Tag Archives: oceania

Country motel owner tells of alleged stabbing attack by teenager

2025-10-15 FreeNews

A motel owner in northern NSW has today described how a stabbing attack by a teenager left him fighting for life.

Mick Cikota, 52, was allegedly stabbed by a 13-year-old during a struggle at his Moree motel last month, leaving him with wounds to his arm and torso.

Cikota, who has lived at the premises with his family for 28 years, told 2GB's Ben Fordham he thought his "life was over" during the confrontation.

His ordeal began when five boys, aged from 11 to 15, allegedly broke into the motel.

Cikota confronted one of them in his 86-year-old mother-in-law's bedroom as the accused attacker held a knife over her, fearing he would "cut her throat".

"When I ran into the room, he had a knife over the top of my 86-year-old mother-in-law, and that's why we acted so quickly … I was fearing for her life," he told 2GB.

When Cikota wrestled with the boy, he suffered multiple knife wounds, and says he was "bleeding profusely" as his alleged attacker told him to let go.

"I thought that's it, my life is over."

https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/exclusive-stabbed-motel-owner-details-terrifying-attack-by-teenager/embed

Cikota said police and paramedics arrived and he was treated for his injuries before being taken to hospital in Sydney.

The 13-year-old boy was charged with multiple offences, including wounding.

He was later bailed by the children's court.

The alleged attack happened as the NSW government blocked an opposition push in parliament to tighten the state's bail laws.

Cikota accused Labor Premier Chris Minns and Attorney General Michael Daley of having "blood on their hands".

"They had a chance to change the law," he said.

"None of them had the guts to … keep these kids behind bars."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

headline

Sydney councils warn against Halloween decorations

2025-10-15 FreeNews

Two Sydney councils have called for a green Halloween, urging residents to stick to environment-friendly decorations this year.

In a post on Facebook, Willoughby City Council urged people to keep Halloween "fun and wildlife-friendly".

"We love seeing all the spooky, creative decorations pop up in our neighbourhoods this time of year," the post read.

"But here's a small thing to keep in mind: fake spiderwebs, while spooky, can be harmful to birds and other wildlife."

The post warned that animals could get tangled in the decorations or even take them for food and eat them.

"Together, we can enjoy a spooky season without scaring off our feathered and furry neighbours," the post read.

Inner West Council joined the call as well, posting a video to Facebook.

Instead of synthetic cobwebs, fishing line, plastic rope and string, or balloons, they urged residents to use materials like straw, organic cotton wool, sticks and twigs, leaves and pumpkins, and upcycled or reusable decorations.

People in NSW cannot be fined or penalised for decorating their homes unless those decorations can be presumed to be offensive or a hazard.

However, littering certainly is an offence, so residents are advised to keep their decorations neat and clean up after the holiday is over.

headline

Warning as bacterial resistance to antibiotics soars on Australia’s doorstep

2025-10-15 FreeNews

Disease resistance to antibiotics is rising faster than medical advances can keep up with, potentially putting billions around the world in danger.

The World Health Organisation's Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance Report found that one in six laboratory-confirmed bacterial infections that caused common conditions in people worldwide in 2023, were resistant to antibiotic treatments.

Between 2018 and 2023, the report found antibiotic resistance in people rose 40 per cent, or 5 to 15 per cent each year.

Anita Williams, from the Centre for Child Health Research at the University of Western Australia, said the findings were "alarming but not surprising".

"Thankfully, the proportion of resistance in Australian children is lower than global averages," she said.

"Whilst globally 45 per cent of E coli were resistant to 3rd generation cephalosporins, in Australian children it was only 21.5 per cent. For methicillin-resistant staph aureus (MRSA), globally it was 27.1 per cent, whilst in Australian children it was 13.6 per cent."

However, she said, antibiotic resistance from bacteria in children was nonetheless on the rise in the country.

Professor Mark Blaskovich from the Institute for Molecular Bioscience said that the nearby South East Asia region had one of the highest levels of resistance at 31 per cent, which posed a potential danger of transmission to travellers.

"Particularly worrying is the finding that some of our more powerful antibiotics are being used more widely than they should be, meaning that resistance to these important antibiotics will continue to develop more quickly than it should, leading to their obsolescence," he said.

"This leads to the need for new antibiotics, but as outlined in another recent WHO report, the development pipeline for new antibacterial agents is sparsely populated.

"While Australia is doing relatively well compared to the rest of the world, it must not be complacent and should commit to funding research that combats antibiotic resistance."

Multiple experts noted that in countries with weaker health systems – usually poorer countries – the problem was, but that the current hyper-connectivity of the world meant transmission of resistant bacteria could happen very easily.

"Because about five million deaths were associated with antimicrobial resistance (not just antibiotics, but also antivirals and antifungals)," Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake from The Australian National University said.

"By 2050, this could reach 10 million deaths a year and have a negative impact on global GDP with global losses of US$100 trillion ($153.4 trillion)."

He and others rejected the idea that tightening prescription requirements for antibiotics was a catch-all solution.

"It is not just an issue of doctors prescribing antibiotics inappropriately. Instead, it also includes the vast spectrum of antimicrobial use not just in humans, but also in animals and plants, the use of the unprescribed over-the-counter antibiotics, the contamination of waterways with antibiotics, and the development of new antibiotics," he said.

"Developing new antibiotics, however, is not cost-effective for businesses, so they require healthy government subsidies to make it attractive for pharmaceutical companies."

Reece Pharmaceuticals chief executive James Graham said most antibiotic classes had been discovered between the 1940s and 1980s.

"This innovation gap is colliding with escalating global resistance, leaving doctors with fewer options and patients at greater risk," he said.

"Infections that were once easily treated now mean longer hospital stays, higher treatment costs, and, in some cases, preventable amputations such as those seen in diabetic foot infections."

Associate Professor Andreea Molnar from Swinburne University of Technology laid out the problem starkly, saying without effective antibiotics, even "routine" surgeries were "dangerously risky".

While multiple experts are calling for better surveillance and increased incentives from government, Dr Trent Yarwood of the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases, said everybody had a part to play.

"Prevent infections by washing your hands, getting vaccinated and practising good food safety," he said.

"Only take antibiotics when they are necessary and only for as long as is recommended by your doctor."

headline

Grammy-winning R&B singer who became an icon dead at 51

2025-10-15 FreeNews

D'Angelo, the Grammy-winning R&B singer recognised by his raspy yet smooth voice and for garnering mainstream attention with the shirtless Untitled (How Does It Feel) music video, has died. He was 51.

The singer, whose real name was Michael Eugene Archer, died on Tuesday, according to a statement from the family.

The singer's family confirmed in a statement that he died after a prolonged battle with cancer.

They called him "a shining star of our family and has dimmed his light for us in this life", adding that they are "eternally grateful for the legacy of extraordinarily moving music he leaves behind".

In his music, D'Angelo blended hip-hop grit, emphatic soul and gospel-rooted emotion into a sound that helped spearhead the neo-soul movement of the 1990s.

Earlier this year, the Virginia native celebrated the 30th anniversary of his debut studio album Brown Sugar, a platinum-selling offering that produced signature hits like Lady and the title track.

The 1995 album earned him multiple Grammy nominations and cemented him as one of R&B's most original new voices.

D'Angelo's sultry vocal style — a mix of raspy texture and church-bred fluidity — set him apart from his peers.

That voice became inseparable from the striking visuals of his 2000 single Untitled (How Does It Feel).

The minimalist, shirtless music video became a cultural touchstone, igniting conversations around artistry, sexuality and vulnerability in Black male representation.

The song earned him a Grammy for best male R&B vocal performance and propelled his sophomore album Voodoo, topping the Billboard 200 chart and winning the Grammy for best R&B album.

Beyond his own catalog, D'Angelo's artistry shined in collaborations. He memorably duetted with Lauryn Hill on the soulful ballad Nothing Even Matters, a highlight of her landmark 1998 album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

He also contributed to The Roots' 1996 album Illadelph Halflife and was part of the supergroup Black Men United, which yielded one song: U Will Know, which D'Angelo wrote and co-produced, for the film Jason's Lyric in 1994.

D'Angelo was partnered to Grammy-nominated R&B singer Angie Stone in the '90s. The pair met while he was finishing Brown Sugar and bonded over their similar backgrounds: Both are from the South and both grew up in the church. Stone worked on the album with D'Angelo and the pair co-wrote the song Everyday for her 1999 debut album, Black Diamond.

Stone described D'Angelo as her "musical soul mate" to The Associated Press in 1999, adding that their working relationship was "'like milk and cereal".

"Musically, it was magic. It's something that I have not been able to do with any other producer or musician," she said.

They had a son together, the artist Swayvo Twain, born Michael Archer Jr.

Stone died earlier this year in a car crash. She was 63.

D'Angelo also has a daughter, Imani Archer.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

headline

Footage shows man allegedly pointing gun at drivers before Melbourne crime spree

2025-10-14 FreeNews

CCTV footage has emerged of a man pointing a gun at a driver before allegedly stealing a car and embarking on a crime spree in Melbourne this morning.

The 48-year-old man was taken into custody following a dramatic arrest involving tactical crews and an airwing after two alleged aggravated carjackings in Tarneit in the city's west and North Melbourne.

It is alleged the man was travelling with his wife when he walked into a convenience store at the intersection of Sayers and Tarneit roads about 7.45am today after the car he was driving ran out of fuel.

CBD arrest Melbourne carjackings

He allegedly approached the attendant and attempted to take a jerry can to obtain fuel before assaulting the worker and leaving on foot, police say.

The shop worker sustained minor injuries.

The man then allegedly approached the owner of a silver Honda Civic and pointed his gun at the driver and demanded he give up the car.

The driver refused and ran into a nearby shop.

A Mitsubishi ASX wagon – which was stopped behind the Honda – was then allegedly carjacked by the armed offender.

City arrest Melbourne

Footage also shows the man as he allegedly pointed a gun at the driver's head before taking off in the car in Tarneit in Melbourne's west.

The driver was not injured in the incident.

Less than an hour later, chaos ensued in the CBD.

Acting Inspector Emma Lobb told reporters earlier that a police airwing followed the man as he drove "erratically" towards North Melbourne.

Melbourne CBD arrest after man carrying gun is arrested by police

There, he allegedly carjacked another person at gunpoint and stole a silver Hyundai sedan.

"Once in the city he dumped that vehicle around Lonsdale Street, our critical incident and SOG was deployed and they've safely the secured the arrest of the offender," Lobb said.

After dumping the car on Lonsdale Street, the man headed on foot.

9News has obtained CCTV vision of the man smoking while appearing to carry a gun as he walked down the street.

Footage also then showed him appearing to point a gun at cops before his arrest.

Specialist and tactical members from the Special Operations Group and Critical Incident Response Team joined the effort to arrest the alleged offender.

A firearm was taken and the man will be interviewed by detectives today.

Melbourne CBD arrest after man carrying gun is arrested by police Man arrested Melbourne CBD

"This coordinated response led to the matter being resolved within an hour, and thankfully, no serious injuries to members of the public or police," Detective Senior Sergeant Luke Flint said.

"However, it must be acknowledged there were alleged victims and witnesses who will be significantly impacted by this.

"Victorians deserve to feel safe in their own community and we will continue to do everything possible to prevent crime from occurring and when it unfortunately does happen, bring an abrupt end to offending so no one else is harmed."

A witness told 9News the alleged offender almost hit pedestrians as he drove through the busy CBD at peak hour.

"Then he just was driving and almost hit this poor lady," he said.

"I had to run and grab her and move her out of the way."

Another bystander said he saw the alleged offender "waving a gun" before police swooped.

"I came out of the bathroom and then all of a sudden I see this guy in a maroon jacket sort of waving a gun at me," he said.

"So I sort of froze, looked at him, and then I just took off and I just ran out of the foyer."

One witness recalled seeing police draw their guns in response to the incident.

"I saw him coming out of the coffee shop as I was going in," he told 9News.

"I went in, got a coffee, turned around, and before I knew it there was felt like 20 police guns drawn."

Melbourne CBD arrest after man carrying gun is arrested by police

Lobb said the man was armed but had "no intention" to hurt people.

"Yes, there was a firearm on the male however this has been recovered and there is absolutely no issues with safety regarding members of the puiblic," she added.

She said the man sustained injuries while being arrested and is being assessed at Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he remains under police guard.

The alleged offender's wife was not injured.

Lobb also praised police for their "fantastic response" to the incident.

No charges have been laid.

headline

‘Little bastard done it’: inquest hears father’s claim

2025-10-15 FreeNews

The father of the only person charged over a brutal outback triple murder died believing the "little bastard done it", a coroner has heard.

The shocking claim was made during the reopened inquest into the murders of Karen Edwards, 23, Tim Thomson, 31, and Gordon Twaddle, 21, in the Queensland outback in 1978.

The three friends were on a motorbike adventure, on their way home to Melbourne for the Christmas holidays.

Karen Edwards, Gordon Twaddle and Tim Thomson were shot dead while on a motorbike adventure.

The adventure ended in horrific violence, and the trio's decomposing bodies were discovered in bushland at Spear Creek, 12 kilometres north of Mount Isa, in October 1978.

All three had been shot in the head.

For almost five decades, the crime has remained unsolved, but a new probe by Queensland coroner David O'Connell hopes to finally solve the mystery.

Part of the reopened inquest has focused on the former accused Bruce John Preston.

He has been linked to the investigation from almost the beginning after being caught in possession of Thomson's missing red BMW motorbike a month after the murders.

Preston initially claimed he bought the bike secondhand, but later pleaded guilty to stealing the BMW and copped a $300 fine.

Cold case detectives charged Preston with three counts of murder in 2019, only to drop the case in 2023.

His older brother, on Tuesday, told the court Preston was a member of the Black Uhlans outlaw bikie gang at the time of the murders.

"I recall his nickname in those circles was Pedro, and reading that name on his jacket," Ian Preston said.

As questioning continued, Ian Preston was threatened with perjury before being granted indemnity against future prosecution over fears his brother was involved in the murders.

"I was concerned that such a thing had happened initially, and in some way, shape or form, that my brother may have been implicated in it, by virtue of the fact that what went on in Mount Isa at the time," he said.

He said he had discussed the case with his family, but denied evidence that his father, who has since died, admitted that Bruce Preston was the killer.

"The little bastard done it, but he's a tough little bastard – they can't break him," the inquest was told father Arthur Preston had claimed.

Ian Preston said that while his father was a hard man, and it was language he would have used, he denied first-hand knowledge of the admission.

He conceded the entire family were hunters and very familiar with guns, describing his brother as a "crack" shot.

Despite being in ill health, the court has ordered Bruce Preston to appear in person to give evidence on Tuesday.

The last known sighting of the three friends was at the Moondarra Caravan Park in Mount Isa on October 5 in the company of a man driving a brown and white Toyota Land Cruiser.

Post-mortems revealed all three had been executed with a bullet to the head fired from a .22 calibre weapon.

The hearing has accepted the cause of death findings that Edwards, Thomson and Twaddle had been shot in October 1978.

The inquest set down for nine days will hear from up to 40 witnesses as it traces the trio's outback journey and explores events at the Lake Moondarra caravan park.

headline

Rabbitohs player charged over alleged domestic violence incident

2025-10-14 FreeNews

Rabbitohs winger Tyrone Munro has been charged over an alleged domestic violence incident earlier this year.

Police told 9News that an investigation began yesterday after a 24-year-old woman alleged she had been assaulted by her partner in Homebush in April.

Munro was arrested later that same day and taken to Auburn Police Station, where he was charged with the domestic violence offences of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm and common assault.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs released a statement this evening confirming it was aware of the allegations and informed the NRL Integrity Unit.

"The Rabbitohs take all allegations of domestic violence very seriously and will take appropriate action if the allegations and charges are proven," the club said.

"As this is a police matter, the Rabbitohs will be making no further comment at this stage."

Munro has been granted conditional bail and will face Burwood Local Court on October 30.

The winger has been described as one of the club's most promising junior talents and has scored 13 tries in his short career.

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

headline