Media organisations launched an appeal against heavy suppression around the case today.

SH1 between State Highway 16 and Davies Rd closed after the crash.

The men had been at a 60th birthday all night and Ralph Smith just wanted to get home.

A man from a high-profile family has vehemently denied he raped a woman as he gave evidence in his own trial.

The man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, testified before a Victorian County Court jury today after pleading not guilty to two counts of rape.

It's alleged he digitally raped his friend's girlfriend at his Melbourne home in the early hours of January 14, 2024.

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The jury was told the woman had consensual sex with her boyfriend at the house but then he organised an Uber and left the property shortly before 2am.

It's alleged the accused then lied, telling the woman her boyfriend would be returning upstairs because his Uber had been cancelled.

Prosecutors allege it was the accused who went into the dark bedroom a short time later and pretended to be the woman's boyfriend.

He allegedly digitally raped her but she managed to move away and ask directly if he was the accused.

The man claimed he was her boyfriend and he allegedly then grabbed both her hands before digitally raping her again while she told him to stop.

She managed to get a hand free and felt his hair, which was longer than her boyfriend's, and that's when the man allegedly stopped and ran from the room.

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It's alleged he returned a few minutes later and acted as if nothing had happened, instead asking her if she was OK.

Under questioning from the prosecutor, the man repeatedly denied he ever raped the woman.

"I never went into that room and sexually assaulted (the complainant)," he said in his evidence.

The jury was told the man doctored an Uber receipt in the days after to make it look like the alleged victim's boyfriend had left the house after 2.30am.

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The accused admitted in evidence that he forged the receipt but denied he did so to avoid taking responsibility for his crimes.

The trial before Judge Gregory Lyon continues.

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

An enraged husband who stabbed his wife to death after moving from New Zealand with their children has been found guilty of murder.

Rimoni Muliaga, 44, faced trial in Melbourne Supreme Court over the September 2023 stabbing of his wife Lise.

The 37-year-old mother of five was found with four stab wounds to her chest following an argument with her husband in a Melton South backyard.

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Muliaga stabbed her over a false belief she was cheating on him with his brother, after they and their children had moved in with him weeks earlier, the trial was told.

The couple and five children had relocated from New Zealand to Melbourne in July 2023.

Muliaga's legal team claimed he did not intend to murder his wife and his client's intellectual disability and depressive disorder had impacted his reasoning.

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Defence barrister Michael McGrath urged the jury to find him guilty of the alternative charge of manslaughter rather than murder, as it was "the correct charge".

But prosecutor Patrick Bourke SC said he was "angry at his wife" due to his belief she was being unfaithful to him and that showed he intended to stab her four times.

Fourteen jurors were whittled down to 12 who deliberated for four days before finding Muliaga guilty of murder.

He will face a pre-sentence hearing in February.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

The increase lands before a Government rates cap of 2% to 4% kicks in from January 2027.

The crash left Tod Penberthy, 67, with six broken ribs and deep arm cuts.

Plastic kettles are leaching microplastics into drinking water as they boil, researchers from the University of Queensland have found.

The first few boils in a new kettle release the highest levels of nano and microplastics, but even after 150 boils, millions of particles are still being released, the research shows.

Dr Elvis Okoffo is calling for consumer warnings on plastic kettles for people who may not realise their simple daily habit could be doing them harm.

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"This study provides evidence that plastic kettles can be a source of daily human exposure to nanoplastics and microplastics and that new plastic kettles release notable concentrations of these particles into water during boiling," Okoffo said.

The research found the first boil in a new plastic kettle released almost 12 million nanoparticles per millilitre – which equates to almost 3 billion particles in an average 250ml cup of tea.

After 150 boils, there were still 820,000 nanoparticles detected per millilitre, or 205 million per cup.

Simply rinsing a kettle before use did not achieve the same result as repeat boiling and discarding.

"Many people may overlook or skip this step, highlighting the need for clearer product labelling and instructions," he said.

"I would call on manufacturers, policymakers and regulators to inform consumers with safety guidelines or product labels warning about plastic particle release.

"Although particle concentrations drop with repeated use, our research shows there is a continuous, low-level exposure risk.''

He said further investigation was needed to better understand the human health implications of the exposure.

"The study fills an important knowledge gap about how plastic products used in homes can contribute to daily plastic exposure and how small, practical changes in everyday routines can reduce exposure to plastics.

"By combining better product design, improved labelling, and public awareness, we can help limit the amount of plastic entering both our bodies and the environment.''

The research also found hard tap water significantly reduced the amount of nanoplastic particles released, likely due to minerals forming a protective coating inside the kettle.

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Australia is monitoring a Chinese flotilla that is near the Philippines but could be heading Down Under. 

Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed this afternoon that the ADF is tracking the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy task force, which was first reported by the Australian Financial Review last Thursday.

He said that, while the naval group is currently in the Philippine Sea, its destination is unknown, but could be Australia. 

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"We do not have a sense of where it is going," Marles said.

"But we continue to monitor it as we monitor all movements until we know that the task groups are not coming to Australia."

Marles added that it isn't particularly unusual for the ADF to monitor a Chinese vessel.

He said the government was not going to give a running commentary on the movements of the PLA Navy.

"I want to put this into some context: we maintain constant maritime domain awareness in our own geographic areas of interest," he said.

"And in that context, we will routinely monitor the movements of PLA-N vessels.

"And when there are improvements such as this, we will monitor them, particularly until we know that they are not coming in the vicinity of Australia."

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The current flotilla comes almost 10 months after another Chinese task group circumnavigated Australia and launched live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea that were first discovered by a commercial airline pilot.

However, Marles insisted the ADF is properly equipped to monitor any ships that come close to Australia.

"We absolutely had an unprecedented level of surveillance of that task group (earlier this year) by the Royal Australian Navy," he said.

"And we did do it in conjunction with our friends and allies but that saw an unprecedented level of commitment of the Royal Australian Navy.

"You can be assured that at any point in the future, we will bring that same degree of determination and commitment to any journey that happens in our particular area."

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Twenty-one people have been taken to hospital after a carbon monoxide leak at a pork processing plant in Melbourne's west.

Firefighters arrived to find 60 people evacuated and several people suffering carbon monoxide exposure at a factory on Benn Court in Derrimut about 12.45pm today.

Crews applied oxygen therapy until paramedics reached the scene.

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They rushed 21 people, all believed to be in a stable condition, to the Western Health Sunshine, Western Health Footscray, The Royal Melbourne and Werribee Mercy hospitals.

The advanced life support and intensive care ambulances assessed others at the scene.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus with gas detectors entered the factory and recorded "dangerously high" carbon monoxide readings.

The building was ventilated until the atmosphere dropped to safe levels and the incident was brought under control less than an hour later.

The carbon monoxide leak was found to have come from meat preservation machinery.

Carbon monoxide, a poisonous, colourless and odourless gas, can be fatal if inhaled in close spaces.

WorkSafe inspectors are at the scene and assessing the situation.

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