Emergency services are at the scene as motorists face long delays.

The judge’s praise for Napier’s water left a bad taste in the mouth of Hamish McLagan.

A police operation is underway in Sydney's eastern suburbs after a man broke into a house and stole a car before smashing into multiple other vehicles.

The incident began shortly after 1.30pm today, after police were called to a home in Vaucluse following reports of a break and enter.

Witnesses told authorities that a man had broken into a home and left before police arrived.

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About 15 minutes later, police were called just a few streets over to Serpentine Avenue in Vaucluse following reports of a crash.

They were told a car had smashed into several vehicles before the driver fled on foot.

No injuries have been reported, and police are searching the area.

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An Australian police officer has died during a hike of the Inca Trail in Machu Picchu, Peru.

Victoria Police sergeant Matt Paton, 52, fell to his death while trekking the popular tourist trail around 2pm local time on Wednesday.

Paton is believed to have plunged 400 to 500 metres into an embankment during a difficult and steep segment of the trail.

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Victoria Police confirmed Paton's body was found this morning, Australian time.

Paton had been travelling with his wife Jane and arrived in the city 12 days ago for the four-day hike.

The sergeant has been remembered by his loved ones as someone who loved "travelling, exploring historic sites and cultures".

He is survived by his wife and three children Ainsley, Luke and Meg.

Paton's family said they are "shattered" by his sudden death.

"It seems surreal at the moment – everyone is bereft. Family was the most important thing to Matt," they said in a statement.

"He was dedicated to his family, including his wife of 31 years and their three children.

"He adored his family. And we adored him."

The Victoria Police sergeant joined the force because he wanted to have a career he could be "proud of", his family added.

"He really thought that he was doing something worthwhile," the statement continued.

"We were incredibly proud of him – the work he was doing, including with recruits at the police academy."

Paton had fulfilled his dream of travelling to Peru during this trip.

He had even learned Spanish as part of his preparation.

"He was always up for an adventure and to learn something and to experience something new," his family said.

Victoria Police's Chief Commissioner Mike Bush also paid tribute to Paton, who he described as a "wonderful, caring person".

"The thoughts of everyone at Victoria Police are with Matt's family and friends at this time," Bush said.

"Matt served with distinction for 16 years, most recently as an instructor at the Victoria Police Academy.

"His colleagues and the entire policing family are devastated at the tragic loss of a wonderful, caring person."

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Paton, who was due to begin a new role as a senior sergeant next month, had served at Cranbourne and Rosebud police stations before becoming an instructor at the Victoria Police Academy in 2017.

"Matt had the ability to talk to anyone and everyone," Bush added.

"The morale and welfare of his friends and workmates was always his priority.

"He will be remembered for his selflessness, amazing sense of humour, extreme kindness and inclusion of all."

Victoria Police said it is doing everything in its power to provide support to Paton's family.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) confirmed Australia is providing consular assistance to Paton's wife and family.

"We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time," a spokesperson said.

Cusco Police Command Chief Police General Virgilio Velasquez told Peruvian outlet Andina that Paton "apparently tripped while crossing a wooden bridge".

The Decentralised Directorate of Culture of Cusco said in a statement that Paton was hiking the Wiñaywayna – Intipunku segment of the Inca Trail, which is the final segment, when he fell into a ravine in an area known as "50 Steps".

50 Steps is the name given to an extremely steep set of stone stairs leading to the ruins of Sun Gate.

According to travel websites, they are also referred to as the "monkey steps" due to hikers needing to climb parts of it on all fours.

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Rescue teams immediately began a search operation in a difficult-to-access area following the incident.

Items were found that may belong to Paton, the Decentralised Directorate of Culture of Cusco said.

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Police are hunting a man accused of sexually assaulting an elderly woman who allegedly broke into her Northern Territory home late at night.

The woman was at her Woodroffe Avenue home in Palmerston at about 8.50pm on Wednesday when the alleged attack occurred, according to Northern Territory Police.

Detectives from the Sex Crimes Unit say the alleged offender fled the scene before police arrived and remains at large.

READ MORE: Australian police officer, 53, dies while hiking Inca Trail in Peru

Investigators believe the accused is an adult man of Aboriginal appearance with a tall, slim build, wavy hair, and was wearing a light-coloured top, dark shorts and thongs at the time.

Police have spent days canvassing the area for CCTV footage and are continuing to appeal for information from the public.

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Police are urging anyone who recognises the man matching the description not to approach him, but instead contact authorities immediately.

Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 quoting reference P26144781, or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.

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Youth pastor Helen Verry died at Church Unlimited after being hit by a roller door.

Reedy was knighted for his services to education.

Barnaby Joyce says he has called a reporter to apologise following a tense moment at a press conference in which One Nation leader Pauline Hanson's media adviser told the journalist to shut up.

Hanson was wrapping up a press conference in Adelaide yesterday when her media adviser, Richard Henderson, told reporters there would be no more questions.

"We're done, thank you. No, no, no. Shut up. We're done," Henderson said to a reporter.

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"Did you just say shut up?" the reporter responded.

"Yes, I did tell you to shut up," he said.

As Hanson walked away with Joyce, she told her adviser: "…you should've said you're the nasty b—h."

The words caused Joyce and other advisers to laugh, before Hanson said, "Do you want me to go back and I'll tell her."

It was unclear who she was referring to.

Joyce told Sky News he called the reporter to apologise on Henderson's behalf.

"I just don't know the backstory on it, whatever it is, I'm not quite interested in it to be quite frank," he said. 

"As you know, press conferences are on the balls of your toes and it goes back and forth in, at times, a willing way and, I don't know, maybe that's part of the colour of it.

"One thing you can say: One Nation are never boring."

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Joyce admitted that he was also "not purer than thou" and has had run-ins with reporters in the past.

"I'll give as good as I get. But shouldn't make a habit of it," he said.

Hanson has not commented on yesterday's exchange. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said both Henderson and Hanson's comments were "not appropriate".

"Labor is now the only mainstream political party in Australia. We have three right-wing parties all competing against each other and their allies cheering them on," he said.

"Parties of grievance could only achieve so much, because they don't put forward a positive agenda. And they need to be held to account as well for their actions and for their policies or lack thereof."

The fiery exchange came just weeks after Hanson's chief of staff, James Ashby, was filmed kicking ABC journalists out of a campaign event.

His actions were questioned by Hanson and the pair had a back-and-forth. 

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Guzman y Gomez has scuttled plans for an ambitious expansion in the United States and will immediately shut its existing stores in Chicago, in a development that has sent its share prices soaring.

The Australian-owned Mexican-style fast food giant will instead focus efforts on local growth after it struggled to compete in an already-saturated US market.

Founder and chief executive Steven Marks said he could not justify further investment in the US after GYG's weak financial performance in the region had "not been acceptable".

READ MORE: Australian tourist dies after falling during hike on Inca Trail in Peru

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"I have always been confident in the differentiation of our food and guest experience, however this was not translating to an improvement in sales momentum," Marks said in a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

"Having spent the last three months in the US, I realised this was going to take significantly more time and capital than we had expected.

"In assessing the trajectory of the current network, the board and I have concluded that the business is unlikely to deliver the performance that would justify continued investment of shareholder capital."

GYG will close its eight stores in Chicago immediately.

The business praised its US staff for their "passion, professionalism and conviction" and said the team would be supported throughout the exit strategy.

GYG had failed to establish a strong share of the market in the US, with the likes of Taco Bell and Chipotle dominating the country's Mexican fast food industry.

Marks said the Australian market tells a very different story and assured investors the local network of stores are performing solidly.

GYG shares soared by 20 per cent after Marks made the announcement.

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Before today, the underperforming US expansion had weakened the company's share price, falling more than 40 per cent over the past 12 months.

The Mexican-inspired fast food chain is on track to open 32 restaurants in Australia this financial year.

It currently operates around 250 restaurants in Australia. Marks said the brand is eyeing a national target of 1000 stores.

GYG expects to deliver an operating profit of about $85 million in the 2026 financial year, a year-on-year growth of 29 per cent.

The cost of exiting the US market will result in a one-off impact of at least $42 million to its 2026 full-year results.

"We have a long runway ahead of us in Australia as we progress towards our long-term target of 1000 restaurants and segment underlying EBITDA as a percentage of network sales of 10 per cent," Marks said.

"Concentrating our capital, focus and infrastructure behind this opportunity is the most effective way to compound shareholder value over the long-term."

However, the company's decision to abandon its US expansion does not diminish GYG's "global appeal", Marks added.

The brand is performing well in Japan and Singapore.

"Beyond Singapore and Japan, we continue to believe there will be the right opportunities, in the right markets, with the right models," Marks said.

"When those opportunities arrive, we will be ready.

"Today's decision is about the US specifically, it is not a statement about GYG's global potential."

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has refused to rule out changes to what the Coalition have branded a "death tax".

The federal budget will place a 30 per cent tax on discretionary trusts from July 2028, including discretionary testamentary trusts, which take effect after a person dies. 

Labor has been fielding questions about the so-called death tax during its nationwide campaign to promote the budget, which it has dismissed as a Coalition scare campaign.

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But the Sydney Morning Herald reported the government was open to changes.

Questioned about his stance at a press conference today, Albanese did not rule out whether he was considering a carve-out for discretionary testamentary trusts.

Instead, he said they had planned to hold consultations before the tax reform legislation is introduced to parliament in the second half of the year.

"Let's be very clear that we've said, when it comes to some of the misreporting that's there, we're not interested and there's no measures in there that are going to hurt inheritances," he told reporters today.

"On trusts, there'll be a consultation period about that, and we made that clear on budget night."

A discretionary testamentary trust is created under a will and takes effect when the trustee dies. The assets are still legally owned by the trustee, allowing beneficiaries to receive income or capital from the trust while avoiding paying extra income tax.

Under the budget's proposed changes, any testamentary trust that takes effect after May 12 will be subject to the minimum 30 per cent tax rate when it comes into effect in two years.

There are currently a little over 10,000 testamentary trusts, according to the latest data from the Australian Tax Office from 2022-23.

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The government are reportedly not considering carve-outs for changes to the capital gains tax discount, but is holding consultations with the start-up sector.

Earlier today, Labor MP Andrew Charlton admitted concerns over the capital gains tax were "valid" but that was why Treasury would hold consultations.

"It's a valid point, because that new regime doesn't interact well if you have a really low capital base, because you've got nothing to inflate off, so there are real concerns out there," he said.

"The government recognised those concerns, the treasurer recognised them before the budget."

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the government is panicking about the reaction to the budget and carve-outs would not be enough.

"We want an axe," he said.

"What they're saying now is they're saying we'll have a carve-out for tech entrepreneurs but not for a hairdresser, not for a fitness instructor.

"There's a panic and they're scrambling for the exit because they hadn't realised what they were doing."

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Nationals Leader Matt Canavan said the government is "desperately now trying to plug holes in a budget that proved leaky".

"They haven't been able to justify exactly why they are making these changes," he told Sky News.

"They've clearly done them either with an ill intent, a hidden agenda, or they just were totally ignorant of why these or how these changes would affect people's wills and testaments."

The government has failed to gain the Coalition's support for their trio of tax reform – discretionary trusts, capital gains tax discount and negative gearing – and needs the support of the Greens for the legislation to pass.

Greens Senator Nick McKim said changes will not meaningfully address the housing crisis or intergenerational inequity and criticised the grandfathering of negative gearing.

"The way that we are going to approach this is that we'll wait to see the legislation, we'll have a look at it, we'll have a look at all the detail, we'll listen to the debate and then we'll work these processes," he said.

"We want to see this package fairer and we want to see the balance of this package right."

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