Three United States marines who died in a helicopter crash are identified. A magnitude 7 earthquake is reported off Bali with no tsunami risk. And in rugby, the Resurgent Knights out to defy NRL history.
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TRANSCRIPT
In this bulletin,
- Three United States marines who died in a helicopter crash are identified.
- A magnitude 7 earthquake is reported off Bali with no tsunami risk.
- In rugby, the Resurgent Knights out to defy NRL history.
Three United States marines who were killed in a helicopter crash during a military drill in the Northern Territory have been identified.
The helicopter came down during a training exercise on Melville Island, north of Darwin on Sunday.
Captain Eleanor LeBeau, Corporal Spencer Collart, and Major Tobin Lewis, were killed and the 20 other people on board, who were all US marines, were injured.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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The boss of Virgin Australia has questioned the decision to block more domestic competition to protect Qantas' profits, saying the government wasn't properly informed.
The Albanese government blocked Qatar Airways from flying more domestic flights after lobbying from the national carrier Qantas.
Virgin boss Jayne Hrdlicka says she had sought a number of meetings with the government but hadn't heard back.
Ms Hrdlicka also hit back at suggestions Qantas as the national carrier needed to be shielded by government intervention, underlining that they are privately owned and listed on the public market.
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New South Wales Transport Minister Jo Haylen is embroiled in a controversy over the recruitment of the state's transport secretary.
This comes after revelations that secretary Josh Murray, a former Labor staffer, had donated to Ms Haylen's campaign.
Jo Haylen handpicked Mr Murray for the job, which comes with a salary of over $588,000 per year.
The Minister defended herself by saying the donation was a mere $500, which pales in comparison with his salary, and referred to the idea he would get such a reward for this donation as "ludicrous".
Speaking to 2-G-B radio, Jo Haylen says she followed the rules.
"We've been really honest and open here, that's important to me, I take my obligations very seriously. I've made my declarations, that I'm required to make as a minister, under my ministerial diary for example. I have made it very clear that I met with Josh Murray in the New South Wales Parliament. I declared the properties that I own, I've declared the things I'm required to declare and I'm happy to answer people's questions."
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A magnitude 7 earthquake has been reported in the area of Bali, in Indonesia, this morning.
The epicentre was 203 kilometres north of Mataram at over 500 kilometres of depth.
The US Tsunami Warning System says there are no threats of a tsunami as a result of the earthquake.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce the date of the referendum for an Indigenous Voice to parliament in Adelaide tomorrow, with the poll expected to be set for the 14 of October.
South Australia and Tasmania are seen as swing states critical for the 'yes' campaign to achieve a four-state majority in the referendum, with Western Australia and Queensland widely tipped to vote 'no'.
Yes campaigners see the crucial state of South Australia as winnable in the upcoming referendum.
Labor senator Marielle Smith said she has had positive conversations with people when she campaigned in her home state of South Australia and said "the more one-on-one conversations we can have on the ground, the better".
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In the United States,
A faculty member of the University of North Carolina has been shot and killed in a campus building.
A suspect was arrested about an hour and a half after shots were reported.
Students and faculty at the flagship campus had barricaded themselves in dorm rooms, offices and classrooms for hours until a lockdown was lifted.
University Police Chief Brian James says there are no other victims, and it is unclear if the suspect knew the victim.
"Upon arrival at Caudill Labs, police discovered one individual, a faculty member, had been shot. Unfortunately, as we have reported, this person is deceased. We will not be releasing further details on that person at this time as we are working to contact all of this person's family and we'll be providing them with support and resources."
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And in sport,
Newcastle's playing group is riding high and has declared they can become the first NRL side to win the grand final from outside the top four.
The 32-6 defeat of Cronulla on Sunday was the Knights' eighth consecutive victory, the side's second-longest winning run behind only an 11-game stretch that included the 2001 premiership.
The latest success confirmed that in the opening week of the play-offs the Knights will host their first home final since 2006, making good on a goal set by coach Adam O'Brien in the pre-season.
It comes after Newcastle sat in the bottom four through 19 rounds, their finals hopes looking shot and O'Brien's job under threat.
But now, the Knights are setting their sights on winning it all.
