Katy Gallagher has once again denied misleading parliament over her knowledge of Brittany Higgins' rape allegations, while the Australian Federal Police is assesing a complaint over the leaking of text messages in the matter.

In a statement to the Senate, the federal finance minister repeated her assertion that, while she knew about Higgins' rape allegations before they became public, she had not misled parliament by telling an estimates committee three years ago that "no one had any knowledge" of the matter.

"At Senate estimates on June 4 2021, the then-minister for defence, Senator (Linda) Reynolds, said, 'I know where this started'," Gallagher said.

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"She went on to say, 'I was told by one of your senators two weeks before about what you were intending to do with the story in my office'.

"Two weeks before.

"I was shocked at the assertion made by Senator Reynolds, with the clear implication that I was responsible or had some involvement with making that story public.

"That was not true. It was never true. And I responded to that allegation by saying no one had any knowledge."

Gallagher also said she had explained her prior knowledge of the allegations to Reynolds in a private meeting two years ago, which Reynolds accepted.

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Gallagher had revealed on Saturday that she did know about Higgins' allegations but insisted she had never misled parliament over the matter.

Reynolds is the minister in whose office Higgins claimed she was raped by then-Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.

Lehrmann, who has always maintained his innocence, was charged over the allegations. His first trial was aborted without a finding due to juror misconduct, while a second was abandoned by prosecutors over concerns for Higgins' health.

A few hours after Gallagher's statement, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus confirmed in Question Time that a complaint has been made to the AFP over the leaking of texts from the Lehrmann trial.

"I am deeply concerned about the apparent unauthorised publication of material produced as a result of a subpoena in the criminal trial of Mr Bruce Lehrmann," he told parliament.

"Material produced to a court in response to a subpoena is subject to an implied undertaking from the parties who receive it, that it won't be used for purposes other than for those court proceedings… to breach it may constitute a contempt of court.

"I do understand that the Australian Federal Police have received a complaint in respect of this matter and that the AFP is currently assessing that complaint.

"It's vital that victims of alleged sexual assault have confidence that if they come forward and report what happened to them they will be treated fairly by our justice system."

READ MORE: Charges upgraded to murder after Perth officer dies in hospital

Gallagher wasn't the only politician to defend their actions over their handling of Higgins' allegations in parliament today.

Former prime minister Scott Morrison also denied he misled the house after being accused of doing just that by Reynolds' former chief of staff, Fiona Brown.

In an interview with The Australian over the weekend, Reynolds' former chief of staff, Fiona Brown, accused Morrison of telling parliament he had talked to her about Higgins' allegations when they had not.

While Morrison admitted that Brown's version of events may be more accurate than his own, the former PM insisted he had never deliberately misled the chamber.

While my recollection differed to that of Ms Brown, given there's more than two years that have passed… while I believe my response to accurate at the time, I cannot obviously fully discount her recollection of those events now were the more accurate," Morrison said.

"However, I reject any suggestion of deliberate intent in any such possible inaccuracy to my response."

Readers seeking support can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyond blue on 1300 22 4636.

Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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‘We’re taking due precautions to have the resources in the right place if they’re needed.’

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A $1.5 million award to Bill Spedding over trumped-up historical sexual assault allegations brought during the investigation into William Tyrrell's disappearance should be overturned, an appeals court has been told.

The State of NSW was ordered to pay Spedding the $1.5 million in December last year after police maliciously prosecuted the washing machine repairman while looking into the three-year-old's whereabouts in September 2014.

NSW Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison found NSW Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions continued the case against Spedding, in which made-up claims of historical sexual abuse against two girls were brought, for an improper purpose.

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On Tuesday, NSW's barrister Stephen Free SC attempted to overturn this judgment, arguing that Harrison incorrectly analysed the facts of the case and made erroneous findings in favour of Spedding.

Free submitted that while the judge identified the three police officers who were investigating Spedding and who first charged him with sexual abuse, no one was named in the Office of the DPP over the claimed malicious prosecution.

"That kind of approach is apt to lead to error because it doesn't zero in on the particular act or particular individuals at particular times," he told the NSW Court of Appeal.

Without naming individuals in the ODPP, it was impossible to assess their state of mind and determine whether they maliciously pursued the case against Spedding, the court was told.

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There was also no evidence to suggest the director or those under him were colluding with police officers, including Inspector Gary Jubelin who openly wrote that the criminal proceedings were a way to nail Spedding for William's disappearance.

"(As) the person leading the investigation, I had to weigh up the cost of charging Bill against the cost of doing nothing and found the scales did not balance. The cost of doing nothing was heavier," he wrote in his book, I Catch Killers.

There was no evidence that Jubelin was the critical decision-maker when it came to charging Spedding, Free said.

There was also nothing to say that the other police officers working on the case or the officers at the ODPP shared Jubelin's ulterior motive, the barrister added.

Harrison also erred by finding the DPP was not reasonable in bringing the sexual assault charges against Spedding in April 2015 or for continuing with the case.

Prosecutors were not required to read over other material available to NSW Police which showed the charges were made-up and were entitled to bring the matter to trial, despite a not guilty verdict eventually being handed down in March 2018.

"It's not the role of the prosecutor to usurp the function of a jury," Free said.

The hearing continues.

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Homicide detectives are investigating after a man was found dead inside his home in Perth's north-east.

The grim discovery was made by a person known to the man who visited the Diana Crescent address in Lockridge about 3.45pm yesterday.

WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said police were treating the death as suspicious.

READ MORE: Murder charge for man accused of running over Perth police officer

DeSanges said investigations would continue.

"There are circumstances that are evident at the crime scene that give us rise to suspect there was third-party involvement," he said.

"This does not appear to be a random incident, so we don't believe there's any ongoing risk to the community.

"However, we're asking anyone to come forward who may know something about it."

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A man accused of running over and killing a young West Australian police constable while allegedly attempting to avoid arrest has faced court charged with the officer's murder.

Constable Anthony Woods succumbed to his injuries in hospital when his "shattered" family turned off his life support after he was allegedly run down, reversed over and dragged after attempting to arrest occupants of an allegedly stolen car in Ascot.

Reagan Ainsley Chown, 23, was initially charged with an act to prevent arrest that caused grievous bodily harm, stealing a motor vehicle and drug offences.

READ MORE: Victims of Hunter wedding bus crash identified as community mourns

Police upgraded the charges this morning to murder after the officer's death.

Chown briefly appeared in Perth Magistrates Court via video link from Hakea Prison today.

He was not required to enter pleas and was remanded in custody to face Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court in July.

Constable Woods and other officers had been following the car, allegedly bearing stolen number plates, through Ascot in Perth's east about 1am on Thursday.

It came to a stop and as the officers tried to detain the three occupants, Constable Woods was hit by the vehicle and dragged underneath.

His fellow officers had to lift the car off him and attempted CPR at the scene before he was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Commissioner Col Blanch said the slain officer would be honoured with a full police funeral, but he would speak with the officer's family first about what they wanted.

The 28-year-old had just passed his probation with the force, having volunteered at the PCYC before joining the police cadets in 2019 and moving into the recruit squad in 2021.

Woods' family said they had been devastated by his loss.

"Our pain at this time is indescribable," the family said in an emotional statement.

"We are shattered to lose our dear Anthony.

"He was a devoted husband and loving son, brother, and uncle who was taken from this earth far too soon.

"Anthony will be remembered as a funny, hard-working man who loved the West Coast Eagles and mucking around with his mates."

"He brought light and laughter to every situation and his wicked sense of humour is irreplaceable."

A 20-year-old woman and 25-year-old man who were allegedly in the stolen car have been released pending further investigation.

Detectives are urging anyone who was near High Wycombe, Belmont and Redcliffe and may have seen a white Holden Cruze sedan or police vehicle travelling with lights and sirens between midnight and 1.30am to contact Crime Stoppers.

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Brett Andrew Button, the driver of the bus which crashed in the Hunter Valley, killing 10 people, has been released from custody after being granted bail earlier today.

Button, 58, made a brief appearance before Cessnock Local Court this morning, where a magistrate imposed strict bail conditions on him after saying there was a strong prosecution case for the 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.

He was seen leaving Cessnock Police Station wearing a black hoodie and carrying a Coles supermarket shopping bag.

READ MORE: Victims of Hunter wedding bus crash identified as community mourns

He entered a waiting car, as a media pack surrounded him.

Magistrate Robyn Richardson said Button, who resides in Maitland, had links to the local area and acknowledged his emotional suffering.

Police have suspended Button's driver's licence and curfew conditions have been imposed.

Inside the packed courtroom, Richardson acknowledged she saw before her a man who was suffering and that this would be a long and protracted case.

Button's family would also be struggling, she said, while underlining the unimaginable agony friends and family of those killed must now endure.

In arguing for bail and his release, Button's lawyer said his client lived with a number of medical conditions.

He is scheduled to return to court in August.

Speaking before bail was given, Acting Assistant Commissioner David Waddell said police would allege Button was driving "too quick" when the bus entered the roundabout, causing it to roll.

READ MORE: How the Hunter Valley wedding bus crash emergency response unfolded

"He entered that roundabout driving in a manner that was inconsistent with the conditions," Waddell alleged.

"The speed was too quick for him to negotiate that roundabout, causing the vehicle to fall onto its left side and cause those injuries."

Police had investigated the bus at the scene, leaving many officers "visibly distraught", Waddell said.

There were reports of heavy fog in the area that night, but Waddell would not comment if visibility was a significant factor.

"The whole conditions will be examined as part of the investigation," Waddell said.

"So, it will be about how the driver drove in relation to the conditions."

Button is facing 11 charges: 10 dangerous driving charges relating to each victim and one of negligent driving.

Investigators will today conduct a mechanical examination of the bus, after it was removed from the roundabout last night.

The crash scene remains cordoned off and closed.

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Waddell this morning outlined in broad strokes what police allege happened after the bus departed the Wandin Estate Winery, near Greta, around 40km north-west of Newcastle.

About 11:30pm on Sunday night, Button was driving the large white bus in a southerly direction on Wine Country Drive, he said.

The bus was carrying guests following the wedding of newly-married couple Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell, who grew up in Melbourne before moving to NSW.

There were 37 passengers on board, ranging in age from 20s to 60s, according to police.

As the bus entered a roundabout, to turn west onto the Hunter Expressway, Button allegedly lost control of the bus and it rolled onto its left side, onto a guardrail, Waddell said.

Nine people died at the crash site, and one died later in hospital.

"It was a very chaotic scene," Waddell said.

READ MORE: What we know about the fatal Hunter Valley wedding bus crash

Twenty-five people were rushed to hospital with a range of injuries. There are still 14 people in hospital, two in intensive care.

Waddell described the ICU patients as "critical but stable".

Police have interviewed some of the surviving passengers, he said.

Button was arrested and taken to hospital for blood and urine tests, and he was cleared of serious injury.

He was taken back to Cessnock Police Station where he was charged and held overnight.

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Following the emotional lows and highs of the successful search for four children missing 40 days in the Amazon, the people of Colombia can't relax yet as they wait for news of a dog still in the jungle after helping find the young plane crash survivors.

Wilson, a Colombian army Belgian shepherd, disappeared during the search for the children after finding several clues that had kept alive hopes the children were still alive, Spanish-language online news service Infobae reported.

Colombians' attention is riveted on the search for Wilson, with news outlets following developments closely.

READ MORE: Mum, daughter named among victims of Hunter Valley crash

Wilson is trending on Twitter, and memes about the lost dog are flooding social media.

People have also been posting in large letters the words "Falta Wilson", which translates as Wilson is missing, on their homes.

At one point during the search for the children Wilson's footprints were found near those of the young survivors, and it's thought he stayed with them for a time.

The children were found alive on Saturday (NZT), having survived in the jungle for 40 days after the light plane they were travelling in crashed, killing the three adults on board.

READ MORE: How the wedding bus crash emergency response unfolded

Astrid Cáceres, director of the Colombian Institute for Family Welfare said the children indicated they had met a dog in the jungle, BBC reported.

The children spoke "of the puppy that was lost, that they do not know where it was and that it accompanied them for a while".

Colombian TV service Caracol Television quoted army special operations commander General Pedro Sánchez also saying the children had seen Wilson.

"According to what our children told us, we confirm that the dog Wilson, our commando, was with them quite emaciated, without much to eat there in the middle of the jungle, but we keep our faith intact and we are looking for him."

Wilson was seen about 30m away from searchers a few days before the children were found, Infobae said.

Searchers tried to get the dog to come back to them, but were unsuccessful, and it was decided not to try to tranquilise the dog.

READ MORE: Heroic stories emerge from tragic wedding bus crash

https://twitter.com/Ingenieros_EJC/status/1667559784608935944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Another suggestion was that a bitch in heat should join the search to try to attract Wilson.

It's thought Wilson is proving difficult to find because he's been trained as an attack dog, rather than for rescue work.

The Colombian army's military engineers have tweeted a picture of Wilson as a baby.

Translated, the tweet says: "Wilson was born, raised and trained with us. The operation is not over! Our soldiers continue the search day and night to find our four-legged hero."

This article originally appeared on Stuff and is republished here with permission.

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Tens of thousands of dead fish washed up on the US Texas Gulf Coast over the weekend, covering the shoreline with rotting carcasses and leading local officials to warn visitors to keep away.

Waves from the Gulf of Mexico pushed in dead fish “by the thousands” Friday in Brazoria County, which is over 64 kilometres south of Houston, Quintana Beach County Park officials said.

Low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water made it difficult for the fish to breathe, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials said.

READ MORE: Mum, daughter named among victims of Hunter Valley crash

The phenomenon — known as a “fish kill” — is common as temperatures rise in the summer, the state department said.

While no one has connected this specific incident to climate change, researchers have said such kills may become more prevalent as temperatures warm and oxygen levels in lakes across the United States and Europe drop.

Dissolved oxygen levels increase with photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform sunlight, water and carbon dioxide into oxygen.

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When there is less sunlight, photosynthesis slows and at night it stops.

But plants and animals in the water continue to consume oxygen at the same rate, decreasing the concentration, Texas Park and Wildlife officials said.

Gulf menhaden, which fishermen commonly use for bait, was the species most affected in the kill, Texas Parks and Wildlife said.

By Sunday evening, Quintana Beach was mostly cleared of the dead fish save for some that machinery couldn't remove, county officials said.

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A shattered community is trying to come to grips with an unfathomable tragedy after 10 people were killed in a bus crash in the New South Wales Hunter Valley on Sunday night.

Tributes have been piling up at the crash site and online as those remaining unaccounted for after the crash are named.

The bus, which had 36 people onboard including the driver, overturned approaching the third exit of the roundabout, the passenger side falling onto the guardrail.

READ MORE: Heroic stories from tragic wedding bus crash emerge

Ten people were killed and multiple others remain in hospital, including one person in a critical condition.

The bus was carrying guests following the wedding of newly-married couple Mitchell Gaffney and Maddy Edsell, who grew up in Melbourne and later moved to NSW.

Many guests at the wedding, as well as the groom, were members of the Singleton Roosters Australian Rules football team.

READ MORE: What we know about the fatal Hunter Valley wedding bus crash

Guests at the wedding also included players from Warrandyte Cricket Club in Melbourne, where Gaffney used to play.

Driver Brett Button was yesterday charged with 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death – drive manner dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death.

The 58-year-old was granted bail in Cessnock Local Court today.

READ MORE: First responders describe traumatic scene of wedding bus crash

As of Tuesday morning, one patient was in a critical but stable condition and eight patients were in a stable condition at John Hunter Hospital, including two patients who were transferred from Maitland Hospital to John Hunter Hospital.

Two patients are in a stable condition at Maitland Hospital. 

One patient is in a stable condition at Calvary Mater Newcastle and two patients are in a stable condition at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

A number of patients have been treated and discharged.

Among them was Singleton resident Alex Tigani, a local journalist and Rotary Club member, who was travelling in the bus but survived.

READ MORE: Victims of Hunter wedding bus crash identified as community mourns

His friend Gerard McMillan told Today the Singleton community were rallying around him after his ordeal.

"Like everyone else, I was also shocked but I was relieved when I heard that Alex was in hospital and I was able to talk to him. Just imagine what he has gone through.

"I know the Singleton community will rally around our own, and I know Australia will put their arms around those who are affected by this.

"The first responders, the police, the State Emergency Service, the firies, all those involved, they also need our support, love and prayers."

McMillan said Tigani had been discharged from the Cavalry Mater Newcastle hospital.

"I opted to drive down and bring him back but he opted out for that and said, no, there'll be other victims coming back to Singleton as well."

He said his friend was requesting privacy after his ordeal.

The Rotary Australia Benevolent Society plans to help victims of the bush crash with medical expenses and other costs.

Community leaders said the aim was to shift from grievous shock at the tragedy to providing support for victims' families and survivors in coming days.

Cessnock Mayor Jay Suuval said the council was working to ensure there are supports in place for affected people.

"Our communities are so close together and there's a lot of friendship circles and work circles that cover those things," he said.

"So it's now about making sure that we've got the supports in place to make sure that residents have someone to talk to."

Singleton Mayor Sue Moore said a crisis support centre had been set up at the local youth centre.

"That'll be there for anyone who feels they need help in any way, come in and chat, just say hi. Share your thoughts, share your feelings."

Floral tributes have been laid near the site of the crash by grieving locals, while the bus itself was finally removed overnight.

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