Tag Archives: oceania

Brisbane man puts kebab on hold to confront would-be thieves

A man was forced to put his kebab on hold when he saw a bottle shop in Brisbane's West End being robbed last night.

Brad stepped in to stop three teenagers who were allegedly attempting to steal alcohol in front of dozens of restaurant diners at West End Liquorland at 7pm yesterday.

"I said something's not right here," Brad told 9News.

READ MORE: Man allegedly behind 'Pam the Bird' tag charged with 50 offences

A man was forced to put his kebab on hold when he saw a bottleshop in Brisbane's West End being robbed last night.

Security footage from the Liquorland store shows the trio grabbing bottles and putting them in their bags.

The worker behind the counter appears distracted.

But not Brad, who had been queuing nearby for a kebab when he spotted the trouble and leapt into action.

"So where the bottle shop is, I went and I just stood in front because it's a single door," he said. 

"I went and stood in front of the door."

A man was forced to put his kebab on hold when he saw a bottleshop in Brisbane's West End being robbed last night.

Brad told them to drop the grog as he staunchly blocked the exit, until they either paid or decided to leave empty-handed.

"They tried to argue. They came out and tried to push me. I grabbed them, and threw them aside," he said.

The trio left empty-handed, fleeing in a white SUV across the road.

Brad said he's sick of seeing people take what they don't work for, so just had to step in.

"The way I was raised, from my parents back in Sydney, we don't put up with that stuff."

Police say they're investigating the incident.

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Parents of teens fatally poisoned in Laos speak to 60 Minutes in exclusive interview

The parents of two Australian tourists who died from methanol poisoning in Laos are speaking out to put pressure on the country's government to properly investigate the deaths, 60 Minutes Journalist Tara Brown has told 9News.

Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles both died from methanol poisoning after a night out drinking at the Nana Backpacker Hostel in the town of Vang Vieng.

Brown told 9News she believes the families spoke to her in the exclusive interview because the Laos government has refused to meet with them.

READ MORE: Australia's high-risk earthquake zones identified

Holly Bowles (right) and her best friend Bianca Jones (left), aged 19, had been enjoying a backpacking holiday with friends in Laos.

"I think they want to really warn the community of the dangers of methanol poisoning and they want to keep pressure on the government of Laos to fully investigate the deaths.

"They feel that they don't have enough information to fully understand what led to their daughter's deaths."

She said the smallest amount of methanol could be fatal.

"Two teaspoons is likely to blind you… one shot… 30 millimetres will kill you."

READ MORE: Black box recovered from river after deadly US mid-air collision

Tara Brown

Brown said the families of Jones and Bowles had been friends for a long time even before the girls were born, and were leaning on each other for support.

"The pain is etched on their faces, these are magnificent strong people, they get through every day, they have to keep going… they have each other," Brown said.

Six tourists staying at the hostel were killed from methanol poisoning.

The full interview will go to air on 60 Minutes on Sunday night.

Co-pilot in deadly US plane crash was engaged to be married

More than 40 bodies have been recovered after a mid-air crash between a US military Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger plane in Washington DC.

All 67 people caught in the crash over the Potomac River are believed dead, including three soldiers aboard the Black Hawk and 60 passengers and four crew on the plane.

The bodies of the three soldiers are among those recovered, but they have not been named.

Here's what we know about those on board.

READ MORE: Bodies recovered as Trump throws blame over deadly mid-air crash

Washington air crash Potomac

First officer was engaged to be married

Two pilots on the plane have been identified.

Samuel Lilley, 28, was the first officer on the flight, his father said in a Facebook post.

"I was so proud when Sam became a pilot," Timothy Lilley wrote.

"Now it hurts so bad I can't even cry myself to sleep. I know I'll see him again but my heart is breaking.

"He was doing great in his career and his personal life. 

"He was engaged to get married in the fall.  

"Sam was the first officer on the flight that crashed in DC last night.  It is so devastating to lose someone that is loved so much."

Lilley's sister, Tiffany Gibson, also paid tribute to her brother.

"My dad helped him go to flight school and then he worked really hard on that.

"It was a lot tougher than he thought it was gonna be, but he pursued and kicked butt through it, and then loved, he loved, loved, loved what he did."

Samuel Lilley was first officer aboard the flight.

The captain has been named as Jonathan Campos, according to a colleague who spoke to CNN.

Campos became a captain for American Airlines in 2022.

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom has met with the families of victims of Flight 5342, Isom told CNN as he was departing Reagan National Airport's departures lobby.

Isom, accompanied by security and press staff and dressed casually in a blue quarter-zip sweater, nodded solemnly when asked by CNN if he had met with victims' families and planned to meet with investigators.

Champion figure skaters

Washington air crash Potomac

Among those on board the plane were several champion figure skaters, coaches, and family members.

One passenger, figure skater Spencer Lane, aged 16, posted a photo showing the right wing of an aeroplane on his Instagram Stories before the plane took off.

The photo has the caption "ICT -> DCA", which are the airport codes for Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.

READ MORE: Washington, DC, plane crash: What we know so far

Washington air crash Potomac

Lane and his mother Christine Lane had just attended the US Figure Skating Championships and National Development Camp in Wichita, Kansas.

Lane, who was from Barrington, Rhode Island, took part in his first professional show in December with Elin Schran's company, Joy Skate Productions, she said.

"It was a new experience for him. He was nervous. And then after the show ended, he came over and he was just beaming," Schran said.

"He started to discover this connection with the audience and that joy that he was giving to other people through his gift."

In a statement, the Lane family recalled Christine Lane for both her singular talents and her dedication to parenting.

"Christine exuded creativity throughout her life, using her formal graphic design training as a jumping-off point for seemingly endless creative pursuits across areas such as photography, quilting, knitting, and more. She brought even greater passion to her role as a mother to Spencer and his brother Milo," the family said.

The Skating Club of Boston confirmed that coaches Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, as well as athletes Lane and Jinna Han, were on the flight.

Jin Han, the latter's mother, was on the plane as well, the club said.

READ MORE: Marianne Faithfull, singer and pop icon, dies aged 78

Washington air crash Potomac

"We watched Jinna just grow up here from just a tiny little tyke into this amazingly mature 13 year old," Skating Club of Boston CEO Doug Zeghibe said.

"A great performer, a great competitor, and off the ice, a great kid."

Shishkova and Naumov, the coaches, were the 1994 world figure skating champions in pairs.

They represented Russia but moved to the US, where they launched successful coaching careers.

Figure skating Olympic medallist Nancy Kerrigan paid tribute to the victims.

READ MORE: Near-miss at Washington airport a day before fatal crash

Washington air crash Potomac

"I'm not sure how to process it," she said.

"We just wanted to be here and be part of our community."

Kerrigan said she had "never seen anyone love skating" as much as the athletes who died in the collision.

She said she had been watching coverage of the tragedy all night, but then "when you find out you know some of the people on the plane, it's even a bigger blow."

READ MORE: The recent history of plane crashes in the US

Washington air crash Potomac

In neighboring Loudoun County, a coach at a skating club was also identified as among the passengers, Virginia Representative Suhas Subramanyam confirmed.

The club, Ashburn Ice House, said that its "figure skating community has been directly affected," but did not give further details.

'Experienced' helicopter crew

The bodies of all three soldiers who were on the helicopter have been recovered.

Officials said the remains will be at Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

That office coordinates the dignified transfer of fallen service members.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet announced.

No identities of the crew have been released.

The three soldiers were doing an annual night proficiency training flight, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said, adding they were a “fairly experienced crew”.

Ryan O'Hara, one of the soldiers on the Black Hawk helicopter involved in Wednesday night's collision, is being remembered by a fellow service member as "one of the finest, most disciplined, committed trainers" he has ever worked with.

Josh Muehlendorf, Chief Warrant Officer 5 with the US Army, worked with O'Hara when he was a senior instructor pilot for his battalion.

Washington air disaster Potomac

"I've flown dozens of flights with Ryan O'Hara, trying to tap into his expertise on hoist operation," Muehlendorf said.

Muehlendorf told CNN that O'Hara was a crew chief by trade, explaining that his "military occupational specialty was a 15T and he was originally trained to be a maintainer of Black Hawk helicopters."

O'Hara's responsibilities expanded and he began teaching other crew chiefs how to properly execute crew duties in the back of a Black Hawk, Muehlendorf said.

Muehlendorf recalled O'Hara as a man with a deep love for his family.

"I remember being longwinded in a debrief and he had to tell me that he had a date night planned. The debrief promptly ended," Muehlendorf said.

"A huge loss to Army Aviation and the world around him. May he rest in peace, and may our Father be a comfort to his dear family," he continued.

The wife of another one of the helicopter pilots said on Facebook that her husband, Andrew Eaves of Noxubee County Mississippi, was killed.

In a phone call, Carrie Eaves confirmed the post was hers, Associated Press reported.

"We ask that you pray for our family and friends and for all the other families that are suffering today. We ask for peace while we grieve," her post read.

Maryland union members

Those killed also included four steamfitters, all members of a United Association union local in suburban Maryland, union leaders said in a social media post after the crash.

“Our focus now is on providing support and care to the families of our Brothers as we continue to gather more information in the coming days,” the post by UA General President Mark McManus and Chris Madello, the business manager of Local 602, said.

School students, parents

Three students from schools in Fairfax County, Virginia and six parents from the district were on board the plane, superintendent Michelle Reid said in a letter to families.

She did not identify them, but said the students were from different schools and that two of the parents were current or former district staffers.

University student

A junior at Cedarville University was one of the passengers on the American Airlines flight involved in the deadly collision, according to the school.

Grace Maxwell was from Wichita, Kansas, according to the university, located in Cedarville, Ohio.

"As you can imagine, the past 24 hours have been very difficult for the Maxwell family and the Cedarville University community," the private Baptist college wrote.

"As a university, we do not desire to turn this tragic event into anything more than a way to honor Grace, her family, and Jesus."

Maxwell's father, Dean Maxwell, said she was returning to campus from her home in Wichita, Kansas, after attending her grandfather's funeral, the Kansas City Star reported.

Maxwell had been working on project this semester to create a hand-stabilising device to help a boy in the area feed himself instead of rely on others, the university said in a statement.

"Grace was a quiet person with a keen interest in helping others through engineering," said Tim Norman, who served as her secondary advisor.

Hunters heading home

Seven people returning from a guided hunting trip in Kansas were killed, according to a Facebook post by Fowl Plains, the guide service.

The Fowl Plains team said they had grown close to the hunters on board the flight over the years and considered them to be family members.

The post doesn't identify the hunters by name, but it says they had spent the past week on a guided hunt, "laughing, talking about our families and sharing memories."

"Heartbroken is an understatement," the company said.

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‘This can’t be normalised’: A timeline of Australia’s escalating antisemitic attacks

A highly concerning spate of "evil" antisemitic attacks have been occurring across Australia – particularly in Sydney and Melbourne – since the beginning of the Israel-Gaza war.

Synagogues, homes, cars and even a childcare centre have been firebombed and defaced with vile graffiti, inciting fear and distress.

In the latest major incident, police who located a caravan containing explosives and documents have alleged it was related to plans for an antisemitic attack.

READ MORE: 'Heart is breaking': Loved ones speak as US air disaster victims revealed

After his former home was subject to an attack, Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, called out "an evil at work in this country" and warned it was only getting more dangerous the more it went on.

"We have been saying for so long that this can't be normalised, but when we wake up every day and another place has been hit… this is the norm," he said.

Here's how the recent spate of attacks has unfolded.

2024

May 24: Australia's largest Jewish school, Mount Scopus Memorial College, was graffitied in Melbourne.

November 21: A total of 10 cars, including one which was set alight, were spray-painted with graffiti, along with three premises, in multiple Woollahra streets in Sydney.

December 6: The Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne firebombed while worshippers were inside.

December 11: Multiple properties at Woollahra, Sydney were sprayed with anti-Israel slogans, while a Toyota Corolla was destroyed by fire.

2025

January 6: A car was vandalised with antisemitic graffiti in Sydney's east.

January 10: A synagogue in Allawah, Sydney was defaced with antisemitic graffiti.

January 11: Antisemitic graffiti was found on a home in Sydney's east and a synagogue in Sydney's Inner West.

January 17: The former home of Jewish leader in Dover Heights, Sydney was covered with red paint, multiple cars nearby were sprayed with graffiti and two were set on fire,

January 19: A caravan containing explosives said to be capable of causing a "mass casualty event" with a 40-metre diameter blast and documents suggesting they may have been intended for use in an antisemitic attack on a synagogue were found in Dural, Sydney.

January 21: A childcare centre in Maroubra, Sydney was firebombed and antisemitic graffiti left on the walls,

January 30: A Jewish school, two homes and a shopping centre were defaced with antisemitic graffiti in Sydney's east

January 31: Graffiti was sprayed on an electrical box outside the Diamond Bay Bowling Club in Sydney. The club has a lot of Jewish members and a block of units where a lot of Jewish people live.

Human rights lawyers headline 50th Australia Day honours

Two of Australia's most prominent human rights lawyers, a leading infectious disease expert and a late Indigenous activist are among the recipients of the most prestigious titles in this year's Australia Day honours list, in the 50th year of the awards.

Governor-General Samantha Mostyn announced today that 732 had been recognised in the annual honour roll.

Six of those were handed the nation's highest honour, becoming a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Gillian Triggs, the human rights lawyer who became a United Nations assistant secretary-general and assistant high commissioner

Among them were human rights lawyers Gillian Triggs and Megan Davis.

Triggs was the former assistant high commissioner at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and president of the Australian Human Rights Commission.

Davis is an internationally recognised lawyer who also played a prominent role in the Indigenous Voice to parliament proposal and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

You can use our interactive data table below to search through all the Australians honours this year by name, postcode, state or honour.

Late Indigenous advocate Galarrwuy Yunupingu, the 1978 Australian of the Year, was also made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

Beyond his extensive career as a leading land rights campaigner, Yunupingu was also brother to Yothu Yindi frontman Mandawuy Yunupingu, and featured heavily in the band's work, painting its album art and singing traditional lines in some songs.

Professor Megan Davis at a press conference

Joining them as ACs in this year's honour roll are epidemiologist Allen Cheng, Victoria's former deputy chief health officer who became one of the public faces of the state's response to COVID-19, as well as High Court Justice James Edelman, and Gondwana Choirs founder Lyn Williams.

The honours list also features all of Australia's first-time gold medallists from the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, including kayaker Noemie Fox, swimmer Alexa Leary, and 14-year-old skateboarder Arisa Trew.

Former Victorian deputy chief health officer Professor Allen Cheng speaks to the media.

Former Australian women's Test cricket captain Raelee Thompson was made a Member of the Order of Australia, as was singer-songwriter and ARIA Hall of Famer Gerard Bertelkamp, better known as Beeb Birtles.

"To read recipient stories is to be reminded that contribution to communities across the country, underpinned by care, kindness, respect and love, is what matter most to all Australians, in every sphere of life," Mostyn said.

Arisa Trew of Australia reacts at the end of her run during the women's skateboarding park final

"Recipients embody the best of us, and we are grateful to all of them.

"This year, we mark the 50th anniversary of Australia's honours system. We have a wonderful opportunity over the next 50 years of our honours and awards to reflect our generous, successful and modern Australian society.

"To all Australians, nominating and honouring our fellow Australians is a meaningful way of saying, as a nation, thank you."

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Hamas frees four female Israeli soldiers as part of the Gaza ceasefire

Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City on Saturday after parading them in front of a crowd.

Israel was set to release 200 Palestinian prisoners or detainees later in the day as part of the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The four smiled broadly as they waved and gave the thumbs-up from a stage in Gaza City's Palestine Square, militants on either side of them and a crowd of thousands watching, before they were led off to waiting Red Cross vehicles.

READ MORE: Trump proposes 'getting rid' of emergency agency while touring disaster areas

Israeli female soldier hostages wave at a Palestinian crowd

As they were released, hundreds of people cheered in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square where they were watching the drama unfold on a big screen television.

"I'm speechless," said Aviv Bercovich, one of the onlookers.

"I had goosebumps watching them. I just want the war to end."

Israel confirmed that the hostages were with its forces not long after they were driven away from the handover in Gaza City by the Red Cross.

The crowds in Tel Aviv and also in Gaza City began gathering earlier in the day in anticipation of the second such exchange between Israel and Hamas since a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip last weekend.

The excitement in Israel was palpable, with TV stations filled with live reports from smiling news anchors and reporters interviewing ecstatic friends and relatives of the hostages.

Israeli female soldier hostages wave at a Palestinian crowd

The truce is aimed at winding down the deadliest and most destructive war ever fought between Israel and the militant group.

The fragile deal has so far held, quieting airstrikes and rockets and allowing for increased aid to flow into the tiny coastal territory.

When the ceasefire started on Sunday, three hostages held by the militants were released in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women and children.

Who are the soldiers and prisoners being released?

The four Israeli soldiers, Karina Ariev, 20, Daniella Gilboa, 20, Naama Levy, 20, and Liri Albag, 19, were captured in Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.

In exchange, Israel was to release 200 prisoners, including 121 who were serving life sentences, according to a list released by Hamas. Of those, the list indicated that 70 would be expelled from Gaza and the West bank but did not say where.

A mural of female Israeli soldiers held hostage by the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip is displayed in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025.   (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

The more notorious militants being released include Mohammad Odeh, 52, and Wael Qassim, 54, both from east Jerusalem. They were accused of carrying out a series of deadly Hamas attacks against Israelis, including a bombing at a cafeteria at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 2002 that killed nine people, including five US citizens.

The four soldiers released were taken from Nahal Oz base near the border with Gaza when Palestinian militants overran it, killing more than 60 soldiers there.

The female abductees had all served in a unit of lookouts charged with monitoring threats along the border. A fifth female soldier in their unit, Agam Berger, 20, was abducted with them but not included in the list.

Israel's military issued a statement on Saturday morning saying that preparations had been completed to receive the hostages and provide them medical care and personal support at the initial reception points, then transfer them to hospitals and reunite them with their families.

Yellow ribbons for hostages held by the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip line a replica of a Gaza tunnel in Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

"This is huge," said Gaza City resident Radwan Abu Rawiya, one of thousands who watched the hostages turned over in Palestine Square.

"People forgot about the war, destruction and are celebrating," he said.

In a televised statement, Israel's army spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari confirmed the released hostages were in Israeli hands and on their way home, while criticising what he called the "cynical" public display of the young women by Hamas before their release.

He also said that Israel is concerned about the fate of the two youngest hostages — Kfir and Ariel Bibas — and their mother Shiri. Kfir Bibas marked his second birthday in captivity earlier this month.

Hagari said the army is committed to bringing all hostages home.

What's next in the ceasefire deal

After the swap, Israel is expected to begin pulling back from the Netzarim corridor — an east-west road dividing Gaza in two — and allowing displaced Palestinians in the south to return to their former homes in the north for the first time since the beginning of the war.

Palestinians will only be allowed to move north on foot, with vehicular traffic restricted until later in the ceasefire.

The Hamas-run interior ministry said displaced Palestinians will be allowed to return to northern Gaza starting on Sunday.

Destruction caused by the Israeli air and ground offensive, in Rafah, Gaza Strip

In a statement on Saturday, the ministry, which oversees police forces, said Palestinians will be able to move between southern and northern Gaza on foot through the coastal Rashid road.

What happens after the deal's initial six-week phase is uncertain, but many hope it will lead to the end of a war that has leveled wide swaths of Gaza, displaced the vast majority of its population and left hundreds of thousands of people at risk of famine.

The conflict began with a cross-border attack led by Hamas on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants killed some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 others hostage.

More than 100 hostages were freed in a weeklong truce the following month. But dozens have remained in captivity for over a year with no contact with the outside world. Israel believes at least a third of the more than 90 captives still inside Gaza were killed in the initial attack or died in captivity.

While many rejoiced in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square after the four soldiers were released Saturday, some worried about the fate of those still in captivity.

"It's hard that she's still there," said Yoni Collins, a family friend of Agam Berger, the fifth female soldier taken from Nahal Oz base who's still being held in Gaza.

"There were five girls, four are out and now she's there alone," he said. "We're just waiting for her to come home."

Israel's air and ground war, one of the deadliest and most destructive in decades, has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not say how many were militants. They say women and children make up more than half the fatalities.

Former AFL player Neale Daniher named 2025 Australian of the year

Former AFL footballer and charity co-founder Neale Daniher AO has been named the Australian of the Year for 2025.

Daniher was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013, and was told the average lifespan for patients was about three years.

Defying that expectation, he has worked tirelessly for more than 10 years to raise money and awareness of MND, in the hopes of one day finding a cure.

READ MORE: Human rights lawyers headline 50th Australia Day honours

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented him with the award during tonight's ceremony in Canberra.

Daniher presented a prerecorded acceptance speech as his condition has removed his ability to speak.

The 63-year-old said he was deeply honoured to accept the title.

"This recognition isn't just for me," he said.

"It belongs to the entire MND community, the families, the carers, the researchers, the volunteers, all those at the FightMND Foundation and MND state associations, and the countless Australians who have joined us in this fight.

READ MORE: Wheelchairs for Kids founder named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year

Australian of the Year awardsAustralian of the Year awards

"It also belongs to my family, headed by my wife Jan, our children and their partners who have been with us every step of the way on this challenging journey.

Daniher described MND as 'a beast of a disease'.

"It doesn't discriminate. It robs you of your ability to move, speak, swallow, and eventually breathe," he said.

"But it did something else, too. It lit a fire within me. A determination to fight for those who are currently affected, and those who will face it after me. I chose to fight because if I didn't, how could I expect anyone else to? 

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 14: Neale Daniher looks on during the Big Freeze slide at Melbourne Cricket Ground on June 14, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. The annual event aims to raise funds to fight MND as part of the Queen's Birthday AFL match, this year held at the SCG due to Covid19 protocols in Melbourne preventing crowd from attending this year's event. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

"I chose to hope because I believe in the decency and generosity of Australians.

"I thought, if people truly understood the challenges we face and joined the fight with me, and you have.

"Oh, how you have." 

Daniher played for Essendon in the AFL and went on to coach the Melbourne Demons.

Following his diagnosis, he co-founded the charity FightMND in 2014, which has raised and invested more than $115 million into medical research for the condition.

The annual Big Freeze ice bath event at the MCG is part of his ongoing fundraising efforts.

Daniher said he has a vision of a world without MND.

"This disease is not incurable. It is simply underfunded and misunderstood," he said in his speech.

"With focus, funding and unwavering determination, we can change that.

"I know that this nomination will help grow awareness for our cause together, as Australians, we can continue this fight against the beast and one day achieve our vision, a world without MND.

Scientist and industrial chemist Doctor Katrina Wruck was named the 2025 Young Australian of the Year.

Wheelchairs for Kids charity co-founder Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM was named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.

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Wheelchairs for Kids founder named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year

Charity co-founder Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM has been named 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.

Pickett, 84, co-founded Wheelchairs For Kids in 1996, which provides adjustable wheelchairs and occupational therapy expertise for children in developing countries.

His volunteer-run organisation has built and fitted more than 60,000 custom-made wheelchairs for children in 80 countries.

READ MORE: Human rights lawyers headline 50th Australia Day honours

Wheelchairs For Kids is the largest volunteer-led charity in Western Australia with more than 250 retirees pitching in to help.

Pickett designed a low-cost wheelchair using the World Health Organisation's standards, with their adjustable design meaning kids can use the one wheelchair from age four to 16.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented the award to the charity founder at the event in Canberra.

In his speech, Pickett thanked his volunteers, donors and supporters for their work over the decades.

READ MORE: Former AFL player Neale Daniher named 2025 Australian of the year

Australian of the Year awards

"Our wheelchairs cost $275 for our volunteers to make, and for the sum of money, a child with a disability receives a new life, by getting off the ground, having dignity as well as mobility," Pickett said.

"They can now go to the village school and have an education. They mix with their friends and they feel included. 

"Any donations, no matter how big or how small, will enable us to make more wheelchairs."

Australian of the Year awards

Pickett shared one emotional tribute from a girl in Zambia who had received one of their wheelchairs.

"A little girl named Mercy, from Zambia. She says 'Dear friend, thank you for the wheelchair and the teddy bear and the beautiful rug that you gave me," he read.

"You have made my heart rejoice again. I can now go to school and be with my friends.'"

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Pioneering chemist Katrina Wruck named 2025 Young Australian of the Year

Scientist and industrial chemist Doctor Katrina Wruck has been named the 2025 Young Australian of the Year.

Her career in chemistry has focused on giving back to remote communities by transforming mining by-products into usable non-toxic materials like laundry detergent.

Wruck is a proud Mabuigilaig and Goemulgal woman, who has advocated for First Nations knowledge and participated in community engagement programs. 

READ MORE: Former AFL player Neale Daniher named 2025 Australian of the year

The Queensland University of Technology lecturer is frequently told by students she speaks to, that she's the first Indigenous scientist they've met. 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented the award to the 30-year-old at the Australian of the Year event in Canberra.

In her speech, Wruck said she hoped to set an example through her career as a neurodivergent Indigenous woman in science.

READ MORE: Human rights lawyers headline 50th Australia Day honours

"Representation matters," Wruck said.

"When kids, especially Indigenous kids, see someone like me in this position, it tells them that they belong, that their dreams are valid and their voices are powerful."

Former AFL footballer and MND charity co-founder Neale Daniher AO was named Australian of the Year for 2025, while Brother Thomas Oliver Pickett AM took the title of 2025 Senior Australian of the Year.

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Lucky escape for diners after restaurant roof blown off in Brisbane

A popular Brisbane restaurant felt the full wrath of mother nature after a storm swept through the city and took off the roof.

About 100 people ran from the popular bar and restaurant, The Officers Mess in New Farm, just before 8pm.

The collapse came as wild storms smashed the state over the past two days which bought on hail, heavy rain and damaging winds.

READ MORE: Driver arrested after cyclist dies in crash in Melbourne's west

Officers Mess: More than a hundred diners have been forced to flee a restaurant after its roof was blown off in a Brisbane riverside suburb. 25.01.25

The roof was seemingly peeled off the venue and ended up in a nearby car park, landing on several vehicles.

Police confirmed there were no injuries reported from the incident.

The roof collapse appears to have left a trail of debris scattered across the venue, however, the full extent of the damage is still unclear.

One diner at the restaurant said the moment of the collapse was "terrifying".

"I thought we'd been fully struck by lightning," she said.

A Brisbane local who witnessed the storm told 9News, that the wind gusts felt similar to a cyclone.

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Officers Mess: More than a hundred diners have been forced to flee a restaurant after its roof was blown off in a Brisbane riverside suburb. 25.01.25

"I'm from North Queensland, so it felt like a cyclone-type noise," she said.

"It was pretty loud, the gusts of wind."

The Bureau of Meteorology had warned communities including Gold Coast, Hervey Bay and Gladstone were in the firing line.

"A location just to the west of Hervey Bay recorded 54mm falling in just half an hour just after midnight," meteorologist Shane Kennedy told 9News.

Meanwhile a lightning strike sparked a fire on North Stradbroke Island and forced more than a dozen campers to be evacuated.

There was a welcome change in the weather this morning and a cooler forecast for the week ahead.

"Conditions should really settle down as a ridge starts to build over the south east for several days," Kennedy said.

Music fans attending a Luke Combs concert at Suncorp Stadium last night were advised to seek shelter as a storm rolled in, with 80,000 lightning strikes recorded during the event.

Queensland's first cyclone for the year could also be brewing as meteorologists watch a developing low in the far north.

If it develops, the cyclone would be named Taliah.

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