The average student debt is going to increase by at least $1100 in June, according to new parliamentary projections, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has hinted relief is coming in next month's federal budget.

Almost three million Australians have student debt, which will increase on June 1 when HECS-HELP indexation comes into effect.

According to projections done by the Parliamentary Library for the Greens released this morning, this year's indexation will be the second highest on record at between 4.2 to 4.8 per cent, trailing only last year's 7.1 per cent increase.

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The exact rate won't be known until after the March inflation figures are announced next week, but even the low end of the estimate will see the average student debt of $26,494 rise by $1113, according to the Greens.

If indexation is the full 4.8 per cent, that amount will increase to $1272.

The Greens have used the figures to repeat their calls for indexation to be abolished.

"In the May budget, Labor must scrap indexation on student debt," education spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi said, adding that "there is still time to stop the massive indexation hit coming again this June".

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"Student debts are spiralling out of control."

Questioned about the impending rise on radio this morning, Albanese indicated there would be some form of relief for those with student debt in the May 14 budget, although remained tight-lipped on what that would actually be.

"I think there's a range of areas where we need to do much better with the younger generation, and HECs is one of them," the prime minister told HIT Central Queensland.

"We've received a review of that… and what that has said is that the system can be made simpler and be made fairer.

"The idea of HECs is a good one. It's one that has led to a massive expansion, the number of people being able to do university degrees.

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"But we're examining the recommendations and we'll be making announcements pretty soon on that. We, of course, have a budget coming up."

The review – the Australian Universities Accord, which was released in February – didn't call for indexation to be scrapped, but did recommend that it be tied to whichever is lower out of inflation or the wage price index.

The current settings only take inflation into account.

Although it is usually lower than the increase in wages, that wasn't the case in recent years, meaning the increases in debt were outpacing current and former students' means to pay it back.

The Universities Accord final report also recommended that student fees be based on the potential life time earnings associated with the course someone is studying.

The Devil Comet will be visible in Australian skies in just days – for the first time in 70 years.

Comet 12/P Pons-Brooks, also known as the "Mother of Dragons" due to its resemblance to a horned tail, is set to first occur in the early hours of April 22.

Most stargazers in Australia will be able to view the comet without equipment before sunrise, but only for a brief period of time.

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The rare celestial event is a result of cryo-volcanic eruptions of ice and is compared to the size of Mount Everest.

As the ice heats up from the sun, it sublimates into a gas, which produces the "fuzzy green haze" that appears across the night sky, explained astrophysicist Brad Tucker from the Australian National University.

"It's similar to a Halley's comet…as the comet goes around and gets closer around the sun, the ice heats up and turns to a gas, that's the tail we see," he told 9News.com.au.

"In the case of this one, it kind of goes through a cryo-volcano – an ice volcano – so you sometimes can get a second stream of gas coming off of that and that gives it its horn or devil-like appearance."

More experienced stargazers have been able to observe the phenomena in the Northern Hemisphere from mid-March with telescopes. 

But as the comet moves closer to the sun it will become visible across Southern skies from mid-April.

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Tucker said Australians would have the best chance of catching a glimpse of the comet from Anzac Day for around a week or two.

"It will be low in the western skies in its early days, you want a nice clear view to the West, so as the sunsets in the West you want a nice clear view with no buildings around," he said.

"If it's a fairly clear view to the horizon you should get a fairly good sight."

Tucker advised a pair of binoculars or a telescope will make for the optimum viewing experience.

The comet will eventually become fainter and impossible to see with the naked eye from July as it reaches its closest point to Earth in June.

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Six people have been arrested in last year's multimillion-dollar gold heist at Toronto's Pearson International Airport, police in Canada and the US said on Wednesday.

Police have also issued arrest warrants for three others in what they described as an "inside job." All nine suspects have been charged with over 19 counts.

On April 17, 2023, an air cargo container carrying more than $22 million Canadian dollars' ($25 million) worth of gold bars and foreign currency was stolen from a secure storage facility using fake paperwork, police say.

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The gold and currency had just arrived on an Air Canada flight from Zurich, Switzerland.

At least two former Air Canada employees allegedly helped in the audacious theft, police say. One is now in custody and an arrest warrant has been issued for the other.

"They needed people inside Air Canada to facilitate this theft," Detective Sgt. Mike Mavity of Peel Regional Police said, adding that in his opinion, this was an "inside job."

CNN has reached out to Air Canada for comment.

The investigation, dubbed "Project 24Karat", involved the Pennsylvania division of the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The ATF says a Canadian man arrested in Pennsylvania on traffic violations in September 2023 was the driver of the truck that stole the cargo container. The man was in the US illegally and fled on foot during a traffic stop after a state trooper found firearms in his rental car, it said.

"A court-authorised search warrant for the vehicle led to the recovery of those firearms that were allegedly destined to be smuggled into Canada," said Eric Degree, an ATF special agent who spoke at the Peel Regional Police news conference, adding that 65 firearms were prevented from "being used in any number of violent crimes."

Police allege the sophisticated organised crime ring planned to use most of the gold and cash to traffic firearms into Canada.

"We believe that they've melted down the gold and the profits they got from the gold they used to help finance the firearms, obviously purchasing the illegal firearms," said Mavity, adding, "We believe that's how the gold and money has now kind of worked into the firearms trafficking aspect of the investigation".

Canadian and US officials say the investigation is ongoing and only a fraction of the stolen gold bars and cash has been recovered. Police say after executing a search warrant in Ontario, they found five crudely melted gold bangles worth about $US90,000 ($140,000).

"This was the largest gold heist in Canadian history, reportedly, it's the sixth largest in world crime history," said Deputy Police Chief Nick Milinovich.

"I don't think I ever imagined they'd have to deal with the largest gold heist in Canadian history, it's almost out of an Ocean's Eleven movie or a CSI. But these criminals thought they were more sophisticated than police, they were wrong," said Patrick Brown, mayor of Brampton, Ontario.

The two bollard-wielding men who confronted Joel Cauchi during his deadly stabbing rampage through Bondi Junction Westfield have spoken about coming face-to-face with the killer.

Construction workers Damien Guerot and Silas Despreaux were hailed as heroes after CCTV vision from the Saturday attack showed them halting Cauchi's ascent of an escalator, threatening him with bollards they had seized.

The pair were also seen on later footage accompanying NSW Police Inspector Amy Scott as she sprinted through the shopping centre to confront Cauchi.

READ MORE: One patient left in intensive care after Sydney stabbing spree

Cauchi killed six people and hospitalised about a dozen during the attack, before he was fatally shot by Scott.

Despreaux told Today that they had visited Westfield to go to the gym, when they noticed a group of people running down an escalator.

"Really, we didn't understand what was going on. And, when we got up, one lady said someone is stabbing people," he said.

Guerot said when the duo saw Cauchi had a knife, and they were themselves empty-handed, they initially ran for safety.

READ MORE: Police post $500,000 reward to solve cold case of missing woman

"We go there and hide … and Silas was like, 'We need to do something, we need to catch him'," Guerot said.

They each picked up a bollard – which Guerot estimated weighed about 30kg to 40kg – and set off in pursuit of Cauchi.

"We saw him keep going, you know … stabbing people, then we saw him going the other way and we followed him," Guerot said.

READ MORE: Stabbing spree Westfield to re-open for 'day of reflection' today

Despreaux, though he was out of frame, reached the top of the escalator first when they saw Cauchi climbing it.

Guerot said he initially wondered whether to go to the other end of the escalator and block Cauchi off, before he joined his friend and they got Cauchi's attention.

"To be honest, at that moment, I couldn't say anything," Guerot said.

"I know the guy I have in front of me – I know he wasn't here for a joke.

"I need to show him that I won't let him pass. I won't let him go. I need to stop him right now."

Guerot advanced to the very top of the escalator as seen on the video, levelling his bollard.

He grew emotional as he recounted the confrontation on Today, especially the moment when Cauchi, after appearing to retreat, turned as if to go back up the escalator.

This prompted Guerot to throw the bollard, missing the attacker.

"You always think, like, at night-time, you could have done maybe something better," Guerot said.

"Maybe we could work together. We could talk to each other."

"You could see in his eyes that he's going to run after us now," Despreaux said.

The duo retreated again, managing to reach the outdoors, where they found Scott.

"We just, like, jump on her straight away, try to tell her everything, you know, you have to come, you know, we have to go right now," Guerot said.

The pair accompanied Scott back inside the shopping centre and were present when she fatally shot Cauchi.

They praised her as an "amazing" officer.

Guerot and Despreaux have been hailed for their actions not just in Australia, but also in their native France, with President Emmanuel Macron dubbing them "heroes".

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also extended the offer of permanent residency to Guerot, who is in the middle of a visa application.

Guerot admitted to mixed emotions – both gratitude for the praise they had received and for Albanese's offer, commingled with deep grief for the victims of the attack and their loved ones.

Ultimately, Guerot said, they were grateful to have been at each other's side on that day.

"We work together so we can support each other," he said.

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Police are offering a $500,000 reward for information to help solve a Gold Coast cold case that they suspect was a murder.

Tammy Lisa Dyson, also known as Tamela Menzies, aged 23, was a mother of two when she went missing from the Currumbin area in 1995.

She was picked up from a drug rehab clinic by a woman claiming to be her sister and has not been seen or heard from since.

READ MORE: Police release image of grandmother attacked at home in bid to catch culprits

Dyson was born and raised in Victoria but in 1988 moved to Brisbane where she began working in the adult entertainment industry, under the nickname "Pebbles".

Police say she began mixing with criminals and using drugs while working in strip clubs on the Gold Coast.

In early 1995 she arranged for her young sons Jyles and Rainey to stay with their grandmother in Victoria.

Months later, Tammy called her sister Olivia in a distressed state. Olivia drove to Inala in south-west Brisbane to pick her up. She described Tammy as having been assaulted.

Olivia and her partner later drove Tammy to a drug rehabilitation centre at Currumbin on the Gold Coast.

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A woman claiming to be Olivia picked her up on July 20, 1995. She was never seen again.

Olivia was her only sister and confirmed to police at the time she had not collected Tammy.

The following day Tammy completed a statutory declaration signed by a Justice of the Peace in Tweed Heads, giving custody of her children and her possessions to her mother.

She also made a final phone call to Olivia during which she mentioned underworld figures.

Police say there have been a number of reported sightings of Tammy since 1995 but have all proven negative.

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In 2012, the Queensland coroner was unable to ascertain the date, time and cause of Tammy's death, but gave the opinion she was deceased and indicated she may have been a victim of violence.

The $500,000 reward has now been offered for new information. It includes immunity from prosecution for any accomplice who comes forward.

Detective Senior Sergeant Tara Kentwell said Tammy's disappearance was suspicious.

"Tammy associated with criminals that were known to police and vanished without a trace after giving custody of her children and possessions to her mother; we believe the circumstances of her disappearance is suspicious," she said.

Her sons yesterday made an emotional appeal for public help to find their mother at a media conference.

"Whoever has picked her up, I'm not saying they have done something but they must know something bad has happened," Jyles Lebler said.

It's an image so confronting it made Western Australia's top cop "sick to my stomach", released by police in a bid to catch the heartless trio responsible.

It shows Perth grandmother Nannette bruised, bloodied and battered — she can barely open her eyes or move her lips after being savagely beaten by three men who told her they were police officers.

"I saw the photo of the victim this morning and it made me sick to my stomach," Police Commissioner Col Blanch said.

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"To have people at home suffer that type of attack is a disgrace."

Nannette and her 76-year-old husband Phillip allowed the three men into their Girrawheen home about 7pm on Monday after they were shown a fake police badge.

What followed was 30 horrific minutes.

"Once inside, the 76-year-old male was bound and his 73-year-old wife was assaulted," Detective Inspector Gary Butler said.

The men stole jewellery of "extremely large value" before fleeing on foot.

"Violence of this nature is unacceptable and it will not be tolerated," Butler said.

"The community deserves the right to feel safe and secure in their homes, the public should feel outrage."

The brutal attack left the couple's daughter in shock.

She said her mother had only just recovered from a long health battle

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"She's 73 years old, she's just fought cancer for two years and she was just coming good," the daughter told 9News.

"[They] tied my dad up, in their own home, so it's not safe to come back."

Butler said some stolen items had been recovered and urged anyone with CCTV or information about the attack to contact police.

He described the offenders as having olive complexions and wearing dark-coloured long pants, shirts and long-sleeve jackets.

Two of the men are about 165 centimetres tall and the third is described as being between 185 and 190 centimetres tall.

"We will not stop until these offenders are apprehended and placed before the courts," he said.

Butler said the incident was "unusual" and that plain-clothes police officers would never attend a home without proper identification. 

"We would like to remind the public all plain clothes officers must show photographic identification," he said.

The couple were taken to hospital. Phillip was discharged and being supported by family while Nannette needed more medical treatment.

"She's traumatised and very sore," Butler said.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Two people have been hospitalised after a high-speed jetski crash on a Gold Coast river.

CCTV has shown the moment one of the jetskis turned into the path of another on Nerang River about 12pm today.

Both riders had no time to swerve and the jetskis collided, sending their riders flying into the water.

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Nearby jetski riders and boaties came to the riders' aid and helped them to shore as emergency services rushed to the scene.

A man in his 20s was treated for a leg injury by paramedics at the scene while a woman also aged in her 20s suffered facial injuries.

They were both taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in stable conditions. 

A mother-of-three from Adelaide's southern suburbs is warning potential buyers about the perils of off-the-plan property purchases.

The construction of Fidelma McCorry's home is running almost two years behind schedule and the developer is now asking her to pay an extra $140,000.

"I don't know if I'm more disappointed or more angry really," she said.

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McCorry purchased the property in October 2021 with the expectation of moving into her home by June 2022. 

However, the fine print in her contract contained a "sunset clause," which stipulated that the price could be renegotiated if the home was not completed by the end of 2023.

McCorry recently received a letter requesting she pay an additional $144,000 due to increased labour and building material costs. 

"I literally had my mouth open. I was warned there might be a slight increase, but $144,000 is beyond the realms of possibility," she said.

Developer Lofty Building Group has confirmed that multiple townhouses in the Somerton Waters development are affected by this issue. 

In a statement it said buyers could pay to cover the additional costs or terminate their contracts and receive their deposits back.

READ MORE: Student wrongly named as Bondi stabber to sue

McCorry said she planned to take her deposit and avoid building new homes in the future.

"I've had over $70,000 sitting with these guys that would have earned me interest over that time or been off my mortgage."

The Master Builders Association has said sunset clauses are not uncommon but has urged consumers to conduct thorough research before entering into off-the-plan property purchases. 

The state government has also initiated a review to ensure consumer protection and prevent the exploitation of sunset clauses.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

EXCLUSIVE: Mark Haydon, one of the men convicted in one of Australia's worst serial killings has been released on parole.

Haydon was 40 years old when he was convicted of assisting John Bunting and Robert Wagner in disposing of the bodies of seven people in barrels, including his wife Elizabeth Haydon.

After 25 years behind bars for his role in the Snowtown murders, Haydon was released in a secretive low-profile operation.

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Haydon is now 65, but steps taken by 9News to show the community what he looks like now were blocked by the South Australian Supreme Court.

It is understood that Haydon has been given exclusion zones across Adelaide as part of his release.

The public has not been told where those exclusion zones are.

Confirmation that Haydon has been released on parole came in a one-line statement to 9News this afternoon.

It did not say when Haydon's release occurred.

It coincides with the postponement of a hearing about putting him under supervision in the community, which had been scheduled to take place today.

Some conditions of Haydon's release have previously been confirmed.

READ MORE: Student wrongly named as Bondi stabber to sue

He must obey a 9pm to 6am curfew and will be electronically monitored.

Haydon is not allowed to enter licenced premises and he is banned from speaking with the media.

He is also banned from attempting to contact any of his victims' families.

Haydon has been released on parole in order to keep him under authority surveillance for at least a short time, with his prison sentence due to expire altogether on May 20. 

The government's Supreme Court bid to keep him under controls beyond that time will now be heard on May 1.

The family of one of the Bondi stabbing attack victims has said "there are no words to describe" their loss, while the community prepares for a candlelight vigil to honour those killed.

Sydney architect Jade Young was killed in the stabbing attack on Saturday, with her family today releasing a statement on a crowdfunding campaign started by one of her friends, to support "Jade's two beautiful daughters Audrey and Maisey and her husband Noel over the coming weeks, months and years".

"There are no words to describe the sense of loss, sadness and grief Jade's family have been experiencing after the shocking events at Bondi Junction," the family said.

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"The entire family is still in shock and coming to terms with the loss of Jade, with two of the family members directly involved at the time of the fatal attack on their beautiful daughter, wife and mother of two.

"Jade was a special soul and she touched so many lives. We want to thank those friends and community members who have stepped in with offers of help and donations.

"The funds raised will be used to provide Jade's daughters with a secure future as they begin to adjust to life without their mum. No amount of money will ever compensate for the loss of Jade, but your donations will give the family the support they need to grieve."

A candlelight vigil has been scheduled for this weekend to honour the victims.

People have been invited to bring their own candles to the memorial, which will be held from 5.30pm on Sunday at Dolphin Court, Bondi Beach.

Waverley Council mayor Paula Masselos said there would be a one-minute silence in honour of those whose lives were lost.

TIMELINE: How the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing attack unfolded

"Our community is deep in grief and this is a time to support each other and stand together," she said.

"This vigil will be an opportunity to reflect and commence healing."

It comes as Westfield Bondi Junction, the site of Saturday's horror massacre, will reopen tomorrow for "a day of reflection" without retail trade before beginning to resume normal business on Friday.

The centre has been closed since Joel Cauchi killed six people and injured a dozen more in a stabbing spree just after 3pm on Saturday.

Six patients remain in hospital receiving treatment for their injuries, while a few others have been released.

One of the women injured has moved from ICU at St Vincent's Hospital to the ward and is in a stable condition, while a male patient is also in a stable condition at the same facility.

Two patients remain at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital – a woman in ICU in a serious but stable condition, and a man in a stable condition.

The nine-month-old baby of victim Ashlee Good remains at Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in a serious but stable condition, after being moved from the ICU to the ward yesterday.

A female patient remains at the Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition. 

READ MORE: Community comes together in prayer after church stabbing in Wakeley

The NSW Government said they would continue to work with Waverley Council to support the community event, including ensuring services such as counsellors and mental health first aid are available on site.

"This has been a devastating attack that's touched everybody in the state, whether you knew one of the victims or not," NSW Premier Chris Minns said.

"This vigil will be an opportunity for the community to stand together to support and honour the victims and survivors of this horrific tragedy.

"I hope they can draw some strength from the fact that there's many people that are standing with them during this time."

People are encouraged to catch public transport to and from the vigil.

If you're struggling, know that help is available 24/7.Lifeline: Call 13 11 14, text 0477 13 11 14 or chat online.

Kids Helpline: Call 1800 55 1800 or chat online.

Beyond Blue: Call 1300 22 4636 or chat online.

1800RESPECT: Call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or chat online.

13 Yarn: Call 13 92 76.MensLine Australia: Call 1300 78 99 78.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000)