Manager says there were speculation it was a head knock, but player had a heart attack.

Roger Corman, the Oscar-winning "King of the Bs" who helped turn out such low-budget classics as Little Shop of Horrors and Attack of the Crab Monsters and gave many of Hollywood's most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died. He was 98.

Corman died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, his daughter Catherine Corman said today in a statement.

"He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him," the statement said.

READ MORE: How a Queenslander became a veteran tornado chaser

"When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.'"

Starting in 1955, Corman helped create hundreds of films as a producer and director, among them Black Scorpion, Bucket of Blood and Bloody Mama.

A remarkable judge of talent, he hired such aspiring filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese.

READ MORE: Australian state mulls over social media ban for children

In 2009, Corman received an honorary Academy Award.

"There are many constraints connected with working on a low budget, but at the same time there are certain opportunities," Corman said in a 2007 documentary about Val Lewton, the 1940s director of Cat People and other underground classics.

"You can gamble a little bit more. You can experiment. You have to find a more creative way to solve a problem or to present a concept."

The roots of Hollywood's golden age in the 1970s can be found in Corman's films.

Jack Nicholson made his film debut as the title character in a 1958 Corman quickie, The Cry Baby Killer, and stayed with the company for biker, horror and action films, writing and producing some of them.

Other actors whose careers began in Corman movies included Robert De Niro, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn.

Peter Fonda's appearance in The Wild Angels was a precursor to his own landmark biker movie Easy Rider, co-starring Nicholson and fellow Corman alumnus Dennis Hopper.

Boxcar Bertha, starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine, was an early film by Scorsese.

Corman's directors were given minuscule budgets and often told to finish their films in as little as five days.

When Howard, who would go on to win a best director Oscar for A Beautiful Mind, pleaded for an extra half day to reshoot a scene in 1977 for Grand Theft Auto, Corman told him, "Ron, you can come back if you want, but nobody else will be there."

Initially only drive-ins and specialty theatres would book Corman films, but as teenagers began turning out, national chains gave in.

Corman's pictures were open for their time about sex and drugs, such as his 1967 release The Trip, an explicit story about LSD written by Nicholson and starring Fonda and Hopper.

Meanwhile, he discovered a lucrative sideline releasing prestige foreign films in the United States, among them Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers, Federico Fellini's Amarcord and Volker Schlondorff's The Tin Drum.

The latter two won Oscars for best foreign language film.

Corman got his start as a messenger boy for Twentieth Century-Fox, eventually graduating to story analyst.

After quitting the business briefly to study English literature for a term at Oxford, he returned to Hollywood and launched his career as a movie producer and director.

Despite his penny-pinching ways, Corman retained good relations with his directors, boasting that he never fired one because, "I wouldn't want to inflict that humiliation."

Some of his former underlings repaid his kindness years later.

Coppola cast him in The Godfather, Part II, Jonathan Demme included him in The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia and Howard gave him a part in Apollo 13.

Most of Corman's movies were quickly forgotten by all but die-hard fans.

A rare exception was 1960's Little Shop of Horrors, which starred a bloodthirsty plant that feasted on humans and featured Nicholson in a small but memorable role as a pain-loving dental patient.

It inspired a long-lasting stage musical and a 1986 musical adaptation starring Steve Martin, Bill Murray and John Candy.

In 1963, Corman initiated a series of films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe.

The most notable was The Raven, which teamed Nicholson with veteran horror stars Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone.

Directed by Corman on a rare three-week schedule, the horror spoof won good reviews, a rarity for his films.

Another Poe adaptation, House of Usher, was deemed worthy of preservation by the Library of Congress.

Near the end of his life, Karloff starred in another Corman-backed effort, the 1968 thriller Targets, which marked Peter Bogdanovich's directorial debut.

Corman's success prompted offers from major studios, and he directed The St. Valentine's Day Massacre and Von Richthofen and Brown on normal budgets.

Both were disappointments, however, and he blamed their failure on front-office interference.

Roger William Corman was born in Detroit and raised in Beverly Hills, but "not in the affluent section," he once said.

He attended Stanford University, earning a degree in engineering, and arrived in Hollywood after three years in the Navy.

After his stint at Oxford, he worked as a television stagehand and literary agent before finding his life's work.

In 1964 he married Julie Halloran, a UCLA graduate who also became a producer.

They had three children: Catherine, Roger and Brian.

He is survived by Julie, Catherine and Mary, his daughter said in the statement.

In a field in rural Texas, Thomas Hinterdorfer stood under a green-tinged sky with the wind screaming past him at 265km/h.

With the cone of a tornado touching down a stone's throw away, it's probably not your dream holiday.

For Hinterdorfer, this is as good as it gets.

READ MORE: Exceptional tornado streak weaves path of destruction

For ten months of the year, the Toowoomba local is a professional meteorologist in Australia.

From mid-April to late June, he's a "storm chaser", racing up and down America's Tornado Alley in search of the tornadoes, twisters and the biggest hailstones he can find.

"Finding storms in the USA is a piece of cake," he explained to 9news.com.au.

Picking the storms to chase is where the skill comes in, he said.

Hinterdorfer and his partner Katey use sophisticated computer models and satellite imagery to figure out where the most spectacular tornadoes are likely to form.

What comes next is a white-knuckled drive across state lines, as they get as close to the tornadoes as they can safely tolerate.

READ MORE: Stranded horse that became national darling rescued from roof

Tragically, several people have already been killed by tornadoes in the US this year.

Buildings have been blown to shreds and towns torn apart.

Despite the risks, Hinterdorfer maintains that storm chasing in the US is no more dangerous than driving to the shops in Australia.

"There are more injuries from car crashes in Sydney every morning than there are from storm chasing in an entire year," he said.

"We are very respectful that this is a very dangerous 'sport', passion or profession."

Because storm-chasers are often among the first on the scene after a tornado rips through an inhabited area, he's seen the heartbreaking aftermath of the tornadoes all too many times.

READ MORE: When will it stop raining in New South Wales?

"It's devastating every time," he said.

On April 27, a catastrophic tornado tore through the Nebraska town of Elkhorn.

Hinterdorfer and Katey were on the ground in the storm's aftermath, assisting local authorities with search and rescue operations.

As they stepped in to help the victims of the tornado, the scenes were confronting.

"People think we love chasing the drama and everything," he wrote on Facebook that evening.

"I haven't stopped crying for 30 minutes.

"This was a violent, destructive, catastrophic tornado that has changed multiple communities forever."

READ MORE: Two skiers killed in Utah avalanche after days of snowstorms

Hinterdorfer became "absolutely fascinated" by the weather from an early age.

Now on his seventh trip for the "season" (from April to July in the US), he said the chasing has become an invaluable part of his knowledge and training as a meteorologist.

"You learn so much in the field and seeing things for yourself, and that experience becomes invaluable for future forecasting and future chasing," he said.

"The more I chase, the more I learn".

Not every day on the chase is successful.

One day last week, the pair drove nearly 1200km across six US states, with only a 30-second glimpse of a tornado to show for it.

Day-to-day, their fortunes can change by the minute.

Hinterdorfer said the more experienced storm chasers become, the more they can manage the ebb and flow of emotions throughout the day.

"Less experienced chasers can often be overly excited, or overly down, depending on how the chase goes," he said.

"More experienced chasers know how to use the frustrating or quieter moments in a positive manner and to ride the highs for much longer."

Hinterdorfer and his partner will continue their chase until the end of the season in early July.

"We are also hoping to continue seeing ridiculous storms that leave you speechless, and using those storms to meet up with as many friends as possible."

Swiss singer Nemo has won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with The Code, an operatic pop-rap ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.

Nemo beat Croatia’s Baby Lasagna to the title by winning the most points from a combination of national juries and viewers around the world.

Nemo is the first nonbinary winner of the contest that was founded in 1956.

READ MORE: Stunning aurora australis dazzles southern skies

“Thank you so much,” Nemo said after the result was announced.

“I hope this contest can live up to its promise and continue to stand for peace and dignity for every person.”

Nemo’s victory in the Swedish city of Malmo followed a turbulent year for the pan-continental pop contest that saw large street protests against the participation of Israel that tipped the feelgood musical celebration into a chaotic pressure cooker overshadowed by the war in Gaza.

Hours before the final, Dutch competitor Joost Klein was expelled from the contest over a backstage altercation that was being investigated by police.

Nemo bested finalists from 24 other countries, who all performed in front of a live audience of thousands and an estimated 180 million viewers around the world.

Each contestant had three minutes to meld catchy tunes and eye-popping spectacle into performances capable of winning the hearts of viewers.

Musical styles ranged across rock, disco, techno and rap — sometimes a mashup of more than one.

The contest returned to Sweden, home of last year’s winner, Loreen, a half century after ABBA won Eurovision with Waterloo — Eurovision’s most iconic moment.

ABBA did not appear in person in Malmo, though their digital “ABBA-tars” from the ABBA Voyage stage show did.

A trio of former Eurovision winners — Charlotte Perrelli, Carola and Conchita Wurst — came onstage to sing Waterloo as votes were being cast and counted.

Sweden’s entry, identical twins Marcus and Martinus, opened the competition with their optimistically named song Unforgettable, followed by Ukrainian duo alyona alyona & Jerry Heil with Teresa & Maria, a powerful tribute to their war-battered country.

After German balladeer Isaak and Luxembourg chanteuse Tali, Israeli singer Eden Golan took the stage to a wall of sound — boos mixed with cheers — to perform the power ballad Hurricane.

Golan shot up the odds table through the week, despite the protests that her appearance has drawn and ended in fifth place.

Eurovision organisers ordered a change to the original title of her song, October Rain — an apparent reference to the October 7 Hamas attack that killed about 1200 people in Israel and triggered the war in Gaza.

The show was typically eclectic Eurovision fare: Lithuania’s Silvester Belt was an affable young crooner, while Estonia’s 5Miinust x Puuluup offered a pop-zombie folk hybrid featuring the talharpa, a traditional stringed instrument.

Greek singer Marina Satti and Armenia’s Ladaniva both merged folk song and dance elements with power pop, while Britain’s Olly Alexander offered upbeat dance track Dizzy.

READ MORE: Warragamba Dam stills, flood warnings for NSW

Contenders also included the goofy 1990s nostalgia of Finland’s Windows95man, who emerged from a giant onstage egg wearing very little clothing.

Ireland’s gothic Bambie Thug summoned a demon onstage and brought a scream coach to Malmo, while Spain’s Nebulossa boldly reclaimed a term used as a slur on women in Zorra.

Nemo had been a favourite going into the contest, alongside Baby Lasagna, whose song Rim Tim Tagi Dim is a rollicking rock number that tackles the issue of young Croatians leaving the country in search of a better life.

Though Eurovision’s motto is “united by music,” this year’s event has proven divisive.

Protests and dissent overshadowed a competition that has become a campy celebration of Europe’s varied — and sometimes baffling — musical tastes and a forum for inclusiveness and diversity with a huge LGBT following.

Thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators marched for the second time in a week on Saturday through Sweden’s third-largest city, which has a large Muslim population, to demand a boycott of Israel and a cease-fire in the seven-month Gaza war that has killed almost 35,000 Palestinians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Several hundred gathered outside the Malmo Arena before the final, with some shouting “shame” at arriving music fans, and facing off with police blocking their path.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among those escorted away by police.

Klein, the Dutch performer, was ejected from the competition after a female member of the production crew made a complaint, competition organiser the European Broadcasting Union said.

The 26-year-old Dutch singer and rapper had been a favourite of both bookmakers and fans with his song Europapa.

Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, one of dozens of public broadcasters that collectively fund and broadcast the contest, said that as Klein came offstage after Thursday’s semifinal, he was filmed without his consent and in turn made a “threatening movement” toward the camera.

The broadcaster said Klein didn’t touch the camera or the camera operator, and called his expulsion “disproportionate”.

Tensions and nerves were palpable in the hours before the final. Several artists were absent from the Olympics-style artists’ entrance at the start of the final dress rehearsal, though all appeared at the final.

Powerhouse French singer Slimane cut short his ballad Mon Amour at the dress rehearsal to give a speech urging people to be “united by music, yes — but with love, for peace”.

He did not repeat the speech during the evening final.

Several competitors made reference to peace or love at the end of their performances.

Loreen, last year’s Eurovision champion, said world events were “traumatisng,” but urged people not to shut down the “community of love” that is Eurovision.

“What heals trauma … Does trauma heal trauma? Does negativity heal negativity? It doesn’t work like that,” she told The Associated Press.

“The only thing that heals trauma for real — this is science — is love.”

The aurora australis has transformed skies across the country into dazzling hues of pink, green and blue.

The phenomenon, also known as the southern lights, was triggered by a severe geomagnetic storm which hasn't been seen in Australia since 2003.

The breathtaking light display is a result of sun-emitted plasma and solar flares in four "coronal mass ejections" shooting magnetic particles towards Earth.

READ MORE: Man extradited to Adelaide over alleged connection to historic murder

Social media users in Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia shared images of the southern lights, which lit up skies from around 8pm to 2am.

Sadly, those in New South Wales missed out on the display due to cloud and rain.

Residents who missed out on last night's show could have a chance tonight to see it across Victoria and South Australia again this evening.

READ MORE: Tornado clean up begins in WA as thousands remain without power

Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre warned the level G4 storm – the second-highest classification – could threaten infrastructure power signals from Saturday night to Sunday morning.

"The warning issued for this event informs government and critical infrastructure operators so they can take action to mitigate potential impacts on infrastructure assets and essential service," the Bureau of Meteorology said.

The storm has the potential to disrupt critical infrastructure such as power grids, and satellite services, impacting communications and satellites that use high-frequency radio communication.

Bright auroras can be visible at unusually low latitudes, including dark areas near Sydney and Perth, if G4 conditions are reached.

A town is facing a mammoth clean-up after roofs were ripped from homes and community buildings were destroyed by a freak tornado in Western Australia's south west.

Approximately 2000 homes are still without power after the 60-metre-wide tornado, with wind speeds of over 150 kilometres per hour, hit the Bunbury suburb of Withers about 4pm (6pm AEST) yesterday.

There were 146 calls for help and about 40 homes have been damaged.

READ MORE: Man extradited to Adelaide over alleged connection to historic murder

There have been no reports of any deaths and only two people suffered minor injuries across the impacted area.

The clean up has now begun but the task is so huge, emergency service crews have sent for backup to assist.

Impacted residents are now looking for places to stay and those still waiting for their power to return are expected to have to wait until at least Sunday afternoon.

The tornado only lasted four minutes but it caused panic as it wreaked havoc.

Children ran for cover after a PCYC building was torn in half, with the roof collapsing into itself.

READ MORE: Man charged after 100kg of meth found in sandals

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has issued a hazmat warning around the PCYC building due to asbestos.

It also lifted the roof off a building in Bunbury Regional Prison with two prison buildings damaged and 17 inmates were moved to other facilities.

"What we saw yesterday was an incredibly confronting and in many ways traumatic incident," corrective services minister Paul Papalia said.

Three teenagers have been charged after an alleged carjacking in Melbourne's west last night.

Police allege a group of teenagers were picked up by a rideshare driver in a Mercedes SUV in Tarneit around 11pm.

After the group were driven to Wilandra Drive where CCTV captured a teenager exiting the car, opening the driver's door and allegedly demanding the driver get out.

READ MORE: Man arrested after WA Westfield knife scare

Police allege the driver was pulled out of the car before the teenagers got back in the vehicle and fled the area.

The 62-year-old driver could be heard calling for help during the incident.

The Point Cook man sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.

Two teenage girls were seen getting out of the car and were arrested a short time later.

Police allege some of the teenagers then drove across a number of suburbs for around two and a half hours before the car was dumped several streets from where it was stolen.

Security cameras showed the teens running in different directions, as a number of the group climbed over backyard fences.

A police investigation is ongoing for two of the group that fled the scene.

Three other teenagers were arrested.

One of them, a 16-year-old boy, was taken to hospital after he was bitten by a police dog.

An 18-year-old Point Cook boy and a 15-year-old Hoppers Crossing boy were charged with theft of motor vehicle.

All three were granted bail to appear in court at a later date.

Two 14-year-old girls were released from police custody and are expected to be charged on summons for the theft of a motor vehicle.

Long-time Today entertainment correspondent Sam Rubin has died at 64 years old.

Rubin died at his home in Los Angeles on Friday (local time) from a heart attack.

Today host Karl Stefanovic shared a tribute to Rubin on his Instagram this morning, saying he "adored every second with Sam on air and off over the past two decades".

READ MORE: Driver makes soggy escape after crashing car into backyard pool

"His spirit. His laugh. His warm caring nature. He was a beautiful man.

"What a loss. All love to his family, and to his TV family at KTLA5 News."

Rubin had hosted his regular KTLA Hollywood news segment from 7am to 9am that morning.

The reporter worked for LA TV station KTLA as their entertainment reporter, and also worked with Today and Today Extra.

Today Extra host David Campbell also paid tribute to Rubin.

"Sam Rubin was a Hollywood great. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the industry," Campbell wrote today.

"For years we would cross to him and gossip and laugh," he said.

"He would visit us Down Under, and whenever you were in LA you had to catch up. His loss is profound. My love and condolences to his family whom he adored.

"Also his KTLA team who have lost a brother. We will cross back to you some other time Sam."

The TV station confirmed Rubins' passing in a statement this morning. 

"KTLA 5 is profoundly saddened to report the death of Sam Rubin," the TV station said.

"Sam was a giant in the local news industry and the entertainment world, and a fixture of Los Angeles morning television for decades.

"His laugh, charm and caring personality touched all who knew him. Sam was a loving husband and father: the roles he cherished the most.

"Our thoughts are with Sam's family during this difficult time."

READ MORE: Woman critically injured after allegedly struck by car in Melbourne

Today entertainment reporter and close friend of Rubin, Richard Wilkins said his colleague would be missed.

"The entertainment world has really lost one of its greatest colleagues and dear friends today," Wilkins said on Weekend Today.

"For the last 20-odd years he's been a member of our family, mainly through the Today show and Today Extra…but whenever the big stories broke, Sam was our go-to guy.

"And those beautiful people that he works with, they will be absolutely gutted today, obviously he brought this immense knowledge of the entertainment industry, but he brought this immense warmth as well." 

Nine's Director of Morning Television Steven Burling also paid tribute to the former colleague.

"Sam was an extraordinary figure in Hollywood, he was a fixture not only on red carpets and awards ceremonies but a daily presence for more than three decades on KTLA in Los Angeles," he said.

"His professionalism, his vast knowledge, and his contacts are what first attracted us to getting Sam on to talk entertainment out of Los Angeles.

"What kept him as part of our wider team (for these decades) was his warmth, good humour and passion.

"He loved what he did and he loved those he worked with.

"I'm thinking particularly of his wife and kids, his KTLA family and Dickie (Richard Wilkins).

"We'll miss you, mate."

https://twitter.com/KTLA/status/1789023441116688541

Rubin worked at KTLA from 1991 up until the time of his passing.

He was the recipient of a Golden Mic award from the Southern California Broadcasters Association, honouring his lifetime achievement in media.

He was also a winner of the Best Entertainment Reporter award from the Los Angeles Press Club. 

First division also went unclaimed tonight.

An Adelaide man has been arrested and is expected to be charged with murder after returning to Australia from Cambodia.

Police allege the man was involved in the murder of Thea Kheav, who was stabbed to death at an 18th birthday party in Parafield Gardens, in Adelaide's north on December 1, 2007.

The 36-year-old man was arrested by police at Melbourne Airport this morning and will be extradited to South Australia tonight, where he is expected to be charged.

READ MORE: Man charged after 100kg of meth found in sandals

Three men have already been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with a non-parole period of 20 years.

Police allege a fourth person was involved and fled Australia four weeks after the killing. 

Detectives attempted to extradite him from Cambodia in 2008 but it was rejected by the Cambodian Supreme Court and he was released.

At 7.30 this morning, the formerly Salisbury North man returned to Melbourne on a flight from Bangkok, where he was arrested by police.

The man is expected to arrive in South Australia this evening.