Thousands of police carried out a series of raids across much of Germany on Wednesday against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the state by force.

Federal prosecutors said some 3000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany's 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement. Some members of the grouping reject Germany's postwar constitution and have called for the overthrow of the government.

Prosecutors said 22 German citizens were detained on suspicion of "membership in a terrorist organisation". Three other people, including a Russian citizen, are suspected of supporting the organisation, they said.

READ MORE: China set to roll back COVID-19 restrictions

Weekly Der Spiegel reported that locations searched include the barracks of Germany's special forces unit KSK in the southwestern town of Calw. The unit has in the past been scrutinised over alleged far-right involvement by some soldiers.

Federal prosecutors declined to confirm or deny that the barracks was searched.

Along with detentions in Germany, prosecutors said that one person was detained in the Austrian town of Kitzbuehel and another in the Italian city of Perugia.

READ MORE: Australian family identified as victims of US plane crash

Prosecutors said the suspected ringleaders, identified only as Heinrich XIII P. R. and Rüdiger v. P., are accused of last year founding a “terrorist organisation with the goal of overturning the existing state order in Germany and replace it with their own form of state, which was already in the course of being founded".

The suspects were aware that their aim could only be achieved by military means and with force, prosecutors said.

They are alleged to have believed in a “conglomerate of conspiracy theories consisting of narratives from the so-called Reich Citizens as well as QAnon ideology,” according to a statement by prosecutors.

A Victorian-born wheelchair user claims he was forced off a Qatar Airways flight at Melbourne Airport due to his disability.

Craig Nolan, who lives with spina bifida, was on a flight to Finland when he says he was kicked off by staff on board, forcing him to disembark at Melbourne airport before take off.

The 43-year-old told 9News that, after explaining he would need staff to take him to and from the bathroom in the aisle chair during the flight, he was told that the company didn't allow disabled passengers to travel alone.

READ MORE: Turned away from flights, crawling down aisles and rejected loo breaks: Australians with disabilities say they are being 'dehumanised and humiliated'

Nolan was initially transferred to an aisle chair before the flight, which is a smaller wheelchair used on planes that can't be pushed independently.

He alleges he was then told he had to leave the flight.

"It's absolutely discrimination," Nolan said.

"There is no justified reason that you should have thrown me off the flight."

9News has reached out for comment from Qatar Airways.

Nolan lives in Finland with his partner and had come come to Melbourne to attend a family funeral.

He has travelled around the world four times on his own and says he has never had this kind of trouble.

It was his first time travelling with Qatar Airways.

READ MORE: Accessible housing nearly impossible to find across Australia

https://twitter.com/Bridget_Mullahy/status/1599971594801401857

In the hope someone would listen, lifelong friend Bridget Mullahy turned to Twitter to tell Nolan's story.

"This has really resonated with people that in 2022 this is no longer allowed to happen," Mullahy told 9News.

"People will actually voice up, stand up and actually say not anymore."

READ MORE: Australian family identified as victims of US plane crash

Nolan said it wasn't good enough and more needed to be done.

"Everyone has to stand up for their rights," he said.

"Particularly disabled people, who are not listened to and, if they are, there's always that pre-perception of what they can and can't do."

Brittany Higgins has said she is willing to be called as a witness to "defend the truth" in civil court after lawyers for Bruce Lehrmann revealed he is considering defamation proceedings following criminal charges against him being dropped.

"Following recent developments, I feel the need to make it clear if required I am willing to defend the truth as a witness in any potential civil cases brought about by Mr Lehrmann," Higgins wrote on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

Former Liberal Party staffer Higgins accused Lehrmann of raping her inside the Parliament House office of the minister who they both worked for in 2019.

He denied the allegation and maintained the pair never had any sexual interaction.

READ MORE: Australian family identified as victims of US plane crash

https://twitter.com/BrittHiggins_/status/1600381415362699264

Lehrmann's criminal trial in the ACT Supreme Court was derailed in October due to juror misconduct and he was due to face a retrial next February.

But ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Shane Drumgold announced he would not proceed with a second trial due to the "unacceptable risk" it posed to Higgins' life.

In a statement to AAP on Wednesday, Sydney law firm Mark O'Brien Legal confirmed it would represent Lehrmann in potential defamation proceedings.

READ MORE: Hundred million-year-old fossil dug up in Queensland

"Mark O'Brien Legal is acting on behalf of Bruce Lehrmann… over a number of public statements, broadcasts, articles and social media posts concerning the recently discontinued criminal proceedings against him," the statement said.

The firm's founder Mark Geoffrey O'Brien is a prominent lawyer with more than 40 years experience managing cases to do with the media and defamation.

He is one of the lawyers representing former SAS soldier Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation case against the Nine newspapers.

Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.

The "energetic" teenager who died from meningococcal after attending a Canberra music festival has saved five lives, including that of a young child, through organ donation.

Ally Behan had recently turned 18 and was moving into a new, exciting stage of life after finishing her HSC at Ulladulla High School, attending her formal and applying for university.

But a few days after going to the Spilt Milk music festival last weekend, she fell ill with the deadly and highly-contagious disease meningococcal, and died a few days later.

READ MORE: Victorian teen diagnosed with meningococcal disease after Schoolies

Her loved ones have described her as a bright spark full of life and, who was "caring, and loyal with a strong love for animals".

"Anyone who knew Ally will know that there are no words to describe the widespread devastation that is being felt with the loss of our beautiful girl," Ally's family said in a statement to Nine.com.au.

"Ally was young, energetic and loved her family and friends. She was beautiful, both inside and out, she loved to laugh and enjoyed some banter.

"She was very close to her mum, dad and her older brother. Family was important to Ally, who was just as close to her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins – who were always there for a cheeky 4am phone call.

The family, from the NSW South Coast, said the young woman had a "love for adventure" and was looking forward to her next one, which involved moving out of home and in with friends. 

Along with her love of family and friends, she's been remembered for her kind nature. 

"She was always there for anyone, providing love and support when needed. Ally was caring, and loyal with a strong love for animals," her family said.

Her last act has paid homage to a life of giving, helping those struggling with health problems of their own through organ donation.

"Ally liked to help people and did just that in her final hours by providing the amazing gift of donating her organs which have gone to save the lives of five different people, one of which is a young child," the statement said.

ACT Health issued an alert for attendees of Spilt Milk days after the festival, upon discovering a person in Canberra Hospital with the virus had attended.

Anyone who attended the event should be aware of the symptoms, and seek urgent medical help if they appear.

Symptoms of meningococcal include:

• Severe, unexplained limb pain
• Difficulty waking up
• High-pitched crying in babies
• Severe headache
• Upset by bright lights
• Stiff neck
• Red-purple rash which doesn't disappear when pressed with a glass

Today a teenager in Victoria was diagnosed with the virus after attending Schoolies in Queensland.

A tradie has been badly injured after falling off a roof at a construction site as a result of a suspected brawl.

Police were called to a construction site in Bellevue Hill, in Sydney's affluent Eastern Suburbs, around midday.

A 44-year-old man was found on the ground outside the two-storey property – located in one of Australia's most expensive suburbs – with injuries to his torso.

READ MORE: 'Incredibly common' bacteria kills six children in the UK

He was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition.

Two other men from the site, aged 41 and 45, were arrested and taken to Waverley Police Station, where they are assisting police.

A crime scene has been established and police said they will be working with Worksafe NSW on the investigation.

An Australian family has been identified as the victims killed in a light plane crash off the US coast near Florida over the weekend.

Christian Kath, 42, and his wife Misty Kath, 43, were flying with their teenage daughter Lily when their plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico.

The family was living in St Petersburg in Florida but previously lived in Queensland.

READ MORE: 'Intention to execute': Police release CCTV in hunt for armed home invaders

The single-engine Piper Cherokee was reported overdue Saturday when it did not return to its origin airport.

Police Chief Charlie Thorpe told reporters on Monday recreational boaters found the body of a woman floating about four kilometres west of the Venice shore.

A young girl's body was found in the wreckage of the aircraft.

All three victims were family members who had planned a dinner in Venice before returning to St Petersburg, Thorpe said.

It's not yet clear what caused the plane to crash, he added.

READ MORE: AI chatbot could put an end to essays

It is understood the pilot was Christian Kath, who is still missing but believed to have died in the crash, according to the City of Venice.

"After consultation with the Coast Guard, the search area for the missing pilot in the Gulf has been expanded area-wise, but assets have been scaled back," the city said on Twitter.

"Boaters from Sarasota Bay south to Gasparilla should be aware of the possibility of a body or small aircraft debris floating."

Kath recently posted on Facebook that he was learning how to fly solo, completing his first trip on March 22.

The county sheriff's office, the US Coast Guard, the Sarasota Police Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office and the National Transportation Safety Board were involved in the investigation.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has been contacted for comment.

– Reported with Associated Press 

A woman found dead in Fremantle Harbour in Perth on Sunday has been identified as 25-year-old Helen Jeremy Solomon Marsuk.

Marsuk's remains were located by a member of the public in the early hours of December 4 in waters near Success Boat Harbour in South Fremantle.

Police have confirmed they are treating Marsuk's death as suspicious, with the young woman – from the suburb of Koongamia – likely having met with foul play.

READ MORE: Australian family killed in US plane crash

Divers have since removed several items from the harbour and specialists have also been deployed to scour the area between fishing boats, searching for clues that could help with the investigation.

"We believe the circumstances around the lady's death and her placement and location in the harbour raised suspicion and the Homicide Squad are investigating," Detective Senior Sergeant Greg McDonald said.

"There is obviously a lot of work for us to do here.

"We have quite a wide canvas to look for witnesses or any CCTV opportunities that may exist."

Authorities are urging anyone with information relating to Marsuk's death to immediately come forward to police.

READ MORE: Hundred million-year-old fossil dug up in Queensland

Marsuk is being described as 152cm tall with a slim build, dark skin and short black hair.

Officers are specifically trying to establish a timeline of Marsuk's whereabouts between November 30 and Sunday.

Marsuk is believed to have been in the vicinity of Oats Street in Carlisle on November 30, wearing a pink dress and carrying a pink handbag.

A murder investigation has been launched after human remains were found under a Brisbane unit block.

Police said the remains, which had been under the apartments "for months", were found by cleaners contracted to the Department of Communities and Housing at a unit complex on Alderley Avenue in Alderley at about 10.45am.

The homicide unit has been called in to assist with the investigation and a crime scene has been declared.

READ MORE: 'Incredibly common' bacteria kills six children in the UK

Regional Crime Coordinator Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said the remains were identified as human in a preliminary investigation.

"That was located in a void in behind a Besser block wall," he said.

"It is apparent from our initial analysis of the scene that body has been there for some months.

"It was located partially buried, very tightly wrapped and covered in clothing and bedding."

Massingham said scientific officers at the scene to examine the remains and provide final confirmation they are human.

"Our intention is to process the scene tonight, it will take some hours," he said.

"These types of homicide investigations can be complex and lengthy.

"It can take some time to identify who this person is, the cause of death and, of course, the causation relating to the death."

READ MORE: Australian family killed in US plane crash

https://twitter.com/MegESydes/status/1600342030038618112

Massingham said police are going through dozens of missing persons reports as the investigation continues.

"What is quite concerning is these remains have been here for some time," he said.

"With a large number of people, residents of this unit block, have been unaware of this occurrence.

"There was no noticeable smell or any indications that were suspicious to these people."

Investigations are underway to determine the identity of the person and how they died.

A 100-million year old fossil has been excavated in Queensland in a first-of-its-kind discovery for Australia.

The fossil includes the head and body of an elamosaur, a type of ocean-going plesiosaur that existed alongside dinosaurs.

It was found by western Queensland station owner Cassandra and two of her friends Sally and Cynthia, who hunt for fossils together.

READ MORE: 'Incredibly common' bacteria kills six children in the UK

Queensland Museum Network senior scientist and Curator of Palaeontology, Dr Espen Knutsen, who led the subsequent field trip to excavate the fossil, said this would be the first known head and body of an Australian elasmosaur to be held in a museum collection.

"We were extremely excited when we saw this fossil – it is like the Rosetta Stone of marine palaeontology as it may hold the key to unravelling the diversity and evolution of long-necked plesiosaurs in Cretaceous Australia," Knutsen said.

"Because these plesiosaurs were two-thirds neck, often the head would be separated from the body after death, which makes it very hard to find a fossil preserving both together, so we are using CT scanning to give us an insight into these magnificent animals."

READ MORE: Dour weather forecast looming for Christmas Day

During the early Cretaceous period (between 145.5 and 65.5 million years ago), much of Queensland was covered in a vast, shallow sea (the Eromanga Sea) and fossil remains of the ocean's inhabitants, including marine reptiles such as plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs are commonly found across the state.

This new fossil find could hold the key to unlocking the mystery around Australian plesiosaurs.

Along with the new skeleton, there were also several plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs discovered and collected on the field trip, which will be transported to Townsville for preparation and further research.

READ MORE: Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine vow to resist Moscow's forces 'until the end'

Each year, the Rock Chicks – Cassandra, Sally and Cynthia, meet to search for fossils on the property and during this time have walked hundreds of kilometres on their quest to uncover fossils. During the years they have been thrilled with their finds which have included a plesiosaur each, a kronosaurus, ichthyosaur and several fish and turtles.

Cassandra said they are looking forward to their 2023 hunt and they have a motto of "let's keep the paleos busy".

"There are so many people who have helped get these amazing fossils to Queensland Museum including our friends, Tom and Sharon who helped us start digging two of the plesiosaurs," Cassandra said.

"And we wouldn't have been able to do this without the help of our little minions Bill, Mark, Remi, Pip, Gwen and Gordon."

Lurking deep below the ocean's surface, off the west coast of Australia, scientists have found a shark graveyard – teeming with hundreds of fossilised teeth – as well as a new species of the marine predator.

And amongst the sandy graveyard CSIRO researchers found traces of the ancient ancestor of the megalodon shark, a fearsome species believed to have reached 15 to 18 metres in length.

The finds were made across two voyages on the RV Investigator, which explored Australia's newest marine parks; the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park in the remote Indian Ocean, and the Gascoyne Marine Park off Western Australia.

READ MORE: 'Incredibly common' bacteria kills six children in the UK

The graveyard was discovered at a depth of 5400 metres, near the Cocos (Keeling) Islands by scientists led by the Museums Victoria Research Institute.

Curator of Fishes at the Western Australian Museum, Glenn Moore, said an "interesting mix" of 750 fossilised teeth were found.

The teeth were from both ancient and modern species.

READ MORE: Sharks spotted inside nets at Australia's most famous beach

"The teeth look to come from modern sharks, such as mako and (great) white sharks, but also from ancient sharks including the immediate ancestor of the giant megalodon shark," said Moore.

"This shark evolved into the megalodon, which was the largest of all sharks but died out about 3.5 million years ago.

"It's incredible to think we've collected all these teeth in a net from the seafloor some four to five km below the ocean surface."

The ancient teeth collected from the graveyard are likely from the megalodon's closest relative, a shark which grew to over 12 metres long.

The megalodon is considered one of the most fearsome predators in history.

READ MORE: Remains found in back of museum cupboard solve 'bittersweet'mystery

Much about the species is shrouded in mystery, as sharks have cartilage skeletons which don't preserve well.

The traces normally found of the ancient beast are normally just teeth and vertebrae.

New shark species 'unique to Australia'

Fast forwarding several million years, scientists have found a new shark species, and it's "unique to Australia".

The animal was found in the Gascoyne Marine Park, in waters over 150 metres deep.

The find has scientists very excited, as little is known about the new species' behaviour.

"Early in the voyage, we collected a striking small, stripey hornshark," Dr Will White, a shark expert from CSIRO's Australian National Fish Collection, said.

"This species is unique to Australia, but it hasn't yet been described and named.

"The specimen we collected will be incredibly important to science because we'll use it to describe the species."

Hornsharks include the well-known Port Jackson shark, and are generally found in shallow waters.

The discovery comes months after the  RV Investigator collected a host of bizarre underwater creatures near ancient underwater volcanoes in Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park.

Chief Scientist on the underway voyage, John Keesing from CSIRO, said the discovery of new species was quite common on biodiversity surveys such as this.

"It's been estimated that around a third of the species collected on recent biodiversity survey voyages on RV Investigator may be new to science," Keesing.

"The discoveries we make aren't just limited to new species. These voyages give us the opportunity to learn more about marine ecosystems, as well as species range, abundance and behaviour."