The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) will join forces on a new £3 million National Centre for Environmental Horticulture Plant Health that will research and help mitigate existing and emerging threats to our green spaces. Funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), it will see […]
All posts by FreeNews
United States: The United States Rejects International Migration Review Forum
The United States did not participate in the International Migration Review Forum and will not support the May 8 “progress” declaration. The United States has persistently objected to the United Nations’ efforts to advocate and facilitate replacement immigration in the United States and across the broader West. In 2017, President Trump rejected the Global Compact on […]
Man set alight at Wollongong unit complex as police hunt attacker
A 25-year-old man is in hospital after he was set on fire at an apartment complex in Wollongong overnight.
Emergency services were called to a unit on Todd Street at Warrawong about 9pm on Monday following reports that a man had suffered serious burns.
It's understood the man was found with severe burns to his face, chest, neck and arms.
READ MORE: Soldier dies completing parachuting training course in Jervis Bay
Paramedics, a medical helicopter crew and nearby residents treated him at the scene before he was flown to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital in a critical condition.
Hospital staff confirmed on Tuesday morning that he was in a serious but stable condition.
Police were told the man had been set alight by another person, who fled before officers arrived.
A crime scene has since been established, and detectives are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Investigators are appealing for public assistance and have urged anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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
United States: Canadian American Man Pleads Guilty for Role in Deadly Alien Smuggling Conspiracy
A dual Canadian American Citizen pleaded guilty today for his role in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of a family, including two children under the age of three, in the St. Lawrence River. According to court documents, Timothy Oakes, 35, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, was a key […]
‘He was blinking’: White House furiously denies that Trump fell asleep in meeting
The White House has responded angrily to suggestions that Donald Trump had fallen asleep in an Oval Office meeting.
At an event promoting maternal health and fertility, the president's eyes appeared to become heavy.
As administration officials standing behind him were speaking, the president closed his eyes for an extended period of time.
READ MORE: Americans asked if they could beat Donald Trump in a fight
But when a Reuters journalist posted a photograph of Trump with his eyes closed, the White House lashed out.
"He was blinking, you absolute moron," the White House's X account Rapid Response 47 replied.
The reporter's post had made no mention of Trump being asleep, simply captioning it: "US President Donald Trump attends a maternal health event in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, May 11, 2026."
Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu responded: "That is a verrrrrrrrryyyyy long blink."
"Imagine what happens when there are no cameras.
"Trump is not mentally or physically fit to be President of the United States."
https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2053894960261300578
Jimmy Gomez, another Democratic congressman, remarked: "This guy is asleep at the wheel, and he's about to drive the entire country off a cliff."
This is far from the first time Trump has appeared to nod off during a White House event.
In December, the president appeared to fall asleep during a televised cabinet meeting.
He later remarked he wasn't asleep, just bored.
"I didn't sleep. I just closed (my eyes) because I wanted to get the hell outta here," he said.
He also reportedly had trouble keeping his eyes open during an Oval Office event with pharmaceutical executives last month.
In the 2024 presidential campaign he repeatedly mocked his predecessor Joe Biden, who he called "Sleepy Joe".
READ MORE: Trump celebrates decision that could secure his party's re-election
"How do you fall asleep when cameras are raging, right?"
"You'll never see me sleeping in front of the camera."
Trump has a long habit of staying active on Truth Social well into the night, raising questions about his sleeping habits.
But he made no posts overnight on his social media page last night.
READ MORE: Trump's company loses half a billion dollars in three months
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
Man charged over Perth car crash that killed girls, aged 3 and 4
A man will face court today, charged over a single-car crash in suburban Perth that killed two young girls last month.
The 24-year-old from Caversham was driving down nearby Muriel Street in Viveash with the woman and girls at 2.25 pm on April 17 when his Ford Territory left the road and hit a tree.
The little girls, aged three and four, were rushed to Perth Children's Hospital with life-threatening injuries.
LIVE UPDATES: Iran warns it is ready to 'teach a lesson' to Trump
Both girls fought for life for nine days in hospital before both died on April 26.
The driver and 24-year-old female passenger were also seriously injured in the collision.
Major Crash investigators launched inquiries and put out a call for witnesses following the incident.
Their investigations have now culminated in the driver being charged with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and one count of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
He is expected to appear before Midland Magistrates Court today.
2026 BUDGET: Budget that could reshape Australia with tax reform just hours away
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
Real estate boss warns of immediate rent hikes if negative gearing changes
A real estate boss has warned landlords may hike rents by up to 30 per cent if proposed changes to negative gearing come into effect.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers is likely to announce sweeping reforms to negative gearing and capital gains tax in tonight's federal budget as the Albanese government looks to tackle issues of housing affordability.
It is not known how much the government will change negative gearing, a generous tax break that allows an investor to deduct expenses related to properties from their taxable income, meaning they pay less at tax time.
LIVE UPDATES: Property investors to be hit in budget bombshell
Although the changes could result in lower prices, Nathan Birch from property investment firm Blink Property said renters would feel the pinch from any changes, and warned it could be immediate.
"For Aussie battlers doing it tough, that means a $400 rental will become $550 almost immediately post the budget announcement if changes to negative gearing come into effect," Birch said.
"This will be catastrophic for so many Australians, and the government really needs to consider the wave of homelessness that could follow, particularly for our most vulnerable."
ANALYSIS: In just a few hours, Aussie property will change forever
Birch said the changes would have the strongest impact on "mum and dad investors", who were often renters themselves while they leased out their investment property and waited to save.
Birch said this would lead to a knock-on effect that benefited fewer people in the long run.
"When policy changes like this come into play, their own rents go up, leaving them no choice but to raise the rent on their investments," he said.
"It's a very dangerous knock-on effect that I'm not sure the Labor Government has considered adequately – particularly when so many renters and investors are Labor voters."
Treasurer Chalmers said despite promising against it in last year's election, the government had no choice but to take bold action to address the housing crisis.
"There are genuine intergenerational concerns and pressures in our budget, in our tax system, in our housing market and in our economy more broadly," Chalmers said last week.
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
Texas accuses Netflix of ‘spying’ on children and designing ‘addictive’ features in new suit
Texas’ attorney general sued Netflix, accusing the streaming firm of “spying on” people in his state and collecting user data without consent.
Extra jail over ‘kill cars’, recruiting children for crime
Criminals who recruit children or ignite 'kill cars' to break the law could face more time in jail, following a spate of shootings and firebombings.
In a bid to quash organised crime, the NSW government will introduce legislation today to create new offences and make it harder for those with gang links to get bail.
Anyone who sets a car alight after using it to traffic drugs, supply firearms or commit other serious crimes could face up to 12 years in prison, two years more than the punishment for destroying or damaging property by fire.
LIVE UPDATES: Trump says Iran is on 'life support'
The maximum penalty for recruiting a child for criminal activity will increase from 10 to 12 years and up to 15 years if the child is aged under 16 or is hired to steal cars.
Those who shoot a pistol or prohibited firearm in public will face up to 14 years in jail and criminals who fire at buildings or other cars could find themselves behind bars for 18 years.
"These comprehensive reforms will help keep the community safe, and hold organised criminals to account for the destruction and harm they inflict on our streets," NSW Attorney General Michael Daley said.
In recent months, police have made several arrests over alleged 'kill cars', which are used by organised crime groups or contract criminals to commit and get away with serious offences.
The vehicles are often stolen cars with cloned licence plates that contain balaclavas, weapons, and jerry cans which can be used to destroy evidence.
READ MORE: Australia is just hours away from seeing what could be the most consequential budget in decades
Police claimed to have stopped an alleged 'kill car' plot in April after ramming into an Audi believed to be linked to multiple shooting and firebombing incidents across south-west Sydney.
Officers last October also pounced on a group of men in a car, allegedly trying to intercept and kill their target as he picked up a child from daycare.
In April, two men and a 17-year-old were arrested over their alleged involvement in a firebombing.
Concerns over youth crime have made headlines across the country.
Children committed 57.6 per cent of carjackings, 52.6 per cent of home invasions, 47.8 per cent of aggravated burglaries and 62.4 per cent of robberies, according to Victorian government statistics.
Queensland and Victoria have passed controversial laws requiring children to face adult sentences for serious offences, while the Northern Territory has lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10.
But youth justice experts say such reforms will lead to the incarceration of already-vulnerable children and would not prevent them from re-offending.
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
Guyana welcomes arrival of pregnant heifers
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, May 11, CMC- Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha says the arrival of 89 pregnant heifers is a major step in Guyana’s efforts to reduce dependence on imported dairy products. The heifers, part of a US$30 million investment by Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), form the first batch for the company’s dairy project and Mustapha said […]