What we learned today, Friday 5 September
And with that, we’ll close the blog for today. I hope you have a great weekend and, as always, thank you for reading. Here’s a recap of today’s top stories.
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell, who allegedly led an attack on a sacred Indigenous burial site, was refused bail in the Melbourne magistrates court.
Two men were arrested over the alleged malicious damage at the Anzac Memorial in the Sydney CBD, police said, after the force publicly released CCTV footage of the alleged vandals in an effort to find them.
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, responded to a controversial photo of former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews in Beijing with a group of people that included Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, along with leaders of Iran and Belarus.
Alan Joyce secured a final bonus worth $3.8m, two years after the prominent Qantas chief executive left the airline after a series of corporate decisions sparked a reputational crisis.
The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, said the Indian-Australian community would welcome an apology from Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after her “utterly wrong” comments about their migration here.
The massive search for alleged Porepunkah gunman Dezi Freeman in Victoria’s high country was to continue over the weekend, after thousands of people gathered to farewell one of the men he allegedly killed, Vadim De Waart-Hottart, at a funeral in Melbourne.
A skull found by a bushwalker was formally identified as the missing remains of Julian Story. Former reality TV star Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser has been charged with his alleged murder.
And more than 700 people had signed an open letter requesting that the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne (UoM), Prof Emma Johnston, sacrifice 10% of her current salary to save the literary journal Meanjin, which is to be shut down after 85 years.
Updated
Two men arrested over alleged vandalism of Sydney’s Anzac Memorial
Two men have been arrested over the alleged malicious damage at the Anzac Memorial in the Sydney CBD, New South Wales police say.
Police have just released a statement saying they arrested the men about 5.45pm today after they attended the Auburn police station in the city’s west.
About 12.20pm yesterday, two unknown men were allegedly seen spraying “a substance” on the walls and steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park, police said.
Police said the men were then seen leaving the memorial and walking north together through the park.
Earlier today, police released CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly vandalised the memorial to help find them.
Police have estimated the cost of the alleged vandalism to the Sydney Anzac memorial is about $10,000.
Updated
Proposed Sydney Harbour Bridge march linked to conspiracy theorists heads to NSW supreme court
A proposed march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge linked to anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists will be challenged at the NSW supreme court on Monday.
As we reported yesterday, a group protesting under the name “Australia Unites Against Government Corruption”, has lodged a “form 1” application, notifying police about a planned public assembly next Saturday, 13 September.
Police have now moved to reject the form 1, lodging a challenge at the NSW supreme court this afternoon.
An urgent hearing has been scheduled for Monday afternoon. If the court decides the protest should be considered as “authorised”, it will provide some legal protection to demonstrators.
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EV reforms aim to ‘ensure more equitable treatment’ across vehicles, treasurers say
The treasurers’ EV statement says:
Reforms to road user charging arrangements for electric vehicles have the potential to bolster productivity through more efficient use of the road network and vehicle fleet and ensure fair and sustainable funding for road investment and maintenance.
Reforms should be designed to not deter the continued take-up of electric vehicles.
The reforms to the treatment of electric vehicles will ensure more equitable treatment across vehicle types and provide certainty to support investment.
The group has agreed any new rules must be as simple as possible, in order to minimise the new administration and compliance burden, and says:
We will ensure any changes are phased to enable the productivity, climate and consumer benefits of increasing electric vehicle uptake over the coming years.
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Chalmers and state treasurers flag changes to EV road user charging rules
The treasurer, Jim Chalmers, met his state and territory counterparts today, with road user charging for electric vehicles high on the agenda.
At the end of last month’s economic reform roundtable in Canberra, Chalmers flagged plans to move ahead with new road user charging rules, long in the policy too hard basket in Canberra.
The shift to electric vehicles around Australia is costing the budget due to falling fuel excise. Chalmers said new rules to ensure fairness between EV drivers and others on the road was “an idea whose time has come”.
Friday’s meeting looks like a step along the way, with no immediate outcomes announced.
In a joint statement released by Chalmers, Australia’s treasurers said EV technology was transforming the outlook for passenger and freight transport.
As a result, policies at all levels of government “will need to evolve to seize the opportunities and manage the challenges of this new outlook”.
Updated
Man jailed for taking gun to MCG had violent history
Here are some more details of the case involving the man who brought a gun to the MCG, from AAP:
The magistrate, Brett Sonnet, noted Omar Salma had carried out multiple violent attacks since 2022, including at Crown Casino where he kicked and punched a man on an escalator.
Sonnet accepted Salma was still a young man and had developed a drug addiction following the death of a friend.
But a pre-sentence report showed Salma had a high risk of reoffending, and he continued to minimise the seriousness of his conduct, the magistrate said.
Sonnet concluded the offending was very serious and needed to be strongly condemned by the court.
Salma was jailed for 22 months, but he will be eligible for parole in five months, having already served 155 days of his 10-month non-parole period.
His co-offender, Mohammad Noori, was also jailed for 21 months but is appealing his sentence in the Victorian county court.
Updated
Man jailed for bringing loaded firearm into packed MCG
A man who brought a loaded gun into a packed MCG earlier this year has been jailed for 22 months, with a magistrate strongly condemning the alarming incident, AAP reports.
Omar Salma, 21, admitted bringing the weapon to the AFL clash between Collingwood and Carlton on 3 April, which 82,000 fans attended.
He had assaulted a security guard – who had evicted him from the ground two weeks earlier - when police arrived to restrain him.
During a search, officers uncovered a loaded .22 calibre revolver on Salma and a container of cartridge ammunition in his bag.
His co-offender Mohammad Noori also had a loaded firearm in his possession.
Salma told police he had the weapon to protect himself but magistrate Brett Sonnet on Friday described that reasoning as concerning.
Liberal frontbencher Andrew Bragg says the markets have already decided net zero debate
Liberal senator Andrew Bragg has said the net zero debate has already been “overcome” by the markets but has dodged questions on what the Coalition’s policy should be.
Bragg has been interviewed on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program today, where he was asked in detail about renewed debate within the Coalition over whether Australia should uphold its commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
A growing number of Coalition MPs have been agitating for the target to be dumped altogether, as the opposition’s internal tussle over the climate crisis continues.
Bragg would not answer directly when asked on the ABC this afternoon whether his message to his party was that Australia should stick to its net zero pledge, saying:
Well, Australia is a serious country. We take our international obligations seriously but we also want to protect domestic industry and Australians.
There is a good way to do net zero and there is a bad way to do net zero and Labor is taking us on the bad path and we should adopt a smart way which protects industry, which respects regional communities and is cognisant of our economic and environmental obligations.
He said the debate on having net zero was “overcome in the sense that the capital markets had made up their mind” and:
That’s why the former Coalition government signed Australia up, because this is where the world is going.
But there are different views on how you can achieve that, and that’s a debate that we having.
Updated
S&P Global Ratings downgrades ACT’s credit rating and projects $19.7bn of debt in 2028
S&P Global Ratings has downgraded the ACT’s credit rating, which it has blamed on the territory’s ballooning debt and deficits.
In a major indictment of chief minister Andrew Barr’s fiscal management, the international agency cut its rating on the ACT’s debt to AA from AA+.
In its newly issued report, the agency said:
We expect (the) Australian Capital Territory’s operating accounts to remain in deficit until fiscal 2027 due to rising health costs.
Additionally, higher capital spending will weigh on overall cash deficits, driving the territory’s debt above that of all rated Australian states except Victoria.
Including these capital costs, deficits will reach 10% of total revenue over the coming two years, the report said.
That higher capital investment included “a new convention and entertainment center precinct, as well as an aquatic center”, with the prospect of further extensions to the light rail project threatening further damage to the budget.
The fiscal projections are grim.
S&P analysts forecast the ACT’s total debt will jump from $12.9bn in 2024 to $19.7bn in 2028.
And paying for this bigger debt pile will be a growing burden on the territory’s taxpayers.
Between the 2024 and 2028 financial years, interest costs will more than double to 8.8% of operating revenue, S&P said.
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NSW treasurer says Jacinta Price should apologise to Indian-Australian community
The New South Wales treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, says the Indian-Australian community would welcome an apology from Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price after her “utterly wrong” comments about their migration.
Price has sought to walk back inflammatory claims she made on ABC TV earlier this week that the federal Labor government was promoting migration by specific ethnic groups, including Indians, to grow its electoral support.
Mookhey has been asked about Price’s remarks in an interview on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing program today after the Sydney Morning Herald published a story in which he condemned what the firebrand conservative senator had said.
Mookhey told the ABC:
I have made a statement and mainly because I am Australian of Indian heritage and maybe one of Australia’s most senior politicians who have Indian heritage.
I thought these comments were wildly insensitive. They were utterly wrong.
Mookhey said the Liberal party should rethink its decision to have Price headline a fundraising event in Sydney tonight, “in the wake of her rather divisive comments”.
Asked if he thought Price should apologise to the Indian community, Mookhey said:
I think the Australian Indian community would welcome that.
Updated
Penny Wong responds to photo of Daniel Andrews in China
The foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has weighed in on that photo of former Victorian premier, Dan Andrews, in Beijing in close proximity of dictators Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un, along with leaders of Iran and Belarus.
Speaking from Tokyo this afternoon, the minister was asked what Andrews’ presence in the group shot did for Australia’s image and whether it played into Chinese propaganda.
Wong responded:
I don’t speak for private individuals, but I would so hope that we all should be mindful of the message that our presence and engagement sends, as I certainly am.
Updated
Richard Marles says Australia on track to finalise $10bn frigate deal with Japan by early next year
The defence minister, Richard Marles, says he expects Australia and Japan will finalise a $10bn deal to acquire three Mogami-class frigates by the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking in Tokyo following a defence and foreign ministers’ meeting this afternoon, Marles said the deal, announced last month, was a subject of the conversation today and that both sides were eager to settle the negotiations quickly.
The defence minister said he expected the first frigate from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries would be received by Australia in 2029.
Marles said:
This is really breaking new ground in terms of the defence industry cooperation between Australia and Japan. Japan is a technologically advanced economy, and we see that there are enormous opportunities across the defense industrial base here for us to cooperate more broadly on.
Updated
Hi, I hope you’ve had a great day, wherever you are. I’ll be with you on the blog for the rest of the afternoon.
Updated
Shots allegedly fired in western Sydney
NSW police have provided an update after shots were allegedly fired in greater western Sydney today.
Just after 12pm, officers were called to Victor Street, Greystanes after reports of shots fired from a BMW towards a Suzuki Swift. The two vehicles then left the scene.
Police said a short time later, a man returned to the scene uninjured:
Initial inquires have led police to believe two people – including the man – were in the Suzuki Swift when the incident occurred. The man is currently assisting police with inquiries. A short time later, a BMW was located on fire on Targo Road, Toongabbie; and the Suzuki Swift was located with damage on Whalans Road, Greystanes.
The fire was extinguished by NSW Fire and Rescue officers. Police have established a crime scene at all three locations and investigations are underway.
There have been no reports of injuries.
Updated
With that, I will pass the blog into the hands of Catie McLeod.
Thanks so much for reading.
Skull formally identified as that of alleged SA murder victim
A skull found by a bushwalker has been formally identified as the missing remains of Julian Story, with a former reality TV star facing charges over his alleged murder.
Authorities had been searching for Story’s head since the 39-year-old’s dismembered body was discovered in the South Australian town of Port Lincoln on 19 June.
The skull was identified after it was discovered in scrubland by a person pursuing a wandering dog in the town on 31 July and underwent testing.
Police said the remains were forwarded to Forensic Science SA for a detailed scientific examination which confirmed the identity.
“Police extend their gratitude to the many members of the Port Lincoln community who have come forward with information to aid this investigation.”
Tamika Sueann Rose Chesser, 34, a former Beauty and the Geek contestant, has been charged with Story’s alleged murder.
Updated
August weather data: wet in WA but southern states record well below average rainfall
Rainfall patterns across Australia in August varied dramatically in different parts of the country, the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update has revealed.
Western Australia recorded its wettest August since 2005, with area-averaged rainfall 67% above average, while New South Wales was 12% above average. But conditions were much drier further south. Tasmania had its driest August since 2014, with rainfall a third below average, while southern NSW, Victoria and South Australia also recorded well below-average falls.
Year-to-date rainfall deficiencies have eased in WA but persisted in the south-east. Long-term deficits in soil moisture and streamflow remain, particularly in Tasmania and Victoria. Streamflow at some southern sites was the lowest on record for August. Water storages in parts of the south and east are down by as much as 50% compared with this time last year.
The bureau noted that while above average winter rainfall has softened deficiencies in some regions, drought recovery requires many months of sustained rainfall to replenish deep soil moisture, groundwater and storages.
Looking ahead, the September–November outlook points to above-average rainfall for much of eastern Australia. Warmer than average days are likely in northern and south-eastern regions, with nights expected to be warmer across most of the country.
The bureau said climate trends show a long-term shift towards drier conditions across southern Australia during the cool season. Since 1994, April–October rainfall has been below the long-term average in 24 of the past 31 years.
Updated
Atlassian to buy The Browser Company in $934m deal
The Australian-American tech giant Atlassian will acquire The Browser Company of New York – the startup behind the Arc and Dia browsers – in a deal worth about US$610m (A$934m). Atlassian shares fell about 2% after the announcement.
The companies plan to build what they call “the browser for knowledge work in the AI era”. Atlassian says Dia, The Browser Company’s AI-native browser, will be refocused for workplace use.
The New York-based startup’s Dia browser, which was launched earlier this year, faces tough competition from the likes of Nvidia-backed Perplexity’s Comet and Brave’s Leo.
Atlassian co-founder and co-chief executive Mike Cannon-Brookes said “today’s browsers weren’t built for work, they were built for browsing”.
By combining The Browser Company’s passion for browsers with our understanding of knowledge workers, we see a huge opportunity to transform the way work gets done.
Dia will be designed to provide context across email, project management and design tools, while integrating AI features and personal memory.
The Browser Company, founded in 2020, has gained millions of users with Arc and Dia. Its co-founder Josh Miller said Atlassian’s reach would help them “move faster, dream bigger” in building an AI browser tailored for work.
Atlassian, which counts more than 300,000 customers including 80% of the Fortune 500, will fund the deal from cash reserves. The acquisition is expected to close in the second quarter of its 2026 financial year, pending regulatory approvals.
Updated
Australians turning away from sugary drinks, ABS data shows
Fewer Australians are drinking sweetened drinks than a decade ago, new data by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found.
James Eynstone-Hinkins, the ABS’s head of health statistics, said the data gave a comprehensive snapshot of Australia’s nutrition, including what we’re eating, our energy intakes and the types of diets we follow.
The proportion of people who drank sweetened beverages fell from 49.2% in 1995 to 42.2% in 2011–12 and then to 28.9% in 2023. Nearly three in four children drank sweetened beverages in 1995. This fell to one in four children in 2023.
Sweetened beverages are an example of “discretionary choices” in our diets, which are food and drinks that are high in energy, saturated fat, salt or sugar and have low levels of essential nutrients.
One-third of daily energy intake came from discretionary food and drinks in 2023, down from 35.4% in 2011–12, the data found.
Eynstone-Hinkins said the leading foods contributing to discretionary energy came from cereal-based mixed dishes, including foods such as burgers and pizza. This was also the most popular food group – eaten by more than half, or 52%, of people on a typical day.
The data also found almost one in eight households experienced food insecurity in the past 12 months, including 34% of lone parent family households.
One in four people 15 years and over were following a diet.
Updated
NSW police continue search for alleged vandals of Sydney’s Anzac memorial
The cost of alleged vandalism to the Sydney Anzac memorial has been estimated by police at around $10,000.
Addressing the media this afternoon, the chief inspector of the Sydney City Police Area Command, Gary Coffey, said CCTV footage of the two men who allegedly vandalised the memorial would be released to the public in an effort to apprehend them.
He alleged that at 12.20pm on Thursday two unknown men believed to be in their 50s or 60s were captured on CCTV spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac memorial in Hyde Park.
He said police were contacted a few hours later and attended the scene, with CCTV allegedly showing more than 20 pictures that had been marked. Conservation experts have since taken a sample of the substance.
They made their way inside the memorial, walked around the memorial, appeared to have small bottles in their hands and they’ve deposited this oil based substance at various locations.
He said the damage was still visible on Friday, adding it would take time to restore the heritage-listed site.
We are absolutely desperate for someone in the community to identify these two individuals and make sure they’re held accountable for their actions.
The war memorial is a sacred site for our community and to do this is absolutely disgusting.
Updated
Body found in search for missing diver off NSW coast
A body has been located during the search for a diver who was last seen off the mid north coast of New South Wales on Wednesday morning.
Just after 10.50am, emergency services were called to Myall Lakes national park at Seal Rocks after reports a spearfisherman hadn’t returned from water.
Police were told the 32-year-old man dived into the water near Skeleton Rock about 10.20am and failed to resurface.
Officers, with assistance from Marine Rescue NSW, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, NSW Ambulance and Surf Life Saving, began a multi-agency search to find the man.
About 11.30am today, police divers found the body of a man nearby. While yet to be formally identified, the body is believed to be that of the missing spearfisherman.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Updated
Shots fired in western Sydney, police say
A police operation is underway after shots were fires in Greystanes, a suburb in greater western Sydney, today.
Just after 12pm, officers were called to Victor Street after reports of shots fired from one car towards another.
The two vehicles then left the scene, police say:
Police are at the scene and inquiries are under way.
Members of the public are urged to avoid the area.
Updated
Man caught riding motorbike at 218km/hr in rural Queensland, police say
A man has been fined nearly $2,000 after he was caught riding a motorbike at 218km/h in a 100km/h zone on a highway in rural Queensland, police say.
Queensland police have issued a statement saying they stopped the 51-year-old yesterday afternoon in Warwick, a town about 130km south-west of Brisbane.
Police said they had allegedly observed him speeding on the 2025 BMW S1000RR motorcycle on the New England Highway south of Warwick in The Glen about 12.50pm.
The highway patrol officers who stopped the man fined him $1,919 and issued him with eight demerit points, police said.
The Warwick patrol group inspector, Kelly Hanlen, said:
There’s no excuse for travelling at excessive speed anywhere, any time but even more so on roads where there are several additional road hazards to deal with.
This includes road conditions like loose gravel and narrow lanes as well as wildlife encounters, reduced visibility from dust or fog, reduced lighting and increased risk of driver fatigue.
Hanlen said the incident coincided with rural road safety month, a national awareness campaign run in September by the Australian Road Safety Foundation.
Updated
Brisbane park heritage listed ahead of 2032 Olympics
The entire inner-city Brisbane park set to host the 2032 Olympics has been heritage-listed by the Queensland Heritage Council.
Victoria Park will be home to two stadia, including the city’s biggest, built for the games. It was gazetted as a park in 1875, but most of the park spent the last century as a golf course. Part of the park had been listed already. The amendment expands its listing to cover the whole park.
The council judged that it should be listed under five different criteria including the aesthetics of its 1920s-era electric substation and its importance to Queensland’s history. The listing won’t prevent the stadium from being built.
The heritage council said it was satisfied that “while change is likely to occur at the place through the planned construction of the stadium ... there is a reasonable probability the cultural heritage significance of the place can be conserved”.
Heritage law also no longer applies after the state government passed legislation in May to exempt Olympics venues from any heritage, planning or Indigenous heritage laws on the basis of urgency while also increasing planning regulation on windfarm development.
Updated
Vice-chancellor of University of Melbourne urged to sacrifice 10% of salary to save Meanjin
More than 700 people have signed an open letter requesting that the vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne (UoM), Prof Emma Johnston, sacrifice 10% of her current salary to save the literary journal Meanjin.
After 85 years, Meanjin, run by the university’s subsidiary Melbourne University Publishing (MUP), will publish its final edition in December. Although the journal’s editor, Esther Anatolitis, worked her last day at Meanjin on Thursday, the spring and summer quarterly editions of the journal are already at the printers.
The letter, penned by novelist and poet Alan Fyfe, says writers and literary workers are “saddened and distressed by the closure of one of Australia’s longest standing literary journals, Meanjin”.
We understand the financial pressures of modern academies, and that thrift must be found somewhere. With this in mind, we approach you with a simple proposal: a small voluntary pay cut of 10% of your current salary would save the university $150,000, an ample amount to keep a literature journal running and publishing.
This would still leave you with the handsome payrate of $1,350,000 per annum; and with all accommodation and other expense perks intact. We understand that the job of Vice Chancellor of a leading university entails some hard work that deserves fair compensation. A 10% salary cut, however, would leave you still over $341,000 (converted to AUD) better off annually than the Vice Chancellor of The University of Cambridge.
Johnston was approached for comment.
Updated
Sydney’s Anzac Memorial allegedly damaged by two men
NSW police are appealing for information after alleged “malicious damage” to Sydney’s Anzac Memorial.
In a statement, police alleged that at 12.20pm yesterday two unknown men were seen spraying a substance on to the walls and steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park.
One man was allegedly seen to spray the substance on to the eastern walls and northern steps of the memorial, while the other man was allegedly seen to spray a substance on to the southern steps.
Shortly after, police said both men were seen to leave the Anzac Memorial and walk together in a northern direction through Hyde Park.
Officers from Sydney City Police Area Command have begun an investigation into the incident and have released images and CCTV vision of two men who might be able to assist with inquiries.
Both men are described as being Caucasian appearance, about 50-60 years old, one with a large build and black and grey hair and one with a solid build and shaved head.
Updated
Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce secures final $3.8m bonus
Alan Joyce has secured a final bonus worth $3.8m, two years after the prominent Qantas chief executive left the airline after a series of corporate decisions sparked a reputational crisis.
While Joyce’s various incentives were reduced due to several scandals occurring under his watch, the final payout was linked to a 2023-25 incentive plan that is now vesting.
The airline’s share price is at record highs, which has lifted the value of the incentive.
Qantas was previously found to have illegally sacked more than 1,800 workers, and agreed to pay a $100m civil penalty after striking a deal with the consumer watchdog for allegedly selling tens of thousands of tickets to flights that had already been cancelled in its system.
The airline lodged its annual report today, which showed that his successor, Vanessa Hudson, received $6.3m last financial year, up more than 40% on the prior year.
Hudson had her short term bonus reduced in response to a major cyber attack on Qantas customers.
Updated
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell refused bail
Neo-Nazi Thomas Sewell – who allegedly led an attack on a sacred Indigenous burial site in Melbourne over the weekend – has been refused bail.
Sewell, 32, appeared in the Melbourne magistrates court on Friday morning, where he was told he would have to remain in custody over multiple alleged violent offences.
Police charged Sewell on Tuesday with the offences, including violent disorder and affray, over the alleged incident at Camp Sovereignty on the weekend.
Magistrate Donna Bakos said she found Sewell’s alleged offences to be “serious”.
To lead and participate in, if not incite, an unprovoked attack on a sacred site … can only be viewed as serious conduct.
Bakos said Sewell was not charged over his political view and ideology “whether racially motivated or otherwise”.
She said the charges related to allegations of “unlawful and violent conduct”.
As Sewell was lead out of the court room, he said “we fight for white Australia.”
A group of Sewell’s supporters in the court room said “hail white Australia”.
Updated
Historic portrait of Vadim de Waart-Hottart shared in Victoria Police tribute
Victoria Police have also shared a photo of Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart receiving a portrait painted of him amid his funeral in Melbourne.
In a statement uploaded to social media, Victoria Police said some years ago, de Waart-Hottart attended a mental health incident with a colleague where they supported someone in crisis.
As a thank you, that person painted portraits of both officers. In this photo, Vadim can be seen proudly holding the artwork. We think you’ll agree it’s a pretty great painting.
Police said the moment was shared by de Waart-Hottart’s former colleagues at St Kilda as a “small but powerful reminder of the quiet, positive impact our members have in the community every day – often without recognition or expectation”
It’s through gestures like these that we remember Vadim as someone who devoted his career to helping others.
Today we farewell Vadim and honour the lasting impact of his service and dedication.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart farewelled in Melbourne
A sea of navy blue has surrounded the coffin of a young officer gunned down in his prime as the hunt continues for his alleged killer.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart, 34, is being farewelled by loved ones, friends, colleagues and political leaders with full police honours at a private funeral at the Victoria Police Academy on Friday.
Before the service, the area around the academy in Melbourne’s east was eerily quiet as hundreds of members, alongside police dogs, gathered both inside and outside the on-site chapel.
The chapel’s capacity was doubled from 500 people to more than 1,000 people but it still wasn’t enough, with officers spilling into hallways and overflow rooms.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, the premier, Jacinta Allan and the Victorian police chief commissioner, Mike Bush, are among those in attendance at the private ceremony.
A table was set up in the chapel with medals, which he will be awarded, along with a statue of Batman, a childhood favourite.
Once the ceremony is over, the police air wing will perform a flyover as his colleagues line the surrounding streets in a guard of honour for the exiting coffin.
– AAP
Updated
Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union members accept pay deal
Members of the Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union have voted to accept a state government pay deal.
The health minister, Tim Nicholls, announced the deal last week, which guarantees an 11% pay increase and double time for overtime, a national first for nurses and midwives.
The QNMU secretary, Sarah Beaman, told media on Friday that about three-quarters of members had recently voted that the deal was good enough to go to a formal ballot.
This offer has been won on the hard work of nurses and midwives taking protected industrial action (for the first time in 20 years).
Their strength, their determination, their professionalism, has seen this offer be a significant improvement on first two offers, and they should be proud of themselves. This is an offer that will recruit, retain and respect nurses and midwives now and into the future.
The enterprise bargaining agreement still has to go through additional consultation and voting before taking effect, which Beaman said could take several weeks.
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Meta questioned definition of ‘celeb-bait’ in scams court case but used the term this week
Meta argued in the federal court it did not understand the Australian consumer watchdog using the term “celeb-bait” to describe alleged scam ads on its platforms, however the Facebook and Instagram parent company used the term in press material this week.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is suing Meta over the scam ads featuring deepfakes of public figures such as the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, with the 2022 case yet to go to a hearing.
A judgment in the federal court on Friday revealed Meta had sought to strike out the ACCC’s further amended statement of claim in part because “Meta contended ... that they do not understand the term celeb-bait” in the context of the company being expected to take reasonable steps to prevent such ads ending up on its platform.
The court ruled against Meta. Justice Wendy Abraham said she did not consider “that there is any lack of understanding” by Meta “as to what is meant by clickbait advertisements”.
“Their attributes are identified in the pleadings ... There is an artificiality to this complaint.”
Meta’s global head of counter-fraud and security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, who is US-based, used the term in a press release to reporters this week, in explaining the action the company was taking on scams:
In Australia, between April and May 2024, 102 reports were provided by the Australian Financial Crimes Exchange Intel Loop, enabling Meta to remove more than 9,000 spam pages and over 8,000 AI-generated celeb-bait scams across Facebook and Instagram.
Meta said in a briefing that users were encountering scam ads 60% less often on its services than a year ago. In July 2024, the number of scam ads reported globally was at 4.5 per million total ad views, compared to 1.8 scam ad reports per million views as of July this year.
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Police to address media after Singleton dog attack
Still in New South Wales, police will address the media after a teenage girl was seriously injured during a dog attack at Singleton yesterday.
Emergency services were called to a home at about 11.30am and found a 16-year-old girl suffering critical injuries to her head, neck and body.
She was treated by paramedics before being flown to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital, police said. The 10-year-old dog – described as a large dog of mixed breed – was destroyed with the consent of the owner.
The Hunter Valley police district dommander, acting superintendent Justin Cornes, will speak outside Cessnock police station at 12.30pm.
We’ll bring you the latest updates.
Updated
Man accused of using cryptocurrency to buy child abuse material
In New South Wales, cybercrime squad detectives have charged a 21-year-old man after he allegedly used cryptocurrency to buy child abuse material online as part of an ongoing state investigation into alleged offenders.
A search warrant was issued about 6am yesterday at an address in South Grafton.
During the search, police located and seized two laptops and a mobile phone, MDMA, ketamine and LSD.
A forensic triage of the electronics was conducted with child abuse material, images and videos allegedly located saved in the devices.
The man was arrested at the address and was taken to Grafton police station.
He has been charged with seven offences including two counts of possessing child abuse material, possessing a prohibited drug, supplying a prohibited drug more than indictable and less than a commercial quantity, supplying a prohibited drug more than or equal to a commercial quantity, possessing instructions for manufacture of a prohibited drug, and hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty.
He was refused bail to appear before court today.
Updated
Robodebt victim says record-breaking settlement a major win: ‘what they did was unjust’
Nathan Knox was a young man paying off a crippling robodebt when a split-second decision stopped him from stepping in front of a train. He is one of the hundreds of thousands of people impacted by the unlawful robodebt scheme, which hunted down welfare recipients for money they didn’t owe.
Prime minister Anthony Albanese’s government has agreed to pay an additional $475m to its victims, marking a record-breaking class-action settlement.
Knox was in his early 20s and working when he received a robodebt worth about $15,000 after a period of jobseeker payments. The debt notice turned his world upside down.
A royal commission into robodebt found there were at least three known suicides as a result of the scheme, but was confident of further tragedies.
The scheme forced many people into dire financial circumstances as they took out loans and sold their cars or ran down savings to pay off the supposed debt. Knox, now in his mid-30s and raising a young family, said the size of the settlement was a major win:
No amount of money is going to return those individuals and it’s really sad. It says the government was wrong and what they did was unjust.
-AAP
Updated
First Nations call for national day of action in response to anti-immigration rallies
In Sydney, the Blak Caucus, working with Gadigal people and other Sovereign owners of the region, will hold a major rally on 13 September with the slogans:
Sovereignty Never Ceded, Racism and Fascism Not Welcomed, No to Nazis, No to White Supremacy, Stand With Camp Sovereignty, Corroboree Not Colony
It is part of a national day of action being led by First Nations groups across Australia in response to the attack on Camp Sovereignty and the March for Australia demonstrations.
Aunty Rhonda Dixon Grovenor, a Gadigal elder, urged supporters to attend:
We were shocked to … hear about the violence put on our people at Camp Sovereignty on Wurundjeri country in Melbourne.
This brought back memories of how our camps of our people were attacked back during the invasion that took our lands, or how the police attack out people, like in 1972 when they tried to tear down the Tent Embassy. We must take a stand to say: no more.
All people who are true and strong and love everything that is beautiful about these lands, you are welcome here.
Updated
NT parliament to be lit in honour of fallen Victorian police officers
In the Northern Territory, Parliament House will be lit up in blue tonight and on Monday night to honour the lives of Victorian police officers Vadim De Waart and Neal Thompson who were killed in the line of duty last month in Porepunkah.
The chief minister and police minister, Lia Finocchiaro, said the Territory stood united with Victoria in grief.
The loss of Officers De Waart and Thompson is felt across the entire nation. Every day, police officers put their lives on the line to keep us safe, and their service and sacrifice must never be forgotten. On behalf of all Territorians, I extend my deepest condolences to their families and colleagues.
The speaker of the legislative assembly, Robyn Lambley, said that as a mark of respect Parliament House will be illuminated in blue on 5 and 8 September 2025.
The acting commissioner of the NT police, Matt Hollamby, attending today’s funeral service in Melbourne, said the tragedy has deeply affected policing families across Australia. Flags at police stations in Victoria will be flown at half mast.
Updated
Former NSW police commissioner appointed to Queensland state DNA lab after body stripped of independence
The former NSW police commissioner Mick Fuller has been appointed head of Queensland’s state DNA lab, Forensic Science Queensland.
It comes after, the state government passed laws last week to remove the body’s independence and put it under the control of attorney general Deb Frecklington, against the recommendations of a 2022 commission of inquiry.
The lab has been at the centre of repeated scandals. In 2022 it was found to have used bad science to avoid testing thousands of DNA samples, including in serious crimes like murder and rape, amid a funding shortfall. In August, a second inquiry found that it had done the same thing again.
The government also announced that American firm Bode Technology has won the contract to retest tens of thousands of samples which were mis-analysed as part of the scandal, at a cost of $50m.
“I’ll be focused on re-shaping the organisation and very much look forward to working with the expert team to deliver important scientific reforms,” Fuller said.
Updated
Vulnerable elderly people could be priced out of laundry and showering help under Labor’s new model for aged care, the independent watchdog has warned, two months out from a co-payment system coming into force.
The aged care inspector general, Natalie Siegel-Brown, has used a major report to warn of “genuine fears” the model asking some elderly people to pay more for non-clinical care could see some forgo services.
Read the story here:
‘Taken a dig’: Senator Nampijinpa Price condemned for migration vote claim
A Coalition senator’s claim migration policy is used to bolster votes has been widely rejected and risks fuelling harm to migrant communities for questionable political pay-off critics say.
The NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price said she did not believe she had anything to apologise for after claiming the Labor government “allow those in that would support their policies”, pointing to the Indian diaspora.
The senator’s effort to bolster her argument had undermined the nation’s non-discriminatory immigration policies and risked eroding public trust, the Sikh Association of the Northern Territory’s president, Harpal Singh, told AAP.
She has taken a dig, but it has lasting impacts. She should at least apologise, people make mistakes right? But the problem is the timing.
Violent and widely condemned anti-immigration rallies around the nation have stoked debate about Australia’s immigration policy. Singh said just after those protests “saying something like this, it just alienated people from Indian ethnicity”.
The former president of the Indian Cultural Society of the Northern Territory, Bharat Desai, said the NT senator’s comments did not reflect widely held views and her thoughts were either “misdirected or she wasn’t advised properly”.
The opposition leader, Sussan Ley, did not support the senator’s comments.
-AAP
Updated
Anti-immigration protesters have made some big claims about Australia’s immigration numbers and the effect that migration is having on the economy. But are they correct?
Guardian Australia’s Matilda Boseley goes through how wrong some of these claims about immigration are.
Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart to be farewelled at private funeral in Melbourne
An avid traveller with the world at his feet, Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart should be plotting his next holiday adventure. Instead, policing colleagues will form a guard of honour as the 35-year-old is taken on one final journey to his resting place.
The 35-year-old Belgian native moved across the globe to join the Victorian police for what was shaping up to be a long, successful career until his life was cut short in the line of duty.
His colleague, Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, was also killed, while another officer was badly injured in a violent confrontation with Dezi Freeman while they were serving him a warrant last week.
De Waart-Hottart had recently arrived in Wangaratta for what was meant to be a temporary assignment from his role in the public order response team. Described as an eternal optimist by colleagues in the force, he was fluent in four languages and proud to have purchased his first home in Melbourne in recent years.
Heartbroken loved ones, friends and colleagues will farewell him at a private funeral on Friday at the Victoria Police Academy in Melbourne’s east - the same place he started his police career just seven years ago. The Police Air Wing will perform a flyover as his colleagues line the surrounding streets and pay their respects following the service.
The policing family will again mourn a colleague when Thompson is farewelled with full honours on Monday. Both funerals are private and members of the public have been asked not to attend.
– AAP
Updated
Kevin Rudd says the Australia and US relationship going from ‘strength to strength’
The ambassador to the United States, Kevin Rudd AC, has welcomed the fourth phone call between the prime minister and President Trump.
A readout of the meeting said Anthony Albanese discussed economic cooperation, trade and critical minerals, as well as the importance of shared security interests.
There was no word on when the two leaders will hold their first face-to-face meeting, which Australia has been pursuing since Donald Trump’s inauguration in January.
Posting on X, Rudd said:
Great to have the President and the prime minister in another call this morning - their fourth since the president was elected.
Lots going on in the US-Australia relationship. And going from strength to strength.
Updated
Coalition ‘undermining’ business certainty on renewable energy investment, Allegra Spender says
The independent member for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, says the Coalition has been “undermining” business certainty on climate change for a decade.
Appearing on ABC Radio National after the shadow environment minister, she said she was a “bit disappointed” that the Coalition had not commissioned modelling as part of their review into their emissions and energy policy.
They’re saying net zero is on the table, what are the metrics they’re considering then if they’re not considering modelling on different aspects?
If you’re talking about how to make this transition as cost effective as possible it’s about giving businesses certainty and the Coalition has been undermining that for a decade.
I would really urge them to sort it out, get on board … and get behind some serious targets because businesses need the certainty to invest.
Updated
Coalition ‘working methodically through’ emissions and energy policy, shadow environment minister says
The shadow environment minister, Angie Bell, has appeared on ABC Radio National this morning after new modelling commissioned by the Business Council of Australia found the Commonwealth would need up to $530bn worth of capital investment and a potential curbing of coal and gas exports to achieve a 2035 emissions target of 70% or more.
Asked why the Coalition was “dragging its feet” on their emissions and energy policy, Bell said they were “working methodically through” the process of reviewing it while continuing to “highlight the government’s failings”.
There’s lot of work in sitting weeks to look at all energy options but also the cost and I think it’s important to outline here that the Labor government are failing on all measures … We are back at the same [emissions] levels that we were at when we left government.
Asked if the Coalition would release a 2035 target, she said they would respond when Labor outlined theirs.
No modelling had been commissioned as part of the Coalition’s policy review, Bell said, but they were engaging with “various organisations when it comes to facts and figures”, particularly in the gas industry.
Queensland police seize 609 firearms in eight-month crackdown
In Queensland, police have seized 609 firearms in the state’s northern region during the first eight months of a targeted operation.
Operation Whiskey Firestorm was launched after 2024 statistics recorded more than 3,290 offences involving firearms across Queensland, including attempted murder, assault and unlawful entry.
The seizures included 108 illicit firearms and 112 firearms parts and accessories.
Townsville District detective inspector Jason Shepherd and Mount Isa District detective inspector Dave Barron said they were sending a “clear message” about the priorities when it came to firearm ownership – “safety first, secure always”.
Once a stolen firearm is in the community and in the hands of criminals, then there is real potential for it to be used to seriously harm someone or worse. Stolen firearms are often used in serious and organised crime and can cause significant harm to the community.
Updated
PM’s phone call with Trump builds on their ‘warm relationship’, minister for employment says
The minister for employment, Amanda Rishworth, says Anthony Albanese’s phone call with President Trump has built on what was already a “warm relationship” between the pair.
Appearing on Sunrise this morning, Rishworth was asked whether tariffs were discussed on the call.
She said she wasn’t on the line, but it was the fourth conversation the PM has had with Donald Trump.
I have no doubt there were a lot of important things discussed. Of course, we have the lowest trade tariffs of any country in the world when it comes to the US, but no doubt this builds on what is already a warm relationship between the two of them.
Obviously, as the prime minister’s indicated, they will meet when it’s convenient for both parties, but look, I think, clearly, there’s a connection there with four phone calls.
Coalition of the willing meeting a ‘positive sign’ for Ukraine, former ambassador says
The former Australian ambassador to Russia, Peter Tesch, has appeared on ABC News Breakfast after Anthony Albanese joined a virtual meeting with world leaders signed up to the coalition of the willing for Ukraine on Thursday night.
Around 26 of the 35 countries that are part of the coalition have formally pledged to be part of a reassurance force. But details on which nations signed up have not been revealed.
Tesch said the meeting was a “positive sign” and “further evolution of that very important demonstration of European and global solidarity with Ukraine”:”
The issue is that we are still no closer to a credible and durable peace settlement, because Moscow keeps walking both sides of the street, and that is provoking a degree of frustration. But in the absence of serious, additional pressure upon Moscow, it’s difficult to see a near-term solution here - notwithstanding Ukraine’s clear willingness to engage seriously in discussions.
And importantly, although the details are vague … President Trump at least remains engaged in that dialogue and that’s very important.
Updated
NSW nurses and midwives vote to accept 3% interim pay rise
In New South Wales, nurses and midwives have voted to accept the state government’s offer of a 3% interim pay rise and improved working conditions.
The wage increase will be paid retrospectively from 1 July 2025, plus 0.5% in superannuation and a 5% increase to the night shift penalty rate.
Alongside the pay bump, nurses and midwives will also be guaranteed two consecutive days off, no night shifts before annual leave unless requested and no changes on published roster without consultation.
The state treasurer, Daniel Mookhey, said the interim deal was an “important step towards the long-term repair of healthcare across NSW”.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association general secretary, Shaye Candish, said there was a “long way to go before the pay dispute is settled”.
Our case for a 35% pay increase over three years will begin in the NSW Industrial Relations Commission later this month. As part of this case, which is one of the biggest industrial cases this state has seen, we will present evidence around the gendered undervaluation of nurses and midwives’ work and the work value changes our professions have seen over the past 16 years.
The case is set down for a six-week hearing from 30 September.
Updated
Good morning, Caitlin Cassidy here to take you through today’s news.
Let’s get going!
PM praises homeless healthcare organisation at fundraising launch
Anthony Albanese has paid tribute to Street Side Medics, an orgainisation helping homeless people access healthcare, as it launched its nationwide launch with a fundraising gala night in Sydney.
The prime minister said that while his government was ploughing ahead with its schemes to help the homeless and to build 55,000 social housing dwellings, he said Street Side medics “makes a world of difference in breaking down those barriers to a healthier life for those who are doing it tough”.
The organisation was “making sure the most vulnerable in our community don’t fall through the cracks and miss out on the healthcare they need and deserve”.
This is a tribute to the hard work of a dedicated organisation focused on lifting people up, and should be a source of immense pride.
The work you do together is one of the greatest example of the Australian tradition of giving back, and it is one that I am proud to support tonight – and into the future.
For another angle on the rallies, our editors have been discussing in today’s podcast how to cover stories about the far right without amplifying hate.
Indian diaspora bewildered by animosity
In a week with so much discussion about the anti-immigration rallies, our reporters have been out talking to members of the Australian Indian community who are bewildered by the hostility towards them.
As one puts it:
What do we have to do to be Australian? We celebrate Australia Day, we give back, we volunteer … it’s a whole process to come into Australia, it’s not just like you get a ticket one day and come in.
Read the full article here:
Updated
PM joins Ukraine allies in virtual call
Anthony Albanese also joined a virtual meeting with world leaders signed up to the coalition of the willing for Ukraine last night.
Australia stands with Ukraine in its fight against Russia's illegal and immoral invasion.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 4, 2025
Today I took part in another Coalition of the Willing virtual meeting, hosted by President @EmmanuelMacron and Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer alongside President @ZelenskyyUa and other…
The meeting was convened by French president, Emmanuel Macron, and UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, alongside the Ukrainian president, Volodymr Zelenskyy.
Other leaders from Europe, New Zealand and Canada also joined the call.
The group discussed continued support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s aggression, and the coalition of the willing’s commitment to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
A government readout from the meeting said: “Australia stands with Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion. With our partners we will keep working towards just and lasting peace for Ukraine on its own terms.”
Two dead after being hit by car while trying to rescue injured animal
Two women have died after being hit by a car while trying to help an injured animal on the Hume Freeway in Melbourne’s north.
Victorian police said emergency services were called to reports two females had been struck by a car just after 7.30pm.
It is believed the pair had stopped to assist an injured kangaroo before they were struck, police said.
A 30-year-old woman died at the scene and another 30-year-old woman was airlifted to hospital but died shortly afterwards.
The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and assisted police. The exact circumstances of the collision are being investigated, police said.
Updated
Albanese discusses trade and security with Trump
The prime minister was on the phone to Donald Trump last night in what Albanese called “another warm and constructive conversation”.
Tonight I had another warm and constructive conversation with President @realDonaldTrump.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) September 4, 2025
We discussed our trade and economic relationship as well as areas for growth including critical minerals.
We also discussed shared US-Australia security interests.
In their fourth call since the president was re-elected, the pair discussed economic cooperation between Australia and the United States, according to Albanese’s office.
They also spoke about opportunities to work together on trade and critical minerals in the interests of both nations.
The leaders also discussed “the strength of our relationship and the importance of our shared security interests”.
It comes ahead of what the Australian government hopes will be a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders when Albanese travels to New York later this month for the UN general assembly. The two were expected to see each other in June on the sidelines of a G7 summit in Canada, but the meeting was cancelled as Trump returned to the US early.
The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, met the US vice president, JD Vance, in Washington DC last week, as well as the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth – though the White House initially said there was no meeting with Hegseth.
Updated
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories before your morning blogger gets into the chair.
Anthony Albanese said he had a “warm and constructive conversation” with Donald Trump last night in which they discussed trade and shared security interests. The prime minister is hoping to have an in-person meeting with Trump when he travels to New York later this month for the UN general assembly.
In a busy evening for Albanese, he also joined a virtual meeting with world leaders signed up to a new coalition of the willing for Ukraine.
Plus: a tragic story from Melbourne, where two women have died after being hit by a car while trying to help an injured animal. More on that soon.
