He sought to frame the move as something hard and unpopular but necessary.
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More charges for man accused of mass terror attack plan
A man accused of plotting a mass casualty terror attack targeting public buildings and places of worship has been hit with a slew of new charges, including possession of child abuse material.
Jayson Joseph Michaels detailed his alleged plan for a violent assault on WA police headquarters, WA Parliament House and mosques in a diary, believing it would be worse than the Bondi Beach mass shootings.
The 20-year-old initially faced five charges, including acting in preparation for a terrorist act, after police seized the diary during a raid on his parents' home in the town of Bindoon, north of Perth, in February.
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But today, Stirling Magistrates Court in Perth heard he had been charged with the six new offences.
These were possession of a bulletproof vest, two counts of possession of violent extremist material on electronic devices, two counts of possession of objectionable material related to computer games, and possession of child abuse material.
Michaels, who appeared via video-link from Casuarina Prison, confirmed he understood the charges and wasn't required to enter a plea.
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He was remanded in custody to reappear in the same court on July 8.
Michaels' original charges also include three firearms and ammunition charges and one count of allegedly using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.
His diary allegedly contained entries that amounted to a list of actions he planned to undertake, including making weapons and body armour for a "day of justice," prosecutors have previously told the court.
Michaels allegedly planned to buy a 3D printer to make a gun and got a job where he could access bomb-making materials, but left empty-handed after one day.
He also compared the Bondi Beach attack to his own terror plot and wrote notes about how it might impact it, Commonwealth prosecutor Kirsten Nelson told a failed bail application hearing in April.
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"What I want to do to both these groups pales in comparison to today," he allegedly wrote after the December 14 shootings that killed 15 and injured many more.
"What will they all think when my face is on TV?" he wrote.
Michaels allegedly accessed online material about extremist white supremacist ideology, some of which was described as a manifesto and instruction manual from a declared terrorist organisation.
He wrote about researching entry points and door locks at his target locations and considered using a van that looked like an ambulance to make his escape.
He also allegedly penned a note about buying a ballistic helmet, designing and building body armour or an Iron Man-style metal suit.
"I think I'm addicted to the (Watch People Die) website," he wrote in another diary entry.
The website was open on his computer when police burst into his bedroom, allegedly finding two guns, 900 rounds of ammunition and various knives.
The court has previously heard that Michaels was an isolated and depressed young man who had no intention to carry out the plan.
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Bahamas: Opposition party concedes defeat in general election
NASSAU, Bahamas, May 12, CMC – The leader of the main opposition Free National Movement, (FNM) Michael Pintard has conceded defeat in Tuesday’s general election as the ruling Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) is heading towards a convincing victory. While the ballots are still being counted in the general election that Prime Minister Phillip Davis called […]
Troubling conspiracy theories in Donald Trump’s late night Truth Social spree
As Americans were getting ready for work this morning, Donald Trump was busy on Truth Social, posting a flurry of AI-generated images.
Over a little more than an hour, the US president lashed out at the New York Times, Democratic rivals, Iran and Cuba.
He also posted an image of himself on the $100 bill, in which he replaced the phrase "In God We Trust" with the phrase "God Bless Donald Trump".
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While plenty of Donald Trump's posts on Truth Social make the news, it is difficult to convey just how prolific the president is on the site, especially late at night.
Among his posts overnight was an image fat-shaming Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a vocal Trump critic.
"JB is too busy to keep Chicago safe!" the AI-generated image was captioned.
In the image, an exaggeratedly obese Pritzker is depicted simultaneously eating a burger and a large slice of pizza, surrounded by other unhealthy food.
Another AI image showed Barack Obama, a sleeping Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi bathing in a sewage-filled Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
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"Dumacrats love sewage," the image is captioned.
He also reposted a graph comparing the length of wars, with Afghanistan at the top of the list, and what he labels as the "Iran Excursion" at the bottom.
The graph states the "Iran Excursion" has been going on for six weeks, when it is now in its eleventh week.
And more AI images show a US warship destroying an Iranian plane with a laser, and a US drone destroying Iranian boats.
"Lasers: Bing, Bing, GONE!!!" one image is captioned.
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But his posts this morning come after a spree of dark conspiracy theories posted late at night Washington time yesterday.
In the space of a few hours from about 10pm to midnight, Trump shared posts on his site more than 50 times.
The president was mostly sharing screenshots of conspiracy theories about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the result of the 2020 election.
"FACT right here: 'OBAMA is the most DEMONIC FORCE in American politics in decades'," one screenshot read.
He also reposted a CCTV video of a man deliberately knocking over a waiter's tray of multiple plates of food, as well as a screenshot of another X commenter criticising him.
One particular screenshot came from a verified X account claiming to be John F Kennedy Jr.
"Barack Hussein Obama wiretapping Trump tower during the 2016 election was a million times worse than anything Nixon did during Watergate. It's time to arrest the Renegade," the account read.
"FOLLOW ME, THE NEXT DROP WILL BE SHOCKING."
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Kennedy died in a plane crash in 1999, well before X existed.
But adherents to the QAnon conspiracy theory believe Kennedy is still alive and will return to support Trump.
Another screenshotted tweet reads: "Arrest Obama the traitor".
The late-night screed came hours after Trump was accused of falling asleep in the middle of the day during an Oval Office meeting.
At an event promoting maternal health and fertility, the president's eyes appeared to become heavy.
As administration officials standing behind him were speaking, the president closed his eyes for an extended period of time.
A White House spokesperson insisted Trump was "blinking".
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Mornington icon ‘Sammy the seal’ believed to be dead
A beloved seal who became a local icon on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula has died.
The body of a seal, believed to belong to Sammy the seal, was found near Coral Cove beach in Mornington yesterday afternoon
A spokesperson for Zoos Victoria's Marine Response Unit said there is a "strong likelihood" that the deceased seal is Sammy.
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"There is a strong likelihood that the seal is Sammy, but we can't confirm it definitively," the spokesperson said.
"DNA testing is not possible when we don't have an original sample from the seal in question."
The MRU told the ABC it is "horrible news" for the Mornington community.
Sammy was a regular roamer across the seaside tourist region, delighting visitors and even stopping traffic on occasion after wandering out onto the road.
The marine animal was so beloved, he even became the subject of a Facebook fan page with over 7800 followers.
Bec, the owner of Sammy's Facebook fan page, shared the sad news with a tribute to the town's "beautiful chonky sea sausage".
"I know so many of you are going to be devastated by this news because somehow this big beautiful boy became part of all our lives," she wrote.
"What started as a few little updates turned into an entire community loving him, looking out for him and smiling every time someone spotted him lounging around the Peninsula like he owned the place.
"Thank you to everyone who cared about him, checked on him, sent photos and loved him the way you all did. The beaches are going to feel a little quieter without our boy around.
"Rest easy Sammy. Stay moist forever little mate."
The MRU attended the scene yesterday and retrieved Sammy's body.
Seals are a common sight along the Mornington Peninsula, however Sammy sightings were of particular interest to locals and visitors.
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In April, Sammy caused traffic chaos after he was spotted sunbathing on Point Nepean Road in Dromana.
Before his death, fans were asked not to publicly share Sammy's location after several incidents where he was harassed or chased.
Sammy's cause of death remains unknown, and it may take several weeks for the MRU to determine it.
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Retired top NSW cop to lead child protection review after NT girl’s death
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story contains the image of a person who is deceased.
Retired NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb will jointly lead a review into the Northern Territory's child protection system, sparked by the alleged murder of five-year-old Alice Springs girl, Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Joining her in heading up the review will be long-time NT public servant, Greg Shanahan.
The Northern Territory government announced the appointments this morning, at the same time outlining the scope of the review.
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The review will look at processes undertaken by child protection in the lead-up to Kumanjayi Little Baby's disappearance.
Minister for Child Protection Robyn Cahill told the ABC the aim was to "unravel what was done, what may not have been done [and] what should have been done".
The review will also consider more broadly whether child protection workers interpreted their obligations in a way that meant investigations weren't progressing "in the way that the community would expect".
The announcement comes at the same time as the government revealed new child protection legislation would be introduced to the Northern Territory parliament today.
The legislation proposes a new "universal principle" for child protection: that child safety is the primary consideration when making decisions about children's care.
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"The ongoing cycle of harm, risk and uncertainty needs to be addressed, and the only way to achieve that is to put the basic human rights of a child's safety before anything else," Cahill said.
"Under these amendments, there will be more consistent support and better outcomes for both children and their families."
Other proposed changes to child protection include reducing short-term protection orders to a maximum of two years and introducing a stricter structure of measures that must be met and upheld for children assessed at risk of being removed.
However, the proposed legislation has met with strong opposition from a number of Indigenous groups, including the Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT).
There are concerns that it would dilute the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement principle, which prioritises connection to Country and family.
"We strongly reject the NT Government's deliberate portrayal of Aboriginal families, communities, and culture as a risk to children's safety," APONT chair Theresa Roe said of the proposed legislation.
"This narrative is dangerous, ignorant, and wrong. It erases the love, strength, and protection that Aboriginal families, communities, country and culture provide every day."
Indigenous children in the territory are already more than 11 times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care than non-Indigenous children.
Despite this, NT senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price – who was also Kumanjayi Little Baby's aunt – called for legislative change in an emotional address to parliament yesterday.
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"For too long in this country, there has been silence around what is happening in too many town camps and remote communities – a silence driven by fear, a fear of causing offence, a fear of being labelled racist," she told Parliament.
"Vulnerable children are growing up in that silence, and it is killing our babies."
Senator Price also levelled criticism at what she described as a "hands-off culture" inside parts of the child protection system, claiming ideology and political sensitivities had been prioritised ahead of child welfare.
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Australia: Tax Reform For Workers, Businesses And Future Generations
The Albanese Labor Government is delivering a new round of tax cuts, helping more Australians realise the dream of home ownership and supporting investment and innovation through the most significant tax reform package in more than a quarter of a century. This is about tax relief and tax reform to make our economy work in the […]
Japan: Disembarkation of a Japanese National From A Cruise Ship Where Hantavirus Cases Had Been Identified And Cooperation By The UK Government
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Football academy praises ‘much-loved’ student who became trapped under train
An elite Melbourne football academy has thrown its support behind a Year 7 Melbourne schoolboy who was pulled onto train tracks in a horror accident after his bag became snagged.
The St Aloysius College student trains with Lustica Football, a high-performance soccer training academy for kids.
The academy said in a social media post that 12-year-old Chris was a "much-loved" member.
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"Chris is currently receiving world-class care and ongoing medical treatment, surrounded by the support of his family and loved ones," Lustica Football said in the post, adding that Chris and his family were in their thoughts and prayers.
The young student was in a stable condition at the Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday morning.
Chris was at North Melbourne Station just before 4 pm on Monday afternoon when his bag became caught on the train, causing him to fall onto the track.
Firefighters spent more than 30 minutes using hydraulic jacks to lift the train wheels after the boy's leg became trapped underneath it, according to Fire Rescue Victoria.
"The extrication was lengthy, lasting between 45 minutes to an hour, however we were safely able to get the young person to Royal Children's Hospital," Ambulance Victoria paramedic Alex Hemsley said.
"Very traumatic scene for all involved."
"A fellow student pressed the platform emergency button and contacted Triple-Zero, while other students communicated clearly with transport authorities," St Aloysius College North Melbourne principal Mary Farah said.
Chris was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital in a critical condition, which has since improved to stable.
Counselling is being provided to impacted students, staff and families, the college said.
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South Africa: Portfolio Committee On Health Honours SA’s Nurses On International Nurses Day
The Portfolio Committee on Health joins the global community in commemorating International Nurses Day and paying tribute to the dedication, resilience and invaluable contribution of nurses to South Africa’s healthcare system. This year’s theme – Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health – underscores the critical […]