Australian News

The return to the NRL of Dragons player Jack De Belin is on hold after a jury failed to reach a verdict in his rape trial.After two days of deliberation, the jury told the court that "the division ... has remained constant and is unlikely to change" before they were sent home.Outside of court, De Belin's attorney said, "of course he's disappointed."Jack de Belin arrives at the Wollongong court today. (Kate Geraghty)Callan Sinclair's legal team said they were more determined than ever to beat the charges.Steps are now being taken to set a date for a new trial, possibly at a different location, with no date available in Wollongong until August 2021, although the DPP has yet to confirm that they will go ahead.Almost two years ago, De Belin and Sinclair ran into the then 19-year-old woman ...

The Iranian nuclear scientist killed east of Tehran on Friday was shot by a remote-controlled machine gun operating from another car, the semi-official Fars news agency said yesterday.With senior Iranian officials blaming Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and others have vowed revenge for the murder of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was the country's top nuclear scientist.There were conflicting accounts from Iranian news agencies about how the attack unfolded.In this image published by the official website of the office of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is in a meeting with the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, on January 23, 2019. (AP)A report published yesterday by Fars News said that Mr. Fakhrizadeh was traveling with his wife on Fri...

Framed by the backdrop of four rolled up Australian flags, Prime Minister Scott Morrison sat with a stony-faced gaze.Morrison called the violent image "disgusting" and demanded an apology from China and its removal from both Zhao's account and Twitter entirely.With a single post, tensions between the two nations really spilled over with the pot almost burned.China Tweets Australian Army (Twitter)What caused such a reaction?Political ties between Australia and China have been strained for many years, some claiming the relationship soured in 2018 when Australia banned Huawei from its fledgling 5G broadband network.These tensions were said to have been intensified by Australia's concern over China's attempts to secure greater influence in the Pacific.It was in late April this year that Aus...

Qantas has confirmed that thousands of ground workers will lose their jobs following a cost-cutting decision to outsource most of their ground handling operations. The warring airline has revealed that 2,000 jobs will be cut at 10 Australian airports as part of its operational review to ensure the flying kangaroo can remain in the skies beyond the coronavirus pandemic.Qantas' decision comes after months of operational reviews that began in August to reduce the size of the business after a reduced number of trips due to the health crisis.Monday's announcement brings the total loss of jobs at Qantas to around 8,500 of its 29,000 workers before the pandemic.The aviation industry has been financially destroyed by COVID-19, and the health crisis caused Qantas to report a legal loss of $ 2.7 ...

A senior Chinese official has ignited tensions with Australia by posting a "disgusting" and violent doctored image on social media of an Australian soldier.ChinaForeign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian today tweeted the false image of an Australian soldier appearing to cut the throat of a child while kneeling on an Australian flag.Below the image, which shows the child's face covered and holding a lamb, are the words: "Do not fear, we come to bring you peace.""Shocked by the killing of Afghan civilians and prisoners by Australian soldiers. We strongly condemn such acts and call for them to be held accountable," Zhao said in the tweet.A fuzzy version of the controversial tweet shared by a senior Chinese official. (Twitter)The report alleges that Australian special forces soldiers committed...

Annastacia Palaszczuk says Queensland The border will remain closed to Adelaide until the situation is reassessed next week, as the state prepares to welcome the residents of Sydney and Victoria tomorrow.The prime minister said that Queensland's health director Jeanette Young asked him for more time to monitor outbreak."Dr Young has asked for another week to further assess the situation in South Australia and I will accept that advice," he said."We want to make sure everything is perfectly secure when we can lift those borders."Annastacia Palaszczuk says she will re-evaluate the border restrictions in South Africa next week. (Nine)The prime minister also announced that from 1 a.m. tomorrow, 100 people will be allowed to meet in public places.Inside the private houses, the meeting li...

Six years after the original Destiny, the franchise moves to the next generation with the first of a new trilogy, Destiny 2: Beyond Light.Hundreds of thousands of players are still aiming online every day playing the first person looter shooter MMO.9News sat down with two of the developers, Bungie staff designer Chris Proctor and producer Katherine Walker, to discuss what's next and fan reaction to Destiny 2: Beyond Light.Six years after the original Destiny, the franchise moves to the next generation with the first of a new trilogy, Destiny 2: Beyond Light. (Supplied)"I don't think we could have expected it," Walker said."It's been really amazing to see people in the community really hold on and be really excited to bring these characters to history." The next-generation expansion will...

The retail empire of tycoon Philip Green, which owns well-known British fashion chains like Topshop, appears to be on the brink of collapse following the economic shock of the coronavirus pandemic.In another blow to the British Retail industry in the run-up to the crucial Christmas business period, Arcadia Group said it is working on "contingency options to secure the future of the group's brands."Like other big names, Arcadia's brands, which employ some 15,000 people and include Burton, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, have suffered during the pandemic and associated restrictions across the UK.The rattle comes after the struggling retailer closed the doors of its last Australian store in March this year, eliminating all local jobs.A woman wearing a mask walks past mannequins wear...

US President Donald Trump has spoken with Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo, her first television interview since the election.Bartiromo opened the interview Sunday with a question about voter fraud, telling Trump: "The facts are on your side." Trump responded by falsely saying, "This election was a fraud; it was a rigged choice. "There is no evidence that the election was rigged or there was electoral fraud.The Fox host then reflected the president's anger and said, "This is disgusting and we cannot allow America's election to be corrupted."US President Donald Trump walks with his grandchildren on the White House lawn. (AP)The interview highlighted that Trump "is unable or unwilling to accept reality," CNN's chief media correspondent Brian Stelter said.False accusations on voting is...

Cruise ships will have to remain anchored for a while longer, and the journey is not expected to start again anytime soon due to the risks of COVID-19 infection.International cruises are expected to be off limits for "some time," as question marks loom over domestic cruise travel, which is worth a staggering $ 5 billion to the Australian economy.The coronavirus has the potential to spread rampant on cruise ships, and Australian Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said that the high-risk nature of ships is the reason the industry is still frozen.SeaDream sails the Mediterranean last year. (Supplied)"Sailing is difficult," Birmingham told Today this morning."The cruise industry it is working to try to show health authorities how they can manage problems on cruise ships. "Cruise ships we...