Leaked data shows Whangārei Hospital was above the national average.

The man also allegedly spat at police officers while being taken into custody.

Housing values have risen again across Australia for August, with the strongest month-on-month growth since May of 2024.

The average value of houses overall rose by 0.7 per cent, with rises as high as 1.2 per cent seen in Adelaidelast month alone, according to Cotality.

It continues a trend of rising house values – growing 4.1 per cent this year – which is amplified by a lack of supply.

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Cotality estimates supply is still 20 per cent below average for this time of year, which tends to be a busy period in the housing market.

"Once again we are seeing a clear mismatch between available supply and demonstrated demand placing upwards pressure on housing values", Tim Lawless from Cotality said.

The value of homes in Sydney was modest, only rising 0.8 per cent and 2.1 per cent this year.

However, the median house price in the harbour city is still well clear of the rest of the country, currently sitting at around $1.2 million.

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Brisbane, Perth and Darwin all saw house values go up by at least 1 per cent, whilst Hobart was the only major city to record a decrease in value, falling by 0.2 per cent.

Growth in housing value is a consistent theme, and it could continue should interest rates keep falling, but Lawless suggests it will be more sustainable than the massive growth seen during the pandemic.

"I would be surprised if we saw the monthly rate of change in the national [value] getting anywhere near these earlier cyclical peaks, given how stretched housing affordability has become," he said

"What is more likely is that home values will rise at a more sustainable pace, with demand dampened by affordability constraints, more normal rates of population growth and cautious lending policy."

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A single-vehicle crash happened near Tikokino soon after midday on Sunday.

Taxpayers could be forking out hundreds of millions of dollars every year in financial concessions for property investors using homes as short-stay accommodation, a new report has found.

The research by the national housing campaign Everybody's Home estimates that this financial year, the federal budget could be losing between $111 million and $556 million in forgone revenue through negative gearing deductions claimed on short-stay rental properties.

Across Australia 167,955 entire homes are estimated to be operating as short-stay accommodation instead of long-term rentals, yet owners can still claim negative gearing and the capital gains tax (CGT) discount.

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Negative gearing is a tax concession that applies when the cost of owning an investment outweighs the income it generates.

The owner can then deduct that net loss from their overall income and lower their total taxable income, and therefore reduce their tax bill.

It can apply to any kind of investment in Australia but is most commonly associated with investment properties.

Despite there being no official breakdown of the number of negatively geared short-stay properties, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has reported that about half of all property investors utilise negative gearing in any given year.

Researchers who drew up the Everybody's Home report looked at a range of outcomes.

They found if only 10 per cent to 20 per cent of short-stay rentals were negatively geared, the annual cost to taxpayers could be more than $111 million.

But if 50 per cent of listings were negatively geared, the cost could balloon to $556 million.

READ MORE: What is negative gearing and why are calls to change it so controversial?

The report was released today after the federal government last week fast-tracked its promised 5 per cent deposit Home Guarantee Scheme, which could help thousands of Australians buy their first homes.

But campaigners and some economists argue tax reform is also needed to take the heat off property prices.

Everybody's Home spokesperson Maiy Azize says overhauling negative gearing has the potential to reclaim billions of dollars for the public purse.

"Everyday people are footing the bill for property investors to write off losses from holiday homes, all while families are being priced out of their communities because they can't find affordable rentals," she said.

"Renters across the country are being squeezed by soaring rents and a shrinking number of affordable homes – and in many parts of the country, short-stay accommodation is only making it worse.

"Generous tax breaks for investors, including for short-stay accommodation, are driving wealth inequality and pushing up house prices for everyone else."

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Thousands of Teslas have been urgently recalled over an issue with their automatic windows.

There is a major software fault impacting 7301 of the 2025 model-Y Teslas, which results in the automatic windows closing with "excessive force" on any obstruction, such as a body part.

"If a body part is in the window space when the driver's side window is closing, it can increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant," the vehicle recall notes.

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Owners of impacted cars will be contacted by Tesla.

The issue can be addressed with a software update and does not require a service appointment.

Cars running the software version 2025.26.6 are not impacted by this issue.

Over one million Teslas were recalled in the US in 2022 over a similar issue which impacted Model 3 and Model S variants.

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In this recall, it was noted the car's automatic windows may not "react correctly" if an obstruction is detected.

A recall was issued in Australia in March for hundreds of Teslas over a software issue which may have resulted in a loss of steering power.

Visit the Department of Transport website for more information about the recall.

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EXCLUSIVE: Wests Tigers NRLW star Emily-Claire Bass is only 26 but she's already making plans for retirement.

Not because she wants to give up the sport but because if she doesn't get her finances in order now, she fears she might find herself without a job or any savings in a few years' time.

Research suggests about 8.5 million Australians adults are financially illiterate, many of them women.

More than 60 per cent of Australian men demonstrate basic financial literacy compared to just 48 per cent of women.

And for female athletes, that financial literacy gap can be even wider.

Now the Wests Tigers are doing something about it.

The club has partnered with Pepper Money to deliver financial literacy workshops to its NRLW team, providing education tailored to women in elite sport and the unique financial challenges they players face.

The gender pay gap, limited endorsement and sponsorship opportunities, and a lack of investment in women's codes puts significant financial strain on Australia's sportswomen, especially those in emerging leagues like the NRLW.

"Their contracts are shorter, their pay is lower, and their financial journey often includes planning for family or career transitions," Pepper Money chief executive Mario Rehayem told 9news.

"They're also building the foundations of a league that's still evolving. That means they need to be even more financially aware and proactive."

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The NRLW salary cap was $1.2 million this year. In the men's league it was almost 10 times higher.

The men's minimum salary was triple that of the women's ($120,000 compared to $41,800) and they earned twice as much per game in the 2025 State of Origin series.

It's worth noting that the men's code is more established and lucrative – but that doesn't make the pay gap any easier for female athletes to navigate.

Most have to work additional jobs on top of training and competing, which Bass did all through her first five NRLW seasons.

The juggle was "a lot" and when she joined the Wests Tigers this year she made the risky decision to focus on footy full-time.

"Not having that dual income from my other job, I'm not earning as much money as what I did last year," she told 9news.com.au.

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The new 'Mastering Money On and Off the Field' workshops has been invaluable as she navigates the transition from two incomes to one.

They teach players how to establish smart money habits during their playing career and set themselves up for a financially sound future after retiring from the game.

One in three athletes admit to making poor financial decisions, according to the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), and two in five elite athletes aged 18-34 reported suffering poor mental health as a result of financial stress.

"NRLW contracts aren't the most amount of money [and] I'm not too sure where my income is going to come from in the future," Bass said.

"That's a little bit scary, it's an uncertain situation to be in, so Pepper Money did talk to us about that emergency fund as well.

"So post career, if I do struggle to find work or I'm not working for three months for some reason, like I get injured, I do have that safety net there."

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Almost 90 per cent of athletes need to find new employment post-career to maintain financial security, according to UNI World Athletes, and it's doubly hard for women.

Female athletes typically receive fewer career opportunities when they retire than their male counterparts; just ask Charmain Steventon.

She debuted on the Australian Sevens team in 2000, represented Australia at the 2002 Rugby XVs World Cup, and won five premierships with West Harbour RFC, and did it all while working a second job.

When she finally hung up her boots, she was fortunate  to have supportive employers and mentors who helped her secure work.

Not every player was so lucky, especially in an era where financial literacy and planning for a future after footy "wasn't even on the radar".

Now the Wests Tigers Head of Women's Football, Steventon is determined to change that for the next generation.

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"Equalling the playing field is really important, particularly now that the female players are being paid for playing footy," she told 9news.

"It's a long term vision but it will certainly pay off."

Ensuring the current NRLW cohort are financially literate will build a strong foundation for future players and set a positive example for the next generation.

For Bass, who is now trying to plan a wedding on an NRLW contract salary after years of having a dual income, it has been invaluable.

She just hopes the workshops and others like them will be picked up by other clubs across the NRLW and other codes of women's sport.

"It really gives us a perspective on life in general, where our money is coming and going, and how we can properly invest in not just our career right now, but the next 30 to 50 years, and set ourselves up for the future."

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Chinese leader Xi Jinping told India's Narendra Modi the "right choice" is for their countries to be friends as the two met in China for first time in seven years – a new milestone in a nascent rapprochement between the world's most populous nations accelerated by shared frictions with the US.

Xi and Modi's highly-anticipated meeting on Sunday, on the sidelines of a regional summit in the eastern port city of Tianjin, comes as both nations face stiff US tariffs under President Donald Trump's global trade war, as well as Western scrutiny over their relationships with Russia as the war in Ukraine grinds on.

"The world today is swept by once-in-a-century transformations," Xi told Modi in opening remarks, as both leaders sat face-to-face flanked by their officials. "The international situation is both fluid and chaotic," he added.

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"It is the right choice for both sides to be friends who have good neighbourly and amicable ties, partners who enable each other's success, and to have the dragon and the elephant dance together," Xi said, referring to traditional symbols of the two nations.

"As long as they adhere to the overall direction of being partners rather than rivals … China-India relations can maintain stability and move forward over the long run," he said.

Modi said India was "committed" to taking their countries' relations forward "on the basis of mutual trust and respect," and referenced their bettering of ties, including an easing of tensions along their disputed Himalayan border – where the two fought a deadly skirmish in 2020.

"The interests of 2.8 billion people in both our countries are tied to our cooperation," he added.

The positive signals are sure to be closely watched in Washington, where tensions with New Delhi threaten to derail what had been years of efforts from US diplomats to deepen ties with the country as a key counterweight to a rising and increasingly assertive China – a set of circumstances that makes the latest meeting all the more important and timely to Xi.

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Trump earlier this month levied significant economic penalties on India, initially placing its imports into the US under 25 per cent tariffs and then slapping an additional 25 per cent duties on the country as punishment for importing Russian oil and gas, which Washington sees as helping to fund Putin's war in Ukraine. Both China and India are major purchasers of Russian oil, though China has yet to be targeted with such measures.

Modi said he spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday and "exchanged views on the ongoing conflict." India has previously said it does not take sides in the war.

In his daily address on Sunday, Zelenskyy said that "everyone in the world has said that the fighting must be ceased," including Turkey, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, who he noted were in China for the summit. "Almost everyone else in the world is also in favour of ending the war," he continued.

India's oil purchases could be a point of discussion on Monday, when Modi is expected to hold bilateral talks with Putin, part of his wider diplomacy as he joins a two-day summit of the Beijing-and Moscow-backed regional security grouping known as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

In addition to China, Russia, and India, the group includes Iran, Pakistan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as partner and observer countries. Chinese officials ahead of the event said leaders from more than 20 countries from across Asia and Middle East would join the summit.

Xi hosted attending leaders for a welcome banquet on Sunday evening, where he appeared to put his warm and relaxed rapport with Putin on show. Footage released by Russia state news agency RIA showed the two leaders gesturing animatedly and smiling as they chatted at the event, showing a different side of the typically restrained Chinese leader.

The pair then walked shoulder to shoulder together after posing for a photo alongside other gathered leaders, with Xi gesturing for Putin to walk with him, footage released by the Kremlin showed.

The SCO is the two leaders' first opportunity to meet in person since Putin's summit with Trump in Alaska earlier this month – part of the US president's push to end the war in Ukraine.

Xi and Putin "discussed the latest contacts" between the US and Russia during a "detailed conversation," Russian state media reported on Sunday, citing Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov.

Putin's war looms over the SCO gathering and the flurry of diplomacy around it, with the Russian president, who landed in Tianjin earlier Sunday, joining the gathering as Western leaders ramp up pressure on him– and his partners – to end the now more than three-and-half-year invasion.

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A warming relationship?

Beijing is widely seen as eager for the newfound tensions between Trump and Modi to reduce what have been burgeoning security ties between the US and India. Chinese officials have watched with unease the elevation of the Quad security dialogue between India, the US and its allies Australia and Japan, widely seen as a bid to counter China.

In his remarks to Modi on Sunday, Xi sought to stress commonalities – framing the two countries as at "critical stages of development and rejuvenation," and calling for them to "focus on development as their greatest common denominator, supporting and advancing each other," according to a readout from China's Foreign Ministry.

He also referenced their shared stated aim to make the international order more "multipolar" – a term used by countries, including those within the SCO, to call for international power to be more broadly shared – as opposed to dominated by the US and its allies, as they see it.

There has been a gradual normalisation of ties between India and China after Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October, which came as the two sides reached an agreement on military disengagement along their disputed border.

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In recent months, the countries agreed to restart direct flights cancelled since the Covid-19 pandemic. Beijing also recently agreed to reopen two pilgrimage sites in western Tibet to Indians for the first time in five years, and both started re-issuing tourist visas for each other's citizens.

Earlier this month, following a visit from China's top diplomat Wang Yi to New Delhi, the two announced "ten points of consensus" on the issue to further reduce tensions.

Xi and Modi on Sunday also discussed what's "happening on the international plain and the challenges it creates," India Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters on the SCO sidelines, when asked about whether Trump's tariffs were raised.

"They tried to, in a sense, see how to leverage that for building greater understanding between themselves, and how to … take forward the economic and commercial relationship between India and China in the midst of these evolving challenges," Misri said.

Observers say, however, that even as the two leaders seek stability in their relationship, both in terms of trade and security, it will be hard for Xi and Modi to overcome a longstanding lack of personal trust.

Underlying tensions between India and China spiked in 2020 following a deadly conflict along their disputed Himalayan border, in which 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat.

The two nations maintain a heavy military presence along their 3379-kilometre de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a boundary that remains undefined and has been a persistent source of friction since their bloody 1962 war.

But both leaders on Sunday appeared keen to signal the welcome of a warmer chapter.

An Indian readout released following the meeting said they reaffirmed that "their differences should not turn into disputes" and their "stable relationship and cooperation" was necessary for the "growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world."

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For years, hearing aids and high-end audio gear existed in separate worlds. But with the rise of AI and an increasing focus on accessibility, that divide is starting to blur. 

Consumer headphones and sound systems are now incorporating technology to assist those with hearing challenges, a move that — according to the experts — could democratise access to hearing services.

A prime example is Sonos, which recently released its AI-powered Speech Enhancement feature for its popular Arc sound bar.

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Using AI, the sound bar isolates dialogue in real-time, boosting it and improving the quality of the overall sound mix.

If you're someone who struggles to watch a TV show without subtitles on — it's a game-changer.

Users can set four different levels of speech enhancement, from subtle to a "Max" mode specifically designed to give clarity for those with hearing loss. 

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Could this be the beginning of the end of traditional hearing aids? Apple's AirPods can now conduct hearing tests and act as hearing aids. Swinburne University's Dr. Belinda Barnet says it's all very exciting tech.

"There's the possibility of being able to easily deliver audiology/hearing services to people who wouldn't usually have access, for example rural areas," she told 9news.com.au.

However, Dr. Barnet also stressed the limitations. 

"AirPods aren't moulded or tailored to your own ear canal though, and I haven't seen independent trials testing against standard hearing aids, so if you've got a mild or greater loss then see a qualified audiologist if you can," she said. 

While the tech is a promising step, she advises it is still in its "infancy" and that proper trials are needed.

The significant price difference between a product like AirPods and traditional hearing aids is another factor. 

"I think it might make hearing services slightly more accessible. If the technology develops further and hopefully proper trials run," she said. 

This indicates that while consumer products may not replace professional medical devices, they could make a vital service more accessible to a wider audience.

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With rumours about Apple's upcoming AirPods Pro 3rd generation, the trend toward assistive hearing seems set to continue. 

Dr. Barnet says this new wave of technology "might democratise hearing technology." 

Apple is set to unveil their latest lineup on September 9, and we could see the next generation of AirPods unveiled, building on their existing hearing-related features.

DHailemaryam Kiros and Sifan Hassan have won the men's and women's races in the Sydney Marathon in record times.

Ethiopian runner Kiros was part of the lead pack and broke away late on, holding off a challenge from Addisu Gobena, with Tebello Ramakongoana from Lesotho finishing third.

He ran the race in 2:06:06, the fastest time in any marathon in Australia by over a minute.

IN PICTURES: The Harbour City laces up for the Sydney Marathon

Kiros praised the overall competition at the end of the race: "[It was] very tough, these were strong, strong fields".

He said he always believed he would break the record, citing his strong preparation.

World-class runner Eliud Kipchoge was considered the favourite to win the race in his first trip to Australia.

However, he fell behind the leading pack with around eight kilometres to go, and he finished in 11th place with a time of 2:08:31.

Of the Australian runners, Haftu Strintzos was the fastest male, registering a time of 2:11:27 to finish 14th overall.

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In the women's race, Dutch athlete Hassan also set a new record in her first-ever appearance at the Sydney Marathon.

With a time of 2:18:20, she became the first woman in an Australian marathon to run it in less than two hours and 20 minutes.

Brigid Kosgei also broke that barrier as she finished in second place.

"It's amazing, I'm really grateful, I'm so happy to win a course record," she said.

"It's history, it's the first major marathon and I'm the first winner."

She admitted she almost pushed too hard at the start of the race, saying it could have cost her on another day: "I [started] too hard and I learnt a lesson."

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Three Aussies finished in the top 10 of the women's race, with Leanne Pompeani crossing the line with a time of 2:11:27, followed by Jessica Stenson with a time of 2:28:56, and Lisa Weightman finishing in 2:29:34.

An estimated 35,000 people are competing today, which is the first Sydney Marathon with world marathon major status, meaning it is one of the seven biggest marathons in the world.

The 42-kilometre course began in North Sydney and ends at the Sydney Opera House.

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The event began at about 6.20am with the wheelchair race, whilst the elite runners started just after 6.30am.

To see the full results and to track the progress of every runner, check on the Sydney Marathon official website.

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