The stabbing death of a ride attendant at Sydney's Royal Easter Show was not murder but rather, an impaired 14-year-old's impulsive and immediate action without a thought of consequences.

The teenager was acquitted of murder today after arguing he did not intend to seriously injure when he lunged at and stabbed Uati "Pele" Faletolu in April 2022.

The knife penetrated the heart of the 17-year-old Uati, who was on a break and meeting two friends.

READ MORE: Boy stabbed at primary school in Melbourne's south-east

The confrontation occurred by chance after the killer and two friends – all members of a rival street gang – crossed paths with Uati.

Within 10 seconds, the 14-year-old lunged through a gap in his friends, knifed Uati once and then bolted.

Prosecutors argued the teen's motivation to kill was underlined by self-stated animosity towards people associated with Uati's street gang.

The teen texted "GG 67 motherf—–" after the stabbing and later wrote a rap that "Should have worked at Maccas. Now he's dead. We smoke him up."

He also typed a note into his phone which included, "I didn't beat him up. I took his soul".

He also had a "fascination with knives" and gave each of his weapons individual names, including "Barbie" for the knife used in the killing, the Crown told the trial.

But NSW Supreme Court Justice Peter Garling dismissed the post-killing statements as the boasts of an adolescent trying to bolster an image of being a gang member.

He placed weight on evidence of the teen's troubled childhood, featuring beatings by his drunk father when he tried to stop violence toward his mum, and being stabbed himself aged 13 when walking to football training.

The boy joined the local "Ready for Anything" gang in Mount Druitt afterwards, crediting the members for helping him during his recovery.

READ MORE: Death toll rises to 44 in horror Hong Kong high-rise inferno

He was with other gang members on April 11, 2022, when he attended the Easter show and came across Uati, a member of Doonside's 67 gang.

"The confrontation occurred by chance and without planning," Justice Garling said.

The teen's actions were impulsive and a response to the confrontation, but triggered by his then-undiagnosed PTSD and heightened perceptions of threat, the judge found.

"I'm satisfied the accused's action was impulsive, thoughtless and immediate without any consideration of the consequences," he said. 

"After all, he was a psychosocially immature adolescent who was only 14 years old."

Community standards would recognise young adolescents, especially those who had suffered a hard upbringing, are prone to thoughtless actions, he said.

"These (actions) are not the traits of a criminal mind or criminal behaviour," Justice Garling said.

The boy, who was also of Pacific Islander heritage, faced the judge-alone trial after a jury was unable to reach a verdict in an earlier trial.

He had pleaded guilty to Uati's manslaughter and will be sentenced at a later date.

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Australia's power and influence in Asia has dropped beneath Russia, while long-held US ascendancy in the region is at risk, new research shows.

The Lowy Institute's 2025 Asia Power Index found the top five countries for overall power are: the US, China, India, Japan and Russia.

Australia drops one place in this year's ranking, to sixth.

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Experts from the think tank said Australia's slip down the overall rankings was down to other nations' stronger economic and military resources.

Benefiting from the support of authoritarian partners China and North Korea, Russia regained fifth spot.

Australia faces a long-term challenge to maintain relative power in Asia, the think tank said.

The research also found the US is losing ground in Asia, recording its lowest ever score in the 2025 Asia Power Index.

While the superpower has the "resources and influence that will survive any single administration", the US President Donald Trump's policies have been a net negative for US power in the region.

The benefactor is China, which is closing the gap with the US on the power index to its narrowest margin since 2020.

China is well placed to withstand coercive US economic policies.

It has also successfully positioned itself as a reliable partner amid uncertainty about the US approach to Asia.

Launched by the Lowy Institute in 2018, the index ranks the relative power of 27 countries and territories in the Indo-Pacific region, by assessing their strengths against 131 indicators across eight benchmarks.

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Residents in Hong Kong have set up a crowdsourced app to keep track of who's safe and who remains missing following the deadly fire that ripped through a residential complex.

The website appears to list all the apartments in the Wang Fuk Court high-rises, where dozens of people have died and hundreds remain missing from the devastating overnight blaze.

The rooms are marked either green, to signify the residents are safe, or red, indicating the occupants are still missing and require assistance, with those reports based on information submitted to the site's administrators through a series of forms and spreadsheets.

READ MORE: Death toll rises in horror Hong Kong high-rise inferno

According to the site, there are more than 100 apartments whose residents remain unaccounted for, as of 11:30am (AEDT), the bulk of whom are in building blocks E and F.

While many of the entries are short and provide little information, some come with more detailed messages about who is missing.

"A 41-year-old man went missing at 16:45," one reads, according to a translation of the message.

"His last message was that he was trapped in (a) stairwell."

READ MORE: Police continue to scour bushland for missing mum Samantha Murphy

Many of the "SOS" entries suggest that a significant number of those who remain missing are elderly residents.

"Three elderly people, one with dementia and another with a back problem, have been missing for nine hours," one reads.

"Grandma Yang has been out of contact since the afternoon," says another.

Hong Kong authorities have arrested three people on suspicion of manslaughter in relation to the fire.

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Australians have been blocked from three of the world's most popular deepfake nudify websites after they were used to create AI-generated deepfakes of school children.

Itai Tech restricted accessibility to some of its websites after the eSafety Commission threatened to take the UK-based company to court for $49.5 million over its failure to comply with mandatory codes and standards.

The company was told that their services have been used in high-profile cases of Australian school children creating deepfake explicit images of their peers.

READ MORE: Police continue to scour bushland for missing mum Samantha Murphy

The sites allow users to upload images of real people, including children, to undress and depict in several ways, including as a schoolgirl, in lingerie and in BDSM.

Itai Tech's websites are the most popular in the world, with the eSafety Commission estimating they received about 100,000 visits a month in Australia alone. 

"We know 'nudify' services have been used to devastating effect in Australian schools, and with this major provider blocking their use by Australians we believe it will have a tangible impact on the number of Australian school children falling victim to AI-generated child sexual exploitation," Commissioner Inman Grant said.

"We took enforcement action in September because this provider failed to put in safeguards to prevent its services being used to create child sexual exploitation material and were even marketing features like undressing 'any girl,' and with options for 'schoolgirl' image generation and features such as 'sex mode'."

Itai Tech also blocked UK users from its website after it was fined £50,000 ($101,000) earlier this month for not having age checks.

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Global AI model hosting platform Hugging Face has also changed its terms of service after some models were misused to create deepfake sexual exploitation material of real children and survivors of sexual abuse.

Following a warning from the eSafety Commission, the platform has instructed all account holders to take steps to minimise the risks associated with the models, specifically to prevent the generation of child sexual exploitation or pro-terror material.

eSafety said it was targeting the AI consumer tools, as well as the underlying models that power them and the platforms that host them.

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Exclusive: Australians have voted on the most annoying driving habits and countless motorists are guilty of the top offenders.

Several of which can attract hefty fines and penalties.

A survey from Youi revealed the six most annoying driving habits encountered on Australian roads.

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Tailgating took the top spot, with more than half of the Aussies surveyed branding it one of the top three most annoying driving habits.

More than 40 per cent ranked it number one.

Not using indicators was in second place, with 36 per cent of the Aussies surveyed putting it in their top three most annoying habits.

In third place was cutting into a lane without warning, which 29 per cent of Aussies included in their top three.

Driving too slowly in the right lane, using a phone while driving and road rage were also commonly cited among the most annoying habits Aussies experience on our roads.

Almost 40 per cent of respondents said they witnessed these annoying and potentially unsafe driving habits weekly.

Nearly one in five reported experiencing them almost daily.

About a quarter said they had reported other drivers for unsafe or annoying behaviour on Australian roads in the past.

When asked how these bad habits should be combatted, more than 40 per cent of Aussies were in favour of stricter penalties.

And the penalties for some of these behaviours are already pretty severe.

Tailgating

Tailgating, or following a lead vehicle too closely, is dangerous and illegal in Australia.

Fines and penalties are as follows:

• NSW: $562 fine and three demerit points
• Queensland: $389 fine and one demerit point
• Victoria: $305.26 fine and one demerit point
• ACT: $447 fine and one demerit point
• SA: $414 fine and one demerit point
• WA: $200 fine and two demerit points
• NT: N/A
• Tasmania: fine of up to 10 penalty units ($2050)

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Not using indicators

Failing to indicate when turning or misusing indicator lights could land drivers with a fine and other penalties.

Fines and penalties are as follows:

• NSW: $235 fine and two demerit points
• Queensland: $100 and two demerit points
• Victoria: $203.51 fine and up to two demerit points
• ACT: $224 fine
• SA: $392 fine and two demerit points
• WA: N/A
• NT: $60
• Tasmania: $146 fine and two demerit points

Cutting in without warning

It is an offence to not give adequate room to other cars when overtaking or overtake when it's not safe, also known as 'cutting in'. 

Fines and penalties are as follows:

• NSW: $423 fine and two demerit points
• Queensland: $233 and two demerit points
• Victoria: $407.02 fine and two demerit points
• ACT: $335 fine and two demerit points
• SA: $377 fine and two demerit points
• WA: $400 fine and four demerit points
• NT: $70
• Tasmania: fine of up to 10 penalty units ($2050)

READ MORE: NSW e-bike crackdown looms with fines up to $825k for breaching new safety requirements

Driving too slowly in the right lane

There are no specific road rules or penalties for driving too slowly in the right lane.

However, it is an offence in all states and territories to drive significantly below the speed limit and in doing so create an obstruction for other vehicles.

Drivers can also face penalties for driving in the right lane when not overtaking on a road with 'keep left unless overtaking' signs posted, or on some roads with high speed limits.

Using a phone while driving

Using or even touching a phone while driving is illegal in all Australian states and territories.

Fines and penalties are as follows:

• NSW: fines start at $423 and five demerit points
• Queensland: $1,251 fine and four demerit points
• Victoria: $611 fine and four demerit points
• ACT: $548 fine to $674 and three to four demerit points
• SA: $658 fine and three demerit points
• WA: $500 fine to $1000 and four demerit points
• NT: $500 fine and three demerit points
• Tasmania: $410 fine and three demerit points

READ MORE: Breeding puppies in this state? You could be fined $110,000 or face jail time if these new laws aren't followed

Aggressive driving/road rage

Aggressive driving and road rage aren't standalone offences in Australia, but engaging in engaging in violent or aggressive behaviour on the road can attract hefty fines and penalties, including prison time.

Furious and reckless driving is knowingly or carelessly driving in a way which seriously endangers others.

Predatory and menacing driving offences occur when a driver pursues or threatens someone else on the road with the intent to cause physical injury.

Fines and penalties vary depending on the specific offence and where it occurred.

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Exclusive: In this nine.com.au series, we'll be talking to some of Australia's smartest and sharpest entrepreneurs, founders and CEOs to find out what makes them tick – and what advice they'd have for anyone starting out.

In 2010, Jane Lu left her corporate accounting job to start an online fashion brand; today Showpo does more than $100 million in sales a year.

She was drowning in debt from a failed business when she began the humble start-up from her garage.

Now it's a global e-commerce business and one of the most popular online fashion retailers in Australia.

These are her secrets to success.

How do you start the day to set yourself up for success?

I live by my calendar – if it's not in there, it's not happening.

It's the only way to stay on top of a busy day and make sure I'm spending time on what actually matters, not just what's loudest.

What are three daily habits you always stick to?

If I'm being honest, I don't have the best habits – I don't get nearly enough sleep, I hate reading books and my screen time is out of control.

But I've learned not to beat myself up over it.

What I do stick to is staying adaptable, doing what works for me, and remembering that productivity isn't about being busy – it's about being effective.

Lots of Aussies are looking for a career change — what small action can help them get ahead of other candidates?

Bring ideas, not just answers.

Anyone can tell you what they'd do in theory – stand out by showing you've thought about the specific company or role.

Ask sharp, curious questions that show you've done your homework and that you genuinely care about adding value.

Energy and curiosity go a long way.

What financial myth do you wish you never bought into?

That owning a home is the ultimate marker of success.

Business owners need to value the importance of liquidity.

Prioritising liquidity over owning a home early on gave me the freedom and flexibility to take risks and move quickly when opportunities came up.

What do you wish you could tell your 20-year-old self?

Don't be afraid to fail – your first business probably will. Mine did.

But that "failure" taught me more than any business degree ever could.

Every setback is just data – take the lesson, not the loss.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at Google Play.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has kept the door open for another round of electricity rebates, saying the government is yet to rule out what would be a second extension of its key cost-of-living relief policy.

The rebates were introduced in the 2024 federal budget, providing all households with $300 off their bills over the course of a year at a cost of $3.5 billion.

Chalmers then found an extra $1.8 billion to extend the measure in this year's budget for another two quarters – or $150 per household – taking the total spend to more than $5 billion.

READ MORE: Final nail in the coffin for rate cut hopes

But with the rebates due to expire at the end of the year, and inflation rising – driven in large part by electricity prices – the government has been facing questions about whether they will be extended once again.

Chalmers said today that that decision was yet to be made, and suggested that an announcement on the policy will be made as part of the mid-year economic and fiscal outlook (MYEFO).

"The mid-year budget update will be towards the middle of December, as it has been on the last couple of occasions," the treasurer told reporters this afternoon.

"We'll take a decision about electricity rebates in the context of finalising that mid-year budget update."

EXPLAINED: The tax loophole leaving innocent Aussies with massive, secret debts

Chalmers warned, though, that regardless of the decision made over the next fortnight or so, the rebates will eventually come to an end.

"They are a really important way that we are helping Australians with the cost of living, taking some of the edge off these electricity price pressures that people are encountering," he said.

"They're a really important part of our budget, but they're not a permanent feature of our budget, and we've made that clear."

Chalmers' comments came after fresh data showed inflation has reached its highest level in more than a year, with rising electricity prices, caused in part by the end of state-level energy bill relief, a significant contributing factor.

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A Western Australian councillor who claimed he accidentally walked into a strip club on a work trip and subsequently filed an expenses claim associated with the visit has resigned.

City of Joondalup Councillor Nige Jones visited the Crazy Horse Revue in Adelaide in August and then submitted an expense claim for costs associated with the conference, including the strip club beer.

He claimed the short visit to the establishment, which has a bright neon sign and a logo of a woman at the front, was a "genuine mistake" and he simply wanted a late-night beer before an early flight the next morning.

READ MORE: NSW MP files court action challenging constitutionality of social media ban

After criticism from Western Australian Premier Roger Cook and others, Jones officially tendered his resignation from the City of Joondalup Council today.

Jones posted on social media announcing his decision: "It's time for me to stand down as I'm not a fit with the new council coupled with my mistake grabbing a beer in a unsavoury venue.

"I'm sorry if I let you down but hope I served you well the other 10 years."

Earlier today, Cook said the incident was "completely unacceptable" and called on Jones to resign.

"The idea that you can use ratepayer funds to buy entertainment such as strippers and booze is completely unacceptable," he said.

"That's not even meeting the pub test, that's going beyond that, that is fundamentally letting down the ratepayers of Joondalup in this situation, and that councillor should reconsider his position as a councillor on that local government authority."

Police Minister Reece Whitby has today dismissed his explanation, saying there were obvious signs the business was a strip club.

"I've seen the bright neon light of the dancing girl, that would tend to give it away. The poles would give it away, and the bikini lady would absolutely give it away," he told reporters.

"He's got his own ratepayers to answer to. I don't think he should have been in there in the first place, and to charge it to the ratepayers is extraordinary.

"My advice is when you're on official business, and your business is done, go to the hotel, go to sleep and stay there."

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Jones claimed he left the establishment after 20 minutes when he noticed a "skimpily dressed" woman, and he realised he was at a strip club.

"It's definitely not where a councillor should be," Jones told Perth's 6PR radio yesterday.

"I accept that, and I apologise to the ratepayers for that, but like I said, I didn't actually receive the reimbursement – the council picked up on it straight away."

Jones was censured by the council this month after the discovery and ordered to undertake an "education course on ethical decision making" and provide a "written reflection on his actions".

"His claim for reimbursement of an alcoholic beverage at the Crazy Horse Revue and attendance at this establishment while on city-funded travel does not meet the standards of conduct expected of a council member," the council noted.

The reflection was sent in on November 19, and Jones said he booked himself in for the course at the earliest date in March.

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A magistrate has dismissed a rape charge against a man accused of murdering two women almost half a century ago as there was insufficient evidence.

Perry Kouroumblis was today committed to stand trial in the Supreme Court on two counts of murder over the January 1977 Easey Street killing.

Magistrate Brett Sonnet found there was evidence of a sufficient weight to commit him to stand trial before a jury on the two most serious charges.

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Kouroumblis pleaded "not guilty" to the two charges, as he sat in the court dock flanked by custody officers.

The 66-year-old is accused of stabbing Suzanne Armstrong, 28, and Susan Bartlett, 27, and prosecutors further alleged he had raped Armstrong before the murders. 

The two housemates were found dead inside their home on Easey Street in Melbourne's inner suburb of Collingwood on January 13, 1977, by their neighbours.

Armstrong's screaming toddler could be heard by the two women living next door.

Kouroumblis was aged 17 at the time and police also claimed he had "carnal knowledge with Suzanne Armstrong without her consent".

That charge, from the 1970s, would now be known as rape.

READ MORE: Two young women facing life in prison over $33 million find in their suitcases

However, Sonnet found there was insufficient evidence to support a conviction on that charge as a homicide detective had told the committal hearing Armstrong appeared to have been raped after she was killed.

Former detective Adrian Donehue, one of the first on the scene in 1977, said in October "she was in a classic pose you would expect to see for post-mortem rape, in my view".

Prosecutors today argued to keep the pre-death rape charge in for a jury to decide, but the defence said the charge could not be proven on the evidence.

Sonnet agreed and struck out the rape charge.

Kouroumblis will remain in custody and returns to the Supreme Court on December 17 for a directions hearing.

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

Exclusive: Specialist police have launched a new search for any trace of missing Ballarat mother Samantha Murphy.

New intelligence has led detectives to Enfield State Park, about 30 kilometres south of Ballarat.

The mother of three disappeared after leaving her Ballarat home about 7am on the morning of February 4, 2024, to go for a run in the Canadian State Forest.

READ MORE: How the investigation into the disappearance of Samantha Murphy unfolded

Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, was charged with the 51-year-old's murder on March 7, 2024.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Police have searched bushland in Enfield State Park multiple times since her disappearance.

The park, which is littered with disused mineshafts, is about five kilometres away from where the 51-year-old's mobile phone was discovered in a dam in May.

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