Detectives in Toowoomba are appealing for public help in an investigation into historical child sex offences on the Darling Downs. A 52-year-old Murphy's Creek man was charged on 16 October with two counts of indecent treatment of a child and other offences. It is alleged the offences occurred between 2007 and 2010 at a private residence in Toowoomba. He has been remanded in custody and will appear in Toowoomba Magistrates Court on 8 December.
Nine electorate offices have been marked for security upgrades following last week's attack on independent MP Helen Haines, a Department of Finance official told a Senate estimates hearing. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said MP safety was a matter of daily review. Communications Minister Anika Wells temporarily shut her electorate office after a woman allegedly made threatening gestures towards staff. Several MPs have also shared threats against themselves, their families and staff. Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said the threats now often arrive online rather than by letter.
A 28-year-old man has been charged after an alleged fight on Banna Avenue in Griffith. Police allege he threw punches at another man in the middle of the street at about 2 am on Sunday, October 25, after being refused entry to pubs. Officers had earlier told him to leave, and police say he later swore at them and kept approaching despite being directed to leave. He was arrested, charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place, and granted bail. He is due to appear before Griffith Local Court on November 18.
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Greg Lynn will remain in custody after the Victorian Supreme Court refused him bail. Lynn, 60, is charged with murdering Carol Clay, 73, who went missing while camping in Victoria's High Country in March 2020. The former Jetstar pilot was granted a retrial in December after the appeal court found a substantial miscarriage of justice in his first trial. In his bail bid, Lynn told the court he had been assaulted with faeces and held in solitary confinement. Chief Justice Richard Niall ruled that these conditions and five years on remand were not exceptional.
Police are searching for a masked man after a house fire in Sydney's inner west. An 88-year-old woman was rescued from the balcony of the Abbotsford home, which was engulfed in flames about 4am on Tuesday. Four occupants were treated for smoke inhalation and are now in a stable condition. NSW Police believe the fire was deliberately lit, with a suspect seen spreading an accelerant before fleeing in a red Holden Astra.
A Supreme Court judge has refused bail to Greg Lynn, a former Jetstar pilot, while he awaits a retrial over the alleged killing of Victorian retiree Carol Clay. Chief Justice Richard Niall ruled that the length of time Lynn has already spent in custody did not constitute exceptional circumstances justifying his release. Lynn, 60, is scheduled to face trial in May 2027, accused of murdering Clay at a remote campsite in Victoria in March 2020. Clay's companion, Russell Hill, also died, but Lynn was acquitted of that death.
Darwin's Smith Street Mall has reopened to the public after police said a reported credible threat this morning was false. Workers had earlier been evacuated from the Darwin Innovation Hub building, and residents were told to avoid the area. He said police take every threat seriously and would respond in force. Police said they would provide a further update later today.
New South Wales Police Minister Yasmin Catley has defended the state's gun buyback scheme after 150 applications were lodged in its first hours. Bookings opened on Monday, and the government plans to remove up to 274,000 firearms from the community. Catley said fewer guns in circulation would make the community safer, pointing to firearms stolen across the state. Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane has criticised the scheme, arguing it focuses too heavily on licensed owners rather than illegal guns used by organised criminals.
An 88-year-old woman has died in hospital after she was struck by a car in Pyree, in the NSW Shoalhaven region. Police were called to Pyree Lane at about 1:45 pm on Saturday, 24 October, after reports of a pedestrian being hit. Paramedics treated the woman at the scene before she was flown to St George Hospital in a critical condition. Police were told on Sunday, 25 October, that she had died. The 43-year-old driver returned a negative result on a roadside breath test and was taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital for mandatory testing.
Twelve men have died in Papua New Guinea after robbing a trade store in Kimbe, West New Britain province, and fleeing in a stolen vehicle. Police Commissioner David Manning said the vehicle rolled over, and survivors then opened fire on officers. Police have not said how many died in the crash and how many were shot. One man, believed to have led the group, survived and is in custody. Officers seized guns, stolen cash and ammunition. Manning urged young people in gangs to turn away from violence.
A tradie's ute was marked with pink spray paint in Freshwater, in Sydney's northern beaches, after it blocked a driveway. Tradie Rob Rakuc said the paint was likely permanent and would cost a couple of hundred dollars to remove. A Tesla on the same street was also reportedly sprayed. Online reaction was mixed, with some people backing the act and others saying it was illegal. Similar anger over parking has surfaced in Doonside and Narrabeen, where vehicles were also marked. Under NSW law, a basic graffiti offence carries a $440 fine.
Police are searching for a man in a balaclava after a suspected arson attack on a house in Abbotsford, in Sydney's inner west. Four people were taken to hospital. An 88-year-old woman was rescued by a 49-year-old man who climbed a ladder. A neighbour confronted the man while he was allegedly setting the house alight. Police believe he fled in a red Holden Astra and had suffered burns. About 40 firefighters attended the blaze, which spread to an adjoining house.
A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
Sexual assault complainants could face less distressing questioning in court under proposed changes. Wollongong District Court is one of three NSW courts chosen to trial new rules on how long questioning can last and what topics can be covered. The trial would run from 2027 to 2030 if passed by NSW Parliament. The Illawarra Women's Trauma Recovery Centre has welcomed the reforms, backed by $4.8 million in government funding. Attorney General Michael Daley said the changes would minimise trauma for complainants.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led tributes to independent MP Helen Haines, who was allegedly struck by a vehicle in her electorate of Indi. Haines is in a serious but stable condition after both legs were amputated. Albanese said rage and aggression against politicians are increasing, enabled by social media. Politicians and advocates say female representatives face growing online abuse and intimidation. A survey by Women for Election found half of women in elected office were unsure they would run again.
Prison officers in Queensland fear deaths in custody and more assaults on staff under a proposed bill. The bill would remove a requirement for corrective services staff to consider prisoners' human rights. Officers interviewed by the ABC say overcrowding, including possible triple bunking, would make jails more dangerous. Queensland Corrective Services supports the exemption, saying it is needed for staff and community safety. Corrective Services Minister Laura Gerber says the government will put victims' rights ahead of offenders' rights.
WA police will use a new drone program to gather real-time intelligence before officers reach emergencies. Drones will launch from docking stations in Kwinana, Rockingham and Baldivis and can operate beyond line of sight. They will be dispatched from a command centre in Perth. Police Minister Reece Whitby says the program is an Australian first. Targeted uses include family and domestic violence matters, missing persons, crimes in progress and stolen vehicles.
Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant says he was held at gunpoint by police after a confrontation with two men in Southlake, Texas. Bryant told OutKick he admitted knocking a phone from one man's hand in a parking lot. Video recorded by his girlfriend shows Bryant and the two men face-down and in handcuffs. Bryant says he was cited for assault but not arrested or booked, and the other two men were released. He is due in court on November 20, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Nine federal parliamentarians will have security improvements made to their electorate offices after voicing concerns following an alleged attack on Helen Haines last week. Coverage of the developments is being updated through a live blog.
