OPINION I am really struggling with these two Mongrel Mob guys getting reduced prison sentences because they had a hard time growing up.That’s probably putting it mildly – one report I’ve seen describes one of them having a “horrific”…

Police have arrested and charged a 23-year-old man after an alleged assault using a tyre iron at Auckland’s Britomart early on Sunday morning.Police said the man confronted a group of people near Tyler St and Queen St around 2.30am.The…

Qantas' performance has improved over September with the company recording a drop in flight delays, cancellations and lost baggage after months of airport chaos.

In a statement released today the national carrier said cancellations have reduced to two per cent from the four per cent and 7.5 per cent seen over August and June respectively.

More flights have also been arriving on time. 

READ MORE: What to expect at the Queen's state funeral

"On time performance has improved from 52 per cent of flights on time in July, to 67 per cent in August and 71 per cent from 1-14 September," the statement said.

"Mishandled bags are at 6 per 1000 passengers overall and at 5 per 1000 for domestic – which is at pre-COVID levels."

Qantas attributed "several factors" behind its improvement; one being an increase in staff numbers.

READ MORE: Tsunami warnings issued after earthquake hits Taiwan

More than 1500 additional staff have joined the airline since April including cabin crew, airport customer service staff, and engineers.

However the company conceded coming weeks will prove to be a challenging time amid high demand.

"Performance will be tested in coming weeks with school holidays, long weekends and football finals driving high levels of demand at peak times," it said.

"Customers are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least 90 minutes ahead of the scheduled departure time for domestic flights and three hours ahead for international flights."

READ MORE: Fishermen film 'incredibly rare experience' with two ancient sharks



Three fishermen have filmed an incredible encounter with two extremely rare deep sea sharks, nearly 50 kilometres off the US coast.

Val Costescu was fishing with his mates, Andrew Chang and David Stabile, off San Diego in California last Sunday when two shapes approached their boat from the blue.

The trio grabbed their cameras and filmed the encounter, not realising the beasts were megamouth sharks – an elusive deep sea shark.

READ MORE: What to expect at the Queen's state funeral

"We didn't know what the sharks were at first," Costescu told 9News.com.au.

"As soon as we got the species confirmed we were shocked to learn that we had an incredibly rare experience.

"It was crazy."

READ MORE: Tsunami warnings issued after quake hits Taiwan

Megamouth sharks were first discovered in 1976, by a US navy research vessel operating in Hawaii.

As such, not much is known about the species.

It's believed the animals can dive to depths of 1000 metres – maybe even deeper – and live up too 100 years.

READ MORE: Ukraine alleges torture at village near Russian border

Only one megamouth shark has ever been reported in Australia.

It washed up in Mandurah, WA in 1988.

It's one of the biggest gatherings of world leaders in one location in living memory, prompting a massive security operation throughout London and the UK.

London police chiefs and medics are bracing themselves for a security nightmare at the Queen's funeral on Monday as they balance the need to protect the world's top leaders and dignitaries with the public's desire to mourn their much-loved monarch.

Some have compared the event in scale to the London Olympics, but in truth the state funeral – the first in Britain since Winston Churchill died in 1965 – is likely to dwarf the 2012 sporting extravaganza.

Codenamed "Operation London Bridge," arrangements for Britain's longest-serving monarch have been carefully pored over for years by the many agencies involved, with the Queen herself signing off on every detail before her death.

READ MORE: The order of service for the Queen's funeral

The city has already seen unprecedented crowds viewing the official lying-in-state, which will run until 6.30 am (3:30 PM AEST) on Monday, just hours before the funeral procession to Westminster Abbey commences.

The sheer numbers caused queueing to be temporally paused on Friday.

In an interview with Sky News earlier this week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said of the scale: "If you think about the London marathon, the carnival, previous royal weddings, the Olympics – it's all that in one."

READ MORE: 'Dear Mummy': Prince Andrew's tribute to the Queen

The three police forces which operate in the British capital – the Metropolitan Police, the City of London Police and British Transport Police – initiated their well-rehearsed plans across London as soon as the death of Elizabeth II was announced on September 8.

The funeral will be the "largest single policing event" that London's Metropolitan Police force has undertaken, its Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy told reporters Friday.

"As a single event, this is larger than the 2012 Olympics. It is larger than the Platinum Jubilee weekend. And the range of officers, police staff, and all those supporting the operation is truly immense," he said.

It is also set to "be the largest global protection operation the Met Police has ever undertaken" as "hundreds of world leaders and VIPs" descend upon London, he said.

READ MORE: World leaders head to London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

When asked specifically how high-profile guests would be transported to London's Westminster Abbey for the funeral service, Cundy declined to give specific details, saying it would not be conducive to a "safe and secure event and policing operation."

Meanwhile the mammoth logistical operation has involved myriad other aspects, such as medics, toilets, street cleaning and road closures.

The size of the crowds turning out to pay their last respects is "impossible" to predict, according to Andy Byford, commissioner for Transport for London (TfL).

Byford described the funeral as "the biggest event" the transport network has ever faced in an interview with Britain's PA Media news agency.

Comparing it to the Olympics, he said: "This is more challenging. It's over a long period and although there are estimates, it is impossible to say with certainty how many people will turn up to the various elements, so we've assumed the highest possible number and we're aligning our service to match that."

Invitations have been sent to world leaders, politicians, public figures and European royals, as well as more than 500 international dignitaries. The security considerations are mind-boggling.

The British government is taking the lead on logistics but has refused to comment on specific "operational security arrangements."

US President Joe Biden was among the first to confirm his attendance at the event, which will be attended by up to 2,000 people. Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will also travel to London, as will many other royals and global leaders.

Hundreds of police officers from other forces are supporting the Met, yet the attendance of so many VIPs will pile on the pressure.

"Everything will have been negotiated," said Morgan, explaining that some concessions will have been made.

There simply aren't enough police and protection officers to give an escorted convoy to everybody who would normally get it on a standalone visit. Therefore people are being put together on a logistical basis," Morgan said continued.

Simon Morgan is a former royalty protection officer who was responsible for overseeing senior royals including the Queen and new King between 2007 and 2013.

"It will be seamless," Morgan, who now runs private security firm Trojan Consultancy, told CNN.

"The policing plan and security behind it is a two-fold operation: security and public safety are both intrinsic."

Morgan said the events surrounding the state funeral have been in the pipeline for decades.

"London Bridge came to fruition in the 60s. It's been subject to review at least three times a year.

"Elements are discussed and indeed some elements have been already used in isolation," he said, citing the Queen Mother's funeral in 2002, royal weddings and the Platinum Jubilee as examples.

Regular reviews were vital in combating the changing nature of security threats – from Irish nationalism in the 1970s and 80s, to Islamic extremism more recently.

White House aides have declined to provide specific security details for President Biden's visit, but say they are working with their British counterparts to ensure the demands of presidential security are met. The FBI will monitor potential threat streams and share any information with UK security service MI5.

When reports emerged last week that world leaders would be required to ride on a bus to the funeral, US officials were skeptical and shot down the suggestion Biden would travel to Westminster Abbey in a coach.

In 2018, when other world leaders traveled together in a bus to a World War I memorial in Paris, then-US President Donald Trump traveled separately in his own vehicle.

The White House explained at the time the separate trip was "due to security protocols."

"Everything will have been negotiated," said Morgan, explaining that some concessions will have been made. There simply aren't enough police and protection officers to give an escorted convoy to everybody who would normally get it on a standalone visit. Therefore people are being put together on a logistical basis," Morgan said.

"There's no compromise in relation to security and a lot of visiting dignitaries will be very aware of the optics of demanding their own protection teams."

Police must also consider the "fixated threat," he said.

"That's someone who is fixated on a member of the royal family. A lot of those people are subject to mental health orders and subsequently came to the attention of medical professionals and sometimes law enforcement."

"Single cause" activists also pose a risk, Morgan said.

The force has already come in for harsh criticism over its treatment of republican protesters.

"Every single one of these causes wants to use global media attention to highlight what's important to them," he added.

Symon Hill, from Oxford, told CNN how he was aggressively arrested after calling out "not my King" at a ceremony which proclaimed Charles III's accession.

He said he had been left "gobsmacked" after "police intervened, grabbed hold of me, handcuffed me, and put me in the back of a police van."

He added: "Surely arbitrary arrest is not something we should have in a democratic society."

According to Morgan, police aim not to ban peaceful protests but ensure public order, as demonstrations can sometimes provoke confrontation when emotions are running high.

"The police are very much in a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' situation," he said.

While police are spearheading the operation, many others are closely involved – among them military, transport and utility bosses.

Concerns over health are paramount.

As well as the official emergency services, around 2,000 volunteers and employees from St. John Ambulance have provided 24-hour support in London and Windsor for the lying-in-state, as well as her funeral.

"In our planning for this sad occasion, we estimated we'd need around 1,000 volunteers, but more than double that have said they can make themselves available," St. John Commissioner of Operations Mike Gibbons said in a statement.

Patrick Goulbourne, assistant commissioner, operational resilience and control, at London Fire Brigade, told CNN his team worked "over many years with partners."

They have carried out fire safety inspections on over 40 key central transport hubs and have also been carrying out around 160 fire safety inspections a day at hotels, restaurants, shops and more. In addition, there have been 10 fire engines and around 50 firefighters assisting people in line to see the Queen's coffin around the clock.

King Charles III has issued a public statement of thanks after 10 days of public mourning for his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.

The late monarch's lying in state at Westminster is set to come to a close in the coming hours, with thousands of people having passed through to pay their respects.

The official funeral service is set to begin tomorrow (tonight AEST).

LIVE UPDATES: Entire country falls silent to honour Queen on eve of funeral

"Over the last ten days, my wife and I have been so deeply touched by the many messages of condolence and support we have received from this country and across the world," Charles said in a statement.

"In London, Edinburgh, Hillsborough and Cardiff we were moved beyond measure by everyone who took the trouble to come and pay their respects to the lifelong service of my dear mother, the late Queen.

"As we all prepare to say our last farewell, I wanted simply to take this opportunity to say thank you to all those countless people who have been such a support and comfort to my Family and myself in this time of grief."

READ MORE: World leaders head to London for Queen Elizabeth II's funeral

READ MORE: Man charged after allegedly rushing at Queen's coffin

Up to 10,000 police have descended on London ahead of the funeral, along with world leaders and dignitaries from across the globe.

The queue to view the Queen's coffin has stretched to 24 hours, with people being asked to stop joining it or risk not making it into Westminster.

The Queen’s eight grandchildren, led by heir to the throne Prince William, circled the coffin and stood with heads bowed during a silent vigil on Saturday evening. 

Crowds also gathered Sunday near Windsor Castle, where the Queen will be laid to rest at a private family ceremony on Monday evening.

A strong earthquake shook Taiwan on Sunday as a series aftershocks hit the self-governing island off China's east coast.

The 6.8 quake struck at a relatively shallow depth of seven kilometres near the city of Taitung on the southeastern coast, Taiwanese authorities reported.

A two-story residential building collapsed near the epicentre, according to a Taiwanese media report. The shaking was felt at the north end of the island in the capital, Taipei.

https://twitter.com/willripleyCNN/status/1571392400890953728

Following the quake in Taiwan, Japan Meteorological Agency issued an advisory for a tsunami as high as one metre reaching several southern Japanese islands. Weather officials urged residents in those areas to stay away from the coastline.

The agency said the earliest waves could reach the Yonaguni island, Japan's westernmost island about 250 kilometres northeast of Taitung, at 4.10 pm local time (5.40pm Australian time) and subsequently three nearby islands.

A 6.4 earthquake hit Taiwan on Saturday night in an area north of Taitung County that has been rattled by numerous aftershocks since then.

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