The witness is already serving a sentence for the radio host’s attempted murder.

A man who was jailed for murdering his wife with a hammer claims inconsistencies between new and old DNA tests on the weapon should overturn his conviction.

Queensland man Andrew John Cobby was found guilty in a 2021 trial of beating and strangling his estranged wife Kym, 51, outside her Gold Coast hinterland home in November 2017.

Cobby represented himself before Brisbane Court of Appeal on Thursday while appearing via video link from Wolston Correctional Centre.

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In an application to the court, Cobby sought to amend four grounds for appeal, including the "inconsistency" between an initial test of the hammer's handle showing no DNA and a subsequent test showing DNA samples too complex to analyse.

"I wish to call Mr Matthew Hunt of the Queensland Health Forensic and Scientific Services in order that he may be cross-examined to (educe) further evidence in relation to … the retesting of forensic material," Cobby said.

Cobby agreed with Justice Peter Flanagan that he intended the cross-examination to highlight what the application claimed were inconsistencies between the evidence Hunt gave at the trial and what was contained in his further reports.

Previous hearings have been told the appeal intends to prove an unknown man ambushed his wife and killed her while Cobby ran away. 

Flanagan said as the application intended to put forward fresh evidence two other Court of Appeal judges would need to be present to decide whether the evidence created the significant possibility of acquittal if it had been presented to the original jury.

Cobby also appealed on the grounds that he was denied a fair trial and there was a miscarriage of justice in how the hammer was used as evidence, and that he had been subject to an unreasonable verdict.

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Crown prosecutor Philip McCarthy KC said he would make Mr Hunt available for cross-examination.

"It will be a matter for the presiding court as to whether they will receive fresh evidence … and consider the effect of fresh evidence on the trial," McCarthy said.

Cobby said he might need until the end of October to file his written submissions as he claimed the prison administration was "actively thwarting" him by limiting his access to a photocopier and denying his request to use a computer in his cell.

Flanagan said filing the submission at that time would mean the matter would not be further heard in court until early 2024 and Cobby agreed to a deadline of October 12.

"If I'm not ready, I'm not ready," Cobby said. 

NBR publisher Todd Scott tackled a man allegedly abusing staff at an Auckland supermarket.

He was known to frequently walk along beaches near Mellons Bay, police said.

A coroner has found the Queensland man who died from a suspected snake bite after he helped remove the reptile from a friend's leg had no venom in his system.

Don "Donny" Morrison died after centenary celebrations at Koumala State School, south of Mackay, took a tragic turn on Saturday afternoon.

The 69-year-old had helped remove a snake – believed to be a brown snake – that was wrapped around the leg of his friend.

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Paramedics worked on Morrison for more than 30 minutes after he was reportedly bitten on the arm but he died at the scene after a cardiac arrest.

Morrison's family released a statement on Thursday after receiving the preliminary findings from the coroner that there was no snake venom in Morrison's system.

"This therefore rules out snakebite as a contributing factor or cause of death," the statement said.

"While the exact cause of his passing is still under investigation, it is believed that Donny may have had an underlying medical condition that he was unaware of."

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His family thanked emergency services and community members for their help on the tragic evening.

"These past few days have been exceptionally distressing for the family, and we kindly ask for privacy during this time to grieve our loss and bid farewell to Donny," the statement added.

WA Health is warning locals about the risk of measles after a traveller infected with the disease returned from Bali and visited multiple locations around the state.

The full range of the person's movements are not known, but officials confirmed that they visited a Perth Bunnings, a grocery store, and an outback pub over two weeks.

Now, WA Health is warning the people of Western Australia to be "vigilant for symptoms of measles" as they shared the times and dates of the measles patient's movements.

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Two dates in particular were flagged by WA Health:

On Sunday September 3, the infected person visited the Royal Mail Hotel in Meekatharra in the state's mid-west.

They reportedly stayed there for over two hours from 5:45 pm to 8 pm.

The following Sunday on September 11, between 12pm and 2pm the person visited Spud Shed Kelmscott, and Bunnings Armadale, two shopping outlets in Perth's south.

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Anyone who attended the exposure sites during the times released by WA health could have been exposed to measles and should monitor for symptoms.

People who contract measles typically develop symptoms around 10 days after being exposed to the virus, but this can vary from seven to 18 days.

Early warning signs of infection include fever, cough, runny nose and sore eyes, followed by a red non-itchy rash three or four days later.

https://twitter.com/WAHealth/status/1701874302315008269?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Most people are vaccinated for measles at an early age, but children under 12 months who may not have been fully immunised are most vulnerable.

Immunocompromised people, young children and pregnant women remain are most at risk of severe ilness if infected.

Babies as young as 6 months are elligble for their measles vaccines.

AFL legend and Indigenous activist Michael Long has called on Australians to act with love, not rage, as he spoke after completing a 650km walk from Melbourne to Canberra in support of the Voice to parliament.

Long, who in 2004 set out on the original Long Walk for the Stolen Generations, was greeted in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney.

Long read out an open letter from himself, Nova Peris, Peter Maher, Declan O'Toole and Merryn Apma Daley to Albanese.

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In it, he called for Albanese and the Yes campaign to keep heart as support for the Voice appeared to slip.

In the 19 years since he had set out on a similar walk to obtain a meeting with then-prime minister John Howard, Long said, the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians had not closed.

"A Yes vote in the referendum will give Indigenous people the self-determination that we asked for 19 years ago," he said.

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"We have 65,000 years of history and culture to share with this nation.

"That is the promise of the Voice."

Long said the 1788 lie of terra nullius proclaimed Indigenous people did not exist, allowing British colonists a legal fiction on which to base their claim to Australia.

And in 1901, he said, the Constitution did not recognise Indigenous Australians as the firstborn children of the country.

"When we have power over our destiny our children will flourish," he said.

"They will walk in two worlds. Their culture will be a gift to this country."

Long said there had been a lot of negativity around the Voice, including from Howard, who had previously urged No supporters to "maintain the rage" until voting day.

"But this isn't about rage. This is about love," he said.

"This is our opportunity as Australians. We must take it."

Albanese called Long, who won two AFL premierships during his career and was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2021, a "great Australian" who cared about his people and his country.

After more than half a year stuck in the Senate without enough support to become law, the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAFF) has finally passed parliament after Labor struck a deal with the Greens.

While it's been touted by the government as the biggest-ever investment into affordable housing in Australian history, the policy is a little complicated, as it isn't a direct injection of funding into housing.

This is how it will work.

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What is the Housing Australia Future Fund and how will it work?

The Housing Australia Future Fund is a $10 billion investment fund the government will create, with the returns each year used to create social and affordable housing.

Because it's an investment fund rather than a one-off cash injection, the theory behind the policy is that it will provide a long-running supply of housing funding for years to come.

How much will be invested under the HAFF?

You've probably seen the Housing Australia Future Fund touted as a $10 billion policy – but that's not how much will go directly into building new homes.

Rather, the $10 billion will go into an investment fund.

Each year, the returns from that fund – i.e. how much it earns on the stock market – will be used to fund the construction of new housing.

However, as the Greens argued during their negotiations with the government, if the fund loses money one year, that would mean there's no funding available for housing that year.

As a result, the policy was amended to guarantee a minimum housing spend of $500 million each year, regardless of the fund's performance.

EXPLAINED: Voice to parliament referendum: When, how and where do I vote?

In addition to paying for the construction of new homes, the government also says the fund's returns will provide:

• $200 million to repair, maintain and improve remote Indigenous community housing
• $100 million for crisis and transitional housing for women and children impacted by family and domestic violence, as well as older women at risk of homelessness
• $30 million to build housing for veterans who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness

Also as a result of negotiations between the Greens and Labor, the government announced $3 billion in direct spending on public and community housing, although these funds are separate from the HAFF.

How many new homes will be built?

The government says 30,000 new social and affordable rental homes will be built over the fund's first five years.

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Who are the new homes for?

While not all of the 30,000 homes will be targeted at certain groups, some will be.

The government is promising 4000 of those homes will be for women and children impacted by domestic violence or older women at risk of homelessness.

It has also pinpointed veterans, key workers and "those most in need" as recipients of the new housing without going into more detail.

Where will the new homes be built?

We don't know exactly where all 30,000 homes will be built, but we do know every state and territory will receive at least 1200 each.

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Will the HAFF fix Australia's housing crisis?

That's the million-dollar (or should that be $10 billion?) question, but really, we won't know for a few years yet.

The government obviously thinks it will make a significant dent in the crucial issue, and the policy has also been welcomed by a number of bodies, including Master Builders Australia, the Property Council, and the Community Housing Industry Association.

The Greens, despite supporting the bill in the Senate, actually say the fund won't fix the crisis and have continued to call for rental safeguards like caps or freezes.

However, they've welcomed the $3 billion in direct spending this year, and housing spokesperson Max Chandler-Mather said the HAFF will provide "effectively rent-capped" properties for thousands or tens of thousands of Australians.

The opposition has consistently opposed the policy because it claims the fund doesn't do enough to support first-home buyers.

Two housing experts 9news.com.au spoke to earlier this year argued there were much better alternatives than the "contrived and convoluted" fund – although one said its passage through parliament wouldn't be a bad thing.

They instead advocated for rental caps and better regulation of short-term rentals like Airbnbs.

You can read more of their ideas here.

Insurance provider AAMI has revealed the most dangerous roads in each capital city.

Attempts by a fishing vessel to pull free a luxury cruise ship carrying 206 people — including about 90 Australians — in a remote region of Greenland have failed.

The fishing trawler owned by Greenland's government used a high tide to try to release the Bahamas-flagged Ocean Explorer that ran aground in the world's northernmost national park, on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).

The Danish military's Joint Arctic Command (JAC) confirmed after an inspection of the stranded vessel attempts to free it were successful.

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"The crew and passengers are in a difficult situation, but after the circumstances, the atmosphere on the ship is good and everyone on board is fine," the JAC said in a statement.

The priority now was getting the Danish navy's Knud Rasmussen inspection vessel to the site.

The JAC said it was expected to arrive by Friday afternoon local time.

The cruise ship ran aground above the Arctic Circle on Monday in Alpefjord, which is in the Northeast Greenland National Park.

Australian cruise operator Aurora Expeditions told 9news.com.au about 90 Australians were on board the Ocean Explorer.

Liz, from Wodonga in Victoria, was one of them and told Today this morning about the lead-up to the cruise ship running aground.

"We were standing on our balcony because we had just taken off from the glacier and we realised very quickly that we were about to get stuck in the mud," she said.

"So having been a bit of a boatie myself, you could feel the pull of the boat as we pulled up and realised we were in trouble straight away."

The Northeast Greenland National Park covers 972,000 square kilometres, almost as much land as France and Spain combined, and approximately 80 per cent is permanently covered by an ice sheet, according to the Visit Greenland tourism board.

Alpefjord sits in a remote corner of Greenland, some 240 kilometres away from the closest settlement, Ittoqqortoormiit, which itself is nearly 1,400 kilometres from the country's capital, Nuuk.

The Ocean Explorer's crew made two failed attempts to get the ship to float free on its own during high tide.

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Aurora Expeditions said on Wednesday the passengers and crew members were safe and well and that there was "no immediate danger to themselves, the vessel, or the surrounding environment".

"We are actively engaged in efforts to free the MV Ocean Explorer from its grounding. Our foremost commitment is to ensure the vessel's recovery without compromising safety," the statement said.

Aurora Expeditions has been contacted about reported cases of COVID-19 aboard the ship.

Sydney couple Steven Fraser — who has come down with COVID-19 — and Gina Hill said the expedition crew was occupying passengers with talks and the restaurant was still operating.

"Everyone's in good spirits," Fraser told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"It's a little bit frustrating, but we are in a beautiful part of the world. 

"We're sitting right near the glacier when we open our window."

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Dozens of cruise ships sail along Greenland's coast every year so passengers can admire the picturesque mountainous landscape with fjords, musk oxen, and the waterways packed with icebergs of different sizes and glaciers jutting out into the sea.

The JAC said the passengers on the Ocean Explorer were "a mix" of tourists from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, the United States and South Korea. 

The Ocean Explorer was built in 2021 and is owned by Copenhagen SunStone Ships, which is part of Denmark's SunStone Group. It has an inverted bow, shaped like the one on a submarine. It has 77 cabins, 151 passenger beds and 99 beds for crew, and several restaurants, according to the Sunstone Group website.

The JAC said there were other ships in the vicinity of the stranded cruise liner and "if the need arises, personnel from the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol can be at the accident site within an hour and a half".

On Tuesday, members of the Sirius Dog Sled Patrol, a Danish naval unit that conducts long-range reconnaissance and enforces Danish sovereignty in the Arctic wilderness, visited the passengers and explained the situation, "which calmed them down as some were anxious", Madsen, who was the on-duty officer for the Joint Arctic Command, said.

The command, which was coordinating the operation to free the cruise ship, said the nearest Danish navy ship was more than 2,000 kilometres away. It was heading to the site and could be expected to reach the grounded ship as soon as Friday.

The primary mission of the Joint Arctic Command is to ensure Danish sovereignty by monitoring the area around the Faeroe Islands and Greenland, including the Arctic Ocean in the north.