Warning: This story contains the name of a deceased Indigenous person.

A Queensland police officer has told an inquest he had no option but to repeatedly fire a Taser while apprehending an Indigenous man who died soon after.

The Coroners Court heard the first of three days of evidence for the inquest into the death of Ashley Charles Washington, 31, on December 13, 2020, in Toowoomba west of Brisbane.

Ashley's immediate family, who listened to Tuesday's proceedings via phone, requested the inquest use his first name.

READ MORE: Gold Coast to submit proposal for Commonwealth Games bid

Senior Constable Jamie Williams, of Toowoomba's dog squad, was the first officer to encounter Washington after he allegedly burgled a home and assaulted its resident before leaving the scene at 6.35pm with money and a pair of scissors.

Williams told the hearing he was a lone officer in a marked police vehicle with his police dog named Turbo.

The inquest was shown six minutes of footage from Williams' body-worn camera that showed him intercepting Washington on the street and telling him to get on the ground.

In the footage, Washington can be heard yelling incoherently and screaming before Williams attempts to grab him then deploys Turbo.

Williams testified that Washington stabbed him in the head with the pair of scissors and he heard Turbo yelping after being repeatedly stabbed.

READ MORE: Suspected human bone found at popular Queensland tourist spot

Washington is then hit by wired probes from the Taser and falls to the ground before getting up and being stunned again by Williams, who proceeds to deliver four cycles of electric shocks before other officers arrive and pin Washington to the ground.

Williams told the inquest that using his stun gun was his only option other than drawing his weapon.

"My aim was to use the minimum force not likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm," he said.

Counsel assisting Sarah Lio-Willie asked Williams why he delivered multiple shocks.

"Mr Washington had just tried to kill me, I needed to use that to preserve my life and I was aware of (bystanders) on the street," Williams said.

Under cross-examination by Washington family solicitor, Angela Taylor, Williams said he also gave Washington two forceful kicks to the ribs.

READ MORE: Official Voice pamphlets go out to millions of households

Williams told his solicitor, Claire McGee, that officers were trained to use their firearms if attacked by a person with a bladed weapon.

The inquest also heard from Senior Sergeant David Perry, the senior ethical standards command investigator into Ashley's death.

Perry said he found the officers involved had acted appropriately and followed procedure, but he could not recall them using foul language towards Washington on the body camera footage.

Paramedics administered a sedative to Washington after he was arrested but he started displaying symptoms of cardiac arrest and was declared dead in hospital just after 8pm.

Perry said police had no powers to order paramedics to administer any drug.

For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

Tim van de Molen has since apologised for his actions.

Five people, including four children, have died and dozens were rescued on Monday in two separate incidents involving migrant boats heading to Greek islands from nearby Turkish shores, Greek authorities said.

The coast guard said four people died and 18 were rescued after a boat carrying migrants apparently sank northeast of the Greek island of Lesbos, which is near the Turkish coast.

Government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis said all four were children: an eight-year-old boy and three girls aged 14, 8 and 11 months.

READ MORE: Magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocks Indonesia

Greece's minister for merchant marine, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, said the coast guard carried out the rescue inside Turkish waters. Coast guard spokesperson Nikos Alexiou said the Turkish coast guard did not conduct a rescue operation, so a Greek patrol boat recovered the passengers.

The survivors were taken to Lesbos' main port of Mytilene, where two people were transferred to a local hospital.

Earlier on Monday at about 1am, a coast guard patrol boat spotted a dinghy carrying 37 people off the eastern Aegean island of Samos, the coast guard said. It said the passengers fell into the water upon seeing the patrol boat, triggering a rescue operation.

A woman and a young boy were pulled from the water unconscious and coast guard officers tried to resuscitate them, authorities said.

The woman died but the boy survived and was transferred to a hospital on Samos along with nine other survivors, the coast guard said.

READ MORE: Identities of US Marine crash victims revealed

"We express our deepest sadness" for the five deaths, Marinakis said at a regular briefing. He praised the coast guard for "superhuman efforts" to rescue lives at sea.

"It is imperative that the dismal smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable people are struck at their roots," he said.

Later Monday, coast guard vessels rescued another 75 migrants found on inflatable dinghies in three separate incidents off Lesbos, part of an increase in arrivals over the past two months.

Over the weekend, the coast guard said it picked up dozens of people from boats near islands in the eastern Aegean Sea. It said it recovered 20 people from a dinghy off the coast of Lesbos on Sunday, and 11 others from another dinghy that was sinking near the same island on Saturday.

Two other boats arrived on Samos on Saturday, the coast guard said, one carrying 35 people and one with 21 people.

For decades, Greece has been a preferred entry point into the European Union for people fleeing conflict or poverty in the Middle East, Africa and Asia and hoping for a better life in Europe.

More than 15,600 people have reached Greece by land and sea so far this year, according to the latest United Nations figures. Nearly 12,000 of them arrived by sea with 5000 reaching Lesbos alone.

Arrivals in Greece make up about a tenth of this year's total successful Mediterranean crossings, most of which — about 113,000 — were to Italy. Arrivals in Greece for the whole of 2022 totalled 19,000.

In June, a battered fishing trawler heading from Libya to Italy with an estimated 500-750 people on board sank in international waters off southwestern Greece. Only 104 survivors were found, and Greek authorities were heavily criticised for failing to evacuate the vessel in time.

The government has attributed the rise in migrant crossings since then to better summer weather, unrest in Africa and smugglers taking advantage of an increase in Aegean small boat traffic during the tourist season.

After nearly a million people entered Greece at the height of Europe's 2015 migration crisis, the vast majority hoping to move north to wealthier European countries, Greece increased patrols along the sea and land border with Turkey to halt arrivals.

Human rights groups and migrants denounced the government for carrying out summary deportations of people arriving in the country without allowing them to apply for asylum, an accusation the government strongly denied.

A Victorian man will spend more than 14 years behind bars for encouraging his friend to stab another man to death.

Jamie Holt, 45, didn't lay any of the fatal blows against Ricky Rowlands on October 10, 2020.

But a Supreme Court jury found he and his girlfriend Candice Harper assisted Benjamin McCartin in the deadly stabbing.

READ MORE: Fruit shop destroyed after 'suspicious' fire in Melbourne's north

Earlier in the night, Rowlands had arrived at the Ibis Hotel on King Street looking for a fight.

He confronted McCartin, who was standing outside with Holt, grabbing him in a headlock and throwing him onto a parked car.

McCartin and Holt didn't retaliate at that stage, instead going back inside the hotel where Harper was staying.

But they returned about an hour later, gaining a knife from a friend as they confronted Rowlands.

The brawl spilled into the middle of traffic on King St before Holt hit Rowlands in the head with a glass bottle.

McCartin, Holt and Harper then pulled him to the ground and held him there as McCartin stabbed him three times to the stomach.

Seriously wounded, Rowlands got to his feet and tried to punch Harper, before collapsing. He was taken in for emergency surgery but died in hospital.

In the hours after the murder, Holt changed his clothes and tried to avoid the police at the scene.

READ MORE: Legislation to ban Nazi salute and symbols to be introduced in Victoria

He subsequently fell or jumped from the fifth floor of the hotel in an attempt to escape, leaving him with serious injuries including a fractured spine and skull.

Those injuries left Holt with ongoing impairments to his executive function and memory, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Kaye said in his sentence on Tuesday.

The judge accepted those issues, along with mental health conditions stemming from drug abuse and a dysfunctional childhood, would make prison more onerous.

But Holt had an extensive criminal record for violent offending and his sentence needed to deter him from committing further crimes, Kaye said.

He sentenced Holt to 20 years behind bars but the 45-year-old will be eligible for parole after 14 years and six months.

McCartin and Harper were previously sentenced to prison terms of 22 years and 18 years respectively.

More than 150 luxury cars have been recalled in Australia due to concerns a wiring defect could cause the SUVs – some worth in excess of $500,000 – to catch on fire.

The federal government's Vehicle Recalls department put out an alert on Monday for the recall of 158 Bentley Bentaygas.

"Due to a design defect, the wiring harness within the fuel tank may overheat and melt the fuel inlet flange material," the notice read.

READ MORE: Hundreds of 'pickup trucks' recalled over fuel pump failure

"If this occurs fuel may leak, and if exposed to an external ignition source result in a vehicle fire."

The recall said that could, in turn, pose a serious danger.

"A vehicle fire could increase the risk of injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users or bystanders and/or damage to property," it reads.

READ MORE: 4WD snatch straps sold for more than five years recalled

The affected cars were sold between 2015 and 2023, and are limited to the W12 variant.

While the price of the Bentayga W12 varied from year to year, it ranged from $206,470 to as much as $490,490.

Owners have been told to contact their nearest Bentley dealer as soon as possible to have the defect repaired free of charge, with anyone who notices the smell of fuel around the car urged to do so immediately.

The full list of affected vehicle numbers can be found on the Vehicle Recall website.

One compilation has shown the staggering amount that can be earned even by democratic leaders.

Tiana Offord is a massive fan of the TV show Gilmore Girls.

So much so that the 20-year-old university student from Brisbane estimates she has seen all seven seasons of the comedy-drama TV series – currently being streamed on Netflix – at least ten times over.

"I would say more than once a year I rewatch the whole series," Offord says. 

"It's just on a constant rotation in my lounge room."

READ MORE: Federal MPs to get biggest pay rise in last decade

But, even after all those viewings, there are some key moments of the popular TV show's plot that Offord is still finding out she's missed.

That's because Offord is blind, and there is no audio description available for Gilmore Girls.

Audio description works like an extra track that is layered over the original audio of a show or movie. 

For blind or vision-impaired people it's been labelled a "game changer" because it describes what is happening on a screen when there's no dialogue.

"In Gilmore Girls, there are a lot of scenes where there's just music in the background while things happen," Offord – who was born without vision due to optic nerve hyperplasia, said.

"People keep telling me things that I had no idea happened," she said, adding that, for years, she mistook a dream sequence in a Gilmore Girls episode for something that happened in real life to one of the characters.

READ MORE: Elton John hospitalised after 'slip' at home

Audio description technology has been around for about 15 years now, and it has grown more and more popular.

Many new TV shows and movies have audio description and Netflix has its own delivery platform to allow viewers to select the option from its audio and subtitles menu.

Other streaming service platforms like Stan, owned by Nine Entertainment Group which is the publisher of this website, also has audio description available for some newer shows.

However, Offord said a lot of the older TV shows like Gilmore Girls, which first aired more than 20 years ago in 2000, had frustratingly missed the window for audio description.

It was a situation that prompted Offord to start an online petition calling on Netflix to add audio description to its offering for Gilmore Girls. The petition has so far attracted around 2500 signatures.

Offord said another popular and classic TV show that other blind or vision impaired people were missing out on because there were no audio descriptions available was Friends.

"You've got shows like Friends, which is massive, but there is still no audio description for it. It's sad, because I would love to watch that show," she said.

"I just think this is something that people who can see don't realise how it can be for a blind person to actually enjoy television, in the way that sighted people can every day," she said. 

"I think having one show like Gilmore Girls audio described could be the stepping stone to having other shows auto described and lead to a more inclusive television experience overall." 

A spokesperson for Netflix declined to comment to 9news.com.au on Offord's petition, but pointed to a statement on its website that said audio description is "available for most Netflix original titles and many other TV shows and movies". 

"We are always working with studios to make them available for more titles," the statement said.

9news.com.au contacted Warner Bros., the studio behind Gilmore Girls, but is yet to receive a response.

Chris Edwards is the director of government relations and advocacy at Vision Australia – and is also blind himself.

Do you have a story? Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au

The identities of three US Marines killed in an aircraft crash during a military exercise in the Tiwi Islands have been revealed.

Major Tobin Lewis, 37, Captain Eleanor LeBeau, 29, and Corporal Spencer Collart, 21, were killed when their Osprey crashed at about 9.30am on Sunday.

Twenty others on board were flown to Royal Darwin Hospital after the crash while three were killed.

READ MORE: Trump trial to start day before crucial Republican voting day

The US Marine Rotational Force, based in Darwin, confirmed three were still in hospital, including one in a critical condition.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of three respected and beloved members of the MRF-D family," commanding officer Colonel Brendan Sullivan said.

"Our thoughts and prayers remain with the families and with all involved.

"At present, we remain focused on required support to the ongoing recovery and investigative efforts."

Collart, who enlisted in the Marines in 2020, was promoted to Corporal just this year.

LeBeau entered the Marines in 2018, while Lewis had served since 2008.

Surviors of the crash took part in a memorial held by the local RSL in Darwin overnight, where wreaths were laid and candles lit.

Locals also attended, including Faye Smith, who called the incident "incomprehensible".

"It was just such a terrible tragedy, so many young lives," she said.

READ MORE: Child protection cop shares warning all parents need to hear

Officials have offered their condolences to the families of those affected.

"Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families of the Marines who lost their lives in this deadly crash," US President Joe Biden said.

"We are praying for those who also suffered injuries."

READ MORE: Disgraced plumber faces court over neighbourhood sewage clash

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said his heart and the hearts of all Australians go out to the families of the marines who lost their lives and those injured.

"At a time like this, we reach out to our American brothers and sisters to express our condolences to them, our commitment to continue to work with them," he said.

"This is a difficult time for families, friends and all of the US defence personnel."

US ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy also released a statement yesterday.

"I've spoken with Marine leadership on the ground, and let them know that our embassy and consulates will continue to provide the support and help they and the families need," she said.

"To those who have been injured, we hope you return to good health as soon as possible. Your courage inspires us all."

Authorities in Massachusetts have concluded a woman whose mutilated body was discovered on Cape Cod nearly 50 years ago was killed by her husband.

The announcement by the Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois brings to a close one of the state’s most famous cold cases.

It was only in October that officials announced they had identified the woman, known as the “Lady of the Dunes,” as Ruth Marie Terry of Tennessee. She was 37 when she was killed in 1974 by what authorities concluded was blunt force trauma to the skull.

READ MORE: Elton John hospitalised after 'slip' at home

Since then, the focus has turned to Terry’s late husband, Guy Rockwell Muldavin, who had married her a few months before she disappeared. He was also a prime suspect in the death of another one of his wives and a stepdaughter in Seattle in the 1960s. Muldavin died in 2002.

After they married, state police learned that the couple had travelled to Tennessee to visit her family. “When Mr Muldavin returned from that trip, he was driving what was believed to be Ms. Terry's vehicle and indicated to witnesses that Ms. Terry had passed away,” Galibois said in a statement. “Ms. Terry was never seen by her family again.”

READ MORE: Magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocks Indonesia

Based on the investigation into Terry's death, authorities concluded Muldavin was the killer. They did not provide any more information on what was uncovered during the investigation.

The death of the “Lady of the Dunes” was one of the most enduring and frustrating murder mysteries in Massachusetts.

A young girl out for a walk found the body in the dunes in Provincetown in July 1974. The woman was naked on a beach blanket with her hands severed — so she could not be identified by her fingerprints, officials said.

Her skull was crushed and she was nearly decapitated. The cause of death was determined to be a blow to the head and authorities believe she was killed several weeks before her body was found.

Joseph Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston division, said at news conference in October that Terry, who was originally from Tennessee, was identified using investigative genealogy, the use of DNA analysis in combination with traditional genealogy research and historical records.

Terry, whose aliases included Teri Marie Vizina, Terry M. Vizina and Teri Shannon, also had ties to Michigan and California, authorities said.

She was the oldest unidentified homicide victim in Massachusetts. Authorities for decades tried to identify her and her killer by exhuming her remains, performing clay model facial reconstruction, and releasing age-regression drawings of her face.

Salaries in advertised job listings in Australia are rising, but not all industries have it as good as others.