The men set off late in the day on inner tubes in only light clothing.

A spate of oyster thefts has inspired a warning from police on the dangers of buying cheap seafood in the lead-up to Christmas.

The Rural Crime Prevention Team inspected 13 oyster leases on the NSW South Coast including the Clyde River in Batemans Bay, the Bermagui River at Wapengo and the Wagonga Inlet in Narooma in a four-day operation from Friday until yesterday, after recent oyster thefts.

Their investigation also included water patrols, checking boat safety equipment and recreational fishing licenses and will continue across the summer period.

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While too-good-to-be-true prices may be tempting, oysters sold outside of reputable sellers could be dangerous, Detective Sergeant Michael Calleja said.

"It's not worth the risk," Calleja said.

"Not only is it illegal, but it may not be good for your health.

"Illegal sellers are not bound by strict health requirements, making the oysters potentially unsafe to consume."

Oyster theft can carry penalties of up to $275,000 or even imprisonment.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers, Fishers Watch or report online via the DPI website.

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A USstate judge has accepted plea agreements for the owners of a Colorado funeral home for the abuse of 191 corpses, many of which languished in a room-temperature building for years, over the objections of relatives of the victims.

Authorities say Carie and Jon Hallford, who owned and operated Return to Nature Funeral Home in Colorado Springs, maintained a lavish lifestyle and gave fake ashes to some families of the dead over four years.

The latest plea agreements would have Jon Hallford sentenced to between 30 and 50 years and Carie Hallford to between 25 and 35 years. The sentences would be served at the same time as their prison terms for related federal charges.

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Victims’ family members wanted each of them sentenced to 191 years — which would include one year for each victim.

Some also said the Hallfords shouldn't be able to serve both the state and federal sentences at the same time.

Jon Hallford is scheduled to be sentenced on February 6, Carie Hallford is set to be sentenced April 24.

A statement by a group of victims’ family members had said they wanted to have the cases proceed to trial.

“This case is not about convenience or efficiency,” said Crystina Page, whose son’s body was among those found.

“It is about human beings who were treated as disposable.

"Accepting a plea agreement sends the message that this level of abuse is negotiable. We reject that message.”

Kelly Schloesser said her mother, Mary Lou Ehrlich, looked peaceful after she died in 2022, but her final memories have been haunted after learning a year later that Ehrlich's body had been left to decompose.

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“I apologise to my mother every day for trusting these people,” she told state District Judge Eric Bentley.

Lawyers for both Hallford urged Bentley to accept the plea agreements, which will also ban them from working in the funeral home industry.

Carie Hallford’s lawyer, Beau Worthington, noted that she would be eligible to be sentenced to probation if she was convicted after a trial.

In a rare decision, Bentley earlier this year rejected previous plea agreements that called for up to 20 years in prison, with family members of the deceased saying the proposed punishments were too lenient.

Bentley praised families of the victims for their advocacy in court, which he said resulted in the sentence ranges being lengthened dramatically.

“These are really meaningful changes from where I sit,” he said.

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Bentley said he could not legally stack the state sentences on top of the federal ones because that would amount to punishing the Hallfords twice for the same conduct.

The Hallfords are accused of dumping bodies and giving families fake ashes between 2019 and 2023.

Investigators have described finding the bodies in 2023 stored atop each other in a bug-infested building in Penrose, a small town about a two-hour drive south of Denver.

The scene was horrific, officials said, with bodies stacked atop each other in various states of decay — some having been there for four years.

While Jon Hallford was accused of dumping the bodies, authorities said Carie Hallford was the face of the funeral home.

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During a hearing in November, Bentley said he considered the need for deterrence in rejecting the plea agreement.

Colorado, for many years, had some of the weakest funeral home industry regulations in the nation, leading to numerous abuse cases involving fake ashes, fraud, and even the illegal selling of body parts.

In August, authorities announced that during their first inspection of a funeral home owned by the county coroner in Pueblo, Colorado, they found 24 decomposing corpses behind a hidden door.

That investigation is pending as authorities have reported slow progress in identifying corpses that, in some cases, have languished for more than a decade.

The Return to Nature case has helped trigger reforms, including routine inspections.

The Hallfords also have admitted in federal court to defrauding the US Small Business Administration of nearly $US900,000 ($1.34 million) in pandemic-era aid and taking payments from customers for cremations the funeral home never performed.

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Sales of the Suzuki Fronx in New Zealand have been halted while fixes are sought.

Four arrests made by police as part of ongoing Gisborne homicide inquiry.

Eight of the Queenstown site’s 10 driving range bays and the putting green reopened today.

Illegal or modified e-scooters and e-bikes can void insurance coverage and pose serious fire risks, authorities have warned.

With electronic devices likely to be a popular gift under the tree this Christmas, the Insurance Council of Australia is urging buyers to purchase from reputable suppliers.

Lithium-ion battery devices can ignite from overcharging, physical damage, heat exposure and manufacturing defects.

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There have been 303 lithium-ion battery-related incidents so far this year across the state, 106 of them involving "e-micromobility devices" such as scooters or bikes.

And if the device is illegal, like those modified after purchase, they may not be covered by home and contents insurance policies.

It may also impact public liability cover if the rider or a third party is injured or third-party property is damaged.

"We are now too regularly seeing fires caused by owners who are careless using, charging, and storing their devices, resulting in serious injuries and damage to assets and property," ICA CEO Andrew Hall said.

"We encourage anyone with an e-bike or e-scooter to have a discussion with their insurer to ensure they have the appropriate coverage they need."

Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said choosing reputable brands and using the charger that came with it could help avoid incidents.

"Unfortunately, we've seen how lithium-ion battery fires have led to fatalities and we've seen other people lose their homes and all their possessions due to such blazes," he said.

"Christmas is a really exciting time of the year. We want people to enjoy that time with their families. We don't want things to go wrong."

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British authorities have charged a man with repeatedly drugging and raping a woman who is now his ex-wife over a 13-year period, officials said Monday.

Five other men have been charged with sexual offences against the same woman.

Philip Young, 49, has been charged with 56 offences, including multiple counts of rape and administering a substance with intent to “stupefy” Joanne Young, 48, between 2010 and 2023, the Crown Prosecution Service and Wiltshire Police said in a joint statement.

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While British law automatically protects the identity of the victims of sexual crimes, Joanne Young has voluntarily waived this right.

“She has asked to be named in this press release and is being supported by specially trained officers and partner agencies,” the agencies said in their statement.

It was not clear from the statement when the Youngs divorced.

Philip Young remains in custody while the five other suspects have been released on bail, police said.

All six men charged are set to appear at Swindon Magistrates’ Court in southwest England on Tuesday.

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Tasmanians could enjoy a mid-summer White Christmas – depending on where they live.

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast snowfalls above 800m for tomorrow, and above 700m for December 25.

These altitudes are much lower than normal, particularly for summer, so it won't just be adventurous hikers who could enjoy it.

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Weatherzone said small towns like Miena (elevation 1052m) next to Tasmania's Great Lake, could cop falls.

Even Hobart's Kunanyi (1271m summit) could see some snow.

But lower down, the precipitation is set to turn to chilly rain, with some small hail mixed in.

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Hobart is looking at a top of 15 degrees on Christmas Day, with overnight lows of 8 degrees.

Despite the lower temperatures, UV ratings are high, with sun protection recommended from 9am to 5.20pm.

Weatherzone reported that brief snowfalls were not abnormal for Tasmania's highest elevations in summer, with falls recorded even a week ago.

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"While the cold fronts that circulate the Southern Ocean tend to slip southwards during the Australian summer, the occasional pool of unstable polar air is always a chance to push northwards at this time of year," the weather reporting site said.

"That's what will occur this week, and it's largely thanks to the jet stream – the swift-moving 'river' of air high in the atmosphere which generally blows from west to east."

But the cold air is set to stay mostly south of the mainland.

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Victorian travellers have been warned about rising cases of a mosquito-borne infection that can lead to severe symptoms lasting months.

There have been recent detections of the Ross River virus in Wellington and Gippsland in multiple mosquito traps in recent weeks.

With more visitors expected over the holidays and warmer weather leading to increased mosquito breeding, the Department of Health advised everyone to take precautions.

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This includes wearing long and loose-fitting clothing, using mosquito repellent, screens and coils, camping away from the edge of rivers and lakes and limiting time outdoors when mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk.

Local councils are implementing mosquito control operations on their land, but mosquito levels can be hard to manage.

Ross River virus is common in Australia and particularly rampant in inland waterways and coastal regions.

It is caused by an alphavirus and is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito.

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Symptoms include fever, joint pain and swelling, muscle aches, fatigue or rash and can occur within days, weeks or months from the time of infection.

There is no vaccine or specific treatment for Ross River virus.

The Department of Health said preventing mosquito bites is the most effective way to reduce the risk of infection, and anyone who develops symptoms should seek advice from their GP.

Epidemics of the virus can occur but are related to the environment and whether it encourages mosquito breeding, including heavy rainfall, floods, high tides and moderate temperatures.

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