Some Wellington buses will be permanently cancelled while other services will operate at a reduced frequency, due to a shortage of at least 60 drivers. The city’s new reduced peak-hour bus timetable has been revealed. It’s being…

Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre will be lit up in the colours of the transgender flag while the controversial group Speak Up For Women holds an event there. The group opposes proposed amendments in a Bill enabling people to self-identify…

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United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reaffirmed the country's commitment to defend the Philippines' armed forces from attack in the South China Sea, under a 70-year-old mutual defence treaty.

Mr Blinken made the comments on Sunday (Monday AEST), in a statement marking the fifth anniversary of a ruling by an independent arbitration tribunal rejecting China's expansive territorial claims over the waterway, siding with the Philippines.

Tensions in the South China Sea, which is also contested by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have ratcheted up this year, with Manila accusing Beijing of trying to intimidate its coast guard vessels, as well as sending its so called "maritime militia" to crowd out Philippine fishing boats.

READ MORE: Biden's 'Cold War plan' to contain Chinese security threats

The US' top diplomat said the US could invoke the US-Philippine mutual defence pact in the event of any Chinese military action against Philippine assets in the region.

"We also reaffirm that an armed attack on Philippine armed forces, public vessels, or aircraft in the South China Sea would invoke US mutual defence commitments under Article IV of the 1951 US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," Mr Blinken said.

He also called on the Chinese government to "abide by its obligations under international law (and) cease its provocative behaviour" in the South China Sea.

The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague dismissed China's claims to the South China Sea outright, while making clear that China was infringing on Philippine sovereignty through activities such as island-building in Manila's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Beijing has disavowed the tribunal ruling and continued to build up and militarily reinforce its positions in the South China Sea. It claims the US and other countries are increasing tensions in the region by sending their warships there in violation of its sovereignty.

Washington counters that its naval presence in the South China Sea supports freedom of navigation under international maritime law.

READ MORE: China vows retaliation after US blacklists companies

Underscoring the US stance, the guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold performed a freedom of navigation operation near the Paracel Islands in the nort-western part of the South China Sea on Monday, the US Navy's 7th Fleet said in a statement.

This islands, referred to as the Xisha chain in China, are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan, but China has controlled them since the 1970s.

US Navy spokesman Lieutenant Mark Langford said Monday's operation challenged the claims by all three parties.

"This freedom of navigation operation … upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognised in international law by challenging the unlawful restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam and also by challenging China's claim to strait baselines enclosing the Paracel Islands," Lieutenant Langford said.

China said it put forces in place to "warn and drive away" the US destroyer, which it said violated its sovereignty.

The US last challenged claims in the Paracels in May.

READ MORE: China, North Korea vow closer ties as 'hostile forces become more desperate'

"This is another ironclad evidence of the US' aggressive navigational hegemony and militarisation of the South China Sea," PLA Air Force Colonel Tian Junli, spokesperson for the PLA's Southern Theatre Command, said in a statement after Monday's US FONOP.

"Facts show that the United States is an out-and-out 'South China Sea security risk maker,'" Colonel Tian said.

In his statement on Sunday (Monday AEST), Mr Blinken called on China to "take steps to reassure the international community that it is committed to the rules-based maritime order that respects the rights of all countries, big and small."

"Nowhere is the rules-based maritime order under greater threat than in the South China Sea. The People's Republic of China (PRC) continues to coerce and intimidate Southeast Asian coastal states, threatening freedom of navigation in this critical global throughway," the US secretary of state said, referring to China by its official name.

Mr Blinken said the US stood behind the 2016 ruling against China, as reiterated last year by then secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who said at the time "Beijing's claims to offshore resources across most of the South China Sea are completely unlawful, as is its campaign of bullying to control them"

In response to Mr Pompeo's comments, the Chinese Embassy in Washington accused the US of "distorting" international law and "exaggerating" the situation in order to "sow discord".

The latest addition to the FIFA video game franchise has been revealed, with Aussie soccer star Tim Cahill featuring as an in-game hero.

Cahill didn't appear in the last four games, but he's back out of retirement (in a way) to feature alongside the best of the sport.

In an exclusive interview with 9News, Cahill opened up about his new role in the game and other exciting features we can expect.

READ MORE: Delayed Olympics video game releases in Australia

"Any balls swung into the box, you know, you've got a massive chance of me doing a header," he said.

"It is the next best thing to play."

Featuring in FIFA games is a prestigious plaudit, Cahill told 9news. The football star reminisced on speaking with the other legends of the game who also own the honour of featuring in the game.

"When I say I sit with these players, whether it's Roberto Carlos or 'the real Ronaldo', you talk about these sorts of things. The players love it, it means a lot to them," he said.

And while there are 19 other heroes that appear in FIFA 22, Cahill was staying tight-lipped about who they were.

READ MORE: Fears for teen star after cruel England 'gamble'

"I think when you put together a team, you want to be part of the best in the region. You want to be part of, you know, with the elite," he said.

"My whole life I've been obsessed with being the best trainer, you know, on and off the path. And when you get asked to do these sorts of things it's. It truly is a reflection of your career."

Heroes are new in-game items that represent the stories and triumphs of iconic players.

In Cahill's case, players can experience his iconic bicycle kick goal and his corner-flag-punching celebration.

Reflecting on his career, Cahill says until he retired he didn't even realise how much he had achieved.

"I think now I can really enjoy the retirement side of it, and take in all that I've done," he said.

"Twenty years of playing, mate. You don't actually realise what you've done. You're in a bubble."

FIFA 22 also features a new technical upgrade that utilises real-world football data.

The technology, named HyperMotion, captures real player movements and converts them into realistic gameplay, essentially creating new animations in real-time while you play.

"You're not just talking PlayStation and Xbox and all this, you're talking about PCs, you're talking about, the whole gaming world, eSports, how interested everyone is in it," Cahill said.

HyperMotion is only available on the newer gaming consoles and Google's streaming platform, Stadia.

FIFA 22 with HyperMotion technology is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Stadia on October 1. The standard FIFA 22 game will also be available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.

Two divers have recounted a terrifying encounter with a pack of hungry sharks while spearfishing off the coast of Western Australia.

Chris Hodgkinson and Nick Hoad were diving for mackerel 16km off the coast of Dirk Hartog Island, in the coincidentally named Shark Bay World Heritage Area.

In their video, shared exclusively with 9News, one of the men shoots a nice fish, attracting a shark instantly.

READ MORE: Parents of shark attack victim thank first responders

But as the shark pulls away with the fish in its mouth, the shooting line of Mr Hoad's gun becomes entangled around his neck.

As he furiously fights to release the tension on the line a second shark then comes and bites at his ankles as he kicks away.

Mr Hodgkinson was also fending off sharks, capturing on film the moment a bull shark bit into his speargun, sinking its teeth into the rubbers.

The pair managed to clamber into their boat unharmed, escaping a feeding frenzy of an estimated dozen sharks including bull sharks and tiger sharks.

READ MORE: Sharks circle surfers as they feed on fish in bait ball off Bondi

Veteran shark researcher Hugh Edwards told 9News that the two men could have been seriously injured.

"Because they bite on the leg, that's where the arteries are – and the victim can bleed to death before he or she gets out of the water," Mr Edwards said.

As for the two divers, they are reflective but unphased by the ordeal.

"Things could've gone a lot worse, but I guess things could've been a lot better as well," Mr Hoad said.

Touching down in Tokyo for the Olympics Games it's clear there is one thing missing: excitement.

No big mascots at the airports dancing when you step off the plane, no bands playing, no media throng descending on the athletes as they walk through the gates.

In its place there are reams of paperwork to navigate, a COVID-19 saliva test upon arrival and apps you must download on your phone so authorities can trace your every move.

Welcome to the Olympics in the pandemic era.

READ MORE: Olympic Village workers test positive for COVID-19 in Tokyo

I have been fortunate enough to cover five previous Olympic Games, and every one of those had their own challenges.

Athens almost didn't get finished on time, Beijing and London had threats of terrorism, while crime ran rampant in Rio.

Sydney had its obstacles too, but staged before the events of 9/11, it was one giant care-free street party we can only dream of today.

Tokyo though will be a Games like no other.

READ MORE: Delayed Olympics video game releases in Australia

On the day we arrive the city is plunged back into its fourth state of emergency as it battles another surge in COVID cases.

Restaurants, bars and clubs are forced to shut at 8pm and the sale of alcohol in many businesses is banned. The party is over before it even began.

After touching down in Tokyo, It takes us three hours to get through the airport and past all the strict protocols before we can finally head to the hotel.

No one is exempt from these procedures, including the athletes.

Japan is doing everything it can to keep more cases from coming into the country.

Just like the athletes we have to head straight to our accommodation.

READ MORE: Palaszczuk not travelling to Tokyo 'would be a disaster'

For the next two weeks we can only be in our hotel or at a designated Olympic site.

Lunch and dinner is from the nearby mini-mart we are allowed to frequent for 15 minutes. Covid tests are daily.

Athletes are confined to the village, and will fly out straight after their events.

But despite all the rules and regulations, they are just happy the Games are on, one year after they were postponed.

READ MORE: Professor says upcoming Olympics will be 'very different'

Australian sailor Nia Jerwood, competing in her first Olympics at 23, is on our near-empty plane into Tokyo.

"They are there to keep us safe, and I'm just here to do the best I can in the sport" she says of the protocols.

Jerwood says she is not bothered by competing in front of empty stands.

"I'm a sailor so I don't really mind … I'm just relieved to be here competing" she says.

There might be no crowds, no parties, no clubs, no fun, but for these athletes just being here in Tokyo is a victory in itself.

Four people have been fined more than $4000 each after travelling from Sydney to Queensland and providing false information when entering the state.

Maritime Safety Queensland has told 9News they investigated the "serious breach" on the Gold Coast last week, which involved the superyacht 'Dreamtime'.

The vessel and its four crew members had previously been in Sydney's COVID-19 hotspot-declared Northern Beaches before travelling to Southport last Wednesday, initially claiming it was just a stopover.

READ MORE: Queensland to ease restrictions after zero new local COVID-19 cases

The crew also attended the Australia vs France rugby test match at Suncorp Stadium on the day of their arrival.

Queensland authorities became suspicious of the crew and obtained CCTV footage from their origin point in Sydney – revealing the crew getting on and off the docked boat for two weeks.

9News understands the vessel is used as a charter boat at the cost of $70,000 a week.

"The four people on board the vessel gave false and misleading information before and after entering Queensland from a New South Wales COVID-19 hotspot," Maritime Safety Queensland General Manager Angus Mitchell said.

The four people included the 44-year-old superyacht owner, his 59-year-old personal assistant, the superyacht's 54-year-old captain and a 55-year-old engineer.

"The crew underwent urgent COVID-19 testing and thankfully returned negative results, particularly given their significant interactions within the Queensland community on arrival," Mr Mitchell said.

All four crew members have since been ordered into hotel quarantine on the Gold Coast and have issued Penalty Infringement Notices for $4135 by Maritime Safety Queensland for failing to comply with a public health direction giving information that is not true and correct.

Authorities have also told 9News this isn't an isolated incident, with two other boats travelling from Sydney being caught in the state illegally within the past two weeks.

A plane that crashed into the ocean off Hawaii has been found, with photos revealing the destruction the impact wreaked.

Both pilots escaped the Boeing 737 when it crashed last week as they were trying to return to the airport in Honolulu.

The pilots had reported losing power in one engine and being concerned about the other engine also failing.

READ MORE: Pilots rescued, one critical after plane crashes into ocean off Hawaii

After a search, the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday released some images of the plane torn to pieces on the bottom of the ocean.

The 46-year-old plane was operated by Rhoades Aviation as Transair Flight 810.

It was scheduled to fly from Honolulu to Kahului, Hawaii, but went into the ocean several kilometres offshore, according to authorities.

READ MORE: 'No survivors' as wreckage of missing plane carrying 28 found in Russia

Both pilots, the only people on board, were seriously injured and were clinging to packages and the tail of the plane when they were rescued by the US Coast Guard.

The investigation is continuing, with the pilots being interviewed.

With Associated Press.

Australia's vaccine advisory body is considering changing its advice on the AstraZeneca jab, given the worsening situation in Sydney.

Mass vaccination clinics in New South Wales will start giving the AstraZeneca vaccine to people under 40.

The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) had previously recommended the jab be limited to people over 60, due to concerns of very rare blood clots.

READ MORE: Six-day coronavirus exposure alert for two Fairfield businesses

In a statement to 9News, the Department of Health said ATAGI had met today to discuss the vaccine.

"(ATAGI) continues to review its advice around AstraZeneca, along with updating materials and advice for health practitioners," the statement read.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg also met with Federal Cabinet ministers on Monday night to talk about providing more financial and mental health support for Australians subject to lockdowns which last more than two weeks.

The New South Wales treasury is designing an "easy to access" business cash flow boost which the Commonwealth will jointly fund.

READ MORE: Two COVID-positive people entered Victoria from NSW

"We're expecting some final proposals to come up later this evening, and then of course the Premier and I and Treasurers will meet again, I think we're getting pretty close," Mr Morrison said.

"We're moving swiftly but you've got to make sure you get that design right so that it's simple, very simple for businesses, and it's rapid."

An emergency health support package was announced by the Federal Government today.

READ MORE: Rudd says letter to Pfizer not part of 'botched' vaccine program

It will deliver one million surgical masks, 250,000 gloves and 250,000 gowns to seven primary health networks across Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, the Hunter Valley and New England.

"The stresses that families, workers, businesses are facing are really significant," Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

"These are supports to assist people through the difficult, challenging lockdown period.

"We've done this before, we've done this nationally, we've done this in other states and territories."

Minister Hunt said 6.8 million people have had a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, translating to 33 per cent of the nation.