Israel must allow humanitarian relief to reach Gaza, Australia and UK say in new joint statement – as it happened

This blog is now closed

As part of the latest Aukus developments, Australia will send A$4.6bn to the UK to clear bottlenecks at the Rolls-Royce nuclear reactor production line.

Richard Marles was asked why it costs so much, and why this component needs to be done in the UK. He told ABC News Breakfast:

We made clear a year ago that we wouldn’t be building the nuclear reactors in Australia. They will be built by Rolls Royce at its facility in Derby in the UK and once the sealed reactors are built, they will be taken here to the Osborne Naval ship yard and placed in the submarines which the rest of which will be built here at Osborne.

Building nuclear reactors is difficult to do and in order for this to play out, that facility in Derby, which is building nuclear reactors for Britain’s navy, that needs to be expanded and that is what this contribution is for.

Continue reading...

‘Controlling’ man tricked wife into leaving Australia in order to have her visa cancelled, court told

The man has pleaded not guilty to ‘exit trafficking’ after taking his wife to Sudan in 2014

While on a trip back to Sudan, a mother left her children with her husband to go and cook for them. But when she returned from her parents’ place, her husband and two young kids had vanished, a Melbourne court has heard.

Her husband faced the first day of a trial by jury in Melbourne’s county court on Thursday, accused of deceiving his wife into leaving Australia after withdrawing sponsorship for her visa.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Focus on youth crime may be influencing bail decisions for children, Victorian judge says

Exclusive: supreme court judge says ‘it is a cause for concern’ if public policy is considered over individual merits of a case

A Victorian supreme court judge has raised concerns an increased focus on crime may be causing authorities to take a “more conservative approach” when it comes to assessing bail suitability for children.

In a decision published earlier this month, supreme court judge Rita Incerti granted a 16-year-old Aboriginal boy bail after he had earlier been denied by a magistrate at Bendigo children’s court.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Victoria’s scrapped 2026 Commonwealth Games cost $589m in ‘significant waste of taxpayer money’, auditor general says

Report criticises government agencies for not working together and says the estimated $6.9bn cost of the event was ‘overstated’

The scrapped 2026 Commonwealth Games have cost Victoria more than $589m, the state’s auditor general says, in a report that calls the project a “waste of taxpayer money” with “no discernible benefit”.

The scathing report investigated the Victorian government’s shock cancellation of Games last year and found the cited $6.9bn cost blowout was “overstated”.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia politics live: Steven Miles says Suncorp Stadium will host Brisbane Olympics opening and closing ceremonies

Follow the day’s news live

‘There’ll be a lot of people grieving today’

Both Barnaby Joyce and Tanya Plibersek were asked about soldier Jack Fitzgibbon, the son of former defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

The Fitzgibbon family are a family of honour. Jack died in service to our nation. Joel has served our nation. The family will be absolutely grieving. We hope and pray Jack is with our maker, give comfort to them. You’ve seen the Fitzgibbons, you’ve watched them on television. They’re a great family. He is also my mate. We’ll turn up and give what support we can to Jack’s family.

It’s just the worst thing that any parent can imagine and so our hearts go out to Joel and Diane and their family and the friends and comrades that Jack had in the service as well. We know there’ll be a lot of people grieving today.

Well, first of all, of course it’s not on government devices in Australia either. We’ve got a ban here in Australia on government devices. But there are 8.5 million Australians who are using it.

We’ll take the advice of our security and intelligence agencies on anything we need to do around TikTok. I think people should be careful of the data that they put online in general. Like I say, if the security and intelligence agencies give us advice on TikTok, we’ll take it.

Continue reading...

Man dies after falling from hot-air balloon in Melbourne’s north

Emergency services called to an accident scene in Preston about 7.30am

A man has died after falling from a hot-air balloon in Melbourne’s north-east.

Emergency services were called to Albert Street in Preston where a man’s body was located about 7.30am on Monday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Two swimmers remain in hospital after drowning tragedy at Marengo leaves one man dead

Drowning incident in ocean near Victoria’s Apollo Bay claimed the life of a man and left two swimmers in hospital, with one fighting for his life

Two men remain in hospital after a drowning incident that claimed a third man’s life when they were swimming at a beach along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.

One of survivors in his 20s remained in a critical condition in Melbourne’s Alfred hospital, ABC reported, while the other was in a stable condition at Barwon Health in Geelong.

Continue reading...

‘More than the usual gastro’: at least 260 people report symptoms after outbreak at Victorian music festival

Those who attended the Esoteric festival in Donald on 8-12 March warned about Shigella bacteria

Victoria’s health department says at least 260 festival goers have reported gastroenteritis symptoms after attending a dance music festival, with authorities urging anyone showing signs of shigellosis to be tested.

Those who attended the Esoteric festival in Donald on 8-12 March have been warned that the Shigella bacteria had been detected in a number of those with gastroenteritis. Symptoms could take up to a week to emerge after exposure.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Victorian doctor suspended amid investigation into woman’s death after abortion

Women’s health clinic boss claims ‘witch hunt’ after Dr Rudolph Lopes suspended in weeks following 30-year-old’s death

A doctor working at a women’s health clinic in Melbourne has been suspended as a regulator revealed it was aware of concerns about other practitioners there. The facility’s boss claims it is a “witch hunt”.

It follows the death of 30-year-old mother Harjit Kaur, who died in January at the Hampton Park Women’s Clinic after what was described as a “minor procedure”.

Continue reading...

Man who pretended to be Uber driver to sexually assault three women in Melbourne jailed for at least six years

Victim tells court she thought she was going to die when she realised Francesco De Luise was not her Uber driver

A father-of-three who lurked outside Melbourne nightspots pretending to be an Uber driver to pick up and sexually assault three young women will be locked up for at least six years.

Francesco De Luise, 60, faced Melbourne’s county court on Thursday after pleading guilty to six sex offences, including rape, sexual assault and sexual activity directed at another person.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Ballarat goldmine collapse: miner killed in underground rockfall in Victoria

Two miners were pinned under a rockfall at the Mount Clear mine in Ballarat, Victoria, with one later rescued

A man has died and another is fighting for his life in hospital after a mine collapse in Victoria’s Goldfields region.

Thirty people were working about 3km from the entrance of the Ballarat Gold Mine at Mount Clear when the incident occurred about 4.50pm on Wednesday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Rising festival 2024: theatre-maker to be drugged unconscious in ‘deeply unnerving’ show about date rape

A Brazilian artist will have her body manipulated while passed out, in a lauded work about sexual violence that headlines Melbourne’s winter festival

A theatremaker will be drugged unconscious on stage in Melbourne this year, in a controversial and highly lauded theatre work about sexual violence that will have its Australian premiere at Rising festival.

Cadela Força Trilogy: The Bride and the Goodnight Cinderella is directed by and stars Brazilian artist Carolina Bianchi, who recounts her experience of being drugged and sexually assaulted, before taking a drug on stage. Once unconscious, female performers then move her body around, even at one point inserting a speculum and camera into her vagina, with a live video feed shown to the audience in a simulation of a post-rape forensic examination.

Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning

Continue reading...

Police investigate reports patrons performed Nazi salute in Melbourne cinema

Cinema Nova spokesperson says group of four men and one woman were ‘vocalising hate speech to create a scene inside the auditorium’

Police are investigating reports that a group of patrons performed Nazi salutes and made racist comments during a screening of an Oscar-winning Holocaust film at a Melbourne cinema on Saturday night.

The patrons were attending a screening of The Zone of Interest, a German-language adaptation of the Martin Amis novel, a fictionalised account of the real-life Nazi commandant, Rudolf Höss, and his family, who lived in a villa at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Hobart endures hottest night in 112 years as severe heatwave hits south-eastern Australia

Extreme heat forecast to continue across Victoria, Tasmania, SA and NSW for several days, as record temperatures cause cancellation of long weekend events

Hobart residents sweated through the city’s hottest night in 112 years as a severe heatwave continues to affect large parts of south-east Australia.

Extreme heat is forecast to continue across South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales for several days, the Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday after record temperatures caused the cancellation of long weekend events.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Woman’s body found in wheelie bin in bushes in regional Victoria

Victoria police say death is suspicious and alleged offender ‘may have fled overseas’

Police are investigating the death of a woman whose body was reportedly found in a wheelie bin in Victoria’s south-west.

Her body was discovered on Mount Pollock Road in the town of Buckley, about 25km from Geelong, at midday on Saturday.

Continue reading...

Officers who shot and killed woman caught stabbing mother in Melbourne faced ‘terrible dilemma’, police say

Police say they ‘acted appropriately’ when they shot a 26-year-old woman who fatally stabbed her 53-year-old mother

A Victorian woman shot and killed by police officers on Friday evening was caught in the process of stabbing her mother, police say.

Police revealed details about the incident on Saturday, saying that an officer was called to a home in Melbourne’s north-east at about 6.30pm after neighbours mistakenly reported that a young woman was trying to set her mother on fire.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Melbourne’s Moomba parade cancelled due to heat as festivalgoers in Victoria advised to leave amid fire warnings

Pitch music and arts festival attenders urged to delay arrival, with those already on site advised to head home

Festivalgoers at a music festival in Victoria’s Grampians have been advised to leave amid the extreme heat and fire danger, while Melbourne’s iconic Moomba Parade has been cancelled due to soaring temperatures.

Residents across four states have been experiencing stifling conditions, with high temperatures forecast over the long weekend in many parts of the country.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Lowitja O’Donoghue remembered at state funeral – as it happened

North Melbourne’s Alastair Clarkson free to coach in round one after avoiding suspension for outburst in weekend’s trial match. This blog is now closed

Scooter rider dies in crash in Sydney

A scooter rider has died following a crash at North Ryde in Sydney this morning.

We are yet to see her beautiful eyes open, however, she has shown some really positive signs that she may be hearing her loved ones.

Continue reading...

Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia to swelter through heatwave on long weekend

Hot weather will send temperatures soaring to 38C in Melbourne, 40C in Adelaide and the low 30s in Launceston, the BoM forecasts

Victorians, Tasmanians and South Australians will swelter through their long weekends, with the Bureau of Meteorology issuing heatwave warnings for the three states.

Melbourne is expecting maximum temperatures of 38C across Saturday, Sunday and Monday. If temperatures do reach 38C, it will be the highest temperature recorded across three consecutive days in March since 1942.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Company at centre of NSW asbestos crisis argues EPA ban on selling mulch is having ‘unjustified impact’

Exclusive: firm points to risk of asbestos contamination from other sources as it seeks to have prevention order thrown out

The landscaping materials company at the centre of the New South Wales asbestos crisis will point to the risks of contamination outside its facilities and the “unjustified impact” on its business when it argues to have an order preventing it making mulch products quashed.

Greenlife and the NSW Environment Protection Authority are expected to appear before the state’s land and environment court for a directions hearing on Friday.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...