One dead, one seriously injured after head-on crash west of Brisbane

One dead, one seriously injured after head-on crash west of Brisbane

Police are investigating whether a car involved in a horror smash that killed a woman and left a man with serious injuries was hooning north-west of Brisbane last night.

A Holden Commodore and a black BMW were involved in a head-on collision on the Brisbane Valley Highway at Lake Wivenhoe just after 11pm yesterday.

The driver of the Holden, a 23-year-old Bracken Ridge woman, died at the scene, and the male 24-year-old passenger from Mango Hill was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane with serious injuries.

READ MORE: Teen charged after boy dies in allegedly stolen car rollover

A 30-year-old woman who was driving the BMW was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Police confirmed they are investigating whether the woman was part of a group of cars that were hooning in the area just before the crash occurred, but this has not been confirmed.

READ MORE: Legendary Australian chef hailed a 'visionary' following death at 59

No charges have been laid.

Police are appealing for any eyewitnesses or people with dashcam footage of the crash to come forward.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Legendary Australian chef hailed a 'visionary' following death at 59

Legendary Australian chef hailed a 'visionary' following death at 59

Highly respected Melbourne chef Teage Ezrad has died at the age of 59 after a battle with a neurological disease.

Ezard burst onto the Australian culinary scene in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and ran well-known Melbourne restaurants Ezard and Gingerboy, with the former winning The Age's Best New Restaurant of the Year award when it first opened.

However, Ezard began to step away from the restaurant world during the COVID-19 pandemic as he began to suffer from health issues.

READ MORE: Three more Iranian footballers backflip on decision to stay in Australia

Teage Ezard ran multiple restaurants in Melbourne, winning awards and becoming a famed chef in the city.

In 2024, he was diagnosed with Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), an incurable disease that affects movement, balance, speech and other emotional regulation.

Yesterday, his family announced his death.

"With the heaviest of hearts, we share that our beloved Teage Ezard has passed after a brave fight with MSA," the family said in a statement on social media.

"He met this cruel disease with courage, humour, wit, and unbreakable spirit, joking and uplifting others until the very end.

A legendary chef who shaped Australian dining, he was our devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend.

"Teage wanted his story to raise awareness of MSA and support research to spare other families this pain.

"We're grieving deeply and ask for privacy.

READ MORE: Experts say worse to come after 23,000 jobs gone in mere months

Inside Gingerboy, one of Teage Ezard's most well-known restaurants in Melbourne.

"Honour him by spreading MSA awareness & supporting Combat MSA."

Lord Mayor of Melbourne Nick Reece called Ezrad a "visionary" who helped put Melbourne on the map in culinary terms, and "set new standards for Australian hospitality."

"[His] creativity reshaped the way Melbourne dined," Reece said.

"Teage was in the vanguard of chefs who revolutionised the Melbourne dining scene in the 1990s and early 2000's."

Reece also praised the work of Ezard in creating awareness for MSA, with Ezard and his family creating the Combat MSA organisation.

"He met this cruel disease with courage, humour, wit, and unbreakable spirit, joking and uplifting others until the very end," Combat MSA said in a post on social media announcing Ezard's death.

MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT: Trump issues cry for help to other nations to keep oil flowing

Teage Ezard with his wife Tina last year.

"A legendary chef who shaped Australian dining, he was our devoted husband, father, son, brother and friend."

Last year, Ezard spoke to The Good Weekend about his diagnosis and its impact on his family, especially his wife Tina.

"I was scared of dying after the initial shock of the diagnosis, but I've accepted time isn't on my side," he said at the time.

"It's hard to have your independence taken away. Tina reassures me, helps me engage in social interactions, monitors my symptoms. Her strength and patience leave me in awe."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Missile strikes helipad inside US Embassy compound in Baghdad

Missile strikes helipad inside US Embassy compound in Baghdad

A missile struck a helipad inside the US Embassy in Baghdad, two security officials said.

The projectile landed within the embassy's boundaries after the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district in central Baghdad that houses Iraqi government institutions and foreign embassies, added the security officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak with the press.

Video obtained by The Associated Press showed smoke billowing from inside the compound.

READ MORE: Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply

The US Embassy in Baghdad has been bombed.

There was no immediate comment from the US Embassy in Baghdad.

On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against US citizens, interests and infrastructure, and "may continue to target them."

The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest US diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones in the past by Iran-aligned militias.

These groups have recently stepped up attacks on bases hosting US and coalition troops.

A drone strike in northern Iraq on Thursday killed a French soldier and wounded several others stationed there as part of an international coalition.

US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran will end "when I feel it in my bones".

Trump was asked on The Brian Kilmeade Show about the timeline of the war, which he previously described as a "brief excursion".

"When it's over –– and I don't think it's going to be long –– when it's over, this is going to bounce back so fast," the president said.

The US has attacked a piece of vital infrastructure in Iran that has so far been untouched by the war.

Donald Trump announced this morning that he had "executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the history of the Middle East" on Kharg Island.

In a Truth Social post, the US president said he had destroyed every military target on what he described as "Iran's crown jewel".

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Cops warn of popular craze after it sent a TAFE campus into lockdown

Cops warn of popular craze after it sent a TAFE campus into lockdown

Police have warned that a popular game can be treated like a real threat after a TAFE campus was put into lockdown after a girl was spotted walking around with a water pistol.

The message comes as emergency services were called to Campbelltown TAFE on Tuesday when a 16-year-old girl walked through the campus with a water pistol mistaken for a gun.

What many feared was a shooter on the loose turned out to be a teenager playing a viral TikTok game known as "Senior Assassin".

READ MORE: Photo of ex-British ambassador alongside Jeffrey Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor surfaces

Cambelltown TAFE descended into lockdown after it was reported there was a shooter on campus.

Police addressed the concern of the game in a social media post, saying that it can be treated as a "real threat".

"From a distance, these items can look very real.

READ MORE: Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply

"If someone reports a firearm to police, then we treat it as a genuine threat, and we respond accordingly," a NSW police officer said in the post.

"In that moment, we don't know it's just a game.

"A bit of fun can very quickly become a very serious situation."

READ MORE: Trump weighs in on rumours Iran has put a dead man in charge

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Queensland man arrested after allegedly posting antisemitic content

Queensland man arrested after allegedly posting antisemitic content

A Queensland man is behind bars this morning, accused of making antisemitic threats on social media while stockpiling illegal weapons.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers began an investigation into a string of online antisemitic comments posted on Telegram last year.

A home in Longreach in Queensland was later raided, with police allegedly seizing knives and batons after tracing a series of Telegram posts directed at the Jewish community back to the 56-year-old.

READ MORE: Blast rocks Tehran after Israel threatened to target area where pro-government rally was being held

A Queensland man has been charged with making antisemitic posts on social media and the unlawful possession of weapons.

In total, police seized two flick knives, an extendable baton and electronic devices for forensic examination.

The Queensland man will face court today after being charged with one count of using a phone to harass and one count of possessing illegal weapons. 

AFP Detective Superintendent Bill Freeman said it will not tolerate any threats toward the Jewish community.

READ MORE: Will the pumps run dry? How the war in Iran is impacting Australia's oil supply

Police seized two flick knives, an extendable baton and electronic devices, which will be subject to forensic examination.

"The AFP supports freedom of speech and political expression, but does not tolerate criminal behaviour, including threats and harassment," Freeman said.

"The AFP is committed to identifying and charging individuals suspected of harassing, menacing or threatening the Jewish community."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Australia's No.1 retailer named as last year's winner plunges

Australia's No.1 retailer named as last year's winner plunges

In the battle for Aussie dollars, a new winner has been crowned.

Kmart was named the country's No.1 retailer at the Power Retail awards in Melbourne on Thursday night.

The shopping giant owned by Wesfarmers — a Perth-based conglomerate valued at $85 billion — beat out Big W for the top spot.

READ MORE: Iran's new supreme leader speaks for the first time

Big W, which is owned by $43 billion Woolworths Group, was last year's winner.

Power Retail's top Australian retailers, in order, are:

  1. Kmart
  2. Myer
  3. Bunnings Warehouse
  4. Officeworks
  5. Chemist Warehouse
  6. Big W
  7. JB Hi-Fi
  8. The Iconic
  9. Dan Murphy's
  10. Adore Beauty
  11. BCF
  12. Rebel
  13. The Good Guys
  14. David Jones
  15. Petbarn
  16. Appliances Online
  17. Target
  18. Bonds
  19. Ikea

READ MORE: Trump's decision wiped a trillion dollars from the market. But this is one call he can't chicken out of

bulk cleaning products big w price comparison

Power Retail, an industry outlet providing companies with news, data and insights, said its rankings were weighed according to four pillars: acquisition, conversion, fulfilment and retention.

Power Retail head of data David Fear said Kmart ticked all the boxes to reclaim top spot.

"We score retailers across five pillars, with the highest weighting on how well they integrate their online and in-store operations," he said.

"Kmart led the Index because they delivered where it matters most — and where most retailers still have gaps.

"Less than half show real-time store stock online. Only around 30 per cent have a dedicated app or wish list functionality. Kmart has all of them, backed by a strong returns policy and a cross-channel loyalty program.

"In a market where shoppers are rapidly changing their habits, that kind of completeness across the entire customer journey is what separates the leaders."

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Joe Rogan pans Donald Trump's 'insane' actions in Iran

Joe Rogan pans Donald Trump's 'insane' actions in Iran

One of Donald Trump's most influential backers in the last election has turned on him over his actions in Iran.

Speaking on his podcast, Joe Rogan has decried the president beginning a war.

"It just seems so insane based on what (Trump) ran on," Rogan said.

READ MORE: Trump denies knowledge of report blaming US for school bombing

Joe Rogan has criticised Donald Trump's actions in Iran.

"This is why a lot of people feel betrayed, right? 

"He ran on no more wars and these stupid, senseless wars.

"Then we have one that we can't even really clearly define why we did it."

His guest Michael Shellenberger clarified that Trump said he was against "endless wars".

"They're all endless. Do you ever hear (former secretary of defence Donald) Rumsfeld talk about Iraq when it first happened?" Rogan said.

"They were talking about like six weeks."

Rogan's endorsement of Trump was seen as a major factor in his unexpectedly strong performance in the 2024 election.

Unlike many other podcasters, Rogan does not position himself as a political partisan.

President Donald Trump has not given a straight answer on his intentions in Iran.

The podcaster has a vast support base among an elusive demographic - men who don't otherwise follow the news.

The Joe Rogan Experience has been the most popular podcast on Spotify for the past five years.

His remarks on Iran are not the first time Rogan has broken with the president.

In January he compared Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to the Gestapo.

"You don't want militarised people in the streets just roaming around snatching people up, many of which turn out to actually be US citizens that just don't have their papers on them," Rogan said.

"Are we really going to be the Gestapo? 'Where's your papers?' Is that what we've come to?"

Polling has shown Trump's attack on Iran to be deeply unpopular among American voters.

READ MORE: Security scare after Iranian player's change of heart over asylum decision

Fifty-three per cent of voters opposed the military action, according to a poll from Quinnipiac.

Just 40 per cent support it.

Sixty-two per cent of voters think the Trump administration has not given a clear explanation as to why they have attacked Iran.

The same poll showed Trump's approval rating to be at just 37 per cent.

READ MORE: Uncorroborated claim about Trump in missing Epstein files

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Designer delights in dark horse victory over Katy Perry

Designer delights in dark horse victory over Katy Perry

What's in a name?

For international pop star Katy Perry and Australian fashion designer Katie Perry, the answer can be found in a slight variation in spelling and more than six years of litigation.

The fight over the rights to the Katie/Katy Perry name began when the designer - now known as Katie Taylor - sued the performer behind Firework and Roar for trademark infringement.

The US singer, whose real name is Katheryn Hudson, hit back with a bid to cancel the designer's trademark, arguing it was likely to harm her reputation or deceive shoppers.

READ MORE: NSW and ACT shaken by magnitude 4.4 earthquake

Who won the Katie Perry vs Katy Perry court case?

The dispute dragged on for over six years after the pop star successfully overturned an initial Federal Court ruling that the designer's trademark had been infringed.

But it came to a decisive end on Wednesday when the nation's highest court decided the David-and-Goliath battle in favour of the Australian.

The designer's mark was not in breach of trademark law and was not likely to harm the Dark Horse singer's reputation or cause confusion, the High Court ruled in a majority decision.

After years fighting to hold onto the label she has spent nearly 20 years building, Ms Taylor hailed the ruling as a victory for small businesses everywhere.

"I am absolutely over the moon," Ms Taylor said in a statement to AAP.

"It honestly feels like a dream."

Her lawyers argued during the High Court hearing that shoppers were savvy enough to distinguish between the two spellings and wouldn't connect the label to the pop star.

The designer said she didn't know of the singer's existence when she first sought the clothing trademark in 2007.

Katy Perry performs on stage at Rod Laver Arena on the 7th of June 2025 in Melbourne.

But by the time Ms Taylor applied to trademark the name Katie Perry, she had heard I Kissed a Girl on the radio and bought the song on iTunes.

There was no way she could have known how famous Ms Hudson would become, her lawyer told the High Court in September.

But the pop star's lawyers contended Ms Taylor should have made a complaint earlier instead of waiting 10 years after the sale of Katy Perry-branded merchandise began.

The designer faced the possibility of having the Katie Perry trademark de-registered after her 2023 win in the Federal Court was overturned on appeal.

The appeal judges found the designer's mark was deceptively similar to the pop star's brand and was likely to cause confusion.

But they had made a mistake in concluding there were grounds for its cancellation, the High Court determined in its majority ruling.

The decision marks the end of a tug-of-war that has been running since 2009, when Ms Hudson became aware the designer had applied to register the Katie Perry trademark.

According to court documents, the superstar told her talent agent Steven Jensen to "keep me outta it entirely".

"I wouldn't have even bothered with this (if) mtv hadn't picked up this silliness," she wrote in an email.

"Dumb bitch! Rawr!"

The singer is on the hook to foot Ms Taylor's legal bill, with the figure to be determined at a later date.

The designer is celebrating with her family before returning to designing clothing.

"It's been a long road, but I'm excited to move forward," she told AAP.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Independent petrol stations in regional Queensland running dry, mayor says

Independent petrol stations in regional Queensland running dry, mayor says

Independent petrol stations in regional Queensland are reportedly starting to run out of fuel as shortages continue to impact rural areas.

Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg said that several independent petrol stations near the Queensland and New South Wales border had completely ran out of fuel over the last few days.

"We certainly did have supply issues, particularly over the weekend," he told the Today Show this morning.

"Indeed, the small community of Texas ran completely out of fuel on the weekend."

LIVE BLOG: Two more members of Iranian football team claim asylum

Independent petrol stations in regional Queensland were being affected by supply issues, Goondiwindi Mayor Lawrence Springborg said.

Two service stations in Goondiwindi also ran out of diesel yesterday evening, he added.

"They are not sure when they are able to be resupplied." 

Springborg said the shortages were so far only affecting independent service stations and suppliers, with the major fuel companies favouring their own bulk distributors and retailers.

"If you're smaller, and particularly if you're an independent, there are some serious disruptions and a major part of our area relies on bulk fuel supplies to be delivered by independents," he said.

Springborg said local farmers were being hit with the brunt of the shortages and the inevitable increase in fuel prices, with some having to stop work over the weekend as they had no petrol.

"There is a problem on the ground (and) it will drive up fuel prices for farmers. By the end of week I'm told we could have a three in front of our fuel prices. Last week it was around about $1.70."

Springborg said the federal government need to step in and help the independents out.

"Government does have a role in this, government can't solve the Middle East (conflict), but what it can do is plan, coordinate and potentially regulate."

READ MORE: Aussies could face $4400 fine over 'dangerous' jerry can act

Major oil supplies were favouring their own bulk distributors and retailers, Springborg said.

The world's oil markets have been driven into disarray by the Iran war, which has led to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's key oil transit points, which typically carry about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas.

On Tuesday, world oil prices surged by 25 per cent, with Brent crude surpassing $US115 a barrel, as analysts label it a "furious rise" amid war in the Middle East.

It is the first time oil prices have exceeded $US100 since the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Nationally, fuel prices have soared over $2 a litre as some residents panic-buy petrol.

"What we are now seeing is some service stations running low on supply and that is because Australians are buying fuel at a far greater rate than they normally would," NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said yesterday.

Concerns have also been raised about the national fuel supply after Energy Minister Chris Bowen last week said there were only 32 days' worth of jet fuel, 34 days of diesel and 36 days of petrol available.

From today, Victoria has introduced daily fuel price caps to prevent price-gouging at the pump, as residents are urged not to panic buy petrol.

Under the new law that comes into effect today, retailers must set their daily price of fuel at 2pm on the previous day.

That price is then capped and will apply for the 24 hours from 6am the following day.

READ MORE: Tests paused, students escorted from exam halls amid widespread NAPLAN issue

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

VPN services exploding in popularity as Pornhub cuts nudity to protest new laws

VPN services exploding in popularity as Pornhub cuts nudity to protest new laws

VPN services have exploded in popularity after PornHub and other popular adult sites cut Australian users off from all nude content last week.

A virtual private network (VPN) works by making it look like a device is accessing the internet from another location, usually a different country.

Doing so allows users to bypass local laws and restrictions and access content that is region-locked or banned in their area.

LIVE UPDATES: US threatens 'most intense day of strikes' on Iran

Toronto, Canada - December 13, 2024: VPN apps on a smartphone - NordVPN, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, Surfshark, Mullvad, CyberGhost.

Unsurprisingly, several VPN services have surged to the top of the app store download rankings this week.

Proton VPN, a free option, jumped more than 10 places from number 19 to number seven on the Google Play store on Monday.

NordVPN, another popular service, is also among the most downloaded apps on iPhone and Android this week, while the VPN SurfShark has seen a marked spike in interest from Australians.

But these workarounds may not work for long.

The eSafety Commissioner's guidelines say that "service providers are expected to detect whether a user is using a Virtual Private Network (VPN)" and take reasonable steps to prevent workarounds.

READ MORE: Fears Australia could see another record flu season as 'Super-K' spreads

New online safety rules come into effect today

Aylo, one of the world's largest online porn organisations, blocked access to its websites – including PornHub, RedTube, YouPorn and Tube8 – for all Australians on Friday.

The sites are also no longer accepting new account registrations from Australian users.

The move was in protest of the second phase of Australia's social media ban for under-16s, which requires all websites and platforms hosting adult content to bolster their age-verification measures.

That could mean using facial age estimation, digital wallets and photo ID to ensure users are over 18.

The new rules came into effect on Monday and companies found to be in breach risk fines of up to $49.5 million.

But an Aylo spokesman argued it won't work.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald that Australia's new approach "does not effectively protect minors, and instead creates harms relating to data privacy and exposure to illegal content on non-compliant platforms".

READ MORE: Senior Iranian community figure says more footballers seek asylum

Pornhub

Head of policy at industry group Digital Rights Watch Tom Sulston told The Australian Financial Review there's no evidence assurance schemes work.

"Young people will trivially side-step age-verification with VPNs or similar tools, while the rest of us take a privacy hit when our IDs become associated with our internet browsing," he said.

Mish Pony, chief executive of peak sex worker body Scarlet Alliance, warned the Herald the new rules may also push Australians to offshore sites hosting stolen and illegal content.

Especially if they need to provide ID to access adult content in Australia, which may leave some Aussies concerned about their viewing habits being linked back to them.

NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.

Subscribe to: Comments (Atom)