Category Archives: Australia news

Murder-accused couple spoke about Amber Haigh in the past tense to police, prosecutors allege

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Crown alleges in closing statement Robert and Anne Geeves acted like teen was already dead when she was still considered missing

As police were still searching for missing teenager Amber Haigh, Robert and Anne Geeves were speaking about her in the past tense in police interviews because they knew she was already dead, prosecutors have argued before the New South Wales supreme court.

In closing submissions to the nine-week trial over Haigh’s alleged murder, the crown prosecutor Paul Kerr argued Justice Julia Lonergan “would be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Amber Haigh is dead and that she is dead because Robert and Anne Geeves – in the execution of a joint criminal enterprise – murdered her”.

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A study has been scathing about toddler foods in Australian supermarkets. Which products can parents trust?

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These 70 items meet WHO standards for nutrients such as protein and do not exceed limits for sugar, salt and fat, researchers say

Infant and toddler foods are a rapidly expanding market in Australia – but a study this week found none of the infant or toddler food products stocked in Australian supermarkets meet World Health Organization standards.

The entire category of toddler foods has been accused of being an unnecessary marketing exercise as nutritional guidelines say children do not require special foods once they are 12 months old and can eat the same as the rest of the family.

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Australia politics live: Michael Sukkar ejected from question time as Coalition and Greens attack Labor over housing

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Pocock: no evidence that gambling companies are good faith actors

There is the possibility that the Coalition will support Labor’s capped advertising plan (as it exists at the moment – the legislation has not been presented and is yet to go through cabinet) which would mean the crossbench and the Greens would not have any negotiating power (Labor and the Coalition in the senate is enough votes).

I’ll be supporting what the Murphy review recommended, which was a full ban phased in over three years.

That has the broad support of the parliament, and is what I’m hearing from people I represent here in the ACT [is] they are sick and tired of seeing gambling ads every time they try and watch something with their kids …

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‘Betrayal’: Indigenous and legal groups condemn Victoria’s backflip on raising the age

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Jacinta Allan says age of criminal responsibility won’t be raised to 14 amid concern about youth crime

Indigenous organisations, legal experts and human rights groups have condemned the Victorian government’s decision to abandon plans to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14, describing it as a “betrayal” of vulnerable children.

As revealed by Guardian Australia, the premier, Jacinta Allan, made the major policy reversal on Tuesday, as she announced several changes to the government’s 1,000-page youth justice bill.

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Sydney man dubbed north shore rapist loses bid to keep identity a secret

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Graham James Kay, who was imprisoned for sexually assaulting eight women, argued he feared for his safety

A man dubbed the “north shore rapist” has failed in a legal bid to keep his identity secret after repeatedly committing predatory acts towards women over several decades.

Graham James Kay had an order prohibiting the publication of his name revoked by the New South Wales supreme court on Tuesday despite the 72-year-old arguing he feared for his safety.

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Free-to-air TV in ‘diabolical trouble’ and needs gambling ads to stay afloat, Bill Shorten says

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Labor minister tells ABC’s Q+A that he is ‘not convinced that complete prohibition works’

Free-to-air TV broadcasters are in “diabolical trouble” and many need gambling ad revenue to stay afloat, Bill Shorten has said while arguing against a total prohibition of gambling advertising on television.

On Monday evening, the government services minister laid bare the rationale for Labor proposing to cap gambling ads during general TV broadcasting, a position short of a total ban that has angered health advocates, the cross-bench and its own backbench MPs.

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Former Australian and British soldiers on charges in US after allegedly impersonating law enforcement officers

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Pair allegedly acted for wealthy Chinese woman who financed bogus Los Angeles raid to settle business dispute, US attorney’s office says

Two former soldiers based in Australia allegedly pretended to be law enforcement officials and threatened a Los Angeles businessman with violence and deportation unless he handed over almost US$37m, according to US court documents.

Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, a former member of the Australian military, and Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, a former member of the British military and UK citizen who lives in Australia, were charged along with two other men on 1 August, the US attorney’s office said in a statement.

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Claims of government cover-up after Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape ‘completely and utterly false’, Scott Morrison says

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Linda Reynolds suing former staffer over a series of social media posts WA senator believes damaged her reputation

Scott Morrison has defended Linda Reynolds’ handling of Brittany Higgins’ alleged rape and dismissed claims of a government cover-up following the allegations as “completely and utterly false”.

And the former prime minister also told the Western Australian supreme court that he did not remove Reynolds from the defence portfolio because she called Higgins a “lying cow”, but instead because she could not continue in the role due to her mental health.

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Nancy Pelosi rebukes former Australian PM Paul Keating over ‘stupid statement’ on Taiwan

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In return, Keating chastises former US House speaker for her ‘recklessly indulgent visit to Taiwan’ in 2022

A war of words has broken out between the former Australian prime minister Paul Keating and the former US House speaker Nancy Pelosi over Taiwan, after the prominent Democrat accused Keating of making a “stupid statement” about the territory.

Keating was quick to hit back on Tuesday, suggesting Pelosi had “very nearly” sparked a military confrontation between the US and China over her “indulgent” 2022 visit to Taiwan.

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‘Labor doesn’t care what we think’: doctor to take on Tony Burke in safe western Sydney seat

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Exclusive: Dr Ziad Basyouny is the first of several independents expected to challenge federal Labor seats amid the Israel-Gaza war

While there are many things driving the independent candidate Dr Ziad Basyouny to challenge Tony Burke for the seat of Watson in Sydney, there is one word that wraps them all together.

“Injustice,” Basyouny declared, speaking from his medical practice in Lakemba.

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Linda Reynolds believed Lehrmann rape trial was politically motivated, psychologist tells defamation trial

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April Jones tells Perth court she started counselling Reynolds after reports of Brittany Higgins’ accusations senator mishandled her rape complaint

Liberal senator Linda Reynolds believed Bruce Lehrmann’s rape trial was politically motivated and Peter Dutton undermined her, a psychologist’s notes read to a defamation trial have revealed.

Senator Reynolds is suing Brittany Higgins for defamation over a series of social media posts containing alleged mistruths that she believes damaged her reputation.

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Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html

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Greens demand answers after Australians temporarily unable to post news links to Instagram and Threads

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Sarah Hanson-Young wrote to Meta demanding to know if social media giant was test-running a news ban

Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is demanding answers from Meta after Australian users were unable to post links to Australian news outlets on Threads and Instagram on Monday, sparking fears that news was being blocked on the social media sites. The company called it an error.

Publisher accounts were still able to post in some cases, but individual user accounts were unable to post links, including to the Sydney Morning Herald, ABC and Crikey, as well as some global sites such as the Guardian. International sites such as the New York Times appeared to be unaffected. The incident was first reported by Crikey.

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‘Morally insane’ Wieambilla killers believed in plot to turn humans into ‘meat suits’, inquest hears

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Nathaniel, Stacey and Gareth Train shared ‘paranoid delusions’ and did not intend to be captured alive, inquiry into Queensland shootings told

The “morally insane” trio responsible for the Wieambilla massacre believed the Covid-19 vaccine was being used as part of a plot to turn people into “non-humans” wearing “meat suits”, an inquest has heard.

On 12 December 2022, Stacey, Gareth and Nathaniel Train ambushed and shot constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and Alan Dare, their neighbour. They were gunned down by the Queensland police Special Emergency Response Team that night.

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Australia indemnifies US and UK ‘against any liability’ from nuclear submarine risks

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New text reveals any party can terminate their collaboration on nuclear-powered boats with just one year’s notice

The United States, the United Kingdom or Australia could terminate their collaboration on nuclear-powered submarines with just one year’s notice, according to the terms of a new treaty designed to make the Aukus security pact a reality.

The Australian government published the text of the new agreement on Monday as it sought to dispel claims it was failing to tell the public about potentially significant political commitments to the US and the UK.

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East coast weather warning – as it happened

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O’Neil decries ‘low-rent politics’ on housing negotiations

Clare O’Neil says she understands there is a “massive housing crisis in this country”.

One of the frustrations I have just coming in fresh to this space, is that there’s a lot of really sort of low-rent politics being played in all this. We don’t want to get political outcomes in the parliament for political reasons.

I want to see more Australians in housing, and that is the big focus of our government.

I can tell you that my focus is not on the politicians here and it’s not on the politics of this. It is about trying to get more homes for Australians.

And I’d say again, there’s a lot of games being played in the parliament. I’m not interested in that. I don’t go to bed at night thinking about politicians and what they might say and what they might do.

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Two women and baby dead after ute rolls in WA

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Four other occupants of Toyota HiLux taken to hospital, where one woman in her 30s died

Two women and a baby have died after a ute rolled in Western Australia late on Saturday night.

A member of the public called police to report a crash on Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road, just east of the intersection with Gabyon-Tardie Road, about 10.50pm.

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‘Three or four’ countries involved in foreign interference in Australia including ‘friends’, Mike Burgess says

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Asio director general says some of the countries trying to intimidate diaspora communities ‘would surprise you’

Australia’s spy boss, Mike Burgess, has confirmed that Iran is one of “at least three or four” countries involved in foreign interference in Australia’s diaspora communities.

Speaking on ABC’s Insiders on Sunday, the director general of security in charge of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation said he could think of “at least three or four [countries] that are we’ve actually actively found involved in foreign interference in Australia and diaspora communities”.

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Teenage girl charged with murder after allegedly stabbing man in back at Queensland caravan park

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A 24-year-old man was taken to Hervey Bay hospital but died from his injuries upon arrival, police say

A 14-year-old girl has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing a man in the back at a caravan park on Queensland’s Fraser Coast.

Det Acting Insp Craig Mansfield said there was an altercation between a 24-year-old man and the teen girl at the Big4 Hervey Bay Holiday Park, about 300km north of Brisbane, around 9pm on Saturday.

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When Amber Haigh vanished, police planted listening devices in home of murder accused. This is what they heard

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Robert and Anne Geeves recorded discussing how investigating police ‘can’t find nothing’

Listening devices planted in the home of a New South Wales couple accused of murder reveal the pair discussing allegations the husband tied up and raped a teenaged Amber Haigh while his wife filmed. They make no admissions on the clandestine recordings but say, “there’s not enough evidence to back it up”.

Haigh, who had an intellectual disability, was 19 when she vanished from the NSW Riverina in June 2002, leaving behind her five-month-old son.

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Five issues that threaten to derail the Albanese government’s plans before the next election

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The PM wants the focus to be on first-term achievements and cost-of-living relief but question marks remain over religious freedoms and gambling ads

After a five-week break, the spring session of the parliamentary year is about to begin. Early election rumours continue to swirl – the “break in case of emergency” date bandied around the corridors of power remains 7 December. Calmer heads will point out that voters would only hit the polls on that date if the political situation appeared irrevocably difficult for the Albanese government, given that the last months of the year will be dominated by the US election and its outcome.

Either way, there are only nine months until the very last date the next election could be held. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for the Albanese government to complete its first-term agenda, regardless of whether it returns Australians to the polls before May. Albanese wants the focus to be on cost-of-living relief and the reforms the government has already passed through parliament, but stumbling blocks threaten to derail the agenda.

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