Berejiklian loses legal challenge against Icac findingJordyn BeazleyThe former New South Wales premier Gladys Berejiklian has lost her legal challenge against an anti-corruption watchdog finding that she engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”.Berejiklian had argued the finding by the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) was invalid because the commissioner was no longer at Icac when the findings were handed down.Berejiklian filed a summons for judicial review in the NSW court of appeal in September. A judicial review, unlike an appeal, is limited to legal missteps and cannot involve challenging the findings of fact.ShareUpdated at 02.26 CESTKey eventsPeter HannamWeather outlook points to soggy spring in the east, dry in the westThere’s been a bit of chatter about whether a La Nina will form later this year in the Pacific, making it four years out of five. The event typically brings wetter than average rainfall for much of Australia, particularly in the east.While climate models mostly point to an La Nina forming, the Bureau of Meteorology’s own model (Access S2) places more likelihood on neutral conditions. The bureau’s long-range weather forecasts, though, are probably what we should watch more closely.The latest updates for spring and for September-November point to the odds favouring wetter than usual conditions for much of the east. (The leeside of the Great Dividing Range – where most of those in, say, NSW live – should see rainfall “within the typical range”.)The west, though, tilts the other way to a drier than usual stint:So @BoM’s seasonal forecast for August-October (left) and spring, point to the above-average chance of rainfall for the east for both periods. West, though, looks to tilt increasingly towards drier than usual weather. pic.twitter.com/jP5UCPv5i6— @[email protected] (@p_hannam) July 26, 2024

There’s much less variation for temperatures, whether for maximums or minimums. And that applies to both the coming three months, and for spring itself.There’s a lot less variation, nationally, for temperatures in Aug-Oct, and spring. That’s also true for maximums and minimums for both periods. Here’s the chances of warmer than average max temps (left) and mins, for spring. (via @bom_au) pic.twitter.com/TlUBD76PWJ— @[email protected] (@p_hannam) July 26, 2024

To be sure, these are the general forecasts. As the bureau notes, “periods of cold weather are still possible”, as are dry or wet spells for regions where conditions are currently looking at relatively wet or dry months.ShareMurder charge laid but no sign of missing Melbourne man’s bodyPolice have charged a man with murder after the disappearance of Adrian Romeo, who vanished five months ago and whose body is yet to be located despite an extensive search, AAP reports.Romeo, 43, has not been seen since 10 February, when he told his parents he was going to Greenvale, in Melbourne’s north, to visit friends. His phone and bank cards have not been used since then and police are yet to find a 2004 gold Toyota Camry he was driving.A 58-year-old man has been charged with murder and will face Melbourne magistrates court today. Police arrested him at a Wallan address, just north of Melbourne, about 7.20pm yesterday.The charge follows a search of a Greenvale property involving the dog squad, major crime scene investigators, the State Emergency Service, the Australian federal police’s specialist forensic search team and NSW police cadaver dogs.Anyone with information about the vehicle or Romeo’s whereabouts is urged to contact police.ShareUpdated at 02.19 CESTAge reporter says anger ‘white hot’ among Nine staff as strike set to beginNine Network newspaper journalists will go on strike from 11am this morning following a pay dispute with management.Broede Carmody, a state political reporter at the Age newspaper, spoke to ABC RN earlier this morning and said the “overwhelming majority” of members voted to take action and hundreds are due to walk out.Carmody said they were “seeking a fair pay rise that’s in line with inflation”, plus protections from AI and greater diversity measures in the newsroom.
The company announced it would rip out up to 90 jobs out of our newsrooms. It’s an awful, awful situation.
Carmody noted that the roughly 20 staff currently in Paris for the Olympics were not exempt from the strike action and while it was difficult for them on “the trip of a lifetime”, “what we’re fighting for is really important.”
There’s just too much at stake. As to what the paper will look like over the coming days, I think people will see that you can’t put out a proper high-quality newspaper … without really talented journalists.
Nine Entertainment newspaper journalists are ‘seeking a fair pay rise that’s in line with inflation’, an Age reporter says. Photograph: James Ross/AAPCarmody said the anger among members was “white hot” amid job cuts, and he was “not ruling out us taking further action going forward”.
It’s the worst that I’ve seen the anger … We took a 0% pay rise during the pandemic to help the company out when everyone else was shedding jobs, and it was really uncertain times. It’s time for the company to help us.
ShareUpdated at 01.59 CESTAndrew MessengerQueensland corruption watchdog paid $370k in ex-public trustee’s legal billsQueensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission paid $370,000 in legal bills after a precedent-setting legal case by former public trustee Peter Carne.But it has yet to agree how much to pay the lawyers of former deputy premier Jacquie Trad.CCC chairperson Bruce Barbour revealed the organisation’s huge legal bill in parliamentary estimates this morning. Barbour said the CCC’s own legal bill totalled nearly a million dollars for defending the Carne case, and $91,000 on the Trad case.Both Carne and Trad challenged the right of the CCC to release reports which were critical of a public figure but which did not recommend “prosecution proceedings or disciplinary action” or after a public hearing.The CCC took the matter all the way to the high court, where Carne ultimately prevailed last September. The judgment also applies to Trad.ShareUpdated at 02.07 CESTWhat kind of leader do voters want in these chaotic times?After weeks of chaos on the campaign trail, the new Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris, has brought some voters fresh enthusiasm for the US presidential election. But will this early bump propel Harris to the White House? Progressive leaders around the world have countered the chaos of conservatives by projecting calm and by running sensible, risk-averse campaigns.In today’s episode of the Full Story podcast, Bridie Jabour speaks to Guardian Australia’s editor-in-chief, Lenore Taylor, national news editor, Josephine Tovey, and head of news, Mike Ticher, about the politics of being sensible and what voters really want in their leader.You can have a listen below:ShareUpdated at 01.26 CESTDaniel HurstThe bombshell ruling that made it impossible for Australia to delay sanctions against Israeli settlersWhile much of the Australian media were focused on the latest twists in the US presidential election, the international court of justice (ICJ) delivered sweeping findings against Israel’s conduct in the occupied Palestinian territories, ratcheting up pressure on all governments to take a firmer line.The ICJ ruling comes at a time of significant legal peril for the Israeli government over the way it has conducted its military response to Hamas’s 7 October attacks.File photo of a Palestinian village after a settler attack. Australia has announced sanctions against seven Israeli settlers and Hilltop Youth. Photograph: Mohamad Torokman/ReutersIn a separate and ongoing case, the ICJ is weighing up South Africa’s allegations that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Additionally, the international criminal court will soon decide whether to issue arrest warrants against the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and defence minister (along with three Hamas leaders) for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.These are significant accusations and the Israeli government denies them all. In some ways, however, the latest advisory opinion from the ICJ regarding the 57-year-long occupation of territories it seized in 1967, including the West Bank and East Jerusalem, has the potential to have the biggest impact.In case you missed our full analysis overnight, you can continue reading below:ShareUpdated at 01.10 CESTWorld Heritage panel keeps Great Barrier Reef off ‘in danger’ listGraham ReadfearnAs expected, the 21-country World Heritage committee has decided overnight the Great Barrier Reef will not be placed on a list of sites in danger.The committee, currently meeting in India, accepted a set of draft recommendations from Unesco and the International Union for Conservation of Nature that were published last month.The environment minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the decision was a “huge win” for Queensland and the thousands of people who relied on it for their work “and a huge win for all the plants and animals that call it home”.Australia was urged by the committee to set more ambitious climate targets and expressed “high concern” at rates of land clearing in catchments flowing into the reef.Reefs around the Heron Island research station and resort on the Great Barrier Reef. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The GuardianAustralia will need to submit a progress report by February next year and the committee said it could consider the reef for inclusion on the “in danger” list at its 2026 meeting.The committee has for years been expressing concern at the impacts on the reef from global heating, poor water quality and fishing.No World Heritage site has ever been placed on the “in danger” list because of climate change impacts.ShareUpdated at 00.49 CESTNSW venues get extended trading for OlympicsThe NSW government has granted extended trading hours to licensed venues showing major events live from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, AAP reports.Hotels, bars, clubs, small bars and live music venues could trade until the early morning if they screen Olympics Matildas games or the swimming finals, the government has said.
With an eight-hour time difference between Paris and Sydney, the extended trading will give more fans the chance to cheer on their favourite athletes and teams.
The special trading hours encouraged a vibrant nightlife for residents and tourists, minister for the night-time economy John Graham said.He said eligible venues did not need to apply individually to open when they screened the Olympics coverage.The Olympic rings on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photograph: Agustín Marcarian/ReutersShareUpdated at 01.31 CESTIndia charges man for allegedly sexually abusing WA girl, 11, via social mediaA man has been charged by Indian authorities after allegedly sexually abusing and intimidating a girl from Western Australia through social media, starting when she was 11.WA police said detectives were notified in 2023 of allegations involving an 11-year-old girl in 2020 and that she was the victim of online grooming, sextortion and other online offences from a person she met online.Police allege the abuse continued over several years and “caused severe trauma to the girl”.Detectives determined the alleged offender resided in India and referred the matter to Indian authorities, who arrested and charged a man from Indore, Madhya Pradesh, with criminal intimidation, transmitting material depicting children in a sexually explicit act, and sexual harassment upon a child with sexual intent.India’s Central Bureau of Investigation used geolocation techniques to track the man and execute a search warrant, where they seized incriminating materials, WA police said.It is understood the matter is still going through the Indian court system.ShareUpdated at 00.21 CESTDomestic violence deaths spike but long-term trend downViolence against women has declined significantly in the past three decades, AAP reports, but experts warn there is still a long way to go.The latest report card from Our Watch, a leading national organisation in the prevention of violence against women, showed there had been a 66% drop in the number of women killed by men in the past 30 years.The number of young men supporting harmful ideas of masculinity had fallen by 13% since 2018. But the trends came against the backdrop of an increase in the number of women killed by men this year.While the findings were welcome, more work needed to be done, the organisation’s chief executive, Patty Kinnersly, said.
In a year where 42 women have [allegedly] been killed by men’s violence, it’s difficult to reconcile we are making progress in ending this national crisis.
But when we look at the longer-term picture, we can see significant reductions in the number of women killed by men’s violence, reductions in women experiencing violence and improvements in community attitudes that reject and challenge this violence.
Australia has recorded a spike in alleged domestic violence deaths this year. Photograph: Jeremy Ng/AAPShareUpdated at 00.13 CESTLinda Burney is asked when she realised the voice referendum wasn’t going to be a success.Burney said she held on to hope until the last minute, but historically referendums had always relied on bipartisan support – which was not reached – and “that made things much, much more difficult”.
I wouldn’t say it was cooked from the start … 6.5 million Australians voted yes, in Aboriginal communities they voted 80-90% yes, and the most fabulous thing is that we’ve got a group of young Aboriginal people who’ve had a fire lit in their belly and they will take things forward.
ShareUpdated at 23.58 CEST