By RNZ Part of a rural property and $10,000 in cash have been forfeited after a police investigation into a cannabis operation in Greymouth.In 2019, 136 plants were found at the home of 52-year-old Mark Rissman, during…

Gaming is often thought of as something that only children do, but did you know the average age for a gamer in Australia is now 35? 

New research from the Interactive Games Association of Australia, alongside Bond University, shows that the average gamer age has gone up and nearly half of all gamers are female. 

The Digital Australia survey is conducted yearly and shows gaming, once seen as a niche, is now at the forefront of at least 8.5 million Australian households. 

LIVE UPDATES: US diplomat addresses Australia's 'row with France'

The survey also showed 46 per cent of Australian gamers are female, 53 per cent male and one per cent identified as non-binary. 

Video games now rank second in Australian households when it comes to media entertainment, second only to video streaming. Gaming has now overtaken free-to-air TV during the pandemic.

Haughty Chicken is a grandma gamer breaking the stereotype and spreading awareness to be kind and be yourself. 

As she approaches her sixties, Haughty knows she's not what the general population call a "stereotypical gamer".

"Thinking that gaming is for children is a very outdated stereotype," she told 9News.

"Gaming is for everyone".

Haughty Chicken is her online alias, but it's an alias that's seen her amass thousands of followers across Twitter, YouTube and streaming platform Twitch where she plays video games to an audience most days of the week.

"A friend of mine was streaming on Twitch and I was watching them to give support and they suggested I try it. I was initially hesitant but when I realised there were not many streamers my age I thought, 'why not?'," she said.

"I wasn't sure if anyone would pop by to say 'hello', but they did from that first stream and it has continued to grow since then." 

Haughty said she's been playing video games since she was a teenager, starting with Pong on her parents' black and white TV. 

"Once I got a PC, I ventured into the world of simulation games (SimCity) and then multiplayer (MMORPGS)," she said.

"I can't remember a time when I wasn't interested in playing, even if the amount of time I played changed."

READ MORE: Couple lose out on dream house and deposit after bank's mistake 

https://twitter.com/haughtychicken/status/1452940888146018311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

READ MORE: 'Focused' search for William Tyrrell looking for 'disturbed ground'

Haughty said when she's not streaming she leads a busy life in Melbourne, working and studying for her PhD.

"Despite being in a 'public space' when I stream, away from that I prefer quiet hobbies; I enjoy cooking, exploring markets and photography," she said. 

Haughty is a big advocate for mental health and said gaming has been incredibly important for mental wellness, particularly in lockdown. 

"Not only has it given an opportunity for people to find entertainment when much of the world has been in lockdown or stay at home orders, but it provides stress relief, distraction and social connection," she said.

"I think the streaming space in particular has given people an opportunity to connect when doing so physically is either not possible or not a healthy option at the moment."

Research has found 75 per cent of Aussie gamers played video games with others during lockdown. 

READ MORE: Men ward off crocodile, drink urine in 'horrific' three-day survival ordeal

Haughty has a strong message for those who still say gaming is for children. 

"Those people might need to revisit their understanding of gaming – I love to tell people that 43 per cent of gamers are aged over 65 years. I think that challenges pretty much every stereotype there is," she said.

"It's important for people to realise that people play video games for a lot of reasons, just like many hobbies; for leisure, social and family connection, competition, education, and mental wellness."

The research backs Haughty's claims, 80 per cent of those surveyed stating gaming has improved their mental health. 

The full report can be found on the IGEA website. 

A rarely-seen type of giant squid has been caught on camera in the deep ocean in the Gulf of Mexico.

The US government's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published the encounter on its Ocean Explorer website.

The bigfin squid was only officially described by scientists about 20 years ago, and only about a dozen sightings have been confirmed worldwide.

LIVE UPDATES: US diplomat addresses Australia's 'row with France'

READ MORE: Couple lose out on dream house and deposit after bank's mistake

This one was seen at a depth of more than two kilometres, 2835 metres below the ocean's surface, off the West Florida Escarpment.

"Something's going by above us," one of the scientists is heard saying at the start of the clip.

"It's ghostly."

"Oh gosh. Look how cool," another says.

"It's very alien-ish."

READ MORE: 'Focused' search for William Tyrrell looking for 'disturbed ground'

Bigfin squid can leave deeper than any other known squid, with the current depth record for a sighting being 4735 metres.

The largest one ever found was 6.4 metres long, with its arms and tentacles making up 6.1m of that length.

Its long appendages have elbow-like bends, helping create a distinctive appearance.

READ MORE: Men ward off crocodile, drink urine in 'horrific' three-day survival ordeal

It's believed the arms and tentacles, which have microscopic suckers on them, are used to trap prey that bump into them as they hang down in the water below their body or drag along the seafloor.

Three species of bigfin squid have been officially described, but it's suspected there may be more.

Retailers are hoping for a "positive" summer trade as the combination of easing COVID-19 restrictions and the Christmas shopping season promises good returns.

New data from Mastercard's Spending Pulse reveals that nationwide retail sales increased 4.2 per cent in October and are up 10.1 per cent on pre-pandemic levels in October 2019.

The research – which tracks both in-store and online purchases – found that states who weren't under harsh restrictions continued to record positive retail growth.

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Queensland led the charge (up 5.3 per cent), followed by Western Australia (up 5.2 per cent), Tasmania (up 4.7 per cent) and South Australia (up 3.5 per cent).

Retail remained subdued in NSW (down 1.1 per cent) and the ACT (down 12.2 per cent), but only included data from October where the full impact of restrictions easing had not yet been realised.

While overall shopping levels are up, it appears the way Australians shopped has changed dramatically: physical department stores recorded a sharp 12.3 per cent downturn in year-on-year sales.

READ MORE: 'Focused' search for William Tyrrell looking for 'disturbed ground'

Australian Retailers Association CEO Paul Zahra said shop owners and businesses are staking much of their year on the Christmas shopping period to come.

"Whilst it's encouraging to see retail sales overall on the rebound in October, the results are mixed across the different categories and the states and territories," Mr Zahra said.

"Department stores have recorded five consecutive months of negative sales growth, driven by the lockdown of the Australia's two largest cities, however we are hopeful of a strong finish to the year.

"Christmas is a time when department stores shine with customers set to return in greater numbers to physical stores."

READ MORE: Men ward off crocodile, drink urine in 'horrific' three-day survival ordeal

Mr Zahra said retailers had a double whammy of online Black Friday sales and holiday in-store shopping to look forward to.

"Retailers in Sydney reopened on October 11, on October 22 in Canberra and on October 29 in Melbourne – so we are yet to see a full month's worth of insights where lockdowns haven't been a feature," Mr Zahra said.

"There's a lot of pent-up demand in those locations with consumers back out in droves, shopping and supporting their local businesses. Businesses will also have strong momentum behind them in the coming weeks leading up to Christmas, with consumers forecast to spend a record $5.4 billion in the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales according to our research with Roy Morgan – so there's a lot to look forward to.

"Consumer sentiment is upbeat and we're set for a positive Christmas, despite the numerous Covid setbacks in 2021."

It's one of the most recognisable banners in the world, but it turns out a change to the French tricolour went unnoticed for a year.

President Emmanuel Macron ordered the blue on the flags along the Élysée Palace to revert back to its original darker navy shade in 2020, French media has reported.

The blue on the official flag was lightened in 1976 by then-President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing to match the flag of the European Union, alongside which it is often displayed.

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Recent photos of Mr Macron speaking at official events show that now, the respective shades of blue clash.

Both versions of flags have remained in use in France, with the pre-1976 version having been kept by the French Navy.

Euro News quoted a Presidential Palace statement saying Mr Macron had reverted the flag as a nod to France's republican history.

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"The President of the Republic has chosen for the tricolour flags that adorn the Élysée Palace the navy blue that evokes the imagination of the Volunteers of Year II, the Poilus of 1914 and the Compagnons de la Libération of Free France," the statement said.

It said the same style of flag was also "always flown" under the Arc de Triomphe for Remembrance Day on November 11.

READ MORE: Men ward off crocodile, drink urine in 'horrific' three-day survival ordeal

The "Volunteers of Year II" are the people who joined the first French republican military in the chaos of the Revolution, when a European coalition invaded the nation and was eventually repelled.

The conflicts that broke out during the Revolution also saw the rise of future Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, a figure much-admired by Mr Macron for his historical importance.

Temporary visa holders are calling on the Federal Government to lift a "discriminatory" restriction which requires them to get an exemption to travel back into the country after flying overseas.

Australia's international travel ban was lifted at the start of this month for vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and their immediate families.

New South Wales, the ACT and Victoria have all opened their borders, allowing vaccinated travellers to be able to go overseas and return without quarantining.

But the change does not apply to the more than two million temporary residents living in Australia, even if they are vaccinated.

LIVE NEWS: Big drop recorded in Victoria's COVID-19 cases

They say they are stuck in limbo, unable to travel overseas and visit family they haven't seen in years because of a policy which means they may not be able to return.

Irish national Katie Stenson has been living in Sydney for almost five years. Like many temporary residents, Ms Stenson calls Australia home.

"People hear the word temporary and they think that these are just people who might be on working holiday visa, or maybe came over as backpackers, but this is my home," she told 9News.com.au.

READ MORE: Couple lose out on dream house and deposit after bank's mistake 

An online petition started by Ms Stenson calling on the government to drop its inbound travel restrictions for temporary residents has so far been signed by almost 50,000 people.

Ms Stenson has not seen her family in Europe for more than two years.

"In March 2020, it was my mum's 60th birthday and I was going to go see her then but that's when COVID really hit and the borders closed so I couldn't," she said.

"I've only got one brother. He lives in Amsterdam and had his first baby in September 2020.

"My niece turned one in September, and I still haven't met her and it looks like she might be two years old before I meet her for the first time – so it's just sad, really sad."

Ms Stenson said she understood the government's need to ensure all Australians stranded overseas could make it home, but found it frustrating to see Australia arrange a travel bubble with Singapore – which opens up on November 21 – while still denying temporary residents the freedom to travel.

Australia's travel bubble with New Zealand also resumed on November 1, allowing New Zealanders to travel to quarantine-free jurisdictions in Australia.

"They're now saying that people can go on a holiday here, but we can't go see our family and know that we can return," Ms Stenson said.

"We got double jabbed as soon as we could, we followed all the orders.

"It just feels wrong that we were expected to behave the same way as everyone else during the pandemic but as soon as there's light at the end of the tunnel we're treated differently."

"Compassion is something we talk about a lot during the pandemic and I don't think compassion has been shown to the two million people that live here on temporary visas."

READ MORE: 'Focused' search for William Tyrrell looking for 'disturbed ground'

Ms Stenson said she knew many people who had been knocked back for a travel exemption after applying multiple times.

Under current government rules, temporary visa holders can only be granted an exemption if they have a "strong compassionate or compelling reason" to leave Australia or are doing essential work.

Australia is now in Phase C of its national plan for reopening the country, in which temporary visa holders are named "a priority cohort for consideration".

Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said in a statement to 9news.com.au she understood the pandemic had been extremely difficult for many people in Australia.

"Grandparents have missed births, loved ones have missed weddings, and families have missed funerals," Ms Andrews said.

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"Australia's border restrictions are now progressively easing as our vaccination rate continues to climb – having started with Australian citizens on 1 November, we're now safely welcoming more people across our border than at any time in the last two years.

"Remaining restrictions will continue to be reviewed and lifted as soon as it is safe to do so."

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au

Two Northern Territory fishermen have survived a "horrific" three-day ordeal involving warding off a crocodile and drinking their own urine to survive, police say.

Early on Thursday, the men, 32 and 33, were making their way up the croc-infested Daly River, more than 100km south of Darwin, to Anson Bay, when their vessel struck an object in Clear Creek.

Police said it sank in seconds and the men, who weren't up to speaking to the media on Monday, were not able to activate their emergency beacon.

READ MORE: New searches for William Tyrrell

A crocodile tried to attack as the pair threw things at it to try to keep it at bay, police said.

Superintendent Shaun Gill said they were "extremely lucky to survive".

"I've been involved in this about 30 years and this is about as horrific as it gets," he said.

Things got so desperate, according to the officer, that the men resorted to drinking their own urine.

READ MORE: Finance expert warns Australians are 'sleepwalking into disaster'

"(It was) completely inhospitable," he said.

"The temperature was extreme. They had no water to drink to the point where they found bottles on the beach and tried to drink urine, and mix it with Berocca to try and get some taste, the only thing saving their lives."

It wasn't until Monday that Shane Taylor and a friend came around the corner to see two men, "extremely happy to see us".

"(My) friend and I were just going for a fish towards the front of the Daly River and we noticed a swag that was washed up on the bank," he said.

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"We'd only gone another few Ks and saw the blokes, they were waving and obviously fairly agitated."

The rescued men were taken to hospital for treatment.

Superintendent Gill reminded fishers to report in regularly, daily if possible, when on a long trip.

"They did everything they could to help themselves," he said. 

"But even with all that, they were extremely lucky to survive"

A 9-year-old boy who disappeared overnight has been found by police. In a statement, a police spokesperson said Corleyowne was located at a Papakura address early today and is safe and well.Police said he went missing after leaving…

A Ferrari has crashed into a power pole on a major Sydney highway, trapping the driver and causing delays.

The red sportscar hit the pole on the Princes Highway near Sydneyham train station just after 11am.

Two people were in the car and the driver, aged in his 20s, had to be extricated from the luxury car. Both he and his passenger, in his 40s, were taken to St George Hospital.

READ MORE: New searches for William Tyrrell

"Anytime we respond to an incident with patients trapped inside a motor vehicle, it's challenging," Inspector Kay Armstrong from NSW Ambulance said.

"High-powered vehicles can so easily get out of control.

"I'd ask everyone on the road to please take care."

READ MORE: Finance expert warns Australians are 'sleepwalking into disaster'

All northbound lanes and two of three southbound lanes on the Princes Highway were closed due to the crash.

By midday, all the northbound lanes had reopened, but one southbound lane remained closed and traffic remains slow in the area.

Both men are in hospital in a stable condition.

Hundreds of police officers will descend on the NSW Mid North Coast, hoping a massive high-intensity search based on new leads and evidence will help find missing boy William Tyrrell.

9News understands specialists in uncovering and examining human bones are on their way to three sites near Kendall, areas which have previously never been searched in the seven-year mystery of what happened to William.

Detective Chief Superintendent Darren Bennett from NSW Police refused to reveal if there had been a tip-off or a human source was involved.

LIVE UPDATES: New border and isolation rules in Queensland, SA

But he underlined the search would focus on new areas, go underground, involve "specialist assistance" and new technologies.

"It's highly likely that we, if we found something, it would be a body," he said.

"We are looking for the remains of William Tyrrell, no doubt about that."

Chief Superintendent Bennett said the search was being guided by "the holistic nature of a number of pieces of evidence … and we think it provides us with the best chance of finding him".

William, at the time aged three, disappeared from his foster grandmother's property on Benaroon Drive in Kendall at about 10.30am on September 12, 2014.

READ MORE: Finance expert warns Australians are 'sleepwalking into disaster'

Today police officers were seen returning to the house he vanished from.

About a kilometre down the road, NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers are clearing undergrowth ahead of a dig tomorrow.

These searches in previously untouched areas could take up to three weeks.

Police dogs were also used to comb the area today.

Chief Superintendent Bennett said the search was "not speculative in any way" and that police were working on behalf of the coroner.

"There is a large amount of work to be undertaken," he said.

"We're using specialist areas and people from outside the police force."

Police and other agencies would "clear ground" and "go subterranean" in a number of locations, he said.

Chief Superintendent Bennett said police were "very hopeful" that the new search would finally bring clarity to a case which has baffled the country for years.

Several times during today's media briefing Chief Superintendent Bennett made clear police were chasing a fresh lead, and that they were dealing with specifics.

"This is in response to evidence we've obtained in the course of the investigation," he said.

"There's no doubt about that."

Despite a massive search for William, who would have turned 10 in June, and the investigation continuing over several phases, the little boy has never been found.

Over the years, police have put pressure on several suspects who have since been ruled out.

READ MORE: Bank teller who walked out with bag of cash identified, 52 years later

Evidence of boy's 'scream' at coronial inquest

The 18-month coronial inquest into William's disappearance in the NSW Coroners Court is yet to deliver its findings but, according to Chief Superintendent Bennett, it has proven pivotal in driving today's sudden development.

During the inquest, resident Anna Baker gave evidence and said she heard a young boy scream in bushland near the home of a convicted criminal, not long after William vanished.

Ms Baker, who lived at Herons Creek, not far from the Kendall home of William's foster grandmother, told the court she had wandered into her strawberry patch on the afternoon of September 13, 2014, when she heard the noise.

"It didn't go for very long, it sounded like maybe he's hurt."

Another Kendall local, Ron Chapman, told the inquest he was 100 per cent sure he saw William being driven away "at speed" on the morning he vanished.

Mr Chapman claimed he saw an "old box-type four-wheel-drive" being driven by a woman in her late 20s or early 30s and a boy in the back seat wearing a Spider-Man suit.

"A young boy with his hands up against the window. He was standing, he was unrestrained, he wasn't crying," he said.

A previously unseen photograph of William, so often portrayed in his little Spider-Man suit, also emerged during the inquest.

READ MORE: Austria to impose COVID-19 lockdown for the unvaccinated

Other photos taken from CCTV footage inside a McDonald's show William, his foster mum and dad entering the fast food outlet on the evening of September 11, 2014.

At one point, William sits on the shoulders of his foster dad.

They order a meal at the counter and sit to eat for about 10 minutes before leaving.

The family had stopped at the McDonald's at Heatherbraeon on their way up to Kendall, after leaving their Sydney home.

A $1 million reward for information leading to William's recovery remains in place.

In September, on the anniversary of William's disappearance, police returned to the property to conduct fresh examinations.

Detectives inspected the porch, balcony and backyard of the house, pulling out maps as they searched nearby streets.

William's foster grandmother died in March this year.