The "heartbroken" family of car crash survivor Jason Kennison, who died after summiting Mt Everest, have remembered the 40-year-old as a "beloved son and brother" and an "achiever of goals".

The Australian climber, who after surviving a car crash was told he might never walk again, died on Friday after summiting the world's tallest mountain, according to an expedition organiser and local media reports.

In a statement released this afternoon, his family said Kennison will be "forever missed".

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"Jason was one to live a full life. He would put his mind to something, set a goal and achieve it," the statement said.

"Whether that be playing footy as a kid, winning motorcross races, working around the world in the mining industry and in high risk environments.

"He did all the training he could in preparation to achieving his new goal: climbing to the top of Everest.

"He trained anywhere he could including the mountains of New Zealand."

Kennison "wanted to raise awareness and money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia", hoping to help others who "had similar struggles to himself".

"We are so proud of his achievements and we take great solace in knowing he made it to the summit. The highest place on this earth," the statement continued.

"We would like to send our greatest love and thanks to Nepal where he had Sherpas go above and beyond to help try to bring him home.

"We are worlds apart but united through our love for Jason.

"He was the beloved son of Jock and Gill, and brother to five siblings.

"His family are heartbroken and he will be forever missed.

"We ask for our privacy at this heartbreaking time."

His death marks the 10th on the world's tallest peak this season, after the mining engineer encountered difficulties on Friday while above 8000 metres on Everest, known among climbers as the death zone.

The Himalayan Times reported Kennison had struggled after he had successfully reached Everest's 8849m peak, and he was helped by members of his expedition to an area known as the Balcony, around 450 metres lower than the summit.

Two Sherpa guides had noticed Kennison was behaving abnormally, the Times said.

"They ran out of oxygen and bringing supplement bottles from Camp IV couldn't be possible due to excessive winds," Dawa Steven Sherpa, managing director at Asian Trekking, said.

The Balcony is a small platform, situated around 8400m, where climbers can rest and soak up views of the surrounding Himalayan peaks.

Kennison spoke with Today only two months ago, revealing how he had suffered multiple broken bones and a spinal cord injury after a road accident in 2006 and spent years in recovery, having to learn how to walk again.

Doctors told Kennison he might be stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Kennison said he spent "three days crying in hospital wondering what his future was going to look like".

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Discussing his looming Everest climb, Kennison said he was still overcoming his fear of heights and had been using different training techniques to combat vertigo.

"Staying focused (and) believing in myself," were the key mantras he was taking to Nepal, he said, where he was climbing to raise funds for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia to help others in similar situations.

The charity has paid tribute to Kennison after news of his death emerged. 

"On behalf of everyone at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia we want to share our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Jason," a statement this afternoon read.

"We were beyond shocked to hear the news of his passing whilst undertaking such an incredibly inspiring feat.

"He was a shining example of overcoming the odds and Jason showcased incredible tenacity and determination in everything he set his mind to.

"Jason was an amazing man and we are so honoured that he chose to support our organisation.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Before he left for Everest, Kennison described the adventure as "an ambitious feat that I would never have dreamed of, or thought was possible after once being told that I would not be able to walk".

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told 9news.com.au it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who has died in Nepal.

"We offer our deepest condolences to their family and friends," a spokesperson said, adding DFAT cannot comment further at this time.

Returning from the summit is always a dangerous part of any climb.

Climbers refer to altitudes above 8000m as "the death zone" because, at these heights, oxygen levels are insufficient to sustain human life for an extended period.

Climbing in the death zone severely affects the lungs and brain.

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AT expects to return to operating reliable bus services by the end of September.

The High Court trial is continuing in Rotorua.

Sam Mangakahia customises guitars with traditional Māori and Polynesian designs.

A student called the act “disgusting” and hoped the police would be notified.

“If they block in front of us as well, maybe I need to shut the shop.”

Exclusive: While Apple may be four months away from announcing the next iPhone, 9news.com.au has obtained "dummy models" of the upcoming devices which confirm minor design changes as well as a huge change to the charging port on all four iPhone 15 models.

In 2012, when Apple introduced the iPhone 5, they changed from the original wide "30 pin" connector to a new slim and small connector for charging and computer connections, which was proprietary to Apple and called the Lightning Connector.

Over the 11 years since then, the market has changed dramatically and today every single smartphone except iPhone uses a charging cable called USB-C, the same cable used for most consumer electronics today like headphones and even laptops.

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Last year, the European Union ruled Apple must implement USB-C in devices sold in Europe from 2024 onward, a bid to reduce electronic waste and simplify the charging process for users.

The leaked design models of the iPhone 15 range confirms Apple will implement USB-C across the iPhone 15 range later this year.

Factories in China obtain the detailed specifications for the upcoming device launches and produce these "dummy" models to allow case and accessory makers to gear up and have product ready in time for the iPhone's availability later in the year.

For the last six years, I've obtained these models and they've been 100 per cent accurate every time.

This year's models confirm the four-phone lineup will continue, with an iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max model to be announced later this year.

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While the phones look remarkably similar to the iPhones 12, 13 and 14, there is a small tweak with a rounded edge around the whole phone.

It also appears the front-facing camera and FaceID sensors have been moved to within the screen on the entry-level iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models, introducing the software-based Dynamic Island to all users, something only Pro users got in 2022.

Apple has yet to announce its plans for an event in September for the iPhone, but it's expected to take place on or around September 7 Australian time.

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A New South Wales police officer who knocked an Indigenous teenager unconscious after performing a leg sweep has been found guilty of assault.

Two weeks out from his 17th birthday, the boy was sent to the ground headfirst after Constable Ryan Barlow took out his legs during an attempted arrest.

The boy can be heard in recordings saying "you don't have to hurt me" several times throughout the ordeal, including when he was laying on the ground with the 30-year-old kneeling on top of him.

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He was arrested for saying "I'll crack you in the f—ing jaw, bro" to Barlow after four officers approached him and a group of friends in an inner Sydney park in June 2022.

Barlow said he felt threatened by the boy and that he performed the leg sweep because the teen had "kicked out" at his groin area during the arrest.

"I simply do not see what (Barlow) says occurred," Magistrate Rami Attia said in Downing Centre Local Court today.

"The complainant is a 16-17-year-old young person, standing three to four metres away from the officer making no movements towards him."

Body-worn footage from police officers as well as mobile phone footage taken by the boy's friend "for safety" showed no kicking action from the boy as well as no reference to kicking between officers, the magistrate found.

When the boy continuously asked why he'd been arrested, Barlow said "for threatening an officer".

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"I didn't threaten you, I didn't think you'd care, I didn't physically hurt you, did I hurt you?," the boy said during his arrest.

"It's a threat, mate… you said you'd crack me across the face, mate we all heard it," Barlow said.

A police statement from the officer after the arrest also did not refer to any kicking action.

"Neither the kick nor attempted kick, the primary reason for the leg sweep, was mentioned until the 2nd of July," Attia said.

Barlow also gave evidence he felt threatened due to a story he'd heard about an earlier incident involving the boy.

According to police, he was arrested after attempting to steal a can of Coke and allegedly brandishing a toy gun in response to police officers drawing their weapons.

"The toy gun could light up… I have some difficulty accepting that that incident had played any significant role in (Barlow's) mind," Attia said.

Barlow has been found guilty of common assault and common assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Police officers testified the "leg sweep" manoeuvre was an option given to police but was not one explicitly taught to officers.

The magistrate found the risk the boy posed to police was "not proportionate" to warrant using the manoeuvre, however acknowledged he had the benefit of watching videos after the fact.

"That is not the reality in which police officers work and operate," he said.

"Matters come down to very short time and split-second decisions."

Officers were investigating an unrelated matter in a housing commission nearby when they saw the group of teenagers gathered in the park.

The boys then put their hoods up and walked away from the officers before the altercation.

A sentence date has not yet been set.

A big crocodile that charged a family's small boat and then seemed keen to mount the vessel has highlighted how fishermen can quickly turn prey in the Northern Territory.

Bradley Jeppesen's wife Emma recorded footage of the croc, which he estimated around 3.5 metres long, chasing a barramundi he had hooked on a recent fishing trip in Elcho Island, off the coast of Arnhem Land.

As Jeppesen, 49, reeled the fish in, the crocodile rammed his 4.5 metre boat which was also carrying his young daughter Zoey, 8.

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In the mild panic that spread across the boat, Emma dropped her phone which meant she missed capturing the beast sticking its head up and over the stern, he said.

Jeppesen then "bashed" the croc a couple of times on the head with the tip of his rod.

The croc "slunk off" a bit, Jeppesen said, which gave him enough time to get the boat started "and we took off out of there".

"My missus actually said, 'What would happen if he got over and jumped in the boat?' I said, 'If he jumped in the boat, we jump out of the boat as quickly as possible.'

"I think (the croc) was just having a bit of a look. I'm not too sure what it was up to but it was close enough for me."

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There are around 100,000 wild saltwater crocodiles in the NT, and encounters with locals and fishermen are common.

The crocodile population has soared since almost being shot to extinction 50 years ago.

Jeppesen, who hails from the small town of Galiwin'ku on Elcho Island, said he sees crocodiles all the time while out fishing.

Zoey also just shrugged off the unexpected visit, he said.

"We've been up here for a few years so we're sort of used to the critters around here.

"They (Emma and Zoey) were up the front, they just took it all in."

Jeppesen said it was hard to know what the croc might have planned to do next, "but it was close enough for me".

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"It wasn't like a big rogue croc that was trying to tip the boat over," he said.

"More probably it was having a look, just trying to get the fish … looking for an easy feed."

Jeppesen said large salties will often sit under his boat waiting for him to catch a fish.

"They're always around up here," he said.

"But I've never had one that charged the boat like that or stuck its head over the back."

Saudi Arabia’s first astronauts in decades have rocketed toward the International Space Station on a chartered multimillion-dollar flight Sunday.

SpaceX launched the ticket-holding crew, led by a retired NASA astronaut now working for the company that arranged the trip. Also on board: a US businessman who now owns a sports car racing team.

The four should reach the space station in their capsule Monday morning – they’ll spend just over a week there before returning home with a splashdown off the Florida coast.

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Sponsored by the Saudi Arabian government, Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher, became the first woman from the kingdom to go to space. She was joined by Ali al-Qarni, a fighter pilot with the Royal Saudi Air Force.

They’re the first from their country to ride a rocket since a Saudi prince launched aboard shuttle Discovery in 1985. In a quirk of timing, they’ll be greeted at the station by an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.

“This is a dream come true for everyone,” Barnawi said before the flight. “Just being able to understand that this is possible. If me and Ali can do it, then they can do it, too.”

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Rounding out the visiting crew: Knoxville, Tennessee’s John Shoffner, former driver and owner of a sports car racing team that competes in Europe, and chaperone Peggy Whitson, the station’s first female commander who holds the US record for most accumulated time in space: 665 days and counting.

It’s the second private flight to the space station organised by Houston-based Axiom Space. The first was last year by three businessmen, with another retired NASA astronaut. The company plans to start adding its own rooms to the station in another few years, eventually removing them to form a stand-alone outpost available for hire.

Axiom won’t say how much Shoffner and Saudi Arabia are paying for the planned 10-day mission. The company had previously cited a ticket price of $55 million each.

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NASA’s latest price list shows per-person, per-day charges of $2000 for food and up to $1500 for sleeping bags and other gear. Need to get your stuff to the space station in advance? Figure roughly $10,000 per pound ($20,000 per kg), the same fee for trashing it afterward. Need your items back intact? Double the price.

The guests will have access to most of the station as they conduct experiments, photograph Earth and chat with school children back home, demonstrating how kites fly in space when attached to a fan.

After decades of shunning space tourism, NASA now embraces it with two private missions planned a year. The Russian Space Agency has been doing it, off and on, for decades.

“Our job is to expand what we do in low-Earth orbit across the globe,” said NASA’s space station program manager Joel Montalbano.