Tag Archives: oceania

China warns Australia over stoking 'new Cold War'

China has hit out Australia's new security agreement with Japan.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has warned the deal has upset the positive trend in Australia's relationship with China and that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should avoid starting a new "Cold War group".

"The Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, still less groupings that could provoke bloc confrontation or stoke a new Cold War," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

READ MORE: 'Dangerous' hybrid cyclone set to form off the coast

Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

"People in the region will be on heightened alert and stand against any act that undermines regional peace and stability and hurts regional solidarity and cooperation."

Last Saturday, Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida signed a joint declaration on security cooperation during their meeting in Perth.

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Anthony Albanese has lambasted Scott Morrison over the secret portfolio scandal.

READ MORE: 'Beloved' Will and Grace actor Leslie Jordan dead at 67

"Our commitment to consult each other on contingencies is a natural step in our efforts to support the security and stability of our region," Albanese said.

"It shows the responsibility we share for security in our region and towards one another."

The declaration renews a 2007 commitment to closer defence and security cooperation.

"Our affinity is in our common desire for a peaceful, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific," Albanese said. 

READ MORE: Chinese intelligence officers charged in plot to obstruct US Huawei probe

Doubts over record-breaking Himalayan summit

A Taiwanese mountaineer's record-breaking claim of the fastest summit of the world's eighth-highest peak, Manaslu, is now under a growing cloud of suspicion.

On October 4, Grace Tseng claimed to reach the top of Manaslu, and in doing so becoming the fastest person to summit the 8163-metre mountain in Nepal without using supplementary oxygen.

However, since then, doubts have risen over Tseng's reported 13-hour climb, culminating in the company which is hosting her online fund raiser suspending donations, according to local media reports.

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The Taiwanese mountaineer Grace Tseng.

More than $230,000 was reportedly donated to Tseng's fundraiser, launched as she sought to break the speed record for summiting the 14 mountains in the world which stand taller than 8000 metres, a group known as the eight-thousanders.

According to video of her climb, which was assisted by three Sherpa, it appears Tseng did indeed reach the very top of Manaslu.

The speed of the 29-year-old's ascent is where the controversy has arisen.

In early October, the expedition Dolma Outdoor announced "Grace Tseng has now become the fastest female to summit Manaslu without supplementary oxygen".

That declaration caused some in the climbing fraternity to raise their eyebrows.

Tseng's climb of 13 hours equalled the fastest time Manaslu had ever been ascended, with or without oxygen.

Climbing without oxygen at extreme altitudes is a far more difficult physical challenge.

READ MORE: How a record number of people suddenly climbed 'savage mountain'

A photo of Grace Tseng and one of the Sherpas who helped her reach the summit of Manaslu in Nepal.

As documented by specialist mountaineering website WebExplorer, conditions at the time of Tseng's summit attempt were extremely tough, which would make a 13-hour summit all the more remarkable.

Bad weather and heavy snowfall had created "incredibly slow conditions, brutally hard to advance through", the website said.

The day before Tseng's summit attempt, the climbing season on Manaslu was called off because of avalanche danger.

All expeditions on the mountain retreated and left because of the tricky conditions.

Tseng's team, however, did not. Instead they pressed on alone.

In a detailed examination of Tseng's climb, WebExplorer noted that her summit push "came as a surprise to everyone", particularly given her lack of experience in treacherous conditions above 8000-metres, known as "the death zone".

"There was one metre of fresh snow — murderous conditions for even a slow trudge with oxygen, let alone a speed record without oxygen.

"Ropes were also reported missing from Camp 3, and the trail was not packed down from Camp 4 to the summit."

9news.com.au does not suggest Tseng's record is not accurate.

The sun rises on Manaslu, the  8163-metre peak in Nepal.

In July, Tseng became the first Taiwanese mountaineer to climb K2, the world's second-highest peak, without oxygen.

She is seeking to climb all of the eight-thousanders before she turned 30.

9news.com.au has contacted Tseng for comment.

The 'big problem' tonight's budget won't address

Today's federal budget will be $42 billion better off, new details reveal, but conditions may worsen over the coming two years with minimal cost-of-living relief.

Chief Political Editor for 9News Charles Croucher said Treasurer Jim Chalmers has to walk a "perilous path" as he manages a waning economy while attempting to ease household budgets.

Although the deficit has shrunk to just under $36.9 billion, which is under the $78 billion shortfall predicted in March this financial year, it is still posing "a big problem", Croucher said.

READ MORE: Federal Budget 2022: What to expect from the government's cash splash

"The problem the Treasurer has outlined is we are approaching that trillion dollar in debt for the nation," Croucher said.

"If you go back to the cupboard, you are going to dig deeper into that debt, and if you go back to the cupboard and start handing out money it will fuel inflation.

"That will make things harder again.

"That is the perilous path that the Treasurer has to walk".

Croucher said people expecting big cash handouts "will be disappointed".

READ MORE: Treasurer Jim Chalmers reveals how federal budget will impact Australians amid cost of living crisis

Charles Croucher on Today.

"There is no big splashy spending that we've become used to. No huge cuts either," he said.

"Instead, the Treasurer will point to things like childcare subsidies, which is one of Labor's big election promises. That will be funded.

"There is also an extension to the paid parental leave scheme that will be available to more families and stretch from the 18 weeks as it currently stands to 26 weeks.

"That happens over a few years, though."

READ MORE: 'Dangerous' hybrid cyclone set to form off the coast

Chalmers will hand down the annual accounts in an economic environment where everyone's wallets are getting tighter: interest rates are going up, inflation is soaring and real wages are remaining low.

The first federal Labor budget in almost 10 years has three goals: addressing the nation's debt, funding the Albanese government's election promises and providing cost of living relief.

Almost $10 billion will be spent on nationwide infrastructure projects. And there will be $5 billion set aside for cheaper childcare – a major Labor election pledge.

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Australian households will find out the impact of the 2022 Federal Budget in just a matter of hours.

Other spending priorities will be cutting the cost of medicines on the PBS and more cash for pensioners.

Education will also benefit as the government tries to address critical skills shortages.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has played down offering major cost of living relief, particularly cash hand outs that would fuel inflation.

And the improvement to the budget bottom line is expected to be short lived.

Chalmers is tonight expected to warn that stubborn high inflation and global uncertainty will impact the economy over the next two years.

'Beloved' Will and Grace actor dead at 67

Leslie Jordan, beloved comedian and actor known for his work on Will and Grace, has died, his agent announced.

Sources told the Los Angeles Times Jordan was involved in a car accident on Monday morning in Hollywood. A spokesperson for the LAPD confirmed to CNN there was a fatal accident but would not disclose further details.

He was 67.

READ MORE: 'Dangerous' hybrid cyclone set to form off the coast

Megan Mullally and Leslie Jordan are seen here in "Will and Grace."

"The world is definitely a much darker place today without the love and light of Leslie Jordan," Sarabeth Schedeen, Jordan's talent agent, said in a statement to CNN.

"Not only was he a mega talent and joy to work with, but he provided an emotional sanctuary to the nation at one of its most difficult times.

"What he lacked in height he made up for in generosity and greatness as a son, brother, artist, comedian, partner and human being. Knowing that he has left the world at the height of both his professional and personal life is the only solace one can have today."

Jordan's move to Hollywood

In his 2009 book "My Trip Down the Pink Carpet," Jordan documented his move from Tennessee to Hollywood in 1982. He "boarded a Greyhound bus bound for LA with US$1200 sewn into his underpants and never looked back," a publisher's description of the book read.

The actor found work on television in shows like The Fall Guy, Designing Women and The People Next Door.

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Leslie Jordan, the Emmy-winning actor whose wry Southern drawl and versatility made him a comedy and drama standout on TV series including "Will & Grace" and "American Horror Story," has died. He was 67.

Jordan originated the role of Earl "Brother Boy" Ingram in the award-winning play "Sordid Lives," which he reprised in the 2000 independent film adaption.

He was a fan-favorite for his recurring role as Karen's friend Beverley Leslie on "Will and Grace." He also appeared in "American Horror Story" and "The Cool Kids."

His star shone even brighter during the height of the pandemic when his social media presence took off on Instagram, garnering him millions of followers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CkDnb4_AYUt/?hl=en

The platform also became a place where Jordan shared about his struggles, memories and family stories (many about his beloved mama) through the prism of humor.

Jordan talked to CNN's Anderson Cooper about his past substance abuse and being sober for more than 20 years.

"People say 'Well how do you get sober, what's the best way,'" Jordan said. "Yeah, well 120 days in the jailhouse in Los Angeles. That will sober you up."

In one post, Jordan recalled a guard who took pity on how much Jordan disliked incarceration and informed him that they had Robert Downey Jr. (who decades ago made headlines for a few brushes with the law) in custody and would be releasing Jordan and giving Downey Jr. his bed.

"Pod A, cell 13, top bunk," Jordan recalled.

"I feel responsible for most of Robert Downey Jr.'s success. Honey, I gave him a bed."

His last posting on Instagram was him singing a hymn with artist Danny Myrick on Sunday.

'Dangerous' hybrid cyclone set to form off coast

A hybrid cyclone is set to form off the coast, increasing the chance of more heavy rain and flooding across Victoria, NSW and Tasmania.

Radar images supplied by Weatherzone show two distinct low pressure systems swirling above the east coast.

The first was seen hovering near the junction of the New South Wales, Victoria and South Australian border, with the other over the Tasman Sea, off the north coast of NSW.

Weatherzone explains the systems – a cold-core low and a warm-core low – are on course to crash into one other as they pass over Victoria today.

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These satellite images shows two distinct low pressure systems affecting Australia on Monday.

When they do, the differing temperatures will lead to the formation of a dynamic and dangerous system called a hybrid cyclone.

"This mix of air leads to a mix of energy sources, which can allow hybrid cyclones to intensify quite rapidly," it said.

"Hybrid cyclones are often caused when one type of low pressure system transitions into the other (e.g. warm to cold core).

"However, this system is different, as it is being caused by two already-established systems combining.

"This will cause the cores to try and balance out each other's core temperatures, resulting in an unstable and dynamically evolving system."

Weatherzone said hybrid cyclones are renowned for causing severe weather, including large tornadoes outbreaks in the United States.

As this system will be offshore, the most likely result will be more heavy rain.

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Forecast accumulated rain between Monday and Wednesday this week, according to the ECMWF-HRES model.

"(The) most intense weather should occur over water," it said.

"However, this system may still bring heavy rain to parts of the NSW South Coast, Victoria's Gippsland region and the east coast of Tasmania between Monday and Thursday."

While computer models forecast widespread falls between 60-100mm, Weatherzone warned hybrid cyclones can be unpredictable.

"These systems can sometimes produce up to twice as much as forecast," it said.

"It is possible that some areas between southeast NSW and eastern Tasmania could see falls in the range of 100-200mm over the next few days."

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Lightning dances across the sky near Griffith, NSW. Severe storms brought torrential rain to the Riverina in the state's south west. Inside a whale's mouth. The turbulent underside of a shelf cloud is pictured near Griffith, NSW.

Individually the lows have been responsible for dropping heavy rain over east coast states.

"The western-most low dumped 95.6 mm of rain on Renmark during the 24 hours to 9am on Monday, which was Renmark's highest daily rainfall on record," Weatherzone said.

"During the same 24-hour period, Alstonville in northeast NSW was inundated by 233mm as the Tasman Sea low drove heavy rain into the region.

"Nearby, Ballina's 126.4mm was equivalent to more than a month's worth of rain falling in a single day."

It comes after the news Sydney has had its wettest October in 165 years.

Flood crisis continues 

Both NSW and Victoria continue to battle through a deadly floods crisis.

A body was found on the bank of a flooded river in NSW Central West yesterday in the search for a woman missing after escaping a vehicle swept off a flooded causeway north of Mudgee.

READ MORE: Flooded Victorian town to remain divided for months

It's the fourth floods-related death in just over the week. 

As of 5.30 am, there are 141 flood warnings current across NSW, which stretch from the Victorian border to Queensland.

Of these warnings 23, are at emergency level.

As of 5:30 this morning, there were 141 flood warnings across NSW.Currently there are two Emergency Warnings out for parts of North Gunnedah. Evacuation centres have been set up at a nearby showground.

Across the border, residents on the "wrong side of the levee" along the Murray river in Echuca are considering launching legal action.

A resident told 9News, community members plan to meet to discuss the floods response after a makeshift clay levee split the town in two, with some homes deemed "unsaveable".

"We'll talk about class action," they said.

A sodden kangaroo looking for high ground  makes its way across the levee wall in Echuca.As of 5:30 this morning, there were 73 warnings in effect across Victoria.

Floodwaters from the Campaspe and Goulburn Rivers have combined with flows down the Murray River to cause major flooding at Echuca and Moama.

"River levels at Echuca Wharf have exceeded the October 1993 (94.77 m AHD) and November 1975 (94.80 m AHD) floods, and may peak slightly below 95.00 metres AHD during Tuesday, with major flooding," the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says.

"As this flood peak extends downstream, it is likely to exacerbate the current major flooding at Torrumbarry and Barham, and cause additional river level rises along the Murray River downstream of Barham."

There a 73 warnings current across Victoria. 

Of those, five are at emergency level.

Human remains found in Adelaide are 'too decomposed' to identify

Human remains found in Adelaide's north are "too decomposed" to identify a sex or age of the victim, police say.

A worker clearing long grass on a vacant block at Salisbury made the grim discovery just before 2pm today.

Detective Inspector Brett Featherby said it was unknown how long the remains had been there and said the grass was last mowed in March.

READ MORE: Residents on the 'wrong side' of Echuca flood levee consider legal action

"The remains are in such a state of decomposition that we cannot tell the sex or the age … of the deceased, and we don't know how long the deceased has been in this location," Featherby said.

"We are going to have to require forensic testing to actually identify who the person is."

Northern District CIB, major crime detectives and forensic officers are investigating.

READ MORE: Police launch investigation after teenage girl sexually assaulted on Melbourne bus

Cheviot Road was likely to remain closed to all traffic for much of the night.

Detectives have sought CCTV from local businesses, stretching as far back as March.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Residents on 'wrong side' of Echuca flood levee consider legal action

Echuca residents on the "wrong side" of the town's levee are threatening to take legal action after their homes were inundated by floods.

A three-kilometre makeshift levee was built last week and stretches through the entire Victorian town.

It was designed to protect thousands of homes from flooding when the Murray River peaks.

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However, as a result, many houses on the other side have been damaged, including Erin McCann's.

She said has been left feeling "exhausted" and "defeated".

"This whole wrong side of the levee is gonna get together. We are going to have a meeting and we are going to talk about class action," McCann told 9News.

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The flooding situation in Echuca is also being made worse as stormwater is pumped out of the levee and into areas where homes are already flooded.

McCann said she has chosen to stay and attempt to save her property.

"Where do we go when we're trying to keep the water out? Who is going to map the pumps if we leave?" she said.

"I have had to send my kids up to their dad because I have to have somewhere for them to come home to."

A kangaroo on the Echuca flood levee

Major flooding continues across Victoria 

Authorities believe the Murray River, which is threatening Echuca, is near its peak and was this afternoon sitting at 94.9 metres above sea level.

That level is above the 1993 flood of 94.77m.

It's hoped the mammoth effort to protect the town will be enough to hold up against the rising floodwaters, with more than a quarter of a million sandbags used as a defence.

About 30mm of rain fell over the 24 hours to Monday afternoon in Echuca and Kerang.

Echuca residents work to protect their dad's house from floods

The Bureau of Meteorology's Kevin Parkyn said rain and thunderstorms were forecast to hit the state today, but the severe weather warning for heavy rainfall had been lifted.

Parkyn said the rainfall in Victoria this month had created the 10th wettest October on record for the state.

He said that if the rain forecast for the coming Sunday and Monday did occur, Victoria was likely to see the wettest October ever recorded.

Showers will continue into Tuesday morning.

The Campaspe Shire has been approached for comment. 

'My heart sunk': Dad of teen attacked by shark reveals moment he learned

An Adelaide father said his heart sunk when he heard his son had been attacked by a great white shark yesterday

Nat Drummond was only one kilometre into his race starting from Seacliff Surf Lifesaving Club, in Adelaide's south, about 11.30am, when he was attacked by a large shark.

His father, Murray Drummond, was a timekeeper of the competition and said he knew something was wrong when he saw a commotion in the water.

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"I was the official timer and once we got the race started, about 30 seconds into the race there was some commotion out there and I started seeing paddlers going into different directions," Drummond told 9News.

"I then heard on the radio that there was a shark and that one of the skis were bitten.

"I thought was that 'I hope it's not Nathaniel'."

The impact of the attack was severe and his son was sent flying into the air.

He quickly swam to fellow paddlers who were rushing to his aid, safely returning him to the shore without so much as a scratch.

"My heart sunk," Drummond said.

"When I saw him on the beach and smiling, my emotions were drained out of me.

"I ran over to him and gave him a big hug and you don't realise how much you love your kids until something like this happens."

A shark tooth was later discovered and has been taken to university researchers to determine the size of the shark involved.

Drummond said his son had not been scared off by the incident and there was every chance he could be back at training with lifesavers tonight.

Young woman missing for over a week in 'challenging' remote terrain

Police are using mobile phone data to try and find a young woman who has been missing for over a week in "challenging" terrain in remote Far North Queensland

Tea Wright-Finger was last seen on Sunday October 16 in the town of Richmond, five-and-a-half hours drive inland from Townsville.

A search for her was launched on Saturday in the Flinders River area as that's where the 19-year-old's phone switched on briefly 9.30am last Tuesday

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Police are using mobile phone data as the search continues for a missing teenager in remote far north QueenslandTea Wright-Finger, 19 was last seen over a week ago in the town of Richmond, five and a half hours drive inland from Townsville

Queensland Police said the hunt is focused in "challenging" terrain including tracks and areas of thick vegetation on the banks of the river, as well as a neighbouring rural property.

Inspector Damian Crosby said their priority is to find her "safe and well".

"The search today and over the weekend is concentrating on the analysis of some mobile phone data," Crosby said.

Crosby said Wright-Finger was listed as living in the Northern Territory but has connections to Bundaberg in Queensland, as well as farms in the Richmond area.

He said they have not yet made "any conclusions" as to what may have happened.

"Obviously we are concerned for Tea's welfare. We would like to locate her as soon as possible," he said.

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Police are using mobile phone data as the search continues for a missing teenager in remote far north QueenslandTea Wright-Finger, 19 was last seen over a week ago in the town of Richmond, five and a half hours drive inland from Townsville

The SES and local council workers are also involved.

The Mount Isa RACQ LifeFlight Rescue helicopter is searching areas north of Richmond and down to the southern boundary of Blackbraes National Park.

Queensland Police said the Mount Isa RACQ LifeFlight Rescue has covered more than 700km in aerial searching, including over Cloncurry, Four Ways and Julia Creek.

Tea is Caucasian, approximately 180cms tall with a medium build and blondish or light brown hair.

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She was driving a blue 2013 Toyota Pardo 4WD, registration 210-TLA.

Anyone who has seen Tea, or the car, should contact Queensland Police.