It may be the Matildas' big night but you can expect a huge presence from Sydney's massive Irish population in the stands for the Group B FIFA Women's World Cup opener tonight.

The World Cup is expected to be the most attended women's sporting event in history, with 64 matches to be played over 32 days across Australia and New Zealand.

Australia will face Ireland at Stadium Australia and are big favourites to triumph.

But former Irish star Stephanie Roche told 9news.com.au Australians will be surprised by how big the Irish contingent will be.

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"We are hoping that we will have a good majority of the crowd as well, with green for Ireland."

Earlier in the week Matildas players spoke out about the enormous $483 million gap in prize money between the Men's and Women's world cup.

Roche said for many players it was about more than just the money.

"I know we talk about equal pay and I think for a lot of players it's more about equal treatment," Roche said.

She said previously high-level players had to balance some kind of paid work with football, which you never saw in the men's game.

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"To now see pretty much every player in WSL being paid a decent wage and being able to play at a high level and be treated really well by clubs, it's just brilliant to see.

"I think this World Cup is going to be a huge, huge moment for women's football and I think hopefully it can continue to grow and grow."

The FIFA Women's World Cup will kick off with New Zealand v Norway in Auckland at 5pm and Australia v Republic of Ireland at 8pm.

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A US teenager who was mauled by a shark has revealed how her half-brother saved her life by punching the creature until it let go.

High school cheerleader Addison Bethea, then 17, lost part of her leg after the attack by the 2.7m shark in Florida on June 30 last year.

She was in water just 1.5m deep when she felt something "grabbing her".

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Bethea, now 18, told her story in a new documentary, Why Sharks Attack, broadcast in the UK by the BBC.

She thought the thing tugging on her leg was her half-brother Rhett, she told the filmmakers.

The pair had been looking for scallops.

"I thought it was Rhett as it pulled me under because I didn't feel any pain or anything," she told the BBC.

"But then it started kind of shaking me and that's when I knew it was something else.

"It started biting into my right thigh and I was gouging its eye to get it off me and then it started swimming away with me still in its mouth."

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Rhett, 23, saw the shark and Bethea managed to get her into a boat and to safety after getting it off her by punching it.

"I heard Addison yell and she surfaced and I immediately could see this tail, just slashing back and forth," he said.

"I grabbed her and started hitting it to get it off."

Footage from the shore shows Bethea yelling "help me". 

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She was airlifted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital for emergency surgery and later had to have her right leg amputated above the knee.

She had to learn to walk again after the attack.

Bethea, who now has a prosthetic leg, managed to graduate from high school and recently revealed on Instagram she was pregnant.

Last year, sharks attacked 16 people in encounters off Florida.

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The newly-opened Surat Diamond Bourse in India is billed as a "one-stop destination" for over 65,000 diamond professionals across nine structures of 15-stories across more than 14 hectares.

Failing university students will no longer be cut off from HECS, under changes to the system announced today by education minister Jason Clare.

In 2020, the Morrison government decided to withdraw HECS eligibility from students who were failing more than half their subjects and demand they pay their fees upfront.

That policy will now be scrapped, on the recommendation of the panel tasked with overhauling the university sector, the Australian Universities Accord.

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An interim report by the Accord released today estimates the percentage of the Australian workforce that has a university degree will increase from the current rate of 36 per cent to 55 per cent by 2050.

The government has agreed to implement five measures recommended in the report to make university more accessible to students in the regions and outer suburbs of major cities.

In addition to abolishing the 50 per cent pass rule, the government will establish more regional and suburban study hubs across the country.

Funding will be expanded to ensure all First Nations students are guaranteed a place, so long as they meet all the eligibility criteria for the course for which they have applied.

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Currently, this only applies to Indigenous students in regional and remote Australia.

"This report makes it clear that more and more jobs will require a university qualification in the future," Clare said in a statement.

"At the moment, almost one in two Australians in their late 20s have a university degree.

"But not everywhere.

"Only 15 per cent of young people from poor families have a university degree. And only 18 per cent of young people in the regions do.

"This report makes it clear that this has to change."

The government has also promised to extend the Higher Education Continuity Guarantee for a further two years to provide certainty to universities while the higher education review is underway and improve university governance to ensure student safety and employee rights.

Minister of Education Jason Clare will address the National Press Club today to announce the measures.

The full report is due to be handed to the minister by the end of the year.

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A Queensland mother-of-two had a remarkable encounter with the ocean's gentle giants over the weekend when a leaping whale put on quite the show. 

Leanne Gordon was on the water with Cooly Tweed Cruises on Sunday when a "playful" humpback suddenly breached right next to the boat.

Gordon, who was with her adult daughter Karly and four international students she was hosting, was left gobsmacked.

But the marvellous encounters didn't stop there; half a dozen curious marine mammals continued to approach the boat.

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"It was very slow for the first half hour and then we saw around four different pods," Gordon told 9news.com.au.

"In the end, we had close encounters with approximately six."

Gordon said the highlight "was definitely when one breached so close to the boat".

She said it left a crew member "in shock". 

"I saw it come up beside the boat and then it just came out of the water," Gordon explained.

"The lady in the photo is a crew member and she had just moved to where she was and was very surprised.

"Its fin hit the side of the boat as it came down.

"I was the only person lucky enough to capture the moment."

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Whale highway teeming with animals

Every year starting from around May, tens of thousands of humpback whales migrate up the east coast of Australia from the freezing waters of Antarctica.

Wildlife scientist, Dr Vanessa Pirotta, told 9news.com.au the whale highway is in full swing now with animals observed going both north and south.

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"Generally, humpback whales swim up from Antarctica to warmer waters every year to have their young, but how long they stay in those waters varies," Pirotta said.

"It's dictated by a number of factors.

"These include environmental or social factors, for instance, mothers with young may prefer quieter waters, or perhaps whales might hear the call of others and decide the waters over there are worth swimming by.

"How long they stay in Australian waters might vary."

A month ago a rare white whale was spotted off the Queensland coast, fuelling hopes the beloved Migaloo had been sighted.

Pirotta added conservative estimates place the east coast population of humpbacks at greater than 35,000 individuals, and reminded people to keep a distance.

"You should keep at least 100-metres away," she said.

"Whales may choose to come to you. If so, it is best to keep the vessel in neutral or turn off engines until the whale is sighted at a safe distance from the vessel."

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The prime minister has confirmed the government will not make reparation payments to Indigenous Australians and Australia Day will not change dates, during a heated debate about the Voice to parliament with broadcaster Ben Fordham.

In a tense half-hour discussion where Fordham claimed sliding polls showed the Voice appeared doomed to fail, the 2GB presenter put a number of potential scenarios to Anthony Albanese, asking what would happen if the Yes vote wins the referendum.

"What if 12 months down the track the Voice says we want to change the date of Australia Day? What do you say as prime minister?" Fordham asked.

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LISTEN IN FULL TO THE INTERVIEW BELOW

https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/must-listen-ben-s-extraordinary-interview-with-ant/embed?style=cover

Albanese responded: "Well, what we say is that we have no plans to change Australia Day … absolutely."

Fordham then asked if the Voice could somehow pressure future governments to pay compensation for how Australia was colonised, and the impact on Indigenous Australians.

"No, Ben, I can't say it any clearer," Albanese said.

"Compensation has nothing to do with what people will vote on."

Multiple polls have shown how support for Yes has steadily dropped since the start of the year, but Albanese insisted Australians will "focus" when the time to vote draws nearer.

Albanese is yet to announce the Voice to parliament referendum date.

"This is the most disadvantaged group in Australia," Albanese said, reflecting on the multitude of societal challenges Indigenous Australians face.

"There's an eight-year life expectancy gap. There is a greater chance of an Indigenous young male going to jail than to go to university."

Fordham then asked if the Voice could potentially allow Indigenous people access to the pension early.

"Governance will make decisions based upon representation," Albanese replied, adding that "of course we will" say no to suggestions that the government does not see working.

"The Voice will not have the right to veto a government decision," he said.

"Our system of government will not change.

"There won't be someone sitting in the cabinet room. There won't be someone who's not elected sitting in the parliament.

"And that's why I say this is a modest request. This is just an opportunity to listen."

Albanese said Indigenous Australians were primarily concerned about practical outcomes of health and education and housing and incarceration rates.

"We need to do better."

When Fordham asked if the Voice would have a direct line to the Reserve Bank of Australia, Albanese was incredulous.

"I can't talk directly to the RBA board, and I'm the prime minister. So, no, Ben."

Albanese accused Fordham of reading his questions directly from the "no" pamphlet, which was published on the Australian Electoral Commission website yesterday, an allegation the broadcaster vehemently denied.

"Excuse me, prime minister … I am not reading from the No pamphlet."

Fordham suggested Albanese could avert a referendum defeat and generate a "win, win" outcome if he "split up" the questions being asked of Australians.

EXPLAINED: What is the Indigenous Voice to parliament and what would a referendum entail?

Australians, Fordham claimed, would vote yes to constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians and that any Voice to parliament should be legislated instead, similar to what Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is proposing.

"If you continue on this current path, and you keep the two tied together, you may end up with a lose, lose," Fordham said.

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Albanese countered he was "a pragmatic guy" and that the referendum was what Indigenous Australians were calling for and many Australians would support.

"They don't just want recognition, the symbolism of recognition. They want something that will make a practical difference to their lives."

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Peter Beattie, who chaired the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, has warned the contract will be "tough" for Victoria to get out of.

The final cost of the state government's stunning backflip on the 2026 games is yet to be known, but Beattie warned there could be stringent conditions.

"You have to remember that the Commonwealth Games Federation does this every four years. They do it on a regular basis with a tight contract and the contract will be difficult to get out of," Beattie told Today.

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He said he recalled that Queensland would have had to pay about $1 billion had it reneged on its commitment to the 2018 games.

And the Victorian government is also standing by its funding commitment of $2.6 billion to the regions for infrastructure upgrades.

Premier Daniel Andrews revealed the shock decision yesterday, claiming the budgeted $2.6 billion cost of hosting the games at a number of regional centres, had blown out to $6 billion and could have reached $7 billion.

"Last year when the Commonwealth Games Authorities approached us, needed someone to step in to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games, as a state we were happy to help out," Andrews said.

"But, of course, not at any price and only if there was lasting benefit."

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However, the government's decision has been blasted as "humiliating" by critics.

The Commonwealth Games Federation said $6 billion was "50 per cent more than those advised to the Organising Committee board at its meeting in June".

A statement from the federation has further said the government had increased costs of the plans against its advice.

"Since awarding Victoria the Games, the Government has made decisions to include more sports and an additional regional hub, and changed plans for venues, all of which have added considerable expense, often against the advice of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and Commonwealth Games Australia (CGA)."

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The federation has said it was only given eight hours' notice of the decision and until then had been advised the government had the funds to host the games.

Commonwealth Games Australia chief executive Craig Phillips said his organisation also had not been consulted about the "gross exaggeration" of costs revealed by the government, claiming he only learned of the decision at 8am yesterday.

The cost of the Birmingham Games in 2022 was $1.5 billion, alongside $2 billion for the Gold Coast Games and just $1 billion for the Glasgow Games.

There are fears Victoria's retreat could mean the Games are not held for the first time since WWII, with all other Australian states and territories ruling out a late bid, along with New Zealand.

Beattie suggested that Western Australia had the "deepest pockets" if it could be persuaded to keep the Games down under.

If not, he said the logical decision was for the games to return to Birmingham, where the infrastructure was already in place.

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The company behind the rankings says the latest trends offer a warning to countries such as Australia.

An Australian sailor who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat after being adrift at sea with his dog for three months joked that his first meal on try land would be "tuna sushi" after he returned to Mexico this morning.

After a visit from a doctor on board the Maria Delia Tuna, Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, and his dog, Bella, disembarked on Tuesday (early Wednesday AEST) in the Mexican city of Manzanillo from the fishing boat that rescued them.

"This land I'm on is amazing. It's really good. I'm grateful to be here," Shaddock told 9News.

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He also spoke about the moment he saw the rescue helicopter overhead.

"It made me feel like I was gonna live, you know," he said.

Shaddock said he would be returning to Australia after he went through immigration in Mexico.

However, the dog that kept him company for months at sea won't be coming with him. Bella will instead stay with one of the crew on the boat that rescued them both, having become a smash hit there.

"I'm feeling alright. I'm feeling a lot better than I was, I tell ya," Shaddock, smiling, bearded and thin, told reporters on the dock in the port city, which is about 340 kilometres west of Mexico City.

"To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I'm just so grateful. I'm alive and I didn't really think I'd make it," Shaddock said, adding that he and his "amazing" dog are both doing well now and that he still loves the ocean.

Before they left the vessel, the crew posed for photos on board while holding Bella.

The Sydney man's catamaran set sail in April from the Mexican city of La Paz for French Polynesia but was crippled by bad weather weeks into the journey.

He said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific Ocean. There was a full moon.

Shaddock told 9News from the fishing boat that he and his dog had survived on raw fish and rain water after a storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics.

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The tuna boat spotted Shaddock's boat about 1930 kilometres from land, Grupomar, which operates the fishing fleet, said in a statement.

It didn't specify when the rescue occurred, but said Shaddock and his dog were in a "precarious" state when found, lacking provisions and shelter, and that the tuna boat's crew gave them medical attention, food and hydration.

Antonio Suárez Gutiérrez, Grupomar's founder and president, said he was proud of his boat's captain, Oscar Meza Oregón, and crew, praising them for their humanity in saving the life of someone in trouble.

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Shaddock said that a storm damaged his vessel and wiped out its electronics, he did a lot of fishing and that he and Bella survived on raw fish and rainwater.

He said he'll be going back to Australia soon and that he's looking forward to seeing his family.

Shaddock also spoke glowingly about his dog, pointing out that she was a hit with the fishing boat's crew.

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"Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She's Mexican," he said.

"She's the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn't let me go. I tried to find a home for her three times and she just kept following me onto the water.

"She's a lot braver than I am, that's for sure."

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– With Associated Press

Heartstopping dashcam footage has captured the moment a four-year-old toddler wandered into the middle of a busy Adelaide highway, straight into oncoming traffic.

Aaryan, who has autism, ended up on busy Salisbury Highway, still in his nappy.

After spotting him, Laurie Owens – the driver of the car with the dashcam – mounted the median strip and drove onto the wrong side of the road to shield the toddler from traffic.

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"I'd rather take the damage of a car running into me because I'm safe rather than the child be killed because what protection do they have?" he said.

Owens then jumped out of his car and went after the little boy in a desperate attempt to find his parents.

"We didn't know whether the kid lived there or not so we went in to see the people inside and sure enough it was their child and the gates were left wide open and the kid was out on the road," he said.

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Aaryan's mother told 9News he managed to escape from their front gate without anyone knowing.

She thanked Owens for what he did.

Other drivers also gave him the thumbs up.

Owens said he felt "proud".

"I've saved a kid's life. He's got a future now," he said.

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