An Aboriginal man in Darwin who stole two bottles of wine spent three months in jail in part because of a more serious charge that was eventually dropped.

Lawyers say it is a run-of-the-mill situation for the Northern Territory, but one that highlights procedural obstacles and delays that can clog up the courts and strand people in prison.

The man, 46, was charged with stealing and robbery in November.

Western Australia’s  jobless rate has hit a historic high, with the seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate at 6.8 per cent and almost 100,000 people are looking for work.

The most recent statistics show that while some sectors are creating jobs such as mining and healthcare, others such as the  financial, retail and wholesale trade sectors have shed the most, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Nearly 100,000 West Australians are looking for work but regional WA, especially the Kimberley, is bearing most of the unemployment pain.

New South Wales has smashed the jobs record with its lowest unemployment rate on record cementing its position as Australia’s job creation capital, according to the latest jobs data from the ABS.

The State’s unemployment rate fell a further 0.4 per cent to 3.9 per cent for January 2019, the lowest since monthly records began in February 1978, with a sum of 47,000 jobs added.

NSW remains well below the national unemployment rate of 5 per cent and well ahead of Victoria at 4.5 per cent.

Russian investigators have charged US investor Michael Calvey with large-scale fraud, in a case that has further strained ties between the two nations.

Mr Calvey, the founder of the Baring Vostok investment fund, is suspected of embezzling 2.5bn roubles from a Russian bank.

Mr Calvey, who was held last week with five other suspects, denies this.

Thousands have attended protest rallies across Slovakia in memory of murdered journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, shot in a targeted killing a year ago.

He had been investigating alleged corruption linked to Italian organised crime - a story which would, after his death, bring down the government.

About 25,000 people rallied in the capital Bratislava.

China has responded to reports of an indefinite ban on Australian coal imports, saying the move is to protect the interests of Chinese importers and the environment.

Customs officers based at a key port in the north of China have reportedly stopped Australian coal imports, which sent the Australian dollar tumbling yesterday.

The move appears political, with only Australian coal being targeted.

Abuse victims of the Catholic church have condemned Pope Francis comments labeling the church’s critics “friends of the devil”.

During a speech to pilgrims from Southern Italy on Wednesday, the Pope said “defects” from the church had to be denounced so they could be corrected, and those who criticize “without love” were linked to the devil.

Many have condemned these comments saying they could endanger people in some parts of the world where his words are followed very closely.

One of the men convicted of the murder of Sydney nurse Anita Cobby has died in jail.

Michael Murphy, 66, died of liver disease in Long Bay jail overnight.

He was one of five men, including two of his brothers, given a life sentence over the 1986 abduction and murder of Cobby.

Football fans will be forking out more for a beer and a burger at Adelaide Oval this year with prices some of the highest in the nation.

Patrons will be forced to pay nearly $10 for a hamburger a dollar more than any other venue, while a bottle of water will cost $5.10 nearly double what those heading to the MCG will fork out.

The Stadium Management Authority says while it's very conscious of setting prices to meet fans needs it must also build revenue to ensure ongoing maintenance costs and staff wages are covered.