By RNZ The Acting Chief Censor has put a temporary ban on New Zealanders sharing the racist manifesto of a teenager arrested over a mass shooting in New York.Rupert Ablett-Hampson said there are distressing similarities to the…

Former Australian cricket star Andrew Symonds has died in a car crash in Queensland's north.

Police said Symonds was driving on Hervey Range Road, about 50km from Townsville, around 11pm yesterday when his four-wheel drive left the road and rolled.

Emergency services tried to revive the 46-year-old but he died at the scene.

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Patrol Inspector Gavin Oates said the cause of the crash was not yet known.

"That's still being investigated at this stage. Forensic Crash Unit officers have attended the scene and are conducting the investigation and they will prepare a report for the coroner," Oates said.

"The accident was actually heard by people nearby, they were the first people on scene and alerted emergency services.

"I believe the driver of the vehicle had been ejected from the vehicle during the crash."

Oates said police officers on the scene weren't immediately aware it was Symonds.

"Police were dealing with the accident side of things at the time and worked to establish the identity of the person later on," he said.

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Tributes have flowed in the cricket community and from Australian leaders for Symonds, a charismatic all-rounder and one of the greatest fieldsmen the game has seen.

"Australian cricket is shocked and saddened by the news of Andrew Symonds' passing," Cricket Australia said in a statement.

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Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said Symonds was a "much loved and admired cricketer".

"He was a prodigious talent from an early age in Queensland with his clean ball-striking ability, shrewd spin bowling and brilliant fielding," he said.

"He will be sadly missed by the Australian cricket community and particularly his very close friends at the Queensland Bulls where he was a popular and much-admired team-mate and friend.

"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this devastatingly sad time."

Queensland Cricket chair Chris Simpson said the cricket community and world will mourn the loss of Symonds.

"On behalf of Queensland Cricket, we express our deepest sympathies to his family and will do whatever we can to assist them,'' he said.

"It is a shattering loss to those nearest to him, and his wide circle of friends which extend to all corners of the cricketing world."

READ MORE: Putin warns Finland NATO membership would harm relations

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said it is "shocking and sad news".

"Such an entertaining player and great character of cricket," Perrottet said.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk also paid tribute to the cricketer.

"Andrew Symonds was an outstanding player – dynamic, entertaining and skilful – who made an unforgettable contribution to Queensland and Australian cricket," she said.

Symonds played 26 Tests for Australia between 2004 and 2008, and 198 one-day internationals, and was a member of two World Cup winning teams in 2003 and 2007.

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His death comes just months after the loss of his teammate Shane Warne at just 52 and former wicketkeeper Rod Marsh.

His last post was ourning Warne, saying he was, "hoping it was all a bad dream."

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have moved to apply for membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) military alliance, which would mark a major policy shift for the Nordic region.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said the countries could join "quickly" and that he was sure arrangements could be found for the interim period.

But Russia has repeatedly warned of "serious consequences" if Finland and Sweden join NATO, saying it would have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea, and raised the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in the area.

READ MORE: Warning Putin's war could become 'more unpredictable and escalatory'

Britain has pledged to come to the aid of Sweden and Finland, including with military support, if the two Nordic nations came under attack under security deals Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed on Wednesday with his Swedish counterpart in Stockholm and the Finnish president in Helsinki.

Here's what you need to know about the Western military alliance and why it could expand in response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.

What is NATO?

NATO is a European and North American defence alliance set up to promote peace and stability and to safeguard the security of its members. It was created in 1949 as the Cold War escalated and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

Its aim was to provide collective security against the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe's communist-run countries.

Russia reacted by setting up its own military alliance called the Warsaw Pact.

Which countries are in NATO?

Twelve founding countries – the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France and eight other European nations – signed the North Atlantic Treaty in 1949, pledging to protect each other by political and military means.

Over the decades since, the alliance has grown to include a total of 30 members.

In alphabetical order, they are: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the US.

Ukraine is not a member of NATO, but has long hoped to join the alliance. This is a sore point for Russia, which sees NATO as a threat and vehemently opposes the move.

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How does NATO work?

Members agree to help one and another in the case of an armed attack against any individual member state, a principal known as Article 5.

As the bloc says: "An attack against one Ally is considered as an attack against all Allies."

This is crucial for many of the smaller countries who would be defenceless without its allies. Iceland, for example, has no standing army.

Since the US is the largest and most powerful NATO member, providing the bulk of forces and budget, any state in the alliance is effectively under US protection.

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Who runs NATO?

The alliance's meetings — the North Atlantic Council, held at ambassadorial level almost weekly in Brussels, less often at the level of ministers or heads of state and government — are chaired by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, a Norwegian politician.

But the US is without doubt the biggest and most influential member. It spends more on its own military budget than all the others combined. It also pays just over 22 per cent of NATO common funding for infrastructure and collectively owned equipment. So Washington has a big say in how things are run.

In essence, Stoltenberg runs the headquarters located near Brussels.

He doesn't order the allies around. His job is to encourage consensus and speak on their behalf publicly as a single voice representing all 30 members.

READ MORE: The weapons of the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Why does NATO worry Russia?

The stated reason is that a further eastward expansion of NATO would pose a security threat to Russia. Washington and its allies deny this is a valid worry, since no NATO country is threatening to use force against Russia.

More broadly, Putin wants NATO to pull back its existing military presence in Eastern Europe, which includes a regularly rotating series of exercises in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, all former Soviet states.

Putin also opposes NATO's missile defence presence in Romania, a former Soviet satellite state, and a similar base under development in Poland, saying they could be converted to offensive weapons capable of threatening Russia.

What does it mean if Sweden and Finland join?

While both countries have small but capable armed forces, geography also plays a major part in Moscow's concerns.

Russia and Finland share a 1300km border; the Kola Peninsula is a "strategic bastion" Moscow considers key for Russia's national security.

It is also the home of the Russian Northern Fleet, and Russia's second-biggest city, St Petersburg, lies some 170km from the border with Finland.

The addition of Finland would be quite a boon for NATO. Despite its relatively small population, Finland is a serious military power that has been unofficially aligned with the West for decades.

Its military has for decades used equipment purchased from the US that is compatible with NATO allies, meaning it could easily join NATO missions should it choose to do so.

How is NATO helping Ukraine?

Since the invasion of Ukraine, the military alliance has deployed forces in countries along NATO'S eastern flank in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

These units are prepared for combat and are led by Britain, Canada, Germany and the US, respectively.

The alliance has also sent planes and ships to NATO countries in eastern and south-eastern Europe.

NATO has also been providing large supplies of weapons and equipment to the Ukraine military including anti-tank missiles, armoured vehicles and anti-aircraft weapons.

It s also supplying Ukraine with valuable intelligence reports about Russian troop strengths and deployments.

NATO does not have any troops in Ukraine, and no plans have been announced to send troops from the alliance into the country.

The alliance also ruled out imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine.

– Reported with CNN, Associated Press

Chilly mornings will be a thing of the past as a warm frontal system is set to push across the country, bringing mild temperatures. Just a few days ago, many places across the country recorded their coldest mornings so far this…

Labor says there is a "mood for change" across Australia ahead of the federal election, which is just six days away.

The party's campaign rally in Brisbane today saw major Labor figures including former prime minister Kevin Rudd, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers throw their weight behind leader Anthony Albanese.

Albanese headlined the rally and spruiked his party's policies, including the almost $1 billion Medicare pledge, aged care support, increasing wages amid rising costs of living, natural disaster and climate change mitigation, and addressing childcare fees.

READ MORE: Australian cricket legend Andrew Symonds dead at 46

On Labor's platform, Albanese promised to "get it done" and reiterated the party's slogan of a "better future".

"Building a better future where we address the skyrocketing cost of living and get people's wages growing again," he said.

"A future with cheaper childcare to boost women's economic participation.

"A future where we strengthen Medicare, where it's easier to see a doctor and medicines are cheaper.

"A future where we put the care back into aged care.

"A future where we seize the opportunity that comes with tackling climate change where we use cheap renewable energy to power new industries and advance manufacturing and create good high paid jobs.

"Where we train Australians for those jobs by making investments in fee-free TAFE and additional university places.

"A future where we build things in our own country and stand on our own two feet.

"A future where we have a real plan to mitigate the ever-intensifying natural disasters."

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READ MORE: Morrison to announce new housing policy in final election pitch

Albanese called on Australians to "vote for change".

"If you believe in hope and unity over fear and division, vote for change," he said.

"I want that job and I will do a better job."

Former PM takes aim at Morrison government

Earlier, Rudd kicked off the rally by criticising the Coalition and saying Australians are "fed up" with the Morrison government.

"After close to 10 long years in office, the people of Australia are fed up to the back teeth with Morrison's Liberals," he said.

"They're fed up with corruption, they're fed up with incompetence, they're fed up with the blame game, they're fed up with this bloke who doesn't hold a hose.

"The truth is, they don't care. And that, my friends, is why the people of Australia want to toss this mob out."

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Comments on leadership style revisited

Rudd took aim at Morrison's recent comments on changing his leadership style from being a "bulldozer".

"Scotty is now hoping he can wave a magic wand, conjure up the fairies at the bottom of the garden and hey presto, vote for me after nearly 10 years in office because I promise to be a softer, gentler Scotty in the future," he said.

"Well, pigs might fly."

Albanese also referenced Morrison's pledge to change.

"I'm a builder, that's just who I am, whether it's building roads or relationships, building rail links or building connections," he said.

Leaders joke about NRL support

Palaszczuk joked about Albanese's NRL leanings as the only exception to his affinity with Queenslanders.

"Albo likes to joke he is as close to being a Queenslander as he can be except for those three nights a year when the State of Origin is on or when his beloved Rabbitohs are in town," she said.

Albanese said he would always back Queensland, except for those three nights a year during Origin.

Scott Morrison is his own worst enemy and recent days have shown both his friends and foes know it, according to Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann.

Most pundits agree the prime minister has led a more seamless campaign than the gaffe-prone Anthony Albanese, but polls continue to show Labor extending its lead.

Polls have famously underestimated Morrison before, but Uhlmann has told the On The Trail podcast there's a sense of "inevitability" about the election campaign as the Coalition fails to make inroads.

Press PLAY to hear Chris Uhlmann's latest election analysis and predictions in this week's episode of On The Trail: Election 2022.

https://omny.fm/shows/on-the-trail-election-2022/chris-uhlmann-scott-morrison-the-two-legged-goat/embed?style=cover

"The issue is the prime minister," Uhlmann said.

"It was at the beginning of this campaign, it continues to be the issue.

"You can tell from where he's not going what the problem is.

"He was in North Sydney the other night for the debate – one thing he could not do was walk out onto the street and campaign with Trent Zimmerman because Trent would have a heart attack at the thought of being seen next to Scott Morrison.

"All those candidates in those seats that are under attack will tell you – behind the scenes, of course – that it's Scott Morrison that they're carrying on their back all the way to election day.

"In the past, when we see a switch from a Liberal seat to an independent, you had to have an unpopular local member.

"Now that doesn't have to be a case because the unpopular member is Scott Morrison.

"There's certain inevitability about the result at this stage.

"That doesn't mean there's not a pathway for the government to win its way back … but I think if it made its way back it's by the barest majority."

Cut through the noise. Follow/subscribe to On The Trail: Election 2022 with Charles Croucher now on Apple, Spotify or Amazon.

In this week's episode:

• Chris Uhlmann's latest election analysis and predictions
• If the polls are right, what could be left of the Liberal Party post-election?
• What the bookies say
• And more!

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