Tag Archives: oceania

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Police save 'traumatised' puppy after alleged cruelty

Police have filmed the moments after officers allegedly witnessed a Queensland man tackle and punch a puppy in the state's far north. 

The young female blue heeler, now named "Honey", was seized by police after the alleged incident.

The owner, a 36-year-old Atherton man, was walking the puppy along a street in Ravenshoe earlier this month when she broke free and ran off. 

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The owner, a 36-year-old Atherton man, was allegedly walking the puppy along a street in Ravenshoe earlier this month before the she broke free and ran off. Police footage also shows the puppy attempting to avoid the owner when police attended the property.

Police allege they observed the man tackling the puppy to the ground and punch it several times in the head. 

Body-worn camera footage shows officers confronting the man following the acts, with them allegedly hearing the dog squealing "all the way across the road".

"Mate, the dog is like six kilos, I don't think it needs to be tackled," one officer said to the man in the video.

Later that day officers attended the man's address, where they found the puppy with injuries to its right eye. 

Officers stated that the dog was "clearly scared" and "traumatised" by the owner's actions.'Honey' is now under the care of north Queensland Police, and has already squared up with the teams K-9 unit

Police video also shows the puppy attempting to avoid the owner when police attended the property. 

Officers stated the dog was "clearly scared" and "traumatised" by the owner's actions.

"You striking the dog, you ran after the dog, you tackled it," an officer said to the man. 

"It was clearly scared of you, traumatised by you."

The man was charged with animal cruelty offences and the puppy was seized by officers. 

The man is scheduled to appear at Atherton Magistrates Court on July 6.

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Winter solstice: Today is the shortest day of the year

Today is the winter solstice – the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.

Fittingly it is cold and wet across Australia, with Sydney and Perth shivering through the most wintry weather.

Capital cities will see just nine hours of daylight, with the shortest day around Australia in Hobart, with just nine hours and one minute between sunrise at 7.42 am and sunset at 4.43 pm.

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A rainbow in Sydney Harbour today, with Centrepoint Tower and the Opera House in the background.

Sydney has about nine hours and 54 minutes between sunrise and sunset today, with sunrise at 7am and sunset at 4.54 pm, according to Weatherzone.

Melbourne will have nine hours and 33 minutes, with sunrise at 7.35am and sunset at 5.08pm.

Other countries around the world start their seasons on the solstices and the equinoxes, such as the US which marks the first day of summer today.

But in Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology defines the seasons by months.

"These definitions reflect the lag in heating and cooling as the sun appears to move southward and northward across the equator," the BoM said.

"They are also useful for compiling and presenting climate-based statistics on time scales such as months and seasons."

Sydney is in for more rain this week.

Looking forward, much of Australia's east is in for a wet and cold week of weather after a weekend deluge also hit parts of Western Australia.

Parts of WA recorded the wettest June day on record.

More rain is expected in both Sydney and Perth today, with showers continuing tomorrow in both cities, before clearing up on Wednesday.

Sydney has had over 9mm of rain in the past 24 hours, with 37mm falling in Perth over the weekend.

A total of 61mm fell on Rottnest Island – the wettest June day on record.

The WA capital will only reach a cool 14C today with showers and even the chance of hail.

After Victoria was smashed by wild storms last week, it will be mostly dry over the next few days, with showers returning on Wednesday and Thursday,

Melbourne will see a chilly low of 4C overnight.

Meanwhile, Brisbane will be a mostly sunny 23C, Adelaide can also expect sun before showers tomorrow, and Hobart will reach a sunny 13C and remain dry until Thursday.

Darwin will be a hot 32C, with a sunny week ahead.

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Former TV weatherman Mike Bailey dies after weeks in coma

Former ABC and Nine News journalist Mike Bailey has died after spending weeks in a coma.

Bailey, who was best known as a weather presenter on the ABC 7pm news, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Sunday night, the Wests Magpies NRL club confirmed on Twitter.

Bailey had been in a coma for three weeks after a medical episode.

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Mike Bailey, pictured in the ABC studios.

The retired journalist was the West Ashfield Leagues Club chairman, and former Wests Magpies and Wests Tigers director.

Bailey became a household name during the 1970s, '80s and '90s as a TV weatherman on both Channel 7 and ABC.

He retired in 2007 to try his hand at politics, when he contested the seat of North Sydney for Labor.

https://twitter.com/westsmagpies/status/1406781911557545984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

But his bid to unseat Joe Hockey, who was then the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, was unsuccessful.

In 2008, he was back on the screen, presenting weather for Nine until 2009.

ABC journalists have paid tribute to their former colleague on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/mjrowland68/status/1406793969011290118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Bailey leaves behind his wife Helena Bailey, who formerly starred on the Channel 7 show Romper Room, and their son Michael.