Tag Archives: oceania

Tributes for ‘loving father’ killed in pub shooting as getaway car found

Detectives have found the suspected getaway car in the shooting at a pub in Sydney's Inner West as tributes flow for the "devoted husband" and "loving father" killed.

Maradona Yalda, 31, and Gilbert Admon Shino, 39, were walking to their car after watching the UFC at the Harold Park Hotel in Forest Lodge on Sunday evening when they were peppered by bullets.

Witnesses reported hearing between six to 12 gunshots. 

READ MORE: 'I'm mad': Frustration as street library hit by thieves four times in one year

Gilbert Admon Shino was killed in a shooting at the Harold Park Hotel in Forest Lodge.

Shino was shot and died near the car on Wigram Road, while Yalda was hit in the neck, chest and abdomen while running back to the pub and was found slumped over a garbage bin on Alfred Street.

The shooter is believed to have fled in a dark blue Ford Mustang seen driving away from the shooting.

A car matching that description was found burnt out at Primrose Avenue in Rydalmere about 10pm yesterday.

A crime scene has been established as police investigate whether it is linked to Sunday's shooting. 

READ MORE: Infant found inside stormwater drain in Perth was two weeks old

A car believed to be linked to the pub shooting at Forest Lodge was found burnt out.

A passing doctor and medical students at the pub had tried to help the two friends.

Shino died at the scene, while Yalda was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

Yalda underwent two surgeries and remains in stable condition at the hospital under police guard.

He has links to underworld gangs and has a price on his head.

Yalda is believed to be the intended target of the shooting, with Shino only known to police for low-level offending.

Shino's wife, Natasha Avakian, has shared a brief but heartfelt statement today.

"How am I going to live without you? You were my life," she said on social media.

READ MORE: Dandenong stabbing a 'targeted' attack, police believe

Forest Lodge shooting

Tributes have begun to flow for Shino, who is being remembered as a "devoted husband and a loving father" to two girls.

"His family was his everything, and he would have moved mountains to make sure they were cared for and loved," a post on crowdfunding page GoFundMe read.

"To his friends and family, he was more than just someone we loved—he was the life of the party, always smiling, always lifting others up, and always there when you needed him.

"His warmth, kindness, and joy touched every person who had the blessing of knowing him.

"He truly was an amazing human being, and his absence leaves a hole in all of our hearts."

READ MORE: Health issues force senator to resign just months after election

Forensics police outside Forest Lodge's Harold Park Hotel, where a shooting took place on Sunday evening. Monday 18th August, 2025. Photo: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The gunman remains on the run today. 

Detectives are not ruling out whether there was an accomplice.

Anybody with dashcam footage of the area between 2pm and 7pm on Sunday is urged to come forward.

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.

Man who killed his wife with sledgehammer in ‘uncontrolled rage’ loses appeal

A man who murdered his wife in a "cowardly rage" by striking her from behind with a 1.8kg sledgehammer has failed to overturn his conviction on appeal.

Shaun Robert Sturgess, then aged 54, had pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his wife of 17 years Jacqueline at the start of his Queensland Supreme Court trial in February 2024.

In April 2020 police found his wife face down in a pool of blood in the house the separated couple had formerly shared at Narangba, north of Brisbane.

READ MORE: One Nation senator resigns just months after election

Naranga murder scene

Prosecutor Chris Cook refused to accept that plea and the charge of either murder or manslaughter was put before a jury, which later returned a guilty verdict for murder.

Three judges in the Queensland Court of Appeal today handed down their unanimous judgment to dismiss Sturgess' appeal against conviction.

Defence barrister Saul Holt had told the judges at a hearing in April that Sturgess had three grounds for appeal, including that the jury being told of an earlier episode of violence in the relationship had caused a miscarriage of justice.

Holt also submitted that the jury were not properly warned by the trial judge against relying on hearsay evidence and not properly instructed on the element of intent that the prosecution had to prove.

The prosecution had not argued at trial that Sturgess committed premeditated murder but rather had struck his wife with a single blow of severe force and in that moment he had the intention to kill or at least do her grievous bodily harm

Holt said Sturgess had struck his wife in an "uncontrolled rage", either devoid of any thought process at all, or at least without a murderous intent.

Justice Soraya Ryan found Sturgess' prior violent incidents were "relevant background" in the case and there was no miscarriage of justice.

"And even if I am wrong about that … any such wrong decision could not realistically have affected the reasoning of the jury to their verdict of guilty of murder," she said.

READ MORE: Infant found inside stormwater drain in Perth was two weeks old

Naranga murder scene

The appeal justices listed the numerous statements Sturgess made to police and in letters after his wife's death that were shown to the jury to prove intent.

"She's probably driven me to it. But she didn't deserve that," Sturgess told police in an interview.

Sturgess was sentenced to life imprisonment in February 2024 with a mandatory 20 years without parole, reduced to 16 years and two months due to time already served.

Cook said Sturgess had struck his wife with significant force out of a sense of "cowardly rage" as part of a horrible domestic violence incident.

In sentencing, Justice Tom Sullivan said Sturgess had left the scene to buy and drink alcohol without checking his wife's vital signs.

"In your police interview there is a sense of regret, a lot in respect of yourself, some of it wallowing in self-pity," Justice Sullivan said.

READ MORE: At least 280,000 Aussies exposed in major cyberattack

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

National Domestic Violence Service: 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you are in immediate danger call triple zero (000).

Sign up here to receive our daily newsletters and breaking news alerts, sent straight to your inbox.

Woman ‘intentionally hit man with her car’ after verbal stoush, police say

A woman has been charged after police say she intentionally hit a man with her car following an argument in Noosa on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Investigators say the 34-year-old woman from Maroochydore had a verbal stoush with a group inside a venue on Noosa Drive at 8.45pm on Friday.

The group left the venue on foot shortly afterwards.

READ MORE: 'Ketamine Queen' enters plea over Matthew Perry's death

Police say the woman then drove towards them on Edgar Bennett Avenue in a white Mazda CX-3 and hit a 29-year-old man before driving away.

The man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police later found the woman and the Mazda at a property on Quamby Place in Noosa Heads.

She was arrested and charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle, adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and failing to stop.

She is due to appear in Noosa Magistrates Court next month.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has information is urged to come forward.

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.

Back in the Oval Office, Zelensky wears a suit and Trump doesn’t shout

It was only a few months ago that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last met in the Oval Office, but today's face-to-face between the two leaders looked markedly different.

For much of their February exchange, during which Trump and Vice President JD Vance blasted Zelensky as “disrespectful” and warned about future American support for his country, Zelensky crossed his arms and looked warily at the US leaders.

The presidents often spoke over each other, also gesturing disagreement. A conservative reporter, Brian Glenn, even asked Zelensky why he wasn't wearing a suit.

READ MORE: 'Do the deal': Trump hosts historic White House war summit

FILE - U.S. Vice President JD Vance, right, speaks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, left, as President Donald Trump listens, in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 28, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Mystyslav Chernov, File)

Today's meeting was rounded out with more smiles and pleasantries between Trump and Zelensky, as well as agreement on some points regarding Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

Both men largely sat with their hands clasped in their laps, affably fielding questions from reporters.

Glenn, when called upon by the Republican U.S. president to speak, complimented Zelensky, saying, “You look fabulous in that suit.”

READ MORE: Call for 'death tax' to help Australia raise $70 billion

President Donald Trump meets with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office at the White House, Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Trump chimed in right after: “I said the same thing!”

"I apologise to you. You look wonderful," Glenn said, and as he tried to segue to an actual question.

Zelensky, a comedian before he became president, quipped to Glenn, "You are in the same suit. I changed, you did not."

Afterwards, Trump claimed the meeting with Zelensky was a "very good meeting".

– With CNN, AP

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.

Josh moved to a tiny house to save money. Now he’s facing a $25,000 legal battle

Josh Heins and his partner moved into a tiny house to save money.

Now it could cost them a small fortune in legal fees as they fight council eviction orders.

The NSW couple were ordered to remove or demolish their home by Bega Valley Shire Council, which deemed it an 'unauthorised structure'.

READ MORE: 'Do the deal': Trump hosts historic White House war summit

Josh Heins and Manu Bohn built their tiny house on wheels to escape the housing crisis in Bega Valley.

Failure to do so could cost them up to $1 million in fines.

But Heins argues their tiny house on wheels (THOW) falls under vehicle regulations, not building rules.

Now the matter has been escalated to the Land and Environment Court of NSW, where Heins has been told even "simple" case can cost up to $25,000 to resolve.

"We've had to divert all of our energy to this thing that just honestly feels like a waste of time," Heins told 9news.com.au.

"To be completely honest, it's a shit show."

And with no clear rules around how tiny houses fit into the Australia's national, state or local regulations, he fears other vulnerable Aussies could be left homeless.

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

Woolworths delivers fresh blow against Coles in ongoing price war

Woolworths has announced it is discounting 100 extra products in August, delivering a fresh blow against supermarket rival Coles in the industry's ongoing price war.

The grocery giant said it will slash the prices on essential items including pasta sauce, rice, olive oil, cereal and muesli bars as part of its "lower shelf prices".

Woolworths claimed the total savings could slash up to $110 on a customer's grocery bill for a basket of all 100 newly-discounted products.

READ MORE: 'Do the deal': Trump hosts historic White House war summit

Melbourne, Australia - March 25, 2015: a Woolworths supermarket in suburban Melbourne. Woolworths operates one of the two large national supermarket chains in Australia.

Comparing against original shelf prices, Woolworths said the total savings by the end of August would be $50 million since May.

The supermarket has added 700 products to to its lower shelf prices catalogue so far.

"This is not about temporary specials, but about long-term shelf price certainty on the products that matter most for families," Woolworths Group chief executive Amanda Bardwell said.

"Since launch we have seen the lower shelf prices resonate with our customers and we're seeing families embrace the savings on key staples such as bread, yoghurt, cheese and baby wipes."

READ MORE: Call for 'death tax' to help Australia raise $70 billion

Woolworths discounted products

Some of the discounted prices are $3.50 for a jar of Sacla Pasta Sauce and $12.50 or a 1.1kg of National Confectionery Co. lollies.

All the products available on the lower shelf price will be shared online from tomorrow.

Both Woolworths and Coles have moved to slash prices over the past few months as the supermarket giants scramble to attract budget shoppers following a damning report from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

In a 400-plus-page report, the ACCC called for action on shrinkflation, price transparency and confusing promotions.

In May, Woolworths pledged to lower the on-shelf prices for almost 400 items by an average of 10 per cent.

READ MORE: 'Ketamine Queen' enters plea over Matthew Perry's death

AFR: Generic: Coles. Westfarmers, Coles Supermarket, Supermarket, Cost of Living, Groceries, Grocery, Grocery Prices, Price of goods. Monday 03, February 2025 photo: Oscar Colman

READ MORE: iiNet cyberattack exposes details of 280,000 customers

The lower prices will continue until "at least 2026", Woolworths said at the time.

That same month, Coles announced plans to cut the price of 500 items following the competition watchdog backlash.

Coles also introduced a loyalty bonus program in June to give shoppers 10 times the number of points on 800 products.

Both supermarkets are scheduled to report their full-year results next week.

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.

‘I’m mad’: Frustration as street library hit by thieves four times in one year

Mark Lim has been forced to temporarily close the street library outside his home after being robbed four times in one year.

The 48-year-old Sydney man is an avid street bounty and recyclables collector, often going through bins to hunt for items to save from the landfill.

He began noticing that dozens of books were being thrown out.

READ MORE: Push to overhaul tax concessions 'hurting ordinary Aussies'

Mark Lim has been forced to temporarily close the street library outside his home after being robbed four times in a year.

"I go out, I see all these lovely books, so I rescue them," he said.

Lim would take those books and put them into a street library he opened outside his home in Enfield.

But late last week, he found that someone had completely cleared out the library in the span of a few hours.

"I'm mad. Why do they want to take so many books for?" he said. 

"I try to give back to the community."

This was not the first time this had happened to Lim.

He said his street library has been cleared out three other times in the past year.

"I thought someone has an issue with me. I thought they were targeting me," he said.

The latest incident has been disappointing, forcing him to leave his street library empty.

"What's the point? I'll leave it empty for a while and see how it goes," he said.

READ MORE: Capital set for soaking as another cold front sweeps in

Street Library general manager Mel Lake confirmed there have been a few thefts across some of the nearly 6000 street libraries across Australia, but said Lim's situation seemed "really extreme".

"Certainly nothing particular to any area, but we do get some reports of street libraries being cleared out," she said.

"We don't want people who are abusing the system, and it really is a minority.

"We don't want them to wreck it for everyone."

Burwood Council does not regulate or manage the street libraries, and has not received any reports of thefts.

But a council spokesperson said the community may "reasonably" assume the books are free to take. 

Lake advises street librarians to let their neighbours know of any thefts, install solar lighting, place bells on the library door and write a sign explaining the purpose of the library.

"If no one has street libraries, then that's a really beautiful community initiative that's lost, and the people who are abusing the privilege of having them in their community win," she said.

"That's not what you want. You just want to figure out how to deter them from doing it."

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.

Millions of Australians turn to buy now, pay later for cosmetic work

Up to four million Australians are using buy now pay later services (BNPL) to pay for cosmetic or dental surgery, new data has revealed.

A survey by savings comparison service Finder discovered 44 per cent of Aussies reported using BNPL, with 38 per cent of whom – or the equivalent of 3.5 million people – later regretting their purchases.

Whilst the most popular purchase was clothing and accessories, 15 per cent admitted they used BNPL for cosmetic or dental work.

READ MORE: 'Do the deal': Trump hosts historic White House war summit

US experts weigh breast implant safety amid new concerns

Financial expert Rebecca Pike warned of the dangers of using BNPL services for impulsive or vanity purchases.

"For major expenses like cosmetic procedures, a solid savings plan is often a more financially sound approach than taking on debt for something you want right now," she said.

"The repercussions of buyer's remorse can be far-reaching, especially when impulse purchases become a financial pitfall."

However, spur-of-the-moment purchases are not the only thing BNPL is being used by Aussies.

READ MORE: 'Ketamine Queen' enters plea over Matthew Perry's death

Afterpay logo on point-of-sale machine (Steve Christo/Getty)

A quarter of Australians admitted they have purchased essential items such as groceries or utility bills using a BNPL service.

Despite BNPL services being an attractive option to help afford a potentially pricey purchase, they can have a significant impact.

Around 12 per cent of those said the BNPL purchase had led to them experiencing some form of financial difficulty.

"While it provides quick access to credit, it's important to remember it's a debt that needs to be paid off," Pike said.

"If you're struggling to curb this costly habit, the best thing to do is sleep on it. If you still desire the item 24 hours later, it becomes much easier to justify the financial outlay."

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.

Iranian man charged over alleged $360m, 390kg meth import in crane parts

An Iranian man has been arrested in Sydney's west after being accused of planning to import 390kg of methamphetamine into Australia.

The 61-year-old man is accused of coordinating the import of the drugs, which have an estimated street value of $360 million. The methamphetamine was allegedly concealed inside crane parts.

The shipment was identified in June by the Australian Border Force (ABF), which suspected there were border-controlled drugs inside a shipping consignment that arrived in Sydney.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy, Trump express hope for trilateral talks with Putin to bring end to Russia-Ukraine war

A substance found to be methamphetamine, which was found concealed inside crane parts.

ABF officers intercepted three shipping containers carrying yellow-coloured, metal crane structures, each of which displayed anomalies. 

Subsequent inspection and deconstruction of the consignment found plastic pipes and packages concealed inside the crane structures, allegedly containing a crystalline substance. 

Australian Federal Police (AFP) forensics later confirmed the substance was methamphetamine. 

The AFP seized the entire consignment of illicit drugs, which was confirmed to weigh a total of 390kg. 

As a result, officers from the AFP arrested the man on Sunday after a search warrant was executed at his Quakers Hill home.

READ MORE: Major manhunt after deadly double shooting outside Sydney pub

Crane parts found to have concealed 390kg of methamphetamine.

He arrived in Australia from Hamburg in Germany on June 25, where police allege he planned to take possession of the consignment containing the methamphetamine.

The search of the man's property and rental car led to multiple items being seized, including power tools and cutting equipment.

Police charged the Iranian national with one count of attempting to possess a commercial quantity of unlawfully imported border-controlled drugs and one count of participating in the business of importing commercial quantities of border-controlled drugs.

Both offences carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The man faced Downing Centre Local Court yesterday.

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.

‘Blinding light’ then darkness: Methanol poisoning survivor speaks

A young man who survived a spate of methanol poisonings among young tourists in Laos late last year is calling on the UK government to make information about the risks more widely known.

Calum Macdonald was one of a group of people who consumed methanol-tainted alcohol at a resort in the Laotian tourist town of Vang Vieng last November.

Six people died as a result, including two young Australian women, Holly Bowles and Bianca Jones, both aged 19.

READ MORE: Zelenskyy hails Trump's Putin comment as 'good signal' in key talks

Macdonald, 23, survived but was left blind.

Speaking to the BBC for the first time, he said staff had offered free liquor shots to guests at the resort.

But when he arrived at the Vietnamese border the next day with his friends, he said, he began to suspect something was wrong.

READ MORE: Israel kicks out Australia's representatives to Palestinian Territory

Laos methanol poisoning: Melbourne teen Holly Bowles on life support in Thai hospital after consuming methanol. 19.11.24

"I remember having this sort of kaleidoscopic, blinding light in my eyes and to the point at which I couldn't see anything," he told BBC Breakfast.

"(We agreed) it was strange but we thought it was food poisoning and the light I was seeing was some kind of sensitivity."

But in their Vietnamese hotel, things escalated drastically.

READ MORE: UK police investigate hit TV dance show drug allegations

Bianca Jones died from suspected methanol poisoning.

"We were sitting in the hotel room, my friends and I, and I said to them: 'Why are we sitting in the dark? Someone should turn a light on'," he said.

But the lights were already on.

Macdonald, who the BBC said was now learning to navigate the world with a cane, is calling on the UK Foreign Office to more widely publicise the dangers of tainted alcohol overseas.

READ MORE: More than 100 people infected with Legionnaires' Disease in New York City

"I felt, given that I was lucky enough to survive, I have a bit of a responsibility to try and prevent the same thing from happening to other people," he said.

Methanol, which is found in products such as antifreeze, can prove deadly to humans even in small amounts.

It has been known to be used to manufacture counterfeit alcohol in travel destinations such as Southeast Asia, and tourists are advised to be cautious.

The government's Smartraveller website advises if methanol-tainted alcohol is a known risk of a particular destination.

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.