Parliament has passed a bill in its third reading that will ban conversion practices, such as those attempting to change people’s sexuality and/or gender. The bill passed with 112 MPs in favour, including all those from Labour,…

Research has found lifestyle changes as late as age 80 could add years to a person's life.

Scientists at the University of Bergen in Norway found simple lifestyle changes at age 60 could see a person add almost ten years to their life.

The researchers also found making healthy adjustments at 80 could add an extra three years to a person's life.

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The changes primarily include a healthy diet.

"Those whole grains, legumes, and nuts – they really stood out as key foods and that sort of backs up what we have heard from other studies," nutritional scientist Dr Joana McMillan said.

Other adjustments include napping less during the day and being active.

David Soloman found the balance of these adjustments have helped him feel better than ever.

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"It removes so much stress from my life because I have a pretty demanding job in the city," Mr Soloman said.

Marcus Bondi, who will be 60 in three years, said he has "never felt better" after keeping active at the beach and adjusting his diet.

"You'll feel results straight away," he said.

"You'll be happier and healthier, more time for your life, for your wife.

"You get more out of your day, every second of the day is precious."

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Experts said the earlier a person adopts a healthy lifestyle, the greater the benefits they will experience.

It is also never too late to change lifestyle habits, experts added.

"It's not just a longer life, when you can be unhealthy and unhappy, increasing your health span, not just your life span," University of Sydney Professor Stephen Simpson said.

Scooter riders who were forced to run for their lives during a shocking road rampage in Melbourne say the driver was trying to kill them.

The four e-scooter riders were travelling on St Kilda Road in Melbourne on Sunday night when they were forced to jump off the road as a Ford suddenly sped towards them.

The riders have described the attack as terrifying, saying if they didn't jump from their machines they may have died.

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"I heard a car revving behind me," rider Richard said.

"I looked back and seen (sic) a bit of funny business going on.

"I just threw the scooter and I yelled out to my mates, 'watch out.'"

Rider Asad said the driver then targeted him.

"He has gone towards me next, I jumped on the footpath and he just narrowly missed all of us," he said.

The driver quickly fled and hasn't been seen since.

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Richard and Asad claimed it was a random and unprovoked attack and said they did not see the person behind the wheel.

"Maybe (the driver) was drunk, maybe he had a bad experience with other riders – I have no idea," Asad said.

Richard said the incident "could have ended up a lot worse".

Police believe the incident was sparked after a verbal altercation between the scooter riders and a woman who was picked up by the Ford before the rampage.

However, the scooter riders have denied there was a verbal altercation, insisting the attack was totally random.

Police will continue to investigate if the riders committed any traffic offences.

A decision on whether the Government acted unlawfully or unreasonably in implementing the MIQ system may take some time due to the sheer volume of information submitted to the courts this week.A two-day judicial review wrapped up…

Interest rates are going up and the banks are desperate for your business.

While fixed rates have been creeping up for months, variable rates are still being slashed but mainly for new customers — unless you know what to ask for.

So, now is the best time to haggle and secure a cut that will last the life of your loan.

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The nation's biggest home loan lender, Commonwealth Bank, conceded competition is intense.

"We've seen rising levels of competitive intensity in the market, not just in housing but in a number of different areas," CEO Matt Comyn told 9News.

"We believe that intense competition is going to continue which is of course great news for customers."

How do you secure a better rate?

RateCity research director Sally Tindall said now is the time to prepare for a rate rise by seeking a rate cut.

"Banks don't want to lose your business, if they think you might leave, they're likely to throw a decent discount your way," she said.

"Just make sure you do your research first.

"Arm yourself with a good argument and some facts and you'll be in a good position to negotiate."

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Check what rate you're paying: log onto your banking app or call your bank and ask.

Check what your bank is offering new customers by going on their website.

Check a comparison site to see what other lenders are offering – arm yourself with at least two or three rates that would apply to your mortgage.

Call your bank and haggle – here's what you can say and do:

• Tell your bank how much more you are paying in interest than what they are offering new customers and ask for a discount

• If they don't budge, ask to speak to the retention team and mention some of the lenders you've found who offer better rates

• Then it's time to play hardball – ask them for a mortgage discharge form. That's likely to be enough to call their bluff

• By this point, you're likely to have your bank on their knees begging you to stay but if you're still unhappy with the rate, well you're halfway to re-mortgaging anyway, you may as well go the whole hog and get yourself a decent rate cut

New customers pay less than existing customers

If you've had your home loan for few years, chances are you're on a higher interest rate than someone who has recently refinanced.

The RBA tracks what interest rates existing customers pay compared to new customers.

	Existing customer	New customer	Difference	Interest over one year
Owner-occupiers	2.96%	2.56%	-0.40%	-$2,976
Investors	3.28%	2.86%	-0.42%	-$3,128

Source: RBA lending indicators, RateCity.com.au. Rates are from the RBA for December, published February 9. Calculations assume a $750K, 25-year principal and interest loan.

Haggle and save thousands

For anyone on a variable rate, a simple way to get ahead is to call your bank and ask for a rate cut.

Even if you shave just 0.25 per cent off your interest rate and you have $750,000 owing on your loan, you could save $1860 in interest in the first year.

This assumes you're an owner-occupier with 25 years to go on your loan and are currently on the RBA existing customer rate of 2.96 per cent.

If you get a 0.50 per cent off your interest rate in the same scenario you could save $3719 in interest in the first year.

	Interest after one year	Difference
No cut	$21,922
0.25% cut	$20,062	-$1,860
0.50% cut	$18,203	-$3,719
0.75% cut	$16,346	-$5,577

Source: RateCity.com.au

The great thing about haggling for a rate cut is that the discount you receive should last for the life of your loan.

This means when rates rise, your discount will help keep your rate lower than it otherwise would have been.

	Interest after 25 years	Difference
No cut	$312,300
0.25% cut	$283,348	-$28,952
0.50% cut	$254,861	-$57,439
0.75% cut	$226,843	-$85,457

Source: RateCity.com.au. Assumes an owner-occupier paying principal and interest over 25 years. This scenario is based on the current average RBA existing variable customer rate of 2.96 per cent. Does not factor in rate rises.

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Rates could rise in August

The RBA has now acknowledged what economists have been predicting – that rates could start rising in August.

Mr Comyn said in the last two to three months, there have been a number of increases to fixed rates.

"So there has been a lot of switching to fixed rate home loans as customers have thought about the rising interest rate environment," he said.

"And so I think we're going to continue to see some pretty sharp offers and competition on standard variable rates as well as fixed rates."

Macquarie Fields childcare worker Ronika Chand was getting nervous at all the talk of rising interest rates.

She was paying a whopping 4.04 per cent on a variable rate and to her and her husband's relief, recently refinanced to a rate of 2.54 per cent.

"Knowing we have that lower rate has eased the stress for me and my family," Ms Chand said.

Spiteful text messages have come to light in court about the bitter divorce between Ben Roberts-Smith and his wife Emma Roberts.

The mother-of-two has denied she wants her former husband to go to jail as Nine newspapers seeks to prove allegations the war hero is a war criminal.

On the stand for a second day, Ms Roberts denied she is a scorned wife out for revenge.

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The defamation trial was read text messages about her nasty split with Mr Roberts-Smith.

Her best friend Danielle Scott told Ms Roberts that once she becomes financially independent of her ex-husband, "then it doesn't matter what happens to him or what jail cell he rots in".

Ms Roberts described the father of her children as a "lying, cheating, —- human" and ended another text with the word "#Titanic", referencing the sinking of the famous ship.

She was then grilled about giving evidence for Nine newspapers.

"You'd like to see my client lose this case, wouldn't you?" Bruce McClintock, SC, asked her.

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"No… I hope Ben survives this nightmare," she responded, adding: "I would not want Ben to go to jail."

Ms Roberts admitted to meeting with journalist Nick McKenzie weeks before an episode of 60 Minutes claimed the decorated solider buried a lunchbox of USBs in his backyard to hide classified defence files.

The mother-of-two has refuted suggestions she dished the dirt on her ex-husband or leaked the damaging photos of SAS members drinking from the prosthetic leg of a dead Afghan detainee.

For two days, the court has focused on the tumultuous personal life of Mr Roberts-Smith.

Tomorrow the case will again focus on Afghanistan as another specialist soldier is set to give evidence.

A former bikie who bashed a police horse during a Melbourne anti-lockdown protest also injured an officer when he threw a traffic bollard at her head at another demonstration.

Dennis Basic, 42, today fronted Melbourne Magistrates' Court and has pleaded guilty to multiple charges including animal cruelty and without lawful excuse recklessly causing injury.

He was one of 2000 protesters who took to the streets in October to rally against Melbourne's ongoing lockdowns.

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The court heard Basic, who was wearing a black balaclava at the protest, charged at a male officer as the mounted branch set up a road block outside the Arts Centre on St Kilda Road.

In the struggle, he ripped a hat off the policeman's head.

Prosecutors told the court he then grabbed a flag and used the flagpole to hit the troop horse on the head "multiple times with force".

Bodycam footage of the incident, captured by cameras worn by two officers, was shown to the court.

He was arrested a month later after his clothing and distinctive stomach scar were identified in the footage.

When police raided his house they seized expendable batons, capsicum spray, flick knives, and illegal fireworks – including one labelled "time to die".

Basic, who is a former Hells Angels bikie who made headlines in 2013 during a feud with the Comancheros, also admitted to violent behaviour at another lockdown protest on July 24 last year.

Basic attacked a policewoman who was on horseback, without any previous interaction or warning, by suddenly throwing a traffic bollard at her.

The bollard landed on her head and neck.

The court heard the senior constable sustained head and neck injuries which have required ongoing medical and rehabilitative treatment.

Basic is facing mandatory jail time for the two attacks on police.

He will be sentenced later this year.

A cameraman has captured the terrifying moment a great white shark attacked his camera gear and used it to drag his boat.

Scott Tindale and wife Sue, from Auckland's Dairy Flat, were out on the Kaipara Harbour in Auckland last month to tag and release some fish, when they put down an underwater camera to film the marine life.

The camera got some action after just a few minutes, Mr Tindale told Stuff.

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"A shark turned up and decided to eat my camera," he said, with a laugh.

The shark — which he estimated was four to five years old and 2.5m long — then used the camera gear to pull the boat, with the two of them on board.

"There was a bit of a current, and we were on anchor, but it pulled us up-current because it wasn't going to let go of my camera," Mr Tindale said.

"All of a sudden, we were going the wrong way."

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After the boat was pulled for about 15 metres, the shark let go, and Mr Tindale was able to get both the camera and the heavily damaged mounting back.

The footage has had more than 10,000 views on YouTube and attracted international attention.

Mr Tindale said he would like to use the publicity to raise awareness of great white sharks, which are a protected species in New Zealand.

"It's nature's way — if there are sharks around it's a healthy environment," he said.

"I think the people that see them [great whites] are in awe – they really appreciate the experience as it's rare to see."

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Last year, around 15 great whites were inadvertently killed after being caught in nets around the country, and he would like to raise awareness of where the sharks are, so fishers know to avoid those areas.

The sharks are often seen in the Kaipara Harbour over summer, for instance, with Mr Tindale also capturing footage of another great white, about the same size, in 2015.

"I think they're cool animals; I'd like to see more of them around," he said.

The Tindales know a thing or two about fishing, holding more than 250 world angling records between them, with many of the species caught live and released.

In 2014, they received one of the most prestigious international angling awards, the International Game Fish Association's Lifetime Achievement Award.

The couple, now retired, also founded The Tindale Marine Research Charitable Trust, which runs a fish tagging programme and records great white shark sighting.

The volunteer marine research is done in order to understand more about New Zealand's marine environment and better protect it, Mr Tindale said.

"There's still more to do, and hopefully more sharks in the future to do it with," he said.

This story originally appeared on Stuff and has been reproduced with permission.

Treasury’s November forecasts for how much house prices will increase in the 12 months from July 2021 to June 2022 were exceeded after just six months by one property measurement, with QV’s house price index showing prices up 11.7…

A man has been charged with murder after a woman was found dead in a Sunshine Coast resort.

A staff member of the Mahogany Drive resort in Pelican Waters, Caloundra found Vanessa Godfrey's body when performing a welfare check after she did not check out of her room yesterday morning.

"When they undertook that, they found a female deceased on the bed in the room and there was another unconscious male in the room," Detective Inspector Dave Drinnen said today.

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"It was physically obvious she was deceased.

"She was covered in blood and there were some wounds on her arm."

The woman's husband, 50-year-old Jeffrey James Godfrey, was found unconscious in the room has been charged with the woman's murder, with police alleging the incident was linked to domestic violence.

"We will be alleging they were involved in a romantic relationship," Inspector Drinnen said.

Inspector Drinnen described the scene as "very horrific", with the staff member who made the discovery shaken, along with the Sunshine Coast community.

"A female covered in blood and not knowing what's happened, it would be traumatic for anybody witnessing it," Inspector Drinnen said.

"A very tragic incident."

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Police did not disclose how long the woman had been dead when she was found.

The resort had been busy over the weekend, with several guests staying there after a function.

Police said several people who attended the function would be interviewed as witnesses, along with other guests of the hotel.

Forensic investigations are ongoing, with police searching for the alleged murder weapon.

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An autopsy will be performed to determine the woman's cause of death.

The accused is facing court today.

If you or somebody you know needs support, contact the National Domestic Violence Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

If you are in immediate danger call Triple Zero (000).