Tag Archives: oceania

A Norwegian man awoke to find a grounded cargo ship had narrowly missed his home

A Norwegian man managed to sleep through an enormous container ship running aground on his front lawn.

Johan Helberg, who lives in Byneset, on the Trondheim Fjord, was woken by his neighbour on Thursday morning asking if he had noticed a boat outside, TV2 Norway reported.

When he looked out his door, he saw a 135m-long container ship parked up in his front yard.

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Bystanders look at the grounded ship.

"If the ship had hit the rocky outcrop right next to it, it would have lifted up and hit the house hard. It only missed by a few metres," Helberg told TV2.

His neighbor, Jostein Jørgensen, who lives about 40m from the beach, told TV2 he was woken around 5 a.m. by the sound of a boat approaching.

"When I looked out the window, I saw a boat speeding toward the shore," he told the local TV network, adding that he ran outside and shouted to raise the alarm.

Jørgensen said the boat, the NCL Salten, got closer and closer until it ran aground about eight metres from the wall of his neighbour's house.

"He was lying asleep and surprised he had a visitor," Jørgensen told TV2.

The vessel was reportedly bound for Orkanger, at the southern end of the fjord, and had 16 people aboard when it ran aground.

This aerial view shows the 443-foot NCL Salten grounded in the Trondheim Fjord.

Bente Hetland, managing director of the shipping company NCL, called it a "serious incident" and said the company was "grateful that nobody was injured in the grounding."

"At present time, we do not know what caused the incident and are awaiting the conclusion of the ongoing investigation by the relevant authorities," Hetland said in a statement. "We are currently assessing the damage to the ship."

A tugboat was initially sent to try to pull the vessel free, to no avail.

On Thursday evening, a salvage company tried to mount an attempt to refloat the ship at high tide, but it was later decided it was not possible, the Norwegian Coastal Administration said in a statement.

It said geotechnical investigations were now needed before another attempt could be made.

While there have been no signs of oil leaking from the vessel, the authority said it had an oil response vessel on standby to respond, if needed.

READ MORE: Estimated 10,000 homes damaged as 31 emergency flood warnings remain

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Man charged with attempted murder after alleged DV assault

A man has been charged with attempted murder after an alleged domestic violence attack in Sydney's west.

Police were called to a home on Angelina Crescent at Cabramatta at 11.30am yesterday after reports of an assault.

Officers found a 51-year-old woman with neck, hand and leg injuries at the home.

READ MORE: Estimated 10,000 homes damaged as 31 emergency flood warnings remain

She was treated by paramedics and has been taken to Liverpool Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

A 59-year-old man known to the woman was arrested nearby.

He was taken to Bankstown Hospital for a mental health assessment and was kept under police guard. 

He was charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent to murder while he was still in hospital.

A provisional apprehended domestic violence order has been applied for.

He will appear in Parramatta Local Court via a bedside hearing this morning.

Kim Kardashian’s robbers found guilty in Paris

A Paris court on Friday found the ringleader and seven other people guilty in the robbery of Kim Kardashian at her residence in the French capital in 2016.

But none of them will face prison time.

The court acquitted two of the 10 defendants. The sentences read out by the court president ranged from prison terms to fines.

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Kim Kardashian

Aomar Aït Khedache, 69, the ringleader, got the stiffest sentence, eight years imprisonment but five of those are suspended.

Three others who were accused on the most serious charges got seven years, five of them suspended.

With time already served in pretrial detention, none of those found guilty will go to prison. The trial was heard by a three-judge panel and six jurors.

The chief judge, David De Pas, said the ages of the defendants — the oldest is 79 and some others are in their 60s and 70s — weighed on the court's decision not to impose harsher sentences that would have sent them to jail.

He said the nine years between the robbery and the trial was also taken into account in the sentencing.

Still, he said that Kardashian had been traumatised by the robbery in her hotel.

"You caused harm," he said. "You caused fear."

Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner

Kardashian, who wasn't present for the verdict, issued a statement after the ruling was announced.

"I am deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice in this case," she said.

"The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family. While I'll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice, and promoting a fair legal system."

Khedache arrived at court walking with a stick, his face hidden from cameras. His DNA, found on the bands used to bind Kardashian, was a key breakthrough that helped crack open the case.

Wiretaps captured him giving orders, recruiting accomplices and arranging to sell the diamonds in Belgium. A diamond-encrusted cross, dropped during the escape, was the only piece of jewellery ever recovered.

The crime took place on the night of October 2, 2016 during Paris Fashion Week. The robbers, dressed as police, forced their way into the glamorous Hôtel de Pourtalès, bound Kardashian with zip ties and escaped with her jewelry — a theft that would force celebrities to rethink how they live and protect themselves.

The accused became known in France as "les papys braqueurs," or the grandpa robbers.

Some arrived in court in orthopedic shoes and one leaned on a cane. But prosecutors warned observers not to be fooled.

The defendants faced charges including armed robbery, kidnapping and gang association.

Forgiveness

Khedache had said he was only a foot soldier. He blamed a mysterious "X" or "Ben" — someone prosecutors say never existed.

His lawyer pleaded for clemency, pointing to one of the trial's most visceral moments — Kardashian's earlier courtroom encounter with the man accused of orchestrating her ordeal. Though she wasn't present on Friday, her words — and the memory of that moment — still echoed.

"She looked at him when she came, she listened to the letter he had written to her, and then she forgave him," lawyer Franck Berton told The Associated Press.

Kardashian, typically shielded by security and spectacle, had locked eyes with Khedache as the letter was read aloud.

"I do appreciate the letter, I forgive you," she said.

"But it doesn't change the feelings and the trauma and the fact that my life was forever changed." A tabloid crime had become something raw and human.

Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner

Khedache on Friday asked for "a thousand pardons," communicated via a written note in court. Other defendants also used their final words to express remorse.

Paris was once a sanctuary for Kardashian

Kardashian's testimony earlier this month was the emotional high point. In a packed courtroom, she recounted how she was thrown onto a bed, zip-tied, and had a gun pressed to her on the night of the robbery.

"I absolutely did think I was going to die," she said.

"I have babies. I have to make it home. They can take everything. I just have to make it home."

She was dragged into a marble bathroom and told to stay silent. When the robbers fled, she freed herself by scraping the tape on her wrists off against the sink, then hid with her friend, shaking and barefoot.

She said that Paris had once been her sanctuary — a city she would wander at 3am, window shopping, stopping for hot chocolate. That illusion was shattered.

Privacy became luxury

The robbery echoed far beyond the City of Light. It forced a recalibration of celebrity behaviour in the age of Instagram.

For years, Kardashian had curated her life like a showroom: geo-tagged, diamond-lit, public by design. But this was the moment the showroom turned into a crime scene. In her words, "People were watching … They knew where I was."

Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner

Afterward, she stopped posting her location in real time. She stripped her social media feed of lavish gifts and vanished from Paris for years. Other stars followed suit. Privacy became luxury.

Even by the standards of France's famously deliberate legal system, the case took years to reach trial.

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Estimated 10,000 homes damaged as 31 emergency flood warnings remain

An estimated 10,000 homes have been damaged by floodwaters on the NSW Mid North Coast, the SES has said.

Clean-up efforts and assessments have begun in some parts of the state where floodwaters have been receding as rainfall has slowed.

The state emergency service has estimated that 10,000 properties have been damaged in the flooding event, which began four days ago.

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TAREE, AUSTRALIA - MAY 23: Business owners clean their shop following a flood at Albert street on May 23, 2025 in Taree, Australia. Catastrophic flooding struck the Mid North Coast and other parts of New South Wales, isolating over 50,000 residents, prompting hundreds of rescues, and leaving at least one person dead and several missing as emergency services responded to record-breaking rainfall. (Photo by Roni Bintang/Getty Images)KEMPSEY is still under an emergency flood warning

"We're seeing conditions improve and we will have an increased number of volunteers out in force today to start the damage assessment process, which is likely to take some time to complete," SES Chief Superintendent Paul McQueen said.

"This is important work to allow us to assess any access and safety issues before de-escalating evacuation orders."

There are still 31 emergency warnings in place, including in Lake Macquarie, Taree and Kempsey, with floodwaters rising as the flow moves downstream.

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NSW floods

There were 56 Watch and Act warnings in place as of 6am, and 64 advice warnings.

"I reiterate this is still a dangerous situation where significant impacts to infrastructure and properties are likely to have occurred," McQueen said.

"Unfortunately, it is not possible to let people return to their homes until water further subsides and we're sure they can access their homes and communities safely.

"Homes and businesses may need to be inspected by a qualified electrician."

Residents are still being urged to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters, with 85 rescues in the past 24 hours.

Macksville flooding

There are still 50,000 residents who have been left in isolation due to flooding in Hinton, Seahamm, Paterson, Clarence Town, Taree, Manning Point, Croki, Rawdon Island, Fredrickton, Bowraville, Thora, Kempsey, Wingham, Gloucester and Dungog.

"We will continue to resupply those isolated residents by land, water and air as part of our multi-agency response, McQueen said.

"We ask you to be patient, remain in a safe location and please don't be tempted to drive through floodwaters or go sightseeing."

Celeb-backed ‘health’ trend researchers say can cause ‘serious harm’

The bizarre social media trend of "mouth taping" to stop snoring can lead to "serious health harm", researchers are warning.

Celebrities and influencers including Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Roberts, Ashley Graham, and Jimmy Fallon have all previously spoken about their adoption of the practice, which involves going to sleep with a piece of tape holding your lips closed.

Backers say it prevents mouth-breathing, which is linked to sleep-disordered breathing, including everything from snoring to sleep apnea.

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However, researchers say the online fad probably has little benefit and could pose serious asphyxiation risks.

Western University's Dr Brian Rotenberg and a number of research colleagues evaluated the results of 10 separate studies into the effects of sealing the mouth while sleeping.

Two suggested that, among a subset of people with mild obstructive sleep apnea, mouth taping may be associated with some slight improvement in a standard measure of sleep apnea severity known as the apnea-hypopnea index.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

However, other studies found no evidence that mouth taping might help treat mouth breathing, sleep-disordered breathing, or sleep apnea.

Four of the 10 studies included discussion of a potentially serious risk of asphyxiation for people whose mouth breathing is caused by serious restriction or blockage of nasal airways.

Serious nasal obstruction could result from conditions such as hay fever, chronic rhinitis, deviated septum, sinonasal disease, or enlarged tonsils.

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The authors of the new survey, published in the journal PLOS One, found the evidence currently supports the practice of mouth-taping, but said further research was needed.

"Mouth taping is a contemporary practice that is often celebrity-endorsed, but is not necessarily scientifically accurate," the authors said.

"Many people are not appropriate for mouth taping, and in some cases it can lead to risk of serious health harm."

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‘What have I done?’: Aussie dad handed notice that would be illegal today

Arafath Mannan was blindsided to receive a notice that would be illegal in NSW today.

The now 38-year-old moved into a home in Riverwood, in south-west Sydney, in 2017.

He remained there through several full-time jobs, surgeries, the COVID-19 pandemic, being made redundant, getting married and the birth of his daughter. 

READ MORE: Majority of Australians considering second job to make ends meet, research shows

Arafath Mannan was blindsided to receive a notice that would be illegal in NSW today.

The father renewed his lease in August last year and copped a rent hike, which brought the weekly total up from $650 to $720.

Mannan struggled to keep up, but his situation deteriorated after he was hit with a no-grounds eviction notice just two months later.

The no-grounds eviction notice, seen by 9news.com.au, meant that Mannan was not given a reason why he had to leave, but had 90 days to do so.

Mannan said he was blindsided.

"I just didn't know what to do, literally, because I know how the market is," he said.

"I just was thinking that I was secure, because my rent went up two months ago… the lease period just started."

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Mannan was told the owner planned to move in and renovate the home.

But, in the months after the eviction, he discovered the Riverwood property was back on the market at the same price.

"They kicked me out, the owner did not move in, and they tried to put the property back in the market, exactly the same price," he said.

"What have I done wrong? I was actually hurt. It just felt personal. They just kicked me out for no reason whatsoever." 

After some time on the market, the property's rent was reduced to $700 per week.

Mannan luckily found another rental just 150 metres down the road from his former address.

In the end, he lost about $630 of his bond to repairs and over $300 for moving fees.

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New rental reforms that ended no-grounds evictions came into effect in NSW this week.

Now, agents and landlords are required to provide a specific reason for eviction, including a tenant breaching their lease, damaging the property or not paying rent, the landlord wanting to sell the property or the property no longer being used as a rental.

Agents and landlords who fail to comply will be dealt with under the Rental Taskforce. 

"For too long, renters have lived with the fear of being kicked out for no reason. That ends today," Housing and Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson said earlier this week.

While the changes were welcomed by some, Mannan said he did not believe they would have much material change because landlords could still decide to increase the rent, effectively evicting tenants who cannot afford the hike, or sell the property.

"I know, in the paper and in the books, it looks really nice… but it doesn't secure us. We need more property to be built, it's a simple solution. There's no supply," he said.

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