Tag: sydney

  • Mawra Hocane’s has selected a wedding venue, but who’s the groom?

    Mawra Hocane’s has selected a wedding venue, but who’s the groom?

    Renowned actress Mawra Hocane, 31, has finalized a gorgeous location in Australia as her wedding venue but hold on a minute….who is the groom?

    Hocane shared on Instgram that she has found the perfect wedding venue but joked that she still needs to find a groom. The story featured a photo of ‘The Grounds of Alexandria,’ a popular wedding venue in Sydney, Australia.

    “I do, I do, I do! Wedding venue confirmed,” Hocane wrote, adding humorously, “We’re all set… Just need to find the groom now.”
    Mawra stated earlier this year that she will not marry in 2024. She wrote on Instagram, “NOOOO it’s not my wedding…”Not now, next week, next month, or this year.”

  • Pakistani man among those killed in Sydney attack: community groups

    Pakistani man among those killed in Sydney attack: community groups

    A 30-year-old Pakistani man was named on Sunday as the security guard killed in a weekend knife attack in a Sydney shopping mall, according to two local community groups.

    The Australian Pakistani National Association and Ahmadiyya Muslim Community said Faraz Tahir was killed by a knife-wielding man who also killed five women.

    On Sunday evening, members of the Muslim community held a silent vigil for the man, who is said to have moved to Australia last year.

    “He quickly became an integral part of our community,” a statement said.

    The Australian Pakistani National Association encouraged the community to “stand together in solidarity, offering support and prayers to those grieving and affected by this heartbreaking loss”.

    As the attack unfolded on Saturday, online social media accounts falsely reported that the attack was linked to ideological or religious groups or events in the Middle East.

    Police have named the assailant as 40-year-old itinerant man Joel Cauchi who was previously diagnosed with a mental health issue.

  • Swimmer dies in fatal shark attack

    Swimmer dies in fatal shark attack

    A swimmer died after being bitten by a shark at a beach in suburban Sydney, Australian authorities said, marking the first fatal shark attack in the city in nearly 60 years.

    An eyewitness told local television that he had been fishing off nearby rocks when he saw a man wearing a wetsuit and swimming across the bay get dragged underwater by a large shark in an attack that lasted several seconds.

    “Some guy was swimming and a shark came and attacked him vertically,” witness Kris Linto, told Nine.

    “We heard a yell and turned around — it looked like a car had landed in the water, a big splash, then the shark was chomping at the body and there was blood everywhere.”

    Another witness estimated the shark was 4.5 metres in size.

    “When he went down, there were so many splashes,” the witness, who had been fishing on rocks nearby, told ABC.

    It was the first fatal shark attack in Sydney since 1963, data shows.

    Lifeguards will patrol the beaches looking for further shark sightings.

    Emergency services arrived in the area of Buchan Point, Malabar, around 4:35pm local time on Wednesday, following a report of a shark attacking a swimmer in the water, according to New South Wales police. Officers found human remains in the water.

    “Officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command, with assistance from the Marine Area Command and Surf Life Saving NSW, attended and located human remains in the water,” it said.

    An NSW Ambulance spokeswoman said paramedics were called to Little Bay. “Unfortunately, this patient had suffered catastrophic injuries and there was nothing paramedics could do.”

  • Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    Getting direct with Australia: PIA to fly directly down under for the first time

    The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced plans to launch two weekly flights to Australia, cutting travel time to and from the country by around one-third, The News reports.

    PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafeez says that if it (flights to Australia by a Pakistani carrier) happens, it would be happening for the first time.  He said that PIA has conducted a feasibility study, which concluded that it would be beneficial to the airline.

    PIA intends to operate two weekly flights from Karachi and Lahore to Sydney at first. Later, it might also include Islamabad.

    Flights might commence in late March or early April, according to the national carrier. The airline, however, has yet to receive authorisation from the Australian aviation authority.

    Direct flights would shorten a traveler’s flight duration to 12:30 hours and 13 hours, if one is going to Australia or coming to Pakistan respectively.

    Because there are no direct flights between Pakistan and Australia, passengers must travel for 34 to 35 hours with stopovers, which adds to their travel time.

    “Every airline must touch their hub before flying on to their destination,” stated Nadeem Sharif, Chairman of the Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP). “There may be eight-hour layovers or even overnight stays, which adds to the travel time.”

    He added that, for example, if a person travelling to Australia via Qatar Airways from Pakistan, he or she must first fly to Doha, Qatar Airways’ hub, and then be carried to Australia from there. Similarly, when a person travels from Australia to Pakistan, the same thing happens.

    PIA’s fleet is expected to grow from the current 29 to 49 by 2026, comprising 16 wide body, 27 narrow body and 6 turbo propeller aircraft. PIA’s share price increased by 1.24 percent on Tuesday to Rs4.09.

  • VIDEO: 10-foot-long python slides through grocery store racks

    VIDEO: 10-foot-long python slides through grocery store racks

    A grocery store turned into a snake rescue in Australia when a 10-foot-long non-venomous python slid through the racks to greet a woman customer.

    The 25-year-old, Helaina Alati, was at a Sydney store on Monday when the snake slithered out.

    Alati was not expecting a snake at the supermarket. But fortunately for both parties, Alati is a wildlife rescuer and familiar with snakes.

    “I just turned my head and he was about 20cm from my face, just looking straight at me,” she told the BBC.

    She did a double-take but stayed calm. No one else was around. Recognising it instantly as a diamond python, Alati knew it wasn’t poisonous as it protruded and flicked its tongue.

    Read More: ‘Mr Bean called PM Khan’, viral memes make fun of PM office phone calls

    “He was looking straight at me the whole time, almost like he was saying: ‘Can you take me outside please?’” she said.

    After recording a video, Alati alerted staff and told them she could help them get it out.

    She retrieved a snake bag from her home, returned to the store, “tapped him on the tail and he just slithered in”.

    She then released it away from houses in bushland – a natural habitat for the species around Sydney.

  • Man left with half a house after spending more than Rs10 crore on dream house

    Man left with half a house after spending more than Rs10 crore on dream house

    A man’s desire to own a dream home has turned into a nightmare after the finished building was just half a house due to a ‘mix up’ with the builder. 

    As per details, Bishnu Aryal who hails from Nepal had saved up enough money for his dream house in Sydney. He had shifted to Australia for a new life and spent years in saving cautiously.

    He signed an agreement for the building with Zac Homes for $322,400 (Rs49 million)land purchased land for $398,950 (Rs70 million) in the suburb of Edmondson Park in Sydney’s southwest.

    The man claims that miscommunication with the builder, Zac Homes, resulted his dream to turn into a tragedy.

    The father of two now only has ‘half the property’ he had been hoping for.

    Talking to the local media, Aryal said: “I called the supervisor and asked him what’s going on, why is the house like this? And he said, ‘It’s a duplex, semi duplex’, and I nearly fainted that day.”

    “Where’s my house? I want the rest of my house. It’s not a free-standing house, it’s not a duplex, it’s half a house. And it looks embarrassing,” he added.

    According to reports, the agreement was for a free-standing home but, three years later, Aryal was shocked when he checked the progress and realised that the contractors had built a duplex on half the block, with a huge windowless grey wall made down the middle.

    Aryal admitted that his English isn’t perfect, but asserted that he did not sign up for half a house

  • Man charged with murder after he wakes from 7-month coma

    Man charged with murder after he wakes from 7-month coma

    A 21-year-old man found himself in a strange situation when he woke up from a seven-month coma, he found homicide detectives around him when he opened his eyes. The detectives were reportedly there to charge him with the murder of his girlfriend.

    As per details, Weijie went into a coma with critical head injuries last June after falling from the fourth floor balcony of his apartment in Wolli Creek, in south Sydney, Australia.

    The next-day when the police visited his house for investigation, they discovered the dead body of his 19-year old girlfriend there.

    It is not yet clear whether he intentionally fell from the apartment but Detective Inspector Robert Alison said “witnesses told us he fell from the fourth floor of a common area, so it was either misadventure or a suicide attempt”.

    “He is very, very lucky to be alive,” added Detective Inspector Alison. “Most people would have not survived.”

    The alleged killer was in a coma for almost seven months.

    He and his girlfriend, hailing from China, had been together for two years and were studying in Australia on student visas. Detective Inspector Alison acknowledged how difficult the incident was for Pan’s family, who were unable to attend her funeral due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

    “It is horrific. I really do feel for the family,” Alison said. “The distance being so far away makes it even more difficult for them. But we are working closely with them.”

    He has been refused bail and is due to face court via video link on Wednesday.