Five cities have been ranked impossibly or severely unaffordable in a new report examining 94 international markets.

A New South Wales woman has shared the perils of trying to pay for a Sydney hotel room with cash after she attempted to check-in to the Holiday Inn at Parramatta last weekend.

Albury grandmother Sharon Walsh, 60, had reserved a $209 room for Sunday night at the four-star hotel through online accommodation platform Booking.com.

Walsh told 9news.com.au she arrived at the hotel around 7.30pm that evening, after driving down from Nelson Bay where she attended two family baby showers.

READ MORE: Australian research shows spending rises with cashless payments

The grandmother said she told staff at the check-in desk she needed to pay for the room with cash, as her bank account had been recently hacked and she was waiting on a replacement card. 

"I said, 'I am paying by cash, that is all I have' and I pulled the money out," she said.

However, Walsh said she was shocked when hotel staff requested a $300 bond on top of the price for the room.

As Walsh was only carrying $375 in cash, she didn't have enough money to cover it.

"I offered to pay for the room in advance and the car park fee, which was an extra $20," she said. 

"I had an iPad and iPhone so I didn't want to watch any movies. And basically, I didn't need anything else that would require a room fee." 

Walsh said she wasn't able to put the bond on her credit card as she had reached her limit after splashing out on family dinners during her trip to Nelson Bay.

"I had money in my bank account, which I transferred to my credit card, but it takes 1-2 business days to transfer," she said.

Walsh said she did not feel comfortable asking a family member to use their credit card because, under the hotel's policy, their card details needed to be sent to the hotel by email, along with a copy of their photo ID.

"This all started because I got hacked. So I was very conscious about security and I don't know what the hotel's security is like," she said.

With hotel staff refusing to budge, Walsh said she was left with no option but to try to find somewhere else to stay the night.

"I was feeling very vulnerable, being a lone, female traveller from the country, where was I to go?" she said.

Too tired to make the five-hour plus drive back home to Albury, Walsh said she was worried she would have to sleep in her car.

"I was thinking, will I have to stay in my car and where do I stay where I am safe? And then I will have to be on guard," she said.

Luckily, Walsh ended up being able to book a room at the nearby Novotel Sydney Hotel at Parramatta.

"I rang (the Novotel) and asked if they were happy to accept cash and they were.

"They were amazing and they even waived my parking fee. I think they just felt sorry for me," she said.

Walsh said she was disappointed with the lack of empathy shown by staff at the Holiday Inn.

To make matters worse, Booking.com had not accepted her cancellation for the hotel room, and had attempted to charge to her credit card for $209, Walsh said. 

"I am telling friends not to stay at Holiday Inn and I am boycotting them now," she said.

Holiday Inn Parramatta general manager Anurag Sharma said his hotel was happy to take cash payments from guests.

"Our hotel does accept cash and there is no problem with that whatsoever," he said. 

However, the hotel's rules required the payment of a refundable bond, which was also mentioned in the information about the hotel provided by Booking.com, Sharma said.

"If anyone is paying $200 for accommodation, they are required to pay a $300 bond to cover any kind of extras in the hotel; your car parking, your food and beverage bill, your in-room dining bill, movie watching in the room," he said.

"That money we refund at the time of checkout.

"If the guest doesn't provide enough cash then we can't check in the guests. That's our very simple hotel policy."

As Australia moves toward a cashless society, many customers have become more vocal about their desire for businesses to keep cash as payment option, or stop making it more difficult to pay by cash.

Recently, debate has turned to whether Australia should introduce laws which require businesses to accept cash.

Last week, independent federal MPs Andrew Gee, Bob Katter and Dai Le introduced a bill to parliament which includes hefty fines for businesses that refuse to accept or don't carry physical money. 

However, businesses argue cash payments are increasingly unpopular with customers and come with extra security concerns for staff, as well as transport difficulties and costs.

According to the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), cash accounted for just 13 per cent of all payments made in 2022.

Contact reporter Emily McPherson at em********@******om.au

There's been a massive upset among the world's richest companies as computer chip company Nvidia continues it's meteoric rise.

Australia has faced bushfires seasons even more devastating than the catastrophic Black Summer fires and likely will again, a new study on the nation's weather patterns stretching back 2000 years has shown.

Thirty-three people died in the Black Summer bushfires of 2019/2020, more than 3000 homes were destroyed and more than 20 million hectares of farm, bush and forest were scorched.

As far as Australian records go, the fires were unprecedented in their scale and ferocity.

READ MORE: Cold snap for south-east Australia follows city's coolest day in five years

But these records only date back to 1950.

Now, a team of climate scientists has examined Antarctic sea ice to reveal new insights into Australia's weather patterns over the past 2000 years.

The size of weather systems that cause extreme bushfire weather in Australia are so big, they also impact Antarctic weather at the same time.

This "weather bridge" between the two continents is preserved in the ice core record as changes in sea salt concentration, scientists from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes found.

A drop in sea salt concentrations in the Law Dome ice core signal increased bushfire weather in south-east Australia.

The ice core data showed that bushfire weather in south-east Australia was as bad or worse than during Black Summer at least seven times over the past 2000 years.

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"We know how devastating the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires were but these new findings show natural climate variability can produce even more severe bushfire weather," climate scientist and lead author of the study, Dr Danielle Udy, said.

"On top of that, climate change is further adding to the intensity and frequency of severe bushfire weather."

"Buried in the ice is a warning: this isn't just a future risk. We need to plan for bushfire seasons worse than the Black Summer."

While the Black Summer fires were caused by a combination of factors aligning, including drought and natural climate variability, the effects of climate change will bring more frequent weather extremes in the coming decades.

"Prior to this study we had limited insights into how bad bushfires can really be due to natural climate variability alone," Hydroclimatologist at the University of Newcastle, Associate Professor Anthony Kiem, said.

"This work emphasises the need for Australia's bushfire risk estimation and planning to consider the full range of plausible natural variability in Australia's bushfire weather, as well as projected impacts of climate change."

A $1 million reward has been announced for information to help solve the 1980 murder of a woman in her Melbourne bookstore.

Maria James was killed on High Street, Thornbury, on Tuesday, June 17, 1980.

She lived with her two sons at the property where she was killed, which also functioned as a second hand bookstore.

READ MORE: Teenager charged after alleged violent attempted car theft in Adelaide

On the morning of her murder, she was seen by a number of witnesses in and around the property.

At about 11.55am, she called her ex-husband John and left a message asking him to call her back.

She did not say why she wished to speak with him, but she did say somebody was in the shop.

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A short time later, John returned her call. Maria asked him to "hold on" and was overheard speaking with somebody else.

Although John couldn't clearly hear the conversation, it was apparent something was wrong, and when Maria didn't return the call, he left work and went to check on her.

He arrived at the bookshop shortly after midday to find the front and back doors locked, but with the "open" sign still on display.

READ MORE: Three men allegedly bashed in random daylight ambush in Melbourne

He forced his way inside and found Maria dead in her bedroom with a large number of stab wounds.

She had sustained significant injuries to her head and face, and her hands had been bound.

Soon after finding Maria's body, John realised the front door of the shop was now unlocked – suggesting somebody may have been inside when he arrived.

Two separate eye witnesses described a man running away from the crime scene soon after Maria's body WAS found.

This man has never been identified and police continue to appeal for information in relation to the man, and are again releasing images in the hope someone can provide information about his identity.

The case has been to inquest twice, in 1982 and 2021, and on both occasions returned an open finding.

Victoria Police today announced a $1 million reward for information in relation to the person or people responsible for Maria's death in the hope it will provide new leads and result in the offender being held to account.

A reward of $50,000 was previously offered in 1980.

"While it has been more than four decades since Maria was murdered, detectives have not given up hope that this case can be solved," Detective Inspector Dean Thomas said.

"If you have information then we want to hear from you, no matter how insignificant or irrelevant you think it is.

"After 44 years, Maria's sons deserve answers and police remain as committed as ever to being able to give those to them."

The million-dollar reward will be paid at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner of Police, for information leading to the apprehension and subsequent conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death of Maria James.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will consider, according to established guidelines, the granting of indemnification from prosecution to any person who provides information as to the identity of the principal offender or offenders in this matter.

Investigators are hopeful this new reward will encourage someone to come forward with information and despite the passage of time, believe there are still people out there who can help solve this.

Police urge anyone with information about Maria's death to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online.

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A major Perth building company is under fire from hundreds of customers in what the state opposition claims is an "unfolding disaster".

The Western Australian government today vowed to meet with Nicheliving to demand answers for customers who say they have been locked into seemingly never-ending builds.

"I'm financially ruined because of this," customer Kathy Ellis said.

READ MORE: Greg Lynn can't be found guilty of manslaughter, jury told

"So I'm living the happy life in a camper trailer with two teenagers. It's no heating, no air conditioning."

"They promise you so much but give you nothing in return," another customer, Adam Mostert, said.

Some disgruntled customers of the state's biggest medium-sized property developer wanted to confront Nicheliving managing director Ronnie Michel-Elhaj today.

Tracey Bishop said she had been "hoping to be able to speak to Ronnie and find out what the hell is going on".

"We need something done. We can't do it any longer," she said.

9News Perth attempted to speak to Michel-Elhaj but was escorted off the premises.

The company said it was committed to delivering all of the builds and called on the state government to do more.

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Opposition Leader Shane Love said it was "an unfolding disaster" that demanded urgent action.

"This is a dire situation for people who are caught in a stalemate," Love said.

"This isn't one or two people, this is hundreds of people."

Ellis said she wrote to Commerce Minister Sue Ellery "pleading for help" in November.

"She wrote back to me and told me to call Lifelong if I need help," Ellis said.

The government responded immediately today after the opposition raised issues in parliament.

Ellery said she would meet with Nicheliving next week, promising to get answers from the company over the delays.

Premier Roger Cook said "Nicheliving is a big builder and they need to do the right thing by their customers".

Nicheliving said it had not received any government-backed builder support and called for more to be done to assist established builders in what they describe as challenging economic times.

Jurors will only need to decide whether former airline pilot Greg Lynn is guilty of murder, after the judge told them that Lynn could not be found guilty of an alternate manslaughter charge.

The 57-year-old is nearing the end of a five-week murder trial, with Supreme Court Justice Michael Croucher summing up the charges to 14 jurors this morning.

He has pleaded not guilty to two charges of murder, over the deaths of Russell Hill and Carol Clay in Victoria's alpine region more than four years ago.

READ MORE: Unemployment rate falls slightly as 40,000 new jobs created

Lynn told the jury the two deaths were accidental, but admitted destroying evidence including burning the bodies and the crime scene.

When the jury was chosen, it was told it had three options to consider when deciding a verdict: murder, manslaughter or finding Lynn innocent.

However, the jury was told prosecution and defence have since decided manslaughter should be taken off the table.

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"Manslaughter will no longer be available to you as the alternate charge in this trial, both sides agree," Justice Croucher told the jury today.

"In the circumstances of this case, if you are not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of murder, you would also not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt of manslaughter.

"In those circumstances, an alternative verdict of manslaughter would be wrong.

"You must put manslaughter out of your mind, the only charges available to you are murder."

He told jurors they must be judges of the facts and put any feelings of sympathy towards Hill and Clay's families out of their minds in considering their decision.

"You must act like judges," Justice Croucher said.

"You must not let your passions or feelings or moral judgments get in the way."

After the judge has summarised the charge, the jury will be sent away to deliberate on its verdict.

The Reserve Bank has been presented with something of a conundrum after Australia's unemployment rate fell slightly last month, down 0.1 per cent after the economy added almost 40,000 new jobs.

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics put the jobless rate for May at 4 per cent, down from April's measure of 4.1 per cent.

"With employment rising by around 40,000 people and the number of unemployed falling by 9000 people, the unemployment rate fell to 4.0 per cent," ABS head of labour statistics Bjorn Jarvis said.

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"In April we saw more unemployed people than usual waiting to start work. Some of the fall in unemployment and rise in employment in May reflects these people starting or returning to their jobs.

The drop to 4 per cent was largely in line with market expectations, and is unlikely to have any significant impact on interest rate forecasts.

"The labour market is presenting a conundrum to the Reserve Bank of Australia, as while unemployment is rising, the labour market is still very tight by historical standards," CreditorWatch chief economist Anneke Thompson said.

"Still, pressure on wage increases appears to have waned, especially after that Fair Work Commission's Minimum Wage Review, which at 3.75 per cent is below the current rate of inflation and broadly welcomed by economists concerned about wage rises and their impact on inflation.

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"However, a continuing healthy labour market, as well as upcoming tax cuts, will make the RBA very cautious about cutting the cash rate too soon.

"It is likely that the RBA will wait until the full impacts of tax cuts flow through to retail trade, labour force and savings data, which won't happen until late 2024 and into early 2025."

Jarvis said the jobs market remains tight, with far more people in work than before the pandemic.

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"While the total number of unemployed people fell by 9000 in May, this followed a 33,000 increase in April. Unemployment was around 24,000 people more than in March, an average increase of around 12,000 people each month," Jarvis said.

"There are now almost 600,000 unemployed people, however, that is still nearly 110,000 fewer people than in March 2020, just before the pandemic…

"The employment-to-population ratio and participation rate both continue to be much higher than their pre-pandemic levels.

"Together with elevated levels of job vacancies, this suggests the labour market remains relatively tight, though less than in late 2022 and early 2023."

Chris Dawson will remain behind bars as a convicted wife-killer after a failed appeal.

A panel of judges in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal dismissed Dawson's appeal against his murder conviction today.

Dawson's lawyers had argued the guilty verdict against him was unreasonable.

READ MORE: Unemployment rate falls slightly as 40,000 new jobs created

Barrister Belinda Rigg SC told the appeal court in May there was not enough evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt he murdered his wife Lynette Dawson in 1982.

But the state's highest court upheld Dawson's convictions, granting him leave but then dismissing his appeal.

The ex-teacher and former rugby league player was convicted in August 2022 of murdering his wife Lynette Dawson so he could pursue a relationship with a teenage girl, who was one of his students.

He has also been convicted of a historical charge of carnal knowledge as a teacher of a girl over 10 and under 17.

Dawson swore repeatedly when a judge delivered that guilty verdict in June 2023, which he also plans to appeal.

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It added another year to the period before which Dawson will be eligible for parole.

His first possible release date will be in August 2041, when he will be 93.

Dawson's full 24-year sentence for murdering his wife expires in 2046.

Her body has never been found and laws preventing parole in those circumstances mean the 75-year-old will likely spend the remainder of his life in prison.

Both guilty verdicts came after judge-alone trials as Dawson's crimes attracted significant publicity before he was charged.

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

A copper theft surge has prompted a major response from authorities across Queensland as criminals cause millions of dollars in damage.

Energy Queensland has changed tactics to help curb the situation due to the significant impact on the network.

"We've had instances where the copper thieves have taken up to 1000 metres of cable in one night," Energex area manager Chris Graham told 9News Queensland.

READ MORE: Appeal over death of 'fun-loving' well-known Sydney surfer

Copper crime on Queensland's electricity network has tripled since 2020, with almost 400 incidents last year alone. 

New housing estates, sporting clubs and businesses have been targeted, with reports that thieves are posing as tradies to avoid detection.

Culprits have been selling the cable to scrap metal dealers, who melt and re-shape it, which is then largely used in electronics.

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"People are stealing copper dressed in high visibility and driving commercial utes," Daniel Cunningham from Queensland Police said.

"I would encourage anyone if they do see anything to report it."

However, now that repair bills have mounted to more than $4.5 million a year, crews have replaced copper with aluminium at many of its sites. 

"There's no scrap value for the copper thieves in this cable, so there's no point in them trying to steal this cable," Graham said.

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