Category Archives: Victoria

Flawed Aguer Akech investigation shows why Victoria’s blanket suppression law is not fit for purpose

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Well-meaning law designed to protect children prevents a basic function of investigative journalism – holding people to account

It’s a law that was designed to protect children.

But in one recent case, it also prevents the naming of police officers involved in a botched murder investigation – a prosecution case described by one of Victoria’s most experienced judges as so “extraordinary” she had never seen anything like it.

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Senator gives evidence at defamation trial – as it happened

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For more on this, Daniel Hurst looked into the issue yesterday. A spokesperson for the communications minister, Michelle Rowland, had said the government was “firmly committed to minimising harms from online wagering”.

The government continues to engage with stakeholders regarding the recommendations from the online wagering inquiry as we formulate our response.

I hope that’s not the case. I hope the long consultation is because the government’s actually going to do the right thing and make gambling ads history, just like we did with tobacco. We live in hope it’s not too late, but the rumors are not encouraging.

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Melbourne surgeon failed to tell patient he invented ‘experimental’ device used to replace jaw joints, court documents claim

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Dr George Dimitroulis, who is being sued in a Victorian court by a former patient, denies any injuries were caused by negligence or the prosthesis

A Melbourne surgeon failed to tell a patient undergoing major jaw surgery that the device she was being implanted was an “experimental” one that he invented, and that he also created the classification system used to diagnose her condition as severe enough to warrant removing her jaw joints, according to documents filed in a Victorian court case accusing him of negligence.

The surgeon, Dr George Dimitroulis, is being sued by a former patient, Bianca*, who alleged in a statement of claim filed to Victoria’s supreme court that he did not fully advise her of the risks before the operation.

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Second person dies after being diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease amid Melbourne outbreak

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Man in his 60s died on Thursday, following the death of a woman in her 90s who had presented to hospital on Tuesday

A second person has died after being diagnosed with legionnaires’ disease during an outbreak in Melbourne’s west and north-west.

The man in his 60s became unwell over a week ago and was admitted to hospital, before dying on Thursday.

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Victoria records 71 legionnaires’ disease cases and outbreak’s first death as search for source narrows

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Chief health officer Clare Looker says woman in her 90s died after becoming ill on Tuesday as others in intensive care battle severe pneumonia

Victoria has recorded 71 confirmed cases of legionnaires’ disease and one person has died from the disease in an outbreak that authorities say they have narrowed down to two suburbs in Melbourne’s west.

Victoria’s chief health officer, Dr Clare Looker, on Friday confirmed the death of a woman aged in her 90s. She said the woman became ill on Tuesday evening and presented to hospital, where she died shortly after.

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Cannabis vapes in Australia containing opioids spark calls for better access to anti-overdose drugs

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Vaping synthetic opioids can cause overdose or unconsciousness within minutes and from just six puffs, Victorian medical expert says

A teenager died and a young man was left struggling to breathe after vaping synthetic opioids, as doctors warn the potentially deadly drugs are contaminating a growing range of recreational substances.

The patients overdosed after vaping THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, mixed with protonitazene, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than heroin.

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Ex-Australia Post employee and friend plead guilty in Australian of the Year insider information betting scandal

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The men faced a Melbourne court after being charged following a three-year investigation by federal police into gambling on the annual awards

Two high school friends used insider information to bet on the winner of three Australian of the Year awards, and pocket thousands of dollars, a court has heard.

James Dawkins, 39, and 38-year-old Dean Young fronted Dandenong magistrates court in Melbourne on Thursday after details of their plan came to light.

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Jury hears Nelomie Perera’s screams before alleged murder in front of children

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Dinush Kurera has pleaded not guilty to murder and assaulting his son after wife’s 2022 death in Melbourne home

The screams of a mother’s final moments alive while her estranged husband allegedly hacked her to death in front of their children have been played to a Victorian jury.

“Help me, help me,” Nelomie Perera yelled in a recording captured on her watch, which was played to Melbourne’s supreme court.

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Collingwood to fight fresh racism allegations by former head of First Nations strategy

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Calls for reigning AFL premiers to be stripped of points as the club faces fresh racism allegations in court

Collingwood will defend themselves against serious allegations of racism filed in court, insisting the club has acted lawfully.

The AFL has been urged to strip the Magpies of premiership points should explosive claims be proven.

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Damage from catastrophic Victorian floods ‘exacerbated’ by bad decisions and systemic failures, inquiry reveals

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Preparations, emergency warnings and recovery grants found lacking following long-running investigation into 2022 disaster

A major investigation into catastrophic floods reveals confusion about preparations, failures in emergency warnings and clunky access to recovery grants.

Flood waters lashed Victoria in October 2022, displacing thousands of residents and destroying hundreds of homes.

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Ruqia was murdered by the man she was forced to wed. Her mother has now been jailed over the marriage

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Sakina Muhammad Jan to serve at least 12 months in prison in Australia’s first forced marriage conviction

Ruqia Haidari wanted to marry for love.

Instead, she had an arranged marriage at the age of just 15, with the relationship ending in divorce when she was 20.

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Victorian opposition leader vows to slash cultural heritage ‘red tape’ on residential projects

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In 2023 John Pesutto was booed at the Victorian Liberal state council. This year, most rose to give him a standing ovation

The Victorian Liberals have ramped up their rhetoric on housing, promising to slash planning approval delays to build homes quicker and cheaper if they return from the electoral wilderness in 2026.

The state’s opposition leader, John Pesutto, unveiled a plan to cut “red tape” connected to cultural heritage and what he referred to as Melbourne Water processes at the Victorian Liberal state council on Sunday.

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NSW Labor rejects conference motion to repeal anti-protest and youth bail laws – as it happened

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Turning to US politics, Greber says:

It’s a massive shift. You can see it in the way the Democrats feel the momentum.

One of my old sources, I used to be a correspondent in DC, one of my old sources it was as if a month ago the doctor walked in and said, “I’m sorry the test results are terrible, you got three months to live.”

They don’t have many options other than hitting people with mortgages to reduce demand in the economy, which by the way has been driven by an awful lot of federal and state government spending.

The RBA needs to get on top of this and unfortunately people who have mortgages will be the ones who are hit hardest.

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Victoria’s tobacco wars: police investigate suspicious fire that destroyed Melbourne shop

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Firefighters found the building on Bridge Road, Richmond engulfed in flames on Saturday morning

Police are treating as suspicious a fire that destroyed a Melbourne tobacco shop on Saturday morning, after a series of arson attacks on tobacco retailers.

Firefighters found the building fully engulfed in flames after being alerted to the blaze on Bridge Road, Richmond by callers to triple zero at 3.44am.

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Ceasefire ‘needed desperately’, PM says in joint statement – as it happened

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Q: Will Malarndirri McCarthy, the assistant minister for Indigenous Australians, replace you?

Linda Burney said that was “way above [her] pay grade” but that McCarthy was a dear friend:

The most important thing is for me to support whoever it is in the role and to give them the space to be able to chart their own path … Aboriginal affairs is every minister’s responsibility, not just the minister for Indigenous Australians.

My job is to support that person as much as I can.

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Man dies after trying to drive truck on to NSW ferry; global sea ice levels hit record low – as it happened

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Q: Why target the individuals when it’s state policy?

Penny Wong said the Australian government has been “clear in terms of state-to-state relations about our view on settlements”.

They are unlawful under international law. We’ve been clear about that … We have also said that we want to continue to take steps towards a two-state solution.

That may not be the view of some people in the Israeli government, but that is the view of the Australian government.

These individuals have been involved in violent attacks on Palestinians, including things such as beating, sexual assault and torture, resulting in serious injury and in some cases death.

We have imposed these after careful consideration and we would expect that all Australians would recognise the weight of these.

Settlements are unlawful under international law. We are continuing to act in ways that we can to look to how we protect a pathway to a two-state solution, and part of that is to ensure we also impose penalties who perpetrate violence against Palestinians.

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NT military exercise suspended after pilot escapes crash – as it happened

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Import ban fails to curb flow of Nazi-linked items

The number of items imported into Australia bearing Nazi imagery has not been slowed by a national ban on the symbols, AAP reports.

The importation into Australia of Nazi memorabilia, both historically genuine items and modern recreations, has not abated with the passage of [the ban].

Where these goods are imported in quantities which indicates the goods are likely to be traded, the Australian Border Force refers the goods to the Australian federal police to consider investigation under the criminal code.

Consumers are crying out for clear information on how to save money, protect their health and reduce emissions – and they want that information online where they make their purchasing decisions.

We call on the state and federal governments to give consumers the real truth about the risks of gas appliances, by mandating comprehensive pollution labels on all their ads and websites.

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US ‘committed’ to Aukus regardless of who is president, admiral says – as it happened

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‘Tumultuous’ coverage must not worsen post-3G, farmers say

Telcos face the ire of rural Australians if the 3G network shutdown goes awry and are being warned they will be held publicly accountable for any fallout, AAP reports.

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Victorian woman’s bail revoked after lying about Aboriginal heritage

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Haley Terei likely to be charged with perverting the course of justice, judge says

A woman who was bailed after falsely claiming to be Aboriginal is back behind bars and facing perjury charges.

Haley Terei, 32, was released from custody in May when facing burglary, theft and other charges, after telling the Victorian supreme court she was an Aboriginal woman from the Yorta Yorta nation.

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Victorian teenager’s suicide after sextortion scam prompts call for improved education

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Coroner says those who find themselves in same situation as 17-year-old Rohan Cosgriff must know situation ‘will not define them’

A shift in the way young people are taught about online safety can help prevent deaths like that of a Victorian teen who fell victim to a sextortion scam, a coroner says.

Rohan Patrick Cosgriff was 17 when he was found dead at his home near Ballarat in July 2022.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. Other international suicide helplines can be found at befrienders.org

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