Warning: This bulletin includes the name of an Indigenous person who has died
TRANSCRIPT:
- The verdict is in after a mammoth trial over the death of Cassius Turvey in Perth;
- A Russian-backed ceasefire comes into effect in Ukraine;
- The NRL says it's confident a newly announced Perth team will be a success.
Two of the four people accused of murdering Indigenous teenager Cassius Turvey have been found guilty after a mammoth 12-week trial.
24 year old Jack Steven James Brearley and 29 year old Brodie Lee Palmer have been convicted by a jury after three days of deliberations.
A third man has been found guilty of manslaughter while a woman has been acquitted.
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A woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after a fire in Toowoomba that has claimed the lives of three children.
Detective Superintendent George Marchiseni says the 36 year old woman is under police guard in hospital, and is yet to be interviewed.
"We have been unable to speak with the woman at this stage. That is something our investigators are working on with the hospital to arrange, but will happen depending on her condition, as that progresses."
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The New South Wales government has defended its efforts to combat the state's illegal tobacco trade, after it was confirmed earlier today that a parliamentary inquiry will be held into the issue.
Health Minister Ryan Park says there has been rapid growth in the illicit trade, which involves cigarettes and vapes being smuggled into the country in order to avoid customs tax.
But he says the government has appointed a record number of officers to deal with enforcement of the rules, and to find the illicit operations.
"This is something that to be frank has got ahead of the community and ahead of legislators in the last eight to ten years... What we need to do now is to make sure there's that enforcement.
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North Korea have fired what appear to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles off its eastern coast.
South Korean officials are declining to comment on the exact number detected, but it's understood they believe the launch may be testing the performance and stability of missiles intended for export.
Japan's government has also detected a launch from North Korea, which chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi has described as a serious concern.
“North Korea's actions, including its repeated launches of ballistic missiles, threaten the peace and security of Japan's region and the international community. The launch of such ballistic missiles violates relevant Security Council resolutions and is a serious issue concerning the safety of the Japanese people. Our country has strongly condemned this launch, protesting the North Korean action through the embassy in Beijing."
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A three day ceasefire has come into effect in Ukraine following successive nights of heavy attacks from Russia.
The ceasefire reportedly went into effect at midnight Moscow time and coincides with celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the World War Two defeat of Nazi Germany.
But Ukrainian officials say that despite the apparent pause, Russian aircraft have twice launched guided bombs on the Sumy region of northern Ukraine.
Ukraine has not committed to abide by the ceasefire and is calling it a ruse by Russian leader Vladimir Putin to create the impression he wants an end to the war.
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Two senior Labor ministers are expected to lose their positions when the government's new cabinet is named.
Attorney General Mark Dreyfus is set to be dropped in favour of key Richard Marles ally Sam Rae, while Industry Minister Ed Husic's position is also at risk.
Labor's ministry and cabinet are divided up between the states and the left and right factions, based on the proportion of their seats.
But the Prime Minister has told Sky News the decisions he makes will be in the best interests of the whole party.
"The government brings with it responsibility, and no individual is greater than the collective, and that includes myself. And we need to approach this term with humility to make sure that we deliver on the commitments that we made to the Australian people."
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Greens leader Adam Bandt has conceded defeat in Melbourne to Labor's Sarah Witty.
Bandt has blamed the loss on an electorate redistribution and a preferencing deal.
"A short time ago I called the Labor candidate for Melbourne, Sarah Witty, to concede, to congratulate her and to wish her all the best as the next Member for Melbourne. The Greens got the highest vote in Melbourne but One Nation and Liberal preferences will get Labor over the line."
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To sport,
Western Australia says it will contribute more than 60 million dollars to the state's new NRL team after striking a deal with officials that has been years in the making.
The money will be spent over the first seven years of the new team's life to ensure its viability and success.
The league's 18th side will be known as the Perth Bears - and the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission, Peter V'Landys, says he believes the team will hit the ground running.
"I'm very confident the Bears will be very competitive in their very first year. We're going to make sure of that. We're going to have the right infrastructure in place. And they've got a head start, because they've got a combination with the Bears. The Bears are an established club- 200,000 members. They've got an infrastructure there of football managers and juniors and pathways. So, you'll be surprised at how good they'll be."
