Young woman forced to jump from two-storey balcony to escape raging house fire in Melbourne
Four people were trapped inside the Bentleigh East home just before midnight as flames spread from the ground floor.
Five people were evacuated, and two were taken to hospital.
Neighbours heard terrifying screams from inside as the blaze erupted.
The young woman who jumped, believed to be in her 20s, has been taken to hospital with lower leg and hip injuries.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
See the moment TV star James Hooper crashes into parked cars while allegedly more than FIVE times over the limit in shocking new video
Dramatic footage has revealed the moment high-profile TV reporter James Hooper allegedly crashed his ute into three parked cars while more than five times over the legal drink-drive limit. Hooper was sacked from his role with Fox Sports after the incident, which occurred shortly before 7.30pm last Thursday in the inner-west Sydney suburb of Leichhardt. Police allege Hooper recorded a result of 0.253 when he was tested for alcohol. Now CCTV footage has shown the moment Hooper's vehicle allegedly collided with parked cars. The video, which appears to have been taken from a camera attached to a house near the site of the accident, shows sparks flying at the moment of impact. Further footage taken by Channel Nine reveals damage to the parked vehicles. Vision from Channel Nine shows the damage to another vehicle after Hooper's ute was involved in the alleged accident last Thursday night Shortly after the police charges came to light, Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley confirmed that the chief rugby league reporter would be leaving the NRL broadcast partner effective immediately. 'James has been a great contributor since he joined us in 2016, but he's also battled some significant personal issues from time to time,' Crawley said. 'In speaking to him today, James also acknowledges that things need to change for him.' Hooper admitted that he was dealing with personal issues. 'I've let the game of rugby league, my employers, my wife and kids down terribly,' he told News Corp. 'Clearly I'm not handling the tough side of the job. 'Hopefully this is the punch between the eyes that will set me straight.' Hooper spent many years as a reporter and columnist for The Daily Telegraph. The 47-year-old (pictured appearing on Fox Sports) said, 'I've let the game of rugby league, my employers, my wife and kids down terribly' He then moved to Fox Sports, featuring on shows such as NRL 360 and as a sideline commentator for NRL matches. His work spanned print, online, and broadcast, making him one of News Corp's most prominent rugby league voices. Hooper told News Corp that he would be seeking professional treatment following this incident. 'About 7.30pm yesterday [Thursday 31 July 2025], police were called to Allen Street, Leichhardt, following reports of a crash,' NSW Police said in a statement. 'Officers attached to Leichhardt Highway Patrol attended to find a Ford utility had collided with three parked cars before coming to a stop. 'The driver – a 47-year-old man – was located nearby and allegedly returned a positive breath test before he was taken to Newtown Police Station where he returned a breath analysis of 0.253. 'He was charged with drive with high range PCA and not give particulars to owner of damaged property [three counts]. 'The man was issued a court attendance notice to appear before Downing Centre Local Court on Monday 15 September 2025.'
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Bad men problem: Gareth Ward and Mark Latham leave NSW parliament in unchartered territory
The New South Wales parliament has a problem with men behaving badly. But more to the point, it seems to have an inability to deal with it. On Tuesday, the parliament will try to deal with two very different cases that share a common consequence: damage to its reputation as an institution. Despite being a convicted rapist in custody awaiting sentence, Gareth Ward, the MP for Kiama, remains a member of the Legislative Assembly, drawing a base salary of more than $170,000 courtesy of NSW taxpayers. Labor plans to move a motion to have him expelled when parliament resumes on Tuesday and the opposition has said it will support it. Expelling Ward will almost certainly lead to more litigation, especially as the government will probably try to call a byelection in his south coast seat soon after. Sign up: AU Breaking News email But first to backtrack a little. Most politicians being investigated or facing criminal charges choose to resign, or their parties put the pressure on the MP to draw a line under their faltering political career. But Ward has toughed it out and continues to claim his innocence, despite being convicted for serious sex offences against two young men. He was suspended and left the Liberal party in 2022 after being charged with sex offences. He then ran as an independent in the 2023 state election and was returned by the voters of Kiama. Now that he has been convicted, he faces a potential sentence of more than five years. Under section 13A of the NSW constitution, a person is ineligible to be an MP if they are convicted of an offence punishable by five years or more. But it's only counted as a conviction once the person has reached the end of the appeals process and has not had their conviction overturned, constitutional expert Prof Anne Twomey says – and Ward has confirmed he plans to appeal the verdict. 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BreakingNews.ie
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Rescue workers find body amid race to save people trapped in Chile copper mine
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