TRANSCRIPT
- Police search dams in the New South Wales Southern Highlands for the bodies of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird
- Australia sanctions Russian prison officials after the death of Alexei Navalny
- Ben O'Connor misses out on victory in the UAE Tour by just two seconds
New South Wales Police say they are continuing to do everything they can to find the bodies of a couple alleged to have been shot dead by a serving officer.
Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson says police have identified a property at Bungonia, located almost 30 kilometres south-east of Goulburn, that they believe is where Jesse Baird and Luke Davies have been taken.
The Deputy Commissioner says they are checking the property thoroughly - but are also investigating a theory that the accused allegedly returned to retrieve the bodies and dispose of them somewhere else.
He says the man accused of the murders is acting on legal advice and has not spoken to them about the alleged location of the bodies.
"We are still working through that theory, and we are obviously commencing and have undertaken significant inquiries in relation to that. I can indicate that the accused has not disclosed of where Jesse and Luke are, where he has disposed of them. But it is our number one priority to locate Jesse and Luke, to give the families some solace."
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Magnitsky-style financial sanctions and travel bans have been imposed on seven prison officials Australia's government believes were involved in the mistreatment of Alexei Navalny in a Russian prison.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Assistant Foreign Affairs Minister Tim Watts have released a joint statement confirming the sanctions.
They say the measures are the next step in Australia’s efforts to hold to account those responsible for what they have described as "grave breaches of Mr Navalny’s human rights".
The government’s first tranche of sanctions were announced on 10 December 2022, and targeted individuals involved in the 2020 poisoning of Mr Navalny.
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The Nationals have confirmed that Barnaby Joyce will not be present in Parliament this week, following the airing of footage showing the MP lying on a Canberra street.
The former deputy prime minister had previously refused invitations to take personal leave, after blaming mixing alcohol with prescription medication for the incident.
Leader David Littleproud has told Channel Nine he is happy to accept the MP's temporary absence from Canberra.
"I'll take Barnaby on his word. He won't be here this week. He's notified me that he won't be coming to Parly. He's having the week off, which we gave him the opportunity to undertake with his family. And I respect that. And I hope he went to church yesterday and all he had was altar wine."
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Tradespeople working in Parliament House have launched a 24-hour strike in protest at their pay.
The Electrical Trades Union says some of the staff at Parliament House are paid less than the industry standard of the Department of Primary Services.
Acting Branch Secretary Brad Pidgeon says talks to resolve the pay dispute have not been productive so far.
"These workers here today are not asking for much. What they're asking for is a decent pay rise to help alleviate the ongoing cost of living pressures. From what we understand through negotiations, it's disappointing that this Department has not come to the table genuinely to reach an outcome, which has led to this outcome today. And this action will continue until an agreement is reached."
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At least four people have been killed in an avalanche near a ski resort in central France.
Three other people are said to have been injured and two others are missing after the avalanche in Val d'Enfer near the Mont Dore ski resort, in the Massif highland region.
The regional newspaper Midi Libre has quoted a specialist who says rain might have caused the disaster, having put a strain on the snow cover that had formed in the hours before.
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To sport,
Australian cycling ace Ben O'Connor has narrowly missed out on victory in the UAE Tour, losing the top spot by just two seconds to Lennert van Eetvelt.
