Western Australia's police minister has said police are "incredibly concerned" that some of the serious fires burning in the state may have been deliberately lit, and are further worried by a number of people flying drones near the blazes.

At least one home has been lost to a large fire burning in Geraldton, which authorities suspect was deliberately lit.

It has already burnt through 160 hectares and is expanding significantly after it was reignited this morning by strong winds, having started on Friday.

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Firefighting crews have been brought up from Perth to assist, with four waterbombers, 55 vehicles and two Black Hawk helicopters currently battling the blaze, Police Minister Paul Papalia said.

He said there was an "incredibly confronting situation" this morning as 80km/h winds pushed the fire towards the Nazareth aged care facility, but it had been saved.

"An incredible effort went into stopping that fire," Papalia said, also praising the wider community's response to the emergency as "an example of what is best about the West Australian country community".

But the minister went on to slam the "appalling behaviour" of suspected arsonists behind the fire, saying detectives are already on the case.

There are no suspects as yet.

He said police were also very concerned that multiple people had been operating private drones in the vicinity of fire fields, impeding firefighting efforts and breaking the law.

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One home has been destroyed by the fire, while another has been damaged and five other buildings lost.

Hundreds of other homes remain under threat as hot, dry and windy conditions make fire behaviour unpredictable.

Emergency warnings issued earlier today have been downgraded, but residents in Bluff Point, Spalding, Sunset Beach and Moresby remain under a watch and act warning to monitor conditions.

The Northampton Recreation Centre and QEII Seniors and Community Centre are operating as evacuation centres.

Residents who evacuated Waggrakine and Moresby have been warned it is not safe to return home.

Fires have been burning in the region since the weekend.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a fire weather warning with extreme fire danger forecast for the Midwest Coast, including Geraldton, the Midwest Inland, Lesueur, Yarra Yarra and Swan Inland North.

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Thirteen central Auckland beaches are black flagged after sewage overflows.

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.

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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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