Tag Archives: oceania

Man charged with murder after 58-year-old woman stabbed to death in WA

A man has been charged with murder after a 58-year-old woman died in hospital after being stabbed in Western Australia.

Emergency services were called to a house on Frederick St in Broome in the state's north on Friday night after reports a woman had suffered serious injuries.

The woman had stab wounds to her neck, and was rushed to Broome Hospital.

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She died in hospital on Saturday.

Police allege the pair argued which led to the man stabbing the woman multiple times with a knife.

A 56-year-old-man was charged with one count of Aggravated Grievous Bodily Harm at the time, and was taken into custody.

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Broome Hospital, Western Australia

It is believed the stabbing is family violence-related.

After the woman died, the man's charges were upgraded, and he was charged with one count of murder.

The man remains in custody and will appear before Perth Magistrates Court today.

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‘Break bail, face jail’: Battin vows to take tough stance on crime

Victoria's opposition leader Brad Battin claims he will not give judges the option to bail certain offenders as part of his pledge to crack down on crime.

Despite Jacinta Allan's Labor government tightening bail laws and introducing a ban on machetes, knife crime is continuing in Victoria, with the latest incident seeing a teenager stabbed at a rugby event in Broadmeadows on Saturday.

Crime is set to be a key issue in next year's state election, and speaking to Today, Battin claimed he would take a hard line where he believes Labor has been soft.

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Brad Battin Victoria Liberals leader opposition leader

"The government weakened these laws and won't return them to the position they were in 2023," he said.

"Since then, that's when we've seen the crime increase."

"It is getting to a stage that this is the only topic people are talking about. And that's a huge concern because then the perception becomes reality and people feel unsafe in their own community."

"We've had 25 to 30 victims under the age of 25 who have died in the knife crisis here in Victoria, and they [the government] continue to have their head in the sand and won't answer the real questions of fixing the bail system, bringing in something like break bail, face jail and ensuring we have violent offenders off the street."

Battin said if the Liberals were returned to government, he would put laws in place that bar courts from granting bail to some offenders.

"One of the key points is 'break bail, face jail'. Those that are committing violent offences shouldn't continue to get bail," he said.

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Premier Jacinta Allan making an announcement regarding housing developments in wealthier suburbs.

"We'll ensure we'll tighten the laws to make sure that the judges don't have the choice to give them bail, that they have to keep them on remand rather than back out into the community."

Battin's comments come as senior police in Victoria call for greater government support.

Victoria Police Commander Wayne Cheeseman claimed the department was having to draft in police officers from regional areas of the state to police protests in Melbourne CBD.

One such protest last week left two police officers in hospital.

Battin said he would also increase funding to the state's police, claiming the overstretched department was equipped enough to deal with crime in Victoria.

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Victoria's top cop has unveiled a plan to overhaul the structure of the police force in an effort to rein in the state's crime crisis.Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said a five-point proposal would see admin staff complete paperwork rather than have members spend four to six hours of their shift at their desks.

"Mike Bush [Victoria's chief police commissioner] has got over 1100 vacancies on the roster," Battin claimed.

"He can't just invent police, he needs funding to ensure they get there."

Battin said until the issue is fixed, a growing number of Victorians will not feel safe in their own home.

"It is getting to a stage that this is the only topic people are talking about," he said.

"And that's a huge concern because then the perception becomes reality and people feel unsafe in their own community."

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Albanese heads to Asia for key meetings as Rudd fallout continues

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is set for a week of high-level diplomacy with regional leaders, even as domestic controversy over ambassador Kevin Rudd persists.

After visiting Uluru to mark 40 year since the handback, Albanese landed in Malaysia tonight to meet with Pacific leaders at ASEAN.

"Jobs, security will be my focus in the coming days," he said.

After visiting Uluru to mark 40 year since the handback, he's departing Darwin bound for Malaysia and a week with Pacific leaders at ASEAN, buoyed by new opportunities stemming from the critical minerals deal signed in the White House.

The prime minister is buoyed by new opportunities stemming from the critical minerals deal signed in the White House.

"This is a program that could set us up for success. Just as iron ore and our resources have been in the last century," he said.

"This is absolutely critical."

After ASEAN comes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Seoul, South Korea, and the week culminates in a summit of superpowers between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Nationals Leader David Littleproud said: "There's an opportunity for us to take a leadership role – particularly between the United States and China.

Close calls in the Pacific, the war in Ukraine and escalating tariffs are on the agenda.

"When you see two large trading partners going toe-to-toe there is a contagion impact that flows through to Australia as well," Littleproud said.

Rudd won't be there this time around. He'll remain in Washington – where Trump has forgiven but not forgotten

"I think a long time ago he said something bad. When they say bad about me I don't forget," Trump said this weekend.

Labor minister Murray Watt backed Rudd in.

"We measure these these things by results that are actually delivered. Ambassador Rudd is clearly done an excellent job," he said.

But the Coalition was seemingly back out on the ambassador

Deputy Nationals leader Susan McDonald called it "the biggest diplomatic slap down I can think of".

"He is trying to flag how impossible the situation is," she said.

When asked if he needed to "sub Kevin Rudd out", Albanese said no.