‘Break the cycle!!’ the woman wrote to her kids in a letter hours before death.
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Man charged with murder of pregnant partner in Sydney almost a decade ago
A man has been charged with the murder of his pregnant partner Hayley McClenahan-Ernst in their western Sydney home nine years ago.
Max Spencer, 30, was arrested by strike force detectives at a property in Bucca, north of Coffs Harbour, at 7.30am today.
The arrest follows a lengthy police investigation and then a coronial inquest into McClenahan-Ernst's suspicious death.
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McClenahan-Ernst was found unresponsive in the couple's Kingswood home just after midnight on Sunday, May 21, 2017 and, despite the efforts of police and paramedics, died at the scene.
Spencer's lawyer told 9News at the time that his client alleged his partner had "fallen over and hit her head".
Last year, the coronial inquest into the young mum's death was suspended as the matter was referred back to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
In October, detectives from the Nepean Police Command reviewed the matter and recommenced investigations.
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New witnesses were interviewed and, just last month, detectives made a public appeal.
As part of that appeal, McClenahan-Ernst's mother Lisa Ernst made a heartfelt plea for anyone with information to come forward.
"Hayley was deeply loved by our family, and we have never stopped missing her smile, her infectious laugh, and the fierce love she had for her children," she said.
"My grief over losing my daughter has only deepened with time, especially as I still have no answers about what happened to Hayley."
Spencer has been taken to Coffs Harbour Police Station and will appear in court later today for a bail hearing.
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National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).
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North Queensland set for a soaking as ex-cyclone rolls in
Heavy rain is set to hit parts of Queensland from tonight as a slow-moving system brings a drenching to the state's north.
The system formed as Tropical Cyclone Maila earlier this month, developing near the Solomon Islands and intensifying into a category 5 cyclone.
It's expected to cross the Cape York coastline tonight.
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Weatherzone says the former cyclone weakened into a tropical low as it drifted south-west, but it's still dragging rain across the coast as it tracks inland.
Communities along the stretch from Mackay to Cape York are likely to feel it most, with heavy rain settling in for several days.
In some spots, totals could push past 100mm.
Townsville could be one of the places watching the skies closely. April is typically much drier than the peak summer months, but this week's rain could stack up fast – potentially all in the space of a couple of days.
It's unfortunate timing, with the North Queensland Cowboys set to take on the Manly Sea Eagles in Thursday night's NRL clash – likely on a rain-soaked field at Townsville's Queensland Country Bank Stadium.
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As the system moves through, it's expected to bring rain into the state’s interior.
Places like Longreach, Mount Isa and Winton are all in line for another decent drop, continuing what's been a surprisingly wet run for parts of the outback.
Meanwhile, it's a different story further south.
South-east Queensland, which has been chasing rain for much of the year, is set to miss out again.
Brisbane is looking at clear skies and dry conditions right through the rest of the week and into the weekend.
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Post-cyclone fronts spell unsettled week ahead as thunderstorm risk lingers
A large low on Sunday could bring widespread rain and storms to much of NZ.
Palmerston North school mourns ‘tragic’ loss of parent who died on family trip
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Melbourne boy’s big claim after meeting Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Exclusive: "If I have kids when I grow up, I would probably show them the photo."
Those are the words of seven-year-old Joshua, who managed to snap an elusive selfie with the Duchess of Sussex amid the thrumming chaos of Prince Harry and Meghan's first visit to Australia in six years.
The Sussexes may no longer be working royals, but they have certainly captured the attention of hundreds of young fans.
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Joshua waited alongside his mum at The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne for the couple to arrive at the inaugural engagement of their privately-funded four-day visit.
While a throng of hundreds of staff, patients, journalists and royal fans would have paid good money for a photo with arguably one of the most famous women in the world, Joshua was handed the golden ticket.
"That was good. Mummy likes it," Joshua told Nine.com.au.
"I got a handshake from her.
"Unfortunately, I couldn't get to see Harry."
His mum added that Joshua did his British-born grandmother proud.
During the couple's walk through the foyer of the children's hospital, Harry and Meghan dedicated at least 10 minutes speaking with young patients, dishing out warm hugs and posing for photos.
Meghan stopped and spoke to Adnan and his daughter Enora, a patient at the hospital, for several moments.
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Adnan said it was wonderful for Enora to meet a "princess".
"It's amazing because she's always treated like a princess, so to be able to see another princess come into a hospital and greet her before she's released straight home…. it's good, very joyful, [she was] really friendly," he said.
As parents of their own two young children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, Adnan said it took "courage" for Harry and Meghan to visit sick kids.
"It's been a tough journey, but knowing that she's going to get better and she has done the surgery and she's in recovery, now she's in rehab," he added.
"By today, hopefully we'll go home and we'll put a smile on her face and she can stay home with her siblings."
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Another young patient who has undergone multiple heart surgeries told nine.com.au it was "really nice" to see the Sussexes take the time to speak to him.
"They were really friendly, they had a lot of enthusiasm," he said.
"We spoke to Meghan… me and Mum just told her I've been here since birth.
"I've I had 11 holes in my heart when I was born and I had two open heart surgeries here, so meeting them made everything worth it."
After greeting fans in the foyer, the made making their way into a private part of the hospital to see other patients.
The hospital was opened by Harry's late grandmother Queen Elizabeth II in 1963, and she returned in 2011 after it underwent major renovations.
One nurse, who missed spotting Harry and Meghan because she was seeing patients, told nine.com.au she was also working when the late Queen visited The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne 15 years ago.
Harry's parents, now-King Charles III and the late Princess Diana, also visited the hospital during their royal tour of Australia in 1985.
Harry and Meghan will spend the next two days in Melbourne, before jetting to Canberra and Sydney.
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Tiniroto Rd safety fears grow as rural Gisborne residents report hundreds of potholes
A resident says the community logs three to four near misses on the road every week.
New stamps released for ANZAC Day focusing on peace efforts
As conflict simmers in the Middle East, Australia Post has released two new commemorative ANZAC Day stamps centred not on warfare, but peace and post-war recovery.
Based on rare World War I peace bond posters, the stamps are titled Preparing for Peace: World War I Posters.
The $1.70 domestic stamp features a returned World War I serviceman embracing his wife and child and reads 'For Home and Country: Buy Peace Bonds'.
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It is based closely on a 1918 American 'Victory Liberty Loan' poster, with the only difference being the Australian digger's slouch hat.
The $3 international stamp depicts a returned soldier walking towards a peacefully Australian rural landscape and reads 'His Future – Make It Sure! Buy Peace Bonds'.
The stamp is based on a poster by renowned Australian poster artist James Northfield which was published in 1919.
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The posters aimed to encourage Australians to buy peace bonds to support the post-war recovery efforts.
Both stamps are available from today in post offices and online.
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Trump learns the fate of $14 billion lawsuit over Epstein birthday letter
Donald Trump's $14 billion lawsuit against Rupert Murdoch and the Wall Street Journal over their reporting of his connection to Jeffrey Epstein has been dismissed by a judge.
Florida Judge Darrin Gayles ruled that Trump had not "plausibly alleged" the article was published with actual malice.
"The Complaint comes nowhere close to this standard," Gayles wrote.
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"Quite the opposite."
The judge noted that Trump, the Department of Justice and the FBI were given an opportunity to comment in the article, and the president did so.
As a result, the lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, meaning he can re-file it with amendments.
At the centre of the lawsuit was an article first published by the New York broadsheet and then widely covered elsewhere.
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The newspaper reported that Trump wrote a letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday.
The letter was framed by a sketch of what appeared to be a naked woman with Trump's signature in place of public hair.
The letter was written in the form of a dialogue between "Donald" and "Jeffrey".
"Enigmas never age, have you noticed that?" Donald says in the script.
"A pal is a wonderful thing. Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret."
The birthday book had been compiled by Epstein's accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and featured contributions from other powerful friends of the paedophile.
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Trump had denied to the Wall Street Journal that he had written the letter, and insisted that it never existed.
But Congress's House Oversight Committee later released a copy of the letter.
Gayles gave Trump until April 27 to file an amended lawsuit if he chose to do so.
One of Trump's lawyers said they would do so, describing it as a "powerhouse lawsuit".
Trump has filed many defamation lawsuits against major media outlets during his second term in office.
A $22 billion lawsuit against the New York Times was tossed by a different Florida judge in September last year.
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Lawsuits against ABC News and the CBS show 60 Minutes were both settled out of court.
But this lawsuit targeting Rupert Murdoch was a striking move from the president.
Trump has a long history with the Australian media mogul's US publications.
Trump's rise as a celebrity property developer and then as president may not have happened without the implicit support of Murdoch's Fox News and the New York Post.
Jeffrey Epstein died in a federal prison cell in New York during Trump's first term as president.
The cause of death was given as suicide.
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Trump tips food delivery driver $140 for McDonald’s order
US President Donald Trump has tipped a food delivery driver at the White House in a televised moment he used to plug his tax policies.
DoorDash delivery driver Sharon Simmons handed Trump an order from McDonald's before he invited her to talk to reporters about tax breaks on tips for workers, reports CBS.
Simmons, a grandmother who was making her first White House delivery, said the "no tax on tips" policy has been a financial boost at a time when her husband was ill with cancer.
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She said the "no tax on tips" policy, which enables workers to keep more of their tips, gave her $11,000 more than she would have earned otherwise.
Trump described the policy as "very special", which Simmons agreed with.
She was less forthcoming when Trump asked her: "And I think you voted for me, do you think?"
"Um, maybe," Simmons replied.
"I heard you're a great supporter, we appreciate it," Trump said.
When Trump began taking questions from reporters, one asked SImmons whether the White House tipped well.
Um," she smiled, "potentially."
"Great," Trump replied, handing her US$100 ($140) cash.
"Yes, very," Simmons said.
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