Tag Archives: oceania

Murder charges laid after death of five-year-old girl in NT

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the image of a person who is deceased.

Jefferson Lewis has been charged with one count of murder after the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby.

The girl was last seen by her family just before 11pm on Saturday April 25, when she was put to bed at a house at Old Timers Camp just south of Alice Springs, and was last seen allegedly holding hands with Lewis walking away from camp.

READ MORE: Floral tributes grow as Alice Springs mourns five-year-old girl

Her body was discovered near the camp on Thursday after a five-day search.

Hours later, a man identified by police as 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis was arrested and taken to hospital after he was allegedly beaten by vigilantes before his arrest.

Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole announced the charge this morning.

READ MORE: Two charged after Melbourne restaurant torched in arson attack

"This remains a deeply distressing matter, and our thoughts are firmly with Kumanjayi's family and loved ones," he said.

"This outcome follows an extensive and complex investigation by the Northern Territory police, and I just want to thank all of the members involved for their professionalism and dedication in reaching this outcome."

He called for the legal process and the privacy of Kumanjayi Little Baby's family to be respected.

READ MORE: Man arrested after three people die in attack in Sydney home

The mood has since been peaceful and quiet in Alice Springs as the community wraps its arms around Kumanjayi Little Baby's family.A large floral tribute has grown in the town with bouquets of flowers, candles and soft toys.

The family had previously released a statement calling for calm in the local community, after the discovery of Kumanjayi Little Baby's body sparked unrest in Alice Springs.

A large crowd assembled outside of Alice Springs Hospital on Thursday, with a car allegedly being set on fire, as well as reports of paramedics and police being allegedly assaulted.

Northern Territory Police this morning announced five people had been arrested after alleged riotous behaviour on Thursday, where a service station and supermarket were ransacked.

A statement claimed there was significant damages to both, and that around $105,000 worth of goods were stolen, and $80,000 in damages was caused.

READ MORE: Publicans fear for people's lives amid continued Melbourne bar firebombings

NT Police Commissioner said the alleged rioting at an Alice Springs supermarket and service station was "abhorrent."

"Following a review into CCTV and media outlet footage, five people aged 18, 26, 34, 46 and 49 have all been arrested and remain in custody," the statement said.

Dole said the footage was "abhorrent".

"What you will see in this footage is not people processing grief in relation to the death of Baby Kumanjayi, what you will see is not people trying to practice traditional lore," he said.

"What you will see is criminal behaviour, plain and simple."

Lewis has been remanded in custody, and is expected to appear in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday.

For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

How Pokémon cards are becoming a survival strategy for Aussie retailers

The surging price of Pokémon products has been no secret over the past few years, with some turning the trading cards into a lucrative side hustle.

And as the cards become a commodity, larger businesses are now following suit.

George Kozma started the multi-million-dollar streetwear business, Waves Never Die, in 2018, out of his home in Sydney's west and has kept his finger on the pulse of upcoming trends ever since.

Waves Never Die began in a warehouse and has transformed into an entire shopping and dessert experience.

He began selling high-end sneakers and streetwear from brands such as Supreme and Yeezy before adding coveted collectibles like Labubus and even Rhode beauty products into the mix during their highest demand.

After transforming a Moorebank warehouse into a streetwear store and dessert shop, he now has his eyes set on Pokémon cards, a hobby he claims is "going through the roof".

"I've got 45 to 50-year-old men calling me. I had one guy ask me for 50 packs of the bundles.

"We're talking 50-year-old men who've transitioned from watches to Pokémon, because Pokémon holds more value than a Rolex."

"You buy a Rolex, you're gonna flip it maybe in a year and make [up to] five grand, while you buy 50 packs worth five grand, and you might pull out a card that's worth a few grand.

"It's got a gambling aspect, it's like a thrill."

George isn't wrong. Earlier this year, professional wrestler and YouTuber Logan Paul broke a world record after selling his Pikachu Illustrator card for an eye-watering $US16.5 million ($23.3 million) in an auction, a card many consider the rarest of all time.

Logan Paul sells his Pokémon card card

That is enough money to buy a harbourfront mansion in a luxury Sydney suburb, a garage full of supercars, or, in this instance, a piece of holographic cardboard cased in plastic and gold. 

Australian YouTuber Michael Anderson, better known as Unlisted Leaf, garnered more than 2.7 million subscribers and almost 1 billion views by opening Pokémon packs and even had the opportunity to reveal the value of a card that Paul opened in a pack live on stream in 2021.

"One of the most incredible cards I've ever filmed was the PSA 10 1st Edition Charizard, the same card that Logan Paul just sold for over $1 million," he told Nine.com.au.

"I got to reveal the PSA 10 grade of that card with its owner Will years before that sale, the whole day was very surreal."

Unlisted Leaf (middle) holding the PSA 10 1st Edition Logan Paul Charizard.The card went on to sell for more than $950,000.

Anderson told Nine.com.au he believes that COVID lockdowns and influencers such as Paul promoting the trading cards created the "perfect storm" that skyrocketed collecting to new heights.

"I've seen card shows go from small events with maybe 100 attendees to massive conventions with thousands of people walking through the doors," he said.

That is the story for Trading Card Show Australia founders Drei and Blair, who say their event began in 2021 with 20 vendors at a small community hall in Sydney's Inner West before it became a national show.

Trading Card Show Australia now attracts thousands of vendors and collectors.

"Each show seems to be breaking records. We just did one in Brisbane with over 4500 people through the door," Blair said.

They say that Pokémon cards make up "at least 80 per cent" of tables at their shows, and they have seen cards worth as much as $80,000 at the events.

"Retail stores will always have a place in the hobby, though, especially as a space for people just to go during the week, to buy cards and sell cards," Blair said.

Despite being one of the few secondary retailers flipping Pokémon products, George said it is only a matter of time before his competitors hop on the trend.

Some secondary stores have begun selling sealed Pokemon products for well over their retail price. Rare individuals cards can also fetch well over hundreds of dollars.

"Everyone's gonna start, I guarantee every secondary resell store in Australia will be selling Pokémon within the next two, three, four weeks, because no one is spending money on anything else.

"Pokémon sells out instantly, they've got to go to the secondary market.

"You just got to chase what's selling at the moment," George said.

"In these current times, it's so tough, so we're hustling harder than ever."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Two charged after Melbourne restaurant torched in arson attack

Two people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been charged after a Docklands restaurant was firebombed.

Police allege the two males smashed through glass doors at the Almina restaurant on Docklands Drive at about 3.30am yesterday.

They then allegedly poured accelerant inside the restaurant, before setting it on fire and fleeing the scene.

BREAKING NEWS: Man arrested after three people die in attack in Sydney home

The restaurant was set on fire yesterday morning.

The restaurant was lightly damaged, but the glass doors remain boarded up.

The pair attempted to get into an allegedly stolen car, but were disturbed by police who were patrolling the area.

They allegedly attempted to run from the scene, but were found hiding under the Bolte Bridge in Ron Barassi Snr Park.

They were arrested, along with a third male who was found in a car on Docklands Drive.

WORLD: New US warning over Strait of Hormuz 'tollbooth'

It is not known if the fire is linked to several recent attacks on Melbourne hospitality venues.

Inside the car, police seized jerry cans.

A boy, 16, from the Glen Eira area, and a 22-year-old man were each charged with criminal damage by fire, reckless conduct endangering life and burglary.

The boy will appear before a children's court today, while the man will appear before Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

NATIONAL: Floral tributes grow as Alice Springs mourns five-year-old girl

The scars from the attack are still seen at the restaurant, with glass doors being smashed in.

The man, 19, who was arrested in the car was released pending further investigation.

Police are now investigating whether this attack is linked to a spate of recent firebombings and shootings on Melbourne hospitality venues.

The motive for the attacks is not known, but police believe they are being coordinated by an organised crime syndicate, which is using encrypted apps to recruit people, sometimes children.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

New US warning over Strait of Hormuz ‘tollbooth’

The United States is warning shipping companies that they could face sanctions for making payments to Iran to safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The alert by the US Office of Foreign Assets Control adds another layer of pressure in the standoff between the US and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz.

About a fifth of the world's trade in oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait at the mouth of the Persian Gulf in peacetime.

READ MORE: Floral tributes grow as Alice Springs mourns five-year-old girl

Iran effectively closed the strait to normal traffic by attacking and threatening to attack ships after the US and Israel launched a war on February 28. It later began offering some ships safe passage by detouring them through alternate routes closer to its shoreline, charging fees at times for the service.

That "tollbooth" effort is the focus of the US sanctions warning.

The payment demands could include transfers not only in cash but also "digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments", including charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies, OFAC said.

"OFAC is issuing this alert to warn US and non-US persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage. These risks exist regardless of payment method," it said.

The US responded to Iran's closure of the strait with a naval blockade of its own on April 13, preventing any Iranian tankers from leaving and depriving Iran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.

The US Central Command said 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began.

READ MORE: Frenzy as petrol price drops under 80 cents a litre at one service station

Trump rejects Iranian proposal

The warning came as US President Donald Trump swiftly rejected Iran's latest proposal to end the war between the countries.

"They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens," Trump said at the White House. He didn't elaborate on what he saw as its shortcomings but expressed frustration with the Iranian leadership.

"It's a very disjointed leadership," Trump said. "They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up."

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency reported Iran handed over its plan to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night.

The shaky three-week ceasefire between the US and Iran appears to be holding, though both countries have traded accusations of violations. The standoff is increasingly putting pressure on the global economy, driving up prices and leading to shortages of fuel and other products tied to the oil industry.

Negotiations continued by phone after Trump called off his envoys' trip to Pakistan last week, the president said. Trump this week floated a new plan to reopen the critical passageway used by America's Gulf allies to export their oil and gas.

READ MORE: US to withdraw 5000 troops from Germany, fulfilling Trump's threat

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed many of his regional counterparts on the country's initiatives to end the war, according to his social media. He also held talks Friday with European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who is in contact with the EU's Gulf partners.

Iran hangs two men convicted of spying for Israel

Iran on Saturday said it hanged two men convicted of spying for Israel.

The Iranian judiciary's news outlet, Mizanonline, identified the men as Yaghoub Karimpour and Nasser Bekrzadeh. It said they were hanged after the country's Supreme Court upheld earlier death sentences.

The news outlet said Karimpour was accused of sending "sensitive information" to an officer in Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, while Bekrzadeh was alleged to have sent details about government and religious leaders as well as information about Natanz. The central Iranian city is home to a nuclear enrichment facility bombed by Israel and the US last year.

Iran has hanged more than a dozen people over alleged espionage and terrorist activities in recent weeks.

China's UN envoy urges Iran to lift restrictions

Fu Cong, the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations, said Friday that maintaining the ceasefire is "the most urgent issue", as well as bringing together the sides to resume good faith negotiations "to make sure that the ground is laid for reopening of Hormuz".

Foreign Minister Wang Yi "has been on the phone almost constantly" with representatives from all sides, Fu said, adding that China supports Pakistan's efforts to mediate between the parties.

Fu stressed the root cause of the tremendous suffering in Iran and neighboring countries and the growing turmoil in the global economy, especially in developing countries, "is the illegitimate war by the US and Israel".

Scammers attempt to extort Sydney removalist with sudden flurry of negative reviews

The owner of a Sydney removalist business has been targeted by scammers who tanked her online reviews in a bid to extort money from her.

A sudden flurry of negative reviews came as a shock for Move It With Gina owner and single mother-of-six Gina.

"I started it 11 years ago, packing and cleaning," she said.

READ MORE: Cops called in as petrol price plunges to unbelievable low

The negative reviews came as a shock for owner and single mum-of-six Gina.

"All my clients wanted a removalist so I ended up buying a truck.

"Four days ago we got one-star reviews in consecutive orders within every half an hour.

"When we had a look at the reviews and who they're from, we were like, 'we haven't serviced these people'."

READ MORE: Tributes grow as Alice Springs mourns five-year-old girl

Gina started getting suspicious text messages.

Then Gina started getting suspicious text messages.

"I have received A order for posting thirty bad rewiews (sic) on your business. Now he is ignoring My message please pay my loss. 60$. Otherwise I'm going to More One Star review," one of the messages said.

Gina said she ignored the messages.

Cybersecurity expert Simon Smith said there were a few tell-tale signs of a fake review.

It could include generic language and a succession of negative reviews in a short period of time.

"The most important thing is to never pay the extortion," Smith said.

For Gina, it took days for the reviews to be taken down.

9News attempted to get a response from the scammer on their number based overseas but they have since gone quiet.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Publicans fear for people’s lives amid continued Melbourne bar firebombings

Melbourne's hospitality war has grown further with three more attacks overnight.

One of the latest victims says it is only a matter of time before someone is killed, while the home of another was shot at while his wife and children slept inside.

Two cars pulled up at a Pakenham home and rammed the electric gate before confronting the owner and firing a gunshot.

READ MORE: Woman accused of setting police car on fire during Alice Springs riot

Police are now investigating the motive of the attacks.

The target was Dominic Porter, the co-owner of the Albion Hotel, which was set alight by arsonists two weeks ago.

This morning's ambush came just before 6am with Porter's wife and children asleep inside.

It was one of several early morning incidents.  

At 2.30am a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the George Hotel in South Melbourne.

Publican Scott Connolly said he feared for people's lives.

"The first thing that came to my mind this morning was thank God none of our staff were here," he said. 

"There was no one upstairs. People can die from this. Someone is going to die eventually. Like, it's so senseless." 

READ MORE: Capital city smashes 144-year-old heat record

He said he had not received any demands from a crime syndicate believed to be responsible.

"It makes zero sense to me why we would be targeted and for a business still finding its feet, it's really crippling," he said.

An hour after that attack, Lebanese restaurant Almina in Docklands was set ablaze.

The same restaurant was lit up in 2023 during the tobacco turf war.

This time police arrested three people nearby aged 16 to 22.

READ MORE: US to withdraw 5000 troops from Germany, fulfilling Trump's threat

George Hotel in South Melbourne.

READ MORE: How death threat charge could put Trump and his allies in hot water

There have been about a dozen attacks on hospitality venues since April, with Victoria Police setting up Operation Eclipse in a bid to try to combat the crime wave.

Some popular venues are taking extra safety measures.

The Emmerson in South Yarra has parked a large truck out the front of the venue after shots were fired at the entrance last week.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Frenzy as petrol price drops under 80 cents a litre at one service station

There has been a frenzy to fill up at one Sydney service station this afternoon with fuel dropping to just 78¢ a litre.

Police were called in to deal with crowds as long queues formed at Metro Petroleum in Blacktown, in Sydney's west.

It's the lowest price for fuel in decades, but it was not a permanent price reduction..

READ MORE: Woman charged in death of man 'killed by her son on e-motorbike

Instead, it was a result of a gift to Blacktown drivers from a former federal candidate.

Matthew Camenzuli said it "felt fantastic" to use some of the money he received from the government for getting 4 per cent of the vote to give some relief at the bowser.

"Normally the money goes to either the candidate or their political party and they put in their pockets. I don't want the taxpayers' money," he said.

"So petrol station here on Flushcombe Road, the fuel is now 78¢ a litre and it will be 78¢ a litre until the $10,000 runs out."

READ MORE: Court ruling prohibits a quarter of all abortions in the US

Word quickly spread that the price had dropped to lows some said they had not seen for 20 years.

It comes amid predictions costs at the bower will only rise again as benchmark oil prices soar as a result of the Iran war.

After about three hours, Camenzuli's tab was dry.

He said he was not sure if he would contest the next federal election, but if he did he was sure to have won some easy votes.

READ MORE: US to withdraw 5000 troops from Germany, fulfilling Trump's threat