Tag Archives: oceania

South Australian Greens pledge $250 gym vouchers ahead of election

Free or subsidised gym memberships are being pledged by the South Australian Greens as part of their 2026 election push.

Greens MP Robert Simms said the move would be a national first and a way for South Australians to embrace healthy living.

The policy is already in practice in the country of Malta.

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Free or subsidised gym memberships are being pledged by the South Australian Greens as part of their 2026 election push.

Under the proposal, people in the state aged 18 to 25 will have access to a $250 voucher per year.

The Greens estimate 96,000 people would take up the offer at a cost of $6 million per year.

"There is also a real economic benefit for gyms and local sporting clubs, many of those really struggled during COVID," Simms said.

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Proposed as an extension to the already offered kids sports vouchers, the money can also be used to subsidise other sporting club memberships like football and netball, a move the party believes will be welcome in a cost-of-living crisis

"Being able to join a gym or a sporting club is becoming a bit of a luxury," Simms said.

Trainers believing the policy goes beyond physical wellbeing and is important in improving mental health in young South Australians

"I've noticed in the younger generation, they are very up and down and having a consistent routine working on that can be very beneficial," trainer Sundi Sinouvassane said.

The Greens hope the policy will be adopted by the major party leaders Peter Malinauskas and Ashton Hurn.

"Both Mali and Ashton Hurn are both sports mad, I hope this is an idea they match," Simms said.

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TikTok seals deal to avoid US ban one day before Trump’s deadline

TikTok has finalised the deal that will prevent it from being banned in the US just one day before the deadline set by President Donald Trump.

Trump vowed to ban the popular video app during his first term in office, a promise which former president Joe Biden made good on.

In 2024 he signed a law that gave TikTok two choices; remove the US version of the app out from under Chinese parent company ByteDance, or it would be banned nationwide.

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President Donald Trump and The White House TikTok account.

TikTok's more than 200 million American users got a taste of what the ban would look like early last year, when the app briefly went dark in the US.

That is, until Trump kicked off his second term by bringing the app back.

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He has since repeatedly delayed the enforcement of Biden's law and in doing so, given TikTok ample time to secure an American buyer to take over its US assets.

The last extension he gave had a deadline of January 23, 2026 – and the deal came in just under the wire today.

A majority American-owned joint venture has been established to take over TikTok's US assets and create a new US version of the app.

Toronto, Canada - August 22, 2024:    Popular social media apps on an Apple iPhone: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads, X (formerly Twitter), and Reddit.

"The majority American-owned joint venture will operate under defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurances for US users," the group said, via CNN.

The group's leadership team will include chief executive Adam Presser and chief security officer Will Farrell, both of whom have worked with TikTok before.

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It will also be overseen by a board including TikTok US chief executive Shou Chew and a number of representatives from investment firms in the US and abroad.

Major investors include Oracle, Silver Lake and MGX.

TikTok signed the deal handing over its US user data and most of its US operations last month.

US and China reach TikTok deal

More details are expected to emerge about the deal and how it will affect US TikTok user experience in the days and weeks to come.

Trump told reporters in September last year that he would make the US-controlled TikTok "100 per cent MAGA" if he felt he could.

He has yet to comment on the deal's finalisation.

Swim coach accused of grooming teen girl wins bail bid

A former high school swimming coach accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in exchange for a gift card has been released on bail.

Jayden Brian, 31, dropped his head in relief as the decision was handed down in Melbourne Magistrates Court today.

The former Methodist Ladies' College swimming coach allegedly connected with the 13-year-old girl over the social media app Snapchat in September 2025.

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Melbourne Magistrates Court in Melbourne, Victoria.

He is accused of posing as a 14-year-old boy and sending increasingly explicit messages to the girl, including a video of himself masturbating.

Police allege Brian then organised to meet up with the child to have sex in exchange for cigarettes and alcohol.

He is accused of kissing and sexually touching the victim in his car on September 25 before giving her a $50 Amazon gift card.

The girl reported the incident to her friends and sister before making a formal complaint to the police two days later.

Brian was arrested, and officers allegedly found child abuse material on his devices, including on his MLC-issued iPad.

He was charged with nine offences, including intentional sexual touching of a child aged under 16, grooming and possessing child abuse material.

Brian was remanded in custody in October but made a bid for bail in Melbourne Magistrates Court last week.

In handing down her decision today, magistrate Michelle Mykytowycz accepted that the allegations were serious and the prosecution's case was strong.

She noted the alleged victim had made a recorded statement to the police, and Brian had admitted it was his email address and Snapchat handle found in the alleged offending.

The 13-year-old girl was clearly a vulnerable young person, and her safety needed to be considered when assessing Brian's risk, Mykytowycz said.

But the magistrate found that a series of very strict bail conditions could reduce that risk to an acceptable level.

They included a 10pm to 6am curfew and a prohibition on using a smartphone or any social media or dating profiles.

He is also banned from stalking the alleged victim, engaging in any predatory behaviour towards her or going near where she lives or attends school.

Brian, who no longer works for MLC, is also prohibited from contacting any current or previous students.

The 31-year-old, who was watching the hearing on a video link from prison, only spoke to confirm he understood his bail conditions.

He is due to return to court in February.

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

For under 25s: Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800.

Barron Trump may have saved woman’s life, court hears

Barron Trump, son of the US president, contacted police in London last year after witnessing an alleged assault on a female friend while he and the woman were on a video call, a British court has been told.

A transcript of Trump's emergency call was shown during the trial of Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, at Snaresbrook Crown Court in London on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), the PA Media news agency reported.

Rumiantsev is accused of assault, actual bodily harm, two counts of rape, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice. He denies all charges. Rumiantsev's legal counsel declined to comment when reached by CNN.

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Barron Trump called the police when he witnessed a woman being allegedly assaulted on a video call.

On Wednesday, the woman told the court that Trump's intervention had helped stop Rumiantsev from killing her, according to British media reports.

"He helped save my life. That call was like a sign from God at that moment," she said, the British newspaper Metro reported.

Rumiantsev's legal counsel told the court that the woman's claims were a "complete fabrication," suggesting that the defendant had restrained her due to the fact that she was being "angry and violent," Metro reported.

Trump, now 19, called the police after speaking to the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on January 18, 2025, the court heard, PA Media reported.

"I'm calling from the US, I just got a call from a girl… she's getting beat up," Trump said, according to the transcript of his call with police.

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Barron Trump (centre) at his father's inauguration.

"This was happening about eight minutes ago. I just figured out how to, how to call someone. It's really an emergency."

Police investigating the allegations later asked Trump if he would be willing to provide a witness statement. Trump wrote in an email to police that what he saw was "very brief indeed but indeed prevalent," the court was told on Thursday.

"I didn't expect her to pick up due to the time difference," Trump wrote in an email sent May 2, 2025.

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Barron Trump is the youngest son of the president.

"The phone was picked up," he added.

"The individual who answered was a shirtless man with darkish hair. This view lasted maybe one second… then the view flipped to the victim," said Trump, who added that the woman had told him "that this individual was giving her difficulty for a long time".

Police replied to Trump's email, jurors were told, but did not receive a response to that or follow-up correspondence sent on July 1.

The trial continues. CNN has contacted the White House for comment.

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

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Fifth man charged for alleged involvement in Sydney-based satanic child abuse ring

A fifth man has been charged and will face court today as Sex Crimes Squad detectives continue investigations into a Sydney-based international satanic sex abuse material ring.

During the investigation, detectives uncovered a paedophile network based in Sydney actively involved in possessing, distributing, and facilitating the material through an internationally administered website.

Four men were arrested and charged in November last year and remain before the courts.

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Following further inquiries, detectives executed a search warrant at a Sydney Olympic Park home about 8.20am yesterday.

Police found and seized several electronics relevant to their investigation, and a small quantity of methamphetamine and ketamine.

A 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Auburn Police Station.

He was charged with using a carriage to access child abuse material, using a carriage service to make child abuse material available, possession of bestiality material and two counts of possession of a prohibited drug. 

He was refused bail and is set to appear in Burwood Local Court today.

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Aussies battered by $3.5 billion blow

New data has revealed hail, floods and storms cost Australia $3.5 billion in insured losses last year.

Figures from the Insurance Council of Australia showed five weather events were declared "significant or catastrophic" in 2025.

These included the February floods in North Queensland, ex-tropical cyclone Alfred in March, the NSW Mid North Coast floods in May, and two severe storm events in October and November in Queensland and NSW.

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Cyclone Alfred hit Queensland and New South Wales earlier this year, and caused significant damage. Similar cyclones could hit Australia in the upcoming summer months.

Alfred, which hit the Gold Coast and south-east Queensland on March 8, was the most expensive of them, even though it had weakened to a tropical low and lost its cyclone status by the time it made landfall.

The Insurance Council said 132,000 claims with a collective value of more than $1.5 billion were lodged in Alfred's wake.

Severe hailstorms in October and November, affecting Queensland and NSW, racked up a similar collective damage bill of $1.4 billion with more than 105,000 claims.

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Insurers expect the overall damage bill will grow as claims from more local severe events are added.

But the cost is already huge compared to 2024, when the insurance bill from extreme weather came to $581 million – itself down from $2.35 billion in 2023.

The council said this demonstrated "the unpredictable nature of extreme weather".

Two dead, children missing after landslide hits holiday hotspot

Two people are dead and at least six, including children, are missing after landslides hit New Zealand's idyllic Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Two bodies were found last night after a slip hit Papamoa early on Thursday morning.

They were discovered in a house that had been "extensively damaged" in the landslide.

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In this image from a video, a police officer with dog searches people near the site of a landslide at the base of Mount Maunganui on New Zealands North Island Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

"Police are working to support their loved ones at this incredibly difficult time," a spokesperson said, per Stuff.

About 17km north-east, rescuers worked through the night trying to locate several people who remain unaccounted for after a slip wiped out parts of a popular holiday hotspot.

Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park was also struck by a landslide yesterday morning, which damaged caravans, a toilet block, cars, and tents.

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Police established a base at the Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club to work through a register of campers and figure out who was unaccounted for.

Dogs were deployed to search for at least six missing people, including multiple children.

They remain unaccounted for.

Emergency workers and bystanders survey the scene after a landslide hit a campground at Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026.

An ambulance was seen arriving at the site of the landslide this morning with lights flashing.

A hearse was also sighted leaving the site, according to Stuff.

READ MORE: Iranian students in Australia battling to stay afloat amid economic collapse

There are concerns that severe weather could impact the ongoing search for survivors as heavy rain, strong wind and thunderstorms loom.

Heavy rain is expected across parts of New Zealand's North Island from today until Sunday, with storms predicted for some regions.

Strong winds will also buffet the Bay of Plenty tomorrow.

A search and rescue is underway in Mount Maunganui. Photo: Jess Pedersen / Jess Pedersen

New Zealand's Civil Defence has urged residents to stay vigilant, as the weather conditions could contribute to additional landslides.

Papamoa and Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park weren't the only areas hit with landslides yesterday.

Whangaruru suffered a major slip that has cut off multiple communities from the rest of the island, leaving hundreds stranded amid floods.

Tairawhiti also recorded multiple slips, which are reportedly affecting roads, and at least one smaller slip has hit Auckland.

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Iranian students in Australia facing ‘darkest days’ as economy hits record low

Exclusive: Ongoing turmoil in Iran has had a ripple effect on Iranian students in Australia, with some unable to pay for basic living expenses and tuition fees due to the economic crash in the nation.

The latest protests in Iran erupted in late December following civil unrest against the Islamic Republic government and the economic crisis.

The value of the Iranian rial plummeted to a record low amid the collapse, resulting in further revolts that rapidly spread across the entire nation.

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Before the unrest, $1 was worth about 482,000 Iranian rial.

Now, a $1 coin is worth nearly one million rial.

The collapse has had significant consequences on Iranian students living in Australia, including business student Fatemah*.

"I have lots of worries about survival, how to survive financially," she told 9news.com.au.

"Here in Australia, sometimes the tuition fees and other things like rent increase, and it makes some problems for me.

"Even very basic things, for example, shopping for groceries, I must check everything."

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Protesters dancing and cheering around a bonfire in Iran last week.

Fatemah came to Australia in 2022 to study IT and graduated with a Master of Business Information Systems.

She has had to pick up several jobs to stay afloat due to the collapsing Iranian economy.

"Because I need money, I (am) working in restaurants and some casual jobs."

When Fatemah arrived in Australia, she was unable to convert all of her money to Australian currency due to international sanctions on Iranian banks, an issue many people from the nation are facing.

"I just want to have enough money to survive," she said.

"My family told me to just focus on (my) studies and to find a job related to my knowledge and expertise.

"But now it doesn't matter to me. I work in restaurants.

"I just want to cover my (expenses)."

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Fatemah said her family in Iran are also experiencing the effects of the economic crash and deadly protests.

"I'm worried about their safety," she said.

Zahra*, an Iranian student studying in Melbourne, told 9news.com.au that her family has been deeply affected by the uprising.

"I'm worried sick about my family and my friends, who I haven't heard from for a long time now, because there's a blackout in Iran," she said.

"My sister could call me several times in the past few days.

"I could hear her voice, but what I heard wasn't actually assuring because I could see that she was so terrified."

Zahra, who was in Iran during several protests, including the Women, Life, Freedom revolution of 2022, said the nation was battling a regime that will not give up power.

"They get more aggressive because they want to remain in power," she said.

"So every single time (there is) a big protest, they get more aggressive. They got more violent.

"I came (to Australia) to maintain my mental health because I couldn't tolerate the environment there anymore.

"They shot at me when I was at home through the window because I was shouting, 'stop it', 'stop it'.

"They use the real army facilities against their own people. I was traumatised by the things that I experienced.

"It kind of felt like if I stay, I'm gonna get killed."

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People gather during protest on January 8, 2026 in Tehran, Iran. Demonstrations have been ongoing since December, triggered by soaring inflation and the collapse of the rial, and have expanded into broader demands for political change.

Zahra left the country in 2023, selling her apartment and car to start a new life for herself in Australia.

However, when she arrived, she was also unable to bring all her money due to the sanctions in the nation.

"I couldn't transfer all my money at once, but I brought some," she said.

"When the economy started collapsing, it was hard for me to convert the money.

"I started working here because I couldn't pay for living costs anymore based on my savings."

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Protesters participate in a demonstration in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government, in Berlin, Germany.

Zahra put a large portion of her money into paying off her student loan, and when the economy collapsed was left financially stranded, having to ask her father in Iran to lend her money.

She believes that universities should consider postponing tuition fees of affected students due to the financial hardships the economic crash has caused.

"Don't put more pressure on the students," she said.

"(We) are already in a very, very bad situation. We are in the darkest days of our lives.

"Don't put more pressure on us, understand us."

The demonstrations have quickly become the largest uprising in the nation since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, claiming the lives of at least 3766 people, with a high probability of a significantly higher death count.

The Human Rights Activists News Agency also reported that 24,348 protesters were arrested in the crackdown.

*Names have been changed to protect identities.

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