Category: World

A “hero” bystander who rescued a woman mauled by a shark off Sydney’s south has revealed he wasn’t thinking about the potentially lurking shark when he leapt into action, with the risk to his own safety trumped by the desperate need to save her. Mangyon “Mani” Zhang, 57, was swimming laps about 10m from the shore at Gunyah Beach in Bundeena last month when she was mauled by what’s believed to have been a bull shark. Meant to just be a quick swim, Ms Zhang told 60 Minutes she felt as though she’d been stung by something before she got ... Read more

More than half of all voters believe Peter Dutton and the Coalition are not ready to govern the nation, according to the latest Newspoll. The poll, published by The Australian six days before the May 3 election, revealed 62 per cent of the 1254 voters surveyed between April 21 and 24 did not believe Mr Dutton and his team had what it takes to assume power. This marks a seven point increase from polling done in February this year. The feeling was strongest among women, with 66 per cent holding little or no confidence in the Coalition, compared to 58 ... Read more

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will face off in their final crucial leaders’ debate on Sunday night, as the election campaign enters its final week. The Prime Minister and Opposition Leader earlier on Sunday both held support rallies, with the finish line for the May 3 election in sight. They will front up for the final of four debates – the Final Showdown – at 8pm on the Seven Network. Sunrise host Nat Barr will host the debate, to be moderated by 7NEWS political editor Mark Riley in Sydney. Mr Albanese was judged the winner of the first two debates ... Read more

At 18 months old, baby Luca has endured more than most people will in their lifetime. Perth parents Ashleigh and Cody welcomed their little boy at just 33 weeks – six weeks earlier than expected – and nothing could have prepared them for what would ensue in the following 11 months. Luca, who was born on November 9, the day after his mum’s baby shower, entered the world with CHARGE syndrome, a genetic condition that affects the heart, nerves, genitalia, eyes and ears. Red flags first appeared at Ashleigh’s 20 week scan when she was told there could be “a ... Read more

Loved ones of a high-ranking Queensland police officer are set to gather to celebrate his life nearly two months after he went missing in NSW. Detective Inspector Jay Notaro went missing in March, with alarm bells raised after he failed to show up for work on March 25. His car was found parked and unattended at the Broken Head Beach carpark in NSW’s Northern Rivers region at some point the morning of March 25, while his surfboard was later found by someone walking along the beach about 500m north of where his car was found. The surfboard was not damaged ... Read more

A senior minister has defended Labor’s military spending and slammed the Coalition’s election pledge to boost the defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 as “plucked out of air”. With the Trump White House’s “America First” agenda casting doubt on the US’ commitment to global security, many of Washington’s closest allies – including Australia – have been scrambling to bolster their defences. The Coalition has accused the Albanese government of dropping the ball on defence, despite tens of billions going into expanding the country’s defensive and offensive capabilities. Health Minister Mark Butler said on Sunday that Labor ... Read more

The Liberal Party’s new ‘whinging Wendy’ ad features a paid actor, who once appeared in a Thor movie, posing as a struggling nurse that simply can’t afford another three years of Anthony Albanese’s broken promises. Highlighting the use of paid actors in ads by both sides of politics, a simple internet search reveals that the mum in the ad is an actor and acting coach Cassie Zorko. Her real-life husband also appears in the ad as a tradie. In the couple’s other life, they run a successful wellness company that sells $20,000 saunas and manufactures the yoga mats that the ... Read more

Victoria is a key battleground state this election. For both Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, there’s a path to the Lodge through Victoria. Both leaders hold a swathe of seats across the city’s west and southeast. However, Victoria is home to at least 16 seats that are too close to call, with the outcome of several electorates deemed crucial to both major parties’ success on May 3. NewsWire headed out to early voting booths this week and spoke to residents in the key electorates of Chisholm, Kooyong, Dunkley and Macnamara. Most residents agreed there were three ... Read more

A payments surcharge in retail businesses is an indicator of how well the business is run and how much it genuinely cares for its customers. In my opinion. At a local market here in Melbourne yesterday morning across 10 different butchers and fishmongers there were 8 different surcharge percentages ranging from 1% to 1.75%. Most had a sign saying they were passing on the cost to their business. The businesses are similar in size and would, I expect, have similar capacity for negotiating with their payments provider. To me, the surcharge percentage is a way to compare businesses. I switched ... Read more

Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton will leave nothing to chance in their bid to win Saturday’s federal election, with an intense final week of campaigning expected. The Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader are expected to hit as many key electorates as possible in the final seven days of the five-week campaign. Opinion polls are pointing to Mr Albanese winning a second term, but Mr Dutton is not giving up on his bid to win the election from a first-term government. The Coalition needs to gain 21 seats to secure a majority in the 150-seat parliament, and Mr Dutton intends ... Read more