Category Archives: Australia news

German backpacker was probably killed by her boyfriend, NSW inquest hears

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Investigator of 2005 cold case says it was ‘probable’ Tobias Moran killed Simone Strobel, despite charges being dropped

The lead investigator in the cold case of backpacker Simone Strobel has told an inquest he still believes she was probably killed by her boyfriend.

Strobel’s naked body was found hidden under palm fronds at a sports ground in Lismore in the New South Wales northern rivers region in February 2005, six days after she was reported missing.

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Man charged with murder after woman’s body found in Penrith hotel – as it happened

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Meteorologists are forecasting that thunderstorms will develop over large swathes of the country every day this week, and likely into next.

Ben Domensino from Weatherzone has outlined the forecast as follows:

Early in the week, showers and thunderstorms will target central, eastern, southern and southeastern Australia on Monday and Tuesday. Severe thunderstorms are likely in parts of NSW and [Queensland] on both days and are also possible in other states.

Storms will become more focussed on a broad arc stretching across Australia’s eastern and northern states and down into the WA interior through the middle of the week. Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra will all be at risk of severe thunderstorm activity on Wednesday.

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Magnitude-4.1 earthquake near Muswellbrook likely part of ‘swarm’ that could see ‘hundreds to thousands’ of shocks

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Seismologist says it is ‘too early’ to link fourth event of sequence to mining activity in the Hunter region

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked the New South Wales town of Muswellbrook is likely part of an “earthquake swarm” that could see “hundreds to thousands” of small to moderate shocks over the coming months, according to a government seismologist.

The earthquake, which hit around midday on Tuesday and was shallow at 3km deep, is the fourth event over magnitude four in three months in the Hunter region. On 23 August, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit Muswellbrook, damaging homes and businesses.

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Man who ‘discarded’ wife after tricking her into leaving Australia jailed for exit trafficking

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Victorian sentenced to more than four years in prison after leaving wife ‘grief-stricken and traumatised’ in Sudan

A Victorian man who tricked his wife into travelling to Sudan before taking her children and passport back to Australia has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison.

After a county court trial, the 52-year-old man in April became the first Victorian convicted of exit trafficking – where someone is coerced, threatened or tricked into leaving Australia against their will.

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If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, contact the AFP on 131 237.

Information and confidential advice are also available from the Australian Red Cross, by calling 03 9345 1800 or visiting the Red Cross website.

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Four foreign nationals removed from Australia after reportedly being found on remote NT island

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Australian government won’t say if four reportedly found on Croker Island have been taken to country of departure, of origin, or to regional processing centre on Nauru

Four non-citizens reportedly found on remote Croker Island in the Northern Territory have been removed from Australia.

The ABC reported the four foreign nationals were found on Monday on the island north of Garig Gunak Barlu national park, near Arnhem land.

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‘Tragic death’ of toddler at Melbourne hotel pool while mother used phone prompts coroner’s call for better supervision

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The boy, known as Master K for inquest, floated to surface and was undiscovered for more than nine minutes

A two-year-old who drowned in a pool while his mother looked at her mobile phone and cared for another infant two metres away highlights the need for close supervision around water, a Victorian inquest has heard.

The boy had been playing in a toddlers’ pool adjoined to an adult pool at Crown Towers, a luxury hotel in central Melbourne, in 2021 when he slipped and fell into the deeper pool.

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LED lights on underside of surfboards may deter great white shark attacks

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An Australian-led study using seal-shaped decoys found underside lighting disrupted ability of great whites to see silhouettes against sunlight above

Using LED lighting on the underside of surfboards or kayaks could deter great white shark attacks, new research suggests.

In an Australian-led study using seal-shaped decoys, underside lighting disrupted the ability of great whites to see silhouettes against the sunlight above, reducing the rates at which the sharks followed and attacked the artificial prey. The brighter the lights, the more effective the deterrent was.

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Australia news live: Antic claims misinformation bill is bid to stop young Australians being ‘red pilled’ on social media

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Matt Keogh on Aukus, second Trump presidency

Matt Keogh was also questioned on what he thinks the challenges will be for the Australian government amid a second Trump presidency?

We understand regardless of who is in charge of the White House or what is happening across the globe, what matters to Australians is being able to make ends meet themselves.

We expect that to continue even under a Trump Presidency.

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Sydney’s ‘little school project’ named World Building of the Year ahead of towering skyscrapers

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Darlington public school in Chippendale wins major building design prize at 2024 World Architectural festival in Singapore

An inner-city Sydney public school has been crowned the World Building of the Year, beating competition from towering skyscrapers, museums and major transport hubs to claim the title.

Darlington public school in Chippendale won the major building design prize at the 2024 World Architectural Festival in Singapore, claiming the gong ahead of more than 200 shortlisted entrants.

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Australia ‘not immune from trade tensions’, Chalmers says of incoming Trump presidency

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Treasurer says he spoke about tariffs to a ‘key member’ of Republican’s economic team before the US election

Australia’s economy will not be immune from escalating trade tensions, Jim Chalmers has warned, as the Albanese government prepares itself for an incoming Donald Trump administration.

In a speech to be delivered on Monday , the treasurer will outline the risks of an “uncertain world characterised by economic vulnerability and volatility” but will say the Australian government is “well-placed and well-prepared”.

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Former Labor senator to be Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner

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With an estimated 41,000 people living in modern slavery in Australia, Chris Evans’ role to address exploitative practices such as forced marriage and deceptive recruiting

The former Labor minister Chris Evans will be Australia’s first anti-slavery commissioner, with the attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, announcing that the longtime senator will take up a five-year term in December.

Evans served as immigration and workplace relations minister under the Rudd and Gillard governments, and is a former chief executive of anti-slavery group Walk Free’s faith-based arm Global Freedom Network.

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Battery-powered electric vehicle sales plunge by 25% as Australian drivers choose hybrid models

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Australian Automobile Association analysis notes hybrids are exempt from fringe benefits tax until 1 April 2025

Battery-powered electric vehicle sales fell sharply last quarter and may have temporarily peaked as consumers turn to hybrid models that attract tax concessions, according to new analysis.

Quarterly vehicle sales data released by the Australian Automobile Association on Monday reveals petrol-powered cars continued to decline in popularity, with sales falling by 9.16% in the three months to 30 September.

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Fifty-year extension for one of Australia’s biggest CO2 emitters likely after WA ditches emissions-reduction rules

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Extending life of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas processing plant on Burrup Peninsula could result in billions of tonnes of climate pollution, critics say

The Western Australian Labor government appears all but certain to give one of Australia’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters the green light to operate until 2070 after it announced it would abolish state emissions-reduction requirements.

Scientists have warned the proposal to extend the life of the North West Shelf gas processing plant on the Burrup Peninsula in the country’s remote north-west is linked to the development of at least three major gas fields and could ultimately result in billions of tonnes of climate pollution being released into the atmosphere.

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‘No stopping’ Suburban Rail Loop after Victorian government inks $1.7bn deal with global consortium

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Terra Verde’s contract demonstrates the ‘huge competitive interest’ from global construction companies, Jacinta Allan says

The Victorian government’s contentious Suburban Rail Loop “cannot be stopped” as a cloud hangs over the rollout of its new public transport ticket system.

Global consortium Terra Verde has been awarded a $1.7bn tunnelling contract for the $34.5bn eastern section of the rail line.

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Jacinta Allan warns against ‘American-style division’ as Indigenous treaty negotiations begin in Victoria

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Premier says ‘misinformation’ and ‘fake news’ should not interfere with efforts to improve society, after opposition MP suggests talks being held in ‘secret’

The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, has warned against “American-style division” surrounding the state’s nation-leading Indigenous treaty, ahead of negotiations beginning this month.

The First Peoples’ Assembly – Victoria’s democratically elected Indigenous body – will begin negotiating a statewide treaty with the Allan government in the coming weeks.

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Australia’s heatwave to continue into next week as east coast braces for possible severe storms

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Sydney has a high chance of thunderstorms this week, while Melbourne can look forward to 30C weather on Saturday

The heatwave baking northern Australia with temperatures of up to 43C is expected to continue into next week, with southern parts of the country facing warm weather and possible severe storms.

A severe heatwave warning was current for much of inland Queensland, with highs of 43C at Longreach, Boulia and Richmond and 41C in Mount Isa expected on Sunday.

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Australian parliament still unsafe, Mark Butler says, after rape and stalking among 30 serious allegations reported to HR body

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New support service managed 339 cases of workplace wrongdoing in its first nine months, report shows

The health minister, Mark Butler, says Parliament House is still “an unsafe place to work” after figures revealed there were at least 30 instances of serious wrongdoing – including sexual assault and sexual harassment – reported to its new HR body in the past year.

The “deeply concerning” figures published in the Parliamentary Workplace Support Service’s first annual report, reported by Nine newspapers on Sunday, show it managed 339 cases between 1 October 2023 and 30 June 2024.

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Jamie Oliver pulls children’s book from shelves after criticism for ‘stereotyping’ Indigenous Australians

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Billy and the Epic Escape to be withdrawn worldwide after First Nations groups say fantasy novel trivialises complex and painful histories

Jamie Oliver has pulled his children’s book from sale after condemnation from First Nations communities that the fantasy novel is offensive and harmful.

Penguin Random House UK on Sunday notified the Guardian that Billy and the Epic Escape would be withdrawn from sale in all countries where it holds rights, including the UK and Australia.

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Australia settle on new Test opener as Nathan McSweeney named in squad to face India

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  • South Australian to debut at top of batting order in first match in Perth
  • In-form Josh Inglis also picked as batter in 13-player squad

Australia have settled on Nathan McSweeney to be Usman Khawaja’s opening partner for the start of the blockbuster Test series against India. After an outstanding start to the domestic season, McSweeney has beaten Marcus Harris for the vacant spot in the Australian XI.

McSweeney will become the first Australian player in 47 years to make his Test debut as an opener despite never having batted there at Sheffield Shield level. The 25-year-old top-scored in both innings of the first Australia A match in Mackay when batting at No 4. But he was unable to convert starts – 14 and 25 – in both innings as Australia A closed out a six-wicket win in the second match at the MCG.

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Man arrested following discovery of teenager’s body in bushland in Sydney’s south-west

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The 15-year-old’s body was found in bushland in Wilton early Saturday morning

A man is in police custody as detectives continue their inquiries into the death of a teenage boy in Sydney’s south-west.

The 15-year-old’s body was found in bushland in Wilton at about 7.25am on Saturday.

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