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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
An employee performing routine maintenance at a Tokyo theme park tragically lost their life after becoming trapped in the machinery of one of the rides.
The unfortunate event took place on Tuesday at Tokyo Dome City Attractions, specifically on the “Flying Balloon” ride, according to a statement from the company.
The company explained, “During regular maintenance on the ride, one of our employees became ensnared within the gondola mechanism. Despite rescue efforts, the employee was transported to a hospital where, regrettably, they were pronounced dead.”
Local media outlet NHK World Japan reported that the employee was identified by police as 24-year-old Kamimura Hina. It took emergency personnel approximately five hours to free her, but she was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.
A general view of Tokyo Dome next to a theme park was captured on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo credit: Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)
“Flying Balloon” is reportedly a 12-seat ride where passengers sit in a circle around a central pillar. The seats rotate and rise along the structure to a height of roughly 30 feet.
During the operator’s monthly inspection, the seats were elevated, allowing Kamimura and five colleagues to access and inspect the ride’s mechanisms, according to the outlet.
The victim is believed to have been working on a stepladder when the raised seats suddenly fell, trapping her against the central pillar.
People walk past the Thunder Dolphin roller coaster ride, left, and the Big O Ferris wheel, right, at Tokyo Dome City Attractions entertainment complex in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 15, 2020.(Toru Hanai/Bloomberg)
“We offer our deepest prayers for the repose of the deceased employee’s soul, and we extend our profound condolences and apologies to their bereaved family,” the companay said. “We also wish to offer our sincere apologies once again to all customers and stakeholders who have been inconvenienced and caused anxiety as a result of this accident.
People walk past the Tokyo Dome City Attractions entertainment complex, in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 15, 2020.(Toru Hanai/Bloomberg)
The corporation said it is conducting a full-scale investigation into the cause of the accident in coordination with relevant authorities, including police and the fire department.
Operations at all the attractions of the amusement park were immediately suspended until further notice, “as we dedicate our full efforts to thoroughly investigating the cause of this incident and implementing measures to prevent its recurrence,” they added.
Bonny Chu is a Digital Production Assistant at Fox News Digital.
Despite being seven years apart, sisters Sabah and Saima Khan were so closely knit that their neighbors often mistook them for twins.
The duo was inseparable, engaging in everything together—from shopping sprees to picking up Saima’s kids from school.
They even shared a home, all living under one roof in their parents’ well-kept semi-detached house in Challney, Luton.
However, beneath the surface, Sabah, then 27, harbored resentment towards her sister for having what she deeply desired—a marriage with Hafeez Rehman.
Sabah had been involved in a clandestine four-year affair with Hafeez, a taxi driver. The pair would steal moments for intimacy in his car and even in the family home while Saima, 34, was away at work.
When Hafeez eventually tried to break off the relationship, Sabah hatched a twisted plan to kill her older sister and take him back for herself.
She paid £5,000 to a witch doctor in Pakistan to curse her sibling but when that half-baked plot failed she decided to carry out the execution herself.
She lured Saima home early from work one night and launched at her with a kitchen knife as she stepped foot in the hallway.
Sabah stabbed her victim 68 times and with such ferocity she almost decapitated her.
When Saima’s four sleeping children were awoken by the noise, one of them shouted down from their bedrooms to Sabah, ‘Are you killing a mouse, aunty?’
She span a web of lies when the police arrived and claimed her sister had been brutally murdered in a home break-in gone wrong.
But detectives and a jury saw through her deceit, and she was jailed for life for the horrifying killing.
Saima and Sabah’s parents still live in the same house but understandably refuse to talk about the trauma of their daughter’s murder ten years on.
But what became of the man at the heart of the deadly love triangle?
Shockwaves ripped through the community of Challney, Luton, when ordinary mother-of-four Saima Khan (pictured) was murdered in the hallway of her home
To her family’s horror, Saima (right) was murdered by none other than her beloved younger sister Sabah Khan (left)
At the centre of the warped love triangle which ripped apart the two sisters was Saima’s husband Hafeez Rehman. He partook in a four-year secret affair with his sister-in-law, having sex with her in his taxi and in the Khan family home while Saima would be at work
Saima’s husband and parents had been attending a late night funeral on May 23, 2016, and returned home at 11.30pm to see her body lying in a pool of blood. Police initially suspected Saima was killed in a botched burglary
Despite painting the picture of a grieving husband in court and in tributes after his wife’s death, Hafeez wasted no time in moving on, the Daily Mail can reveal.
He travelled back to his native village of Gulpur, in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and got married to a second wife in a small, intimate ceremony, before bringing her back to Luton where they have since had two children together.
A source told the Mail that he was shunned by his extended family in Gulpur for his infidelity, but is still seen frequently dropping off his and Saima’s children to their grandparents home – the same house their mother was killed in.
He never dares to enter the home himself, instead parking up the street to pick up and drop off his children.
The family friend said: ‘He’s not really liked in the family anymore after what happened.
‘You see, they [Hafeez and Saima] are both from the same family so it caused a lot of problems.
‘His extended family have kind of distanced themselves from him.’
But while Hafeez could enjoy a fresh start with his new family, the Khan’s were forced to pick up the pieces of a crime so horrifying that it sent shockwaves around her community that are still felt to this day – a decade on.
On May 23, 2016, Saima and Sabah’s parents, along with Hafeez, returned home from an evening funeral service to scenes from a horror film.
Their eldest daughter Saima was lying dead in a pool of blood in their corridor, her head nearly decapitated. Their younger daughter Sabah was unhurt but covered in her sister’s blood.
What became of Fred and Rose West’s children?
Hi, I’m Alex Matthews, Editor of The Crime Desk.
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Police were called and Sabah claimed her sister had been stabbed to death in a botched burglary.
She had been in the shower, she claimed, and came out to see her beloved sister lifeless in the hallway.
At first no one had any reason to doubt her story.
It was unforeseeable that Sabah could ever hurt a hair on Saima’s head.
One family friend who lives on the same road said: ‘It was about 11.30pm. I woke up because I heard screaming outside and it was their mum.
‘When we went outside the paramedics were already there. You could see Saima’s body there in the corridor.
‘Sabah actually asked me to go into the house and go upstairs to make sure the children are okay.
‘They were so close, so Sabah being involved was the last thing I could think of.
‘She was very calm [on the night], as if nothing had happened.’
They added: ‘She seemed perfectly fine, the way she was in her senses and everything. It was not a normal way for somebody to react.’
The truth was too horrifying to contemplate. Sabah had stabbed her sister with a kitchen knife she had bought from Tesco just a day before.
She then changed out of her bloodstained clothes, stuffed them in a bin liner along with the murder weapon, and hid them under cardboard boxes in her room.
Days later, detectives recovered the evidence during a search of the house.
Pictured: The murder weapon used by Sabah to stab her sister 68 times
CCTV footage revealed Sabah buying the knife from a Tesco store before killing her defenceless sister
Sabah was charged with her sister’s murder and the seedy details of the affair finally came to light.
A court heard how Hafeez had got his sister-in-law pregnant because he refused to use contraception and Sabah was forced to have an abortion rather than expose their relationship.
Hafeez had no plans to leave his wife for his mistress but Sabah became infatuated and wanted him ‘entirely for herself’.
In an effort to distance himself from her, the taxi-driver planned to move out of the Khan family home with Saima and their children.
But family sources suggested that Saima, who was unaware that her husband was sleeping with her sister, did not wish to move from her family, and an annex had initially been built in the garden for them to live in.
Sabah saw no other option but to take her sister out of the picture – and began to plan the murder that would destroy her family and see her jailed for life.
Bitter text messages to Hafeez showed Sabah calling her sister a ‘b***h’ and in one message she promise to rip her ‘heart out’ and show him what he means to her.
Sabah also began searching the internet for ‘poisonous snakes’, ‘how to hire a killer’ and ’16 steps to kill someone and not get caught’.
She eventually contacted a ‘fixer’ in Pakistan to use black magic to kill Saima – paying £5,000 to a witch doctor to ‘finish off’ her sister.
She would message the fixer in the third person, writing: ‘Sorry to bother you again and again.
‘My friend is really upset now Hefeez does not even look at her… he says he realises his mistake… You finish off Saima as quick as possible so Sabah can get her Hefeez back.’
After this failed, she decided to take matters into her own crazed hands.
Sabah purchased a knife the day before, and at around 11pm on May 23, 2016, lured Saima home by messaging her that her children were crying.
As Saima entered, the lights were switched off for eight minutes, during which time she was knifed to death in a savage frenzy.
Sabah had tried to stage the scene to look like a burglary, smashing the window, and concealing the murder weapon and her bloodstained clothes in bin liners.
She told officers she found Saima lying dead in a burglary gone-wrong and officers initially believed her until they found the murder weapon in her room.
In police bodycam footage played at her trial Sabah could be seen on video explaining how she had tried to stop the bleeding by covering Saima’s wounds.
When asked by an officer why she had blood on her hand, she claimed to have wounded herself on ‘glass’ which was shattered on the floor after the ‘break-in’.
A family source said no one ever considered that Sabah could have killed her sister because they were so close.
They told the Mail: ‘The two sisters, you would never see them apart. It was them two together all the time.
The Crime Desk can reveal that Hafeez returned to his native village in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and remarried, before returning to Luton with his new wife
Before police arrived at the murder scene, Sabah had attempted to stage a burglary by smashing a window before calling police and claiming her sister had been murdered by an intruder when she was in the shower
Detectives initially investigated Sabah’s burglary claims before arresting her eight days later when they found the knife in a bin bag in her bedroom (pictured)
‘Every time we saw them they seemed like twins, even though they were a few years apart. They were that close.
‘Whether they were picking up Saima’s children from school, or going shopping, they would always go together.
‘I couldn’t believe the affair. I think what happened is that Sabah got very obsessed with him. She was more interested in him, while he was just passing time.’
During the trial, Hafeez had tried to downplay his role in the affair, claiming that he had been forced to have sex with her for four years.
But Jo Sidhu QC, Sabah’s defence barrister had revealed how during the affair Hafeez had ‘begun exploring his options’, even inquiring as to whether it was permissible in Islam to marry his sister-in-law.
While he said he had tried to break it off, Sidhu argued their relationship had remained sexual until days before the murder and Hafeez had even warned off a suitor who had started to develop a relationship with Sabah.
During her murder trial, it was heard in court that Sabah was a ‘lonely individual, had traits of mental health issues and had in the past cut and strangled herself’.
While her defence argued that the ‘remorse will infect her for the rest of her days’, she showed no emotion as she was jailed for life with a minimum of 22 years.
She had appealed to have her sentence reduced in 2017 but failed as judges ruled the sentencing for the ‘horrendous and brutal murder’ was not ‘manifestly excessive’.
Warning: This article discusses incidents of gun violence.
Justin Noble vividly recalls the horror, the sound of bullets, and the moment when strangers clung to him, all desperate to survive.
As a former officer with the New South Wales Police, Noble still grapples with the memories of what he encountered at Port Arthur three decades ago. That fateful day left profound scars on both survivors and first responders, ultimately transforming Australia’s stance on public safety, law enforcement, and firearm regulations.
On April 28, 1996, while vacationing with his wife at the popular tourist destination in southeastern Tasmania, Noble witnessed a lone gunman unleash chaos, resulting in 35 deaths and numerous injuries in one of the nation’s most tragic mass shootings.
“The sheer terror experienced by everyone there is something I can never forget,” Noble shared with SBS News.
He knew something was wrong soon after he heard the first gunshots, moving quickly to help people get to safety as panic spread.
Justin Noble was on holiday with his wife at Port Arthur when a lone gunman opened fire, killing 35 people and injuring dozens more in one of Australia’s deadliest mass shootings. Source: SBS News / Adam Reibel
“People were so, so scared that one person, a lady, actually saw my police warrant card with my police badge, and she hung onto my belt and then a conga line of people started all hanging on to me as I was trying to walk around the site,” Noble recalls.
Three decades later, he says the experience continues to shape his views on firearm ownership in Australia. While he believes most gun owners act responsibly, he says the overall increase in gun numbers in Australia is concerning.
First and foremost, people need to understand that it’s not a right to possess a firearm and have a firearms licence. It’s a privilege.
Noble’s experience is part of a national story that began with the Port Arthur tragedy, a turning point that led to sweeping gun law reforms under the Howard government, including stricter licensing rules, prohibitions on some weapons and a national buyback scheme that reshaped firearm ownership across the country.
But Australia now has more firearms than it did before the tragedy, prompting renewed debate over what those rising numbers mean for public safety, how they should be measured and whether current laws are keeping pace.
‘Like going to war for a day’
For those who treated the wounded that day, the scale of what unfolded was unlike anything they had seen — and a sign of what needed to change.
Dr Bryan Walpole says the Port Arthur shooting was on a scale he had not seen before in the emergency department at Royal Hobart Hospital.
“We described it as like going to war for a day,” he tells SBS News.
“Normally, we might see one, maybe two, shot people in a week or a month and deal with them as part of your ordinary work, but never that intensity.”
Dr Bryan Walpole says the scale of the Port Arthur shooting was unlike anything he had previously encountered in the emergency department. Source: SBS News / Kerrin Thomas
Walpole says the impact of the gun law reforms that followed was immediate.
“It was like night and day: prior to Port Arthur, there had been at least one gun massacre every year for the previous 15 years,” he says.
Researchers say mass shootings declined after the 1996 reforms, though there is ongoing debate about how much of that change can be directly linked to the laws.
Rising numbers, different interpretations
Last January, think tank The Australia Institute released a report compiling, for the first time, a national estimate of gun ownership.
The analysis found total firearm numbers are around 25 per cent higher than in 1996, before the Port Arthur shooting.
Explaining the significance of the data, Alice Grundy, research manager at The Australia Institute, says the scale had not previously been captured.
“What we found is that there are over four million licensed firearms in Australia, and this was a number that nobody else had,” she tells SBS News.
Before Port Arthur, there were an estimated 3.2 million guns in Australia.
The Port Arthur tragedy transformed gun legislation in Australia, with then prime minister John Howard introducing the National Firearms Agreement, banning some weapons and introducing stricter licensing and ownership controls. Credit: Getty Images/Robert Cianflone
The buyback scheme introduced by the Howard government led to more than 650,000 firearms being destroyed. By 2001, registered firearms had dropped to around 2.2 million.
Now 30 years on, that number has climbed to 4.1 million.
But there’s been a decrease per capita from approximately 0.18 licensed guns per person before the shooting to 0.15 today.
Thirty years after the Port Arthur massacre, there are more than 4.1 million registered firearms in Australia. Source: SBS News
Tom Kenyon, CEO of the Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia (SSAA), argues those figures need to be understood in context.
“The population of Australia increased by about 50 per cent in that time — I think it’s just under 50 per cent — the number of firearms has increased by about 20 per cent,” Kenyon says. Australia’s population was just over 18 million in 1996 and is around 28 million today.
Kenyon stresses that every legal firearm purchase since 1996 has been subject to strict regulation.
“You can’t just walk into a shop and buy a firearm; you have to apply beforehand for approval to purchase that firearm, you have to explain what you need that firearm for,” he says.
So are there too many guns, or just more people?
That question sits at the centre of the debate that continues to shape political responses across states and territories.
Following Sydney’s Bondi Beach shooting in December, the Department of Home Affairs released its own figures on gun ownership.
As of December 2025, there were more than 4.1 million registered firearms in Australia, surpassing the number of guns present before the 1996 Port Arthur massacre. Source: SBS News
While the headline total — of around 4.1 million — is broadly consistent with The Australia Institute estimates, some of the underlying data points differ.
The number of guns rose from 4,078,746 to 4,113,735 between January, when the Australia Institute released its report, and December — a difference of 34,989.
Numbers have gone up in some states, and down in others.
One big difference is in the ACT, where there was a reported drop of nearly 50,000 guns, from 69,868 to 22,857 — almost 70 per cent.
In its original report, the Australia Institute said the figure for the ACT was an estimate based on ownership rates in line with the national average.
“It turns out that in the ACT, the number is lower than the national average,” Grundy says.
There is also a discrepancy in the data reported for the Northern Territory, where gun numbers have dropped by nearly a quarter, from 73,752 to 55,678.
A spokesperson for the Department of Home Affairs told SBS News: “NTPFES [Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services] reported the number of firearms is decreasing due to checks occurring as part of the implementation of the National Firearms Register.”
More guns, more theft — or a storage problem?
The Australia Institute identifies firearm theft as a growing concern linked to higher gun numbers.
“Since 2020, 9,000 firearms have been stolen. We don’t have good data on how many of those have been recovered,” Grundy says.
“From the data that is available in Queensland and Western Australia, it’s about 25 per cent of those stolen firearms that have been recovered.
The greatest single source of new firearms onto the black market is stolen licensed firearms.
Grundy says proposed caps on the number of firearms per owner — now being considered in some states in response to the Bondi massacre — could help reduce risks.
“One of the potential benefits for a cap on the number of firearms a person can own is that it makes it more straightforward for them to keep track of them,” she says.
“Storage is more straightforward, and that can help with preventing against theft.”
But SSAA’s Kenyon rejects that approach, arguing caps are “random numbers”.
“It’s not actually determined with any science behind it, and there’s no evidence that I’m aware of that suggests that capping numbers improves public safety,” he says.
“There’s no public safety research that shows 10 is a magic number.
Instead, Kenyon says enforcement of existing storage laws should be the priority.
“Almost certainly the problem is the way those are being stored, so the logical, rational response to that is to look at the enforcement of storage requirements, making sure people are storing their firearms correctly, and as they’re legally required to,” Kenyon says.
“That’s where you have the biggest public safety benefit, rather than capping something.”
He also argues that practical use cases can quickly push owners beyond proposed limits.
“If you compete in a number of events in competition shooting, some of those events might require you to own three firearms just for one event.
“You might then do some hunting: different animals require different calibres, different types of hunting require different types of rifles, day and night shooting requires different types of sights, and you generally don’t move sights between firearms very easily, you have to then re-sight it and everything else, it’s very complicated.”
A new buyback, but no national consensus
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced a renewed gun buyback in December in response to the Bondi massacre, but not all states and territories are on board.
“So far, we’ve seen that South Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland have not agreed to participate in the buyback,” Grundy says.
“It remains to be seen what kind of approach Victoria takes, but since Australia has porous borders, it’s really important for there to be cross-state collaboration on this issue to make sure that Australians can be safe.”
Kenyon says any scheme should pay fair market value to owners and include compensation for items like ammunition and sights.
Gun data and public access
The Australia Institute’s report found that gun ownership in Australia varies significantly across states.
Western Australia is the only state that currently caps the number of firearms a licence holder can own, while NSW is the only jurisdiction to publish comprehensive firearm ownership data. That data shows two individuals in inner Sydney each own more than 300 firearms.
Kenyon says releasing such information raises safety concerns.
“Anything that makes that more likely, that highlights suburbs with high densities of firearm ownership, or anything else, we think actually decreases public safety, that it makes it easier for criminals to target certain areas,” he says.
Grundy disputes that view, saying the data is not the “treasure map” as some gun lobby groups suggest.
“Post codes are based on population, so it’s not that you have the same area covered by a post code in rural or regional Western Australia as you do in Sydney, for example.”
A national system still pending
A National Firearms Register, which would track weapons across the country in real time, was first proposed after Port Arthur to improve coordination between states and territories, but it has yet to be implemented despite having bipartisan support.
They’ve been promising a National Firearms Register for a long time; it’s well and truly overdue.
Justin Noble
Currently, each state and territory has its own separate registry of registered firearms and gun owners’ licences — a national registry would combine this information into a single place.
In December 2025, the federal government announced a significant acceleration in the delivery of the system, which is slated for completion in 2028.
In a statement to SBS News, the Department of Home Affairs said the delivery of Commonwealth components has been accelerated and is on track to be complete by the end of this year, and states and territories will be able to integrate at any time following that.
“Once established, the National Firearms Register will provide near-real time information on the number of firearms and licence holders across Australia,” a departmental spokesperson said.
For policymakers, the debate is now less about whether reform occurred after Port Arthur and more about whether today’s fragmented system remains fit for purpose.
And for the former officer who stood amid the chaos that day, it comes back to something more immediate — the fear of people grabbing onto him to survive and the responsibility he feels still sits behind every discussion about guns in Australia.
Early Monday, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake rattled northern Japan, with authorities reporting no significant damage or casualties.
The Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed that there was no need to issue a tsunami advisory following the tremor.
Steam rises out of a power station protected by a tsunami sea wall in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture on April 27, 2026. AFP via Getty Images
The earthquake’s epicenter was located 11 miles west of Sarabetsu, a small town on Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost main island. The US Geological Survey noted that the quake originated at a depth of 50 miles beneath the surface, registering a magnitude of 6.1.
Just a week prior, a 7.7 magnitude offshore quake had led Japan to warn of a slightly elevated risk of a megaquake along the northeastern coast, prompting increased vigilance in the region.
A week ago, a 7.7 magnitude offshore earthquake prompted Japan to issue an advisory of a slightly higher risk of a possible megaquake for the nation’s northeastern coastal areas.
A bulletin board at JR Obihiro Station announces the suspension of train services due to the effects of an earthquake in Obihiro City, Hokkaido Prefecture on April 27, 2026. JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
The JMA said Monday’s quake was outside of the area subject to a megaquake advisory and that the special awareness week is set to end as planned.
A 24/7 McDonald’s has been approved to be built on one of Melbourne’s trendiest streets despite fierce opposition from residents who claim it will damage the suburb’s “social fabric”.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) reversed a decision by Darebin City Council on Friday to block the Macca’s from opening at a fire-damaged vacant lot at 323 High Steet in Northcote.
Andy Miller, a resident of Northcote and a vocal opponent of the proposed development, expressed his disappointment over the recent decision but remains hopeful that the fight isn’t finished.
Northcote resident Andy Miller opposed the development. (Susan Hewitt)
“McDonald’s may have succeeded up to this point in this skirmish, but the campaign to halt the spread of these fast-food goliaths is far from over,” Miller told Nine.com.au.
“Campaigns opposing McDonald’s are gaining momentum across the country,” he noted.
In November, Darebin council members voted 6-3 against the planning proposal, which resurfaced last week. The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ruled that the concerns from locals and businesses about the fast-food chain not matching the area’s character were irrelevant to the planning decision.
Miller criticized the VCAT tribunal for dismissing the community’s worries about how McDonald’s could disrupt Northcote’s close-knit social environment.
A petition against the development has gathered over 11,300 signatures, indicating strong local opposition.
Many feared the proposed convenience restaurant would spoil the blend of local restaurants, hip bars, boutique shops and live music venues that run along High Street, which runs along the suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston.
Locals said the late-night opening hours would compromise the suburb’s “unique character”.
The sting of the Golden Arches is a little more painful for local burger joint 300 Grams, which is just a few doors down from the proposed site.
But owner Norm Khzam told 9News he hopes residents will stay loyal to his business.
“We wouldn’t open a couple of doors down from another burger shop, but at the same time we are confident in what we do,” he said.
Time Out magazine last year named the buzzy High Street as number one in its “world’s coolest street” rankings.
“Macca’s relies on the fact that councils and communities get exhausted,” Miller said, adding that Northcote residents will “regroup” and assess their options.
It is difficult to appeal a VCAT decision.
Tribunal decisions can only be appealed in the Victorian Supreme Court.
Miller said the VCAT tribunal was not interested in community outrage over the potential for Macca’s to ruin the “social fabric” of Northcote’s tight community. (Getty)
Community members will gather for a “Fast Food Forum” next week to discuss who suburbs can ”protect [themselves] against these powerful chains and reform the planning system that enables their proliferation”.
A spokesperson for McDonald’s said the fast good giant welcomed the outcome and that the application had been “fairly and rightly assessed”.
“The restaurant represents an investment of more than $2 million and reflects McDonald’s ongoing commitment to employment-generating development across Victoria,” the spokesperson said.
“The restaurant will be owned and operated by a local Franchisee, who will contribute to the local area through employment, access to training and development opportunities, and supporting local community organisations.”
McDonald’s previously argued the development would generate around 100 jobs during construction and 100 full-time, part-time and casual jobs once it is open.
It is scheduled to open later this year.
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Ships reportedly attacked in Strait of Hormuz as blockade turns 28 vessels around
Daniel Turner, the founder and executive director of Power The Future, is shedding light on the escalating tensions between the United States and Iran, with a particular focus on the recent US blockade against Iranian vessels navigating the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Turner delves into Iran’s economic resilience strategy, suggesting that Tehran is playing a long game to withstand US pressures. He emphasizes how these geopolitical maneuvers are affecting global oil and gas markets, arguing that stability hinges on market confidence. Turner also critiques current climate policies, contending they have inadvertently increased living costs and weakened the United States both economically and militarily.
In a dramatic escalation, Iran allegedly fired upon three ships within the Strait of Hormuz this past Wednesday. This incident underscores the volatility in this critical maritime corridor, which is a vital artery for global oil shipments.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a branch of the British military, reported that an IRGC gunboat directed fire at a container ship near Oman, inflicting substantial damage to the ship’s bridge. Despite the severity of the attack, there were no fires or environmental consequences, and the crew emerged unharmed.
In a separate alert, the UKMTO revealed that an outbound cargo ship west of Iran came under fire and subsequently came to a halt in the water. Fortunately, the ship’s crew was reported safe and accounted for, highlighting the tense atmosphere in the region and the potential for further disruptions.
Another UKMTO warning said “an outbound cargo ship” west of Iran reported “having been fired upon and is now stopped in the water.” The notice said the crew was safe and accounted for.
“There is no reported damage to the vessel,” it added.
Maps4Media processed and enhanced Sentinal-2 satellite imagery shows a broad view of the Strait of Hormuz between southern Iran and Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, including surrounding islands, coastal terrain, and turquoise shallow-water zones at the entrance to the Persian Gulf.(Photo enhanced and published by maps4media via Getty Images)
Iranian media said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was bringing two ships to Iran after seizing them in the Strait of Hormuz, according to The Associated Press.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) command claimed in an X post that the two vessels, the MSC-Francesca and Epaminodes, “had endangered maritime security by operating without the necessary permits and tampering with navigation systems.”
It said the vessels “were seized by the IRGC Navy and escorted to Iran’s coast,” according to a translation.
“Disruption of order and safety in the Strait of Hormuz is our red line,” the command wrote.
It also claimed the MSC-Francesca is “linked to the Zionist regime.”
Motorists ride past the Imam Sadiq mosque with a giant Iranian flag installed on its front at the Palestine Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.(Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
Iranian media also reported that the IRGC attacked a third ship, identified as the Euphoria, according to the AP.
The development comes after President Donald Trump announced Tuesday afternoon that the United States was extending a ceasefire.
“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal,” the president wrote on Truth Social..
President Donald Trump speaks to members of the media outside the Oval Office of the White House on April 13, 2026.(Salwan Georges/Bloomberg)
“I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” he added.
Open Heaven 27 April 2026 Monday Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Attracting God’s Help (3)
Open Heaven 27 April 2026 TOPIC – Attracting God’s Help (3)
MEMORISE: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. – James 4:10 (KJV)
READ: Psalm 10:17-18 (KJV)
17 Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Kings 24-25
Open Heaven 27 April 2026 MESSAGE
Today, I will conclude the teaching I started two days ago by discussing humility as another way of attracting God’s help. Today’s Bible reading makes us understand that God listens to the desires of the humble and delivers them from every form of oppression. This means that if you want God to arise for your help in any area of your life, you must be in a state of total surrender to Him. Romans 12:1 says, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service”. When you present your body as a living sacrifice to God, it means that you have surrendered completely to Him, and He now has total control over your life.
In 2 Kings 5:11-12, Naaman was about to lose his miracle because of pride. He felt that a man of his social and financial status should be treated in a special way. If not for the fact that his servants advised him to obey the prophet of the Lord by dipping himself in River Jordan seven times, he probably would have died as a leper.
Child of God, whenever you come before your heavenly Father, do not consider whatever wealth or achievements you might have. Rather, you should always approach the Almighty God in total surrender so you can receive His help. I have walked with God for some decades now, and one of the things I can say about Him is that He hates pride. In fact, He said in James 4:6 that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. This tells us that God is always quick to help the humble. David’s humility made him enjoy God’s help countless times in his lifetime. He never argued with God; rather, he saw himself as a mere work of creation before Him (Psalm 8:4). As a result, God continued to help him until he died at a good old age, full of riches and honour (1 Chronicles 29:28).
Beloved, if you want God to arise for your help, you must surrender your life totally to Him. You must acknowledge Him as the Owner and Controller of your life, and when you go before Him in prayers, you must totally disregard your social or financial status. With utmost humility in your heart, make your requests known to God, and I can assure you that He will arise and help you, even beyond your wildest imagination.
Open Heaven 27 April 2026 KEY POINT
Pride is a major hindrance to attracting God’s help.
Open Heaven 27 April 2026 HYMN 30 – When We Walk With The Lord
1 When we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way! While we do his good will, he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
2 But we never can prove the delights of his love until all on the altar we lay; for the favor he shows, and the joy he bestows, are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
3 Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet, or we’ll walk by his side in the way; what he says we will do, where he sends we will go; never fear, only trust and obey. [Refrain]
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REMINDER!!! JESUS IS COMING SOON
ARE YOU BORN AGAIN? IF NO, WHY NOT ACCEPT JESUS NOW!
Accept Jesus Christ today and secure a life of eternal rest and Glory by saying this short prayer below:
Lord Jesus, I believe you died for my sins, Forgive me of all my iniquities. I accept you as my Lord and Saviour from today and forever.
Come and Be the Lord of my life and I am willing to obey Your command and live according to Your will by Your Grace, Thank you for accepting me into Your fold
AMEN!!! John 6:37…and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
DCLM Daily Manna 27 April 2026 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Being Valuable
TOPIC: Being Valuable (DCLM Daily Manna 27 April 2026)
KEY VERSE: Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the LORD hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them – 2 Chronicles 2:11
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 2:11-18 (KJV)
11 Then Huram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon, Because the Lord hath loved his people, he hath made thee king over them.
12 Huram said moreover, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding, that might build an house for the Lord, and an house for his kingdom.
13 And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram my father’s,
14 The son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre, skilful to work in gold, and in silver, in brass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to grave any manner of graving, and to find out every device which shall be put to him, with thy cunning men, and with the cunning men of my lord David thy father.
15 Now therefore the wheat, and the barley, the oil, and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his servants:
16 And we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need: and we will bring it to thee in floats by sea to Joppa; and thou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem.
17 And Solomon numbered all the strangers that were in the land of Israel, after the numbering wherewith David his father had numbered them; and they were found an hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.
18 And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, and three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people a work.
DCLM Daily Manna For Today MESSAGE:
Here is what a well-known writer says about Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States: “The worldwide interest in President Lincoln, from the time he left his home in Springfield, Illinois to take the presidential chair at Washington in 1861, and the universal and real sorrow for his untimely death on the 15th of April, 1865, are very pronounced.
Even to this present day, there exists among the different nationalities of the earth a great interest in this wise and benevolent ruler. President Lincoln had endeared himself to the hearts of millions by his human sympathy, great wisdom, and kindly acts toward friend and foe alike in the most critical and difficult periods of the history of the United States, and after his death, this was more fully realised and appreciated by all.” This narrative summarises that Abraham Lincoln’s existence proved to be valuable. Similarly, in today’s text, Huram, the king of Tyre, discerned something valuable about Solomon, who succeeded his father, David, as the king of Israel. He saw in Solomon “a wise son, endued with prudence and understanding,” capable of building a temple for the Lord. He regarded Solomon’s emergence as a blessing from God for Israel. In response to Solomon’s request, Hiram expressed his willingness to provide the necessary manpower and materials for the construction project and prepared a contract concerning the labour to be done and the wages to be paid to his men.
A significant technical personnel sent by Huram was a very intelligent and multi-talented coppersmith named Huram (Hiram), a Tyrian whose mother was a Jewess. In all these, we can see the importance of being resourceful. It is a great blessing to the church, community or state to have people who, by God’s grace, have developed themselves to be able to add value. Notice here also that the Gentiles contributed immensely to the building of the temple. Don’t think that being valuable is an exclusive club of people specially favoured by God. We must understand that every one of us has something to offer. We only need to “stir up the gift of God” in us by diligent learning, commitment to excellence and determination to be useful to God and humanity.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY What we call destiny is actually the outcome of our decisions and deeds.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR 1 Samuel 1-2
Deeper Life Daily Manna For Today 2025 was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
REMINDER!!! JESUS IS COMING SOON
ARE YOU BORN AGAIN? IF NO, WHY NOT ACCEPT JESUS NOW!
Accept Jesus Christ today and secure a life of eternal rest and Glory by saying this short prayer below:
Lord Jesus, I believe you died for my sins, Forgive me of all my iniquities. I accept you as my Lord and Saviour from today and forever.
Come and Be the Lord of my life and I am willing to obey Your command and live according to Your will by Your Grace, Thank you for accepting me into Your fold
AMEN!!! John 6:37…and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Authorities have identified Cole Allen, a 31-year-old from Torrance, California, as the individual who allegedly stormed a security checkpoint at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, armed with a shotgun, a handgun, and multiple knives.
Allen was subdued by agents following a brief but alarming shootout in the hotel lobby.
During the incident, a Secret Service agent was hit by gunfire but, fortunately, was protected by a bulletproof vest, avoiding any serious harm. Witnesses reported that up to eight shots were exchanged.
Despite the swift response from security personnel, Allen managed to get alarmingly close, within 100 yards, to President Trump and numerous high-ranking officials.
In the midst of the chaos, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President JD Vance were quickly escorted off the ballroom stage as the Secret Service engaged with the attacker.
Authorities said Allen, a Democrat-supporting, 31-year-old teacher had checked in as a guest at the hotel.
He is reported to have told officers he wanted to shoot officials in the Trump administration.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle often find themselves at the center of media storms, unable to shake the shadow of controversy that seems to follow them. Their well-publicized rift with the British royal family remains a topic of intense debate and speculation, as the public seeks to uncover the truth behind one of the most talked-about family feuds of the 21st century. Many critics are quick to blame Meghan for the estrangement between Harry and his royal kin, with online discussions buzzing about the alleged tension she has caused.
Pool/Getty Images
The couple’s reputation has taken a hit over the years, fueled by a series of awkward public appearances and incidents that have kept them in the public eye, often for the wrong reasons. They’ve faced ridicule for their apparent contradiction of seeking privacy while frequently drawing attention to themselves. Despite relocating from the UK to escape the limelight, they find themselves repeatedly thrust back into it, as evidenced by negative receptions and being jeered during public events. Meghan, in particular, has had her share of awkward encounters with other celebrities, but the pair also have their own share of cringeworthy moments together that continue to draw attention.
One such moment occurred on June 4, 2025, when Meghan shared an Instagram video of herself and Harry dancing in a hospital room during her pregnancy with their daughter, Princess Lilibet, born on June 4, 2021, in Santa Barbara, California. Their awkward dance moves to an overly autotuned song about pregnancy quickly became the subject of internet chatter.
They gave a cringy dance performance in the hospital
Samir Hussein/Getty Images
Their image took a significant hit following the Oprah interview. A particularly awkward segment involved Meghan confessing her surprise at having to curtsy to the queen, a basic royal protocol that most people are aware of. This revelation resurfaced in their Netflix docuseries “Harry & Meghan,” where Meghan dramatically reenacted a curtsy, much to Harry’s visible discomfort.
Critics swiftly took to social media to express their outrage. One user on X accused Meghan of mocking the late queen, while another pointed out Harry’s discomfort as he appeared complicit in ridiculing the very institution he might wish to reconcile with. These moments continue to fuel the couple’s controversial image, sparking ongoing debates about their intentions and influence.
Meghan Markle gave curtsy cringe more than once
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s image was never the same after the Oprah interview. One of the most cringeworthy portions of the infamous interview was when Meghan revealed she did not know she had to curtsy for the queen and was surprised when her husband explained this basic royal etiquette that even the average person knows. This comes up again in the “Harry & Meghan” Netflix docuseries, where she seemingly makes fun of curtsying by dramatically reenacting it, to Harry’s dismay.
The Royal Family handed Meghan Markle everything people spend lifetimes chasing… global fame, instant platform, recognition at a level most can’t even dream of. And what did she do with it? Markled herself.
“She was mocking the late queen,” one X user accused. Prince Harry added to the cringeworthy moment by watching her uncomfortably. “And Harry sat right next to her mocking the very family, institution and nation that Harry is now desperate to return to,” another user said.
Meghan Markle tried to steal the mic at Kevin Costner’s charity event
Cindy Ord/Getty Images
In September 2023, Meghan Markle had an embarrassing onstage moment beside husband Prince Harry during Kevin Costner’s One805 Live! charity event for local first responders in Santa Barbara, California.
After the couple walked on stage together, Meghan tried to take the microphone out of the host’s hand. The host refused to give her the microphone, forcing the couple to move to the side of the stage. When another host offered the microphone to Harry, he declined it. The moment is still painfully awkward to watch back.
They were booed at a Dodgers game
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
In October 2025, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were brutally booed at Game 4 of the World Series while showing their support for the LA Dodgers. They both forced an uncomfortable smile when they were highlighted on the jumbotron, surely taken aback by the negative reception.
Many were questioning why Harry would root for the Dodgers against the Toronto Blue Jays, a Canadian team that’s part of the Commonwealth that Harry and his royal family is supposed to serve. “They deserve those boo’s they jinked us! His father is the king of Canada!” one user wrote on TikTok.
They paraded around in a golfcart when no one cared
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were widely criticized after an embarrassing ride on a golf cart at the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. The games were founded by Harry to honor sick, disabled, and injured service members, but the golf cart display seemed to be a self-centered moment that mimicked the old royal parades they are no longer a part of.
The couple waved to an indifferent crowd, with many not even looking in their direction. “She wishes it was the royal carriage,” one Instagram user called Markle out.
Prince Harry tried to get Meghan Markle a job at Disney
Wpa Pool/Getty Images
At the London premiere of the live-action Disney film “The Lion King” in July 2019, Prince Harry was recorded asking then-Disney CEO Bob Iger for a job for his wife. “You know she does voiceovers,” he said as Meghan Markle hugged Beyoncé (via People). “Did you know that? You seem surprised. She’s really interested.”
The shameless plug was met with a visibly uncomfortable Iger. “I am embarrassed to watch it,” one YouTube user wrote. “The CEO wife’s face is PRICELESS. the cringe in her face,” another pointed out.
With Love, Meghan is one big cringe show
Netflix
Meghan Markle’s short-lived run on Netflix is not winning a popularity contest any time soon. “With Love, Meghan” was called cringey before the show even aired, catching widespread ridicule from the start of the show’s promotion. Its leisure hobby premise and star-studded guest appearances, including Prince Harry, were wholly unrelatable to viewers. “I just love the authenticity of a bunch of rich women, in super expensive jewelry and full glam, supporting their diamond and cartier wearing friend in designer clothes – making frittata and sponge cake in a house that’s not even hers. It all just seems so aspirational,” one user commented on the series’ Netflix trailer. After just 2 seasons, the show was canceled by the streaming giant.
They were rejected by Dior
Pool/Getty Images
In June 2023, a rumor ran rampant across news outlets that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were receiving a deal from luxury fashion brand Dior. The widespread rumor forced Dior to awkwardly reject the couple publicly, stating that it did not have any deal planned for them. While Harry and Meghan had worn Dior on occasion as a royal couple, it seems the famous brand lost its desire to work with them after they left Britain and their royal duties behind. The speedy correction was a humiliating reminder that the couple is simply not as relevant anymore.
Meghan Markle crashed Harry’s polo team win
Mega/Getty Images
In May 2022, Meghan Markle crashed Prince Harry’s trophy ceremony with his winning polo team at the Santa Barbara Polo Club in California. While he and his team were being presented with the Lisle Nixon Memorial trophy, she stood in the middle of the group for the victory shot, despite not being on the team.
The cringeworthy moment made Meghan look like a helicopter wife who could not let her husband have his moment to shine without her being in the middle of everything. “No respect shown towards her husband or anyone else. Move out of the way this isn’t about you,” one Instagram user wrote.
