Australian film critic David Stratton, best known for sharing the screen with Margaret Pomeranz, has died aged 85.

He passed away in hospital near his home in the NSW Blue Mountains this afternoon.

"David's passion for film, commitment to Australian cinema, and generous spirit touched countless lives," his family said in a statement to his former employer, the ABC.

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"He was adored as a husband, father, grand- and great-grandfather and admired friend.

"David's family would like to express their heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming support from friends, colleagues, and the public recently and across his lifetime."

Stratton's family asked the public to celebrate his memory by either watching their favourite movie or his favourite movie — the iconic 1952 Gene Kelly musical Singin' In The Rain.

Stratton was born in the United Kingdom in 1939. 

He was an esteemed actor, writer, educator and critic with a legendary career that spanned almost six decades.

He worked as the Sydney Film Festival director from 1966 until 1983.

It wasn't until he appeared on the screens with Pomeranz, though, that the wider Australian public fell in love with him.

The pair started The Movie Show on SBS in 1986, and gained a following through their good-natured bickering and differing tastes in movies.

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They left the SBS and took their concept to the ABC in 2004, where they returned to the screens under At The Movies.

They remained on air for another 10 years.

Their final episode in 2014 attracted more than 700,000 viewers, making it one of the most-watched season finales in the history of the ABC. 

In an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald in 2019, Stratton shared that his grandmother had first introduced him to film.

"She was a very keen filmgoer, and she was the one who used to take me," he said.

"My mother said the first time I went to the cinema was to see Dumbo in 1941 or 1942."

Stratton most recently appeared at Ritz Cinemas in Sydney's Randwick in June alongside Pomeranz for their inductions into the Australian Film Walk of Fame.

The co-hosts performed for a sold-out crowd, sharing their experiences and stories from their time on The Movie Show and At the Movies.

Stratton retired in December 2023, citing his declining health.

He leaves behind his wife, Susie, and two children.

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Australia pays tribute

As news of Stratton's death broke, heartbroken tributes began to pour in from the film industry and fans alike.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Stratton was widely respected in Australia.

"With dry humour and sharp insight, David Stratton shared his love of film with our country," he said.

"All of us who tuned in to At the Movies respected him for his deep knowledge and for the gentle and generous way he passed it on.

"May he rest in peace."

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/1955874423422247100

Former television host and commentator Phillip Adams paid tribute to his old friend and colleague.

"Vale David Stratton. Old friend and colleague now reviewing movies for the Almighty," he said. 

Sydney Film Festival said the cinema culture in Australia could not have existed as it does without Stratton.

"Sydney Film Festival, and by extension the very culture of cinema in Australia, would not exist as it does today without the remarkable passion and devotion of David Stratton who was the Festival Director from 1966 until 1983," a spokesperson said.

"His achievements are too innumerable to list in totality.

"Our thoughts are with his family who have released the following statement."

Dendy Cinemas was "deeply saddened".

"David's infectious passion for film and deep commitment to Australian cinema were unrivalled in this country. Vale David Stratton," the cinema chain said.

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One parent pulled her daughter out of school after she came home to use the bathroom.

A planned two-hour strike was called off 45 minutes before it was scheduled to begin.

A judge has slammed lawyers acting for a boy accused of murder for filing misleading information with the courts after failing to check documents created using artificial intelligence.

"It is not acceptable for AI to be used unless the product of that use is independently and thoroughly verified," Justice James Elliott told the Supreme Court in Melbourne.

The documents related to a 16-year-old boy, who was today found not guilty by way of mental impairment over the murder a 41-year-old woman in Abbotsford in April 2023.

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Prosecution, defence and two psychiatrists all agreed the boy, who cannot be legally named, was mentally impaired during the killing because he was suffering schizophrenic delusions.

His lawyers, including senior barrister Rishi Nathwani KC and his junior Amelia Beech, did not properly check their submissions before they were filed to the court containing errors, the court was told.

This included references to non-existent case citations and inaccurate quotes from a parliamentary speech.

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Justice Elliott said the documents were not signed by barristers or solicitors when they were filed and defence admitted it had used AI when the court could not locate the referenced material.

The submissions were sent to prosecutors, who also did not verify all the information was correct and then created their own submissions based on the defence documents.

Defence apologised to the judge for the error and re-filed documents with the court.

But Justice Elliott said "the misleading information caused by AI did not end there" and the revised documents referred to made-up laws.

"Revised submissions were not reviewed by either side … and referred to legislation that did not exist, an act that was appealed that never occurred," the judge said.

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Defence apologised again and eventually filed their documents without AI inaccuracies.

"The manner in which these events have unfolded is unsatisfactory," Justice Elliott said.

He said the ability of the court to rely on submissions was "fundamental to the administration of justice" and all litigants should adhere to the Supreme Court's guidelines on AI.

"Use of AI without careful oversight of counsel would seriously undermine this court's ability to deliver justice," he said.

The guidelines state use of AI must not "directly mislead another participant in the litigation process as to the nature of any work understand or the content produced by that program".

Nathwani offered his "genuine and sincere apologies" to the judge and said he was embarrassed by what had occurred.

Prosecutor Daniel Porceddu also apologised and admitted he did not read the defence's references and citations.

He did not further verify the documents' contents because he agreed with the conclusion reached in the defence submissions, he said.

The boy, who sat in court as the issue was raised, has been directed to remain under supervision at a Youth Justice Centre following the mental impairment finding.

He was accused, on the basis of complicity, of agreeing to commit the murder with a co-accused in order to steal the woman's car, drive to the Grampians, blow up a bridge and build an anti-communist army to take over Australia.

The plan was never enacted and he was arrested after the killing near Ballarat.

He was found to be mentally impaired during the offending as his schizophrenia was untreated at the time and he followed "grandiose delusions" that he was a prophet of God.

Justice Elliott noted, unlike in NSW, there are no adolescent psychiatric units in Victoria that he could be taken to.

He said he would continue to receive anti-psychotic treatment for his schizophrenia in youth justice.

The boy will return to court for a supervision hearing on November 5.

Support is available by calling Lifeline on 13 11 14, beyondblue on 1300 22 4636 or Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 for people aged five to 25.

The apartment is 286sq m and located on Marine Parade in Mount Maunganui.

A man has been charged over the death of 24-year-old woman Samantha Mizzi in Melbourne more than 30 years ago.

The 67-year-old was arrested in Ararat in regional Victoria earlier today.

He has been charged with murder and two counts of rape and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court this afternoon.

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Mizzi was fatally assaulted in St Kilda on March 29, 1994.

A member of the public found her in bushes at the rear of a property on Brighton Road about 11pm that night.

She was taken to hospital but died the following morning.

Victoria Police detective inspector Dean Thomas said police remained committed to solving crimes regardless of how many years have passed.

"If there are people out there who have information about a crime such as this, no matter how many years have passed, I can assure you that it's never too late to come forward," Thomas said.

"Any piece of information will be assessed thoroughly by police in the hope it can provide new avenues of enquiry for an investigation."

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First lady Melania Trump demanded that Hunter Biden retract comments linking her to sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and threatened to sue for US$1billion if he does not.

Trump takes issue with two comments Biden, son of former President Joe Biden, made in an interview this month with British journalist Andrew Callaghan. He alleged that Epstein introduced the first lady to now-President Donald Trump.

The statements are false, defamatory and "extremely salacious," Melania Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, wrote in a letter to Biden. Biden's remarks were widely disseminated on social media and reported by media outlets around the world, causing the first lady "to suffer overwhelming financial and reputational harm," he wrote.

Biden made the Epstein comments during a sprawling interview in which he lashed out at "elites" and others in the Democratic Party he says undermined his father before he dropped out of last year's presidential campaign.

"Epstein introduced Melania to Trump. The connections are, like, so wide and deep," Biden said in one of the comments Trump disputes. Biden attributed the claim to author Michael Wolff, whom Trump disparaged in June as a "Third Rate Reporter." He has accused Wolff of making up stories to sell books.

The first lady's threats echo a favoured strategy of her husband, who has aggressively used litigation to go after critics. Public figures like the Trumps face a high bar to succeed in a defamation lawsuit.

The president and first lady have long said they were introduced by Paolo Zampolli, a modeling agent, at a New York Fashion Week party in 1998.

The letter is dated August 6 and was first reported Wednesday by Fox News Digital.

Abbe Lowell, a lawyer who has represented Biden in his criminal cases and to whom Brito's letter is addressed, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A train with 300 passengers on board crashed into a truck sitting on the tracks in south Brisbane today.

Emergency services were called to Bonemill Road in Runcorn about 6.58am following reports a train had collided with a semi-trailer.

The driver was not inside the truck at the time of the crash.

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It is believed the truck was on the tracks due to a mechanical issue.

The train driver was also assessed at the scene and had no reported injuries.

One passenger in his 30s reported having back pain following the crash.

Queensland Ambulance said all three declined transport to hospital.

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No other passengers were injured in the collision.

The crash caused significant delays on the Beenleigh and Gold Coast lines.

Translink reported there were delays of up to an hour due during peak time.

The train schedule returned to normal about 11.30am.

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Last week, British foreign minister David Lammy went fishing with United States Vice President JD Vance at his retreat in the English countryside.

Now, he could be fined for doing so.

Lammy has referred himself to the UK's environment watchdog for fishing without a rod licence – an offence in Britain that could land him with a fine of £2100 ($5100).

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"The foreign secretary has written to the Environment Agency over an administrative oversight that meant the appropriate licenses had not been acquired for fishing on a private lake as part of a diplomatic engagement at Chevening House last week," a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

"As soon as the foreign secretary was made aware of the administrative error, he successfully purchased the relevant rod fishing licenses," the spokesperson added.

"He also wrote to the Environment Agency notifying them of the error, demonstrating how it would be rectified, and thanking them for their work protecting Britain's fisheries."

Lammy recently hosted Vance at Chevening House, his grace-and-favour retreat in the southern county of Kent, known as the Garden of England.

After his diplomatic engagements, the vice president has stayed in the country for a family vacation.

Although Vance has been critical of the British government for what he claims is its heavy-handed approach to free speech, he and Lammy held a chummy press conference after their illegal fishing trip.

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"Unfortunately, the one strain on the special relationship is that all of my kids caught fish, but the foreign secretary did not," Vance told reporters.

The fish that were caught by the group were returned to the private lake, according to Britain's PA Media news agency.

Those aged 13 or older must have a rod licence to freshwater fish in England and Wales, under laws aiming to protect fish stocks and make fisheries sustainable.

"Everyone who goes fishing needs a licence to help improve our rivers, lakes and the sport anglers love," an Environment Agency spokesperson said, according to PA.

"We understand the relevant licences have been purchased."

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A Melbourne father is fighting critical injuries in hospital after a suspected road rage incident in the city's west.

9News understands the father-of-two was waiting to turn right onto Begonia Road from Leakes Road in Tarneit about 6.30pm yesterday when a car behind him began honking its horn.

Witnesses claim the 46-year-old victim then got out of his car to explain to the other driver that he was waiting to turn.

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At that stage, the driver of the other car allegedly reversed and then accelerated into the man, before driving off.

The man suffered critical injuries to his upper body and required CPR before he was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The alleged driver of the car was arrested at a home on St Nicholas Court, about five minutes from the scene, a short time later.

He is expected to be interviewed by police today.

The man's family said they were shocked and angered by the road rage accident.

"He's [a] really calm guy. It's really strange that it happened to him," a family member, who did not want to be identified, said.

"I can't imagine him getting into a road rage [accident]. "

The man's 15-year-old son, who was waiting at school to be picked up by his father when the incident occurred, said his father sustained multiple traumatic injuries.

"What happened to him was really bad, [It] should happen to no one here. Really no one," the boy said.

"[The driver] should be punished for it. He really should be punished for it. Justice should be served."

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