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Emotional support alligator barred from entering US stadium

A US baseball fan and his emotional support alligator named Wally were barred from entering a Major League Baseball stadium to meet players of the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday, though he's still hoping a meetup will be possible in future.

Joie Henney and Wally attempted to enter the Philadelphia Phillies' Citizens Bank Park on the day of their home game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Henney explained to CNN Sport that Wally was at the stadium after he had been invited to meet the Phillies players and their partners before Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

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However, because they arrived late to the stadium, the players were already out warming up meaning Wally was not able to spend some time with them.

"So we bought tickets and Wally has been into other baseball games, so we assumed that it was OK," Henney said.

"We never asked or checked with it, but they only allow service animals, such as dogs and horses, into the stadium, not ESA animals.

"Wally is an emotional support animal, not a service animal. People criticised me because they don't know the story behind everything … but when they came and told us, there was no disagreement, there was no arguing, there was no conflict at all. It was all good."

Henney added: "They've got their rules and we've got to go by their rules. I can't go there and make my rules."

According to Citizens Bank Park guidelines: "Certified service dogs or service dogs in training for guests with special needs are welcome. All other animals are prohibited."

Despite the disappointment of Wednesday, Henney is optimistic that he and Wally will be able to return to meet the Phillies' players before the MLB playoffs start.

When approached by CNN for comment, the Phillies pointed towards the team's policy on service animals.

READ MORE: Teen almost loses hand after alleged machete attack

Wally is Henney's emotional support animal and has blossomed into an internet sensation, amassing a large social media following, due to his relaxed nature and willingness to engage with all.

Wally can be seen sharing hugs at schools, police stations and hospitals with Henney leading him around by his harness.

Henney told CNN last year that he acquired Wally six years prior. A longtime reptile rescuer who has worked with alligators for 30 years, Henney was contacted by a friend working in Florida.

"There was an overabundance of gators in that area," Henney said.

In Florida, so-called "nuisance alligators" must be either euthanised or transferred into captivity, he explained.

Wally was removed from a lagoon in Florida, said Henney. His friend brought the baby gator, then just 20 inches long and a little over a year old, to Pennsylvania.

"Wally has been quite different than any alligator I've ever dealt with in the past 30 years," said Henney. "He doesn't show anger. He doesn't show aggression. He hasn't since the day he was caught. We never could understand why.

"He's just loveable. He sleeps with me, steals my pillows, steals my blankets. He's just awesome."

Wally's easygoing personality led Henney to have the gator licensed as an emotional support animal, he said. The alligator has provided comfort for him as he has undergone radiation treatments for cancer.

Warning about popular snack after spate of children burnt

Health authorities have issued a warning to parents following a spike in the number of children suffering scalding burns from instant noodles.

About 10 children have been treated for burns from the popular snack over the past month, according to experts at The Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW) in Sydney.

The hospital said the most common injuries were burns to the thighs or genital area, caused by children accidentally spilling the boiling liquid on themselves while carrying the container or eating from their lap.

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Toddlers have also been injured after pulling a container of noodles from a kitchen bench or table, while it was left to cool.

CHW Head of the Burns Unit Dr Torey Lawrence said it can take less than a second for spilled instant noodles to cause a severe burn.

"Boiling water in hot noodle containers can take an hour to cool down to a safe temperature after cooking," he said.

"This means accidents like spilling the hot water from instant noodles can cause long-lasting injuries and life-long scarring for children.

READ MORE: Teen almost loses hand after alleged machete attack

"It is important to remember hot food and drink that may be a good temperature for an adult can cause a significant burn to a child.

"Children's skin is comparatively thinner than adults and even a small amount of hot liquid can cause deeper, more extensive, and more severe burns."

Dr Lawrence said it was important for children to have close supervision of an adult when consuming hot food and drink.

"Simple measures such as always having an adult remove the container from the microwave, draining the hot water from the noodles before serving, ensuring children eat noodles at the table instead of on their lap, and using non-stick placemats can make a huge difference," he said.

Teen almost loses hand after alleged machete attack in Melbourne

A group of offenders is on the run after a 14-year-old boy almost lost his hand in an alleged machete attack in Melbourne.

Police believe the boy was allegedly assaulted after an altercation occurred between him and a group of men on Sutton Street in North Melbourne early yesterday morning.

He was left alone on the street bleeding before he was found by a stranger and taken to hospital.

READ MORE: Man killed and four others injured after car hits tree near Phillip Island in Victoria

The mother of the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, told 9News yesterday that her son may never be able to use his hand again.

"I feel numb in my heart," she said.

"It's my son. He is not a separate part of me, he is a part of me."

READ MORE: Man found with life-threatening neck injuries outside Perth home

The mother said her son was just minutes away from home when he was allegedly attacked with a machete.

"He called me and he said and said 'Mum, I'm downstairs in an ambulance. My hand got cut off'. I just got changed in a second and ran downstairs."

"When we got to hospital he was just screaming it was so bad."

The teenager has since undergone an 18-hour surgery for his hand and remains in hospital.

Police said the offenders fled the scene and investigation remains ongoing.

Suspect arrested in 1996 Tupac Shakur shooting death

A grand jury has indicted Duane Keith "Keffe D" Davis on charges of murder with use of a deadly weapon in connection with the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, Las Vegas authorities announced.

Davis, 60, was arrested on Friday morning in Las Vegas, according to authorities.

His wife's Henderson home was searched in July as part of the ongoing investigation into the shooting.

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Suspect arrested in 1996 Tupac Shakur shooting death.

Shakur was shot and killed while leaving a boxing match on the Las Vegas Strip.

His untimely death – the rapper was just 25 – has been the subject of conspiracy theories and a decades-long investigation.

Davis has long placed himself at the scene of the crime, saying he was in the front seat of the white Cadillac that came up beside Shakur's car when shots rang out from the back seat, killing the musician.

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The rapper was shot four times and died six days later.

"For 27 years, the family of Tupac Shakur has been waiting for justice," said Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill at a Friday news conference.

"The investigation started on the night of September 7th, 1996," McMahill said.

"It is far from over. It has taken countless hours, really decades, of work by the men and women of our homicide section to get to where we are today."

Tupac

Jason Johansson, the police department's homicide lieutenant, said the murder was a "retaliatory" attack after a conflict between two gangs based in Compton, California.

Shakur and Marion "Shuge" Knight, the former CEO of Death Row Records, were affiliated with the Mob Piru gang in Compton, while Davis was affiliated with the Southside Compton Crips, according to Johansson.

Shakur was in Las Vegas to see Mike Tyson box at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Members of the Southside Compton Crips, including Davis and his nephew Orlando Anderson, also attended the event.

"As both groups were leaving the fight, members of Death Row Records spotted Orlando Anderson near an elevator bank inside the MGM and at that time they began to kick and punch him near that elevator bank," said Johansson, showing hotel surveillance footage of the fight.

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Shakur and Knight were visible among the men who attacked Anderson.

"Little did anyone know that it is this incident right here that would ultimately lead to the retaliatory shooting and death of Tupac Shakur," he said.

Both groups left the hotel, with Shakur and his crew headed to a post-fight afterparty at a local nightclub.

When he found out about the attack on Anderson, Davis "began to devise a plan to obtain a firearm and retaliate against Suge Knight and Shakur," according to Johansson.

After he acquired a gun, Davis got into a white Cadillac along with Terrence Brown, Deandre Smith and Anderson.

"At some point in time, as they were in the white Cadillac, Davis took the gun that he had obtained and provided it to the passengers in the rear seat of the vehicle," Johansson said.

Then the group found the black BMW in which Shakur and Knight were riding, began shooting at them through the window, and immediately fled the area.

"Duane Davis was the shot caller for this group of individuals that committed this crime. He orchestrated the plan that was carried out to commit this crime," said Johansson.

Tupac Shakur was 25 when he was killed.

All the other individuals associated with the crime are dead, he added, including Anderson, who denied his involvement with the murder to CNN before his death in a gang-related shooting in 1998.

Johansson said police have long known the outline of events that night, but lacked sufficient evidence to bring the case forward.

The decadeslong quest to officially solve the case was "reinvigorated" in 2018, according to Johansson.

Davis' own admissions regarding the crime were a crucial piece of the investigation, he said.

When police searched Davis' wife's home in July, they seized a copy of the memoir Davis authored detailing street gang life and the murder of Shakur.

In the memoir, Davis describes himself as one of only two living witnesses to Shakur's shooting, the other being Knight, former CEO of Death Row Records, who is now serving time in prison for manslaughter in an unrelated case.

"Going to keep it for the code of the streets," Davis said when asked who of the four men in the car was responsible for pulling the trigger.

"It just came from the backseat, bro."

Johansson said officers knew the 2018 refocus on the case was "likely our last time to take a run at this case to successfully solve this case and bring forth a criminal charge."

Tupac's stepbrother, Mopreme Shakur, who is also a rapper, said news of Davis' arrest is "bittersweet."

"We have been through decades of pain. They have known about this guy, who been running his mouth, for years," he said.

"So why now?" he said. "For us, this is not over. We want to know why, and if there were any accomplices."

Man arrested for police confrontation following apartment fire

A man has been arrested in a struggle with police after a neighbour's apartment burnt down in Adelaide.

A second-story unit on Tenth Street in Bowden caught fire at 3.30am, gutting the apartment and waking neighbours.

"We heard the fire alarm go off and I went outside and turned the light on and the door had smoke coming out from the top," a resident told 9News.

READ MORE: Allegedly stolen car flips, seven teenagers arrested

The cause of the blaze is yet to be determined, but investigators are treating it as suspicious.

A neighbour "became disorderly" while emergency workers attended the scene, leading to his arrest.

Officers arrested him on the basis of disorderly behaviour, assault police and resist arrest.

No one was home during the fire and no one was injured.

Sydney to threaten October heat record for NRL Grand Final

Footy fans sweltered at the AFL grand final in Melbourne and the extreme early spring heat is now moving towards Sydney just in time for the NRL grand final on Sunday.

Melbourne's temperature peaked at 29.7 degrees during the first quarter of the AFL grand final, while Sydney is set to sizzle with a top of 36 degrees expected on Sunday.

That's a whopping 14 degrees above the average October maximum of 22.2 degrees, and not far short of the October record of 38.2 degrees (in stats going back to 1858).

READ MORE: NSW premier makes controversial call on NRL grand final winners

Temperatures are expected to peak around 3pm according to Weatherzone, as fans start packing Accor Stadium, with the mercury set to drop back to the high twenties by kick-off in the main game between the Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos at 7.30pm

But the extreme early October heat will make life difficult for players in the NRL Women's grand final between the Newcastle Knights and Gold Coast Titans at 3.55pm.

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'landys said earlier this week that he would enact protocols to help combat the heat.

READ MORE: Why Broncos star owes career to late grandmother

A reminder that all times are in Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT), not Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) as daylight saving starts at 2am on Sunday when Sydney clocks jump forward to 3am.

There is no daylight saving in Queensland, so if you're a Queensland-based Brisbane Broncos fan, don't forget to subtract an hour from the match times mentioned above.

Allegedly stolen car flips, seven teenagers arrested

Seven teenagers have been arrested after an allegedly stolen car flipped on the Gold Coast.

The car was allegedly stolen from Carrara at 10.40 am on Friday. It was later spotted at Hope Island at 2.30 pm.

A Police Air helicopter tracked the car to Waterford West before it crashed on Albert Street shortly after.

READ MORE: P-plater caught allegedly drink driving twice in two hours

Seven teenagers aged 15,13,16,14,14,14, and 14 were arrested following the incident.

A 15-year-old boy from Oxenford has been charged with two counts of unlawful motor vehicle and one count of dangerous operation of a vehicle and fraud.

A 13-year-old boy from Coomera has been charged with the unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle.

Both were denied bail and appeared in Southport Children's Court today.

A 16-year-old girl from Kingston has been arrested and charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle. 

She was refused bail and appeared in Beenleigh Children's Court today.

READ MORE: Men in water for about 45 minutes after whale flipped boat

A 14-year-old boy from Upper Coomera has been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

Two 14-year-old boys from Pimpama and Southport have been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

All three will face Southport Children's Court on September 27.

A 14-year-old girl from Kingston has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

She will face Beenleigh Children's Court on October 9.

Fans and players set to swelter for AFL grand final

The weather is turning it on as fans gather to watch the 2023 AFL Grand Final on a warm Melbourne day.

The Victorian capital is set for a top of 29 degrees with the skies expected to say clear over the top of the MCG at 2.30pm, when the match between Collingwood and Brisbane kicks off.

The sunny weather will be a change for both players and fans, who have been used to winter conditions for the majority of the season.

READ MORE: Man dies after whale flips boat in Sydney's Botany Bay

Magpies captain Darcy Moore and Lions captain Harris Andrews. 2023 AFL Grand Final parade. 29 September 2023. Photo: Eddie Jim.

The hottest AFL grand final on record was 31 degrees in 2015 for the West Coast and Hawthorn clash.

It might not be a record breaker but both players and fans are expected to swelter.

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Where to watch?

If you're not one of the lucky 100,000 people who got their hands on a golden ticket to the MCG, there are plenty of places to immerse yourself in the atmosphere.

There are four live sites to watch from in Melbourne and Brisbane has one to cheer on their Lions.

Those in the footy capital can watch from either Federation Square, Yarra Park, Melbourne Park or Olympic Park Oval.

Those in the Sunshine State can watch the game and go for a swim at Brisbane's Southbank.

The Lions home city is set for a top of 27 degrees with 62 per cent humidity.

Of course, there are pubs and clubs across the country that will be packed with fans cheering on the Pies or Lions.

Victim named after fatal whale incident in Botany Bay

Police believe two men were in the water for about 45 minutes when one man died after a whale breached near their boat and flipped it in Sydney's Botany Bay this morning.

Darren Curmi, 53, and brother-in-law Stuart Collins, 61, were pulled from the water by NSW Police after a whale struck their boat off Cape Banks at La Perouse about 6am.

Curmi kept Collins, who was unconscious, afloat for about 45 minutes until help arrived.

READ MORE: Fans and players set to swelter for this year's AFL grand final

It's believed two men were flung from their boat after they hit an object in Botany Bay.

Emergency crews performed CPR on the 61-year-old, but he unfortunately died on the rescue vessel.

The 53-year-old was uninjured but was taken to hospital for monitoring.

"A witness vessel was travelling out to the headlands and noticed the vessel doing laps without anybody on board," Acting Superintendent Siobhan Munro said.

"And that's when they identified that there were two people in the water and called emergency services."

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It's believed two men were flung from their boat after they hit an object in Botany Bay.

Munro said witnesses tried to assist the people in the water and police were on scene very soon after the initial reports.

"Police say that the skipper stayed as close as he could to the deceased and he was doing all he could until police arrived."

She said they were in a 4.8 metre runabout, which would be suitable for the conditions where the vessel was located.

"There are lots of whales out there," Munro said.

Acting Superintendent Siobhan Munro

"It is not unheard of the stories of whales breaching next to boats, which is obviously captured quite often.

"So this is a tragic accident but not one that I guess would be… unexpected.

"It is a stark reminder that although you could be out on the water having the best day, it could quickly turn into one of the worst days if skippers aren't prepared or if tragic incidents like this occur."

All boaties are required to keep a distance of 100 metres from whales.

Initial reports suggest the whale was submerged before it hit the boat.

READ MORE: When does daylight saving start in Australia?

NSW Police minister Yasmin Catley said the government's deepest condolences go out to the family after the "terribly tragic" incident.

"It's a stark reminder really of just how dangerous the water can be," Catley said.

"We've coexisted… recreational fishers and other marine life have coexisted for as long as we can remember I'm sure we can continue to do that."

For volunteer lifesavers, this is the beginning of what they expect to be a very busy summer.

They are urging all boaties to wear life jackets, as the majority of people they rescue are not wearing them.

The Foreshore Road Boat Ramp at Botany is currently closed as police investigate the incident.