A first-of-its-kind nasal spray used to help people living with treatment-resistant depression is now available in Australia.

The spray, called Spravato, helps to excite the brain and has shown promising results overseas, according to experts.

It is being used by patients with treatment-resistant depression, which affects about a third of Australians who live with depression.

READ MORE: Man arrested over disappearance of missing Victorian campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill

The esketamine spray is administered through the nose and must be taken in conjunction with taken with oral antidepressants and under the observation of a specialist.

The combination of the spray and antidepressants has proved to work more quickly than most existing treatments.

Professor Mal Hopwood from the University of Melbourne and Albert Road Clinic said the spray generally excited the brain.

"It works amending a transmitter system called glutamate that none of our treatments target," he said.

Since the spray was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in March it has become available 20 treatment centres, including Albert Road Clinic.

Spravato isn't for everyone and it can cause a number of serious side effects.

People won't be able to get it a pharmacy but can instead seek a referral from a GP or psychiatrist to a treatment centre, to discuss the risks and benefits with a specialist

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Seven students and staff at Howick College may have come into contact with a suspected Covid-19 case.In an email to parents and caregivers, Howick College principal Iva Ropati said a Year 10 student may be a suspected Covid-19 case….

A Nissan Patrol has been seized from the man arrested over the disappearance of Victorian campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill in March last year.

The man has been identified as 55-year-old Greg Lynn, a Jetstar pilot from Caroline Springs, in Melbourne's west.

He is being interviewed by police after special operations police flew to the High Plains area, part of the Victorian Alps, in helicopters yesterday and arrested him at a campsite near Moroka Road, Arbuckle Junction.

READ MORE: Nineteen more COVID-19 deaths in Victoria

No charges have been laid against Mr Lynn, but police will allege his car is the dark blue Nissan Patrol police have been searching for as part of the investigation.

Detectives will allege Mr Lynn has changed the colour of the Nissan Patrol to avoid being found by police.

However, police have been unable to find the trailer that was believed to be attached to the Nissan Patrol at the time the campers went missing.

"Detectives from the Missing Persons Squad have arrested a man as part of the investigation into missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay," police said in a statement."

The 55-year-old Caroline Springs man was arrested about 5.30pm yesterday and will be interviewed by police this morning.

"The investigation into the matter remains ongoing."

READ MORE: Healthy Melbourne mum died after 'industry put profits over patients'

Mr Hill, 74, and Ms Clay, 73, vanished while camping in the Wonnagatta Valley on March 20 last year and have not been seen or heard from since.

Police have conducted extensive searches through the Victorian Alps over the past 20 months to find out what happened to the missing pair.

Despite numerous searches, the pair have never been found.

Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper earlier this month said a person may have been camping nearby, with Mr Hill not camping in the best spot on-site.

Mr Hill was an experienced camper who had a connection to the Gippsland region from his work there as a logger many years ago.

Police had released images and a sketch of a dark blue Nissan Patrol they had been searching for.

The high-profile missing campers case has captured the nation, with detectives earlier describing the complex investigation as piecing together a puzzle filled with ambiguity.

Mr Hill left his Drouin home on March 19 and picked up Ms Clay from her Pakenham home in his white Toyota Landcruiser.

Ms Clay told her friends she was heading away and was expecting to return home on March 28 or 29.

The pair then travelled via Licola, spending a night camping at Howitt High Plains, before heading into the Wonnangatta Valley on March 20.

READ MORE: Dad's desperate attempt to save kids killed in Melbourne house fire

Mr Hill was last heard from on March 20 via HF radio stating he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps.

The pair were camping together at Wonnangatta River near the Wonnangatta camping ground.

Mr Hill purchased a DJI Mavic drone before the trip, which is yet to be recovered.

The pair's campsite was found destroyed by fire near Dry River Creek Track on March 21.

Mr Hill's Landcruiser had also sustained minor fire damage, prompting fears of foul play.

His daughters, Colleen and Debbie, in an emotional interview last month, said the thought of not knowing what happened to their father was like an endless loop of pain.

"It's really hard, it's not getting any better," Debbie said.

"It's just unknown. You can't grieve for someone that you don't know if they are really missing or dead, you are just stuck in the middle.

"You can't really have a funeral – you don't want to because then it's saying they've definitely died."

READ MORE: 'I really don't think he could be alive. He wouldn't hide'

Debbie said she believed her father was dead, as she could not fathom him not contacting the family if he was still alive.

"If he was alive he would not not contact us," she said.

"I really don't think he could be alive. He wouldn't hide."

Ms Clay's sister Jill said hearing about her sister's disappearance came as a "terrible shock".

She immediately knew something was "horribly wrong" as there had been no contact from her sister, and all their possessions at the campsite had been left abandoned.

"You just have this great sinking feeling," she said.

The exact circumstances of the arrest are yet to be revealed.

Eastern states of Australia will be lashed by thunderstorms and heavy rain on Thursday with already swollen rivers predicted to flood.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said there will be heavy rain across northern Victoria, most of NSW and southern inland Queensland over the rest of the week.

Suburbs in the NSW north-east, including Gunnedah, have flooded today with waters expected to continue rising.

READ MORE: Air New Zealand cancels more than 1000 flights

Weatherzone said November has been a particularly wet month for NSW with more than two months' worth of rain during the last three weeks.

Major flood warnings remain for the NSW Central West with the Lachlan River at Forbes, Cotton Weir and Jemalong continuing to overflow.

Residents are urged to avoid floodwaters after multiple rescues across the state, including a police officer who saved two boys in central west NSW near Condoblin on the weekend.

Major flood warnings are also in place for Gwydir and Namoi.

There are minor flood warnings for the state's mid-north coast including the Bellinger River, Macleay River, Macyntire and Severn Rivers, Castlereagh River, Paroo River, and Macquarie River.

Tamworth and the Hunter region saw major flooding yesterday and it even blocked roads cutting off workers and HSC students.

It comes as an upper-level trough will form into a cut-off low and move east, causing moisture-heavy air to be above the east of the country, according to Weatherzone.

BoM meteorologist Dean Narramore said Thursday is the main concern, when heavy rain will hit the eastern states.

"Over the next four days we're likely to see widespread 50 to 100 millimetres rainfall over eastern Queensland, eastern and central NSW and possibly parts of northern and eastern parts of Victoria," he said.

More rainfall in already-saturated areas such as the NSW Central West, north-east NSW, and East Gippsland in Victoria could experience flooding.

"Flooding is likely to increase for coming days particularly on Thursday and Friday."

Showers and thunderstorms will continue to affect NSW every day for the rest of this week.

"Widespread falls of 40-80mm are likely across multiple districts in NSW by the end of this week, with some places likely to see more than 100mm," Ben Domensino, from Weatherzone, said.

The wild weather has turned dangerous after a bushwalker in her 30s was killed by a falling branch in Watagans National Park at Cooranbong, near Lake Macquarie on the Central Coast.

The first tropical cyclone of the season has also formed off the south-east of Christmas Island.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1462657266503794688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Tropical Cyclone Paddy doesn't present an immediate threat to the mainland or any offshore communities at this stage.

The category one system will continue to move slowly south before moving west and starting to weaken later on today.

Queensland

Eastern parts of Queensland will be hit by thunderstorms and rain in the coming days.

Mr Narramore said widespread heavy rain and thunderstorm activity is expected through the east and southern inland over the rest of the week.

Mr How added that rain will intensify "from tomorrow and then peak on Thursday and Friday" across Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Victoria

Flood watches for northern and eastern parts of the state have been issued.

The BoM said there are concerns for the East Gippsland as rain is forecast over the rest of the week.

East Gippsland already has saturated soil which could result in flooding, the BoM said.

South Australia

New flood watches have been issued for the state with more rain expected to fall in the coming days, the BoM said.

The chair of Australia's financial watchdog has warned cryptocurrency investors are largely "on their own" when it comes to protecting their investment.

Speaking at the AFR's Super & Wealth Summit, Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) chair Joe Longo warned the watchdog can only protect investors who buy defined "financial products".

Mr Longo said financial advisors have run into the issue of not being able to advise on cryptocurrency investments due to their definition sitting outside current laws.

READ MORE: Three days of thunderstorms as tropical cyclone forms

"The demand-driven nature of the rush into crypto has thrown up some unique challenges. At present many, crypto-assets are probably not 'financial products', making it difficult for financial advisers to offer counsel," Mr Longo said.

"So, what can they do when clients are banging down the door wanting to divert their savings into Ethereum or Dogecoin, a currency originally conceived as a joke?

"ASIC has already provided some guidance on exchange-traded funds linked to crypto-assets — they at least are financial products, and traded on a licensed exchange, so there will be some protections there. But for the most part, for now at least, investors are on their own."

READ MORE: Five murder charges after Christmas Parade horror

Mr Longo said, in his opinion, cryptocurrency should be looked at with "great caution" largely because of the lack of certified advice on the investment.

"The implications for consumers are potentially huge. It is almost an article of faith that no one should invest in something they don't understand. Who among us can say they really understand crypto-assets and cryptocurrencies?" he asked.

"In my view, consumers should approach investing in crypto with great caution. The maxim 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' comes to mind."

READ MORE: Air New Zealand cancels more than 1000 flights

Despite his warning, Mr Longo conceded cryptocurrency is quickly shaking off its image as a renegade online gamble, following news the Commonwealth Bank will trial buying and selling assets like Bitcoin via its app.

"The fact Australia's largest bank is already proposing a means of crypto-exposure for its retail customers is telling," Mr Longo said.

"Yes, it's only a pilot project, but the overall direction is clear. This debate is no longer on the fringes of the financial services industry."

The information provided on this website is general in nature only and does not constitute personal financial advice. The information has been prepared without taking into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on any information on this website you should consider the appropriateness of the information having regard to your objectives, financial situation and needs.

At least 45 people have died in western Bulgaria after a bus crashed and burst into flames, local officials have said.

The accident occurred on the Struma highway about 45 kilometres west of the Bulgarian capital Sofia at around 2am local time.

Ministry officials say children are among the victims and the bus was carrying mostly tourists from North Macedonia.

READ MORE: Five murder charges after Christmas Parade horror

The cause of the crash is not clear. An investigation will be launched.

Traffic on the highway has been restricted in both directions.

Bulgarian news agency Novinite said representatives from Macedonia's embassy visited a hospital where some of the victims were taken.

READ MORE: Air New Zealand cancels more than 1000 flights

Caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev visited the site of the crash and told reporters it was "a huge tragedy."

"I take this opportunity to send my condolences to the relatives of the victims," Mr Yanev said.

"Let's hope we learn lessons from this tragic incident and we can prevent such incidents in the future."

The developer of a solar-powered, 5000 home development in South Auckland has been taken by surprise after the Government housing agency Kāinga Ora turned it down for a fast-track consenting process. The proposed Sunfield development…

More than 1400 doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers have missed the deadline the get their first Covid-19 jab and have stood down, resigned or had their jobs terminated.The figures have been released by district health boards…

Jacinda Ardern was forced to apologise in parliament this afternoon after referring to Judith Collins as “the other leader of the opposition”.The prime minister was responding to a question from Act Party leader David Seymour when…

Opposition MPs and legal experts are crying foul over legislation around the new traffic light system and vaccination mandates they say is being rushed through Parliament without proper scrutiny. Parliament went into urgency today…