Tag Archives: oceania

CBA backflips over $3 withdrawal fee after backlash

Commonwealth Bank says it will "change its approach" after receiving backlash over a move to implement a $3 withdrawal fee.

Yesterday, CBA announced customers would be charged a fee for withdrawing cash over the counter at a branch, post office or over the phone from January 6.

The move has come under strong criticism with the federal government urging the bank to reconsider.

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1. Commonwealth Bank

In a statement today, CBA's retail banking services Group executive Angus Sullivan said the bank would review its approach to the changes.

Sullivan conceded the bank had "done a poor job" of communicating the change to customers.

"We are particularly conscious of the impact any change to planned fees and charges can have at this time of year, especially given the cost of living pressures our customers face," Sullivan said.

"For our complete access customers – which is roughly 10 per cent of our 10 million odd customers – there are approximately 90 per cent of our complete access customers for whom the change that we announced yesterday would put them in a better or equal position to today.

"The changes taking place are such that the approximately 90 percent of customers we intend to move, and who we expect will be better off or the same, will be moved to the lower monthly fee account.

"If those customers don't want to move, they can contact us to discuss their options. For the remaining customers we are changing our approach and we are pausing the migration."

Sullivan said the bank would contact customers over the next six months to discuss the most appropriate product for their needs.

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"The changes outlined above do not affect approximately 9 million CommBank customers who are not on the Complete Access product," he said.

At a press conference, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said he met the bank's chief executive Matt Comyn this morning to flag that the changes were "unacceptable".

"The changes were not acceptable or appropriate, we made our views very clear," he told reporters.

Chalmers said he and Comyn engaged in "constructive" discussion to ensure vulnerable customers weren't worse off. 

"They will have another look at those changes to make sure that people are not worse off," he said.

"We are talking and lots of instances about some of the most vulnerable people in the banking system.

"I welcome the change of heart."

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Huge policy shift as Australia demands Israel leave occupied territories

Australia has shifted its stance to back a UN General Assembly resolution calling on "Israel bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible".

The resolution also demanded all new settlement to cease in the occupied territory and for settlers to be pulled out.

Australia was among 157 countries to support the resolution at the meeting on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) in New York.

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Eight voted against it, including Israel and the US.

Seven nations abstained.

In a big departure from previous policy, Australia last month supported a UN resolution recognising Palestinians' sovereignty over resources in the occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank.

Meanwhile in Gaza, Israeli drone strikes have hit Kamal Adwan Hospital, wounding three medical staff at one of the few hospitals still partially operating in the northern-most part of the territory, the facility's director said.

In Lebanon, a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has held despite Israeli forces carrying out several new drone and artillery strikes on Tuesday, killing a shepherd in the country's south.

The director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Hossam Abu Safiya, said the drones were dropping bombs, spraying shrapnel at the hospital on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

READ MORE: 'Disgrace, kick in the guts': Cashless move blasted as bank fees climb

In comments released by Gaza's Health Ministry, Abu Safiya said one of the injured was in a critical condition and was undergoing a complex surgery.

"The situation has become extremely dangerous," he said.

"We are exhausted by the ongoing violence and atrocities."

Kamal Adwan Hospital has been struck multiple times over the past two months as Israeli forces have waged a fierce offensive in the area, saying they are rooting out Hamas militants who regrouped there.

In October, Israeli forces raided the hospital, saying that militants were sheltering inside and arrested a number of people, including some staff.

Hospital officials denied the claim.

Abu Safiya was wounded in his thigh and back by an Israeli drone strike on the hospital last month.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu vowed keep striking "with an iron fist" against perceived Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

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Hezbollah began launching rockets, drones and missiles into Israel last year in solidarity with Hamas militants who are fighting in the Gaza Strip.

The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 people hostage.

Israel's blistering retaliatory offensive has killed at least 44,500 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were combatants. Israel says it has killed more than 17,000 militants, without providing evidence.

The war in Gaza has destroyed vast areas of the coastal enclave and displaced 90 per cent of the population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

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Moment flight attendant confronts stowaway on New York to Paris flight

Delta Air Lines will now fly the Russian woman who stowed away on a flight to Paris last week back to New York on Wednesday, a Paris airport official told CNN.

The woman was due to leave France on a flight at 2.30pm on Tuesday (local time).

She was on board the plane when Delta refused to fly her, according to the official.

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A stowaway who managed to board on Delta Airlines flight from New York City to Paris last week has again been removed from her return flight

New footage, captured by a passenger on board the same flight, shows a flight attendant quiz the woman on why her boarding pass was under a different name.

"It's my friend," the woman replies.

The flight attendant is then heard asking "Where is your friend now?"

When contacted by CNN for details, Delta declined to comment or say why the woman was not allowed to fly.

"We are going to try to send her back again with a French escort," the French official said.

She is now scheduled to fly back to New York's John F Kennedy International Airport escorted by two French security officials on a Delta flight Wednesday at 2.30pm (local time), according to the official.

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The 57-year-old woman got past multiple security checkpoints at JFK and boarded a plane to Paris last week.

The woman was apparently able to bypass the checkpoints by blending in with groups travelling together, according to a senior law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.

According to the official, a review of JFK's security camera video shows that at two separate checkpoints where identification was required, the woman blended in with a group of other travelers who were presenting multiple tickets and passports at once.

The official says she first blended in with a flight crew before the security screening, and subsequently proceeded to the gate, where she placed herself in the middle of what appeared to be a family travelling together.

READ MORE: Major bank to charge Aussies $3 fee to withdraw cash from tellers

Investigators believe a contributing factor may have been the massive holiday weekend crowds at the airport.

The Transportation Security Administration said it screened nearly 2.7 million passengers at US airports on that Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Authorities in the US are continuing to investigate how the woman sneaked onto the flight without a ticket.

She was scheduled to be on a flight returning to the US on Saturday afternoon but French authorities removed her from the aircraft after she started screaming, according to an official.

A man who was on the plane told CNN the woman was sitting across the aisle from him and his family.

JFK Airport New York

"She kept on saying 'I do not want to go back to the USA. Only a judge can make me go back to the USA,'" Gary Treichler said.

The woman was expected to be accompanied by six US marshals on Tuesday's flight back to New York, authorities said.

Inspectors from the TSA are preparing a civil case against the stowaway after reviewing airport security video from inside John F Kennedy International Airport, agency spokesperson Alexa Lopez told CNN.

"The TSA will open civil cases against passengers when there's evidence that procedures may have been violated," Lopez said.

The TSA cannot bring criminal charges, though it can refer them to the Justice Department.

It's unclear whether any criminal charges will be filed.

Delta has not said how the woman was able to board the plane once she made it past the TSA checkpoint.

The airline said it "is conducting an exhaustive investigation of what may have occurred," but declined further comment.

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said on Tuesday the agency occasionally has "a very, very small number" of people who skip the identity verification stage.

Speaking at the Aviation Security Summit of the American Association of Airport Executives, Pekoske suggested electronic gates might be a solution to making sure everyone gets screened.

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‘Alibis have fallen down’: Fresh hope of finding Annette’s killer 44 years on

Debunking potentially fake alibis given after a West Australian teenager was murdered in 1980 could be the key to solving the 44-year-old cold case, say police.

Annette Deverell, 19, was last seen on September 13, 1980 near the Mandurah Post Office talking to an unidentified blonde man about 11pm that evening.

It would be almost two years before her remains were found by bike riders near Pinjarra, about 30km from Mandurah, on June 4, 1982.

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Deverell's murder is the subject of the WA Police's Cold Case Western Australia podcast, hosted by veteran crime reporter and former police media advisor Neil Poh.

There is a $1 million reward for any information leading to the conviction of anyone involved in Deverell's death.

Police are also hosting a mobile facility today behind Mandurah Post Office in the hope members of the public will come forward with fresh information.

Cold Case Investigation Squad Detective Sergeant Peter Sloan told Poh police there may be someone out there who knows what happened to Deverell and could be willing to talk decades on.

"I think most of these people know… when you read their statements back in the early 80s, Mandurah was pretty loose, they were all having a good time, it was a party town," he said.

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Annette Deverell murder 1980

"Now they're all married, children, probably grandchildren, so obviously your morals change. We've still got a family out there that still wants answers."

Sloan said some of the alibis given to police at the time have since been proven to be false.

The alibis of 51 individuals are now being re-examined by police.

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"A couple of these persons of interest were persons of interest back then but all the friends vouched for them providing what they believed were airtight alibis," he said.

"Further information has come forward recently… those alibis have fallen down, allegiances have changed. 

"And whether there was a threat there previously, that is no longer there, so people are not hesitant in coming forward."

Deverell's brother Michael 'Digger' Deverell said his family were haunted by what happened and were desperate for his sister's killer to face justice.

"We'd like to know who done it, just for peace of mind, and so my mum can go to her grave knowing who done it," he said.

"Someone knows, definitely knows who did it, and them themselves know who did it – just give yourself up basically."

Deveral's friend Wendy Wintle told the podcast she believed only someone with local knowledge could have committed this murder.

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She said only longtime Mandurah residents knew about the Pinjarra site where Deverell's body was found.

"If you weren't local, you wouldn't know that area, and we, all of the Mandurah young ones… we'd go up there most weekends, swimming and camping, or they'd ride motorbikes," Wintle said.

"The guys used to go shooting up there. And, yeah, everyone thought it has to be a local person."

Police believe it is likely Deverell knew her killer and the unidentified blonde man from the post office remains a key focus of the investigation. 

Annette's last movements

Annette Caroline Deverell was 19 years old when her mother Margaret Carver dropped her in central Mandurah on Saturday, September 13, 1980.

She was meeting friends at the Boathouse Tavern, but never made it home alive.

Annette disappeared at around 1130pm, with some witnesses telling police they saw her standing near the post office at the corner of Sholl St and Pinjarra Rd.

In one account she was talking to a young man with shoulder-length blonde hair.

Her remains were found near a large log in a burnt out forest area near Scarp Road, Pinjarra, on Sunday July 4, 1982.

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South Korean president declares martial law in shock late-night address

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared an "emergency martial law", accusing the country's opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathising with North Korea and paralysing the government with anti-state activities.

Yoon made the announcement during a televised briefing, vowing to "eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order".

It wasn't immediately clear how the steps would affect the country's governance and democracy.

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Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.

Yoon's conservative People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition Democratic Party over next year's budget bill.

He has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.

The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon's announcement.

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Easey Street murder suspect lands in Melbourne after extradition

Easey Street murder suspect Perry Kouroumblis has touched down in Melbourne after a marathon extradition from Rome.

The 65-year-old was approved for extradition from Italy in late October, almost 50 years after Suzanne Armstrong and Susan Bartlett were found dead in their Collingwood home.

The journey began at lunchtime on Monday (Monday night AEDT) as Kouroumblis was driven from Rome's maximum security Regina Coeli prison in a blacked-out van. 

He was processed at the city's international airport by the man who arrested him in September on his arrival from Greece, where the statute of limitations had meant he couldn't be arrested.

Kouroumblis was driven onto the tarmac without handcuffs and loaded into seat 35E of Qatar Airways flight 132 to Doha before the other passengers boarded.

Victoria Police detectives occupied the seats beside him and Dean Thomas, the head of the homicide squad, sat in the row in front.

At 11.32pm on Tuesday, 13 minutes ahead of schedule, he touched down in Melbourne.

After a sleep, he will be questioned at police headquarters over the deaths of Bartlett and Armstrong in their Easey Street home.

Kouroumblis left Melbourne in 2017, after previously consenting to provide a DNA sample during a re-investigation of the case.

He was considered a person of interest but never charged.

He gave his own consent to the extradition to Australia in September, and his lawyer at the time said he maintained his innocence of the murders.

Armstrong and Bartlett, 27 and 28, were found dead in their home on January 13, 1977.

They had both suffered stab wounds and Armstrong had been raped.

Her infant son was found unharmed in his cot.

CCTV released from investigation into Adelaide’s man suspected murder

Police have released CCTV footage of two men they believe are linked to the suspected murder of a man in Adelaide's north-west.

The body of Bill Frangos, 72, was found by firefighters inside his home on Essex Street in Woodville Gardens after a house fire on November 7.

After examining the scene, police came to believe the fire was deliberately lit, and suspected that Frangos had been murdered.

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Teen's warning after shattering legs for social media trend

CCTV footage released today shows two men, described by police as being of African appearance, in the area on the night of the alleged murder.

The footage also shows a distinctive red Ford Falcon ute with a chrome roll bar.

The body of Bill Frangos, 72, was found by firefighters inside his home on Essex Street in Woodville Gardens in Adelaide's north-west early yesterday morning, November 7, 2024.Teen's warning after shattering legs for social media trend

Police believe the two men could be involved in Frangos' death.

"Major Crime Detectives are investigating if the people who murdered Bill were known to him or were in the vicinity of his house prior to his murder," Detective Inspector Andrew Macrae said.

Police have called on anyone with information about the two men to come forward.

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‘Significant step’ for five Aussies told they would never leave prison

The five Bali Nine members remaining in prison have received the greatest assurance yet from Indonesian officials that they'll be heading back to Australia, possibly as soon as this month.

Indonesian coordinating minister for law, human rights and corrections Yusril Ihza Mahendra and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stood side-by-side this evening to reveal a draft proposal had been delivered to Australian diplomats to repatriate the convicted drug smugglers.

Burke described their meeting and the text as a "significant step" while Yusril said he hoped the issue could be "finalised" by the end of the year.

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"We worked through the different issues of each of our legal systems that we would have to work through there and work through in a very constructive way," Burke said. 

"I have full respect for the Indonesian legal system, and approach the conversations with a great deal of respect and a great deal of humility. 

"The good will from Indonesia to Australia in those conversations was absolutely clear, and I thank the coordinating minister for that."

The Indonesian government was awaiting Australia's response to key points related to the transfer arrangements, including provisions requiring Australia to acknowledge Indonesia's sovereignty, respect the rulings of Indonesian courts and ensure that the five maintain their prisoner status after returning home, Yusril said.

"I hope that we can find an understanding on that, agreed on the draft. And we hope that we can finalise these matters in December," the minister said.

He said Indonesia was not seeking anything from Australia in return for the release of Si Yi Chen, Michael Czugaj, Matthew Norman, Scott Rush and Martin Stephens.

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"It is purely good intention and discretion taken by President Prabowo Subianto," he said.

But both ministers said there were still some issues to be resolved, most notably the lack of a legal framework in either country for such a transfer.

Yusril wasn't willing to give the five men an ironclad guarantee they would be going home but said he wanted to come to a final agreement and implement it "as soon as possible".

Burke also wouldn't commit to a timeline without having gone through the proposal in detail. 

"The proposal was handed to us during the meeting today," he said.

"The fact that that was handed to us is a significant step forward and shows significant goodwill. We now need to work through the issues within each country, and we'll be doing that without delay."

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last month appealed to Indonesia's new president, Prabowo Subianto, to allow their repatriation.

Two convicted ringleaders of the Bali Nine, Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, were executed by a firing squad in 2015, causing a diplomatic furore. Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen died from cancer in prison in May.

Bali Nine members Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan in a holding cell at Denpasar Court in February 2006. (AAP)

The nine were arrested in an attempt to smuggle 8.3 kilograms of heroin from Indonesia's resort island of Bali to Australia in 2005.The five are serving life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Renae Lawrence, the only woman in the group, was released and returned to Australia in 2018.

Of the five, Si Yi Chen and Matthew Norman are held in Bali's Kerobokan Prison, while the others have been transferred to facilities elsewhere.

For years, they have sought clemency ahead of Indonesia's Independence Day. Each request has gone unanswered, underscoring the country's hard line stance on drug offences.

Last month, Indonesia agreed to repatriate to the Philippines a death-row drug convict who was nearly executed by firing squad but got a reprieve due to years of pleadings from Manila.

– Reported with Associated Press.

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Shocking footage shows moment of Brisbane hit and run

CCTV footage has captured the moment a woman was injured in a hit and run in Brisbane's south yesterday evening.

Victoria Chaves was riding on Tarragindi Road in Moorooka just before 7pm when a car collided with her, knocking her to the road.

The driver drove away, leaving Chaves behind.

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CCTV footage has captured the moment a woman was injured in a hit and run in Brisbane's south yesterday evening.

Bystanders rushed to her aid and she was taken by ambulance to the PA Hospital in a stable condition with minor injuries.

Today she was recovering at home.

She told 9News she was still trying to come to terms with what happened.

"When I saw that the car that was almost over me, I thought it was going to stop," Chaves said.

"But it didn't, and it dragged me a couple of metres."

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CCTV footage has captured the moment a woman was injured in a hit and run in Brisbane's south yesterday evening.

"There was a lady lying on the road. And on the CCTV, we could see the car just speed off, racing off and leaving that person, possibly for dead," witness Stephanie Lee-Harper said.

Police are investigating.

Anyone with information can contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.