Tag Archives: oceania

Axed NRL star accused of spitting on woman in pub

Banned NRL star Talatau Junior Amone has been charged with assault after allegedly spitting on a woman during an argument at a pub.

The former St George Illawarra player was arrested yesterday following reports of an alleged assault at a licensed premises on Keira St in Wollongong earlier that day.

"It is alleged a man and a woman – known to each other – were involved in an argument about 2am on the same day before the man spat at the woman," NSW Police said in a statement today.

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St George Illawarra Dragons player Talatau Junior Amone who was deregistered by the NRL

Following an investigation, Amone was arrested at an address in Vermont Rd in the Wollongong suburb of Warrawong about 6.15pm.

The 22-year-old was taken to Wollongong police station, where he was charged with one count of common assault and initially refused bail.

He appeared via video link at Wollongong Local Court today, when he was granted release on the condition that he not go near or contact the woman or enter any licensed premises.

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He was also issued with an apprehended domestic violence order.

The case is listed to return to the same court on August 16.

The ex-Dragons five-eighth had his $500,000 contract terminated in 2023 and is unable to be registered in the NRL until at least 2026 after a hammer attack on a tradesman.

In June, Amone was sentenced to a 24-month intensive correction order after he and his father confronted the man, who had parked on a neighbouring property in Warrawong, in November 2022.

Amone smashed the man's car windscreen with the hammer before climbing onto a roof and chasing the victim.

The man fled, jumping across to another rooftop before falling from the building, hitting an air-conditioning unit on the way down.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732)

Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Surprising number of Aussies admit to stealing shopping trolleys and baskets

A surprising number of Aussies have owned up to stealing a shopping trolley or basket from the supermarket, with some even admitting they did it out of spite.

A survey of 1062 people from comparison site Finder, revealed 16 per cent have taken a trolley or basket from the shops in the past 12 months. This equates to 3.3 million of the national population.

Gen Z were the worst offenders, with 30 per cent admitting to doing it, compared to 21 per cent of Gen Y and 10 per cent of Gen X.

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Shopping trolley in a supermarket

The research found six per cent couldn't be bothered to put their trolley or basket back, while the same amount were fuelled by frustration, often thanks to inflated costs in the shopping aisles.

Three per cent said it was to save money on bag fees, while another three per cent said it was for use on future shopping trips.

Another three per cent said they did it just so they could take it for a cruise with friends.

And two per cent haven't returned a basket or trolley so they could more comfortably walk their groceries home.

But whatever the reason for stealing a shopping trolley or basket from the supermarket, Finder money expert, Rebecca Pike said you can bet the supermarkets will act if the trend continues.

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"Grocers will take more extreme measures to protect their property," she said.

Pike said supermarkets are cracking down on theft in supermarkets.

"Anti-theft technology has been installed in many supermarkets as the cost of living continues to wreak havoc," she said.

"Multiple security measures have been enforced to stop shoppers in their tracks."

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Aussie share market loses $77 billion in morning bloodbath

The Australian share market has been battered by a horror morning, with the ASX 200 slumping almost 3 per cent.

That equates to $77 billion lost off the market, with a few hours yet to go.

It follows a 2.1 per cent fall on Friday, making it the worst two-day streak in years.

READ MORE: Australia's terrorism threat level raised to 'probable'

ASX boards in the red (Getty)

The big four banks are down three per cent, while Qantas fell 4.3 per cent.

It comes amid international fears the US the economy could be slowing too fast, pointing to a potential hard landing or even a recession.

Financial markets worldwide are adjusting, with tech giants like Microsoft and Apple seeing their huge gains from earlier this year corrected.

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US employers added just 114,000 jobs in July — 35 per cent fewer than expected — and unemployment, now at 4.3 per cent, is the highest since October 2021, the US Labour Department reported Friday.

"Things are deteriorating quickly,'' said Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter.

The sharp downturn in US hiring shook financial markets around the world. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 610 points, or 1.5 per cent. The S&P 500 tumbled 1.8 per cent.

The sturdy US economy has been a key driver of global economic growth and the US jobs market has been the fuel, giving Americans the confidence and financial wherewithal to keep spending.

READ MORE: Interest rate rise looks off the agenda as Reserve Bank meets

The unemployment rate's jump to 4.3 per cent in July crossed a tripwire that historically has signaled recession — though economists say the gauge probably is not reliable in the post-pandemic economy.

Hiring may have been disrupted by Hurricane Beryl, which slammed the Texas economy last month. And ZipRecruiter's Pollak noted employers have cut worker hours and made temporary layoffs — suggesting that they are optimistic a rate cut may turn things around.

"They are just slowing hiring and putting people on temporary layoff, furlough," Pollak said.

"They want to get back to business. They see lots of opportunities to expand. They they just need rates to be (lower).''

With Associated Press.

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Australia’s terrorism threat level raised to ‘probable’

The federal government today raised Australia's National Terrorism Threat Level from "possible" to "probable".

A threat level of "probable", under the current system, says there is a greater than fifty per cent chance of an onshore attack or attack planning in the next twelve months.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the move following a meeting of the national security committee and cabinet this morning. He stressed that "probable" does not mean "inevitable".

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Intelligence experts say the decision to raise the threat level was not triggered by any single ideology or issue, but reported an overall rise in polarisation in Australia and other Western nations.

The terror threat level was last changed in 2022 when it was lowered to "possible".

Albanese said he sought to reassure Australians that "probable does not mean inevitable and it does not mean it is intelligence about an imminent threat or danger."

"But the advice that we have received is that more Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and it is our responsibility to be vigilant," he said.

"To be clear, this is the same threat level that was in place in Australia for more than eight years before it was lowered in November of 2022.

"At that time, we said as a government, it's does not mean the threat from terrorism is extinguished.

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"Since then we have seen a global rise in politically motivated violence and extremist. Many democracies are working to address this including our friends in the United States and in the United Kingdom."

Speaking alongside Albanese, the director-general of Australia's domestic intelligence service ASIO, Mike Burgess, said that the country's security environment is "more volatile and more unpredictable".

"More Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies and more Australians are willing to use violence to advance their cause.

"Politically motivated violence now joins espionage and foreign interference is our principal security concerns."

Burgess also stressed that "probable does not mean inevitable", but radical and inflammatory views "are being normalised."

"This trend increased during Covid and gained momentum after the terrorist attacks on Israel, and accelerated during Israel's military response… Individuals are embracing anti-authority ideologies, conspiracy theories, and diverse grievances.

Watch every moment, every medal of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 live and free on Channel 9 and 9Now. Plus, every event ad-free and in 4K on Stan Sport.