David Seymour will be bookended by Willie Jackson and John Tamihere at the debate.

Urfan Sharif, the wanted father of dead British girl Sara Sharif, sent a message to businessman Nadeem Riaz just before 10pm on August 8.

Sharif needed eight plane tickets to Pakistan, and he wanted them quickly.

Riaz didn't know it, but Sharif wasn't buying a ticket for 10-year-old Sara.

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The reason for that became clear after Sharif and others had made it to Pakistan, and police found Sara alone and dead in the family's home in Woking, south of London.

According to The Sunday Times, Riaz owned a money transfer business and ad hoc travel agency.

He had known Sara's father, Sharif, for 11 years.

"He said he needed to book as soon as possible," Riaz told The Times, describing events that led to Sharif fleeing to Pakistan, where he has since gone to ground.

"I asked why and he said his cousin had passed away in Pakistan," he said.

"He sounded normal. No different to his usual self."

During the conversation, Riaz asked what type of tickets Sharif wanted.

He responded with just two words: "One way."

Minutes later Sharif wanted an update.

So he sent a message on WhatsApp at 10.12pm: "Any luck?"

Riaz managed to secure eight tickets for Sharif, at a cost of around $10,100, and the group boarded a flight from Heathrow to Islamabad at 2pm, on August 9.

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Travelling with Riaz were his partner and Sara's stepmother Beinash Batool and his brother Faisal Malik.

Riaz's five children, aged between one and 13, also flew into Pakistan.

After landing in Islamabad, Sharif called police and told them Sara's dead body was at the family home.

Police rushed to the address and she was found with extensive injuries, which a post-mortem examination deemed had occurred over a sustained period.

Pakistan police have been trying to locate Sharif and the others since.

A cousin of Batool, Sara's stepmum, urged her to hand herself in to police.

"Beinash should come back to the UK," they told Sky News.

"I don't know where she is. But I'm worried about her. I'm worried about her kids.

"She should come back to the UK, go to the police and tell them exactly what happened."

"I don't know – my family don't know – what happened. It could have been an accident, a misunderstanding."

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A former neighbour, whose daughter went to school with Sara, told the BBC the 10-year-old had shown visible injuries shortly before she was removed from the school.

Surrey Police have confirmed they previously had contact with Sara and her family, but would not divulge the reason.

There is no formal extradition treaty between the UK and Pakistan.

UK police are working with international agencies, including Interpol, the National Crime Agency and the UK Foreign Office to progress their enquiries with Pakistani authorities.

Police have charged Phillips with aggravated robbery, aggravated wounding.

Khances Mahara-Sunnex suffered his injury when landing badly after jumping a fence.

Six fire trucks race to blaze on Stonedon Drive following reports from public at 5pm.

National says the figures are representative of a system “that has got the balance wrong”.

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Pest Free Banks Peninsula wants to eradicate all animal pests by 2050.

Queensland has been issued with the highest fire danger ratings the state has seen since 2018 ahead of bushfire season.

The Darling Downs and Granite Belt regions have been issued with catastrophic fire ratings, while extreme fire danger has been predicted for Maranoa, Warrego and Channel Country districts today.

Frequent wind and consistent 33-degree weather have caused vegetation growth in these areas to dry out, while a lack of rainfall following La Niña has also contributed.

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Recent thunderstorms in the region sparked 941 lightning strikes, potentially starting fires in bush and grasslands, according to Weatherzone.

The fire danger rating system was changed last year.

All types of vegetation are now included in the bushfire rating, whereas the old system only took bush and forest fires into account. 

Southern Queensland will likely be issued with more catastrophic bushfire warnings as the dry and warm conditions continue, Weatherzone said. 

The state's Western Downs region battled out-of-control bushfires earlier this year.

The catastrophic rating comes ahead of a potentially dangerous spring and summer bushfire season.

Parts of the Northern Territory, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia will all face increased bushfire risk for Spring 2023, the Australian Fire Authorities Council warned in August.

Areas impacted by bushfires in previous years, including the Black Summer fires in 2019-2020, can expect increased risk as vegetation has grown.

"Almost the entire country can expect drier and warmer conditions than normal this spring, so it is important for Australians to be alert to local risks of bushfire over the coming months, regardless of their location," AFAC CEO Rob Webb said.

"Understand your risk, know where you will get your information, and talk to your family about what you will do."

Landowners of the White Island volcano have had the charges for safety failings leading up to the deadly 2019 eruption against them dismissed.

The blast killed 22 people, including 14 Australians, and led to workplace safety watchdog WorkSafe launching New Zealand's biggest safety prosecution.

Today, District Court Judge Evangelos Thomas said a prosecution could not feasibly be laid against the owners – Andrew, James and Peter Buttle – as individuals.

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Instead, their company Whakaari Management Limited (WML), will still face charges, along with other tourism operators.

"There is no evidence in this case of what happened behind the boardroom door at WML," Thomas said.

"Without that evidence, I cannot assess what a reasonable director would have done had they been placed in that director's shoes."

The Buttles own the island, found 50 kilometres offshore north of Whakatane, and earned around $920,000 ($NZ1 million) a year from the tourism that took place on it, according to the prosecution.

Forty-seven people were on the island when it erupted in 2019.