COMMENT: With local body elections currently under way, democracy makes its triennial appearance in New Zealand’s towns and cities once again. But elections alone don’t automatically make for democratic governance at street level….

By RNZ Six cultural artefacts of indigenous Australians held in an Otago museum will be returned more than a century after they were taken.The collection includes a kalpunta (boomerang), palya/kupija (adze) and a selection of…

A man has been arrested over a helicopter crash in the Northern Territory earlier this year that killed TV star Chris "Willow" Wilson.

Wilson, 34, was one of the stars of reality series Outback Wrangler.

Police announced today a 44-year-old man had been arrested and was assisting police with their inquiries. He has not been charged.

The crash took place in Arnhem Land, about 500km east of Darwin, in late February.

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The helicopter was part of an expedition to collect crocodile eggs from local habitat.

Wilson, who had been slung below the helicopter, was found dead about 40m from the crash site.

A preliminary report from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found Wilson was dangling about 30m below the R44 Raven II chopper when it struck trees shortly after take-off in Noonamah, West Arnhem Land.

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The sling line attachment rings were not connected to the helicopter cargo hook, the report said.

The helicopter's main rotor blade had struck and cut through the trunk of at least one tree.

"Initial assessment indicated the engine had stopped prior to the helicopter colliding with the ground," the report said.

US and Canadian warships have sailed through the Taiwan Strait following weekend remarks from President Joe Biden that the US would defend Taiwan in the event it is attacked by China.

A US Navy ship, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins, conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on Tuesday, US Navy spokesperson Lt Mark Langford said in a statement.

The US ship conducted the transit "in cooperation with Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver," Langford said.

The two ships "transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of any coastal State," Lt. Langford said. The transit "demonstrates the commitment of the United States and our allies and partners to a free and open Indo-Pacific," Lt. Langford added.

EXPLAINER: What is behind the China-Taiwan dispute?

Tuesday's transit marked the second time in just over three weeks that a US Navy warship had made the voyage. The guided-missile cruisers USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville did so on August 28.

Since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan in early August, the US has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of Chinese military ships and submarines around Taiwan, a US defence official told CNN.

Though the US called the transit "routine," it comes after Biden added fuel to tensions between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, telling CBS's "60 Minutes" that he would use US troops to defend the island if China tried to invade.

The strait is a 110-mile (180-kilometer) stretch of water that separates the democratic self-ruled island of Taiwan from mainland China.

Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan – an island of 23 million people – despite China's ruling Communist Party never having controlled it. Beijing also claims sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the waters of the Taiwan Strait under Chinese law and its interpretation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

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The US Navy, however, says most of the strait is in international waters, citing a UNCLOS definition of territorial waters as extending 22.2 kilometres from a country's coastline. The US regularly sends its warships through the strait, making dozens of such transits in recent years.

In the CBS interview, Biden was asked whether "US forces, US men and women, would defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion."

"Yes," the US President replied.

The comments reiterate a pledge to defend Taiwan that Biden has previously made, though Sunday he specified that "US men and women" would be involved in the effort.

Canadian Ministry of Defence Head of Media Relations Daniel Le Bouthillier confirmed Canada participated in the transit on Tuesday.

"Following port visits in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Manila, Philippines, HMCS Vancouver sailed through the Taiwan Strait along with the USS Higgins, as this was the most direct navigational route. This sail was done in full accordance with international law, including high seas navigation rights as outlined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," Le Bouthillier told CNN.

Chinese aircraft and ships were present through "various parts" of the US and Canadian ships' transit, US military confirmed, but "all interactions with foreign military forces during the transit were consistent with international standards and practices and did not impact the operation," Langford said.

Beijing swiftly condemned Biden's weekend comments and repeated its warning that China reserves the "option to take all necessary measures" to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"The US remarks seriously violate the one-China principle and the provisions of the three US-China joint communiqués. It is also a serious violation of the important commitment made by the US side not to support Taiwan independence," China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said in a briefing Monday.

"It sent a serious wrong signal to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence. China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition and has made serious representations to the US side," Mao added.

US and Canadian warships last went through the strait at the same time 11 months ago, when the destroyer USS Dewey and frigate HMCS Winnipeg made the trip.

After that transit, Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command, said in a written statement that "the US and Canada made provocations with odious nature and stirred up troubles in cahoots, which seriously jeopardized the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait."

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has said that "reunification" between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force. Tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at the highest they've been in recent decades, with the Chinese military holding major military drills near the island.

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Supermarket giant Coles has announced it will sell hundreds of its Coles Express-branded petrol stations around Australia as the business focuses on its food and liquor offering.

Informing shareholders this morning, Coles said it will receive $300 million from the sale of the petrol stations to Viva Energy, which has been supplying fuel from its Geelong refinery.

All 710 Coles Express stations will be rebranded, but Coles customers will still have access to the four cent per litre fuel docket program, and Viva Energy will remain a partner of Flybuys.

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Current staff of the Coles Express network will also be transferred to Viva Energy, and Coles' own-brand product range will continue to be stocked at all sites.

The sale, if approved by regulators, is expected to be finalised by the second half of the financial year.

Coles CEO Steven Cain said the Coles Group will now direct its energy towards improving its food and liquor products in the market.

"This agreement is positive not only for Coles and Viva Energy, but also for our customers, team members and respective shareholders," he said.

"Viva is well-placed to make the most of opportunities to grow the Express business into the future, while we will strengthen our focus on our omnichannel supermarket and liquor businesses and our ambition of becoming Australia's most sustainable supermarket group."

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Viva CEO Scott Wyatt said the customer service and product offering currently available at Coles Express won't change.

"We have enjoyed a strong partnership with Coles over the last 20 years and this is an exciting next step for our business and our relationship," he said.

"The acquisition means we will be able to accelerate our plans to grow the integrated fuel and convenience business while our customers continue to enjoy the excellent customer service provided by the dedicated Express team, the extensive product range in-store and the loyalty programs we know they love.

"We look forward to welcoming all of the Coles Express team members to Viva Energy once the transaction completes."

The sale is still pending approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

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Australians' support for a republic has dropped in the wake of Queen Elizabeth II's death, with only 46 percent currently supporting a break away from the monarchy, a new poll has revealed.

The Resolve Political Monitor poll, conducted for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age by research company Resolve Strategic, surveyed 1607 eligible voters from Wednesday to Sunday.

Media coverage was saturated at the time with the news of the Queen's death and plans for her funeral.

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The voters were asked a "yes" or "no" question about their desire for change, similar to what would be posed in a referendum.

The results showed an eight percent drop in support for a republic, compared to a similar survey conducted in January.

In January, 54 percent of those surveyed said they would support a break from the monarchy. However, in the survey just conducted, only 46 percent indicated they would vote for the change.

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"The biggest movement is in those previously undecided on the republic question breaking to opposition, rather than supporting one," Resolve director Jim Reed told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

"This is very likely due to people feeling the time is inappropriate, either because they respect what the Queen has done or want to see what the King will do."

The polling showed Australians held a resoundingly positive view of  the Queen's reign. Three quarters of respondents said she had done a good job, while 20 percent were unsure and 5 percent thought she did a poor job.

As for how they thought King Charles III would perform as Australia's head of state, 45 percent said he would do well and 41 per cent were unsure – only 14 percent said he would do badly.

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Australians were not so positive about the performance of Australia's Governor-General, David Hurley.

More than half, 57 percent, were unsure or neutral on Hurley's performance, while 30 percent said he had done a good job and 13 percent said he had performed poorly.

The assessment comes after last month's revelations that former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministerial portfolios during his time in office. It was Hurley who signed off on the arrangement at Morrison's request. Hurley has said his actions were in line with the constitution.

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The man on the other end of the line sounds professional, with a clipped British accent.

He identifies himself as Martin Moore, from Westpac's fraud prevention team.

Straight up, he asks the woman he is speaking with to confirm he is from the bank by cross-checking the phone number he is calling from with the number written on the back of her card.

You can listen to the full audio of the call in the video player above.

READ MORE: Aussies lost $1 billion to bank card fraud in past year

It's a tactic designed to quash any suspicions and immediately put his potential victim at ease.

In reality, the man is a scammer who is using "spoofing" software to make it appear the call is coming from Westpac's number.

The man then tells the woman there has been a transaction attempt using her credit card at the Palacio Herrero in Mexico.

"Are you currently in Mexico and trying to use your card at all?" the man asks.

"No, I'm not," the woman answers.

The man responds by telling her he will need to cancel her card and send out a replacement, which will take three to five working days. He reads out the woman's home address, which she confirms. 

The scammer then tells the woman he has sent a cancellation code to her phone, which he asks her to read out.

The text in the actual message sent to the woman's phone does not exactly match what the scammer is asking for. 

The message reads "use this password to complete your online purchase", however the prompt is enough to get her to read out the code.

Once the scammer has the code, he asks the woman to go through another security check.

He asks the woman for her date of birth, but at this point, she grows suspicious and says she is no longer comfortable providing him with any more details.

The scammer politely says he understands and asks her to call him back "even on the same number" he has called on.

"I'll call you, I'll make a few enquiries with my personal banker too," the woman replies before hanging up.

Westpac, who released the audio recording of the call, says it shows the increasingly sophisticated techniques scammers are using to defraud customers.

In this case, no money was lost to the scammer as Westpac detected the suspicious transaction before any funds were sent.

However, similar cases of fraud are on the rise with new Westpac data finding scams increased 33 per cent in July from the year prior. Impersonation scams are one of the most common scams currently targeting customers.

"We've seen a significant increase in cases where scammers are using software to mask their phone number with the number of a known business," Westpac head of fraud, Ben Young, said.

"These scams are incredibly challenging to detect because from the customer's perspective, they appear to be getting a call from say Westpac, when in fact, it's a scammer posing as a member of our fraud team calling from a completely different number.

"The scammer will then use personal information they've fraudulently obtained, like quoting the customer's name or last few digits of their credit card, to convince them the call is genuine," Young said.

Australians lost more than $1 billion to scammers in the last year after having their bank cards skimmed, research released by Finder last month showed.

The average bank card skimming victim loses around $299, according to the research.

In a bid to combat these scams, Westpac recently teamed up with telco Optus to become the first private Australian business to block calls from scammers impersonating the bank. 

More than 94,000 Westpac phone numbers have been added to a 'Do Not Originate' list, which will prevent scammers from impersonating Westpac numbers. 

The list is also shared with other carriers to extend the protection across different networks.

Scammer red flags:

• Unsolicited contact. They unexpectedly call, SMS or email you claiming to be from a reputable business.
• They know personal information. They have often already fraudulently obtained personal details like your name, ending digits on your credit card or approximate location, which makes them appear legitimate.
• They want you to action something. They will often instruct you to complete an action while on the phone to them – like updating your banking details, increasing your daily payment limit, downloading an app or sending money to a 'new' account.
• They use spoofing software. They may use software to send you a fake SMS that appears to be from the business they say they're calling you from while on the phone with you to convince you the call is genuine.

WARNING: Images below may disturb some readers

Mystery surrounds the deaths of fourteen young male sperm whales that washed ashore King Island, off Tasmania's north coast earlier this week.

The mammals were first reported to authorities on Monday, the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) said.

An aerial survey was conducted yesterday and no other animals were found in the area, a NRE spokesperson told 9news.com.au.

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Wildlife biologists and a vet are travelling to the island to investigate what lead to the animals' deaths.

"It is not unusual for sperm whales to be sighted in Tasmania and the area the whales have stranded is within the normal range and habitat for sperm whales," the department said in a statement.

Photos shared by the department show the large whales lying on their side, some with their mouths agape.

Wildlife scientist Dr Vanessa Pirotta said it's not certain what lead to the stranding.

"Every stranding remains a mystery and an opportunity to learn more," Pirotta said.

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It's possible the whales were part of a "bachelor pod", Pirotta added.

"Teenager-like male sperm whales may hang out together before reaching maturity.

"Mature males may choose to remain swimming independently and seek out females to mate with."

Pirotta said swimmers should avoid the water as the animals will be left to break down.

"These whales will be left on the beach to naturally breakdown," she said.

"I strongly advise no swimming in nearby waters".

The NRE said the carcasses "may attract sharks".

"Members of the public are reminded it is an offence to interfere with protected wildlife, including being in possession of parts of a dead whale, and are asked to keep their distance," it said.

Parks and Wildlife Services are monitoring the situation on site.

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This is not the first mass stranding to have taken place in Tasmania.

Almost two years ago exactly, hundreds of pilot whales stranded themselves along sandbars on Macquarie Harbour, about 190 kilometres from Hobart.

The cannons have sounded, the bells have rung and the mourners have paid their respects.

Now King Charles III faces the task of preserving a 1000-year-old monarchy that his mother nurtured for seven decades but that faces an uncertain future. The challenge is immense.

Personal affection for the Queen meant that the monarchy's role in British society was rarely debated in recent years. But now that she's gone, the royal family faces questions about whether it is still relevant in a modern, multicultural nation that looks very different than it did when Elizabeth ascended the throne in 1952.

READ MORE: King Charles III coronation likely months away

Amid a global re-examination of the history of colonialism and slavery that has seen protesters tear down or deface statues in British cities and universities like Oxford and Cambridge change their course offerings, an institution that was once the symbol of the British Empire is likely to face renewed scrutiny.

Charles will try to "maintain continuity" while also signalling that the royals are prepared to change, said Anna Whitelock, a professor of history of modern monarchy at City University London. But he faces a raft of questions.

"What place does a monarchy have in a multi-faith, multi-ethnic society?" Whitelock asked. "And is it the right rallying point for the nation? And should it be the monarch representing the UK abroad? What does it say about us? Is it a bastion of tradition that people should applaud? Or is it actually a check on progress that actually doesn't represent the inclusive, diverse society that people would hope that Britain would now become?"

And there is another, more personal, question lurking in the background: Is a 73-year-old white man the best person to confront those issues?

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Charles waited longer than any other heir to take the throne and in many ways embodies the modernisation of the monarchy. He was the first monarch not educated at home, the first to earn a university degree and the first to grow up in the ever-intensifying glare of the media as deference to royalty faded.

He has been lauded as an early advocate of the environmental movement and won praise for working to improve the lives of young people in underprivileged communities.

But he also has a reputation, perhaps undeserved, as a somewhat stuffy older man who is more at home on the polo field or one of his country estates than the soccer-mad cities of modern Britain.

Charles also alienated many people with his messy divorce from the much-loved Princess Diana, and by straining the rules that bar royals from intervening in public affairs, wading into debates on issues such as environmental protection and architectural preservation.

As the UK mourned his mother, it quickly became clear that Charles was ready to be a more personal monarch. He has made a point of wading into the crowds of well wishers, stopping to shake hands and exchange a few words, more like a US presidential candidate appealing for votes than a King who inherited the crown from a line of ancestors stretching back to 1066.

One woman even kissed him — a level of familiarity no one would have dared with Elizabeth.

At Monday's state funeral for the late Queen, Bertram Leon embodied the challenges facing Charles.

A proud Briton whose roots stretch back to the Windrush generation of immigrants who came to the UK from the Caribbean after World War II, Leon was at Westminster Abbey to represent the St. Lucian community in honouring the Queen. Now he expects Charles to take the monarchy in a new direction.

"The King is actually going to change, perhaps modernise the monarchy in the image that he thinks in the current day," Leon said, his British Empire Medal pinned to his chest. "We can't live back in the 1920s, '30s or '50s, when Elizabeth took over. We are now in the 21st century, and I think things are going to be regarded and looked at a bit different."

In addition to being King of the United Kingdom, Charles is head of state for 14 "realms" that retained the monarch as their sovereign after gaining independence from the former British Empire. It is in these far-flung nations, which stretch from Australia and New Zealand to the Caribbean that Charles may face his first challenges.

The pressures were clear earlier this year when Prince William and his wife, Kate, faced calls for a royal apology and reparations for slavery during a trip to Belize, Jamaica and the Bahamas to celebrate the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

During that visit, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness told the royals that his country was "moving on," a few months after Barbados severed its ties with the monarchy.

The royals have also faced criticism from within after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, gave up royal duties and moved to California. In a widely publicised interview with US television host Oprah Winfrey earlier this year, the couple alleged that palace had been insensitive toward Meghan, who is bi-racial, and that a member of the royal family had asked about the colour of their first child's skin before he was born.

Charles sought to address the tensions at home and abroad in his first address as King.

"Wherever you may live in the United Kingdom, or in the realms and territories across the world, and whatever may be your background or beliefs, I shall endeavour to serve you with loyalty, respect and love, as I have throughout my life," he said.

Charles also confronted concerns about how he would conduct himself as Ling.

The laws and traditions that govern Britain's constitutional monarchy dictate that the sovereign must stay out of partisan politics, but Charles has spent much of his adult life speaking out on issues that are important to him, particularly the environment.

His words have caused friction with politicians and business leaders who accused the then-Prince of Wales of meddling in issues on which he should have remained silent.

The question is whether Charles will follow his mother's example and muffle his personal opinions now that he is King, or use his new platform to reach a broader audience.

"My life will, of course, change as I take up my new responsibilities," Charles said. "It will no longer be possible for me to give so much of my time and energies to the charities and issues for which I care so deeply. But I know this important work will go on in the trusted hands of others."

The King has been clear that he intends to slim down the monarchy, limiting the number of working royals and reducing the expense of supporting them.

But for 10 days, Britain spared no expense as it honoured Elizabeth, who became a comforting symbol of stability over the tumultuous years of her long reign.

All the spectacle that has become synonymous with the royals was on display as uniformed members of the royal family walked solemnly behind a gun carriage carrying the Queen's coffin away from Buckingham Palace, cannons and church bells sounded in lament and world leaders filled Westminster Abbey for her funeral.

But it was pageantry with a purpose, celebrating the Queen's life while also reminding the public of the monarchy's role in public life and linking the people to the royal family in their time of shared grief.

"People often criticise the British monarchy or even laugh at it as pomp and circumstance and emptiness," said historian Robert Lacey, author of Majesty: Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor.

"Well, an occasion like this shows it's not emptiness, that the pomp and circumstance stands for something."

A driver has remarkably walked away without injury after his van was sent rolling across a Melbourne freeway on-ramp following a crash.

Dashcam footage has captured the moment the van collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Robinson Road near the Western Freeway on-ramp in Derrimut just before 1pm on Monday.

The footage shows the van rolling onto its side and skidding across the road from the force of the crash.

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Viewers can also see the windscreen of the vehicle the camera is in shattering on impact.

Police and Ambulance Victoria have confirmed no one was injured in the crash.

Police are investigating the incident. The driver whose dashcam filmed the smash said the other driver ran a red light.

The footage shows the traffic lights were green for the driver who filmed the crash.