A Northern Territory review into child protection found that domestic violence by the girl's father was the biggest risk to five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. The Department of Children and Families recorded 14 notifications linked to family violence since 2020, five of them in the weeks before her death. The review made 45 recommendations, which the government has accepted. Sector representatives said the recommendations were similar to earlier ones. Experts warned that treating family violence as a child protection issue could lead to victims losing their children.
Northern Territory Police are appealing for information after a domestic violence assault in Alice Springs. Police allege a 31-year-old man struck a 33-year-old woman several times to the face in a kitchen on Van Senden Avenue. He then allegedly assaulted a three-year-old boy who walked into the hallway. St John Ambulance assessed both victims. The boy appeared uninjured, while the woman suffered non-life-threatening facial injuries. A crime scene was declared, but the man remains outstanding. Anyone with information is urged to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers.
Northern Territory Police say a 22-year-old man injured in a suspicious crash in Alice Springs on Sunday morning has died. He died on Friday in an Adelaide hospital, where he had been medically evacuated on Monday. A 22-year-old offender appeared in court on Tuesday and has been further remanded to appear on 3 December 2026. Police say investigations are ongoing and charges are expected to be upgraded.
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The Northern Territory Police Force has confirmed that a 22-year-old victim of a suspicious crash in Alice Springs has died. The crash happened on a Sunday morning. The victim died on Friday in an Adelaide hospital, after being medically evacuated there on Monday. A 22-year-old offender has been further remanded and will appear in court again on 3 December 2026. Investigations are ongoing, and charges are expected to be upgraded.
Indigenous health and children's advocates say the Webb review into Northern Territory child protection gives a chance to fix the sector, but only with genuine partnership with Aboriginal organisations. Critics say the review focused too narrowly on the child protection department and on the mother of Kumanjayi Little Baby, who was allegedly abducted and murdered in April. The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, which keeps children connected to family and culture, was not addressed in the review's recommendations. Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, the child's aunt, accused advocates of an ideological approach.
A 20-year-old man has been refused bail after allegedly striking and killing a 57-year-old man with his car in Alice Springs and driving away. Aaron Kemp faces a charge of hit-and-run driving causing death, along with charges of driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle without a licence while under the influence of alcohol. Prosecutors told the Alice Springs Local Court that witnesses placed him in the driver's seat and said he was under the influence of alcohol and cannabis. Judge Jon Bortoli said the prosecution case appeared strong and remanded Mr Kemp in custody.
Preliminary police data shows property offences in Darwin have risen since October last year, returning to 2024 levels in July and August 2026. Across the Northern Territory, property offences fell 15 per cent and offences against the person fell 6 per cent in the government's second year. Alice Springs has seen significant reductions in both crime types, while Katherine's crime levels are similar to or worse than two years ago. Rural areas have not shown the drops the government's measures targeted. The government did not respond to a request for comment.
The Northern Territory government has offered a state funeral for Dr Pat Miller AO, an Arrernte elder who spent her life fighting racial discrimination. Her son, Allan Miller, said the honour was a fitting acknowledgement of her legacy. Dr Miller was the first Indigenous deputy to the administrator of the Northern Territory, in 2002, and was named NT Australian of the Year in 2004. She joined the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service as a filing clerk in 1978 and became its director by 1982. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro called her a trailblazer who championed access to justice.
Northern Territory police are investigating a serious harm incident in Alice Springs on Saturday 17 October 2026. Police were called around 8:20pm about a male who was allegedly assaulted. It is alleged that two adult males were involved in a fight during a concert at a casino on Barrett Drive. One man allegedly punched the other several times in the face, causing significant facial injuries. The victim was treated at hospital, and police are still working to locate the alleged offender.
An 18-year-old man has been arrested in Alice Springs over an alleged hit-and-run that killed a 57-year-old man more than five months ago. Police say the crash happened on Len Kittle Drive at about 9.30pm on May 20. Officers found the man with catastrophic injuries, and he died at the scene. The Major Crash Investigation Unit launched an investigation. On Wednesday, the teenager was arrested at Alice Springs Police Station and charged with dangerous driving causing death, hit-and-run and multiple other offences. He was refused bail and will face court on Thursday.
Police have charged a 20-year-old man with dangerous driving causing death over an alleged hit-and-run in Alice Springs. The 57-year-old man was found unresponsive on Len Kittle Drive on May 20 and died at the scene. Police say he was struck by a vehicle near Blatherskite Park after being seen on dash cam footage. The man was arrested at Alice Springs police station and remanded in custody. He is due to appear in the Alice Springs Local Court tomorrow.
The family of Patricia Ann Miller AO, known as Aunty Pat, has accepted a State Funeral offered by Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro. Born in Alice Springs, Miller was a proud Aboriginal woman who served the Northern Territory through leadership, advocacy and community service. She was named NAIDOC Aboriginal of the Year and NT Australian of the Year, and served 19 years as Deputy to the Administrator. Finocchiaro called her a trailblazer who fought for Aboriginal Territorians. A date and location will be set with the family and made public shortly.
A former state police chief says care workers should have recognised the rising risk of violence facing five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby before her death. Her body was found five days after she was allegedly abducted from Alice Springs' Old Timers camp in April. Jefferson Lewis, 47, has been charged with her murder and is awaiting trial. An independent review led by Karen Webb and Greg Shanahan found extensive failings in the Northern Territory child protection department. The government has accepted all 45 recommendations to reset the department.
A 20-year-old man has been charged over a fatal hit and run crash on Len Kittle Drive in Alice Springs. Police allege the crash occurred on 20 May 2026 and killed a 57-year-old man at the scene. The man was arrested at Alice Springs Police Station by the Major Crash Investigation Unit. He faces charges including dangerous driving causing death, hit and run, and several other offences. He has been remanded in custody to appear in the Alice Springs Local Court on 22 October 2026. Police are continuing their investigation and ask anyone with information to contact them.
City of Palmerston has released the Palmy Youth Info Map, a pocket-sized guide for young people aged 12 to 25. The map lists 17 services across Palmerston and surrounding areas, covering activities, health and wellbeing, education, employment and emergency contacts. Parents, carers, friends and support workers can also use it to help young people find support. The map is available on the council website, with printed copies at Civic Plaza, Palmerston Recreation Centre and the City of Palmerston library.
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A 55-year-old man has been arrested and charged in Katherine over drug offences. Police say he left about 5 grams of methamphetamine under a pillow at a Katherine hotel he had checked out of on Thursday, 15 October. Detectives from the Northern Investigations Section seized the drugs and began an investigation. On Friday, police stopped his vehicle near the Katherine Weighbridge and found a less than traffickable quantity of cannabis inside. He faces charges of possessing a dangerous drug in both traffickable and less than traffickable quantities, and driving with a prohibited drug in his body.
A mud crab venture in Wadeye, a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory, has grown into a full commercial operation. The Thamarrurr Sea Farmers now have up to 60 crab pots in the water and a team of nine workers. They send 35 to 50 kilograms of mud crabs to Darwin each week. Backers hope the industry could eventually employ about 100 people, though leaders say the growth will take time. The sea farmers say they are focused on sustainable harvesting.
Three female youths aged 16, 15 and 11 have been arrested after a vehicle was stolen in Karama on Thursday night. Police say two offenders snatched the keys from a man's hand on Mahogany Crescent around 9:40pm. The victim locked himself in the car, and one youth allegedly threw a rock at him as the group drove away. Strike Force Trident recovered the vehicle around 12:50am, and the three were caught after a short foot chase. Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Prosecutors have dropped a breach of bail charge against Labor MP Luke Gosling at a short hearing in the Darwin Local Court. Gosling still faces two charges of assaulting Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly, which he denies. Those charges were not raised in court on Monday. Gosling's lawyer, Marty Aust SC, described the withdrawal as a first step in the successful defence of all charges. Gosling's bail conditions bar him from coming within 50 metres of NT Government House.
Royal Darwin Hospital has apologised after confidential medical information about about a dozen pregnant patients was allegedly shared on Instagram. The posts, from an account linked to an overseas trained doctor who was a medical observer, reportedly included patient names and diagnoses, and reached 28,000 followers. The doctor said she cannot confirm how the images were posted and did not intend to disclose patient information. Her attachment to NT Health has since been terminated. Health Minister Steve Edgington said stricter background checks and induction processes will be introduced for medical observers.
Entry-level mechanical watches are getting cheaper and better, and major brands are part of that trend. WIRED asked its watch experts to choose their favourite mechanical watch under $400. The list includes models from Caravelle, Orient, Timex, Sea-Gull, Baltic, Bulova, Citizen, Vostok and Seiko. Each pick is described by its price, size, movement and water resistance, along with the reasons the experts gave for choosing it.
