Sydney news stories on Newser

KFC Ordered to Pay $8.3M to Poisoned Girl

Matt Cantor — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 07:28:25 CDT

A judge has ordered KFC to pay an Australian family $8.3 million after their daughter was poisoned and suffered brain damage after eating at the fast-food chain. Her lawyer says Monika Samaan contracted salmonella in 2005 after eating a Twister chicken wrap and fell into a six-month coma; she...

Beer Cooler, GPS Beacon Save 4 at Sea

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:00:03 CST

Two friends and their sons were saved from drowning by some quick thinking and an unlikely hero: a beer cooler. Scott Smiles and Rick Matthews were on a fishing trip with their 11-year-old sons off the coast of Sydney, Australia, yesterday, when their 40-foot boat started on fire five miles...

Cafe Customer Leaves $1M Stuffed in Suitcase

Rob Quinn — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:46:53 CST

Sydney police don't know why a man left a suitcase stuffed with cash in an upscale cafe—but they're pretty sure it wasn't a tip. The customer at Caffe Marco ordered a coffee but walked out after spending less than five minutes in the eatery, and left his suitcase behind....

12-Hour Aussie Standoff Ends, Girl Safe

Kate Schwartz — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:31:00 CDT

A 12-hour standoff has ended in Australia after police forced their way into the Sydney law office where a man, who claimed he had a bomb in his backpack, was holding his daughter hostage . The move was made after negotiations began to break down, say police. The 12-year-old girl has...

'Backpack Bomber' Has Daughter in Aussie Standoff

Mary Papenfuss — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:45:27 CDT

A ranting Australian claiming to be armed with a backpack bomb is holding his daughter hostage in law offices near a courthouse in a Sydney suburb. Workers in nearby offices have been evacuated, and police and rescue workers are standing by as officials negotiate with him. The unidentified man earlier...

Australian Towns Impose Curfews — on Cats

Matt Cantor — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:22:33 CDT

After attacks on native wildlife, the Sydney area is putting its cats on a leash: Under a new rule, they’ll have to be inside from dusk to dawn, Reuters reports. The decision came after a deputy mayor’s son saved a parent and baby possum from a cat. In the past...

Electric Glitch Triggers New Qantas Flight Emergency

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 02:08:00 CST

Less than two weeks after a hair-raising Qantas landing, another of the airline's planes was forced today to return to Sydney's airport because of an electrical problem. Airline spokesmen did not discuss the specifics of the glitch, but mechanics were examining the Boeing 747 that had been bound for Argentina,...

Aussie Ninjas Foil Mugging

Rob Quinn — Sun, 23 May 2010 10:25:56 CDT

A gang of would-be muggers picked the worst dark alley in Sydney to attack their victim—right outside the gates of a ninja school. A student at the Japanese martial arts school saw the attack and raised the alarm. The attackers hotfooted it as five black-clad ninjas ran out, the...

Bieber Concert Canceled After Fans Faint

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:42:13 CDT

Australian authorities have canceled a concert by 16-year-old Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber after screaming fans mobbed the performance site, causing injuries and several teens to faint and hyperventilate. Bieber was to sing 3 songs at a Sydney Harbor venue for a TV broadcast today. But the gig was nixed when...