A driver was forced to flee her burning car when the Toyota Corolla erupted in flames during Adelaide's morning commute.
The car ignited on Marion Road, South Plympton just after 7.30am, with the woman forced to pull over into a carpark and jump clear as witnesses rushed over to check on her and help try and put the fire out.
"The flames grew and the fire got bigger and a couple of popped tyres with the young fella hanging over the fence trying to put it out, was a bit scary," witness Steve Troy told 9News.
Firefighters arrived a short time later and extinguished the flames.
An engine fault is believed to be the cause of the fire and the car was completely destroyed.
Rare footage of two female Southern Right Whales and their calves resting along the New South Wales South Coast has been captured by the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) member Daryn McKenny.
Both calves didn't stray far from their mothers as they leisurely swam in the teal waters.
One of the calves rested themselves on its mothers back before returning to be by her side.
Distinct white marks known as callosities were spotted on the whales. The shape and pattern of the callosities are unique to each Southern Right whale as the patterns stay with them from birth.
A pod of dolphins also joined the whales, leaping and diving close by.
Despite being solitary mammals, Southern Right Whales occasionally migrate in pairs as shown in the footage. They swim slowly and don't remain in one place for a long period of time.
The whales have been spending a few days resting before recommencing their migration to the southern waters of the Southern Ocean for feeding.
Using the word 'mate' in conversation has been found not increase trustworthiness, a new study reveals.
The study, published in Human Ethology, has revealed people without an Australian accent are considered less trustworthy.
The author of the study, Dr Cyril Grueter from University of Western Australia's School of Human Sciences, said his research team set out to find out why Australians frequently interjected their conversations with the salutation 'mate' and if using the cultural idiom fortified connections between people.
Dr Grueter and his colleagues also researched whether Australians discriminated against speakers with accents other than Australian-English.
"We were specifically interested in the situation in Australia where you can hear all sorts of accents and it's customary to use the term 'mate' to address people," Dr Grueter said.
Dr Grueter also added that accents were "a pertinent social marker and can shape group preferences; non-native speakers are often perceived less positively than native speakers in domains such as integrity and solidarity."
Researchers conducted a psychological experiment that involved the recording of six speeches by three male speakers, which were differentiated by accent and use of the word 'mate'.
"This means people approved to travel into WA from Victoria will have to have proof of a negative COVID test in the 72 hours prior to departure, proof of at least one vaccination dose, use the new G2G now app, and undergo COVID tests on days 2 and 12," Mr McGowan said.
Mr McGowan said his message to any Western Australians in Victoria who want to come home is "do it now".
The premier also said tougher testing requirements for truck drivers would come into effect from next week after two COVID-19 positive drivers from NSW made their way into the state.
"From next week, all truckies from high or extreme risk jurisdictions who want to enter WA will have to have returned a negative PCR test undertaken within the prior three days," he said.
"Truck drivers who have not had a test will not be allowed to enter."
Western Australia recorded zero new local coronavirus cases overnight.
Health officials confirmed there are currently 10 active cases in the state, two in hotel quarantine – two diagnosed in WA and two cases diagnosed in NSW – and eight crew members from the MV Ken Hou vessel.
The two NSW truck drivers who were confirmed positive cases on August 27 remain in hotel quarantine and 25 contacts linked to them have returned negative test results and remain in home quarantine.
Influencer Nadia Bartel says she is "embarrassed and remorseful" after the release of a video allegedly depicting an illegal gathering and illicit drug use, which has been circulating on social media.
Police this afternoon announced they were investigating "a video currently on social media depicting a gathering of people and alleged illicit drug use".
"Victoria Police is making enquiries into the video," a spokesperson said.
DHHS has also confirmed it is "liaising with Victoria Police in relation to the alleged incident".
The official statements come after a video of the well-known Melbourne model and business owner gathering in a bathroom with at least two other women was shared to Instagram.
In the video she can be seen snorting what appears to be white powder from a plate.
It is alleged Bartel was illegally gathering with the women during Melbourne's lockdown, in which home visits are banned.
The video has since been deleted by the woman who shared it.
This evening Bartel posted a message on her Instagram account.
"Hi everyone, I have let you all down by my actions," she wrote.
"I take full responsibility and I am committed to taking all necessary steps to ensure I make better choices in future.
"To my family and friends, my business partners and the public health workers trying to keep us all safe, I am embarrassed and remorseful.
"I am truly and deeply sorry. I hope I can earn your forgiveness and, in time, your trust."
A New Zealand man with COVID-19 who allegedly fled a quarantine facility walked almost 10 kilometres to his south Auckland home, but the escape posed no risk to public health, the Deputy Prime Minister says.
The alleged absconder is facing court proceedings under COVID-19 legislation after leaving the Novotel & Ibis Ellerslie in the early hours of Thursday.
On Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said CCTV showed the man hid in a bush during an early-morning break from his room before fleeing.
He was at large for around 10 hours, but Mr Robertson insisted there was no risk to the public because the man did not come into contact with anyone on his way home.
During a COVID-19 update, Mr Robertson went on to detail some of the man's movements before he left the site.
The man had been identified as a close contact of another case and received notice that he had tested positive on Wednesday while he was exercising alone at a park.
He picked up a car from the house of a friend who was already a contact and in isolation, and dropped the car to his own home, Mr Robertson said.
Later in the day the man was again contacted by Auckland Regional Public Health Service, and he agreed to be transferred to an MIQ facility, which happened in the evening.
Between 9.40pm on Wednesday and 11.04pm (AEST) Thursday, the man was captured on CCTV leaving his room three times.
He left the facility via a fire stairwell, before hiding in bushes, skipping two fences and departed the facility at 11.07pm, Mr Robertson said.
Mr Robertson said CCTV footage confirmed the man walked home and had no contact with any other person.
Members of the man's bubble noticed he was missing at 8.30am and advised police and Defence Force staff on site who immediately checked the room and began searching.
Police outside the facility were advised at 9.10am, and they went to his Ōtāhuhu address, 13 kilometres to the southeast of Auckland's CBD, where negotiations were conducted, Mr Robertson said.
"There was no risk to public safety through this incident," Mr Robertson said.
He said while it was clearly regrettable, the incident was being fully investigated.
When Mr Robertson was questioned why the public wasn't informed by the prime minister at Thursday's update, he said it would have been "irresponsible" as an active police operation was underway.
Mr Robertson again said there was no risk to public safety because the man didn't come into contact with anyone on his way home.
Brigadier Rose King, joint head of managed isolation and quarantine, previously said the man appeared to have escaped from the facility by jumping two fences.
The alleged absconder is now in Jet Park quarantine facility, 15 kilometres south of the Auckland city centre in Māngere, with a guard stationed permanently outside his door.
"Security measures are in place at all facilities, but we are doing a review into in this situation to fully understand what happened and if any improvements need to be made as a result. We will continue to make more information available as we gather the facts," she said.
Ms King described it as a disappointing and unacceptable breach.
Of nearly 170,000 people through MIQ, there have only been 12 incidents involving 16 people absconding and since the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment took control of the system on July 13, there have been no other COVID-positive absconders.
This story originally appeared onstuff.co.nzand has been republished with permission.
There are 43 people with COVID-19 in hospitals across the Auckland region.
Nine are in intensive care or high dependency care units. Three are on ventilators.
To date, 33 people in the outbreak have recovered.
There are now eight sub-clusters in the outbreak, the largest of which remain the Assembly of God Church in Māngere (347 confirmed cases) and the Birkdale social cluster associated with Case A (74 cases).
Of Friday's reported cases, 25 have been epidemiologically linked to the cluster. Three continue to be investigated.
To date, there have been 747 cases in Auckland and 17 in Wellington linked to the Delta community outbreak, after Case A was detected on August 17.
As of 9am Friday, there were 261 locations of interest linked to the outbreak.
This number is also decreasing day-on-day.
There continue to be no unexpected wastewater detections across New Zealand.
Regarding the alleged abscondee from the Novotel MIQ facility, Mr Robertson said "obviously something has gone wrong here".
The person was tested as they were a close case, and originally agreed to be transferred to MIQ.
CCTV shows the individual left their room three times.
On the final time, they departed the facility at 11.07pm.
The person then walked home, CCTV shows. There are no locations of interest as a result of this walk home, he said.
Mr Robertson said officials have advised there is "no risk to public safety" as a result of this incident.
More than 89,000 COVID-19 vaccines were administered across the country yesterday.
To date, more than 3.6 million doses of the vaccine have been given, including 2.4m first doses and 1.2m second doses.
Slightly less than 12,800 tests were carried out across the country in the past 24 hours.
Of these, 6460 were done in the Auckland region.
Dr McElnay said officials were seeing an "expected drop off" in tests because time has gone on in lockdown, and most people who attended locations of interest have already been tested.
The large number of tests early on in this outbreak was largely driven by people who had been to locations of interest, she said.
However, officials encouraged people to continue coming forward for testing – as it was important to understand whether the outbreak is under control, she said.
This story originally appeared onstuff.co.nzand has been republished with permission.
An urgent appeal is underway to identify a man wanted for questioning over the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl at a pool north of Melbourne.
Victoria Police have today released images of the man following the incident in January.
Detectives said a 16-year-old girl was playing water volleyball with friends at an aquatic centre on Central Park Avenue in Craigieburn just after 2pm on January 10 when they were allegedly approached by two men.
Former chief medical officer Brendan Murphy has been named Australian Father of the Year ahead of Father's Day on Sunday.
Professor Murphy, who is now the Secretary of the Department of Health, is best known for his role in Australia's management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison gave the professor a shout-out during his media conference today, praising him for his contribution to keeping Australia safe.
The award acknowledges his work supporting Australians through the pandemic and his dedication to his family.
"Being named Australian Father of the Year is a huge and unexpected honour," Professor Murphy said.
"Fatherhood is a unique and humbling experience that has changed me profoundly, and informed my values to have a stronger focus on family and community.
"A truly wonderful part of fatherhood has been the joy of reliving aspects of it again as a grandparent."
An Australian couple is celebrating a $20 million windfall after initially ignoring the calls from lottery officials suspecting "bad news".
The couple in their 30s from Belconnen in the Australian Capital Territory nabbed the only division one winning entry in tonight's Powerball draw 1320, along with 19 division two scores, leaving them with $20,852,900.
The winning numbers were 17, 25, 12, 5, 4, 28 and 14, and the Powerball number was 10.
A family in Adelaide's north-east had a lucky escape when a boat in their garage exploded into flames.
Rory Carter and his friend were working on restoring the vintage boat yesterday afternoon at Sunburn Court, Greenwith, when a spark ignited petrol after they started the engine.
Just moments before the fire ignited, two of Mr Carter's young children had been playing in the boat their dad was working on.
"The kids were standing in the boat, it would have blown them away," Mr Carter told 9News.
"The fire itself just went whoosh, I'm surprised it didn't take our eyebrows off.
"It would have been 30 seconds - it was a massive fireball."
Inside the house, Mr Carter's wife Olivia heard the loud bang and rushed to grab their three young children to get them outside.
"As I went, I saw a big flame coming from the garage, so I quickly rushed to get the kids out, I actually carried all three at once," Ms Carter said.
Too young to realise the danger inside, security footage showed the little ones repeatedly trying to run back into the house with Ms Carter chasing after them.
The court voted 5-4 to deny an emergency appeal from abortion providers and others that sought to block enforcement of the law that went into effect Wednesday. But the justices also suggested that their order likely isn't the last word on whether the law can stand because other challenges to it can still be brought.
The Texas law, signed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May, prohibits abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity, usually around six weeks and before many women know they’re pregnant.
It is the strictest law against abortion rights in the United States since the high court’s landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 and part of a broader push by Republicans nationwide to impose new restrictions on abortion. At least 12 other states have enacted bans early in pregnancy, but all have been blocked from going into effect.
The high court's order declining to halt the Texas law came just before midnight Wednesday. The majority said those bringing the case had not met the high burden required for a stay of the law.
“In reaching this conclusion, we stress that we do not purport to resolve definitively any jurisdictional or substantive claim in the applicants’ lawsuit. In particular, this order is not based on any conclusion about the constitutionality of Texas’s law, and in no way limits other procedurally proper challenges to the Texas law, including in Texas state courts,” the unsigned order said.
Chief Justice John Roberts dissented along with the court's three liberal justices. Each of the four dissenting justices wrote separate statements expressing their disagreement with the majority.
Mr Roberts noted that while the majority denied the request for emergency relief “the Court’s order is emphatic in making clear that it cannot be understood as sustaining the constitutionality of the law at issue.”
The vote in the case underscores the impact of the death of the liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg last year and then-president Donald Trump's replacement of her with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett. Had Ginsburg remained on the court there would have been five votes to halt the Texas law.
Justice Sonia Sotomayor called her conservative colleagues' decision “stunning.” “Presented with an application to enjoin a flagrantly unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights and evade judicial scrutiny, a majority of Justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand,” she wrote.
Texas lawmakers wrote the law to evade federal court review by allowing private citizens to bring civil lawsuits in state court against anyone involved in an abortion, other than the patient. Other abortion laws are enforced by state and local officials, with criminal sanctions possible.
In contrast, Texas' law allows private citizens to sue abortion providers and anyone involved in facilitating abortions. Among other situations, that would include anyone who drives a woman to a clinic to get an abortion. Under the law, anyone who successfully sues another person would be entitled to at least US$10,000 (A$13,500).
In her dissent, Justice Elena Kagan called the law “patently unconstitutional,” saying it allows “private parties to carry out unconstitutional restrictions on the State’s behalf.” And Justice Stephen Breyer said a “woman has a federal constitutional right to obtain an abortion during” the first stage of pregnancy.
After a federal appeals court refused to allow a prompt review of the law before it took effect, the measure’s opponents sought Supreme Court review.
In a statement released early on Thursday after the high court's action, Nancy Northup, the head of the Centre for Reproductive Rights, which represents abortion providers challenging the law, vowed to “keep fighting this ban until abortion access is restored in Texas.”
“We are devastated that the Supreme Court has refused to block a law that blatantly violates Roe v. Wade. Right now, people seeking abortion across Texas are panicking — they have no idea where or when they will be able to get an abortion, if ever. Texas politicians have succeeded for the moment in making a mockery of the rule of law, upending abortion care in Texas, and forcing patients to leave the state — if they have the means — to get constitutionally protected healthcare. This should send chills down the spine of everyone in this country who cares about the constitution," she said.
Texas has long had some of the nation’s toughest abortion restrictions, including a sweeping law passed in 2013. The Supreme Court eventually struck down that law, but not before more than half of the state’s 40-plus clinics closed.
Even before the Texas case arrived at the high court the justices had planned to tackle the issue of abortion rights in a major case after the court begins hearing arguments again in the fall. That case involves the state of Mississippi, which is asking to be allowed to enforce an abortion ban after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Widespread rain and thunderstorms are predicted across Australia over the next four days.
The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted damaging winds over Victoria and South Australia today, with heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding developing over the southeast states tomorrow.
Flood warnings are current for several catchments in southern NSW, with the potential for further flood watches and warnings.
A northwest cloud band, which developed over Western Australia and South Australia this morning, will deliver wet weather to central and southeastern parts of the country.
Gusts over 90km/h are expected over the northern suburbs of Melbourne and the Dandenong Ranges late Thursday and early Friday.
The rain will become heavier on Friday, as the cloud band moves from South Australia and spreads through to western NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the Red Centre.
On Saturday the rain will continue, spreading over central and eastern Australia.
Flooding is possible in parts of eastern Victoria and south-eastern NSW.
On Sunday, showers will continue in eastern Victoria and south-eastern NSW as the rain band stretches from northern NSW, southern Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Cold temperatures are likely to continue into next week, as southerly winds move through the southern parts of the country.
Bunnings stores across Sydney are set to reopen their doors to all on Monday, except for those in the LGAs of concern.
Bunnings managing director Mike Schneider said the decision followed the announcement that 70 per cent of the eligible NSW population had been vaccinated against COVID-19.
"The acceleration of the vaccine rollout and the increase in opportunities for our team to get vaccinated has given us the confidence to re-open our stores in Greater Sydney," he said.
Mr Schneider said Bunnings staff in Sydney had been getting vaccinated at drive-through vaccination clinics the company set up for its team in western Sydney.
He said comprehensive COVID-safe measures would remain in all stores, including security staff at every store to monitor compliance and a one per 10 metre density limit.
"We will continue to encourage customers in Greater Sydney to utilise our contactless Drive & Collect and delivery options for non-urgent items, in keeping with the current public health guidance," he said.
A $1 billion online car seller has just launched in Australia, with the retailer confident the US and UK trend of buying a car online will take off across the country.
Indian start-up CARS24 now allows Australians to buy used cars from home in under five minutes, with the car then delivered to their door.
CARS24 Australia CEO Olga Rudenko said she believed Australians would jump on the "new way of buying used cars" very quickly.
"Being able to order a car in under five minutes with all the financing taken care of and ability to return within seven days at no cost is an absolute no brainer," she said.
"We buy everything online these days. Groceries, clothes, appliances. Why? It's super easy - buy when it's right for you, no need to leave home. You trust that you'll have a good experience, with customer reviews and return policies if things don't work out."
CARS24 owns every car it sells and works to ensure quality control from sourcing through to delivery and warranty.
The retailer also offers seven-day returns with 100 per cent money-back guarantee while each car also comes with a six-month unlimited warranty and free at-home delivery – making it as easy and convenient as any other online purchase.
Melbourne's 20-year-old Nathaniel Chanter was one of the first Australians to use the service, buying a $23,000 Jeep he'd never seen before.
Mr Chanter said he was "a little bit nervous" buying the car when he realised he couldn't even look at the car first, but loved his purchase and thought he'd got it for a very good price.
"I'd definitely do it again," he said.
Publisher of Drive.com.au James Ward said he thought times were changing when it came to buying cars.
"It's a funny thing. The old adage of going to the dealer on a Saturday morning and taking it for a run around the block... I think those days have changed," he said.
Mr Ward said while every buyer should do their own research, he thought test-driving was becoming less important.
"It's very hard to produce a bad car these days. So you're basically buying a solid prospect, regardless of test driving or not."
They're the small start-ups with catchy names trying to cash in on the booming $7 billion online grocery market fuelled by Sydney's lockdown.
Promising delivery times of just 15 minutes, they usually have a specially curated shopping list and a team of drivers and riders ready to drop your groceries at your door.
In the past month or so, a handful of businesses have sprung up, looking to take advantage of the huge growth in online grocery shopping.
They won't have anywhere near the range of Coles and Woolworths, but you also won't have to wait days for a delivery window as the two leaders struggle to meet demand.
According to Ibisworld, Australia's online grocery market is expected to increase 46.2 per cent this year.
QUT Business School Professor Gary Mortimer says delivery times are crucial.
"Time has become the currency of e-commerce retailers today, it's all about speed of delivery not necessarily price," he told 9News.
"Right now Coles and Woolworths are really struggling to keep up with the online demand. It's certainly a beneficial time to have these services available."
The upside for consumers is the more players, the quicker they'll get their groceries. But the competition is unlikely to have an impact on price.
Voly has launched in the past fortnight, promising delivery in the inner city within 15 minutes with the aim of "teleporting the grocery store" to customers with a flat delivery fee of $2.99. They have around 1500 items to choose from. A full-service supermarket has between 20,000 and 25,000 lines.
Co-founders Thibault Henri and Mark Heath have supply chain, logistics and food experience between them.
"We deliver groceries in 15 minutes; we do the pick and pack in our store here in three minutes," Mr Henri said.
"We've got about 1500 products and that's increasing every day. You can get everything from your fruit and veg to your cleaning products all the way to your baby products," Mr Heath.
And while you're making pasta, if you forget the sauce, it can be at your door within minutes.
Geezy Go! has just launched in 60 Sydney suburbs promising prices equal to or better than the leading supermarkets with a flat delivery fee of $3.99 and groceries at your doorstep within 20 minutes.
"LGAS are in lockdown, people do not want to leave their homes. This is a great service for them," Geezy's Dhruv Kohli said.
Send is launching in metro Sydney and Melbourne with most of the items found in a usual supermarket but they also plan to source fresh produce from local vendors. It's promising delivery within 15 minutes. With speeds like that, delivery areas are limited.
The Hills Milk Run has seen smaller players come and go. They source fresh produce straight from farmers and local suppliers and this lockdown, has added fresh flowers to the shopping list. The husband and wife team deliver to 35 suburbs throughout The Hills district and around Parramatta twice a week. The minimum spend is $40 and the focus is on freshness and quality rather than speed.
Pretty Green, which started as a gift store in 2019 has just added an online supermarket app that comes with free sustainable delivery. Delivery is within two hours but the aim is to reduce that to minutes.
In coming times, it's unlikely a freely moving Sydney will be able to sustain all these new businesses. Professor Mortimer believes it's more likely a couple will survive if they team up with a smaller independent grocery chain like IGA.
The Respect at Work bill defined harassment as "unwelcome and demeaning conduct that could reasonably be anticipated to offend, humiliate or intimidate".
"This legislation is a critical step forward and will enhance protections against sexual harassment and other forms of sex discrimination in Australian workplaces," Attorney-General, Michaelia Cash said.
Labor and the Greens had pushed for tougher laws, with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese describing the bill as "half-hearted".
New protections for women - put forward in the legislation - extended the timeframe for a complainant to make a complaint from six months to two years.
Labor wanted to allow unions to bring forward legal action on behalf of victims, and says it will introduce that should it win the next election.
"Unlike the Liberals, an Albanese Labor Government will deliver these changes as part of fully implementing all 55 recommendations of the Sex Discrimination Commissioner's groundbreaking Respect@Work Report," a joint statement from Shadow Minister for Women Tanya Plibersek, Shadow Minister for Industrial Tony Burke, and Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said.
Under the changes from the Coalition an employee will also be granted compassionate leave if they or their partner has a miscarriage.
A fight over a load of washing led to a Melbourne man almost stabbing his elderly neighbour to death at their Elwood public housing complex, a court has heard.
Brett Vaisey, 57, fronted the Supreme Court today, pleading guilty to attempted murder.
Vaisey repeatedly stabbed his elderly female neighbour, Annick Henenberg, with a 20cm kitchen knife as she headed to their communal laundry about 7.25pm on Australia Day - 26 January - last year.
The court heard Vaisey was caught on CCTV rushing at Ms Henenberg with the knife moments before the attack, and three people witnessed the vicious assault.
Ms Henenberg had also started an audio recording on her phone right before the incident, which captured Vaisey berating her during the attack.
"Piece of sh*t, die," he was recorded saying.
"If I'm going to jail it's worth it, you know what I mean."
The court heard the woman immediately fell to the ground after Vaisey first stabbed her.
He then continued to stab her until the knife's blade came off the handle, before he kicked and punched her to the head.
A neighbour grabbed Vaisey to end the attack.
Police arrived and Ms Henenberg was taken to hospital in a life-threatening condition.
Vaisey told police, "I didn't want to do it but she provoked me".
The court heard there was a history of disputes between Vaisey and Ms Henenberg.
On the day of the attack they had fought about the communal washing machine.
He had told her to stop using it, complaining it was making too much noise next to his unit.
About an hour before the incident, another neighbour had called police to the complex about Vaisey, reporting he had been standing outside the complex with a large knife.
Vaisey told police Ms Henenberg had been going back and forth to the laundry to provoke him.
Police left the scene less than half an hour before the attack unfolded.
Vaisey's lawyers told the court he had serious mental health issues that had a causal link to the offending.
Vaisey has since apologised and feels "guilt and shame" for the attack.
