Environment Canterbury logged 210 odour complaints in 24 hours.

The family of a young lawyer fatally mowed down on a weekend morning will not get justice over the tragedy after the driver allegedly behind the wheel died.

Zisi Kokotatsios had been accused of illegally using his phone when going to collect a passenger about 4am on March 17, 2024.

He allegedly ran over 28-year-old lawyer Mitch East while driving through Tamarama in Sydney's east and failed to stop to help.

READ MORE: Man reported critical in shooting involving US Border Patrol

Emergency services were called and attempted to revive East, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kokotatsios was expected to go to trial after pleading not guilty to dangerous driving occasioning death, and failing to stop and assist after a vehicle impact causing death.

On Friday, Downing Centre District Court was told the 65-year-old had passed away.

The criminal charges against him – which included two backup charges of negligent driving occasioning death and illegally using a mobile phone while driving – have been withdrawn and the case dismissed.

He died on November 11 with a funeral held at Rookwood Cemetery later that month, according to an online death notice.

Kokotatsios's criminal matter experienced numerous delays after his arrest in March 2024.

READ MORE: Scientists set a new time for the Doomsday Clock

He eventually pleaded not guilty at the Downing Centre Local Court about 16 months later.

A trial set for August was set but then postponed. A new trial date was yet to be locked in.

His alleged victim, East, graduated from Harvard Law School in 2022, according to his LinkedIn profile.

At the time of his death, he worked at Sydney law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler after beginning his legal career in his native New Zealand.

An email to the firm's staff following his death described East as a highly talented lawyer and a popular and valued member of the firm, whose loss would be deeply felt.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

A former French senator has been found guilty in a high-profile drug-facilitated sexual assault case after spiking a lawmaker's drink with MDMA.

Joël Guerriau, 68, stood trial for putting the drug commonly known as ecstasy into a glass of champagne he served to Sandrine Josso in November 2023. Guerriau has acknowledged serving her a drink containing the drug, but says it was an accident.

A Paris court sentenced him to one-and-a-half years in prison, an additional suspended sentence and a ban on holding elected office.

READ MORE: Interest rate hammer blow 'locked and loaded' for millions of Aussies

Josso, 50, has since become a leading voice on the issue, helping spearhead a parliamentary investigation into drug-related crimes.

The case also comes more than a year after France was shaken by a mass rape trial that made Gisèle Pelicot a symbol of the fight against sexual violence.

Here’s what to know about the case that brought national attention to drug-facilitated assault in France.

Guerriau accused of spiking drink with MDMA

Josso, a centrist member of the National Assembly, told the court that the centre-right senator invited her to his Paris apartment for what she believed was a re-election celebration. The two had known each other for years and were on friendly terms.

She said she quickly began feeling unwell after drinking champagne, suffering heart palpitations and uncontrollable shaking.

Josso left the apartment, took a taxi and went to a hospital, where blood tests revealed a substantial quantity of MDMA — far higher than levels typically associated with recreational use.

“I want the truth to come out. It’s important to me,” Josso told the court.

READ MORE: David Littleproud to face leadership spill after splitting Coalition

She later took medical and psychological leave. When she returned to the National Assembly two months later, she publicly recounted the incident.

“I went to a friend’s house to celebrate his reelection. I came out terrified,” she told lawmakers.

“I discovered an assailant. I then realised that I had been drugged without knowing it. That’s what we call drug-facilitated assault.”

Guerriau has denied any intent to drug or assault her.

Ex-senator denies intention to drug lawmaker

Guerriau told the court he made a “very serious” mistake that led him to serve Josso a drugged drink.

“I feel really sorry for Sandrine. That’s something I never wanted,” he said. “I hope one day she’ll forgive me.”

He said another senator had given him MDMA months earlier to help cope with depression and anxiety, though he refused to name the lawmaker.

Guerriau said he had put the white powder into a glass intended for himself the night before but did not use it, then mistakenly served the same glass to Josso the next day.

READ MORE: 'Take responsibility': Scott Morrison calls for reform to Islamic teachings

“Things happened very, very quickly. I did not think about it,” he said, acknowledging his “ignorance” about MDMA and what he called his “stupidity.”

Guerriau remained in the Senate for nearly two years after being charged despite calls for his resignation. He stepped down in October, presenting the move as political and unrelated to the case.

Investigators testified that Guerriau had searched online for information about drugs, including ecstasy, in connection with rape about a month before the incident. Guerriau said the research was part of his work as a senator.

“I never intended to commit an assault or harm Ms. Josso. I am devastated,” he told the court.

The case echoes landmark Pelicot trial

Less than a year after the senator's case broke out, France was rocked by Gisèle Pelicot’s case, which put a worldwide spotlight on drug-facilitated sexual abuse.

Pelicot’s ex-husband and 50 other men were convicted of sexually assaulting her while she was under chemical submission between 2011 and 2020.

The harrowing and unprecedented trial exposed how pornography, chat rooms and men’s indifference to — or hazy understanding of — consent is fueling rape culture.

However, even after the Pelicot trial, France is still just starting to reckon with such crimes.

Drugging a person to commit rape or sexual assault is punishable by up to five years in prison, compared to a maximum sentence of 10 years for drug possession.

READ MORE: 'Doesn't make any sense': Forgotten HECS detail delaying money in your pocket

Josso became a major figure in France's fight against drug-related sexual assault, joining an association set up by Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian.

The lawmaker co-authored a parliamentary report about drug-facilitated sexual abuse which calls for “taking action against the scourge that was ignored for too long."

The report noted a lack of statistics and information on the phenomenon in the country and stressed authorities' failure to provide victims with efficient means to do blood and other analysis especially overnight and in remote areas.

In the wake of the Pelicot trial, France adopted a new law in October 2025 defining rape and other sexual assault as any non-consensual sexual act. Until then, rape was defined under French law as penetration or oral sex using “violence, coercion, threat or surprise.”

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Police are appealing for help to identify a man following an alleged sexual act on a train in Sydney's west.

Police received a report of a sexual act towards a man, which allegedly occurred on a train between St Mary's and Mt Druitt about 1.40pm on December 23 last year. 

Following an investigation, police have released CCTV and a description of a man who they believe can help with inquiries.

READ MORE: Amazon Australia takes first steps in fresh food delivery after teaming up with major supermarket

He has been described as being of Asian appearance and medium build, aged between 20 and 25, with medium-length straight hair.

He was last spotted wearing a black tank top, black Puma shorts and black shoes.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make an online report.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Nationals leader David Littleproud will face a spill next week, less than a fortnight after pulling his party from the federal Coalition.

MP Colin Boyce announced this morning that he will challenge Littleproud for the leadership of their party, describing the decision to split the Coalition for the second time in a year as "political suicide".

"I will be moving a spill motion on Monday afternoon in the Nationals partyroom to give my colleagues an option," he told Sky News.

READ MORE: New inflation data deals hammer blow to millions of Aussies

"Because the reality is, if they follow the course they're on now, they are going over a political cliff…

"I will be standing for the leadership."

While Sussan Ley's position as Liberal leader is considered tenuous following the Coalition split, with conservative rivals Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor both eyeing off her position, Littleproud's judgement has also been drawn into question.

He and the rest of the Nationals' shadow ministry resigned en masse from the front bench last week after Ley accepted the resignation of three of the party's senators for voting against shadow cabinet solidarity.

READ MORE: Australian dollar cracks 70 US cents on climb to three-year high

The following day, while Ley didn't hold any media appearances due to the national day of mourning for the Bondi terror attack, Littleproud denied cabinet solidarity had been breached, labelled the Coalition "untenable", and said the Nationals would sit on their own in parliament.

Littleproud faced a challenge at the start of this term, when he defeated Senator Matt Canavan in a leadership ballot following last year's federal election.

There is no guarantee Boyce's spill will amount to a full-blown challenge, as a majority of the party room needs to support the motion before candidates can nominate for the leadership.

Canavan has all but ruled out a repeat challenge this time, telling the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age Boyce's spill was news to him.

READ MORE: Pauline Hanson leaps ahead of Sussan Ley as preferred prime minister

"I see no reason to change our team now," he said.

However, Boyce, who has been in federal parliament since 2022, said the Nationals needed to change direction, and remain in the Coalition to challenge the increasing threat from One Nation.

"David has made some bad decisions recently," he said.

"He's upset just about everybody you could possibly upset…

"(Re-establishing the Coalition) is the most viable way forward for the National Party, for the Liberal Party and for wider conservative politics."

In a statement, Littleproud said he respected Boyce's right to voice his opinion, but defended his leadership.

"I stand by my record as leader of the Nationals and what our partyroom has achieved, through important policy work and standing up for regional, rural and remote Australia," he said.

The Nationals held all of its House of Representatives seats at the last election.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

The federal government's 20 per cent HECS reduction scheme has resulted in some Australian taxpayers inadvertently losing unnecessary money from their paycheques.

Nearly three million Australians have an average of $5500 in HECS debts owing to the government – and this debt is paid off slowly through compulsory repayments.

The relief was applied to balances that were still active on June 1, 2025 and has helped some taxpayers clear their debt after years.

READ MORE: Scientists set a new time for the Doomsday Clock

But if you've forgotten to tell your employer to stop garnishing your wages for fully-paid HECS debts, you might need to act fast.

Director of Tax Communication at H&R Block Mark Chapman told nine.com.au that Australians who don't stop redundant repayments are essentially giving the federal government a no-strings-attached loan.

"If you do overpay, the money isn't lost, but you won't actually see it again until tax time," Chapman explained.

"You have to lodge your tax return, and at that point, the ATO will repay it. But that does mean that there will be quite a lengthy delay.

"You're basically just using the money to make a free loan to the government, which doesn't make any sense."

Australian pool manager Maddie paid off her $12,000 HECS debt late last year.

She told nine.com.au the 20 per cent reduction shaved off around $2500 from her balance, meaning she could make one voluntary payment and reduce it to zero.

Maddie hasn't told her employer about paying it off yet.

"There's very little clear or accessible information about paying off HECS – especially about what steps to take once it's fully cleared," she said.

"The lack of guidance makes it confusing and easy to miss important steps."

She expects a hefty tax return come June 30.

READ MORE: Alex Pretti's sister slams 'disgusting lies' as ICE shooting backlash grows

HECS debt repayments don't automatically stop even if you log onto MyGov and find the balance has reached zero, Chapman said.

You need to fill out a tax form called a "withholding declaration", which indicates to your employer that you no longer have a HECS debt.

It's as simple as ticking the box "no" on the form when it asks if you have a Higher Education Loan Program (HELP), VET Student Loan (VSL), Financial Supplement (FS), Student Start-up Loan (SSL) or an Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan (AASL) debt.

Once this has been lodged, your next weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay will be a little bigger.

This figure will vary depending on your salary and what your regular contributions were.

For example, anyone earning between $67,001 and $15,000 pays 15c for each dollar over $67000.

READ MORE: Lives, homes at risk as bushfire threat surges after Victoria's hottest day

"Say you're having $500 taken out of your salary each month to pay your HECS bill. If your HECS bill is no longer there, that $500 is paid to you in extra cash," Chapman added.

"If you told your employer that the HECS debt is gone, that immediately puts more money into your pocket.

"If you haven't yet, it's not something to panic about, but you should always make sure that you do actually notify your employer as soon as possible because that just makes financial sense for you."

If your HECS debt has reduced to a small amount, Chapman said it is important to clear it to zero before filling out the withholding declaration form.

"If it is a bigger balance, that will actually cost you in terms of additional indexation," Chapman said.

"Your tax agent will be able to give you specific advice regarding your particular circumstances."

Maddie said it feels like a financial burden has been lifted from her shoulders after years of compulsory payments.

"Even though I didn't finish my degree, carrying a HECS debt of over $12,000 was something that weighed on me," she said.

"Paying it off feels like a massive relief. I no longer feel guilty about leaving university, and mentally it feels like closing a chapter.

"Financially, it means I can focus more on travelling and future goals without the ongoing pressure of student debt hanging over me."

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.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Airports across Asia are bringing in tighter screening measures after an untreatable and usually fatal disease was detected in India.

Two people have contracted Nipah virus, a zoonotic illness spread by fruit bats.

Another 196 contacts have been tested for the disease in West Bengal province, the Minister of Health said in a statement.

READ MORE: Melania Trump's $57 million documentary on track to bomb

"A total of 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases have been identified, traced, monitored, and tested," the statement read.

"All traced contacts have been found asymptomatic and have tested negative for Nipah Virus Disease.

"The situation is under constant monitoring, and all necessary public health measures are in place."

Between 40 and 75 per cent of people infected by the virus do not survive, the UK Health Security Agency said.

"Some survivors may be left with lasting neurological difficulties, including persistent seizures and personality changes," the agency said in a statement.

"In rare cases, the virus can reactivate months or even years after the initial infection."

While fruit bats are natural hosts of the virus, it is capable of spreading to pigs, dogs, cats, goats, horses and sheep. 

The virus can be spread from animals to humans or person-to-person via contaminated food.

READ MORE: Has Trump really ended eight wars? Fact-checking the president's claim

The virus can often survive in fruit or fruit juice, which has been contaminated with the bodily fluids of infected bats.

The most common examples stem from the consumption of raw date palm sap.

There are documented cases of the spread of the virus between infected patients and those taking care of them.

In humans, symptoms typically appear between four and 21 days after infection.

When the symptoms do appear, they can be sudden.

Flu-like symptoms, fever and pneumonia can develop.

But the virus also commonly causes meningitis or encephalitis (swelling of the brain), conditions which are often fatal.

There is no vaccination or treatment for the virus.

READ MORE: The most power-hungry appliances in your house

Previous outbreaks have occurred in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and other parts of India.

Hong Kong has announced that passengers arriving from India will be screened for the virus.

"Hong Kong has the ability to detect infections of unknown causes and emerging infectious diseases at boundary control points and in hospitals," Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection Controller Dr Edwin Tsui said.

An earlier statement from Australia's Department of Agriculture said it was possible for virus from fruit bats to move into the country from South East Asia.

"Australia is currently free of Nipah virus, however, an incursion of this virus would have serious consequences for both animal and human health," the statement read.

"Over one million pigs were slaughtered in Malaysia in an attempt to control this disease."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Dramatic new footage has shown police tackling a man accused of stealing an e-bike on the Gold Coast.

Police allege the bike was stolen on Friday morning when it was parked by its owner at Currumbin Surf Life Saving Club.

On Monday, the 46-year-old owner spotted his bike being ridden along Marine Parade at Coolangatta, calling police.

READ MORE: Northern Territory students required to sing national anthem

Footage shows the bike being ridden by a man in a white singlet and shorts.

Police said the man was a 31-year-old from Tweed Heads in New South Wales.

One female police officer managed to get close enough to the man, and tackled him to the ground whilst he was riding the bike.

READ MORE: 'Barbaric' dingo cull in the wake of Piper James' death 'won't save anyone'

Video seen by 9news.com.au shows the man hitting the ground, and injuring one of his fingers caught in the frame of the e-bike.

The man was attended to by police and paramedics for up to an hour, and 9news.com.au understands the man's finger might have to be amputated as part of treatment.

"The man was transported to hospital for treatment," a Queensland Police spokesperson told 9news.com.au, confirming he was also arrested at the scene.

READ MORE: Pauline Hanson leaps ahead of Sussan Ley as preferred prime minister

Bystanders praised the female police officer for her intervention, with one man saying: "This girl here, you deserve a medal!

"That was a great arrest."

Investigations are continuing, but the man is yet to be formally charged by police.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

A new movie is coming out starring one of the world's most famous people, but it doesn't seem like anyone cares.

Amazon's MGM Studios shelled out $57 million for the rights to Melania, a documentary about First Lady Melania Trump.

But days before its release, Australian audiences appear completely disinterested.

READ MORE: Enormous bruise spotted on Donald Trump's hand

At its one screening this Friday at Sydney's Hoyts Warringah Mall, not a single ticket has been sold. In Cronulla, one person is going.

At three cinemas in Melbourne, nobody has reserved a seat. Two tickets have been sold at a fourth.

Most people don't buy movie tickets several days ahead of time, so the true reception won't be known until Friday.

But a lack of pre-sales does indicate a lack of interest. 

The colossal sum is way beyond what movie studios usually pay for a documentary. 

READ MORE: Donald Trump appears to mix up Greenland and Iceland four times

Cynics have suggested the bidding war between big Hollywood players for the film stemmed from a desire to curry favour with the administration.

In the US, the movie is opening in more than 1500 cinemas.

The Hollywood Reporter cites sources claiming Amazon has spent another $50 million on promoting the film.

But even the most generous projections of how the film will fare at the box office indicates Amazon is set to lose tens of millions of dollars on the project.

President Donald Trump is spruiking the project on his social media platform Truth Social.

"MELANIA, the Movie is a MUST WATCH," he said.

"Get your tickets today – Selling out, FAST!"

READ MORE: Barron Trump may have saved woman's life, court hears

The minute-long trailer of the film shows Mrs Trump walking into various events and generally looking glamorous.

"Here we go again," she said to the camera at the start of the trailer.

But the trailer does not reveal much about the First Lady herself, who, despite her many public appearances, lives a relatively private life.

The documentary was shot in the 20 days leading up to the second Trump inauguration.

A premiere for the movie is set for the recently renamed Trump-Kennedy Centre tomorrow.

The film was directed by Brett Ratner, the Hollywood filmmaker behind blockbuster hits like Red Dragon, X-Men: The Last Stand and the Rush Hour franchise.

Melania is his first movie since six women accused him of sexual misconduct in 2017.

He is now working on Rush Hour 4 at the behest of Donald Trump.

READ MORE: Has Trump really ended eight wars? Fact-checking the president's claim

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play

• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here

• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here

Experts have called the decision to euthanise the dingoes found surrounding the body of Canadian backpacker Piper James a "barbaric" band-aid solution that won't work.

James, 19, was found dead on the Queensland island of K'gari, formerly Fraser Island, last week.

An autopsy gave inconclusive results as to her cause of death, but did reveal evidence of pre- and post-mortem dingo bites on James' body.

READ MORE: US sending ICE unit to Winter Olympics for security, prompting concern in Italy

Days later, the Department of the Environment and Tourism in Queensland said they would euthanise the dingoes involved after observing "aggressive behaviour".

Ecosystem biologist and wildlife cinematographer Dr Daniel Hunter said the cull is nonsensical and amounts to killing dingoes for behaving like predators.

"It's a band-aid solution and it hasn't addressed the problem, which is really poor education and tourists basically doing whatever they want to do," he told 9news.com.au.

Hunter has spent months observing dingoes in Australia and has found that most are wary of human interaction.

The small population on K'gari, however, have become accustomed to encountering tourists and may associate them with food found at campsites.

Being overexposed to humans has made the dingoes on K'gari more comfortable getting close and that can be dangerous – or deadly.

READ MORE: Man reported critical in shooting involving US Border Patrol

Hunter acknowledged the tragedy of James' death but said "something like this was always going to happen, it was just a matter of when".

But a cull won't prevent it from happening again.

"There really is no good that can come from the cull," Hunter said.

"It's quite barbaric and primitive and shows that we haven't actually listened to traditional owners or the best science available."

He's not the only expert who feels that way.

Dr Mathew Crowther, professor of Quantitative Conservation Biology in the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Sydney, called the cull unwise.

"It was undertaken without consultation with the Butchulla people or experts in dingo biology," he said, via Scimex.

"Culling will do little to prevent aggressive behaviour, as it does not address the underlying causes of dingo–human conflict."

Associate Professor Bill Bateman, from the Behaviour and Ecology Research Group in the School of Molecular and Life Sciences at Curtin University, agreed.

"It is unlikely that culling the dingo pack will have any effect other than driving down the dingo population on K'gari," he said.

And that could have devastating impacts in the short- and long-term.

The dingo population on K'gari is already small and its genetic diversity is low, meaning the cull could pose a very real threat to its long-term survival.

Euthanising the dingoes involved could also destabilise pack structures on the island, especially if one or more dominant animals are put down.

The cull could also have a flow-on effect on other wildlife on the island.

"You can't just take out the top predator and expect there to be no ecological repercussions," Hunter said.

READ MORE: TGA approves Apple Watch's hypertension-detecting feature for Australians

He's calling for education instead of euthanasia.

A cull won't change the behaviour of an apex predator, but education can change how humans interact with them.

"I actually think there should be some kind of mandatory education before you enter the island," Hunter said.

"Whether that be on the ferry with a ranger that discusses the situation with respect to dingoes and camping and staying safe … I think that could really help."

Other experts agree that education will go a long way towards making tourists safer on K'gari.

Crowther echoed the call for clearer, safer rules instead of lethal control, and Bateman suggested a cap on visitor numbers.

Hunter also advocated for increased consultation with local Indigenous groups on how best to manage dingo populations.

"The traditional owners of the land there have a really good understanding of how to interact with dingoes and how to respect them," he said.

"I think First Nations people should have a the majority say up there."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

• Download the 9NEWS App here via Apple and Google Play
• Make 9News your preferred source on Google by ticking this box here
• Sign up to our breaking newsletter here