He had been aiming for ‘low risk’ status but ‘lost control’ while arguing with a guard.

Police were notified of the blaze on Carmen Rd at 4.25pm.

Leaders of Pacific countries and territories, including China's Xi Jinping, have gathered in South Korea for a major summit this week.

But the leader of one global powerhouse is conspicuously absent: Donald Trump.

The US president flew out of South Korea on Thursday, moments after his landmark meeting with his Chinese counterpart that appeared to de-escalate the protracted trade conflict between the world's two largest economies.

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With Trump choosing to skip the annual summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation – which groups together countries accounting for more than half of global trade – Xi stepped into the limelight and held high-profile meetings with Japan's new leader Sanae Takaichi and Canada's Mark Carney.

Despite his absence, Trump's protectionist trade policies and punishing global tariffs loom over the two-day event in the city of Gyeongju.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is standing in for Trump during the discussions.

In his opening remarks to the forum, Xi called for unity and cooperation between the grouping of 21 economies on both sides of the Pacific.

"The world is undergoing rapid changes unseen in a century," Xi told the forum.

"The more turbulent the times are, the more we must stand together in solidarity."

"China's door to openness will not close; it will only open wider," Xi said.

Decisions made in Gyeongju are non-binding — and leaders have faced difficulty reaching consensus in the past including on thorny issues like Russia's war in Ukraine.

But a major focus for the forum this year is on strengthening supply chains and encouraging cooperation as economies worldwide reel from Trump's tariff offensive.

"We are standing at a critical inflection point with a rapidly changing global economic order," South Korean president and APEC chair Lee Jae Myung said in his address to the summit on Friday.

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"As the free trade order undergoes dramatic changes, global economic uncertainty is deepening, and trade and investment are losing momentum."

Lee said that "only cooperation and solidarity can surely lead us to a better future."

In Japan, Trump and freshly appointed Prime Minister Takaichi embarked on a "new golden age" of relations and signed a critical minerals agreement.

And a new trade deal reached with Lee would see South Korea invest billions of dollars in the US, including in shipbuilding, aerospace and technology, according to the White House.

On Friday, Xi met Japan's Takaichi, a staunch conservative who has criticized China's growing military presence in the region and called for cooperation with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own.

Xi told Takaichi that China was ready to "work with Japan for constructive, stable bilateral ties that meet requirements of the new era," Chinese state news agency Xinhua reported.

"I aim to maintain communication with you and therefore jointly promote the development of China-Japan relations along the right track," Xi said.

Takaichi faced a tough balancing act in her meeting with Xi. China remains Japan's largest trading partner and Takaichi inherited a country facing mounting economic woes.

She told reporters after the meeting that China and Japan agreed to build a "strategic mutually beneficial relationship."

But Takaichi said she also expressed concerns to Xi on sensitive issues including Chinese export controls on rare earths, China's activity in the East China Sea, and the detention of Japanese nationals in China.

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"I also asked China to resume Japanese beef and seafood imports," she said.

The meeting appeared in stark contrast to the warm camaraderie showed by Takaichi and Trump in Tokyo just days before, in which the two allies had embarked on a "new golden age" of relations.

Takaichi and Trump demonstrated a close bond complete with smiles, fist pumps and jokes.

For Canadian Prime Minister Carney, who is involved in an escalating trade war with Trump, meeting with Xi marked a "turning point" in their relationship, according to his office.

In an earlier speech that echoed Xi and Lee's addresses to APEC, Carney told the forum that the world was "facing another hinge moment in history."

"Our world is undergoing one of the most profound shifts since the fall of the Berlin Wall," he said.

"That old world… of steady expansion of liberalized trade and investment… that world is gone."

Carney had been looking for a reset of Canada-China relations after years of worsening ties and diplomatic rows.

Trade negotiations with the US, Canada's biggest trading partner, are at a dead end, and Carney said at the APEC summit that he was aiming to double non-US exports over the next decade in an effort to diversify away from the US.

Carney and Xi "affirmed their commitment to renewing the relationship between their two countries in a pragmatic and constructive way" and discussed a framework "to deepen cooperation across a range of areas – from clean and conventional energy, to agriculture, manufacturing, climate change, and international finance," the prime minister's office said.

Carney also accepted an invitation to visit China and both leaders "directed their officials to move quickly to resolve outstanding trade issues and irritants."

Xi will sit down for talks with South Korea's Lee on Saturday, in the first summit meeting between the two leaders.

On the agenda are discussions on the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and regional peace and stability.

Ahead of that meeting, North Korea called talks about denuclearization a "pipedream" that will never be realised.

The country's Vice Foreign Minister Pak Myong Ho accused South Korea of lacking "common sense" for refusing to acknowledge Pyongyang as a nuclear-armed state, and pursuing what he called a "daydream" of denuclearization, the state-run Korea Central News Agency reported.

No one was injured, though the blaze briefly closed parts of Remuera Rd.

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher has called out a fan who threw flares at the British band's first concert in Australia.

The flare was thrown into the crowd at Marvel Stadium during hit song Champagne Supernova, with Liam saying "that's naughty, naughty, naughty," according to fans.

Footage posted on social media shows flames erupting into the crowd.

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Gallagher later said on X " To the massive c— who launched that flare into the crowd last night at the gig in Melbourne you are one seriopusly f—– up individual and you will get yours trust me."

Fans on Reddit called it a "scumbag" act and called the people "morons".

"Hope everyone was okay where it landed and no one got badly burnt," one fan said.

"They could have burnt some poor girls face. Hope they get arrested and banned from gigs," another said.

In 2019 a fan at an Oasis concert in Sheffield in the UK was burned by a flare.

Stacey Andrew told the BBC the flare fell down her top and set fire to her shirt and she feared she would be "scarred for life."

Victoria Police said the incident has not been reported to them and there were no arrests.

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Marvel Stadium told 9News no one was harmed, adding: "We'll leave the on record comments to Liam Gallagher's post."

Earlier this year there were calls for extra security after a teenage boy was allegedly caught trying to smuggle weapons into Marvel Stadium during the Swans-Bombers AFL clash.

Oasis has five shows across Melbourne and Sydney.

The band will play two more shows in the Victorian capital tonight and on Tuesday.

Oasis will then fly to Sydney for two shows at Accor Stadium, on Friday and next Saturday.

The community pitched in to ensure a South Island triumph.

The Prime Minister has met various world leaders during his Asia trip this week.

A woman who was found guilty of sexually abusing three young children and sharing online videos of the crimes has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars by the Perth District Court.

The 24-year-old woman was sentenced this week after pleading guilty earlier this month.

She will be eligible for parole after serving eight years.

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The Western Australia Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (WA JACET) – a unit comprised of officers from the AFP and Western Australia Police Force – charged the woman in July 2024.

WA JACET identified the woman after investigating a report from the United States' National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children about an online user uploading child abuse material via social media.

She was then charged with additional offences.

AFP Acting Commander Murray Taylor thanked the dedication and resolve of WA JACET investigators after three child victims were identified and removed from harm.

"The investigators reviewed videos and images of the horrific crimes to check if they could identify and help any of the young victims," he said.

"Our officers come to work every day to make a difference to children's lives, and this outcome should send a clear warning that the AFP, WAPF and other partners are committed to protecting children and identifying and prosecuting anyone involved in their harm."

"This outcome reflects our unwavering commitment to pursuing and bringing to justice those who exploit children," WA Police Sex Crime Division Acting Superintendent David Palmer said.

The woman pleaded guilty to 14 Commonwealth offences and 12 state-based offences.

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It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas earlier and earlier every year.

Or at least that's how it seems.

In every ad break on TV and on shop shelves around the country, there will be all the hallmarks of the season.

But is Christmas getting earlier every year, or does it just seem that way?

According to Professor Gary Mortimer of the Queensland University of Technology Business School, it is.

We see Christmas stuff on shelves as early as August or September for operational reasons, Mortimer said.

"What happens is our warehouses are under pressure so much they need to get that inventory into stores," he told 9news.com.au.

"That then frees up space in warehouses for summer apparel and all the other stuff that happens after Christmas."

But in the next few days, we'll be seeing Christmas decorations and food taking up a lot of space in supermarkets and department stores.

There's a simple reason for that, Mortimer said.

There is a lot of space in stores set aside for promotional events.

And with nothing major on the calendar between Halloween and December 25, Christmas fills that void.

The space filled with Christmas promotions is often the same space used to display Easter eggs, Mother's Day merchandise and Halloween decorations.

But there's also a psychological reason for early Christmas promotions.

"Shoppers will walk past toys, Christmas decorations and Christmas cards four months before they're willing to purchase," Mortimer said.

"You're not necessarily buying them in September or October, but when you're ready to buy you know exactly where to go."

And people genuinely are buying Christmas stuff earlier.

Retail figures show people are buying more in November than they are in December.

That's in large part to the Black Friday and Click Frenzy sales.

But many people are using those sales to buy their presents early for a discount.

"As we move into December, a lot of the Christmas shopping is done, and then December becomes more about food and parties," Mortimer said.

But the major supermarkets say Christmas marketing and sales aren't any earlier in 2025 than in previous years.

"Consistent with previous years, we offered a select range of longer-life Christmas essentials starting in August," a Woolworths spokesperson said.

"We've just started rolling out a larger selection this month – including our seasonal hams and many desserts – but rest assured, there are plenty more products still to come.

"We haven't started any earlier this year; we simply want every customer to have the choice to shop at the pace that suits their budget and matches their enthusiasm for Christmas."

Meanwhile, a Coles spokesperson said the launch of their Christmas advertising is in line with previous years.

"We've already seen strong demand for our festive products," they said.

"Our first batch of puddings arrived in stores in August, and they've proven to be incredibly popular – last year, half our stock was snapped up before December even began."

"Our customers love indulging in festive treats well before Christmas and more than 50 per cent of our fruit mince pies were sold before December last year."

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Many Australians now have access to cheaper visits to the doctor, after a $7.9 billion overhaul of the bulk billing system came into effect.

But not everyone gets to benefit from right away, with the government projecting it will take years for most GP practices to sign on to the scheme.

So what's actually changed, and what does it mean for you? This is what you need to know.

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What has changed for bulk billing incentives?

Under the previous system, the federal government incentivised doctors to provide bulk-billed consultations to children under 16 or patients who have a Commonwealth concession card.

However, from Saturday, November 1, the scheme has been expanded so the incentive now covers anyone with a Medicare card.

The government has also introduced the Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program (BBPIP) – an extra 12.5 per cent incentive payment to be split between doctors and practices that sign up for the program.

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Why have these changes been made?

The changes were announced in the lead-up to this year's federal election campaign. 

While it was partly a political move from the Labor government aimed at exploiting a perceived weakness of then-opposition leader Peter Dutton due to his stint as health minister, it's also aimed at addressing the declining bulk billing rate.

In 2020, the figure was sitting at a record high of 89 per cent. In 2024, it had fallen to 78 per cent (admittedly up fractionally from 77 per cent the year before).

The government says the overhaul will drive the bulk billing rate up to 90 per cent by 2030.

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So does this mean free GP visits for (almost) everyone?

That's the idea – the government wants as many Australians as possible to access free doctor appointments. 

In practice, it's going to take a while for GPs across the country to sign on to the new scheme, although the government insists it's happy with the uptake so far.

A few days out from its introduction, more than 1000 practices had indicated they would move to full bulk billing from November 1.

To hit its 90 per cent bulk billing rate target, the government in February said it needs 4800 practices on board (although about 1600 were already fully bulk billing before the changes came into effect).

That leaves a shortfall of about 2200 to close over the next few years.

Health Minister Mark Butler is confident, though, that more providers are going to join.

"They're going through those numbers, obviously making their own assessment about whether the practice will be better off and whether general practitioners, the GPs that work in their practice, will be better off," he told reporters the Monday before the scheme started. 

"Already a couple of thousand of them have indicated that they're going to do that.

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"Now, a number of them are already bulk-billing practices but… almost a thousand of them are practices that this week are charging gap fees, but they've indicated next week they'll be fully bulk billing. 

"I expect there to be a significant number of practices that make that same communication to us over the course of this week before Saturday as well."

He also said he expects the numbers to rise over the coming years and that he was "delighted" at the initial level of support.

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What does it mean for doctors?

GPs weren't particularly happy with the 12.5 per cent BBPIP payment being split between doctors and practices, claiming it favours larger corporate clinics and could be a barrier to some providers signing up.

However, the government says doctors will be financially far better off under the new system.

"Two years ago, a full-time, fully bulk-billing GP would have been earning about $280,000 a year after they paid their practice costs," Butler said. 

"From this weekend, they'll be earning $405,000 a year, a $125,000 increase. 

"This investment is obviously good for the Medicare system, good for patients, but it's also good for GPs themselves."

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