New conditions around the 20 hours free early learning could save parents even more money.

Funding for Te Matatini and Matariki is ‘so cool’.

A woman who was allegedly stabbed to death in south-east Queensland overnight has been described by her sister as an "amazing mother".

Heather Ball, in her 20s, was allegedly stabbed at a unit complex in Caboolture about 8.30pm and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but later died from her injuries.

A man known to her has been taken into custody by Queensland Police after he allegedly fled the scene by driving his Holden Commodore north along the Bruce Highway.

READ MORE: Seven children still in hospital two days after horror school bus crash

Ball's sister Stephanie Fort posted a tribute on Facebook after her death.

"You were a wonderful sister and an amazing mother," she said.

"Our lives were made so much better and brighter for having you in it, and it is indeed dark times for our family and the many many people whose lives you touched in such beautiful ways.

"We will do everything we can to make sure your beautiful babies grow up as happy and healthy as possible, and that they know how incredible you were, and how much you adored them."

A neighbour who assisted Ball after she was allegedly stabbed said she could tell by her voice she was "terrified and screaming".

READ MORE: Shock rise in unemployment rate

After the incident, investigators identified a Holden Commodore as a car of interest, tracking it in the local area before it drove onto the Bruce Highway around two hours later. 

Police chased the car toward the Sunshine Coast before deploying a tyre-spiking device.

The Commodore continued driving, before allegedly crashing into a police car on the Bruce Highway at Yandina.

A 29-year-old Morayfield man was taken into custody.

Police allege he was the only person in the Commodore.

The man is now in Sunshine Coast University Hospital under police guard in a stable condition.

It will be alleged the man and the woman were known to each other.

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Adenomyosis is a painful condition that impacts even more women than endometriosis, but experts say there is still "an appalling lack" of knowledge and awareness of the disease in Australia.

It impacts an estimated one-in-five to one-in-three Australian women, according to government health resources, while endometriosis affects about one-in-nine women.

And the symptoms of severe cases of adenomyosis often tend to be even worse than endometriosis – causing heavy bleeding as well as severe period pain – and treatment paths are not as widely known as those for its "cousin".

READ MORE: Why a Brisbane mum had surgery to stop her periods

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New South Wales independent MP Alex Greenwich said he will initiate defamation proceedings against Mark Latham in coming days over a homophobic tweet.

Greenwich gave Latham until yesterday to issue an apology for the vile tweet directed at the member for Sydney.

But after being told by Latham's lawyers that he had no intention of apologising, Greenwich said he would begin legal action.

READ MORE: Harry, Meghan claim 'near-catastrophic car chase' with paparazzi

9news.com.au has chosen not to publish Latham's tweet.

"This is not a process I enter into lightly, and a process I wish I didn't have to engage in," Greenwich said in a statement.

"However, Mr Latham's homophobic, sexualised attack has exposed me to contempt, ridicule and extreme abuse, based on my sexuality, and demands actions."

Greenwich has lodged a complaint of homosexual vilification and sexual harassment against Latham with Anti-Discrimination NSW.

He has also made a police complaint against Latham for using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend.

READ MORE: Huge change coming to Qantas seating

That investigation is ongoing.

"It's 2023 and LGBTQIA+ Australians shouldn't have to put up with abuse that targets our sexuality, character, or ability to do our jobs," Greenwich said.

Latham is currently serving in the NSW upper house as the leader of One Nation.

He previously served as Labor's federal opposition leader from 2003 to 2005.

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A team of scientists have used deep sea mapping to create "an exact 'Digital Twin' of the Titanic wreck for the first time".

When Eleanor Morrison noticed some movement among the sand dunes on a rugged stretch of the United Kingdom's coast, she thought it was "unusual" but she had no idea she was about to encounter one of the world's rarest animals.

The 23-year-old National Trust worker was carrying out conservation work at Brancaster Beach, in north Norfolk, on May 5 when she spied something in her peripheral vision.

She wandered over and spotted a tiny spider "around 5mm" in length.

READ MORE: Gold prospector scoops up venomous animal in 'stupidly remote' bush

Snapping photos, she later identified it as a sand running spider, an extremely rare species.

"I had a strong feeling that this spider was unusual, as it was completely unfamiliar," Morrison told 9news.com.au.

"It had a similar body shape to some of the more common crab spider species that I have encountered, but this spider immediately struck me as unique.

"It was extremely fast-moving with long legs, which allow it to navigate its challenging sandy habitat."

Sand running spiders have only been sighted 117 times in the UK since records began in 1899.

Morrison said the encounter "was truly memorable".

READ MORE: What to do if you encounter a deadly snake, spider or jellyfish

"Observing a tiny gem of a spider in one of my favourite places in the world, whilst feeling the sun on my skin and hearing the serenades of skylarks and seabirds, was the most perfect experience I could ask for," she said.

"I was so excited to have the opportunity to share this wonderful, threatened, and little-known species."

The species lives in sand dunes across Europe and are hunting spiders, meaning they ambush prey at speed rather than make webs.

They reach lengths of just 4mm to 6mm. 

READ MORE: 'There's something down there': Sailor's boat 'attacked' by apex predator

Sightings of the unusual creature could become even rarer, as it's been classed a priority species on the UK Biodiversity Action Plan.

"The sand running spider has declined by 60 per cent due to disturbance and habitat loss," Morrison said.

The animal lover added she is always on the lookout for interesting creatures and hopes to one day visit Australia. 

"Once you get into the habit of looking for tiny creatures, it becomes second nature to search for them," she said.

"(But) my favourite animals in the world are the bitterns, a group of mysterious birds in the heron family.

"My lifelong goal is to see every species of bittern in the world; two species occur in Australia, including the iconic and threatened Australian bittern."

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Australia's unemployment rate has risen to 3.7 per cent in April, defying market expectations with economists forecasting it would remain flat.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) showed that in April 2023 around 4000 Australians lost their jobs while 18,000 people became unemployed.

The unemployment rate was 3.5 per cent in March.

READ MORE: Children 'stable' after 'horrific' bus crash

ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said even though the unemployment rate has risen, it is comparatively historically low to the levels seen in 2022.

"With employment dropping by around 4000 people and the number of unemployed increasing by 18,000 people, the unemployment rate rose to 3.7 per cent," Jarvis said.

"The small fall in employment followed an average monthly increase of around 39,000 people during the first quarter of this year."

The employment-to-population ratio fell by 0.2 per cent while the participation rate decreased by 0.1 per cent.

"Even with these falls, both indicators were still well above pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels and close to their historical highs in 2022," Jarvis added.

Jarvis added last month's data revealed a strong growth in the number of hours Aussies worked, the high employment-to-population ratio and participation rate as well as the historically low unemployment rate leads to a tight labour market.

READ MORE: Harry, Meghan claim 'near-catastrophic car chase' with paparazzi

Today's data, which largely defied market expectations, will contribute to the Reserve Bank of Australia's June decision on interest rates after relentlessly hiking the cash rate since May 2022.

The cash rate currently sits at 3.85 per cent.

Governor Philip Lowe flagged in the April rate rise that more hikes were possible as inflation, which currently sits at 7 per cent, remains difficult to control.

"Members also agreed that further increases in interest rates may still be required, but that this would depend on how the economy and inflation evolve," the central bank said in its April meeting minutes.

The bank also said the unemployment rate remains historically low but expects it to reach 4.5 per cent by late 2024.

The unemployment rate, the labour market and inflation are key indicators contributing to the bank's interest rate decision-making. 

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It will come as no surprise to anyone actually living in Australia that our pristine coastlines are being recognised internationally.

The paparazzi company at the centre of the alleged "near catastrophic" car chase involving Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has responded to accusations photographers aggressively pursued the couple.

Claiming that the four freelance photographers present during the ordeal "had no intention of causing any distress or harm" to the former senior royals, Backgrid USA Inc. said "there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during the incident".

The statement is at odds with words from a spokesperson for the Sussexes, who described the photographers as "highly aggressive" and said the pursuit lasted more than two hours on Tuesday night.

READ MORE: Qantas offering 'neighbour-free' travel – for a price

"We are aware of Prince Harry's statement regarding an alleged "near catastrophic car chase" involving himself, Meghan Markle, and her mother, in New York City on Tuesday night," Backgrid USA Inc said.

"We want to clarify that we have received photos and videos of last night's events from four freelance photographers, three of whom were in cars and one of whom was riding a bicycle.

"It is important to note that these photographers have a professional responsibility to cover newsworthy events and personalities, including public figures such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle."

"According to the accounts given by these freelance contributors," the statement went on, "a few of the photos even show Meghan Markle smiling inside a cab".

The statement then pointed the finger at the Sussexes' own security, accusing "one of the four SUVs" from Harry's camp of "driving in a manner that could be perceived as reckless".

"The vehicle was seen blocking off streets, and in one video, it is shown being pulled over by the police," Backgrid USA said.

"We understand that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's security detail had a job to do… We do, however, want to point out that according to the photographers present, there were no near-collisions or near-crashes during this incident."

Meanwhile, another video later posted by TMZ, showed the couple in a yellow New York City cab, stuck in traffic several blocks away from their destination, as photographers recorded them through the windows.

The taxi was being escorted by NYPD vehicles with flashing lights.

Taxi driver, Sukhcharn Singh, told The Washington Post he drove "Harry, Meghan, an older Black woman and one security guard" for a brief period, believed to be about 10 minutes.

His yellow cab was waved down outside NYPD's 19th precinct, where the couple had gone to try and lose the photographers.

However, the driver said he never felt unsafe during the short drive during which they were followed by two cars.

"I don't think I would call it a chase," Singh told the publication.

"I never felt like I was in danger. It wasn't like a car chase in a movie. They were quiet and seemed scared but it's New York — it's safe."

Also weighing in on the matter, The New York Police Department released a short statement, calling the incident a "transport challenge" but there were "no reported collisions".

"The NYPD assisted the private security team protecting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex," they said.

"There were numerous photographers that made their transport challenging.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived at their destination and there were no reported collisions, summonses, injuries, or arrests in regard."

The duke and duchess' spokesperson said the chase included "multiple near collisions" with other drivers, pedestrians and two New York Police Department officers.

"While being a public figure comes with a level of interest from the public, it should never come at the cost of anyone's safety," the spokesperson said, in a statement.

"Dissemination of these images, given the ways in which they were obtained, encourages a highly intrusive practice that is dangerous to all in involved." 

Harry's mother, Princess Diana, died in a car crash as she was chased by paparazzi in Paris in 1997.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters he hadn't received a full briefing about the incident yet but called it "reckless and irresponsible", saying "two of our officers could have been injured".

"You shouldn't be speeding anywhere, but this is a densely populated city, and I think all of us, I don't think there's many of us who don't recall how his mum died," Adams told reporters when asked about the incident at an unrelated briefing.

A member of the Sussexes' security team, Chris Sanchez, described the incident as "chaotic" in an interview with CNN's Max Foster.

"I have never seen, experienced anything like this," he said.

"What we were dealing with was very chaotic. There were about a dozen vehicles: cars, scooters and bicycles."

He said the couple were scared but relieved when they returned to the apartment where they were staying, which is understood to be a friend's private residence.

"The public were in jeopardy at several points. It could have been fatal," Sachez said.

Video taken by bystanders and posted on social media showed Harry and Meghan exiting Manhattan's Ziegfeld Ballroom and getting into an SUV as crowds of pedestrians and photographers gawked.

Meghan and Harry had attended the Ms Foundation's Women in Vision Awards in New York City on Tuesday, the duchess's first public outing since the coronation of King Charles.

Harry flew to England briefly to attend his father's crowning but Meghan stayed home in California with the couple's two children with the royal event the same day as son Prince Archie's fourth birthday.

Former royal protection officer Simon Morgan said two hours was a long time for such an incident to continue without any sort of intervention.

"I think it's an alarming development from the security perspective and certainly when we look back in history concerning the duke's mother, and we know the way that that tragedy unfolded," he told Sky News.

"So I think it's going to be extremely alarming and distressing for them.

"But I think there's going to have to be an investigation, maybe from NYPD as to what support mechanisms their security team was able to draw upon."

READ MORE: Police chase allegedly stolen car before it repeatedly crashed in Sydney's west 

Security for Harry and Meghan has been an issue since the British government stripped them of protection when they moved to California in 2020 and it figures in three of his legal cases against the government and tabloid press.

The chase occurred the same day a lawyer for Harry argued in a London court that he should be able to challenge a government decision denying him the right to pay police for his own security in the UK.

Harry has argued his safety was "compromised due to the absence of police protection" during a short visit to the UK in July 2021, when his car was chased by photographers as he left a charity event.

The couple have said they funded their own security after former US President Donald Trump said the US government wouldn't pay to protect them.

The Duchess of Sussex had accepted the Ms Foundation Women of Vision Award with Black Voters Matter co-founder LaTosha Brown

The gala kicked off the foundation's largest fundraising campaign ever — $US100 million ($150 million) over the next 12 months — that will be used to further the organisation's equity-centred initiatives and its mission of advancing women's collective power.

With her mother in the audience, Meghan recounted how Ms Magazine was always in their house and how it affected her world view.

"I am a woman who remains inspired and driven by this organisation," she said, looking over at Ms Foundation co-founder Gloria Steinem.

"It allowed me to recognise that part of my greater value and purpose in life was to advocate for those who felt unheard, to stand up to injustice, and to not be afraid of saying what is true and what is just and what is right."

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