Tag Archives: oceania

Man jailed for mimicking ‘gut-wrenching’ Bondi shooting

A man seen mimicking the Bondi massacre before spouting slurs against Jewish people has been jailed – but his lawyer says he's not anti-semitic.

Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23, was heavily intoxicated when he and a friend went to Bondi Beach, six weeks after the Islamic State-inspired mass shooting.

"(The shooting) was horrific, it was gut-wrenching, it was just a developing ongoing drama and trauma," said Judge Michael Barko in sentencing the First Nations man today.

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Zayne McMillan has been jailed after mimicking the Bondi terrorist attack from the same footbridge where the attack was carried out.

McMillan was seen on January 31 on the same Bondi footbridge posing as though he held a long-arm firearm while his friend took photographs, agreed facts seen by AAP say.

Judge Barko gave him a 12-month jail sentence, with a non-parole period of nine months.

Earlier, defence barrister Stephen Alexander said his client was not an ideological anti-Semite.

"What he did say was anti-Semitic but he didn't go out of his way to be an anti-Semite," Alexander said.

"He does not consider himself as being a racist towards the Jewish community."

Judge Barko rejected this, noting McMillan had singled out Jews during his 35-minute tirade.

"Not one other faith, belief or culture was referred to," the judge said.

The 23-year-old Dubbo man watched the sentencing by audiovisual link from Shortland prison near Cessnock, stroking his goatee while Judge Barko spoke.

The bricklayer received a discounted sentence after earlier pleading guilty to three counts of offensive behaviour in a public place and two counts of intimidation.

He will be eligible for release on November 3.

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On the footbridge, the First Nations bricklayer yelled, "F— the Jews".

"I'm a Koori I can do what I like," he said.

McMillan then verbally threatened a 47-year-old man walking by with his family after they made eye-contact.

"Do you wanna f—ing go? I'll f—in bash ya. This is my f—in land," he said.

The 23-year-old rode a bicycle to Waverley Oval where he intimidated a second visibly Jewish victim walking with his son to a synagogue by yelling anti-Semitic remarks.

He rode onto Bondi Junction where he continued yelling racist slurs after falling off his bike.

He was arrested by NSW Police on February 4.

Alexander told the court today the incident was sparked by someone responding to his client yelling, "Free Palestine" on the footbridge.

"You're stealing land and killing woman and children … just like the white man," he allegedly said.

The barrister said his client had taken a mix of alcohol, ketamine, MDMA and magic mushrooms.

WATCH: Masked youths carry out broad daylight attack with machetes, sledgehammer

A psychologist had also provisionally diagnosed the bricklayer with a complex post traumatic background due to a deprived childhood.

Judge Barko noted McMillan was on parole at the time, breaching conditions imposed by taking illicit substances and committing further offences.

Outside court, Alexander told reporters the sentence imposed was a pretty fair outcome.

"My client's pretty pleased with it," he said.

"He'll just get on with his life and hopefully will do a lot better when he comes out."

In March, the Local Court heard McMillan wanted to apologise to the court for his conduct.

A direct apology did not occur today.

McMillan's friend has been charged over the incident with a warrant out for his arrest.

Accused terrorist Naveed Akram and his father Sajid opened fire during Hannukah celebrations at Bondi Beach in Sydney on December 14.

Fifteen people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, and 40 people were injured, while Sajid Akram was shot dead by police.

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Bodyguard’s alleged kidnappers arrested after dramatic chase

Five men are expected to be charged after an underworld associate was allegedly abducted and assaulted in Sydney overnight.

The victim, who is believed to be linked to a senior Alameddine crime network figure, was kidnapped from his home in Guildford and bundled into his own car about 11.30pm yesterday.

The group of alleged offenders had no idea that police were tracking their every move from the sky.

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Bodyguard abducted and assaulted in western SydneyBodyguard's alleged kidnappers arrested after dramatic chase

READ MORE: 'Kitty flipping' sounds cute. It's a killer invading Australia

The victim was driven to Villawood, where the alleged offenders swapped cars.

His dumped Ford Ranger was found partially burnt-out a short time later.

Police then swooped on the group about 12.30am after following them via PolAir to a house in Casula in the city's south-west.

Police allege the man was tied at his hands and feet before he was assaulted.

Officers broke into the home and rescued the victim.

He was treated for facial injuries and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Within an hour, a group of five men were arrested near the Hume Highway in Casula with the assistance of the Raptor Squad.

Bodyguard abducted and assaulted in western SydneyBodyguard abducted and assaulted in western Sydney

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Footage obtained by 9News shows police, including members of the Tactical Operations Unit, shows officers searching a nearby safehouse.

NSW Police Detective Superintendent Jason Box alleged police found a firearm, a baseball bat, other weapons and clothing allegedly worn by the men.

"The location of the kidnapping, the house where the victim was discovered, plus the vehicles that we've seized are currently being examined," Box said.

The arrested men have been taken to Liverpool Station, including a 17-year-old and four men in their 20s.

No charges have been laid.

A crime scene has been established and an investigation into the alleged abduction and assault is under way.

Police are now investigating if the incident is linked to a brewing underworld battle in Sydney.

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Masked youths carry out broad daylight attack with machetes, sledgehammer

Harrowing scenes unfolded on an inner-city street in Melbourne yesterday as a gang of masked youths allegedly used poles, a machete and a sledgehammer to attack two people in broad daylight.

CCTV footage shows a group of balaclava-clad young people hanging out of the sunroof of a car as it drove down Bay Street in Port Melbourne before the attack yesterday afternoon.

It's believed they were searching for their targets. The car then stopped and several people, including one person appearing to carry a large knife, jumped out and began running.

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Port Melbourne brawl

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Police were then called to reports of an attack on Lalor Street, located just a few hundred metres away, about 3.15pm.

It is understood the group of six hooded thugs chased two young people down the street.

Witnesses said the group violently attacked the pair with a pole and a machete.

"It was a ruckus… there was screaming," resident Hilary told 9News.

"I left SA to escape the violence… I moved to the UK, I witnessed the same thing and now it's right outside my front door in Australia."

A tradie who attempted to intervene by throwing a sledgehammer at the fray said one of the thugs took it and used it as a weapon.

Families say they were cowering inside their homes in fear as the violent scenes took place on their doorstep.

3AW's Ross Stevenson said he has "never seen" an incident like this in Melbourne.

"It looks like a scene from Syria," he said of the footage.

Witnesses said the group fled the area in a white Haval SUV, which was later spotted at Junction Oval in St Kilda.

The group, including the targets of the attack, left the scene before police arrived.

Port Melbourne brawlPort Melbourne brawl

READ MORE: Inside 'kitty flipping', the recreational drug trend booming in Australian cities

"No victims have come forward to report the incident to police," a spokesperson for Victoria Police said.

"There were no reports of weapons involved."

The car has not been found, police added.

No arrests have been made.

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‘Use it or lose it’: Why Aussies are being urged to get cash out next week

Aussies are being urged to support cash use by withdrawing money from their nearest ATM next Tuesday, as data shows cash use is rising across Australia.

Recent data released by the Reserve Bank of Australia showed that after years of decline, the rate of cash use had stabilised across the country in 2025, with around 15 per cent of all payments using cash, and half of all Aussies still using cash at least once a week.

Their study showed that older Australians and lower-income households were more likely to use cash, but that most Aussies keep a little bit of cash on hand – around $65 on average – for emergencies.

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GEN23, Generic, cash payments, shopping, cost of living,  wages, withdrawal, atm, armaguard, groceries, in Sydney on April 1, 2024.

"The ability to use cash remains highly valued by many Australians," the RBA study said.

While cash may no longer be king, millions of Aussies still rely on it, and in January, the federal government passed a mandate that required businesses to accept cash for essential transactions.

To further boost support for cash, next Tuesday, April 28th, Aussies are urged to withdraw money from their nearest ATM on Cash Out Day.

This is designed to show cash still enjoys support from the community, but also highlights bank closures in parts of the country, especially in regional areas.

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National Seniors Association CEO Chris Grice claimed Cash Out Day would show how important the ability to easily access cash was for older Australians and regional communities.

The RBA survey showed cash has the highest share of payments among people aged over 65, on lower incomes, and in regional areas," he said.

"Our mantra… has been to 'use it or lose it'.

"Cash users across the country should feel validated by the news that proves cash still has a solid place in the economy."

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Third woman leaves Trump’s cabinet in two months

Scandal-plagued US Secretary of Labour Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned, the third woman to leave Trump's cabinet in the past two months.

Chavez-DeRemer's resignation was not announced by herself but by White House spokesperson Steven Cheung.

"Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer will be leaving the Administration to take a position in the private sector," he said.

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Labour Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned from Trump's cabinet.

"She has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labour practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives."

Soon afterwards, she issued her own statement.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to serve in this historic Administration and work for the greatest President of my lifetime," she said.

"While my time serving in the Administration comes to a conclusion, it doesn't mean I will stop fighting for American workers. 

"I am looking forward to what the future has in store as I depart for the private sector."

Chavez-DeRemer's tenure in the position has been beset by scandal and rumour about the behaviour of herself and her family.

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Three women have left Donald Trump's cabinet since the start of March.

In January, the New York Post reported she was being investigated for allegedly having an affair with a subordinate, drinking on the job and taking personal trips with taxpayer money.

Staff told the Inspector-General that they were sent out to buy alcohol for the secretary.

She also allegedly asked staff to organise "work trips" so she could attend events such as UFC fights or concerts.

The New York Times reported that her husband had been banned from the Department of Labour headquarters after several women there reported he was making unwanted advances.

Her husband and father also reportedly sent personal text messages to young staffers at the department.

Before being nominated to the cabinet, Chavez-DeRemer served as a member of Congress before her election defeat in 2024.

Chavez-DeRemer is the third person to leave Trump's cabinet in his second term.

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Kristi Noem has been sacked as Secretary of Homeland Security.

Kristi Noem was ousted as Secretary of Homeland Security at the start of March.

And three weeks ago Attorney-General Pam Bondi was fired from her position.

All three cabinet members have been replaced by men. There are now just two women in the cabinet.

Trump has not commented on Chavez-DeRemer's departure despite a prolific afternoon on Truth Social.

READ MORE: FBI Director sues magazine for $348m over claims of drunkenness

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FBI Director sues magazine for $348m over claims of drunkenness

FBI Director Kash Patel is suing magazine The Atlantic for $US250 million (A$348 million) over reports of his alleged drunkenness.

The article published last week referenced instances of Patel's excessive alcohol consumption impacting his job.

But in a lawsuit filed today against the magazine and journalist Sarah Fitzpatrick, Patel described the article as a "sweeping, malicious and defamatory hit piece".

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FBI Director Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic over reports of drunkenness.

"Fitzpatrick could not get a single person to go on the record in defence of these outrageous allegations, instead relying entirely on anonymous sources she knew to be both highly partisan with an axe to grind and also not in a position to know the facts," the lawsuit read. 

"Defendants published the Article with actual malice, despite being expressly warned, hours before publication, that the central allegations were categorically false."

The Atlantic reported that unnamed officials in the Trump administration were concerned alcohol was behind Patel sharing false information about investigations, including the alleged murder of Charlie Kirk.

Patel had falsely claimed in the hours after Kirk's death that the suspect was in custody.

He had also announced a "person of interest" was in custody after a shooting at Brown University. That person was quickly released when it was determined they were innocent.

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Kash Patel celebrating with America's ice hockey team at the Olympics.

The Atlantic also reported Patel's security detail had difficulty waking him "because he was seemingly intoxicated" on multiple occasions.

When he was asked for comment by The Atlantic, he responded: "Print it, all false, I'll see you in court—bring your chequebook".

His lawsuit also detailed "historic law enforcement achievements" of the FBI during his tenure as director.

Patel was also criticised after footage emerged of him skolling a beer in the locker room with the gold-medal winning USA ice hockey team at the Olympics in February.

The footage also shows him spraying the beer around the room as he celebrated with the team.

Questions were asked about why Patel was at the Olympics on what was officially a work trip.

President Donald Trump, who appointed Patel to the position, was reportedly upset with the footage.

Trump himself does not drink.

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Donald Trump is a known teetotaller.

The president has been prolific in suing major media outlets in his second term for publishing unflattering articles about him.

He sued the Wall Street Journal for $14 billion over their reporting of his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

The lawsuit was dismissed last week.

The newspaper reported that Trump wrote a letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday.

The letter was framed by a sketch of what appeared to be a naked woman with Trump's signature in place of pubic hair.

The letter was written in the form of a dialogue between "Donald" and "Jeffrey".

"Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" Donald says in the script.

"A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."

The birthday book had been compiled by Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and featured contributions from other powerful friends of the paedophile.

Trump had denied to the Wall Street Journal that he had written the letter, and insisted that it never existed.

A $22 billion lawsuit against the New York Times was tossed by a different Florida judge in September last year.

Lawsuits against ABC News and the CBS show 60 Minutes were both settled out of court.

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‘Demoralising’: Jacques has faced over 100 job rejections after redundancy

Exclusive: The search for employment, in a painful kind of irony, can feel like a full-time job.

NSW man Jacques Bergh is reluctantly familiar with this "demoralising" task.

He was made redundant for the second time in his career this year and has spent nearly five months tailoring resumes and cover letters for over 100 jobs.

In that time, Bergh has only heard back twice.

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Jacques Bergh redundancy diaries

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Inside ‘kitty flipping’, the recreational drug trend booming in Aussie cities

The phrase 'kitty flipping' might conjure up playful furballs or racy sex acts, depending on your turn of mind, but the reality is far more perilous.

The term refers to combining the party drugs ketamine and MDMA (ecstasy) – and new research shows it's on the rise in Australia.

A new Australia-wide study of our wastewater has revealed that ketamine use has more than doubled in just four-and-a-half years.

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So exactly what is 'kitty flipping', why are more people doing it? And just what exactly is so dangerous about it?

The rise of ketamine as a party drug

Independently of ecstasy, the use of ketamine as a party drug has risen steeply in Australia in recent years, mirroring its growing popularity in the US, including amongst Hollywood celebrities.

It's a trend that drew headlines with former 'Friends' actor Matthew Perry's ketamine overdose in October 2023, which led authorities to uncover a widespread network of illegal trade catering to Hollywood's elite.

Ketamine is a pharmaceutical drug used as an anaesthetic which has become popular to treat severe pain and depression, due to its dissociative effects.

When used correctly in a hospital setting, it's considered very safe and effective.

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In 2020, detections of ketamine in Australia's wastewater were largely consistent with those kinds of prescribed uses, according to today's research by a team from Adelaide University.

But that soon changed.

"Patterns started emerging of substantially elevated excretion on weekends, suggesting an increase in recreational, or non-medical use of the substance," explained Professor Cobus Gerber from the university's School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences.

Gerber and his team have studied the wastewater of Australia's major cities and regional centres in every state and territory from 2020 through to 2025.

In December 2020, ketamine use averaged 2.7mg per day for every 1000 people but by April 2025, that had risen to 5.8mg per day – more than double.

The largest doses were found in affluent areas and inner city locations.

But why are people mixing it with MDMA?

Combining ketamine with other drugs isn't new.

"The drug is often consumed alongside other illicit substances to heighten feelings of euphoria and dissociation," explained Gerber.

'Pink cocaine', the concoction found in One Direction star Liam Payne's system following his fatal balcony fall in 2024, is actually most commonly a mix of ketamine and other drugs such as methamphetamine and caffeine.

However, online search data in Australia shows a recent rise in searches for the term 'kitty flipping'.

This specifically refers to combining ketamine with MDMA, ususually by taking MDMA first and then snorting or ingesting ketamine although sometimes combined pills or drinks are used.

Why is 'kitty flipping' so dangerous?

Any unprescribed use of ketamine comes with risks, but the typical harm reduction strategies for using single drugs (start low, stay hydrated, test your drugs) cannot account for the way the drugs interact.

For example, MDMA raises body temperature and heart rate, while ketamine impairs the body's ability to regulate its temperature.

When combined, this can result in an extremely high and unstable body temperature.

The combination of the two illicit drugs can also cause a potentially deadly build up of serotinon in the body, as well as place enormous strain on the heart.

To make things worse, MDMA slows digestion, so the high can hit later or harder than expected.

In the US, the popularity of 'kitty flipping' has already been associated with a significant rise in ketamine-related drug overdoses.

In Miami alone, 68 people died from an overdose with ketamine in their system in 2023. Prior to 2017, that number was fewer than 10.

Experts are now urging more research be done in Australia to track down where these drugs are originating from.

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