Tag Archives: oceania

UberEats driver who allegedly urinated in apartment lift sacked

An UberEats driver who allegedly urinated in an apartment elevator while making a delivery has been sacked.

CCTV allegedly shows the man getting into the lift in Sydney's Artarmon on March 10.

He allegedly unzips his pants and urinates in the corner while holding a bag of food.

READ MORE: Man jailed over horrific Perth attack amid dispute over parking spot

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A wet patch can allegedly be seen on the carpet as he gets out.

2GB host Ben Fordham says the driver's account has now been deactivated by Uber Eats, meaning he can no longer work for them.

UberEats said they "strongly condemn this type of behaviour".

Delivery driver appears to urinate in lift Sydney

NSW Police told Fordham they were investigating.

They appealed for information.

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Body camera footage is released showing scene outside Gene Hackman’s home

Authorities have released body camera footage from outside the home of Gene Hackman, where the actor and wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in late February.

The redacted footage shows deputies talking with the two workers who called authorities to report seeing someone lying on the floor inside the home.

With no signs of forced entry or other evidence of suspicious circumstances, the deputies asked about the possibility of a gas leak or carbon monoxide poisoning, and the workers said they didn't see how that could have been the case.

READ MORE: Man jailed over horrific Perth attack amid dispute over parking spot

"Something's not right," one of the workers said.

Authorities soon determined there were no leaks that could have been fatal, further fueling a mystery that captured the public's attention.

It was solved about a week later when medical investigators confirmed that Hackman died of heart disease with complications from Alzheimer's about a week after hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare, rodent-borne disease — took the life of his wife.

The Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office released only some of the footage from the investigation.

A New Mexico court last week granted a temporary restraining order against the release of any photographs and video showing Hackman and his wife the inside of their home. Hackman's estate had filed the petition to withhold images, citing the need to protect the family's constitutional right to privacy in grief under the 14th Amendment.

Workers who had maintained the property talked to investigators about respecting Hackman and Arawaka's privacy. One worker described Arawaka as a private person.

READ MORE: Olympic projects to be scrapped amid stadium backlash

FILE - Actor Gene Hackman arrives with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, for the 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

The body camera footage also shows brief sightings of one of the couple's dogs running in the wooded hills on their property on the edge of Santa Fe. A man who identified himself to officers as a dog trainer who cared for the couple's pet dogs said the couple were "nuts" about their dogs.

"There's toys everywhere around the property," he said.

In a separate video, Arakawa's hairdresser told investigators that his client took the dogs with her everywhere and that the smallest one would often hang out inside the salon with them during her visits.

That dog was found inside a crate, not far from Arakawa's body. A report obtained by The Associated Press from the state Department of Agriculture's veterinary lab states the dog likely died from dehydration and starvation.

The actor's daughter, Elizabeth Hackman, told authorities she wanted the dog that died to be cremated.

Authorities put her in touch with the local animal shelter to talk about the options.

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Hundreds arrested in protests over popular mayor’s jailing

A media union says Turkish authorities have arrested several journalists at their homes in a crackdown amid growing protests over the jailing of Istanbul's mayor, a top rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

A court on Sunday formally arrested Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and ordered him jailed pending a trial on corruption charges.

His detention on Wednesday sparked the largest wave of street demonstrations in Turkey in more than a decade, deepening concerns over democracy and the rule of law.

READ MORE: Man jailed over horrific attack in dispute over parking spot

The Disk-Basin-Is media workers' union said on Monday at least eight reporters and photojournalists were detained in what it called an "attack on press freedoms and the people's right to learn the truth".

It called for their immediate release.

The social media platform X said it was objecting to multiple court orders from Turkish authorities to block more than 700 accounts, including of news organisations, journalists and political figures in Turkey.

Hundreds of protesters detained

A total of 1133 people had been detained since the mayor was arrested at his home, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said. As many as 123 police officers were injured in the protests, he said, adding that materials such as acid, firebombs and knives were seized.

"Some circles have been exploiting the right to assemble and demonstrate, attempting to disrupt public order, incite street unrest and attack our police," Yerlikaya said on social media.

The minister said some of the detained were identified as having ties to groups listed as terrorist organisations and others had criminal records.

Hundreds of thousands of people have come out for the largely peaceful protests across Turkey in support of the mayor.

There has been some violence, with police deploying water cannons, tear gas and pepper spray and firing plastic pellets at protesters in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Some protesters hurled stones, fireworks and other objects at riot police.

READ MORE: Olympic projects to be scrapped amid stadium backlash

Mayor urges more rallies

In a message on social media, Imamoglu urged people to rally outside city hall and other locations for a sixth night on Monday. He also called on youths to avoid clashes and asked police to treat demonstrators with kindness.

"I'm working hard, I will work even harder. Where I am does not matter," he said.

The mayor's jailing is widely regarded as a political move to remove a major challenger to Erdogan from the next presidential race, scheduled for 2028.

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Government officials reject the accusations and insist that Turkey's courts operate independently.

Imamoglu was jailed on suspicion of running a criminal organisation, accepting bribes, extortion, illegally recording personal data and bid-rigging — accusations he has denied. A request for him to be imprisoned on terror-related charges was rejected although he still faces prosecution.

The Interior Ministry later said Imamoglu had been suspended from duty as a "temporary measure". The municipality previously appointed an acting mayor from its governing council.

University students shout slogans during a protest at Besiktas district in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, March 24, 2025, after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison. The poster reads in English and Turkish: "I don't know about you but I'm feeling 'revolution' tonight!".

Erdogan says opposition to be held to account for protests

In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting, Erdogan accused the opposition party's chairman, Ozgur Ozel, who has called for peaceful protests, of disturbing public order instead of addressing the alleged corruption. He also said he would be held to account for the protests.

"I have made this call several times before, and today I am repeating it: Stop disturbing our citizens' peace with provocations. If you have the courage, account for the corruption, theft, bribes taken, and irregularities committed," Erdogan said.

"Of course, there will be political accountability for these actions in parliament and legal accountability in court."

Imamoglu was taken to Silivri prison, west of Istanbul, as more than 1.7 million members of his opposition Republican People's Party, or CHP, held a primary election, endorsing him as its presidential candidate. Millions of non-members also cast votes in a "solidarity ballot", the party said.

Alongside Imamoglu, 47 other people were also jailed pending trial, including a key aide and two district mayors from Istanbul. One was replaced with a government appointee. A further 44 suspects were released under judicial control.

Ankara municipality also under scrutiny

Meanwhile, authorities were investigating the office of Ankara's mayor, another popular opposition figure, over the alleged misuse of public funds concerning the organisation of 33 concerts, the municipality said on Monday. It said the decision was made even though the concerts had been thoroughly audited.

Imamoglu was elected mayor of Turkey's largest city in March 2019, in a major blow to Erdogan and the president's Justice and Development Party, which had controlled Istanbul for a quarter-century. Erdogan's party pushed to void the municipal election results in the city of 16 million, alleging irregularities.

The challenge resulted in a repeat of the election a few months later, which Imamoglu also won. The mayor retained his seat following local elections last year, during which the CHP made significant gains against Erdogan's governing party.

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Some Olympic projects to be scrapped amid Brisbane stadium backlash

The state cabinet is signing off on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic plan to deliver a new stadium at Brisbane's Victoria Park, while scrapping several other key projects.

Premier David Crisafulli is set to announce more events will be spread across regional Queensland, in part a reaction to discontent with a new stadium being built in the south-east, but some sports already aren't happy with the locations confirmed by 9News in recent days.

"It's a plan to make sure that we do deliver generational infrastructure and a plan to make sure we host a great game when the eyes of the world are on us," Crisafulli said.

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Despite Crisafulli's repeated assurances during the election campaign he wasn't going to build a new stadium, 9News confirmed last week Queensland would get a new 60,000-seat stadium to be built at Victoria Park.

It will be the centrepiece of a new Olympic precinct, likely next to the new National Aquatic Centre and near an athletes' village at the Brisbane Showgrounds.

Crisafulli faces hurdles on funding from the federal government as Prime Minister Anthony pushes for $2.5 billion to go to the Brisbane Live Arena, an eventual replacement for the Brisbane Entertainment Centre further out of the city in Boondall.

"We have negotiated well together – I think that's fair – we have worked together well," the premier said.

But 9news has confirmed Crisafulli is set to scrap the indoor arena and redirect that money for other venues.

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"Of course there's been some strong negotiations – two people of Italian descent you'd expect that, but there's nothing that can't be solved by a bit of common sense and a cannoli," he said.

The Queensland government was hoping negotiations would play out during the federal election campaign, weakening the bargaining power of Albanese and Peter Dutton.

But after Cyclone Alfred blew the election date back the state was left with a tougher fight on its hands.

And it's not the only battle.

After 9News exclusively revealed last night that rowing is set to be moved to Rockhampton, Rowing Australia quickly raised concerns the venue might not be suitable.

"The Fitzroy River in Rockhampton hasn't actually undergone any technical assessments by World Rowing or the IOC (International Olympic Committee),"  Rowing Australia chief executive Sarah Cook said.

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Rowing will be moved to Rockhampton for Brisbane 2032.

"But it wasn't really a venue that we expected to be considered for the Olympic and Paralympic regatta itself."

She did however brush off any concerns about the crocodiles in the river, lightheartedly describing their presence as "very exciting".

"We think that might be a bit more concerning to our European counterparts," Cook said.

Hockey bosses too are concerned about the possibility of playing at temporary facilities at Ballymore instead of a cheaper legacy option on the Gold Coast, although 9News understands the Gold Coast is still the frontrunner.

Sources say the independent review recommends the 12,000-seat Brisbane Indoor Sports Centre not proceed, recommending a Gold Coast option instead.

Basketball games could then be split across several regions with, 9News understands, the government considering holding the finals at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Cabinet is also considering splitting some of the sailing events between the Whitsundays and Townsville, as part of the premier's plan to send more events into the regions.

He and other ministers will travel across the state this week to "sell" the Games, amid backlash in regional queensland to a new stadium in the south-east.