The number of scams reported by Australians has hit a new record high, even though the amount lost has declined.

The Oscar winner and five-time Academy Award nominee joins previous recipients such as Meryl Streep, Julie Andrews, Al Pacino and George Clooney.

The Victorian government unveils plans to build more than 70,000 additional homes above and around six Suburban Rail Loop precincts in Melbourne's east by the 2050s. 

As fans eagerly wait for a new lot of guests to check into the White Lotus, a behind-the-scenes drama has been unfolding to secure the filming location of the Emmy-award winning show.

A huge black barrier to block Mount Fuji from view will be installed in a popular photo spot by Japanese authorities exasperated by crowds of badly behaved foreign tourists.