She will not have to register as a sex offender but loses permanent suppression.

New video shows the moment police intercepted an alleged "kill team" on their way to murder a man at a daycare centre in Sydney's south-west.

The alleged target is a figure linked to organised crime who was targeted over a "breakdown" in a transnational crime syndicate, police say.

Police believe the alleged target was potentially on his way to pick up his child from the centre at the time of the arrests.

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The accused men were arrested yesterday on The River Road in Revesby in dramatic scenes as tactical officers fired shots at several vehicles.

Two men, aged 18 and 19, were arrested from a Mitsubishi Outlander and a third man, aged 26, was arrested from a nearby Mercedes-Benz.

The younger men were charged with conspiracy to commit murder, possessing an unauthorised pistol, being carried in a conveyance taken without the consent of the owner, participating in a criminal group and breach of bail.

The older man was charged with conspiracy to commit murder and participating in a criminal group.

They were refused bail to appear in court today.

Detective Superintendent Peter Faux, who led the operation, said the trio's behaviour and actions – including allegedly wearing balaclavas in the car and driving with false plates – indicated to police the significance of the job.

Officers seized two pistols, balaclavas, body-worn cameras, and jerry cans containing fuel from the cars.

Multiple search warrants were carried out in the city's south-west overnight, and more evidence, including electronic devices, was seized.

A third firearm was also seized in the searches.

READ MORE: Search for boy scaled back after nothing found in 11 days

Assistant Commissioner Scott Cook said the potential victim was targeted as part of a breakdown in a transnational crime syndicate.

"We believe this is an internal matter in this organisation," he said.

"The fact that this group was prepared to kill an individual in a location where so much collateral damage could have been caused is a significant concern to the NSW Police Force."

Faux said the three men did not know the person they were targeting.

"They are people who were hired by a syndicate, possibly an offshore syndicate, to carry out this murder on their behalf," he said.

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'Heard some gunshots'

In a video taken by a witness, a police officer was seen aiming a weapon at somebody inside one of the vehicles.

"We heard some gunshots going off," another witness said.

"I started walking out my house, heard more gunshots and then cars swerving."

Tactical police temporarily served as traffic cops as they redirected vehicles while arresting the men.

READ MORE: Google launching 'most powerful AI search experience yet' in Australia

Police today firmly denied suggestions the operation posed a danger to the public.

Cook, at a press conference this morning, confirmed police used non-lethal rounds.

Cook said the NSW Police tactical unit was possibly "the best in the country" and had prepared multiple contingency plans depending on how the alleged hit team acted.

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There's a new snack that can make you healthier – but it's not something you eat.

A new report has revealed that quick and easy "exercise snacks" can significantly boost cardiorespiratory fitness in physically inactive adults.

It's good news for millions of Australians who currently fit that profile.

READ MORE: Alleged 'kill team' arrested en route to Sydney daycare centre hit

So what are exercise snacks? 

A report from the British Journal of Sports Medicine defined exercise snacks as bursts of moderate to vigorous physical activity lasting five minutes or less.

Examples include climbing stairs or lifting weights.

That five-minute period excludes warm-up, cool down, and recovery periods, and exercise snacks should be repeated at least twice a day, three to seven days a week.

The report analysed evidence from clinical trials across Australia, Canada, China and the UK and found that exercise snacks have a significant positive impact on inactive individuals' health.

The data showed that exercise snacks significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness in adults and could help counter the detrimental impacts of sitting for long periods of time.

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More than 80 per cent of people were able to stick to the habit for four to 12 weeks, suggesting exercise snacks may be easier to stick to than extended workout routines.

That may be especially true for individuals who are time-poor or lack motivation.

Almost 80 per cent of Aussie adults aged 18-64 don't perform sufficient physical activity, according to the ABS 2022 National Health Survey.

The survey defined sufficient physical activity as completing at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity across five or more days per week.

While exercise snacks alone are unlikely to make the millions of inactive Aussies hit that 150-minute goal, this research suggests they could help improve our nation's overall health.

READ MORE: Trump threatens no back pay for federal workers in shutdown

The research isn't perfect, as it relied largely on existing data from varied and often experimental clinical trials.

But researchers concluded that exercise snacking is likely to boost the health of most physically inactive adults.

"The time-efficient nature of exercise snacks may help overcome common barriers to physical activity, such as perceived lack of time and low motivation," they said.

"Exercise snacks may enhance adherence to regular physical activity by providing short, flexible exercise bouts that are easier to integrate into daily routines."

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Donald Trump's attorney-general has dodged questions about whether the FBI found photos of the US president with half-naked young women while searching Jeffrey Epstein's home.

Attorney-General Pam Bondi was testifying before the Senate when she was asked about the pictures by Democratic politician Sheldon Whitehouse.

"There's been public reporting that Jeffrey Epstein showed people photos of President Trump with half-naked young women," Whitehouse said.

READ MORE: Supreme Court rejects appeal from Ghislaine Maxwell

"Do you know if the FBI found those photographs in their search of Jeffrey Epstein's safe or premises or otherwise?

"Have you ever seen such a thing?"

Bondi replied by tying Whitehouse to Reid Hoffman, a wealthy Democratic donor who had connections to Epstein.

"You know, Senator Whitehouse, you sit here and make salacious remarks once again trying to slander President Trump left and right when you are the one who was taking money from one of Epstein's closest confidants, I believe. 

"I could be wrong, correct me, Reid Hoffman, who was with Jeffrey Epstein on multiple occasions, and the senator sitting right next to you tried to block the flight logs from being released, yet you're grilling me on President Trump and some photograph with Epstein?

"Come on."

Hoffman has admitted travelling to Epstein's notorious island but has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

READ MORE: New Epstein files mention Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, top Trump aide

In a lengthy interview with reporter Michael Wolff before his death, Epstein reportedly showed photos of Trump with topless young women sitting in his lap.

Wolff claims to have more than 100 hours of recordings of interviews with Epstein.

"I was Donald's closest friend for 10 years," Epstein reportedly told Wolff.

While Trump has faced multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, including a jury ruling he raped a woman, he has not been tied to wrongdoing in connection to Epstein.

Bondi has been heavily criticised for changing her tune on the Epstein investigation since she took over the Department of Justice.

In an interview in February, Bondi said Epstein's purported client list was "sitting on my desk right now".

Then, in July, the Department of Justice announced the client list did not exist.

READ MORE: Purported letter from Trump to Epstein released by US Democrats

Epstein died in a New York prison cell in 2019 after he was arrested and charged with child sex trafficking.

The wealthy financier and high-flyer faced myriad accusations of sex abuse against underage girls.

Yesterday, Trump said he would consider granting a pardon or clemency to Epstein's partner and accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

"You know, I haven't heard the name in so long. I can say this, that I'd have to take a look at it. I would have to take a look," he said.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has continued to refuse to swear in newly elected representative Adelita Grijalva.

Grijalva would be the crucial vote in forcing the release of the government's files on Epstein.

Other representatives elected in special elections this year have been sworn in the next day.

But Grijalva has waited two weeks without being sworn in, despite her landslide victory in Arizona's 7th congressional district.

Johnson denied the delay was related to the Epstein files.

"No, it has nothing to do with that at all. We will swear her in when everybody gets back. It's a ceremonial duty," Johnson said.

READ MORE: Newly uncovered page in Epstein's 'birthday book' implicates Trump

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US President Donald Trump's administration has warned of no guaranteed back pay for federal workers during a government shutdown, reversing what has been long-standing policy for some 750,000 employees stood down, according to a memo being circulated by the White House.

Trump, during his first administration, signed into law after the longest government shutdown in 2019 legislation to ensure federal workers receive back pay during any federal funding lapse.

But in the new memo, his Office of Management and Budget says back pay must be provided by Congress, if it chooses to do so, as part of any bill to fund the government.

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The move by the Republican administration was widely seen as a strong-arm tactic, a way to pressure legislators to reopen the government, now in the seventh day of a shutdown.

"There are some people that don't deserve to be taken care of, and we'll take care of them in a different way," Trump said during an event at the White House.

He said back pay "depends on who we're talking about".

Asked a second time about backpay for furloughed federal workers given that the requirement is spelled out in law, Trump said: "I follow the law, and what the law says is correct."

Refusing retrospective pay to the workers, some of whom must remain on the job as essential employees, would be a stark departure from norms and practices and almost certainly would be met with legal action.

READ MORE: Seven Australian activists released from Israel and deported to Jordan

While federal workers, as well as service members of the military, have often missed paychecks during past shutdowns, they are almost always reimbursed once the government reopens.

"That should turn up the urgency and the necessity of the Democrats doing the right thing here," House Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference at the Capitol.

Johnson, a lawyer, said he hadn't fully read the memo but "there are some legal analysts who are saying" that it may not be necessary or appropriate to repay the federal workers.

But Democratic Senator Patty Murray blasted the Trump administration as defying the law.

"Another baseless attempt to try and scare and intimidate workers by an administration run by crooks and cowards," Murray said.

"The letter of the law is as plain as can be — federal workers, including furloughed workers, are entitled to their backpay following a shutdown."

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And Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a Republican, said, "My assumption is that the furloughed workers will get paid."

In the memo draft prepared for Trump's Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Russ Vought, first reported by Axios, the office's general counsel Mark R. Paoletta lays out a legal rationale for no back pay for federal workers.

The memo explains that while the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 says workers shall be paid after federal funding is restored, it argues the action is not self-executing.

Instead, the memo says, repaying the federal workers would have to be part of subsequent legislation, presumably in the bill to reopen the government.

The OMB analysis draws on language familiar to budget experts by suggesting that the 2019 bill created an authorisation to pay the federal workers but not the actual appropriation.

Congress, it says, is able to decide whether it wants to pay the workers or not.

For now, Congress remains at a standstill, with neither side — nor the White House — appearing willing to budge.

Democrats are fighting for health care funds to prevent a lapse in federal subsidies that threaten to send insurance rates skyrocketing. Republicans say the issue can be dealt with later.

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An artificial intelligence injection that's been dubbed the biggest change to Google Search in years is coming to Australia, allowing users to ask more complex questions.

The search giant this morning announced it would be rolling out AI Mode, its "most powerful AI search experience yet", in Australia and more than 40 other countries this week.

It's just one small tab on your computer or smartphone search page but the company says it will make a big difference to search, offering something that's different to both traditional internet scouring and new chat-based AI tools.

Vice president of product management Hema Budaraju said Australian users would start seeing a new tab called AI Mode alongside their standard search options.

"Once you click into that, you should be able to ask any question, literally any question on your mind, and then receive a predictable AI response that has got many ways to engage with the web, as well as the ability to ask a follow-up," she told 9News.

She used examples such as figuring out which clubs someone just starting out in golf should buy or how to handle a weird error message thrown up by a washing machine.

"How might you be able to just take a picture of that and ask, 'Hey, is this a normal error? What should I do? Can I fix this by myself? Do I need to call technician?'," she said.

"Now, remember in a world where it was very keyword driven, this would have been many, many searches and hours of agony, and now you can literally just take a picture and ask for information."

AI Mode uses what Google calls a query fan-out, meaning it analyses your natural-language or image query and breaks it off into many different queries that it knits back into an answer the company says can be both broader and deeper than a traditional search, but still accompanied by links.

Google gave the example of creating yourself a walking tour around Melbourne to check out specialty coffee shops, galleries and street art, then asking where you could stop for lunch and dinner along the way. 

Budaraju said people were "not looking just for an AI response" but also wanted to be connected to web results they could use in a "very intuitive, simple, frictionless manner".

AI Mode is based on Google's Gemini AI models and real-time information from the search engine and can search using text, voice or photos but users can still opt for traditional searches.

Budaraju said it was distinct from the Gemini chatbot, which she said might offer more creative answers while AI Mode was more focused on finding information.

She said more than 100 million people in the US and India had used the new search option since it rolled out there earlier this year.

Although Google's parent company Alphabet has its finger in everything from online video and email to mobile phones and self-driving cars, Search is its baby, raking in almost $US200 billion ($303 billion) a year.

That means there's a lot riding on even small changes to a product that's used trillions of times a year by billions of people.

But Google Search is facing increasing competition from large-language-model AI competitors. According to market research firm SparkToro, Google still powers 210 times more searches than ChatGPT, but the use of LLMs is growing.

An Apple executive testified earlier this year that Google searches on Apple devices' Safari browser fell for the first time in 20 years.

While Google says it's put in a lot of work to make the new search feature as accurate as possible, it still warns people to double-check information for important topics.

"As with any early-stage AI product, we won't always get it right, but we are committed to continuous improvement," Budaraju wrote in a blog post published this morning.

There are also some unanswered questions around electricity and water usage and the impact AI search is having on the web.

In August this year, Google said the median text-based Gemini query used about 0.00024kWh, eight times more than the commonly cited figure for a normal Google search. But that figure is from 2009 so some researchers suggest it could be much much lower thanks to advancements in computing efficiency.

"The per-prompt energy impact is equivalent to watching TV for less than nine seconds," Google said in a blog post.

"At the same time, our AI systems are becoming more efficient through research innovations and software and hardware efficiency improvements. 

"For example, over a recent 12 month period, the energy and total carbon footprint of the median Gemini Apps text prompt dropped by 33x and 44x, respectively, all while delivering higher quality responses."

It's unclear how much AI Mode uses compared to a normal search or a Gemini prompt.

In terms of the web, many online publishers have reported seeing their traffic drop alongside the introduction of Google's AI Overviews, raising the spectre of a "Google zero" future where searches no longer send any clicks to the websites that rely on them.

Google claims people are "visiting a greater diversity of websites" from AI overviews and says the people who click through them are more likely to spend more time on the sites they visit.

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Australians who have yet to lodge their tax return must do so in the next 25 days or risk penalties exceeding $1500.

The deadline for individuals to lodge their own tax return is Friday, October 31, 2025.

About 15 million tax returns will be lodged for the 2024-2025 financial year – 6.4 million of which had already been submitted by the end of August, according to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

READ MORE: Alleged gunman 'fired indiscriminately' in Sydney shooting spree

But millions are still yet to be lodged and anyone who misses the deadline at the end of the month could cop a failure to lodge (FTL) on time penalty.

"You need to lodge your return, and pay your tax in full and on time to avoid penalties, interest charges and firmer actions," an ATO spokesperson told 9news.com.au.

The penalty starts at $330, then increases by $330 for every 28-day period (or part thereof) that your return is overdue.

The penalty caps out at $1650 for individuals.

Fortunately, the ATO will consider your circumstances when deciding what action to take for late lodgement and usually won't apply penalties in isolated cases.

The ATO will also typically warn you by phone or in writing before applying FTL penalties.

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If you are liable for a penalty, the ATO will notify you in writing.

The notice will include the reason for the penalty, the amount of the penalty, and the due date for payment.

If you cop a fine but failed to lodge due to extenuating circumstances (such as illness, natural disasters, etc.) you can request a remission of penalties.

The ATO may choose to reduce the penalty in part or in full, depending on the circumstances.

Aussies who fail to lodge their tax return on time may also incur a general interest charge (GIC) on their late lodgement and any unpaid penalties.

The current GIC rate is 10.61 per cent annually or 0.02906849 per cent per day, and is calculated on a daily compounding basis on the amount overdue.

READ MORE: Masked attackers set UK mosque on fire with people inside

In short, the best way to avoid paying any penalties on your tax return is to make sure you lodge it before October 31.

The only way to potentially get around that deadline is by engaging a tax agent.

Most registered tax agents can lodge returns well past the October 31 deadline, often even into 2026.

But you must appoint your tax agent and ensure you're on their books before October 31 to avoid penalties.

"If you miss that deadline without lodging a tax return or appointing a tax agent, then you could be up for late lodgement fees," Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) tax expert Susan Franks previously told 9news.

Tax agents must be registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), which you can check online.

"If you're worried you won't be able to lodge and pay by the due dates, contact your registered tax professional or visit our website before the due date to find out what support options are available to you," the ATO spokesperson said.

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.

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A surfer who survived a shark attack off South Australia's Kangaroo Island drove himself to hospital after being bitten.

Footage believed to be of the attack about 1.30pm yesterday captures the moment chaos unfolded near a popular surf break, known as The Sewer, at D'Estrees Bay.

According to Shark Watch SA, a community shark monitoring site, the predator, believed to be a bronze whaler, was chasing a seal in the lead-up to the incident.

READ MORE: Australian activists from Gaza flotilla released from Israel and deported to Jordan

It was reported the seal used the surfer as a decoy before the man was bitten.

The surfer, aged in his 50s, was bitten twice and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Bronze whaler sharks can grow to a maximum weight of 300kg and up to 3.3m in length.

In December 2020, a young surfer was left with serious leg injuries when he was attacked by a great white shark at the same beach.

Seven Australians who were detained for days in Israel after being intercepted aboard a massive aid flotilla to Gaza have been released and deported to Jordan.

The activists, whose supporters made claims of physical and verbal abuse, had been in custody since October 2.

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong welcomed their release and an Australian spokesperson for the flotilla said they had touched down in Jordan on Tuesday night.

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"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade continues to provide consular assistance to Australians who were detained in Israel," the minister's spokesperson said.

"We are pleased they have been released from detention."

In recent days, Israel's Foreign Ministry announced a steady stream of deportations of citizens of various countries, including sharing photos of prominent young climate activist Greta Thunberg, labelling the activists "provocateurs" and describing the aid delivery attempt as a "PR stunt".

But on Tuesday night it was yet to mention anything about the Australians named by flotilla organisers as Surya McEwen, filmmaker Juliet Lamont, content creator Abubakir Rafiq, Hamish Paterson, Bianca Webb-Pullman, Cameron Tribe and one more unidentified person.

It's understood the Australians' release followed representations from Canberra to Israeli authorities.

But Global Movement to Gaza Australia spokesperson Talitha Mitchell criticised a lack of public condemnation from Wong or Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

READ MORE: Shots fired, people dragged from cars in Sydney drama

"I think that it's really important to note that through this entire ordeal, Minister Wong and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not made any public address," she told 9news.com.au.

"They have not condemned Israel's crimes and so many breaches of international law, humanitarian law, maritime law, have occurred here, grave human rights abuses and that none of the families were contacted."

About 450 activists on board 50 boats were captured by the Israeli navy in international waters about 70 kilometres out from Gaza on October 2.

Supporters of the Australians on Monday added their voices to claims prisoners had been abused while in Israeli custody.

The Global Movement To Gaza claimed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told them McEwen had reported physical assault, having his head struck against a concrete surface, arm dislocated and intimidation and verbal abuse.

"The Australian government must do everything in their power to bring him and all seven Australians home immediately," his mother, Jacinta McEwen, said.

"He's being tortured for trying to feed starving people."

READ MORE: Australia-wide shortage of popular vegetable

DFAT said it could not comment on the claims, citing "privacy obligations".

"The Australian government has made clear to Israel our expectation that detainees will receive humane treatment in line with international norms," a department spokesperson added.

Israeli authorities rejected mistreatment accusations that had emerged in interviews with activists who were deported to Turkey, Spain and Italy at the weekend.

Israel's government also vehemently denied claims its offensive in Gaza amounts to genocide, despite a growing number of experts denouncing it as such.

Thunberg was among dozens of deportees to land in Athens, Greece, on Monday.

Crowds of supporters gathered at the Eleftherios Venizelos international airport and chanted "Free free Palestine!" as activists disembarked one by one.

"That this mission has to exist, it's a shame! It is a shame!" Thunberg told journalists and protesters shortly upon arriving.

"I could talk for a very, very long time about our mistreatment and abuses in our imprisonment, trust me, but that is not the story."

Instead, Thunberg urged world leaders and ordinary citizens around the world to end their "complicity" with the "genocide" being carried out against Palestinians in Gaza.

"This action was challenging our extremely violent business as usual," Thunberg said. 

"We cannot take our eyes away from Gaza."

Israel's offensive in Gaza has killed more than 67,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, since the October 7 attacks exactly two years ago.

Thousands of Hamas-led militants attacked army bases, farming communities and a music festival, killing about 1200 people and abducting 251 others.

– Reported with Associated Press

The bill creates 19 new protected zones across the Hauraki Gulf.