Cave Diving Fatality Third in 19 Months

A Victorian man has died during a cave dive near Mt Gambier yesterday afternoon. Police were called to the scene after the man who was in his 40’s, failed to surface.

The incident occurred on a piece of land purchased by the Cave Diving Association of Australia towards the beginning of this year. The cave is thought to be one of the longest cave dives in the world and is for advanced divers only.

National Director of the Cave Diving Association, John Vanderleest has informed members of the tragedy via the organisations website. Over the past 19 months there have been three cave diving fatalities in the south-east South Australian region.

Accused Killer: “We Won’t Get a Fair Trial in Australia, Victorians Are Racist”

Two Thai citizens facing a murder charge in Melbourne say that they will not receive a fair trial in Melbourne because Victorians are racist.

They  facing extradition to Melbourne to face charges of murdering a Sanctuary Lakes chef.

Accused, Thatiya Terdputham, 36, denied committing the murder, which took place on May 2009 outside of a Brunswick convenience store.  He alleges that the murderer is the son of a mafia boss who lives in Thailand. ‘

“We did not do it … the one who did is still on the run,” Mr Terdputham argued at a Bangkok court wearing ankle chains.

When questioned on whether they knew the man they were accusing was the son of a known crime figure in Thailand, Thatiya said: “So you know that.” … Continue Reading

AFP Uncover 271 Kg of Cocaine in Melbourne Drug Bust

Police have made one of the largest cocaine seizures ever on Australian soil after $200 million worth of the illicit drug was uncovered.

The drugs were found concealed in a shipment from Brazil hidden inside lawnmowers.

Australian Federal Police have charged three individuals, including an Australian and two Chinese nationals for importing commercial quantities of a controlled drug following raids in Melbourne last night.

The AFP said that the 271kg was the fifth largest seizure of the drug in Australia, and the largest in Victorian state history.

“Australian law enforcement is more united and better equipped than ever in the fight against organised crime,” said federal police spokesman Ramzi Jabbour.

“This seizure and subsequent arrests are another example of our commitment to combating these criminal … Continue Reading

21-year-old Dies in WA Shark Attack

Surfers in the West Australian seaside community of Bunker Bay had received the shock of their life when a whale shark attacked and killed a 21-year-old man from Sydney.

The incident took place approximately 50 metres off the coast, with fellow surfers coming to the victim’s aid.

Police say the victim, whose name hasn’t been revealed publically yet, died instantly in the attack, which sheared off the man’s lower limbs, with search and rescuers carrying out the gruesome task of finding the remains. … Continue Reading

Location of Ned Kelly’s Remains Confirmed

The remains of Australia’s most notorious bushranger have been found at the former Pentridge Prison in Melbourne.

DNA samples taken from one of Kelly’s descendants, Melbourne school teacher Leigh Olver, confirmed that the remains belonged to the one of Australia’s most infamous figures.

Argentinean DNA laboratory EAAF teamed up with VIFM to identify the body.

The investigation commenced on November 11, 2009, when a skull believed to have belonged to Kelly was handed over to VIFM.

The skull had been taken from the Old Melbourne Gaol in December 1978 when it had been on display next to the death mask worn by the bushranger when he was hung.

As the skull was under investigation, the team attempted to identify Kelly from the remains … Continue Reading

Guess Who Serves Australia’s Best Coffee!

A recent survey has revealed that chains, such as Gloria Jeans, Starbucks or The Coffee Club, don’t serve the best coffee in Australia. However, McDonalds has been ranked as having the best coffee in Australia, for satisfaction and price, according to the study by Canstar Blue.

Just three months ago, the company apologised for its low standard of coffee in an advertising campaign, with McDonald’s chief operating officer announcing that the company would overhaul its coffee by introducing better-trained baristas and higher quality beans.

“McDonald’s took a strong stand by publicly admitting earlier this year its coffee offering wasn’t entirely up to scratch,” Ms Logan said.

“To turn this around in a few months is a significant achievement.”

The company also managed to come in equal first place with Michel’s for service and equal … Continue Reading

Queensland Dream Getaway Ends in Tragic Shark Attack

Queensland dream getaway ends in tragic shark attack

The body of a 48-year old Melbourne man was found off the coast of Fantome Island in Townsville yesterday after being mauled by tiger sharks.

The man was killed when he was trying to retrieve a vessel which broke its anchor off the island at 7:30pm on Sunday night.

The man’s body was found to have been mauled by tiger sharks, before it was found near the island at 9:45am yesterday.

It remains unclear if the man had drowned of whether he was killed by the sharks.

Fantome Island, a member of the Great Palm Island group, is located about 65km to the north-east of Townsville.

The Melbourne man was on a holiday from his work on Orpheus Island to spend time with his colleagues living on Palm Island.  Authorities launched a large-scale air and sea search after the man failed to return to shore with the boat on Sunday night. … Continue Reading

Aussie Airlines Miss Out on Top 10 Safest Carriers

Aussie airlines miss out on top 10 safest carriers

A report by the Air Transport Rating Agency (ATRA) has listed the top 10 safest airlines in the world, with Australian airlines failing to make the list.

The report, released yesterday, found that the safest carriers in the world were mainly based in Europe and the US.

The safest airlines in Europe included Air France-KLM, British Airways and Lufthansa.

America’s safest carriers included AMR Corporation, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

The safest airline from Asia was Japan Airlines, which ranked in 10^th position.

To reach this classification, which is a first if its kind, ATRA examined publically available information, including age of fleet or the homogeneity of the aircraft used.

The agency also said in order to understand airline safety, accident figures should not be the focal point but also factor in the technical, human, organisational and external elements. … Continue Reading