Schools of salmon have unintentionally returned to their domain after a trawler carrying 50 tonnes worth sank on the New South Wales south coast this morning

The boat was moored at a wharf in Eden when it began taking on water just after 3:30am.

It was initially found partially submerged.

Firefighters worked with the owner to secure the trawler but it was taking on too much water and sank.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said this is a timely reminder that calling Triple Zero (000) for an emergency can be the difference between life and death.

Crews are working to now salvage the ship and the skipper was not injured.

A 14-year-old girl has been missing in Canterbury since Saturday.Police are asking the public for help to find Isobelle, who went missing from an address in Southbridge, Selwyn District.She was last seen wearing brown cargo pants,…

What began as a routine dental visit landed an Illinois man in a Kenosha hospital after he inhaled the dentist's drill bit.

A rare medical procedure was performed to remove the sharp metal object lodged in the patient's lung.

The CT scan tells the shocking story.

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A 2.5 centimetre dental drill bit was lodged deep in Tom Jozsi's lung.

"How did this happen?" WISN 12's Kent Wainscott asked him.

"Well, I don't know. I was at the dentist getting a tooth filled, and then next thing I know I was told I swallowed this tool," Mr Jozsi said. "I didn't really even feel it going down. All I felt was a cough. When they did the CT scan they realized, you didn't swallow it. You inhaled it."

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Doctors believe that inhaling just before he coughed sent the metal object deep into the 60-year-old maintenance worker's airways.

It went so deep, pulmonary expert Dr Abdul Alraiyes said, that normal scopes couldn't reach it.

"When I saw the cat scan, and where that object is sitting, it was really far down on the right lower lobe of the lung," Dr Alraiyes said.

"What happens if he can't get it out? And the answer really was, part of my lung was going to have to get removed," Mr Jozsi said.

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That's when Dr Alraiyes and the Aurora Medical Center-Kenosha team decided to try a newer device — one not designed for removing foreign objects.

"It's more for early detection of cancer, especially lung cancer," Dr Alraiyes said.

"But you knew you could use it for this?" Mr Wainscott asked.

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"Exactly right. The reason is this. The size of this catheter," Dr Alraiyes said.

Video of the scan shows the medical team was able to navigate the narrow airways, reach the drill piece and pull it out without any harm to the patient.

"I was never so happy as when I opened my eyes, and I saw him with a smile under that mask shaking a little plastic container with the tool in it," Mr Jozsi said.

Mr Joszki said he now keeps the tool on a shelf at home.

Dr Alraiyes told WISN 12 he has heard from colleagues in Michigan and Ohio who report seeing cases nearly identical to this.

Australia's east coast is bracing for another soaking, with Weatherzone warning up to 500mm of rain could fall over Far North Queensland.

But it's not the only region set for a deluge. An active rainband is currently stretching approximately 1500 kilometres from northern New South Wales to northern Tasmania.

The band has already resulted in solid falls to areas of Victoria and inland NSW, breaking records in four inland towns.

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Hopetoun in north-west of Melbourne saw its wettest April day on record in 18 years, with 43.8 mm falling.

Another north-west town Swan Hill, recorded 43.2mm; 2.3 times the monthly average of 21.1 mm.

Records were also broken in Tatura, which saw 43.2 mm. This is the highest daily April rainfall in 74 years.

And Echuca clocked its highest daily April rainfall in 63 years with 36mm falling.

Weatherzone said the "good news is" this rain has avoided areas inundated by recent La Niña-influenced heavy rain that lead to widespread flooding.

A cold front will also cause temperatures to plummet across south-east Australia later in the week.

Far North Queensland braces for big wet

The Sunshine State is in for an absolute drenching later this week, with the far-north bracing for up to 500mm of rain.

The region is in the grips of an eight-day weather event; the result of a deepening trough approaching the coast.

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"Accumulated rainfall totals to Monday 25th could be as much as 300-500mm, with heavier localised falls possible," Weatherzone said.

"Majority of this rain will fall over the weekend and also moving into next week.

"Port Douglas to Tully are the most likely areas for this intense rain."

Winds are also expected to increase towards the end of the week, with wind gusts of 60-80km/h expected for coastal areas.

Bramwell Roadhouse yesterday recorded 134mm.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1516201978644336643

Storms batter Sydney, Canberra

The recent forecast comes after a series of storms swept through Canberra yesterday before moving into Sydney overnight.

Dramatic scenes unfolded above the Harbor City as lightning lit up the rain-battered skyline; 11.6mm of rain was recorded.

It will be a mostly sunny day today in Sydney, before rain resumes from Thursday.

Read on, to find out what the weather is doing across the nation's capitals today.

Brisbane

The mercury will reach a warm 31C in Brisbane today. It will be mostly sunny with light winds.

Sydney

The Harbor City is in for a top of 24C. It will be mostly sunny.

Melbourne

It will be a partly cloudy day in Melbourne, with a top temperature of 19C forecast.

There's a medium chance of showers, most likely in the late morning and afternoon.

Canberra

Similar conditions will be felt in Canberra, where a top of 19C is forecast.

Morning cloud cover will give way to a mostly sunny afternoon.

Hobart

A rainy day is ahead for the Tasmanian capital, with the BoM forecasting a high chance of showers — most likely in the evening.

The mercury will reach 17C today.

Adelaide

A "shower or two" is forecast for Adelaide. These are most likely in the morning.

A maximum temperature of 21C is forecast.

Darwin

Darwin will reach a top temperature of 35C. A mostly sunny day is ahead for residents of the tropical town, but there's a chance of a thunderstorm later tonight.

Perth

Residents in Perth have once again woken to morning smoke, which has been trapped atmospheric inversion acting like a lid over the city.

The haze will clear to a sunny day, with a top of 28C predicted.

Actor Johnny Depp has taken the stand in his defamation case against his ex-wife Amber Heard.

"My goal is the truth," Depp said early in his remarks.

Depp, known for his work in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, is suing Heard for US$50 million in a Fairfax County, Virginia court over a 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she wrote about her experience with domestic abuse.

The piece published roughly two years after Heard alleged Depp bruised her face after throwing a phone at her in their Los Angeles home. Depp denied the allegation and was not charged with any crime.

Depp acknowledged in his testimony that he and Heard had arguments during their relationship but said, "Never did I myself reach the point of striking Ms. Heard in any way nor have I ever struck any woman in my life."

He also described his parents' tumultuous relationship and the verbal and physical abuse he and his siblings experienced by their mother.

Depp was not referred to by name in Heard's piece. Still, Depp claims it led to financial losses for him, including being dropped from future "Pirates of the Caribbean" films after he led the franchise for 15 years.

"One day you're Cinderella so to speak and then in zero point six seconds you're Quasimodo," Depp said of how his career turned after he was accused of abuse. "I didn't deserve that and nor did my children, nor did the people who had believed in me all these years."

'She was too good to be true'

The trial began last week. Depp said his testimony was the "first opportunity I've had to speak about this case in full."

Depp and Amber met on the set of "The Rum Diary" in 2009, married in 2015 and went on to be embroiled in a contentious split for months, with charges of bad behaviour levied by both sides.

In his testimony, Depp spoke about the beginning of his relationship with Heard, saying "from what I recall, what I remember, she was too good to be true."

"She was attentive, she was loving, she was smart, she was kind, she was funny, she was understanding. We had many things in common," he said.

Depp said Heard was "wonderful" for some time between a year and a year and a half. "Then things just started to change – or things started to reveal themselves, is a better way to put it."

The couple settled their divorce in August 2016, releasing a joint statement which read in part, "Our relationship was intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love."

Heard had been unsuccessful in her attempts to get the suit dismissed. She filed a $100 million defamation countersuit against Depp in 2020, which is ongoing.

Late last year, Depp lost a case in the UK against News Group Newspapers and Dan Wootton, executive editor of The Sun, over an article that claimed Depp was violent toward Heard while they were together. The UK's High Court ruled in the publisher's favor.

Lawyers for the newspaper group argued in court filings that Depp "beat his wife Amber Heard, causing her to suffer significant injury, and on occasion leading to her fearing for her life," citing evidence, including photos, audio recordings and Depp's own text messages.

During the trial, Depp said the tabloid's claims that he was violent toward Heard were "completely untrue."

Judge Andrew Nicol said in his judgment that the paper's claims had been shown to be "substantially true."

Heard posted a note in advance of the current defamation trial on her verified social media accounts, writing "I never named [Depp], rather I wrote about the price women pay for speaking against men in power. I continue to pay that price, but hopefully when this case concludes, I can move on and so can Johnny."

"I have always maintained a love for Johnny and it brings me great pain to have to live out the details of our past life together in front of the world," she wrote. "At this time, I recognize the ongoing support I've been fortunate to receive throughout these years, and in these coming weeks I will be leaning on it more than ever."

New technology has busted hundreds of Queensland drivers using their mobile phones while behind the wheel following the state's promise to crack down on dangerous driving.

Figures have been released after the state government rolled out hi-tech camera technology from July last year.

The new cameras caught 293 drivers using their phone behind the wheel, three times or more, between November and December last year.

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The 293 motorists accumulated 1327 infringement notices. This is an average of 4.5 per driver.

Another 800 were caught doing the same thing twice within that same period.

Under current Queensland road laws, a driver using a phone illegally can be fined $1033 and four demerit points.

However, the Queensland government last week announced it would be getting tougher on all driving offences.

With that, Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey warned the cameras are often moved and will targeted high-risk areas.

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"These cameras are anywhere, anytime," he said.

From July 1, motorists caught not wearing a seatbelt will now be fined $1078 and four demerit points. This has increased from a fine of $413.

Those caught driving through a red light will be slapped with a fine of $575, also up from $413.

And those caught speeding could incur a fine ranging between $287 to $1653. There's no change to demerit points.

Is the "great Australian dream" over for young people? A new survey suggests two-thirds of young voters have conceded they may never own a home.

A survey conducted for Nine newspapers reveals 67 per cent of young Australians aged between 18 and 34 believe that they will never own their own home in their area.

Experts say the issue of home ownership will only get worse when a predicted interest rate rise comes in to play later in the year.

The issue of home-ownership is shaping up to be a big election issue.

Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese are campaigning that they will help ease the housing crisis.

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The government says it will expand its Home Guarantee Scheme which allows first home buyers to buy properties with a smaller deposit, while Labor says it will build 30,000 affordable homes across the country.

Other big issues at the forefront include climate change and the cost of living.

Australia is "deeply disappointed" by a controversial security pact signed by the Solomon Islands and China despite major efforts to scupper the deal, which could see the Asian giant establish a military presence in the South Pacific island nation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin tonight said Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Solomon Islands counterpart, Jeremiah Manele, officially signed a security agreement "the other day". No specific date was given.

The agreement has been confirmed by Mr Manele, who said Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare would make a formal announcement in coming days, the ABC reports.

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It comes after the US announced a plan to send two top officials to the Solomon Islands, following a visit last week by Australian Senator Zed Seselja.

In a joint statement tonight, Senator Seselja and Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was "deeply disappointed" by the signing of the agreement.

"We are concerned about the lack of transparency with which this agreement has been developed, noting its potential to undermine stability in our region. We continue to seek further clarity on the terms of the agreement, and its consequences for the Pacific region," the ministers said.

"We welcome recent statements from Prime Minister Sogavare that Australia is Solomon Islands security partner of choice, and his commitment that Solomon Islands will never be used for military bases or other military institutions of foreign powers."

https://twitter.com/SenatorWong/status/1516352102834262017

Labor's Foreign Affairs spokesperson Penny Wong accused the Australian government of failing to prevent the pact.

"Despite all of his tough talk, on Scott Morrison's watch our region has become less secure," Senator Wong said.

"His government was warned of this security pact in August and he hasn't even bothered to send the Foreign Minister to the Solomon Islands to raise concerns on behalf of all Australians."

The White House said on Monday that later this week, Kurt Campbell, the National Security Council Indo-Pacific coordinator, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, would lead a delegation of US government officials to the Solomons, and would also visit Fiji and Papua New Guinea.

A draft of the Solomons and China pact, which was leaked online, said Chinese warships could stop in the Solomons and China could send police and armed forces there "to assist in maintaining social order".

The Solomons has sought to downplay the significance of the agreement and says it won't lead to China establishing a military base there, but many neighbouring countries and Western nations remain worried.

US State Department spokesman Ned Price said the agreement could destabilise the Solomon Islands and would set a concerning precedent for the wider Pacific region.

"Despite the Solomon Islands government's comments, the broad nature of the security agreement leaves open the door for the deployment of PRC (People's Republic of China) military forces to the Solomon Islands," Price said.

Senator Seselja, the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, last week said he met with Mr Sogavare and asked him to abandon the Chinese agreement.

"We have asked Solomon Islands respectfully to consider not signing the agreement and to consult the Pacific family in the spirit of regional openness and transparency, consistent with our region's security frameworks," he said in a statement.

The Solomons portrayed the meeting in a more positive light, saying Mr Sogavare and Senator Seselja held productive discussions regarding the security concerns of the Solomon Islands and the wider Pacific region.

Last week, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke with Mr Manele about Washington's plan to reopen an embassy in the capital, Honiara.

The announcement of reopening the embassy, which has been closed since 1993, came in February before the security pact came to light, but amid already growing concerns about Chinese influence in the strategically important country.

ANALYSIS

"It's a huge concern for Australia," Nine Political Editor Chris Uhlmann told Today. "Obviously we can't allow a military base to be established there.

"This is a military agreement. It allows military personnel to go there. A big concern of the Australian government is that any kind of base would be there. We saw in the South China Sea it was occupied and militarised by China. We can't allow that to happen in the Pacific.

"There has to be some sort of red line. Australia obviously will need to deal with this diplomatically but in the end, Australia and the United States most prevent a base from ever being built there."

Parts of the New South Wales coast have been buffeted by 100km/h winds as a storm front blew through Sydney.

Residents were warned to brace for severe thunderstorms on Tuesday night, as damaging winds struck.

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Goulburn and Jervis Bay recorded wind gusts above 100km/h and Nowra and Port Kembla copped bursts above 90km/h. as a wider storm front headed rapidly east.

It was affecting the coast from Gosford south to Ulladulla.

Bureau weather watchers picked up severe storms on the radar near Hornsby, Parramatta, Sydney Olympic Park and Ryde about 9.40pm.

They hit the city, airport, Harbour Bridge, Gosford, Mona Vale and waters off Bondi Beach by 10.10pm

As forecast, the storms passed quickly out to sea and the severe weather warning was cancelled just before 10.30pm.

The Bureau of Meteorology said a strong upper level trough was enhancing the storms as they rolled east.

Stargazers are being encouraged to look at the sky tonight as four planets align in a rare astrological display.

The planets will be visible to the naked eye, appearing like bright stars in perfect formation, a phenomenon known as the "planetary parade."

Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn will all be visible aligning in the sky for the first time since 947AD.

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"This planetary alignment is so special that we will have to wait another thousand years for this to happen again so the year 2492," Andre Clayden, the director of observations at Springbrook Observatory in Queensland said.

"The most fabulous thing about this is you don't need to buy expensive equipment."

The display can be seen from all over the world, with stargazers and astronomers from New Zealand and the United States capturing the moment this morning.

"This is going to continue until May but it will be a different configuration, we will see Mars and Jupiter come together,' Mr Clayden said.