The average Australian worker earns just shy of $1400 per week, according to fresh employment data.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) found median weekly wages rose modestly by 7.4 per cent from $1300 to $1396 since August 2023.

Average hourly wages also increased to $40, up by just 30 cents from $39.70 in August 2024.

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For part–time workers, the median wage is $691 per week.

Breaking down the data for just full-time workers, the weekly wage was found to be $1700, up $100 from $1600 in August 2023.

The ABS found the median weekly income for Australians has climbed at a faster rate for women over the past five years.

However, male workers in Australia earn $377 more on average per week compared to women.

The median weekly earnings for men in August 2024 is $1577, while women earned $1200.

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The employment data also revealed a slight downward trend in Australians regularly working from home.

It found 36 per cent of employed people usually work at home, down just 1 per cent compared to last year.

"While this was slightly down from 37 per cent in 2023, it was still four percentage points above the pre-pandemic level," ABS head of labour statistics David Taylor said.

"This shows that many of the changes in working arrangements have continued beyond the pandemic."

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Meanwhile, it seems casual work is fast becoming the preferred mode of employment among Aussies.

The ABS found 75 per cent of casual workers in the country actually prefer it that way.

"The higher hourly pay rate was the main reason for almost a quarter of people preferring casual employment," Taylor added.

"For the one-quarter of casual employees who would prefer a non-casual job, the most common reasons were to have paid leave entitlements or have more secure employment.".

Woolworths says the total cost of the recently-resolved strike among workers at four distribution centres in Victoria and New South Wales reached a hefty $140 million.

More than 1500 workers went on strike for about 17 days before the United Workers Union reached an agreement with the supermarket giant on Saturday.

"To date, Australian Food sales have been negatively impacted by approximately $140 million in total (up to December 8) with approximately $90 million incremental since the previous update on Tuesday, 3 December," Woolworths said in a statement.

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"The estimated direct one-off negative impact of this dispute to date on Australian Food EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) is approximately $50 – $60 million, reflecting the impact of lost sales, additional transport and supply chain contingency costs and elevated levels of stock loss."

Woolworths said it was anticipating further losses heading into 2025, due to the time and expense of rebuilding stock levels ahead of the Christmas shopping period.

Shelves had been left bare at some stories with the distribution centres unable to send out goods during the strike.

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"With just over two weeks until Christmas, we are now moving products out of the (distribution centres) and onto supermarket shelves as quickly as possible for our customers," Woolworths Group CEO Amanda Bardwell said.

"We are fully focused on restoring stock levels and getting products to stores where they are needed most, with stock levels to gradually improve as we seek to provide customers with a great shopping experience this Christmas."

The new agreement provides workers with an approximate 11 per cent wage increase over three years, while concerns over performance metrics were also addressed, Woolworths said.

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A police officer has been allegedly hit by a car, and two other officers assaulted after two cars were stolen in Geelong, Victoria.

Police initially responded to reports that a grey Ford Ranger and trailer had been stolen from a property on Barwarre Road in Armstrong Creek about 9.20am.

A short time later, officers sighted the stolen Ford Ranger, driving alongside a stolen black Subaru Liberty, on Surf Coast Highway.

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The officers attempted to intercept the Ford on Peter Street in Grovedale before the Subaru was allegedly driven directly at the police.

A police officer was hit by the car and was taken to hospital with a minor injury.

Another two officers were allegedly assaulted while arresting the female driver of the Subaru and the male driver of the Ford.

The pair suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospital.

An Ararat man and a Norlane woman will be interviewed over the incidents.

Police said a significant amount of allegedly stolen property was located in the Subaru.

A woman who alleges she was sexually assaulted by Sean "Diddy" Combs has amended her lawsuit to include allegations that she was also assaulted by Jay-Z at the same party.

The lawsuit was initially filed against Combs in October, but on Sunday the woman added Shawn Carter, the rapper and businessman known as Jay-Z, as a defendant in the civil lawsuit.

Carter is the first celebrity to be accused of sexual assault in connection to Combs.

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In a statement addressed to CNN, Carter called the allegations "so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!! Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?"

Combs was indicted on charges of sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy and prostitution-related charges.

Combs pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied all wrongdoing in roughly 30 civil lawsuits that have been filed against him.

The woman, who is identified as a Jane Doe, says she was 13 years old at the time she was allegedly assaulted by Combs and Carter at an afterparty following the Video Music Awards in 2000.

The woman alleges she began to feel woozy after consuming a drink at the party and wandered into a nearby bedroom. The woman alleges Carter raped her first, followed by Combs. The woman says she hit Combs and ran out of the party, according to the amended lawsuit.

Carter was identified in the initial lawsuit as Celebrity A.

According to the lawsuit, the Doe's attorneys reached out to Carter to request "a mediation to resolve this matter."

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"Upon present information and belief, Jay-Z responded to said letter by not only filing an utterly frivolous lawsuit, but by also orchestrating a conspiracy of harassment, bullying and intimidation against Plaintiff's lawyers, their families, employees and former associates in an attempt to silence Plaintiff from naming Jay-Z herein. This effort was meant to scare Plaintiff and to discredit her counsel. That effort failed. Indeed, Plaintiff chose to file this amendment as a result of the egregious conduct perpetuated by Carter," according to the lawsuit.

In his response sent to CNN on Sunday – which was addressed to Doe's attorney – Carter called the mediation request a "blackmail attempt."

Carter also said this lawyer, "who I have done a bit of research on, seems to have a pattern of these type of theatrics!"

CNN has also reached out to Jay-Z's wife Beyoncé Knowles for comment.

CNN reported in November that an anonymous male celebrity filed a lawsuit against the Texas attorney representing the Doe alleging he was the victim of an extortion scheme.

The celebrity accused Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee and his firm of "shamelessly attempting to extort exorbitant sums from him or else publicly file wildly false horrific allegations against him."

Attorneys for the unnamed celebrity claimed further the Buzbee had "threatened to unleash entirely fabricated and salacious allegations of sexual assault" that included "multiple instances of rape of a minor, both male and female" if their client "refuses to comply with their demands."

Buzbee denied the extortion claims against him, in an Instagram post in which he wrote that his firm "won't allow the powerful and their high-dollar lawyers to intimidate or silence sexual assault survivors," and in a statement to CNN.

"If you are trying to hide your identity and you claim you did nothing wrong, doesn't seem very smart to take this approach," Buzbee told CNN in an email at the time. "We will address it in due course."

"I have confidence that with full public disclosure all of this will sort itself out," Buzbee wrote.

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A police investigation is under way after a body was found dumped in bushland close to Sydney Airport today.

The body was discovered in bushes next to Foreshore Road in Botany, in Sydney's south, earlier this morning.

In a statement, NSW Police said a crime scene has been established but could not give any more information.

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"A police operation is underway in bushes off Foreshore Road, at Botany, following reports of a body located," a NSW police spokesperson said.

"Officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command are being assisted by specialist officers from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad.

"A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the incident has commenced."

The person has not yet been identified.

More to come.

A 'perfect storm' of rental inflation and housing unavailability has made levels of homelessness in Australia soar well above pre COVID-pandemic levels, claims a new report.

The Australian Homelessness Monitorfound that homelessness had "significantly increased" since the year 2019-2020 according to a majority of specialist homelessness services (SHS) and local government authorities (LGAs).

Well over half of the former also identified "significantly increased" case numbers in mid-2024 compared to the same time last year.

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Rental crisis to blame

Rental inflation is largely responsible for this upswing, according to the report. National median rents saw a 51 per cent median increase in the period March 2020-September 2024; adjusted for inflation, that is still a 29 per cent increase.

On top of this, tenancy turnover within the housing market has plummeted to an unusually low number of just 1 per cent, co-existing with a downturn in newly built homes up for rent.

Given that rent increases have also substantially outpaced earnings growth since 2020, low income and vulnerable households are now substantially more at risk of homelessness since before the pandemic.

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According to data from homelessness services, the number of new service users reporting housing affordability stress as the main factor prompting their need for help increased by over a third during the 2020-2024 period, the only 'main reason for seeking help' that rose during the period.

Although the period 2018-2023 saw social housing expand slightly (2.3 per cent), the population also rose (6.8 per cent), meaning the proportionate share of social housing has continued to decrease.

Pressure on Homelessness Services

Decreased housing affordability and availability has created a so-called
"perfect storm" for homelessness services agencies.

Rising caseload numbers alongside a decline in persons starting new support periods demonstrates agencies' declining capacity to provide assistance for those in need.

Homelessness services reported a median 12 per cent increase in monthly caseloads nationwide since 2019-2020, however these differed markedly state-to-state, with Queensland reporting the largest increase (46 per cent) followed by Western Australia (30 per cent).

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However, the number of persons starting new support periods was down by a median of 7 per cent nationwide.

The average duration of services support is also up 44 per cent in five years to 2022-2023.

Groups disproportionately represented among those accessing homelessness services for the first time included families, people with a disability, persons in work, and older women, suggesting that homelessness is beginning to affect a wider section of the population.

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As homelessness rises, agencies must increasingly apply their scarce resources to those already homeless rather than at risk of homelessness. As a result, "agencies will be playing a declining role in preventing as opposed to relieving homelessness," according to the report.

'Latest phase in a much longer-term trend'

Housing market dynamics decades in the making – and exacerbated by COVID – are to blame for the recent spike in homelessness, according to the report.

"Fundamentally, the housing market drivers that underlie the problem are structural, not (only) cyclical," it said.

Right now, adequate provision of social housing by Australian governments is crucial to reducing and preventing homelessness by protecting low income and vulnerable people from rental stress and insecurity in the private market.

Accompanying measures including enhanced tenancy rights and adequate social security rates will also be important, according to the report.

A victor in the battle of the biscuits has been crowned for 2024. Though we might all have our own personal favourite, the country has voted with its wallet. These are the top ten most purchased Arnott's bikkies of the year.

A Victorian snake catcher has warned people to beware of snakes seeking indoor shelter as the days get hotter and longer.

Wyndhamvale-based Stewy the Snake Catcher wrote on Facebook that snakes were at risk of overheating during summer, because they cannot regulate their body temperature.

"A snake's optimum temperature range is anywhere between 18 degrees to 30 degrees. Any hotter than that and they can really struggle," he said.

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"When the temperature is too hot for snakes, they will enter houses, garages, warehouses, shops etc in order to cool down."

Alongside the post, the snake catcher uploaded a photo of a red-bellied black snake flattening itself out to sneak under a closed door.

"If you have your air conditioner going, a snake can sense the cooler air seeping from underneath your door, and they are absolutely amazing at squeezing into tight places," he said.

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"A (snake) can squeeze through a gap of about one-third of its body circumference."

And, he said, if a snake can't squeeze through the gap, it can lie against the crack and absorb the cooler air that way.

"So please always look down before you step out," Stewy wrote.

Anybody who comes into contact with a snake is urged to call a snake catcher for advice and a possible relocation.

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Looters, opposition fighters, and selfie-snapping civilians descended on the Presidential Palace in Damascus after the sudden flight of President Bashar al Assad overnight.

Half a century of rule by the Assad family in Syria crumbled with astonishing speed after insurgents burst out of a rebel-held enclave and converged on the capital, Damascus, taking city after city in a matter of days.

Opposition forces swept across the country and entered Damascus with little or no resistance as the Syrian army melted away. President Bashar Assad, Syria's ruler for 24 years — succeeding his father, Hafez Assad — fled the country. Russian state media reported that he was in Moscow.

It's a stunning development in Syria's devastating 13-year conflict. Anti-government protests in 2011 met with a brutal crackdown, escalating into a civil war that has killed more than half a million people and displaced half of Syria's prewar population of 23 million.

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Assad, backed by Iran and Russia, gradually regained control of more than two-thirds of Syria, leaving the rebels with one stronghold in the north-west of the country.

And there the conflict remained, largely frozen, for years until late November.

Here's a look at a seismic two weeks for the Middle East.

Wednesday, November 27: Rebel offensive begins

Armed opposition groups launch a large-scale attack on areas controlled by government forces in northwestern Syria and claim to have wrested control of over 15 villages from government forces in northwestern Aleppo province. The government and its allies respond with airstrikes and shelling in an attempt to halt the insurgent advances.

The offensive is led by the jihadi group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS. Formerly the Syrian branch of al-Qaida and known as the Nusra Front, HTS later distanced itself from al-Qaida, seeking to market itself as a more moderate group. It is classed as a terrorist group by Australia, the United Nations, and the US.

The attack on Aleppo follows weeks of simmering low-level violence, including government attacks on opposition-held areas. Turkey, a main backer of Syrian opposition groups, says the rebels began a limited offensive to stop the attacks, but it expanded as government forces began to retreat.

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Thursday, November 28: The offensive expands

The offensive expands to reach the countryside of Idlib province amid reports government troops are retreating.

Friday, November 29: Rebels enter Aleppo

The insurgents enter Aleppo, Syria's largest city, for the first time since they were pushed out in 2016 after a grueling military campaign by Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran. They meet with little resistance.

Saturday, November 30: Aleppo falls under insurgent control

The rebels say they control Aleppo, raising a flag over the city's citadel and occupying the international airport. The Syrian armed forces claim to have redeployed troops and equipment in preparation for a counterattack.

By evening, the insurgents have seized at least four towns in the central Hama province and claim to have entered the provincial capital.

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Sunday, December 1: The government fights back

The Syrian military launches a counterattack with troops and airstrikes on Idlib and Aleppo. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visits Damascus, telling Assad that Tehran will support the counteroffensive.

But Assad receives little, if any, help from his allies.

Russia is busy with its war in Ukraine, and Iran has seen its proxies across the region degraded by regular airstrikes.

Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah, which at one point sent thousands of fighters to shore up Assad's forces, has been weakened by a year-long conflict with Israel.

Monday, December 2-Wednesday, December 4: Fighting rages near Hama

The insurgents push south, advancing to within 10km of Hama, the country's fourth-largest city and a key crossroads in central Syria, about 200km north of Damascus.

State media reports fierce fighting in the province, and both state media and a UK-based observer group say government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have recaptured some territory.

Turkey urges Assad to hold talks with the opposition.

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Thursday, December 5: Insurgents capture Hama

After several days of fighting the rebels sweep into Hama.

Dozens of jubilant fighters are seen firing into the air in celebration in Assi Square, the site of massive anti-government protests in the early days of the uprising in 2011.

The Syrian army says it has redeployed to positions outside the city to protect civilians.

Friday, December 6: Rebels advance on Homs

Rapidly advancing now, the rebels seize two towns on the outskirts of Homs, Syria's third-largest city.

About 40km south of Hama, Homs is the gateway to Damascus and the location of one of Syria's two state-owned oil refineries.

Capturing it would cut the link between Damascus, Assad's seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support.

The government denies reports that its military has withdrawn from the city.

Top diplomats from countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Iran and Russia, hold talks on Syria in the Qatari capital, Doha.

Saturday, December 7: Homs falls and Assad's grip weakens

Opposition forces take Homs after government forces abandon it. The insurgents say they have encircled Damascus and are carrying out the "final stage" of their offensive.

The UN special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, seeks urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an "orderly political transition," as Syrian state media denies Assad has fled the country.

Sunday, December 8: Assad is toppled

Syrian state television airs a video statement by a group of men saying that President Bashar Assad has been overthrown and all prisoners have been set free.

HTS commander Abu Mohammed al-Golani visits the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus and calls Assad's fall a victory for "the Islamic nation."

Russian officials and Iranian state TV say Assad has left Syria. Russian state news agencies later report he and his family are in Moscow and were granted asylum.

Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali says Syria's government is ready to "extend its hand" to the opposition and hand over its functions to a transitional government.

The Russian agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source on Assad and his family being given asylum in Moscow, his longtime ally and protector. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but contacted the Kremlin for comment.

RIA also said Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria.

Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday, and Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.

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