A fire investigator has examined the scene, as police investigate a wilful damage report.

Passengers were “thrown forward” in their seats, with some adopting the brace position.

US President Donald Trump keeps posting what appears to be an AI-generated video of a man in a sombrero and moustache, but why?

Trump posted a 34-second snippet of Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaking at a press conference shortly after they met to negotiate a deal and avoid a government shutdown on Tuesday.

But he made some controversial changes to it.

READ MORE: The US government has been shut down. What does that mean, exactly?

Jeffries is wearing a fake sombrero and moustache while Schumer is speaking in a fake voice disparaging Democrats.

"There's no way to sugarcoat it: Nobody likes Democrats anymore," the fake voice says as mariachi music plays in the background.

Jeffries and Schumer are two outspoken Democrats who have dug their heels in trying to achieve an extension of healthcare benefits through federal funding.

The Republicans, who have falsely claimed the Democrats want the benefits for unauthorised immigrants from Latin America, have refused to grant or negotiate their request.

The impasse led to a government shutdown yesterday, on the first day of the US fiscal year.

https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1973537176471347593

Jefferies has described Trump's AI video as racist.

"Mr President, the next time you have something to say about me, don't cop out through a racist and fake AI video," he told reporters on Capitol Hill.

"When I'm back in the Oval Office, say it to my face."

An official government page reposted a clip of Jefferies' comments with the caption: "Oh no! Hakeem is BIG MAD!"

Trump has gone on to create yet another AI video of Jefferies, this time taking it from his interview with MSNBC about the initial video. 

https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1973218518893207825

Schumer accused Trump of treating a government shutdown as a joke.

"If you think your shutdown is a joke, it just proves what we all know: You can't negotiate. You can only throw tantrums," he wrote on X.

Today, the AI video was played on a loop to reporters in the White House briefing room as Vice President JD Vance and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fielded questions.

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Vance brushed off criticism over the video, saying it was a joke and he was unsure why it was seen as racist.

"I think it's funny. The president's joking, and we're having a good time," he said.

"You can negotiate in good faith while also poking a little bit of fun at some of the absurdities of the Democrats' positions and even poking some fun at the absurdity of the Democrats themselves."

Vance laughed as he urged Jefferies to reopen the government in exchange for the fake videos to stop.

"I'll tell Hakeem Jeffries right now, I make the solemn promise to you that if you help us reopen the government, the sombrero memes we'll stop," he said. 

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Leavitt addressed Trump's love for memes when she was asked after another AI-generated video he posted and later deleted about the medbed conspiracy.

"He likes to share memes, he likes to share videos, he likes to repost things that he sees other people post on social media as well," she said.

"I think it's quite refreshing that we have a president who is so open and honest directly."

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More than a quarter of large companies in Australia paid no income tax in 2023-24, including the parent company of embattled telco Optus, streaming behemoth Netflix, and a slew of energy giants.

New data released today by the Australian Taxation Office revealed the proportion of large companies has fallen to its lowest level on record, dipping to 28 per cent from 31 per cent the year before.

"For the first time since corporate tax transparency (CTT) reporting began, the amount of entities paying no tax has dropped below 30 per cent," ATO assistant commissioner Michelle Sams said. 

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"This is the lowest proportion of nil tax entities in eleven years of CTT reporting and in part reflects the continued efforts of the Tax Avoidance Taskforce in holding large corporates to account."

However, some companies that reported billions in income for the 2023-24 financial year didn't pay a cent in tax.

The group includes Optus' owner Singtel, which had $8.2 billion in income, Netflix, which had income of $1.18 billion, and energy and resources companies Santos ($8.21 billion), AGL ($12.81 billion), and EnergyAustralia ($7 billion).

The company with the most income that paid no tax was global food giant JBS, which earned $19.71 billion.

An entity earning significant amounts of income is no guarantee of it making a profit – Australia Post, for example, paid no tax on its $9.29 billion in income after posting an almost $90 million loss in 2023-24 – and paying no tax is not illegal.

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"There are legitimate reasons why a company may pay no income tax," Sams said.

"The Australian community can be assured we pay close attention to those who don't pay corporate tax and ensure that they are not gaming the system."

However, Greens Senator Nick McKim said the number of companies paying no tax was far too high, and was proof the system needs fixing.

"Almost one in three big corporations paid nothing. That's an economy-wide rip off," he said.

"You know the system is cooked when people going to work every day as nurses, cleaners or plumbers are paying more tax than nearly a third of big corporations.

"Working people don't get the option of skipping their tax bill."

At the other end of the spectrum, mining giants Rio Tinto, BHP and Fortescue were the biggest taxpayers, with bills of $6.25 billion, $6 billion and $3.93 billion respectively.

It was the third year in a row the mining industry paid more tax than all other sectors combined.

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The big four banks all paid in excess of $1 billion in tax, with Commonwealth Bank topping that list with $3.43 billion, and Telstra and Woolworths both a little over $750 million.

In total, large companies paid a combined $95.7 billion in income tax, down about $2 billion from the year before.

"While the tax paid by this population will reflect the economic conditions during the year, the overall trend is clear," Sams said. 

"The data continues to demonstrate the high levels of compliance amongst our largest corporates, which is what the Australian community expects.

"Australia has some of the highest levels of tax compliance of large business in the world."

Nine is the owner of streaming service Stan, a competitor to Netflix.

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A man accused of brutally murdering a father-of-two has been denied bail after being declared an unacceptable flight risk.

Emergency services were called to a home at Mount Tamborine, west of Queensland's Gold Coast, after midday on June 29, 2023.

They found 37-year-old Matthew Berry with fatal injuries to his head and upper body.

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Daniel Robert McJannett, of Paradise Point, was charged a week later with his murder.

He was also accused of stealing CCTV equipment from Berry's home and possessing a large amount of cannabis.

McJannett was a groomsman at Berry's wedding two years before the alleged killing.

The now-39-year-old faced the Queensland Supreme Court in Brisbane today via video-link to apply for bail on his own behalf.

Due to the seriousness of the charge, McJannett needed to show cause for why his detention was unjustified, Justice Peter Callaghan said.

"He has been convicted many times for drug-related offending and there is also a record for weapons offending," the judge said.

"There is nothing that suggests he was capable of the violence that attended the brutal murder for which he is now charged."

McJannett said he would look for work and "things like that" if he was granted bail, confirming he was a qualified glazier and crane operator.

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The 39-year-old should be denied release as he had a history of committing serious offences while on bail and parole, crown prosecutor Zachary Kaplan told the court.

"The case against him in relation to murder is a strong one," Kaplan said.

"When he is before the Supreme Court on trial it will mark the third time in 10 years he has been before the state's most significant court and now for the most serious offence in our criminal code."

The value of McJannett's pledge to attend counselling for "some unknown, untreated, undiagnosed and underlying feature" if granted bail was also questioned by the prosecution.

"That all casts the inevitable conclusion that Mr McJannett is an unacceptable risk of committing further offences," Kaplan said.

Justice Callaghan said McJannett had made valid submissions but even stringent bail conditions would not be suitable.

"He faces a potentially strong case and the consequences of conviction will be severe so his incentive to flee is high," he said.

"His record for drug offending by itself suggests he is a risk of further offences if granted bail."

Justice Callaghan refused bail and noted both McJannett and prosecutors wanted the case to proceed swiftly to trial.

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NSW Police is asking for public assistance after a body was found in a burnt out car in the state's north-west.

Emergency services responded to an SUV found on fire on the Kamilaroi Highway at Brewarrina, 787 kilometres from Sydney on Sunday morning.

A body was found in the burning wreck of the car, but it hasn't been identified yet.

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Detective Inspector Andrew Barnes said police are treating the death as suspicious and are asking anyone with information about it to come forward.

"Due to the circumstances surrounding the discovery of the body we are treating the death as suspicious," he said

"While we are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination, my detectives have been provided with information which indicates a possible identity of the deceased."

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The vehicle has been identified as being a green 1996-model Nissan Pathfinder station wagon with NSW registration CR21TG.

Checks have revealed the vehicle is unregistered.

Barnes stressed it is believed there is no ongoing risk to the public, and confirmed investigations were ongoing.

"I can confirm detectives have spoken with a number of people in the local area, and hope anyone with information – or dashcam vision – of the vehicle, or the person driving that vehicle before it was found alight on Sunday, to come forward," he said.

Anyone with information they believe can assist police is urged to contact Bourke Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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A man who deliberately swerved to kill two kangaroos with his ute after drinking with his mates has been spared a stint in prison.

Leo Boland drove his mother's Holden ute at speed and ran over two kangaroos while his passenger filmed the whole ordeal.

The 21-year-old from Balgowlah Heights in Sydney's northern beaches was sentenced today after killing the kangaroos on a dirt road at Running Stream, about 200km north-west of Sydney, in July 2024.

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Manly Local Court magistrate Daniel Reiss rejected Boland's pleas to escape conviction and said the facts of the case were "disturbing".

Boland deliberately swerved the car at high speed to kill the national icons even as they attempted to escape.

He then stopped the car near the dead body of one of the kangaroos, the agreed facts of the case state.

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Boland's lawyer cast the incident as a "moment of complete foolishness" and the young man should not be convicted, due to the embarrassment he felt.

Both Boland and his mother have been subjected to an "enormous amount of vile abuse on Facebook," Ben Clark said.

That argument was dismissed by the magistrate.

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The fact the 21-year-old ran down the kangaroos knowing his passenger was filming indicated he was happy to do it and for the possibility the footage would be published, Reiss said.

Boland's drinking earlier in the day with a group of friends also elevated the seriousness of the offence, the magistrate said.

"Young men, alcohol, stupidity – not a good mix," Reiss said.

In August, Boland pleaded guilty to one charge of recklessly beating and injuring an animal while another charge of torturing an animal was withdrawn.

He also pleaded guilty to having lied to police when he told them he did not know who was driving or in the passenger seat when the animals were killed.

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Boland's denials came two weeks after police had already seized the phone of the passenger and obtained the videos of the brutal rampage, which were also posted on social media.

Lying to the police about driving the car despite knowing he was being filmed was also a factor in the magistrate's decision to convict.

Reiss expressed confusion about why Boland initially pleaded not guilty to the charge of lying, especially because alcohol was not a factor as it was during the kangaroo killing.

He ordered the young man to serve 200 hours of community service and be of good behaviour for 18 months.

Boland must also pay a total fine of $1500.

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Australians have an estimated $25 billion of unworn clothing hiding in wardrobes around the country, and the Red Cross is trying to make it easier to get some of that hidden fashion fortune to the people who need it most.

New research from Red Cross and Uber found that the average Australian owns 63 items of clothing, with nearly a fifth (17 per cent) of it going unworn.

That adds up to more than 231 million items of clothing sitting idle – enough to cover 42 football fields.

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It comes as the two organisations team up for the seventh year for the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive.

On Saturday, October 18, Australians in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth can book a free Uber Courier pick-up from 10am to 4pm so they can donate high-quality unwanted clothes to the Red Cross without having to leave home.

"Our research shows Australians are proactive about decluttering, with nearly half clearing out their wardrobes every six to 12 months, but some people are confused about what – and how – to donate," Red Cross head of retail Richard Wood said.

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"The nation is holding onto billions of dollars' worth of clothes that can be helping people in need. With Uber by our side, the clothing drive is a simple, free way to give back without even leaving your home."

The organisation's research found 61 per cent of Australians would give to charity if it was easier, while others are too time poor or uncertain to donate properly.

"We're now calling on Australians to do their spring cleaning with a great cause in mind, and donate clothes that are clean, wearable and in good condition," Wood said.

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"Every item helps stock our Australian Red Cross Shops, which directly fund our humanitarian programs to support some of our most vulnerable communities. We see the impact these donations make every day, and all Aussies can be a part of this."

On October 18, the Uber and Uber Eats apps will display a Red Cross Clothing Drive option for people to book the free courier.

Donated items should be in a box or container that weighs no more than 20kg.

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Millions of Australians will drive with their high beams on in 2025 without realising a few hundred metres is all that stands between them and fines of up to $1000.

Some mistakenly believe high beams, typically the brightest lights on a vehicle, can only be used on dark country roads without streetlights.

Others think high beams must be switched off as soon as another car is visible on the road, but that's not true either.

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And some are even in the bad habit of leaving their high beam on until right before they pass an oncoming car.

Here's what you need to know about the road rules for high beams and the penalties for breaking them.

What are the rules for high beams in Australia?

The Australian Road Rules are quite specific about how high beams can be used.

Drivers can use high-beams on any road or street, but they must switch to low-beam when driving:

• less than 200 metres behind a vehicle travelling in the same direction
• less than 200 metres from an oncoming vehicle

Drivers also must not use any light on their vehicle, including high beams, to dazzle other people on the road.

They may, however, briefly flash their high beams immediately before beginning to overtake a vehicle.

These rules apply in all Australian states and territories.

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Can you get fined for misusing your high beams?

Breaching the rules around high-beam use can attract costly fines, depending on where a driver is caught.

The lowest fine is in the NT, where the penalty is $50.

In Queensland it's $66, in WA it's $100, and in NSW it's $140.

The fine in Tasmania is $202 and in the ACT it's $224.

In SA, fines range from $70 to $300, and in Victoria fines start at $305 and can exceed $1000 if the matter is taken to court.

Breaking the road rules around high-beams will also set drivers back one demerit in all states and territories.

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Is it illegal to flash your high beams to warn other drivers?

Not specifically, but drivers who do it may still cop fines for inappropriate use of headlights.

"While flashing headlights to warn others of police presence is not a specific offence in NSW, it can result in charges for related offences such as dazzling a driver or illegal use of high beams," a Transport for NSW spokesperson said.

State and territory fines for these offences are typically in line with those listed above.

Drivers may also be charged with hindering a police officer, which may attract additional penalties.

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The Tennessee Supreme Court has set execution dates for four people, including the only woman in the state on death row.

Christa Pike received the death sentence at age 18 for the 1995 torture slaying of Colleen Slemmer, who was a fellow Knoxville Job Corps student.

Slemmer, 18, was stabbed and beaten by Pike and Tadaryl Shipp, Pike's boyfriend at the time, on the University of Tennessee's Agricultural campus.

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They carved a pentagram into Slemmer's chest, and investigators claimed Pike took a piece of the victim's skull for a souvenir. Shipp, of Memphis, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Pike was also convicted in 2004 for trying to strangle a fellow inmate during a prison fight, which added 25 years to her sentence.

Pike's lawyers previously asked the state's high court to commute her sentence based on her youth and "severe mental illness at the time of her crime."

Pike suffered physical and sexual abuse and neglect as a child, according to her attorneys. She also suffered from bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorders that were not diagnosed until years after her arrest.

"With time and treatment … Christa has become a thoughtful woman with deep remorse for her crime," a Wednesday statement from her attorneys reads. Tennessee began a new round of executions in May after a three-year pause following the discovery that the state was not properly testing lethal injection drugs for purity and potency.

An independent review later found that none of the drugs prepared for the seven inmates executed in Tennessee since 2018 had been fully tested. The state Attorney General's Office also conceded in court that two of the people most responsible for overseeing Tennessee's lethal injection drugs " incorrectly testified " under oath that officials were testing the chemicals as required.

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Kelley Henry, a federal public defender who represents several death row inmates, said on Wednesday that the state still has not answered many questions about the last execution where Byron Black said he was "hurting so bad" while he lay on the gurney.

Black's autopsy found pulmonary edema, a condition of fluid in the lungs his attorneys have said would feel like drowning or suffocating.

"We will continue to fight to bring the truth of what happened to light before these executions move forward to protect our clients from being tortured the way Byron was," Henry said.

The court on Tuesday also set execution dates for Tony Carruthers, Gary Sutton and Anthony Hines.

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