A Sydney man will spend a maximum of 21 years in jail for a "vicious, violent and brutal" drug-induced attack in which he killed his sister over two years ago.

In the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday, Justice Peter Garling ordered Lucas Christian Delaney be imprisoned for bludgeoning his sister Gabriella Delaney with a hammer at their home in Sydney's west in June 2020.

"(The murder) was constituted by a vicious, violent and brutal assault for no reason at all on his sister in their own home. It caused extensive facial and bodily injuries," the judge said.

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After the murder, the 33-year old wrapped his sibling's body in a blanket, putting it on the bed and then placing other objects on top of it.

He then spent four days staying at various locations, smoking cannabis and ice, before checking himself into Cumberland Hospital for mental health treatment.

Aaron Delaney eventually found his sister's body in the flat on June 8.

His brother was arrested the following day.

While no motive was provided for the brutal killing, Justice Garling found mental health played no role in the tragedy. Instead, substance use was to blame.

"I find that at the time of the offence, the offender was impaired solely by the temporary effect of ingesting a substance, namely cannabis or methamphetamine or both."

He rejected Delaney's claims he had been hallucinating at the time of the attack and that he thought he was beating up a demon who would walk through furniture and walls.

Instead, Delaney was criminally responsible for the murder, the judge ruled, saying he had tried to conceal the body, had moved between locations after the killing, and had lied to family members about the whereabouts of his sister.

While Delaney had written a letter expressing his regret and remorse, this did not convince the court that he had taken responsibility for his actions as he had not given sworn evidence under oath.

The judge found Delaney had a difficult upbringing amidst violence, drug and alcohol use, and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance misuse disorder as an adult.

The sentence, which includes a non-parole period of 15 years and nine months, was discounted by 25 per cent after Delaney made an early guilty plea to the murder.

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During a sentencing hearing in September, family members spoke of the heartbreak they felt over the loss of their sister, who provided unconditional love and support.

"You took away the person who meant the most to me," sister Rebecca Delaney said to Lucas who was sitting in the dock at the time.

Delaney will be eligible for parole on March 8, 2036.

The devastating impact of the recent floods in Victoria and NSW have been revealed by 'before' and 'after' shots of towns hit by flooding in the two states.

Australians with long COVID say they fear more people will develop the condition now and they are at risk of reinfection now people with the virus don't need to isolate.

Bethany Wormald, 46, who has long COVID, is "petrified" of catching the virus again in case it makes her even more ill.

Wormald has an appointment at Sydney's long COVID clinic, but not until December.

READ MORE: People in NSW no longer required to register positive COVID-19 tests

She has been on the waiting list since June.

"On the one hand governments are scrapping isolation and mask requirements but on the other hand they're not increasing resources to handle long COVID sufferers," she claimed.

Long COVID is officially recognised by the World Health Organisation.

It's classed as a condition suffered by those who've had COVID-19, which lasts for at least two months.

Symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive dysfunction, or "brain fog".

It's not known exactly how many Aussies have it – but it is thought to be at least 500,000 based on estimated figures.

Wormald, who had COVID-19 six months ago, used to be a runner, even setting a Guinness World Record for finishing a marathon dressed as a TV character, Betty Rubble from The Flintstones.

But now, thanks to what she has been told is long COVID, the stepmother spends 23 hours a day in bed or on the couch in Fingal Bay, NSW.

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She has had to cut her hours working in communications from 40 to just 12 a week.

Wormald, who had three vaccinations for COVID-19, said she's worried about the removal of rule and thinks the government is creating "a predictable problem".

Her fatigue is so bad she struggles just to walk around her house, and has to rely on her husband for most things.

"I have trouble having the strength to sit up," she said.

"It is awfully hard to deal with."

She also has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome which means her heart rate surges when she stands up.

Meanwhile, single mother-of-two, clinical psychologist Ruth Nelson, 42, has had COVID-19 twice, and ended up in hospital for weeks both times.

She developed long COVID after the first infection, and says her symptoms worsened after she got it again.

Nelson, who is triple-vaccinated, lists her ongoing long COVID symptoms as fatigue, chest pain, palpitations, brain fog, headaches, nerve pain and other problems, and dizziness and fainting.

She has to use a walking stick to get around.

The inner west Sydney mother is back at work this week after working from home for months and using up all her sick leave.

She said she's "terrified" about having to mix with people again amid the scrapping of rules.

While she praised the Sydney long COVID clinic she goes to, she's seen little progress.

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"With COVID the second time, the long COVID is worse," she said.

Even having a shower now is a mammoth task she has to break down into easy parts, she said.

It's a far cry from her life before.

"I'd take the kids camping, go for road trips, drive up to see my mum in Queensland, kids swimming lessons, karate," she said.

She said her outlook changes depending on how she is feeling.

"I assume I will get better… and at the same time I accept the reality I'm going to catch COVID again and that's just going to be my life," she said.

Thoracic doctor, Associate Professor Anthony Byrne from St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, said reinfection with COVID-19 can make long COVID worse, but there's only limited data available.

"There was a survey sent out to people in the UK with Long COVID and it found those with repeat infection, there was a worsening of symptoms in most of them," Byrne said.

He also said that with so many different vaccine variants, and many places in the world having low vaccination rates, herd immunity against COVID-19 is unlikely.

He said he thought the government move to cut fines for failing to isolate is appropriate – but the messaging isn't great.

"There's a big difference between what's the rule and what's mandatory and what's sensible," he said.

"If you're unwell with an infectious disease maybe you shouldn't go to work."

He urged the federal and state governments to ensure long COVID clinics are properly resourced, saying people are waiting "months and months and months" for appointments.

"It's really frustrating, I think what needs to happen and hopefully what is happening with the parliamentary inquiry is there's some decisions about resourcing those clinics."

The federal government said Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly had advised national cabinet mandatory isolation could be removed due to "low community transmission and high hybrid immunity from both vaccination and recent infection as well as ready access to vaccines and treatments".

A government spokesperson said a national response for the management of long COVID in Australia is being prepared by the Department of Health and Aged Care and the chief medical officer.

Submissions are also being sought on an inquiry into long COVID and repeated COVID infections to the House Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport.

The spokesperson added people with post-COVID conditions can access existing Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items for the treatment.

The government has also tasked the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners to update guidelines on caring for long COVID patients.

"The government also funded the establishment of the Australian National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce in April 2020," he said.

"This taskforce is developing clinical guidelines to provide recommendations regarding management and treatments for COVID-19 as well as the management and care of people with post-COVID conditions.

"The department is also working with states and territories to better understand the prevalence of long COVID in Australia."

Latest studies on long COVID impact 

It's not known how many Australians have long COVID, but one new international study estimates around six per cent of people who have had COVID-19 still have health issues three months later.

On average, the study which used data from 22 countries, found long COVID symptoms persisted for nine months in hospitalised patients and four months in patients who didn't need hospital treatment for their initial infection.

It found 15 per cent of patients continued to have symptoms a year later.

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The official number of Aussies who have had COVID is now 10.3 million, meaning more than 600,000 could have ongoing symptoms.

People who test positive no longer need to record their infection with authorities.

A study in Scotland found 1 in 20 people had not recovered from having COVID-19 between six and 18 months later.

Those who needed hospital treatment for their initial illness were worst affected.

Plus, figures released in August revealed 31,000 Australians were off work every day with the debilitating condition.

The same report also showed Australia lost three million working days in the first six months of 2022 due to the illness.

Contact journalist Sarah Swain: ss****@******om.au

The Defence Department is investigating reports China has been luring former Royal Australian Air Force pilots with lucrative payments to pass on their experience to the Chinese military.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said today he was "deeply shocked" by the reports.

"When our ADF personnel sign up to the Defence Force, they do so to serve their country and we are deeply grateful of that."

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"I would be deeply shocked and disturbed to hear that there were personnel who were being lured by a pay check from a foreign state above serving their own country.

"I have asked the department to investigate these claims and come back to my office with clear advice on this matter."

Today's announcement followed confirmation by the UK government that up to 30 former British military pilots had been recruited by the Chinese Liberation Army Air Force for training purposes.

One Western official told the BBC the UK pilots had been paid financial packages worth £240,000 ($380,000).

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that numerous others have been approached, including British personnel who are currently serving.

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China is using third parties to find British and other western pilots to directly train Chinese pilots, as well support state-owned defence industry companies and research institutions, the MoD said.

"We are taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and former UK Armed Forces pilots to train People's Liberation Army personnel in the People's Republic of China," an MoD spokesperson said.

The MoD said there was no evidence to suggest that any former UK pilots have passed on any information which would violate the Official Secrets Act.

Britain's Minister of State for the Armed Forces James Heappey said the government is currently looking to change the law to punish military pilots who pass on their expertise to the Chinese army.

– Reported with CNN

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Thirty per cent of Ukraine's power stations have been destroyed in just over a week, leading to "massive blackouts" across the country, President Volodymyr Zelensky said today, as the Kremlin steps up attacks on critical energy infrastructure.

"No space left for negotiations with Putin's regime," Zelensky tweeted.

Depriving people of water, electricity and heat as winter begins to bite, and the broadening use of so-called suicide drones that nosedive into targets have opened a new phase in Russian President Vladimir Putin's war.

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The bombardments appear aimed at wearing down the notable resilience Ukrainians have shown in the nearly eight months since Moscow invaded.

Russia's Defence Ministry confirmed that the country's military had launched high-precision strikes on "energy systems" in Ukraine.

The death toll in Kyiv continues to climb this week.

At least five people were killed yesterday following Russian attacks with Iranian-made "kamikaze" drones and at least three people died in separate strikes today.

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'Save water as much as possible'

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Moscow has targeted key Ukrainian power facilities in recent days, leaving areas in at least three cities without power.

A residential neighbourhood in the capital Kyiv is experiencing power cuts and water outages, local energy company DTEK said on Facebook Tuesday.

In Dnipropetrovsk region, at least three areas, experienced electrical outages and a water pumping facility lost power after Russia launched two missiles at an energy facility, causing "fire and severe destruction," according to local authorities.

A CNN team in Dnipro saw from a distance the aftermath of a hit on a power plant in Dnipro and smoke rising from the facility.

Further west, the mayor of Zhytomyr said in a statement that the city was experiencing power and water cuts, with hospitals running on back up energy.

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Residents in the Ukrainian capital were also urged by local officials to limit electricity and water usage, after two key infrastructure complexes were hit today.

The World Health Organisation warned of a "humanitarian emergency" as Putin's military assault on Ukraine approaches the "brutal" winter months.

"Too many people in Ukraine are living precariously, moving from location to location, living in substandard structures or without access to heating.

"This can lead to frostbite, hypothermia, pneumonia, stroke and heart attack," WHO's Hans Henri P. Kluge said last week.

"The destruction of houses and lack of access to fuel or electricity due to damaged infrastructure could become a matter of life or death if people are unable to heat their homes."

With CNN and AP

A giant sunfish believed to be the world's heaviest bony fish has been discovered in the Azores archipelago, Portugal, weighing a whopping 2,744 kilograms.

Researchers said the animal was found dead, floating near Faial Island in the central North Atlantic in December.

Although found last year, details of the discovery have only recently been published in the Journal of Fish Biology.

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Studied by researchers from the Atlantic Naturalist Association and the Azores University for biometrical and morphological data, both in Portugal, the fish was pulled to shore where the animal was weighed, measured and tissue sampled for DNA testing.

There are around 29,000 species of bony fish, which have a skeletal bone structure, making them the majority of the world's fish species.

The carcass is more than 400 kilograms heavier than the previous world record holder for heaviest bony fish – a 2,300-kilogram female giant sunfish caught off Kamogawa in Japan in 1996.

The sunfish was weighed with a crane scale dynamometer – a device designed to weigh loads typically hoisted by a – after being raised above ground using a forklift truck.

The animal was 3.25 metres long and had a height of 3.59 metres.

Measured around its center (mid-body), it had a maximum width of 86 centimetres, researchers said.

The sex has not been determined.

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José Nuno Gomes-Pereira, lead author of the paper and postdoctoral researcher from the Atlantic Naturalist Association, told CNN Tuesday that it was saddening "to see the animal in this situation as it must have been a king of open ocean."

The "tremendously big" sunfish has been buried in the Natural Park of Faial Island, he added.

Gomes-Pereira said that the finding was a "sign that the oceans are still healthy enough to sustain the heaviest species existing, but a warning for more conservation in terms of pollution and boat traffic near oceanic islands."

Giant sunfish (Mola alexandrini) were first recognised as their own species in 2018 and are known to weigh twice as much as the second heaviest fish species, the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), according to a news release from the Atlantic Naturalist Association last Thursday.

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Gomes-Pereira said the dead sunfish had a "contusion" – a bruise – on its front, which may have caused the animal's death.

However, it is unknown if the impact was pre- or post-mortem. The wound was embedded with a red paint normally used to coat the keels of boats, the journal article added.

With little data available on large specimens such as the sunfish, the researchers believe further study is required to understand their physiology and marine ecosystems in general.

The world's heaviest fish species is the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), according to Guinness World Records, with the heaviest found in Pakistan in 1949, weighing 21.5 metric tons.

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A 2000-kilometre band of thunderstorms was seen stretching over the Northern Territory and South Australia yesterday, putting the entire east coast once again on flood alert as forecasters warn wild weather will be felt in nearly every state.

The storm activity is being driven by moisture-laden air, which is interacting with a low pressure system.

Weatherzone said the storm band gives "a preview of what's heading for eastern Australia over the next few days".

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"Looking ahead, the upper-level low and its associated rain and thunderstorm activity will continue to spread further east during the next few days," the weather service said.

"This weather system will produce areas of heavy rain and severe thunderstorms over multiple states during the next several days.

"Some of this rain is likely to cause flooding, including areas of the Murray Darling Basin that have received heavy rain recently."

Parts of flood-ravaged Victoria have seen three months worth of rain in just two days, meteorologist Ben Domensino says.

Falls of up to 230mm have been recorded in the past seven days, with Bendigo registering 117mm in just two.

Domensino said it was the highest two-day rainfall on records stretching back over 100 years.

"Over the next four to five days we should see about two rain-bearing systems moving through the region," Domensino said.

"On Wednesday and Thursday we won't see too much rain falling but it should start to ramp up on Friday and we can see the accumulated totals over the next five days could be pushing upwards of 50mm.

"I think the heaviest rain will probably come on Monday or Tuesday next week."

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The warnings are being echoed by the Bureau of Meteorology, who has issued an expansive flood watch across multiple states.

Senior meteorologist at the Bureau, Dean Narramore said the system will increase the flood risk through Victoria, New South Wales and parts of Queensland.

"In anticipation of that, we do have not only flood warnings with the ongoing flooding across large parts of NSW and Victoria now, but we have also issued flood watches," he said.

"Here in this purple area, through large parts of South Australia, much of southern inland Queensland, and a number of our rivers that aren't flooded across eastern parts of NSW."

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Narramore said the wild, stormy weather will be felt in the eastern states from Wednesday and endure for the rest of the week.

"As we move into Wednesday we will see that system move further eastwards bringing widespread rain and storms through Queensland, NSW, and continuing in eastern parts of South Australia."

He said "quite severe thunderstorms" will hit eastern NSW and Queensland on Thursday.

"We could see large hail, damaging winds, and very heavy rainfall," Narramore said, adding Victoria will cop the worst of it from Thursday evening, into Friday.

"This is not good news for our already flooded areas."

Residents who live "anywhere across eastern Australia" are being warned to stay up to date with warnings.

The Bureau said widespread rainfall totals of 25 to 50 mm are likely across South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Tasmania, and Victoria this week.

Rainfall will be heavier in southern inland Queensland on and west of the ranges in New South Wales and northern Victoria, with falls between 50 to 100 mm forecast.

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Major flooding continues in Victoria and NSW

The warnings come as broad swathes of NSW and Victoria remain in flood.

As of 5.30am AEDT, Victoria has more than 50 flood warnings in place, stretching from north of Melbourne to the NSW border.

Evacuation orders are current for Echuca and Echuca Village, Barmah and Lower Moira, as well as Bunbartha, Zeerust, Mundoona and Kaarimba. 

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There have been 22 flood rescues statewide over the past 24 hours.

One of the areas of most concern is the town of Echuca, which is facing renewed river rises.

The hopes of locals and contractors are resting on a hastily constructed 2.5 kilometre clay levee, designed to keep water out of the majority of the town.

"There are hundreds of homes on the wrong side and they are being sacrificed for the town," Today reporter Izabella Staskowski said.

"People who have been living on the wrong side are helping to build the levee.

"This would be hard, they say it has to be done to try and save the town…essentially this levee it is going to push water back into those houses."

The regional centre of Shepparton is still in major flood, with fears it could be so for more than a week.

The Goulburn river peaked at 12.06m. Currently it's still at 11.53m and is expected to rise again over the weekend.

The Australian Defence Force has now doubled its assistance in Victoria, with 200 troops on the ground.

Meanwhile, in NSW an emergency area has been declared on part of Murray River, downstream of Tocumwal Road Bridge to Barham Bridge.

Under section 22 of the State Emergency Services Act 1989 (NSW) (SES Act) people are being directed to leave the emergency area, and not to enter it.

The SES is also urging Moama residents to prepare for major flooding, not seen for 30 years.

"The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast flood levels may exceed the 1993 flood at Moama from later this week, after flows from the Murray River and Victorian rivers reach the community," it said in a statement.

Across NSW there are more than 70 flood warnings. Of these, eight are at an emergency level. 

An Iranian female competitive climber has left South Korea after competing at an event without her nation's mandatory headscarf covering, authorities say.

Farsi-language media outside of Iran warned she may have been forced to leave early by Iranian officials and could face arrest back home, which Tehran quickly denied.

The decision by Elnaz Rekabi, a multiple medalist in competitions, to forgo the headscarf, or hijab, came as protests sparked by the September 16 death in custody of a 22-year-old woman have entered a fifth week. Mahsa Amini was detained by the country's morality police over her clothing.

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The demonstrations, drawing school-age children, oil workers and others to the street in over 100 cities, represent the most serious challenge to Iran's theocracy since the mass protests surrounding its disputed 2009 presidential election.

A later Instagram post on an account attributed to Rekabi described her not wearing a hijab as "unintentional" though it wasn't immediately clear whether she wrote the post or what condition she was in at the time.

The Iranian government routinely pressures activists at home and abroad, often airing what rights group describe as coerced confessions on state television.

Rekabi left Seoul on a Tuesday morning flight, the Iranian Embassy in South Korea said. The BBC's Persian service, which has extensive contacts within Iran despite being banned from operating there, quoted an unnamed "informed source" who described Iranian officials as seizing both Rekabi's mobile phone and passport.

BBC Persian also said she initially had been scheduled to return on Wednesday, but her flight apparently had been moved up unexpectedly.

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IranWire, another website focusing on the country founded by Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari who once was detained by Iran, alleged that Rekabi would be immediately transferred to Tehran's notorious Evin Prison after arriving in the country. Evin Prison was the site of a massive fire this weekend that killed at least eight prisoners.

In a tweet, the Iranian Embassy in Seoul denied "all the fake, false news and disinformation" regarding Rekabi's departure on Tuesday.

But instead of posting a photo of her from the Seoul competition, it posted an image of her wearing a headscarf at a previous competition in Moscow, where she took a bronze medal.

Calls to the Iranian Embassy in Seoul rang unanswered on Tuesday.

Rekabi didn't put on a hijab during Sunday's final at the International Federation of Sport Climbing's Asia Championship, according to the Seoul-based Korea Alpine Federation, the organisers of the event.

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Federation officials said Rekabi wore a hijab during her initial appearances at the one-week climbing event. She wore just a black headband when competing on Sunday, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail; she had a white jersey with Iran's flag as a logo on it.

The later Instagram post, written in the first person, offered an apology on Rekabi's behalf. The post blamed a sudden call for her to climb the wall in the competition — although footage of the competition showed Rekabi relaxed as she approached and after she competed. It also sought to describe her travel back to Iran on Tuesday as being "on schedule".

Rekabi was on Iran's 11-member delegation, comprising eight athletes and three coaches, to the event, according to the federation.

Federation officials said they were not initially aware of Rekabi competing without the hijab but looked into the case after receiving inquires about her.

They said the event doesn't have any rules on requiring female athletes wearing or not wearing headscarves. However, Iranian women competing abroad under the Iranian flag always wear the hijab.

"Our understanding is that she is returning to Iran, and we will continue to monitor the situation as it develops on her arrival," the International Federation of Sport Climbing, which oversaw the event, said in a statement.

"It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation."

The federation said it had been in touch with both Rekabi and Iranian officials, but declined to elaborate on the substance of those calls when reached by The Associated Press. The federation also declined to discuss the Instagram post attributed to Rekabi and the claims in it.

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Later on Tuesday, South Korea's Foreign Ministry acknowledged that the Iranian athlete and her team had left the country, without elaborating.

Rekabi, 33, has finished on the podium three times in the Asian Championships, taking one silver and two bronze medals for her efforts.

So far, human rights groups estimate that more than 200 people have been killed in the protests and the violent security force crackdown that followed. Iran has not offered a death toll in weeks.

Demonstrations have been seen in more than 100 cities, according to the group Human Rights Activists in Iran. Thousands are believed to have been arrested.

Gathering information about the demonstrations remains difficult, however. Internet access has been disrupted for weeks by the Iranian government.

Meanwhile, authorities have detained at least 40 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have repeatedly alleged the country's foreign enemies are behind the ongoing demonstrations, rather than Iranians angered by Amini's death and the country's other woes.

Iranians have seen their life savings evaporate; the country's currency, the rial, plummeted and Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers has been reduced to tatters.

In a statement on Tuesday, the office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights called for the immediate release of all those "arbitrarily detained" in the protests.

It also criticised the "unabated violent response by security forces" that has seen even children reportedly arrested and killed.

"The continued unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against protesters must stop," the statement said.

"Arresting people solely for exercising their rights of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression constitutes an arbitrary deprivation of liberty."

Australia will host a royal tour in 2024 that coincides with celebrations marking 200 years of democracy, the NSW Parliament appears to have confirmed.

In a media release issued on Tuesday night, the NSW Parliament said a "much-anticipated royal tour in 2024" promised to be a highlight of the Legislative Council bicentenary celebrations.

It appears to be the first official confirmation of a royal visit, after rumours that an Australian tour was on the cards.

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In an event schedule, the Legislative Council lists the "anticipated royal tour" for October.

"Two centuries of democracy in Australia is being celebrated with a wide and exciting range of events marking the establishment of the nation's first parliament, the New South Wales Legislative Council, with a much-anticipated royal visit in 2024 promising to be a highlight," the statement said.

"It was during the first royal tour to Australia in 1954 that her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II paid a visit to the NSW Parliament and christened it Australia's 'Mother Parliament'."

It was not clear whether the newly crowned King Charles III would be heading down under or who else would be attending.

It is understood it is likely to be the King and Queen Consort who will visit but there is also a chance it could be Prince William and Kate, 9News has been told.

"The establishment, in 1823, of the Legislative Council as the first legislative body in Australia was to have defining and profound impacts," Governor Margaret Beazley said. 

"In celebrating the bicentenary of the Legislative Council, we celebrate its role in our parliamentary democracy, as required by s5 of the NSW Constitution: 'to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales, in all cases whatsoever.'"

Buckingham Palace would not comment on the announcement.

The Legislative Council has been contacted to clarify the details.

The bicentenary celebrations are set to include the 2024 Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, a travelling exhibition through rural and regional Australia, the commission of a major Indigenous artwork and the establishment of a young Indigenous leaders program, as well as prominent speakers.

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Serious concerns have arisen about New Zealand’s aviation security after airport workers in all our international airports were allowed “airside access” without adequate security checks. New Zealand pilots are calling for an independent…