A man is presumed to have gone overboard from a bulk carrier vessel off the Otago coast. The ship, Berge Rishiri, is operated by Berge Bulk fleet carriers. The person, a Chinese national, was last seen at 8am on Saturday morning…

Stinking piles of garbage on the streets of Edinburgh are threatening the health and safety of the public, a health authority has warned as strikes by garbage collectors in the Scottish capital moved into its ninth day.

The warning from Public Health Scotland came as garbage collectors in Newham, a borough of London, also walked out for a week over a pay dispute.

Images of food waste and diapers rotting on the streets is just adding to scenes of chaos in UK as industrial disputes multiply amid soaring food and energy costs.

READ MORE: Nursing or midwifery undergraduate students to study for free under $270m plan

Bathers in the UK were warned last week to stay away from dozens of beaches as heavy rain flushed raw sewage into rivers and seas.

Public Health Scotland told local authorities that the "decontamination of public areas where bins have overflowed may be required."

It warned that "if organic waste builds up, it can become a risk to human health."

Garbage collectors walked out on August 18 and plan to stay off work until August 30.

Even more strikes lay ahead if the pay dispute is not resolved.

READ MORE: How do you spot a fake sneaker? It's big business

Britain is facing a massive cost-of-living crisis, with wage increases failing to keep up with inflation, which last week stood at 10.1 per cent.

Those financial challenges have only been increased due to soaring energy costs — authorities say residents in Britain will see an 80 per cent increase in their annual energy bills in October.

The country has seen waves of strikes this summer, with the public transport system grinding to a virtual halt on several days due to rail strikes.

Primary schools and nurseries in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city, will be forced to close for several days next month if a strike from council workers goes ahead.

In London, garbage drivers in Newham Council began a week of walkouts on Saturday, with union officials warning there could be more.

Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, said those workers were paid less than others in neighboring councils.

"The council must now focus on reaching a deal with the workers, who face a financial crisis," Graham said.

READ MORE: Two people arrested after alleged shooting in Melbourne

"If they don't, then the coming days will undoubtedly mean more industrial action."

Britain's image has taken a battering this summer.

French lawmakers in the European Parliament complained this week that the raw sewage flushed into rivers and seas by the UK also threatens bathing waters, fishing grounds and biodiversity in the European Union as well.

Parts of Britain's sewage system became overwhelmed after several days of unseasonably heavy rainfall.

A light plane crashed near Thames Airfield this afternoon.The pilot received minor injuries and was treated at the scene by St John.The plane came down near Ngati Maru Highway, Thames at 12.45pm, police said.Edwin Booth was…

More than 10,000 students will have the cost of their nursing or midwifery undergraduate studies paid for under a new $270 million plan.

In an attempt to ease pressure on the state's embattled health system, the Victorian government will recruit and train more than 17,000 nurses and midwives.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said all new domestic students enrolling in an entry nursing or midwifery course in 2023 and 2024 will receive a scholarship to cover course costs.

READ MORE: How do you spot a fake sneaker? It's big business

Under the five-year program, students will receive $9,000 while they study and the remaining $7,500 if they work in Victorian public health services for two years.

"If you're in Year 12 and you've been thinking about studying nursing or midwifery – go for it. We've got your HECS fees covered," Andrews said.

"It has never been a better time to become a nurse.

"This is a significant step – it's an important and unprecedented investment."

A $10,000 scholarship will also be provided to postgraduate nurses to complete studies in specialist areas, including intensive care, emergency, paediatrics and cancer care.

Andrews said the investment would help ease the "significant pressure" on the health system.

"Every health system in the country is under enormous pressure due to the pandemic," he said.

"The best thing we can do to support our hardworking staff is give them more support on the ground – that's why this package will train and hire more nurses than ever before."

Edwin Low has built his business around authentic and genuine products.

It's led him to becoming the founder of the Secret Sneaker Store, Australia's biggest sneaker marketplace for guaranteed genuine, limited-edition sneakers and apparel.

Together with his team of 35, they sniff the real from fake, an industry worth billions.

"There is no textbook on how to spot a fake and it's often a game of cat and mouse," Low said.

READ MORE: Truck driver fighting for life after multi-vehicle crash in Melbourne's north

Authenticity is everything

The Melbourne founder said his own personal experience of being scammed led him to starting up the business back in 2017.

Low was previously scammed after buying a pair of rare sneakers worth $500 from a seller in a Facebook group, which turned out to be fake.

"I didn't think it would ever happen to me, until it did," Low told nine.com.au.

"The seller had a legitimate Facebook profile, but when I tried to get a refund – he instantly blocked me.

"It was a really frustrating experience.

"I spoke told my friends and was shocked when they said almost everyone buying sneakers on social media would eventually run into a scammer, them included."

After that experience, the 31-year-old quit his job as a pharmacist and launched the Secret Sneaker Store.

The outlet now protects customers from buying fake sneakers online.

"Everything we sell is guaranteed," Low said.

"The store operates on a consignment business model where we sell sneakers on behalf of the people who are lucky enough to get their hands on these coveted 'kicks'.

"We assess each seller for their history within our sneaker community network, which in itself weeds out people selling fakes.

"They can bring the shoe to one of our four locations, we agree on a price, and we put it on the shelf. When it sells, we take a commission, and the owner is paid out the rest."

READ MORE: Murder trial over pro cyclist killed in Texas could be delayed

'Scammers are everywhere'

Low said it was "nearly impossible" to purchase limited release items due to the tactics of 'Sneaker Botters' and the "proliferation of fakes circulating online".

He said Sneaker Botters were renowned for using technology to jump the 'online queue' and purchase in demand items.

"Sneaker botters dictate how much these limited-edition sneakers sell for," he said.

"They buy in bulk.

"Unless you have special software that circumvents the systems put in place by the online stores that sell these rare shoes, it is near impossible to buy these sneakers at their recommended retail sale price.

"On top of this, there are so many fakes circulating around the world, when you buy shoes from unverified online marketplaces – you are rolling the dice and might be buying a fake."

Low said fake sneakers often look similar to the real ones, but said the materials and workmanship were inferior.

He said most came from unregulated factories with inhumane work practices.

"Everything we resell goes through a rigorous authentication process, tagging shoes with our tamper proof authenticity tag to mark them as legitimate," he said.

"It's a constant battle against scammers for us."

Since opening five years ago, the store has authenticated over 100,000 pairs of limited-edition sneakers.

The store is also on track to turn over $20 million in the next 12 months.

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Sydney residents are bracing for another drenching as an almost 60-year weather record is smashed.

The Harbour City has had more than two metres of rain dumped on it for the first time in close to 60 years – in just eight months. And another 200mm will make it the wettest on record.

Australia's eastern states are now looking down the barrel of another wet week as a third straight La Nina event looms, with heavy rain and thunder expected to come in from the south.

READ MORE: Manhunt underway after Melbourne man shot metres from home

A trough will also move across South Australia on Sunday, anticipated to collide with a unstable air in the east, bringing storms from Monday.

Large parts of eastern Northern Territory, southwest Queensland, western and southern NSW, northern Victoria, and northern Tasmania look likely to see between 15 and 40mm of rain tomorrow.

READ MORE: Two men charged after alleged axe attack in Adelaide

Weatherzone is warning some areas could be in line for about 50 to 80mm.

People are being advised that the patterns observed could turn harsh, with storms showing the potential to generate damaging-to-destructive wind gusts, large hail and torrential rain leading to flash flooding.

Showers and rain will flow through to northern NSW and inland southern Queensland on Tuesday.

Wednesday could see weather settle, but southeast states are warned of a colder than usual week ahead.

By RNZ University staff need a pay rise that keeps up with inflation, their representatives say.Collective agreements expired at all eight of New Zealand’s universities at similar times, and the Tertiary Education Union said…

Two men have been arrested and one person is recovering in hospital after a fight involving an axe and a knife in Adelaide.

Police allege a group of men known to each other began fighting just before midnight on Saturday near Ferryden Park.

A 23-year-old man sustained injuries to his arms after allegedly being attacked with a small axe.

READ MORE: Manhunt underway after Melbourne man shot metres from home

He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

A 22-year-old man and 19-year-old man were taken in by police and charged with aggravated assault and affray.

They were both bailed to appear in court at a later date.