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Australia

Canterbury apartment of Saudi sisters who died under mysterious circumstances listed for rent

Canterbury apartment of Saudi sisters who died under mysterious circumstances listed for rent

The Sydney apartment where two sisters were found dead under mysterious circumstances has now been listed for rent, with a disclaimer for any prospective tenants.

In early June, two Saudi-born sisters Asra, 24, and Amaal Alsehli, 23, were found dead in separate beds inside their Canterbury unit in “unusual circumstances”.

They were believed to have been dead for up to a month before their bodies were found inside the inner-west apartment on June 7.

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The cause of death is still unknown, with Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft saying the deaths were “suspicious in nature in that we don’t know the cause of death”.

Now, the Canterbury Road apartment where the two sisters were found is up for rent again for $520 a week, with the listing informing those interested of the deaths early last month.

“This property has found two deceased person on 06/07/2022, crime scene has been established and it is still under police investigation,” the listing said.

“According to the police, this is not a random crime and will not be a potential risk for the community.”

The sisters’ apartment is now up for rent again. Credit: Domain
Mystery continues to shroud the deaths of the two sisters, who arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia as teenagers in 2017. Credit: Domain

The apartment – which is available now – is described as a “newly renovated modern 2-bedroom apartment with timber flooring in the bedroom” that “ensures a life of seamless and luxurious comfort”.

Mystery continues to shroud the deaths of the sisters, who arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia as teenagers in 2017.

A worker with access to the apartment claims two crucifixes were found inside the Sydney unit after the sisters’ bodies were removed, the ABC reported.

It has been reported that the pair renounced Islam and changed their names after arriving in Australia.

The sisters both seemed to be extremely nervous and paranoid, with those who knew the sisters saying they seemed to live in fear and were “very afraid of something”.

A plumber who attended the apartment told building manager Michael Baird he was never going back to the apartment again.

“When (he) came out of that unit, he said that he was concerned that there was something untoward happening in the apartment. He got a very bad vibe,” Baird told the ABC.

Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and her sister Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23. Credit: NSW Police

The women also claimed a suspicious man had been lurking outside their unit in the months before their deaths.

When building management checked CCTV, a man was spotted, however he was not deemed suspicious due to the busy location.

“That spot is busy. There is a burger shop there and Uber Eats drivers coming and going all the time. He could have been anyone,” an employee from the building management company told The Daily Mail.

“We couldn’t determine why he was there, but he didn’t look like he was doing anything untoward, so there was no need to chase it up further.”

The sisters also allegedly had concerns that someone was tampering with their food deliveries and contacted building management in January, but surveillance cameras again found no evidence.

Burwood detectives have established Strike Force Woolbird to investigate the women’s deaths.

“As the investigation is ongoing, police continue to appeal for information in relation to the death of the two women,” NSW Police told 7NEWS.com.au on Tuesday.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Aussie sprinter benefits from rivals’ big mistake.

Aussie sprinter benefits from rivals’ big mistake.

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Categories
US

Live results, races to watch

Live results, races to watch

Polling locations throughout most of Michigan close at 8 pm EST, bringing an end to the August primary election Tuesday to decide which Republican candidate will emerge from a crowded field to face Gov. Gretchen Whitmer this fall along with several hotly contested intraparty congressional and state legislative fights.

Hundreds of thousands of Michigan voters returned absentee ballots before Election Day and by Tuesday morning, more than a million absentee ballots had been received by election officials across the state, according to the Secretary of State’s office.

>> LIVE: Michigan primary election results here

Those casting absentee ballots have until 8 pm Tuesday to return theirs. Polling locations serving in-person voters also close then, but those in line by 8 pm can still vote.

While voting ends at 8 pm EST the vast majority of the state, voting in the four Michigan counties in Central Time Zone — Dickinson, Gogebic, Iron and Menominee counties — is still underway for another hour.

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Business

ASX falls sharply, Wall Street sinks on US-China tension and economic uncertainty

Chess pieces are seen in front of displayed China's and U.S. flags.

Australian shares have dropped in morning trade, as ongoing economic uncertainty and flaring US-China tensions weighed on global market sentiment.

The arrival of US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Taipei, despite warnings from Beijing, prompted China to launch war plans and buzz the Taiwan Strait in protest.

The ASX 200 dropped by a steeper-than-expected 0.9 per cent, to 6,938 points, by 10:35am AEST.

Nearly every sector traded lower, with utilities and materials suffering the biggest losses. Seven out of every 10 stocks were in the red.

Some of today’s worst performers include Champion Iron (-5.3pc), APA Group (-3.2pc), Seven Group (-3.2pc) and Eagers Automotive (-3.2pc).

On the flip side, some of the best performing stocks were Pinnacle Investment Management (+10.7pc), Block (+4.9pc), and Lynas Rare Earths (+4.6pc).

Aussie dollar sinks

The Australian dollar fell 0.4 per cent, to 68.9 US cents. That was on top of its sharp loss of 1.5 per cent overnight.

The sell-off began yesterday, when the Reserve Bank lifted its cash rate target by 0.5 percentage points, which takes the new rate to a six-year high of 1.85 per cent.

The weaker Australian dollar was also driven by a stronger US greenback as investors piled into currencies that are seen as “safe havens”.

In that regard, the Japanese yen jumped 0.9 per cent against the greenback, and was on track for a fifth day of gains, its longest winning streak since 2020.

“There is the uncertainty surrounding Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan and there’s additional data, regarding economic softness,” said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist of CFRA Research.

“Regarding recession [in the United States]it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’ and how deep.”

‘An open question’ about further rate hikes

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 slipped by 0.7 per cent, to end the session at 4,091 points.

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Categories
Technology

Wayward Strand announces dazzling Australian and international cast

Wayward Strand Cast announcement

Wayward Strand, the narrative adventure game developed by Melbourne-based studio Ghost Pattern, has announced the hefty Australian cast bringing its characters to life. They include the likes of Michael Caton (The Castle), Jenny Seedsman (Blue Heelers), and Anne Charleston (neighbors), among many others.

Set on a floating hospital in an alternate-reality 1970s Australia, the VISCREEN-funded game follows teenage protagonist Casey as she discovers more about the hospital’s inhabitants and story. The environment works like clockwork – inhabitants move and events occur whether Casey is there to witness them or not – meaning that you can choose to have Casey follow particular characters and narrative threads of your own accord.

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The fourteen-year-old Casey is played by Nancy Curtis, who recorded over 1,200 pages of dialogue, according to Ghost Pattern. Curtis is joined by a veteran roster of Australian actors, including: Anne Charleston (Best known as Madge from neighbors) who plays Ida Vaughan; Michael Catton (The Castle, The Sullivans, Last Cab to Darwin), who plays the ‘loquacious’ Neil Avery; and Jenny Seedsman (Neighbors, Blue Heelers, State Coroner) who plays the stern Ruth Beaumaris.

Joining them is Bunurong man Shane Clayton, who Ghost Pattern says brought ‘warmth and heart’ to the character of Ted Muir; prominent Austrian and German actor Erhard Hartman, who plays Heinrich Pruess; and Australian director Michela Ledwidgewho acts as Esther Fitzgerald (pictured above).

Additional roles will be played by theater actor and anthropology scholar Josiah Lulham ace hospital director Felix Pettigrew; John Barrett as Devin the cook; actor, producer, and horticulturalist Harriet Wallace Mead as nurse Lily Marshall; actor and healthcare worker peter paltros as nurse Joe Tagliabue; and Jennifer Vuletic as Dr Margo Bouchard.

Finally, the character of Dr Celene Shen is played by Renée Lim, who is both a practicing actor and a practicing doctor.

Voiceover work was recorded at Original Score in Melbourne, ZigZag Post in Sydney, Innenhof in Vienna and Voiceover Soho in London.

Despite this hefty cast announcement, Ghost Pattern teased that even more characters – and the actors behind them – were yet to be revealed, kept as a secret until Wayward Strand’s possible release.

Wayward Strand will be available on 15 September 2022 on PC via Steam, as well as PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.

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Sports

Goalkeeper Bernd Leno completes £8m transfer to Fulham from Arsenal | Fulham

The German international keeper Bernd Leno has completed his move to promoted Fulham from Arsenal after signing a three-year contract.

The Cottagers, who have the option of a further 12 months, have agreed to a deal reportedly worth up to £8m for the 30-year-old, for whom the Gunners paid around £20m when they signed him from Bayer Leverkusen in June 2018.

Leno, who lost his place to Aaron Ramsdale last season, told FFCtv: “It feels amazing to finally be here. I can’t wait to join the team, to train and play with the team. I’m relieved that everything is done. I’m just happy to be here. It took a little bit of time, but in the end we made it and that’s the most important thing.”

Leno, who had 304 games for Leverkusen under his belt by the time he arrived in north London, kept 37 clean sheets in his 125 appearances for Arsenal.

Fulham vice-chairman Tony Khan said: “Bernd Leno is the goalkeeper whom we have pursued steadfastly throughout this transfer window, and we’re very excited that we’ve reached a transfer agreement and he’s now fully committed to Fulham.

“He has played at the highest level, and he’ll bring this experience and his leadership to our team. He’ll be a great addition to [head coach] Frames [Silva] squad, who are all excited for the season ahead.”

Categories
Australia

Man stabbed during road rage argument in Melbourne’s west

Police are calling for the public’s help to track down two men after a road rage incident ended in a man being stabbed on a Melbourne street in the middle of the afternoon.

The attack occurred on Carinza Avenue near Oakdene Grove in Altona Meadows, in Melbourne’s west, just before 2.30pm on Tuesday, November 2, 2021.

The victim, a 53-year-old Altona Meadows man, was driving a white Ford Ranger utility when he got into a verbal incident with two men in a gray Volkswagen hatchback.

Police are calling for help to identify these men after a stabbing in Altona Meadows. (Victoria Police)

All three men then got out of their vehicles and got involved in an altercation, which ended in the driver of the ute being stabbed in his upper body.

He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The other two men fled in the hatchback and were last seen traveling north towards the Werribee area.

Police have released images of the men and CCTV footage in the hope someone recognizes them and contacts police.

CCTV of man on footpath
Police have released CCTV from the time of the road rage incident in Altona Meadows. (Nine)

The men are both perceived to be African in appearance and aged in their early 20s.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dash cam footage or information is urged to contact police.

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US

Senate Passes Burn Pits Legislation, Expanding Benefits for Veterans

Senate Passes Burn Pits Legislation, Expanding Benefits for Veterans

WASHINGTON — The Senate on Tuesday approved a bill to create a new entitlement program to treat veterans who may have been exposed to toxic substances from burning trash pits on US military bases, sending President Biden legislation that would expand medical care eligibility to an estimated 3.5 million people.

The bill was approved on a lopsided bipartisan vote, 86 to 11, only days after Republicans pulled their support in a dispute over how to pay for the benefits, imperiling the legislation and drawing days of angry protests from veterans who gathered outside the Capitol to demand action.

The measure would be the biggest expansion of veterans’ benefits since the Agent Orange Act of 1991, which increased access to care for Vietnam War veterans who had been exposed to the toxic herbicide that endangered generations of Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians.

The new legislation would effectively presume that any American service member stationed in a combat zone for the last 32 years could have been exposed to toxic substances, allocating a projected $280 billion over the next decade to treat ailments tied to those exposures and streamlining veterans’ access. to such care.

The House approved the bill last month, and Mr. Biden, who has championed the measure, was expected to quickly sign it. He has speculated that toxic substances from burn pits contributed to the brain cancer that killed his son Beau Biden, who served in Iraq, in 2015.

The legislation had drawn broad support on Capitol Hill, but just as it was expected to clear the Senate last week, Republicans in the chamber abruptly withdrew their backing, insisting that Democrats allow them a chance to limit the funding available to treat veterans.

The bill would provide guaranteed funding for treating veterans exposed to toxins by setting up a dedicated fund that would not be subject to the annual congressional spending process. Senator Patrick J. Toomey, Republican of Pennsylvania, warned that the measure was written in a way that could allow for immense new spending unrelated to veterans’ care.

Mr. Toomey tried and failed to cap the amount of money that could be put into the fund every year, a move that Denis McDonough, the secretary of veterans affairs, had warned could lead to “rationing of care for vets.”

Mr. Toomey also proposed shifting the fund for treating veterans into so-called discretionary spending after a decade, meaning that the Department of Veterans Affairs would have to request funding each year. That would subject the funding to Congress’s approval and the annual partisan spending battles on Capitol Hill, rather than having it guaranteed.

Democrats opposed both efforts, saying the legislation did not need to be changed.

“This is a bill that will work for this country, that will work for the taxpayers of this country and it will work, most importantly, for the veterans and their families,” said Senator Jon Tester, Democrat of Montana and the chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Susan Zeier, the mother-in-law of Heath Robinson, a member of the Ohio Army National Guard for whom the bill is named, had been protesting outside the Capitol for days to urge the Senate to pass the measure before leaving for its summer recess .

Mr. Robinson served in Iraq and died in 2020 after battling lung cancer believed to have been tied to burn pit exposure, and the bill is called the Sgt. First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022.

“For me and my daughter, this is the satisfaction that we fulfilled our promise to Heath,” Ms. Zeier said. “We hope families don’t suffer like we did.”

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Business

Warning Australians could miss out on Christmas holiday flights, accommodation

Warning Australians could miss out on Christmas holiday flights, accommodation

If you thought the chaos at airports over the July school holidays was enough to send you mad, experts say a whole lot more pain is coming – and not just when it comes to flying.

With Christmas holidays creeping up and the busiest holiday period just around the corner, Aussies hoping for a breezy summer escape are being warned to book now – or face being left out in the cold.

Accommodation platform Stayz revealed one-in-five Aussies have already booked their end of year holiday, with newly released data predicting a possible sold out summer in top holiday home destinations over the Christmas break.

“Booking for year-end Christmas holidays in July is now the norm” says Simone Scoppa, travel expert at Stayz.

“Prior to the pandemic, we knew that travelers mostly booked Christmas holidays in the month of September. But, the last two years have seen this peak period move to July as travelers get in early to secure their holiday home.”

According to the research, families heading into the silly season are increasingly searching for whole holiday homes with pools, in a waterfront or beachside location, and for the accommodation offering to be pet friendly.

Ms Scoppa said heading into July and August, the most popular destinations that have seen a spike in summer bookings include the Fraser Coast in QLD, the South West region of WA, the Barossa wine region in South Australia and smaller coastal towns along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

Airbnb, who recently launched the ‘Categories’ section for unique-style homes, predict this summer will have an increased interest from the international market now that border restrictions are over.

“While traditional holiday destinations continue to be popular, last year we saw guests seeking stays in those lesser-known locations that might be slightly further afield,” Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s Country Manager for Australia and New Zealand, told news.com.au.

“This summer, Aussies won’t be the only ones snapping up fun and unique homes on Airbnb, with international travelers also looking to experience Down Under – from our world-famous coastal cities and towns, to breathtaking rural landscapes.”

Ms Wheeldon tips locations like Rye, Apollo Bay and Bright to be popular once again this summer, along with South West Rocks and Nelson Bay in NSW.

With airports and airlines across the country – but particularly along the east coast – battling staff shortages, flight cancellations and delays coupled with the post-Covid travel boom, experts warn travelers could be in for long wait times over the summer holidays for both domestic and international travel.

On Monday alone, 21 flights were canceled in Sydney across the Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex networks. Virgin dumped 10 flights, Qantas nixed eight, with two pulled from Jetstar and one from Rex.

Melbourne Airport faced similar struggles, with 20 flights scrapped as of 8.30am.

This included seven flights from Qantas, five from Emirates and Virgin Australia, two from American Airlines and one from British Airways.

The flights canceled at both airports were between 6.30am and 7pm on Monday.

With airlines struggling to keep up with demand amid staff shortages, Qantas announced they would be reducing flights in July and August.

Domestic and International CEO Andrew David apologized to customers as a result of the ongoing chaos being faced at airports across the country.

“We are the national carrier, people have high expectations of us, we have high expectations of ourselves and clearly over the last few months we have not been delivering what we did pre-Covid,” he said.

“We have reduced some of our flying this month and we’re planning to do the same next month, recognizing the operation pressures we have.”

It is understood the airline will be rostering on extra staff for the Christmas period, and any large widebody aircraft will be deployed to assist with domestic flights if need be.

In 2022 alone, Aussies have faced a string of rising cost of living pressures and accommodation reservations have been no exemption.

It hasn’t exactly been cheap to holiday domestically for many years, but staggering figures show that it has gone from bad to worse in the past 13 months.

Data from trivago released in June – recorded hotel price shifts from more than 400 booking sites for over 2 million hotels around the world in its Hotel Price Index. The survey uncovered an astronomical increase in the price of an Aussie getaway.

It shows the average price of a hotel in Sydney has arisen almost 25 per cent over the past year while hotel rooms in Melbourne have seen a 24 per cent spike in the same period.

This means the average cost of a hotel room in Sydney is now above $240 per night, up from $206 a night a year ago. For Melbourne, the average cost is now $239, up from $200 in August last year.

The CEO of Tourism Accommodation Australia, Michael Johnson said the hike in prices came down to staff shortages still plaguing the industry, with many hotels forced to operate at 70 to 80 per cent capacity which was impacting revenue.

“I know hotels that are still looking for 30 to 40 staff, instead of running two restaurants they are only running one,” he said.

“They’re not taking conference bookings, because they just don’t have the staff to manage those bookings.”

But despite the angst and frustration following travelers to airports both domestically and internationally, Australians have not been deterred from traveling and there’s no sign of it waning off in the future, according to Finder’s Consumer Sentiment Tracker.

More than one-in-two (57 per cent) of Aussies are planning a getaway in the next 12 months, including 32 per cent who plan to travel within Australia, 12 per cent who plan to travel internationally, and 13 per cent who plan to travel both domestically and overseas.

This is up from 49 per cent last December.

According to Finder’s Covid Comfort Indicator, Aussies rank their level of comfort with overseas travel at 4.3 out of 10, up from 2.7 in January. They feel slightly more at ease with domestic travel, ranking it 6.1 out of 10.

“The travel industry is finally seeing some normalcy for the first time in over two years. People aren’t as concerned about prices, they just want to travel again,” said Angus Kidman, travel expert at Finder.

“The key to making the most of any travel sale is to be flexible with dates and open-minded about destinations. Don’t forget to book your travel insurance as soon as you’ve locked in your trip.”

Ms Scoppa agreed, saying with many Australians missing out on travel plans due to Covid-19 interrupting plans in 2021 – the advice was to be organized and book now.

“The advice is simple, we recommend that you book now for your Christmas holidays, rather than leaving it to the last minute, where there may be limited choice,” Ms Scoppa said.

“The Mackay and Central Coast NSW regions are typically favorite summer destinations, that in years past have been close to a sell out, so it is good news for travelers looking ahead to book for Christmas that availability is still looking good for these destinations.”

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Categories
Sports

Hesson’s last-gasp shot edges England past Australia in 3×3 basketball final | Commonwealth Games 2022

The first edition of the frenetic, hyperactive game of 3×3 basketball at the Commonwealth Games came to an end on Tuesday evening as England defeated Australia 17-16 in the most dramatic circumstances. England triumphed with a game-winning two-pointer in overtime to secure the first men’s gold medal of the Games.

In the women’s gold medal match, Canada narrowly edged out England after another dramatic ending, winning 14-13 with a buzzer beater from Canada’s Sarah Te-Biasu to take the gold medal

Even though no participating country was able to qualify for the Olympics, 3×3 basketball has clearly made a positive impact on the Games, with handsome crowds since the early rounds at the Smithfield building site, a venue adjacent to the beach volleyball stadium.

The men’s and women’s wheelchair finals immediately preceded the non-disabled athletes, with full crowds present as Australia’s men edged past Canada 11-9, then Canada’s women beat Australia 14-5.

By the time the England men’s team entered the court, the atmosphere was searing. The players continually called for the crowd, which responded in turn, cheering for its team, booing Australia during their free throw attempts and making their presence known with an intensity not normally associated with Commonwealth Games sports.

The sport’s defining quality is its speed. Seemingly every aspect of it is cut down in size compared to traditional basketball in order to create an even more rapid spectacle. It is played out on half a basketball court with only one hoop to attack between the two teams of three, there are 12 seconds on the shot clock and matches won by the first team to reach 21 points, with the leading team winning if the game passes the 10‑minute mark.

Greg Hire of Australia and Jaydon Kayne Henry-McCalla of England.
Greg Hire of Australia (top) and Jaydon Kayne Henry-McCalla of England. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

The final that unfolded in Smithfield was physical and tough, with constant fouls and hustle alike. After six minutes the two teams had combined for 18 fouls, with Australia already over the 10‑foul limit, meaning every subsequent foul led to two shots and possession for England.

Between the furious, high-octane defense and the nerves that accompanied the occasion, both teams committed offensive errors and scoring was low. But then the game exploded.

First Jaydon Kayne Henry-McCalla buried a clutch two-pointer to give England a 15-14 lead with 20 seconds to go but Daniel Johnson drew Australia level for 15-15 with 10 seconds remaining, ushering the game into overtime where the winner was required to win two points in a row. Australia took the upper hand and pressed for victory, a layup from Jesse Wagstaff moving them to 16-15.

Johnson’s two-pointer swirled around the inside of the rim, Australia seemed to have done it. But the ball swirled back out, prompting Orlan Jackman to leap into the air for a rebound, swiping it behind him.

The ball found Myles Hesson, from Birmingham, who shuffled outside of the two‑point line, lined up his shot and buried the two-pointer to mark England as the first 3×3 men’s basketball Commonwealth champions.

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Australia

Police seek public’s help killing of Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard in 1980

Police seek public's help killing of Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard in 1980

Police are calling on the public to help solve an assassination cold case from more than 40 years ago involving a Turkish diplomat and his bodyguard by listening to a phone call recording in the hopes of identifying the caller and to decipher its message.

Turkish Consul-General Sarik Ariyak, 50, and his bodyguard Engin Sever, 28, were shot outside a residence in Dover Heights in Sydney’s east on December 17, 1980, by two men who fled on motorcycles after the shooting.

Turkish diplomat Sarik Ariyak was approached by two unknown men and shot in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Turkish diplomat Sarik Ariyak was approached by two unknown men and shot in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.Credit:Barry James Gilmour

Ariyak died at the scene while Sever died a short time after in hospital.

Shortly after the shooting, an Armenian terrorist group – the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide – claimed responsibility for the killings but no one has ever been charged despite an extensive investigation by police.

It was one of the first international politically motivated attacks on Australian soil, described by police as “calculated, deliberate” and “brutal”.

In 2019, the NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Team – consisting of the NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, the Australian Security Intelligence Organization and the NSW Crime Commission – launched a review and re-investigation into the case.

As part of its re-opening, detectives released an audio recording on Wednesday that contains the voice of a person who claims responsibility for the attack. The call was made by a woman to multiple media outlets after the shooting.

Investigators are asking for help to decipher inaudible words spoken in the audio clip after the words “the authors of” to identify their significance to the investigation, and for help to identify the woman.