Category Archives: New South Wales

Rooty Hill death: Dusan Rakic charged with murder after ex-wife’s body found in Sydney

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Police allege former husband also breached his bail and an AVO, after Christine Formosa Rakic’s body was found in Western Sydney home

A Sydney man allegedly breached his bail before killing his ex-wife, leaving her family in tremendous pain and disbelief.

Christine Formosa Rakic was found dead in a Rooty Hill home on Tuesday night in the latest of a spate of alleged domestic violence-related deaths across Sydney in recent weeks.

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In Australia, the national family violence counselling service can be contacted on 1800 737 732

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Head of NSW cashless gambling panel wants trial extended to thousands more pokie machines

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Michael Foggo says more venues would provide better data and that he hoped to report back that the scheme reduces harm

The head of a panel to oversee a New South Wales trial of cashless gambling on 500 poker machines would like to see it expanded to include at least 2,500 more to enable “proper research analysis” of the scheme.

Michael Foggo, a former liquor, gaming and racing commissioner, said he also hopes to report to the state government next year that “cashless gaming works”.

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Ex-girlfriend of Australian boxer Harry Garside charged with common assault

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Ashley Ruscoe arrested on Wednesday after investigation into alleged domestic violence incident at a Sydney home on 1 March

The ex-girlfriend of Australian boxer Harry Garside has been charged with assaulting him after charges of domestic violence were dropped against the Olympian.

Ashley Ruscoe, 35, was arrested and taken to Waverley police station on Wednesday, when she was charged with domestic violence-related offences.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.

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NSW appoints former gaming commissioner to lead panel into cashless gambling trial

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Michael Foggo to help oversee the delayed pilot program, now expected to begin before November

Former New South Wales Liquor, Gaming and Racing commissioner Michael Foggo will lead a panel of 16 to design and oversee the state’s government’s delayed cashless gambling trial, which is now expected to begin before November.

The appointments will be made today by the premier, Chris Minns, who will also announce a departmental review of the ClubGrants scheme that critics have argued is used by some clubs to funnel money back towards themselves with little transparency or oversight.

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Elderly man and woman die in ‘intense’ Wetherill Park house fire in Sydney’s west

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Man, 81, and 75-year-old woman pulled from home on Lily Street by firefighters but pair could not be revived

Two elderly people have died after being pulled from a “thick and intense” house fire in Sydney’s west this morning.

Fire and rescue were called to a two-level home in Lily Street, Wetherill Park, at 6.42am.

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Woman found dead at western Sydney home as man found with critical injuries

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NSW police, who were called to Rooty Hill property, say the woman is believed to be in her 50s

A woman has been killed in a suspected domestic violence attack at a western Sydney home.

Police were called to the property at Rooty Hill about 8.15pm on Tuesday with concerns for the woman’s welfare.

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Controversial Sydney developer goes into administration as police search for owner Jean Nassif

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Administrator appointed to Toplace a month after arrest warrant issued for Nassif

A major Sydney development firm owned by accused fraudster and fugitive Jean Nassif has gone into administration.

Records filed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission show an administrator was appointed to his company, Toplace Pty Ltd, on Monday.

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Clare Nowland: family sues NSW government after 95-year-old allegedly Tasered in nursing home

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Exclusive: civil proceedings against the state were initially filed while aged care resident was still fighting for her life in hospital

The family of 95-year-old Clare Nowland, who died in May after being allegedly Tasered by police in an aged care home, is suing the New South Wales government.

The civil case against the state was listed to appear for the first time before a court in Bega in south-east NSW on Tuesday morning.

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Cadia goldmine could be source of some lead found in water tanks, miner says

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Exclusive: General manager says chemical analysis shows ‘slight overlap’ of mine lead and samples from local residents’ rainwater tanks

Chemical analysis has identified the Cadia Hill goldmine as a potential source of some of the lead found in samples collected from nearby residential rainwater tanks in central west New South Wales, the mine’s management has said.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority has been investigating the goldmine – one of the largest in the world – since May, when it issued Newcrest’s Cadia Holdings Pty Ltd with a draft pollution prevention notice and a draft licence variation regarding its management of emissions of dust and other pollutants. It followed local residents, including children, reporting heavy metals in their blood and rainwater tanks.

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Sydney man faces domestic violence and animal cruelty charges after dead rabbits found at unit

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Police to allege 21-year-old assaulted and threatened 20-year-old woman who was known to him

A New South Wales man is facing 33 charges for a range of offences including domestic violence and animal cruelty, after police found a number of dead rabbits at his property.

The 21-year-old man allegedly on numerous occasions assaulted and threatened a 20-year-old woman who was known to him. The man also allegedly filmed the woman during an intimate act without consent and threatened to release the vision, NSW police said in a statement.

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In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. If you or someone you know is affected by sexual assault, family or domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit www.1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000. International helplines can be found via www.befrienders.org.

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Teenager ‘racially assaulted’ by former University of New England vice-chancellor, court told

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Prof Brigid Heywood has pleaded not guilty to assault and offensive behaviour for allegedly wiping her spit on the girl’s face

A teenager who was allegedly subjected to offensive conduct by the former vice-chancellor of the University of New England has told a court she was “racially assaulted”.

Prof Brigid Heywood is alleged to have licked her finger and wiped it twice on the teenager’s face and made comments about her skin colour at an International Women’s Day event in Armidale on 8 March 2022.

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Magistrate in assault case against former University of New England vice-chancellor showed ‘lack of objectivity’, court told

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Prof Brigid Heywood is accused of wiping her spit on a teenager’s face during an International Women’s Day event in 2022

The former University of New England vice-chancellor Prof Brigid Heywood’s legal team have applied for the magistrate hearing her assault case to recuse himself, claiming he displayed a “lack of calmness and objectivity”.

Heywood, a British-Australian biological scientist, is alleged to have wiped her saliva on a teenager’s face and commented on her skin colour at a council-run International Women’s Day event in March 2022. She was a panellist at the event.

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Magistrate berates prosecutors as police officer charged with Tasering Clare Nowland appears in court via video

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Kristian White was charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to 95-year-old grandmother

A magistrate has berated prosecutors for allowing the police officer accused of Tasering a 95-year-old grandmother not to appear in person before court.

Snr Constable Kristian White appeared before the Cooma local court via video link on Wednesday over the Tasering of Clare Nowland, who later died from injuries sustained in the incident.

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Teen felt ‘degraded and belittled’ by former University of New England vice-chancellor, court told

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Prof Brigid Heywood has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault and offensive behaviour over an alleged incident in March 2022

A teenager who was allegedly assaulted and subjected to offensive behaviour by the former vice-chancellor of the University of New England at an International Women’s Day event last year has told a court that the incident left her feeling “ degraded and belittled”.

Prof Brigid Heywood, 65, a British-Australian biological scientist, is alleged to have wiped her saliva on a teenager’s face and commented on her skin colour at a council-run International Women’s Day event on 8 May 2022. She was a panellist at the event.

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Human remains found in two burnt-out cars in separate parts of Sydney overnight

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NSW police say remains found in cars in Royal national park south of the city and in western suburb of North Parramatta

Human remains have been found in two burnt-out cars in two different parts of Sydney, but police said the two incidents were not thought to be linked.

Skeletal remains were found inside a burnt-out four-wheel drive in a national park south of Sydney early Tuesday morning.

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Former deputy mayor Salim Mehajer found guilty of fraud offences after forging signatures

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Ex-Auburn councillor found guilty in Sydney court of four counts of making or using false documents to obtain financial advantage

A bankrupt former deputy mayor of a Sydney council has been found guilty of fraud offences after forging the signatures of his ex-lawyer and sister.

Salim Mehajer, 37, forged his former solicitor Zali Burrows’ signature on two separate documents, one of which claimed to witness a statutory declaration from his sister Zenha Osman, whose signature he also forged, a New South Wales district court jury decided after deliberating for just over four hours.

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Private operators slug commuters with price hikes on Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane toll roads

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Prices rise amid concerns from competition watchdog over Transurban’s proposed acquisition of operator of Melbourne’s EastLink

Commuters on toll roads in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne will notice price hikes on Monday due to long-term contracts with tolling giant Transurban.

The price rises come as the competition watchdog flags concerns the private operator could also become dominant in Melbourne.

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Humpback whale buried in NSW dunes after stranding on Seven Mile beach

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Research suggests buried carcass unlikely to attract sharks so long as it is placed above water table and high tide mark

A 30-tonne humpback whale has been buried in the dunes behind where it beached and died on Seven Mile beach on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

The adult whale became stranded early on Saturday morning and, despite attempts by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to save it, died about 7pm.

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Gladys Berejiklian Icac report live updates: Chris Minns says findings took ‘way too long’ as Matt Kean criticises ‘ridiculous display’ – latest news

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Icac finds former premier and Daryl Maguire engaged in ‘serious corrupt conduct’, but says it does not want the DPP to consider prosecuting Berejiklian. Follow live updates

We are waiting on the publication of the Icac report. But it appears the Icac website has crashed under the load.

Stay with us. We will bring you the findings as soon as we possibly can.

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Icac finds former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and Daryl Maguire engaged in serious corrupt conduct

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Berejiklian stood down in 2021 after it was revealed she was in a ‘close personal relationship’ with Maguire, who was also found to be corrupt by Icac’s Operation Keppel

Former New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has been found to have engaged in serious corrupt conduct by the state’s corruption watchdog.

However the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) has not recommended charges be pursued against Berejiklian.

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