TRANSCRIPT
- A police officer charged with murdering a Sydney couple
- Australia's first LGBTIQ+ history and culture museum opens
- Australia's squad announced for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland
A police officer has been charged with the murder of Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies.
Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon was arrested after he presented himself to Bondi Police Station earlier today.
He will be formally refused bail and is expected to face court today or tomorrow.
The disappearance of former Channel Ten presenter Jesse Baird and his Qantas flight attendant partner, Luke Davies, is being treated as a homicide after bloody possessions belonging to both men were found in a skip bin in Cronulla on Wednesday.
Detective Superintendent Daniel Doherty says police are looking for the location of the bodies.
"It's really important that we do locate the bodies, not only for the cause of death but also for the answers for the family. They're still grieving and starting to grieve now. From our perspective, the cause of the death is important just because a firearm has been discharged at the premises (in Paddington). We would like to locate the bodies to see what the cause is. However, a large amount of evidence we’ve gleaned to date. And the movements of the vehicle are still being established. The timelines are still being established."
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At least one home has been destroyed as damage assessments continue for a bushfire in Victoria, west of Ballarat.
Schools have been closed and thousands evacuated, as more than 1,000 firefighters fight to control the blaze.
This resident says the fire conditions have been ferocious.
"We were in Ararat - and we saw Mount Cole on fire. It just looked like a volcano explosion really. We had to go up and sort up our property in Moyston first - and know that that was all right. And then we came back down to Beaufort. BY the time we came home, it was just evacuation order. Grabbed four carloads worth of belongings and just vacate."
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The Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia says he would welcome a long-term aid plan to support the embattled nation.
Vasyl Myroshnychenko thanked the Australian government for their support so far, and says he supports the idea of a long-term financial commitment by Australia to help expel the Russian invasion.
Australia has contributed $960 million to support Ukraine, including 120 armoured Bushmaster vehicles, in the two years since Russia's full-scale invasion.
Mr Myroshnychenko says that long-term assistance is critical.
"I would support this idea of long-term planning. We also see other countries are committing to long-term plans. Japan, just the other day announced 12 billion US dollars of assistance for Ukraine, which is more of a long-term plan for the country. There are similar arrangements with other countries. So, I would be very keen to talk and negotiate with the Australian Government an opportunity for more of a long-term cooperation on what we can expect and what could be there."
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A former police station has been transformed into the new permanent home of Australia's first LGBTIQ+ museum.
Ahead of Sydney’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Qtopia is being opened to the public spread across four sites, covering 1,750 square metres.
The museum's staff says that makes it the world’s biggest permanent museum dedicated to LGBTIQ+ history and culture.
The CEO of Qtopia Sydney, Greg Fisher, says the museum's mission is about education and building a culture of learning and inclusion.
"All of our programs are centred around key pillars of identity and inclusion. As with all affinity groups, you understand what it feels like to be marginalized, embarrassed, and worst of all silenced programs are designed to address these feelings. See the LGBTQIA plus experience as an example."
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Australia has announced the squad for the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Scotland.
More than 700 competitors from 130 countries are expected to take part in the indoor event in Glasgow from March 1 to 4, ahead of the Paris Olympic Games in July.
Former world champion Eleanor Patterson headlines Australia's squad for the biennial event.
