Tag Archives: oceania

Trump family eyeing Gold Coast property as latest investment

2026-01-16 FreeNews

Donald Trump's family is eyeing their first Trump-branded property on Australian soil, with the Gold Coast the likely destination.

Conversations are underway to build a Trump Tower on the beach at Surfers Paradise.

The property is located on 3 Trickett Street, and has been a vacant block of land since 2013.

The prime piece of real estate is on the Esplanade, the main drag running alongside the beach.

The site has been in development hell since the Iluka Resort was demolished.

The Trump Organisation is now being run by the president's sons Donald Jr and Eric.

They have been prolific in expanding their portfolio globally.

They have upcoming projects in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Dubai, India, Vietnam, Romania, Qatar and Indonesia.

Donald Jr and Eric Trump now run the Trump Organisation.

It currently has multiple properties in the US as well as Dubai, Indonesia, India, Oman, the Philippines, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Turkey, Uruguay and Vietnam.

The previous plan for a skyscraper on the property.

But most of their projects are not owned by the organisation but are simply branding deals – that is, developers pay the Trumps to put their name on the building.

The details of the prospective deal have not been made public.

No development application has been made to Gold Coast Council.

In 2016, a proposal was made to build the third-tallest building in Australia on the site.

The building would have had 479 luxury apartments, a rooftop pool and a series of restaurants.

The residential skyscraper was given approval by council but the $1.2 billion project never eventuated.

Now all that remains is the basement construction work.

The property was sold for a loss in 2019.

When Donald Trump himself was in Australia in 2008 he said he wouldn't invest in the country without a partner.

"If I do something in Australia, I'd want to have a partner in Australia," he told the Australian Financial Review.

But his wealth has exploded since then, especially in his past year as president.

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‘Left-wing hack’: White House official’s vicious tirade against journalist

2026-01-16 FreeNews

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has launched a tirade at a journalist who asked about recent US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct.

The journalist asked Leavitt about comments made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Good last week.

Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for The Hill, questioned assertions from Noem and other members of the Trump administration that ICE is doing "everything correctly".

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lashed out at a journalist on Thursday (US time).

"32 people died in ICE custody last year, 170 US citizens were detained by ICE, and Renee Good was shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent," Stanage said.

"How is that doing everything correctly?"

Leavitt responded by asking Stanage why Good was killed, to which he replied that an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably.

The White House press secretary then launched a minute-long tirade against Stanage.

"Oh, OK, so you're a biased reporter with a left-wing opinion," she said.

"You're a left-wing hack, you're not a reporter, you're posing in this room as a journalist, and it's so clear by the premise of your question.

"And you, and the people in the media — who have such biases, but fake like you're a journalist — you shouldn't even be sitting in that seat."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington.

Leavitt claimed Stanage was a left-wing activist pretending to be a journalist.

She said ICE agents work to make the nation safer and suggested Stanage focus on innocent Americans killed by 'illegal aliens' in the US.

"Shame on you people in the media who have a crooked view, a biased view, and pretend you're an honest journalist," Leavitt concluded.

In the same press conference, she dodged a question from The Independent about a recent joke from President Donald Trump about cancelling elections.

This week, he told Reuters the US shouldn't even bother with mid-term elections in 2026, although the White House insisted he was joking.

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How much video gaming is too much? Study pinpoints health limit

2026-01-16 FreeNews

Video games might not rot your brain – but new evidence suggests they can have a marked effect on your health.

A new study led by Curtin University surveyed 317 students from at Australian universities, with a median age of 20.

The participants were split into three groups classes as "low gamers" (zero to five hours playing video games per week), "moderate gamers" (five to 10 hours), and "high gamers" (over 10 hours).

The research team found while low and moderate gamers reported similar health outcomes, results worsened dramatically once gaming exceeded 10 hours a week.

Professor Mario Siervo, from the Curtin School of Population Health, said the findings suggested excessive gaming was the key issue, rather than gaming itself.

"What stood out was students gaming up to 10 hours a week all looked very similar in terms of diet, sleep and body weight," Siervo said.

"The real differences emerged in those gaming more than 10 hours a week, who showed clear divergence from the rest of the sample."

The study found a decline in diet quality once gaming exceeded 10 hours per week, with a greater prevalence of obesity in the high gamers group, compared to the low and moderate gamers.

"Each additional hour of gaming per week was linked to a decline in diet quality, even after accounting for stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors," Professor Siervo said.

Sleeping man disturbed by alarm clock early in the morning

All groups reported generally poor sleep quality, but moderate and high gamers scored worse than low gamers, with gaming hours showing a significant link to sleep disruption.

"This study doesn't prove gaming causes these issues, but it shows a clear pattern that excessive gaming may be linked to an increase in health risk factors," Professor Siervo said.

"Our data suggests low and moderate gaming is generally fine, but excessive gaming may crowd out healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, sleeping properly and staying active.

"Because university habits often follow people into adulthood, healthier routines such as taking breaks from gaming, avoiding playing games late at night and choosing healthier snacks may help improve their overall wellbeing."

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Venezuelan opposition leader gives Trump her Nobel Peace Prize

2026-01-16 FreeNews

Venezuela's opposition leader in exile has told reporters she presented US President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize in their meeting at the White House.

Maria Corina Machado, whose party many observers deem to have won the 2024 election victory claimed by ousted ex-president Nicolas Maduro, met with Donald Trump behind closed doors this morning (AEDT time).

She arrived from an unknown location, having left Venezuela last year after she was briefly detained by authorities in Caracas.

After meeting Trump, she mingled with supporters near the White House gates.

"We can count on President Trump," she said, according to media on-site, but otherwise did not open up on the content of their conversation.

She next spoke with several senators on Capitol Hill, before speaking to reporters, when she told them of the Nobel presentation, saying it was in recognition of "his unique commitment with our freedom".

Associated Press reported there was no immediate word from the White House as to whether the gift had been accepted.

Trump has previously been dismissive about the idea of Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize coveted by the US president in 2025, leading Venezuela in the wake of US forces kidnapping Maduro to stand trial in New York.

Prior to their meeting, he said she did not have the respect or support inside the country to do so, despite the broad international assessment of her electoral success.

Since Machado left the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt, while hailing her as "a remarkable and brave voice", said Trump's opinion had not changed.

It was, Leavitt said, "a realistic assessment".

Trump has also signalled a willingness to engage with interim president Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro loyalist and his former vice president.

The pair have talked on the phone, with Trump characterising it as a "great conversation" on a wide range of topics.

Rodriguez, for her part, has varied her tone on the US and Trump.

Originally condemning the kidnapping of Maduro and demanding his return, she has since said she is open to diplomacy with the US and may even be willing to open up Venezuela's nationalised oil industry to foreign investment.

The US, meanwhile, has continued targeting Venezuelan oil tankers, seizing a sixth one this morning.

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Holidaygoers trapped in flash floods open up on moment ‘tsunami’ hit

2026-01-16 FreeNews

Two holidaygoers caught in yesterday's "tsunami" flash flood in Victoria have spoken of the "chaos" that erupted as surging waters rose.

At least one person had to be rescued from a roof yesterday and multiple cars were swept away in Wye River, Kennett River, Cumberland River and Lorne.

Several waterways burst their banks at the popular Victorian holiday spot following a deluge of 180mm of rain in less than five hours.

"It was a pretty crazy sight," holidaygoer Darren Schonewille told Today this morning.

"Just to see how, like, quick the water rose, and the chaos."

He said the flood had come up suddenly.

Cars underwater in Wye River flooding

"We were a little bit trapped, I guess, in terms of we were at the front of the and so it was quite hard to get in and help anyone out," fellow holidaygoer Matthew Clark said.

"Seeing those cars float out and then trying to get around those people who lost belongings pretty quickly, it was pretty traumatic for the people."

The Great Ocean Road remains closed in both directions between Lorne and Skenes Creek due to the flooding and the fear of possible landslides.

Cars were swept out to sea at Wye River as a result of flash flooding.

Coach services are taking detours, while drivers are urged to detour using the Princes Highway via Colac.

"Transport Victoria reminds the community of the extreme danger of travelling in the current conditions," Transport Victoria said in a notice.

"Roads may be closed and public transport routes may be cancelled at short notice."

Vic Emergency's latest update, posted at midnight, said the threat of immediate flash flooding had passed.

Cars collect in floodwaters at Wye River.

"Dangerous hazards including floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees are still be present," the update read.

Emergency relief centres have opened at Lorne Stribling Reserve, 45 Otway Street, Lorne; and at Apollo Bay P12 College, Pengilley Avenue, Apollo Bay.

The Bureau of Meteorology has cancelled two severe weather warnings for Victoria, and no new ones are in place.

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What the Greenland dispute means for NATO – and the future of Europe

2026-01-16 FreeNews

It's winter in the northern hemisphere, and the weather is reflecting the frosty mood between Donald Trump and some of his key allies.

The US president has made it clear he wants the Arctic island of Greenland to come under his control, but he is being rebuffed by both the autonomous territory and Denmark, a NATO ally that still administers it.

NATO nations, including the UK, France and Spain, have stood behind Greenland, with fears the disagreement could lead to the US leaving the crucial alliance.

Greenland is home to just over 56,000 residents.

So will Trump make a decisive move to take over Greenland and what would that look like for the NATO alliance, Europe and beyond?

Why does the US want Greenland?

It's easy to wonder why an icy European island with a population of just 56,000 people is so coveted by the mightiest country on earth, but it holds great strategic importance.

Its location between the US and Europe is key, as it sits in a corridor called the GIUK gap, a maritime passage between Greenland, Iceland and the UK.

Greenland's importance is underlined by its abundance of natural resources.

It links the Arctic to the Atlantic Ocean, making it a vital shipping route when considering Greenland's natural resources.

The island holds large deposits of oil, gas and rare earth minerals, which are hugely important in a geopolitical context as the US faces a battle to stay on top of China.

They are also critical to the world economy, used in the manufacture of electric cars, wind turbines and military equipment.

Will the US leave NATO over the Greenland dispute?

Trump has threatened to pull out of the NATO alliance before, including at the end of 2024, when he cited low defence spending numbers of several allies.

He has not specifically threatened to leave the 77-year alliance during the latest Greenland dispute, dodging the question when asked by reporters in recent days.

"You don't know what I'm going to do," he said in response to questions of whether he would leave NATO.

"I wouldn't be telling you what I'm willing to do – certainly I'm not going to give up options – but it's very important."

US President Donald Trump has made strong demands of Denmark surrounding the fate of Greenland.

Laws drafted in before Trump's second term prohibit him from removing the US from the alliance without approval of a two-thirds Senate super-majority or an act of Congress.

But you also aren't supposed to capture a sitting head of state of another country in the dead of night, and Trump seemed comfortable breaking those rules in Venezuela.

Can NATO survive without the US?

Ask many key European leaders and officials, and they will tell you the US is the bedrock of the NATO alliance.

A key issue is Article 5 in the treaty, which says an attack on one is an attack on all.

With Greenland part of Denmark, and Denmark being a NATO member, this creates a clear problem.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was frank in her view on the matter.

"If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops," Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 last week.

"That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War."

Trump also seems to think NATO wouldn't last should the US pull out, judging by his comments yesterday.

"I'm the one that saved NATO," he said on Air Force One.

How have Russia and China reacted to the Greenland dispute?

Russia and China are clearly a motivator for Trump's hawkish instincts on Greenland, as he claims matters of national security.

"NATO should be leading the way for us to get it [Greenland]. IF WE DON'T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!" he wrote on Truth Social this week.

China has an Arctic policy called the Polar Silk Road, launched in 2018, but a spokesperson for the government insisted their goals weren't military.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on key parameters of draft state armament for 2027-2036, in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

"China's activities in the Arctic are aimed at promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and are in accordance with international law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said earlier this week.

On the Russian side, top officials have made cryptic remarks regarding their views on Greenland.

"Trump needs to hurry. According to unverified information, in a few days there could be a sudden referendum, at which the entire 55,000-strong Greenland could vote to join Russia," former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said earlier this week, according to Interfax.

Any turbulence with NATO would no doubt help Russian President Vladimir Putin in his war in Ukraine, with the alliance being a key supporter of the country Putin has been at war with since 2022.

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Iran slams airspace shut as death toll climbs

2026-01-15 FreeNews

Iran has closed its airspace amid the mounting death toll from anti-government protests, triggering flight chaos across the Middle East and neighbouring regions.

Images from Flightradar24 show no aircraft flying over Iran, with the closure advisory valid for a little over two hours.

Exceptions may be made for select international flights into or out of Iran that have been granted permission from Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation.

Flights appear to be skirting Iran's borders after it closed its airspace today.

Live tracking data from the Flightradar24 website show flights hugging Iran's borders to avoid the nation's airspace.

Some international airlines have also reported plans to avoid Iranian airspace for the time being.

Air India is rerouting flights over the region to keep passengers safe.

It said in a post on X that "alternative routes" may cause delays and, where rerouting wasn't possible, cancellations.

Lufthansa, a German Airline, announced plans to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace "due to the current situation in the Middle East" shortly before Iran closed its airspace today.

Agence France-Presse reported Lufthansa would bypass the airspace "until further notice".

President Donald Trump speaks as he meets Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington.

Some US military personnel have also been evacuated from a base in nearby Qatar as concerns grow that President Donald Trump's administration could launch military action against Iran.

Smartraveller.gov.au, the Australian Government's official travel resource, urged Australians to leave Iran on Monday while it was still possible.

Those who choose to remain against government advice have been told they are responsible for their own safety.

The death toll from ongoing protests is estimated to be in the thousands.

"Security forces' response to protests has been severe, and many protesters and bystanders have been injured, killed or detained," the latest advice read.

"Australians, including dual nationals, are at a high risk of being detained."

The Australian embassy's operations in Iran have been are suspended and its ability to provide consular assistance is extremely limited.

US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency has reported that more than 2600 people have been killed in the ongoing protests.

However, information coming out of Iran is difficult to independently verify due to government media censorship and telecommunications blackouts.

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‘Listen to us, work with us’: Police ask weekend protesters to cooperate despite ban

2026-01-15 FreeNews

Police have asked for cooperation as they reveal they will be carrying long-arm rifles as Sydney activists prepare to take to the streets this weekend, despite a city-wide ban on protests still in place.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna said police "understand and empathise" that it is a globally volatile time at the moment and will work beside people who wish to take to the streets to exercise their free speech.

"We are a very multicultural society," he said.

Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna.

"We're not a political organisation, NSW Police.

"We facilitated about a thousand protests in the CBD in Sydney last year.

"Do the right thing, listen to us, work with us, you'll be able to have your public assembly.

"No doubt you'll get the media attention that you want."

One of the protests set to take to the streets tomorrow is a repeal of the NSW government's anti-protest laws, as well as a rebuttal of the prime minister's invitation for Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia.

Another is a march calling for a new corruption inquiry into Aboriginal deaths in custody, slated for January 18.

The protest is set to take place this Friday.

McKenna said NSW Police are not accepting Form 1 protests at this stage.

"Form 1s give people protection from the Summary Offences Act," he said.

"It means that people can't be prosecuted for impeding vehicles, blocking roadways, people on the footpaths, those sorts of things."

People are still able to gather in places such as parks that do not impede other people and vehicles, however, a strong police presence will be in place.

"At the end of the day, it is all about public safety for us," McKenna said.

"It's also understanding we've just come off the back of the most horrific terrorist incident that Australia has ever seen.

"There may well be police with long arms just because of the current threat environment we are in."

McKenna said the carrying of long-arm rifles is due to a general risk, rather than the risk the protests themselves may carry.

"I think the community is getting more and more used to seeing them," he said.

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Albanese’s hate and antisemitism bill knocked back before it even enters parliament

2026-01-15 FreeNews

The federal government's proposed hate and gun laws have been knocked down before even entering parliament, after the Coalition and Greens came out in opposition to them.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley earlier today said the Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism bill aimed at responding to the December 14 attack at Bondi was "unsalvageable" as she confirmed the Liberals and Nationals will vote it down.

The Greens have followed and said they will not support it in its current form either.

"This bill is broad, it is vast, and it is really complex, and we need to make sure that it is scrutinised and we do our due diligence on this bill," Greens Deputy Leader Mehreen Faruqi said this afternoon.

"Our society should be one that rejects hatred and racism in all its forms.

"Whether it is a queer person who is attacked for who they love, if it's a Muslim woman in a hijab, or a Jewish man in his Kippah, or a trans person for their gender identity."

The Greens will be seeking to widen the bill to cover all religions and types of hate.

Meanwhile, the opposition will counter the proposed laws with different measures to combat antisemitism in the arts, education and broader society and enshrine a definition of antisemitism in law.

"The opposition will continue to scrutinise this legislation carefully, but from what we have seen so far, it looks pretty unsalvageable," Ley said earlier this morning.

"As it stands, the government's proposal is half-baked, and Australians deserve far better."

Ley claimed the proposed changes do not address the root issue of the Bondi attack.

"We have got this bundle of measures heading in many different directions, criticised in a very valid way by a whole range of people, but not actually addressing the issue," Ley added.

"Parliament should have been reconvened before Christmas to actually demonstrate leadership, compassion and the determination that I have spoken of every day since to tackle radical Islamic extremism and eradicate antisemitism."

AFR Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley Press Coneference Thursday 15th January 2026 Melbourne Photo by Eamon Gallagher

The Combating Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism bill includes a package of reforms that target both hate speech and firearms, including a gun buyback scheme, stricter gun control rules, harsher penalties for hate speech and stricter migration rules.

It would also create a new offence for hate preachers radicalising children and inciting hatred to intimidate and harass, expand the ban on prohibited symbols and allow the Home Affairs department to lower the threshold for what is considered a hate organisation.

The bill will fail to pass parliament in its current form when politicians return to Canberra on Monday and Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Albanese said he has spoken regularly with Ley ahead of recalling parliament and constructively with Greens Leader Larissa Waters since releasing the draft bill on Tuesday.

"What we have done is worked through these issues in an orderly way, in a consultative way, we have released draft legislation in good faith, asking for comments to come forward," he said.

"I said, in doing that, we were open to amendments from across the parliament, or suggestions that were made as part of that process.

"This is a moment for national unity. This is a moment where people should be coming forward in good faith, and putting forward suggestions, engaging constructively."

Albanese called for parliament to come together.

Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters at a doorstop interview at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday 28 July 2025.

"There should be unanimous decisions of the Parliament, it's what I'm seeking, in good faith. And I call upon all members and senators to engage constructively, which is what the ECAJ have called for today," he said.

The Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) backed the government's bill this morning, saying it is a "significant step in the right direction".

"We hope that the new laws will be passed and strengthened, and that the scourge of antisemitism, hate and extremism in our society will be neutralised," ECAJ co-chief executive Peter Wertheim said.

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Victorians warned more devastating fires could arrive within weeks

2026-01-15 FreeNews

More than 700 structures, including 228 homes, have damaged in Victoria's extreme bushfires, but authorities warn the peak bushfire season is still around the corner.

Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch said those structures have either been destroyed or significantly damaged when last week's fires took hold of more than 410,000 hectares of land and triggered a state of disaster declaration.

"Within that number, 228 homes are now destroyed," he said at a press conference today.

Longwood fire

"Fifteen homes have been damaged, and we know there's over 450 outbuildings that have also been part of those numbers."

The Longwood fire claimed 142 homes, the Harcourt fire claimed 54, and the Walwa fire claimed nine.

Victoria Police are investigating the causes of major fires, including the Ravenswood South and Walwa blazes, while arson and explosives detectives probe the Longwood fire that claimed a man's life.

A police spokesperson said these investigations are complex, and it is premature to provide any further updates.

"As a consequence of the extreme weather events last week Victoria experienced a large number of fires, some of which are still burning," the spokesperson said.

A family is grateful to be alive after they were forced to huddle together inside a shipping container as flames tore through their home.Isabel Bafunno, 81, said they tried to put out the fire when it reached their remote Caveat property in Victoria, but "it was hopeless".

"At this time, the overwhelming majority of fires are believed to be as a result of natural causes."

The emergency bushfires of last week have eased, and now only 12 watch and act warnings remain in place for blazes around the state.

But County Fire Authority chief Jason Heffernan warned residents there could be similar devastating scenes in the coming weeks.

"My message to Victorians today is our peak fire danger is in February. Please don't think that this event is it," he said at a press conference today.

"There is every chance that we could see weather patterns come in the next couple of weeks.

Bushfire in Euroa in Victoria

"It could see a return of very hot conditions, very strong northerly winds, and again threaten more communities across Victoria."

The state and federal governments have today announced almost $82 million to restore and repair roads and public transport damaged in the fires, including barriers, signage and guardrails and cleaning up trees and debris.

Other state and federal support measures have exceeded $100 million.

"It's so important that we continue to stand with Harcourt and other fire-affected communities and support them on the long recovery journey ahead," Premier Jacinta Allan said.