The influencer’s plugging of protein powder and vitamins while pregnant landed complaints.

A 31-year-old man and a 36-year-old man were taken into custody.

The severe weather hitting Sydney and Wollongong has created a backwards waterfall along cliffs at the Royal National Park.

Strong winds are pushing the water, which would normally fall down the cliff, back onto land at Wattamolla Falls.

The falls are a popular tourist lookout, just south of Cronulla.

READ MORE: Dangerous storm batters Sydney and Wollongong

It comes as streets are underwater, and a school has been evacuated in a "very dangerous" thunderstorm this afternoon.

The torrential and sudden rain has caused major road closures on the South Coast as the key highway connecting Wollongong to Sydney is cut off by floodwaters.

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Defence Minister Richard Marles is hitting back at claims the AUKUS military alliance will undermine the future of Australia's military sovereignty.

In a speech to Parliament today, he will seek to ease worries that the defence pact between Australia, Britain and the US poses any risk.

Former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull have critcised AUKUS, saying it makes Australia too dependent on the US.

READ MORE: Four Australians missing as earthquake death toll passes 11,000

But Marles he will argue the treaty – under which the Australian navy will acquire a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines – will help build capabilities and expand strategic options despite the criticism.

He will argue the Australian Defence Force can better respond to threats in the Asia Pacific region with the help of American and British submarine technology.

His speech to MPs comes ahead of next month's announcement about the type of nuclear-propelled submarine technology Australia will obtain.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to visit Washington for a possible joint press conference with US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Nine Newspapers report.

READ MORE: 'Strong indications' Putin approved MH17 missile supply

The former coalition government launched AUKUS in September 2021.

It triggered a major diplomatic row between Canberra and Paris when Australia cancelled a $90 billion submarine deal with a French defence contractor.

The alliance drew criticism from former Labor PM Keating who said Australia would become too dependent on the US.

Early this year, Turnbull said an Australian nuclear-powered submarine fleet could only operate and be maintained with the help of US experts.

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A NSW woman has told how she was tricked into believing she was in an online relationship with Australian actor Alex O'Loughlin as part of a catfishing scam.

All up, Sonia* said she lost $37,000 to the scammers – as well as her pride and dignity.

"I look back at it now and think about how stupid I was," the 45-year-old from regional NSW told 9news.com.au.

9news.com.au does not suggest in any way O'Loughlin has any connection to scammers.

READ MORE: The secrets scammers use to make their victims fall in love

The traumatic experience began back in November 2020 when Sonia* was first approached on Twitter by an account with the same name as the 46-year-old Hawaii Five-O star.

On her own Twitter account, Sonia mentioned how much she loved Hawaii Five-O and also followed some O'Loughlin fan accounts.

"It was during the pandemic and I just felt alone and I wanted to talk to other people who had the same interests as me," Sonia said.

When the first Twitter messages came through from the account masquerading as O'Loughlin they were innocuous enough, Sonia said.

"The messages were all about the show and what I liked about it, what I thought of the last two seasons and that kind of stuff," she said.

Do you have a story? Contact reporter Emily McPherson at

Some economists fear there is a growing risk Australia will fall into a recession amid ongoing rate hikes from the Reserve Bank.

The RBA passed a ninth consecutive cash rate rise this week, taking it to 3.35 per cent.

Now, Macroeconomics advisory chief economist Stephen Anthony says there's a 70 per cent chance of a recession as multiple rate hikes and a slowdown in China's economy collide.

READ MORE: 'Wings for freedom': Zelenskyy's plea on UK visit

If Australia enters a recession it could lead to mass mortgage defaults, forced sales of homes, joblessness and a further heightening of the rental affordability crisis.

The federal government is looking to get on the front foot facing the economic challenges ahead.

One step it will take today, is introducing legislation to increase the number of social and affordable homes across the country.

READ MORE: 'Strong indications' Putin okayed MH17 missile supply

They plan to create 30,000 of those in the next five years.

There is also a growing expectaction that RBA governor Philip Lowe's term in charge of the body won't be extended past September.

Lowe has flagged future rate hikes, with the focus on driving down rising inflation.

"The Board expects that further increases in interest rates will be needed over the months ahead to ensure that inflation returns to target and that this period of high inflation is only temporary," he said.

"The Board remains resolute in its determination to return inflation to target and will do what is necessary to achieve that."

READ MORE: Bank boss defends expected 'healthy' profits amid rate hike furore

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An international team of investigators says it has found "strong indications" that Russian President Vladimir Putin approved the supply of heavy anti-aircraft weapons to Ukrainian separatists who shot down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014 with a Russian missile.

However, members of the Joint Investigation Team said they had insufficient evidence to prosecute Putin or any other suspects and suspended their 8½-year inquiry into the shooting down that killed all 298 people on board the Boeing 777 — including 38 Australians —flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Russia has always denied any involvement in the downing of the flight over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, and refused to cooperate with the international investigation.

READ MORE: Sydney professor's nervous wait for sister trapped in Turkey earthquake ruins

Dutch prosecutors said "there are strong indications that the Russian president decided on supplying" a Buk missile system — the weapon that downed MH17 — to Ukrainian separatists.

"Although we speak of strong indications, the high bar of complete and conclusive evidence is not reached," Dutch prosecutor Digna van Boetzelaer said, adding that without Russian cooperation, "the investigation has now reached its limit. All leads have been exhausted."

She also said that, as head of state, Putin would have immunity from prosecution in the Netherlands.

The team played a recording of an intercepted phone call in which they said Putin could be heard discussing the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"Are we disappointed? No, because we think we came further than we had ever thought in 2014. Would we have liked to come further? Of course, yes," said Andy Kraag of the Dutch police.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy makes surprise visit to UK as Ukraine appeals for more military support

The team informed relatives of those killed in the downing of MH17 of their findings before making them public.

"There was disappointment because … they wanted to know why MH17 was shot down," Kraag said.

"We're really clear on what has happened, but the answer to the question why MH17 was shot down still remains in Russia."

Van Boetzelaer said that while the investigation is being suspended, phone lines will remain open for possible witnesses who may still want to provide evidence. If that happens, the inquiry could be reactivated.

Russian officials say that a decision to provide rebels with military support over the summer of 2014 was in Putin's hands.

A decision to supply arms was even postponed for a week "because there is only one who makes a decision (…), the person who is currently at a summit in France," the investigative team said, citing a phone conversation that was referring to Putin.

Prosecutors said that at the time Putin was at a commemoration of D-Day in France.

READ MORE: BHP worker hit by industrial train in fatal accident

The announcement comes nearly three months after a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a Ukrainian rebel for their roles in shooting down the Boeing 777 and killing all 298 people on board on July 17, 2014. One Russian was acquitted by the court.

None of the suspects appeared for the trial and it was unclear if the three who were found guilty of multiple murders will ever serve their sentences.

The convictions and the court's finding that the surface-to-air Buk missile that blew the Amsterdam-to-Kuala Lumpur flight out of the sky came from a Russian military base were seen as a clear indication that Moscow had a role in the tragedy.

Russia has always denied involvement. The Russian Foreign Ministry accused the court in November of bowing to pressure from Dutch politicians, prosecutors and the news media.

READ MORE: Two people drown while swimming at New South Wales beach 

But the November convictions held that Moscow was in overall control in 2014 over the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, the separatist area of eastern Ukraine where the missile was launched. The Buk missile system came from the Russian military's 53rd Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade, based in the city of Kursk.

The Joint Investigation Team is made up of experts from the Netherlands, Australia, Malaysia, Belgium and Ukraine. Most of the victims were Dutch but there were also 38 Australians on board.

The team has continued to investigate the crew of the Russian Buk missile system that brought down the plane and those who ordered its deployment in Ukraine.

"The indications for close ties between the leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic and Russian government officials raises questions about their involvement in the deployment" of the missile, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service said on its website, citing intercepted phone calls between leaders of the breakaway region and "high-ranking Russian government officials held in the summer of 2014".

As well as the criminal trial that was held in the Netherlands, the Dutch and Ukrainian governments are suing Russia at the European Court of Human Rights over its alleged role in the downing of MH17.

The findings revealed Wednesday will likely strengthen the case at the human rights court and could also be used by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court who are investigating possible war crimes in Ukraine dating back to the start of the separatist conflict.

The federal government on Wednesday turned down a proposal for a new open-cut coal mine near the Great Barrier Reef, invoking environmental laws and the risk of "irreversible damage."

The mining project, proposed by controversial Australian businessman Clive Palmer, would have been located less than 10 kilometres from the reef on the Queensland coastline, about 700 kilometres northwest of Brisbane.

Minister for Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek indicated last year that she intended to reject the mine and formalised her decision on Wednesday.

READ MORE: Four Aussies missing after earthquake as death toll rises

She said it was the first time a federal environment minister had used their powers under environmental laws to reject a mine.

In turning down the project, Plibersek cited significant potential environmental dangers to the reef, which is already heavily threatened by climate change.

"The risk of pollution and irreversible damage to the reef is very real. The project would have had unacceptable impacts on freshwater in the area and potentially on fragile seagrass meadows," Plibersek said in a video posted on social media.

READ MORE: UN-backed report recommends Great Barrier Reef go on 'in danger' list

https://twitter.com/tanya_plibersek/status/1623179206447484928

She said that during the public consultation period, her department had received 9000 public comments about the mine in just 10 business days.

The government has been under pressure from UNESCO to better protect the reef and in 2022, it pledged one billion Australian dollars for efforts to protect the fragile ecosystem, including climate adaptation measures and water quality programs.

Last year, the Great Barrier Reef, which stretches for more than 2300 kilometres experienced its sixth mass bleaching event, due to warming waters caused by climate change.

Labor came to power last year promising stronger action on the climate in a country still heavily wedded to fossil fuels.

But its climate policies are rated "insufficient" by Climate Action Tracker, which found Australia is not on course to meet targets to limit warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.

READ MORE: Ozone layer hole stoked fears of cancer – but what happened to it?

The government has rejected calls from the Greens to turn down all new fossil fuel projects.

Central Queensland Coal, Palmer's company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A learner driver has admitted his guilt, shame and cowardice while pleading for mercy over a violent crime spree, described by a judge as a rampage.

Elias Natano stabbed his brother, mowed down a woman and stole a police car over the course of three hours during the Easter weekend in 2021.

During his County Court guilty plea, it was revealed he later told police that he "really wanted the cops to shoot me" and he "really wanted to die that night".

READ MORE: Sexual abuse trial begins for former ultra-Orthodox principal Malka Leifer

On April 3, the then 28-year-old torched a camping chair at a home in Mickleham, before mowing down a woman when she came out to investigate.

Her identity has been suppressed, but in her victim impact statement, told the court she now suffers from chronic pain and PTSD.

"Pain still so intense it still brings me to tears," she said.

"Mentally you have ruined me.

"It's been 676 days since you saw it as your right to ruin my life."

In addition to slashing several tyres in Craigeburn, Natano also targetted his brother, Maddison Natano, and his family at Kalkallo.

READ MORE: Baby rescued from rubble after mother gives birth while trapped

During a scuffle, Natano stabbed his brother up to four times, then threatened to do the same to his partner and three year old daughter, before running him over during a getaway.

Police later confronted Natano at his nearby home.

When he approached officers with the knife, they backed away, before Natano stole their police vehicle.

Today, he shed tears as he apologised to his victims and pleaded for mercy.

"God teaches forgiveness," he told the court.

He'll be sentenced in March.

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Four Australians remain unaccounted for in Turkey after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake and subsequent aftershocks caused devastation across the country and neighbouring Syria.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said it is providing assistance to the four Australians who were in the Turkey region at the time of the earthquake and remain unaccounted for.

Authorities are urgently trying to track down these individuals.

READ MORE: How you can help earthquake survivors

"DFAT working to provide consulate assistance to around 40 other Australians in the region," the body said.

The death toll has climbed above 7700 and is expected to rise further.

It comes as the Australian government has moved to urgently provide humanitarian aid to the country.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced yesterday an initial $10 million in aid to Turkey and Syria to help Red Cross and Red Crescent partners assist people in the regions.

But today, foreign minister Penny Wong announced further support to activate the AUS Assist Plan to "deploy an urban search and rescue team of up to 72 personnel to Turkey to assist local authorities".

"These are urban search and rescue specialists, highly trained to locate, deliver medical assistance to, and remove victims who have been trapped by structural collapse," Wong said.

READ MORE: Dad breaks silence after toddler killed in hot car

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is also carrying out an urgent assessment to "ensure the safety of Australian personnel".

The federal government is also looking to deploy the Australian Defence Force to the region as soon as possible.

"We have been watching the heartbreaking scenes in Turkey and Syria with horror," Wong said.

"These are extremely difficult times, we have been horrified by the scene of devastation and the stories of human tragedy.

"There is so much heroism, and compassion for man, woman and child, that is on display in these areas."

Other countries have also been quick to release emergency funds to support the grief-stricken and devastated nations.

READ MORE: The 'inland tsunamis' putting 15 million people at risk

Nearly 30 countries have sent rescue teams to aid in recovery efforts in Turkey and Syria.

Monday's magnitude 7.8 quake and powerful aftershocks cut a swath of destruction that stretched hundreds of kilometres across southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria.

The shaking toppled thousands of buildings and heaped more misery on a region wracked by Syria's 12-year civil war and refugee crisis.

Rescuers are now racing against time to pull survivors from the rumble before cold weather sweeps across the country.

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