time.

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Aviation expert Geoff Thomas told Today there had been just three deaths from turbulence in 20 years, but that incidents of severe turbulence had increased by 55 per cent in that same period.

The major issue was not with storm turbulence, which the relatively recently developed multi-scan radar could track from a distance, but with clear-air turbulence.

Clear-air turbulence happens most often in or near the high-altitude rivers of air called jet streams.

The culprit is wind shear, which is when two huge air masses close to each other move at different speeds.

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If the difference in speed is big enough, the atmosphere can't handle the strain, and it breaks into turbulent patterns like eddies in water.

Thomas told Today that data sharing between airlines was increasing as they sought to cut down on turbulence incidents.

"What the airlines are doing now are under the under the auspices of the International Air Transport Association, is they're sharing data with each other far more robustly, and so, you know, usually when you look at the Flight Radar 24, you'll see all these aircraft following each other, on air routes around the world," he said.

"Now, the slightest upset or a problem with turbulence, the aircraft following will be advised of that.

"And so there's a there's a great deal more of sharing of information on which should hopefully minimise the number of these impacts."

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Now-standardised safety procedures have significantly helped prevent more cases of serious injuries over the years.

They include reviewing weather forecasts, having pilots report when they encounter turbulence and suspending cabin service when planes hit rough air.

But clear-air turbulence "is altogether another animal," according to Doug Moss, a former airline pilot and safety consultant.

It can be devastating, he said, "because the time before the incident can be very calm, and people are caught off-guard."

Air traffic controllers will warn pilots after another plane runs into clear-air turbulence, Moss said.

Many pilots also look at the upper-level jet streams along their route for signs of wind shear, then plan to fly above, below or around those areas, he said.

Modern planes are strong enough to handle just about any turbulence.

Cabin areas such as overhead bins may receive cosmetic damage, "but these don't impact the structural integrity of the planes," Moss said.

Australian and International Pilots Association vice president Mark Hofmeyer said pilots have a weather radar to inform their decisions.

"If we view that the weather ahead of us is dangerous, we will go around it," Hofmeyer said.

"But, as I said, that's to do with a convective or thunderstorm situation.

"But sometimes you can have a jet stream that is clear, you can't see it.

"Sometimes we get forecasts, but sometimes they're not as accurate as they could be, which is why you have to take a conservative approach."

Thomas Guinn, of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the US, said some predict climate change could alter the jet stream and up the wind shear, which would consequently drive up turbulence in the air.

In a statement, Paul Williams, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Reading in England, said there was "strong evidence that turbulence is increasing because of climate change."

Still, others say other factors could also be at play, including an overall increase in air traffic.

Turbulence can be tricky to predict, but experts stress that the first line of defence in the air is keeping the seat belt fastened, whenever possible.

"Planes are generally built to withstand turbulence," Guinn said, noting that passengers not wearing their seat belts is a large source of injuries from in-flight turbulence. While no precaution is foolproof, wearing a seat belt greatly increases an individual's chances of avoiding serious injuries, he said.

"Wear your seat belt," Guinn said.

"That's just a really quick fix to prevent injury."

– Reported with Associated Press

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The mother of a toddler who was found dead in a unit on the New South Wales Far North Coast on Monday has spoken of her family's "incomprehensible grief" following the suspected murder-suicide.

Two-year-old Rowan was found dead alongside his deceased father, James, 38, in a unit on College Street in East Lismore on Monday at 9.45pm.

Today, Rowan's mother Dr Sophie Roome and her family have released a statement about Rowan's death.

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"Our family is facing incomprehensible grief," the statement read.

"Our beloved Rowan was taken from us in the most unfathomable way. 

"Rowan was a beautiful, joyful, and adored little boy.

"He had so many amazing qualities, and his short life was filled with rich and happy experiences. He loved music, the beach, swimming, his friends and his family.

"He touched the hearts of everyone lucky enough to be in his world. 

"Rowan's life was ended by an evil and cowardly act of violence, perpetrated by a person he should have been able to trust the most.

"There are no possible excuses for this hurt, and no end to the pain it has caused. 

"We are devastated. We will love and miss Rowan forever. 

"We thank all those who have provided support, and we acknowledge the suffering of James'  family, which is also immense. 

"Our family and friends will not be providing any other comments at this time."

Police said on Monday that they believed the two were killed in a suspected murder-suicide.

James was an employee at NSW Health.

The government department had to issue an apology today after an employee allegedly sent an email to staff calling James a "wonderful colleague and beloved friend."

It's understood the email was sent days after the murder-suicide was made public.

"NSW Health does not endorse and did not approve the inappropriate email sent by an individual staff member to a number of their colleagues," a NSW Health spokesperson said in a statement.

"The tragic events that unfolded in Lismore last weekend are having a profound impact on the community, including many of our staff members."

"Our focus is on making sure support is available for staff members who need it during this difficult time and in the days and weeks to come."

Supporters of a mother who was violently murdered by her bodybuilder boyfriend in front of her children are relieved a judge "threw the book" at him.

Sven Lindemann was jailed for up to 31 years on Wednesday for the murder of Monique Lezsak at her Melbourne home in May 2023, hours after she broke up with him.

The 52-year-old stabbed Lezsak 17 times using six different knives during the violent and frenzied attack.

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Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Hollingworth said it was clear Lindemann was motivated by rage, jealousy and a sense of entitlement.

"This was not a momentary loss of self-control," she said.

"You were clearly determined to kill Lezsak."

Lezsak's young daughter, known in court under the pseudonym Lily, heard yelling from a bedroom ensuite on the morning of May 30 and ran to see her mother being attacked.

Lindemann stabbed his partner, strangled her and dragged her through the house.

Lily tried to stop Lindemann, kicking him and twice pulling the knife out of his hands, but he kept grabbing more weapons.

He used six knives in total, breaking two of them, as he inflicted the fatal stab wounds to Lezsak's head, neck and chest.

Lily also suffered five wounds during the attack.

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Lindemann left Lezsak on the kitchen floor and went to the bedroom where he made a $70,000 bank transaction and tried to call his ex-wife.

Meanwhile, a distressed Lily called triple zero while cradling her bleeding mother, telling the operator there was a murderer in the house.

Police and paramedics arrived but Lezsak could not be revived.

Lindemann was found in his bedroom with a self-inflicted stab wound to his chest, telling officers he didn't want to be saved and Lezsak had ruined his life.

Justice Hollingworth said his actions after the murder were "particularly calculated".

"It demonstrates a concern for the financial position of yourself or your children, rather than the welfare of Lezsak, Lily or their family members," she said.

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The justice almost broke down as she spoke of Lily's actions, telling Lindemann he was lucky he didn't injure the young girl more seriously.

"What she did to try and save her mother was unbelievably brave," Justice Hollingworth said.

"Hopefully, as she grows up, Lily will come to understand that there was nothing more that she could have done to save her mother."

The judge said the murder of a domestic partner was an extreme form of family violence, and Lindemann's offending was aggravated by the fact that Lily, her twin brother and Lezsak's mother were all present.

She found Lindemann had no genuine remorse for his actions and he continued to blame Lezsak, instead of taking responsibility.

But the judge accepted Lindemann entered a guilty plea at a very early stage and his prospects of rehabilitation would improve over the course of his sentence.

She jailed him for 31 years but he will be eligible for parole after serving 25.

Lindemann remained emotionless as his sentence was handed down and he was led out of the courtroom.

Lezsak's longtime friend, Jacqueline Schwarcz, said her supporters were relieved Justice Hollingworth "threw the book" at Lindemann.

"But there is no amount of punishment that will be enough or replace our loss," she told reporters outside court.

"The destruction that has ensued and devastation it has caused is unfixable."

Schwarcz said Lezsak's family and friends would continue to support her two young children.

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

If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).

As a Sydney schoolboy in the 1980s, Charles MacKenzie was given donated blood as part of his treatment for a rare blood disorder.

The teenager and his family had no idea that the blood came from an ex-prisoner who used heroin, speed and cocaine.

MacKenzie, who is now aged in his 50s, became one of thousands of Australians infected with hepatitis C through donor blood. Others were infected with the HIV virus. Many of the victims had haemophilia, a blood clotting disorder, and relied on regular blood donations.

READ MORE: Britain slammed in inquiry for infecting thousands with tainted blood and covering up the scandal

For decades, MacKenzie – who runs the advocacy group Infected Blood Australia – has battled for justice on behalf of Australians who were given transfusions of diseased blood between the 1970s and early 1990s.

Now, the newly-released findings of a damning and extensive inquiry into infected blood donations in the UK has given MacKenzie and the dwindling number of other surviving Australian victims hope that they will finally receive recognition and compensation for their plight here.

The four-year British inquiry found the country's public health service knowingly exposed tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections through diseased blood and blood products, and hid the truth about the disaster for decades.

In an apology to victims, British PM Rishi Sunak said the inquiry's final report, released on Monday, "should shake our nation to its core".

MacKenzie said Australia needed to hold a royal commission into its own blood tainting scandal, which mirrored almost exactly what had happened in the UK.

"This has opened up the biggest scandals that's been buried for some people for 50 years and, from Australia's standpoint, we're the worst in the world," MacKenzie said. 

"We need to focus on that. No-one was worse than Australia when it came to tainted blood."

Despite publicly leading campaigns for Australian tainted blood victims for decades, MacKenzie only shared his personal story for the first time when he testified at the UK inquiry in 2020.

He said he was moved to speak out about what happened to him because it felt like "this is our last chance".

"Before I die, and I'm an ill man, I want to know that I gave this every chance," MacKenzie said.

"So if it meant me sacrificing my rights and privacy, then I was happy to do this for Australia."

MacKenzie said he only found out about his blood donor's history when his lawyer obtained documents through the discovery process in 1997.

The documents included the transcript of a "lookback" interview the Australian Red Cross Blood Service conducted with the donor several years earlier.

They showed the donor had hepatitis C, used intravenous drugs and shared needles between 1974 and 1985. The donor had also spent time in prison and a prostitute was among his previous sexual partners.

"Rather than immediately contacting all of that man's previous recipients of his tainted blood, including me, they didn't. They didn't contact anybody," MacKenzie said.

MacKenzie said he had seen people die, and families have their lives ruined because of infected blood donations.

"We've got people who have lost everything, they've lost multimillion-dollar homes," he said. 

"We have people that ran businesses that were active taxpayers, and they had no idea that they'd been infected by these treatments. 

"And the next thing you know, they've got AIDS or hep C and they're in public housing." 

MacKenzie's tireless advocacy efforts led to a Senate inquiry being held into "Hepatitis C and the blood supply in Australia" back in 2004.

The inquiry heard Australian Red Cross Blood Service estimates that between 3500 and 8000 Australians were living with hepatitis C derived through blood transfusions, including around 1350 haemophiliacs.

The inquiry's final report did not recommend a national compensation scheme for victims, finding it was not in their best interests.

Instead, it recommended the establishment of a body to deliver targeted financial assistance to victims.

However, McKenzie said the promised financial help for medical expenses never eventuated.

"There were a host of life-saving recommendations, they were going to pay for out-of-pocket expenses … not one cent was provided," MacKenzie said.

"They promised dental care, because so many people with HIV and hep C have bad teeth. Well, of course, that wasn't provided. I myself had to do a GoFundMe to get a tooth removed." 

MacKenzie said the only apology offered was a qualified one spoken in mediation as the inquiry drew to a close.

In the inquiry's final report, an apology made on behalf of the Australian Red Cross Blood Service by Dr Brenton Wylie during the mediation meeting was noted.

"The Red Cross has recognised that, in the past, some blood-transfusion recipients contracted hepatitis C virus from blood transfusions," Wylie was recorded as saying.

"This is a terrible fact and we are sorry that this occurred. 

"We are sorry that for some of those recipients contracting hepatitis C has resulted in often debilitating physical symptoms of this disease, and in some cases, unfair discrimination. We as individuals at the ARCBS have been distressed to hear of people's particular situations."

A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Health said the 2004 Senate inquiry committee found the most effective way to assist people who acquired hepatitis C through donated blood was to improve access to services and education of medical personnel, and to support research efforts to develop treatments for hepatitis C.

The Australian Government contributed to state and territory administered Hepatitis C Settlement Schemes, and provided $7 billion in subsidised access to curative direct acting antiviral medicines for all eligible Australians with hepatitis C, through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), the spokesperson said.

The Haemophilia Foundation Australia said on its website that while the government did contribute to settlement schemes for people infected with hepatitis C through tainted blood, stringent eligibility criteria meant "nearly all people with bleeding disorders were excluded".

MacKenzie said intervention and financial help for Australian victims was desperately needed.

In the UK, authorities are expected to announce compensation of about $19 billion in all to victims.

Interim payments of $400,000 to "living infected beneficiaries will be made within 90 days, the British government has said.

Compensation schemes for victims have already been set up in other countries, including Scotland, Ireland and Canada.

MacKenzie said it was bittersweet for Australian victims watching the progress made in the UK.

"Here in Australia, we see the Infected Blood Inquiry as if we are peering over a fence watching our British friends being liberated while we remain in a state of grief, barely surviving under the exact same public health scandal," he told the UK inquiry as part of his testimony.

"Thousands of Australians have acquired deadly hepatitis C and HIV from blood transfusions and blood products. What happened to victims and their families in the UK also happened to victims here."

A spokesperson for Australian Red Cross Lifeblood said: "We know the UK inquiry will remind people of a similar time that has had a long-lasting impact on many families in Australia and in countries around the world."

"We understand the pain it has caused, and our thoughts are with those affected and their loved ones."

Australia implemented a hepatitis C test as soon as it was available, the spokesperson said.

"Because of the Lookback program and the time that has passed since we started testing, most people who received a blood product in the risk years in Australia have been followed up or diagnosed."

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au