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Teen charged with planning 'amateurish' ex-bikie shooting wants bail

Warning: This story contains an image that some readers may find distressing.

The attempted murder of former Mongols bike Sam Abdulrahim was amateurish but it's surprising he survived, a court has heard.

Teenager Yasir Al Qassim applied for bail on Tuesday, charged with conspiring with others to plot to kill Abdulrahim, who was on his way home from a burial service.

Of the seven shots fired at the former bikie who was stopped in traffic at the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner on June 25, five struck him in the upper body.

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Two offenders in a stolen car tried to flee the scene but crashed into a pole. One carjacked another vehicle while the other hid in a bin behind a nearby KFC before fleeing on foot.

Both men fled the country within 48 hours.

It's not alleged that Al Qassim, 18, was one of the two offenders, but that he was involved in coordinating and arranging the killing.

It's alleged Al Qassim drove the offenders to the stolen car used in the shooting and met up with them afterwards.

Police also believe he helped the men flee the country, including helping one access a stolen passport.

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While the shooting and aftermath were "somewhat amateurish" there was a great deal of planning, Detective Sergeant Brad Potts said.

"He seems to be the central figure with respect to this," he said.

Police opposed bail, believing Al Qassim is a flight risk and has access to high-powered firearms.

"The fact the intention was the victim was to be killed on this occasion, there may be the likelihood that further attempts will be made on his life," he said.

One of the stolen cars was set on fire after being used, and police say CCTV footage shows Al Qassim buying jerry cans from a hardware store 10 days before the shooting.

His DNA was also found on a cartridge case at the shooting scene and a fuel can found in his car, the court heard.

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Potts said he had concerns about Al Qassim being bailed to live with his mother, who has been charged with assisting him in the aftermath.

He said there was a recorded phone conversation in which Al Qassim's mother and brother encouraged him to get rid of clothing and to wipe his phone.

Al Qassim's barrister Adam Chernok said a surety of $70,000 was available and meant if his client fled or offended while on bail, his family would lose their home.

The application is set to continue on Thursday.

Commonwealth Bank debit card users charged twice

A technical glitch has seen Commonwealth Bank customers charged twice for their purchases.

On Tuesday customers reported having twice as much being taken from their accounts from recent purchases made with their debit cards.

But the bank says this mistake has been corrected and reversed.

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Some customers at the Commonwealth Bank have been charged twice on debit card purchases.

Not all customers or all debit transactions were affected.

"We are aware that on Tuesday some of our customers may have seen duplicate authorisations posted to their account," a Commonwealth Bank spokesperson told nine.com.au.

"These have now been reversed. 

"We apologise for the inconvenience caused and want to reassure customers that finalised transactions will not be charged twice."

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A man and woman withdraw money from a Commonwealth Bank ATM

The double authorisations did not mean merchants were sent twice the money.

Any customer who had their accounts overdrawn will be refunded any fees which they may have been hit with.

If customers check their statements on their app or online, the double transaction should not appear.

Independent brewery renames itself amid controversy

An independent brewery has re-branded itself amid backlash over the companies controversial name.

Managing director Lawrence Dowd said the business would be changing its name from Colonial Brewing Co to CBCo Brewing.

Dowd said in a video posted to social media that the change would better reflect modern tastes and connect with who they were as a business.

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He said the decision was made after "extensive" consultations with key stakeholders, customers and workers.

"Our beer won't be changing and we will be celebrating our new name CBCo Brewing," he said.

The change follows a decision made by a bottle store chain no longer stocking the beer.

In 2020, Blackhearts & Sparrows bottle shops announced they would drop the brand in response to the concerns about the Western Australian brewery's name.

Cost of prescriptions set to be slashed under federal government bill

The maximum cost of prescriptions could be slashed by more than $10 under a bill tabled by the Albanese government.

The plan aims to reduce the cost of scripts covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from the current price of up to $42.50 to $30.

It comes as the surging cost of living pressures hits the wallets of Australians.

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tablets

"This change will put close to $200 million back in the pockets of Australians each year," Health Minister Mark Butler said.

"The ABS advises that the high costs of medications meant close to one million Australians delayed or didn't fill their medications in 2019-20. We must do better than this and we will."

The government said Australians taking one medication a month could save up to $150 while for those taking two or three medications the savings could be up to $400.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the commitment during the election campaign and said it will make an "enormous difference" to families doing it tough.

"This is a practical difference, which will make a difference to cost of living," he said.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia President Trent Twomey said this change is the biggest upheaval of the PBS in 75 years.

"Community pharmacists have increasingly been hearing patients say they simply cannot afford their medicines, often faced with deciding who in the family will go without in order to put food on the table or pay their bills," he said.

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Minister for Health and Aged Care Mark Butler, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Trent Twomey, National President, Pharmacy Guild of Australia, at a doorstop interview during a visit to Capital Chemist in Kingston, ACT, on Wednesday 7 September 2022. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

He added making medicines more affordable will mean more Aussies fill their prescriptions.

"Making medicines cheaper will help reduce medicine non-adherence which directly contributes to higher healthcare costs, including preventable hospital admissions and readmission," he said.

Shadow minister Simon Birmingham welcomed the legislation with a backhanded remark claiming it was the Coalition's policy.

"What we are yet to see from them is any comprehensive plan about their own approach to tackle the cost of livng," he said.

If the bill passes through parliament, the savings would come into effect from January 1 2023.