Indonesia has dismissed a report that Russia has lodged a request to base long-range aircraft at a military base just 1300 kilometres away from Darwin.

US military website Janes reported today that Russia had officially requested to base aircraft at the Manuhua Air Force Base at Biak Numfor in the Indonesian province of Papua.

The news made an impact on the election campaign as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sought clarification and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton raised questions about when the Labor leader knew.

READ MORE: Alexa, 21, has been grappling with 'climate anxiety' since she was a teen

But this evening Defence Minister Richard Marles said he'd spoken with his Indonesian counterpart, Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin.

"He has said to me in the clearest possible terms, reports of the prospect of Russian aircraft operating from Indonesia are simply not true," Marles said in a statement.

Indonesian Defence Ministry spokesperson Frega Wenas told Reuters "the report is incorrect".

Janes had reported the Indonesian Ministry of Defence was in "consultation with policymakers from other government departments" over how to deal with the request.

Both Australia's leaders forcefully rejected the idea of a Russian President Vladimir Putin having a military presence in the region.

"We obviously do not want to see Russian influence in our region, very clearly," Albanese said.

READ MORE: Single ticket wins entire $70,000,000 Oz Lotto jackpot

"We have a position, which is: we stand with Ukraine, we regard Vladimir Putin as an authoritarian leader who has broken international law, that is attacking the sovereignty of the nation of Ukraine."

Dutton described Putin as a "murderous dictator".

"We don't welcome his presence in our neighbourhood at all," Dutton added.

"It is deeply destabilising."

Earlier today, Albanese said he was seeking "proper clarification" from Indonesia.

READ MORE: Tiny home deposits or $50k super: Experts reveal the real winner

"That's the way you deal with international relations, making sure you're not flying from the hip," Albanese said.

Dutton labelled the reported Russian request a "catastrophic failure of diplomatic relations" if the PM wasn't aware of it until today.

"We need to make sure that the government explains exactly what has happened here," Dutton said.

Speaking before he received the assurances from Sjamsoeddin, Marles said Australia was in contact with its close neighbour on a "senior level".

"We have a very close relationship with Indonesia and we have a growing defence relationship with Indonesia, we have already been engaged with [Indonesia] on this request," Marles said.

"At this point, Indonesia has not responded to this request.

"We will continue to engage with Indonesia in a way that befits this friendship."

The intrigue came after Russian official Sergei Shoigu, secretary of the Russian Federation Security Council, travelled to Jakarta in February this year to meet with Sjamsoeddin.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A volunteer rescue team has released video footage of a dog they believe to be Valerie, the dachshund who's been missing on Kangaroo Island for 519 days.

The footage shows the sausage dog walking inside a carefully prepared trap, filled with Valerie's toys and clothing from her owners.

Unfortunately the trap door can't be closed remotely so the dog was able to walk out and it is yet to be reunited with owners Josh and Georgia, who are adamant it is their beloved pet. 

"I was sitting there in bed one night, just going through old photos and comparing all her little marks and everything and being like 'it's 100 per cent her'," Josh said.

The search for Valerie has garnered international attention, with her story featured in major newspapers and social media users commenting from New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the United States. 

The increased awareness has brought hope to the rescue team, who believe it could lead to more resources and donations for their efforts.

"The more information that's out there about Val, the more resources they can get, the more donations they get towards the work they're doing," Georgia said.

The search team is planning to install a mechanism that will allow the trap door to be closed remotely by the end of this week.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

South Australian drivers have been fined more than $30 million in six months after being caught on camera using their mobile phones behind the wheel. 

The figures, released by authorities, show that almost 47,000 drivers have been fined since new high-tech detection cameras were installed at five Adelaide locations six months ago. 

Police Minister Stephen Mullighan described the level of mobile phone use among drivers as "unacceptably high" and said the cameras were proving effective in catching offenders.

READ MORE: Court erupts as woman stands and delivers incredible takedown

"Looking at your mobile phone while you're driving rather than watching the road – you might as well be driving blindfolded," Mullighan said.

The highest number of offences, almost 13,000, occurred on the North-South Motorway at Regency Park. The detection point on South Road at Torrensville was not far behind, followed by the Southern Expressway and Port Road locations. 

The cameras at Port Wakefield Road at Gepps Cross recorded the fewest offences.

However, the rate at which drivers are being caught has slowed.

"It indicates that drivers are becoming aware of the dangers of distractions and that is a good thing," Supt Shane Johnson from SA Police said.

Despite this, some drivers are still not learning their lesson. More than 600 people have been caught using their phones four or more times, with one receiving a staggering 41 fines.

READ MORE: 'My mum's been shot': Gran in lounge room when fatal bullet hit

"We have an ongoing investigation into that driver," Johnson said.

Two more cameras are expected to be operational by the end of the year, with authorities yet to confirm their locations. 

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

Trapped in harsh COVID-19 lockdowns, a fracturing long-term relationship and deteriorating mental health, Paul Quill needed to feel a semblance of control.

So he took his work credit card and splurged on art, jewellery, designer clothes and furniture costing almost $3 million before falsely claiming them as work expenses.

The elaborate ruse to defraud his employer, global accounting firm Deloitte, has now landed the former director in prison.

READ MORE: Taco Bell's Aussie operator to sell or close all stores

As he stood in Melbourne's County Court dock today crying and his head bowed, Judge Samantha Marks admonished Quill for his "serious and sustained" offending and jailed him for three years and six months with a non-parole period of two years and two months.

"You were not just an employee, you were a director and one level away from partner," she said.

"You exploited that trust."

Quill, 46, had pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining a financial advantage by deception after swindling more than $2.7 million across 368 fraudulent expense claims from Deloitte between August 2018 and February 2022.

He attempted to hide his thievery by manipulating real invoices from and masking claims as stationery, postage, filing fees and photocopying before fabricating emails approving the claims.

Quill's expenses were less than $10,000 a month before his offending in 2018, but that skyrocketed to more than $200,000 a month by January and February 2022.

The qualified accountant of more than 15 years was only caught after a routine audit of the company's books found his suspicious claims.

"The offending stopped not because you had a change of heart, but it was because you were found out," Judge Marks said.

"[It] was not a lapse in judgment."

READ MORE: Dead rodents and nests found in outbuildings on Gene Hackman property

Quill grew up in a loving and close-knit family and lived next door to his maternal grandparents, but persistent bullying at school, including homophobic abuse and body image issues would follow him through life.

In 2007, he started a 12-year relationship which the judge described as imbalanced as he would uproot his life and career multiple times and move to support his partner's career.

The last straw broke when his grandma, whom he was extremely close with since childhood, died in August 2018.

That same month he began offending.

His mental health deteriorated after breaking up with his long-term partner in 2020 and was exacerbated by an increasing workload during the pandemic where he was rarely able to see his friends and stopped eating properly.

"It's clear from [psychology] reports the breakdown of your relationship caused you to isolate yourself and rely on dysfunctional coping – alcohol, disordered eating, over-exercising and buying," the judge said.

"[Your offending] stemmed from of lack of emotional support and provided you with a feeling of control during this period."

Psychology reports tendered to the court described how Quill said his spending splurge was "the only thing in my life that I could control" that would give him brief bursts of pleasure.

READ MORE: When do I get a public holiday over the Easter weekend?

"When items came, they did not give you pleasure … and some remained in unopened boxes," Judge Marks said.

She referred to glowing references from family and friends who described Quill's actions as uncharacteristic and his extreme remorse.

The judge accepted prison time would be onerous on the 46-year-old due to his mental health, and being away from his family and beloved dog, But she had no doubt he would be able to get through it.

Quill was supported in court by family who had flown from Brisbane, including his mother and two sisters, who burst into tears as the sentence was handed down.

Deloitte has recovered almost $1 million from the sale of items with about $225,000 worth of goods still to be sold.

National Alcohol and Other Drug hotline 1800 250 015

Beyond Blue  1300 22 4636.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Accused triple-murderer Erin Patterson has been photographed for the first time since she was charged over a fatal mushroom lunch.

Patterson, 50, appeared in person at the Victorian Supreme Court today for a hearing ahead of her upcoming trial.

She was wearing a green jumper, black pants and black sandals.

READ MORE: Russia pushing to base military aircraft in Indonesia, report says

Patterson is accused of murdering her former in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, both 70, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson, 66.

All three died in hospital days after consuming an allegedly deadly mushroom meal at Patterson's Leongatha home, in South Gippsland, on July 29, 2023.

She is also accused of the attempted murder of Wilkinson's husband Ian, 68.

Mr Wilkinson spent almost two months being treated in the Austin Hospital, including time spent in a coma.

Patterson pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder and the attempted murder charge in the Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court in May 2024.

She is due to face trial later in April.

A woman killed in a drive-by shooting in Sydney's south-west last night has been identified as 65-year-old Kim Duncan.

Emergency services were called to a home on Dickens Road at Ambarvale over reports of a shooting outside about 11pm yesterday.

Police found a 65-year-old woman had suffered a gunshot wound to her leg after the occupants of a black sedan fired nine shots into the home before driving off.

READ MORE: Katy Perry blasts off on all-women spaceflight on Blue Origin rocket

It is understood that Duncan was in a front lounge room when a bullet hit her.

Paramedics worked for about an hour trying to save her, but she died at the scene.

One of the victim's neighbours told 9News Duncan's 34-year-old son Shaine arrived at the scene as people were shooting at his home.

"He was down the road at a friend's house, and as he got closer to his house, he saw the people there shooting the house," witness Shaun said.

"As we come outside, we just hear the son yelling, 'My mum's been shot.'

"He was pretty upset, devastated.

"And then her daughter turned up a bit later and she was a mess."

The son's 21-year-old partner was also in the home at the time but was uninjured.

Soon after the shooting, the area was shut down and the area flooded with police as an investigation began.

Relatives of the victim who arrived at the home were interviewed by detectives.

NSW Police Superintendent Grant Healey said the family are known to police and that the shooting is believed to be targeted.

Healey said police don't yet know if the 65-year-old woman was the target.

"It's abhorrent," Healey said.

"Somebody coming up to a house and putting shots off is totally reckless and the consequences are catastrophic.

"We have a 65-year-old grandmother who has been shot in the leg.

"It's tragic, the grandmother of your children's been shot by cowards that stood out the front of the house."

Police appealed for anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the attack to come forward.

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The ex-wife of a former South Australian police officer has bravely stood up in court to call out the violent abuse that he inflicted on her and their young daughter.

The packed public gallery erupted into applause as Stella Magnisalis finished telling her ex-husband Matthew Thomson exactly how his years-long campaign of abuse had affected her.

That applause continued outside from an army of supporters.

READ MORE: Putin eyes military base 1300km from Australian shore

Magnisalis and her daughter endured unimaginable assaults at the hands of Thomson over five years.

Speaking over videolink at just eight years old, the little girl's words had no less power.

"I still remember when you slapped my face and gave me a blood nose. You're not my father," she said.

READ MORE: Putin eyes military base 1300km from Australian shore

Thomson, a former detective, was forced to listen to a woman who was kept silent for far too long as she stared him down and detailed his slow, deliberate, calculated offending that was hidden from the world.

She said her home became a prison with her attacker protected by the "boys in blue".

"My calls to the police were never truly heard and always overlooked," she said.

READ MORE: PM stands by shopkeeper over Canada's demand for Vegemite's destruction

"I'll continue to tell my story so men like you don't kill us."

Thomson pleaded guilty to six counts of assault.

He wants to avoid prison out of fear of how a former cop may be treated inside.

Thomson will be back in court in June but he is unlikely to be sentenced until later in the year.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed a cafe owner in his dispute with Canada's food authority after they demanded he destroy an $8000 shipment of Vegemite.

Leighton Walters, who runs an Australian-style cafe chain in Toronto, Canada, said the Canadian Food Inspection Agency had ordered him to stop selling the iconic Aussie food because it has added vitamin B – in breach of regulations.

Now, Albanese has weighed in on the dispute, today saying: "I stand with the Aussie cafe owner."

READ MORE: Alexa is so worried about the climate it's given her 'eco-anxiety'

"I can confirm here today that I am pro-Vegemite, and indeed, I actually put a lot of Vegemite on my toast when I eat bread," Albanese said.

"I love Vegemite, it's a good thing."

The PM then took a dig at Vegemite's British cousin Marmite – which seemingly escaped Canada's food laws.

"It's rather odd that they're letting Marmite in – which is rubbish, frankly."

"Let's be clear here, pro-Vegemite, anti-Marmite.

"That's my position."

The stoush first emerged in January when cafe owner Walters was told that Vegemite did not comply with Canadian food regulations.

READ MORE: Popular fast food chain to leave Australia

In a social media post last Friday, Walters pointed out that some major Canadian retailers were still allowed to sell the spread.

"Despite Amazon and major grocery stores continuing to profit of the sale of Vegemite and similar products like Marmite, for some reason, our genuinely Australian/Canadian coffee shops offering a healthy slice of home away from home, is seemingly worth targeting," he said.

"I don't expect Canadians to care about Vegemite, I know it's an acquired taste, but the principle and double standard doesn't make sense to me, and it doesn't seem right.

"As someone born with a birth defect, this is deeply personal.

"Vegemite is high in B vitamins and folate, that helps minimise the likelihood of babies being born with conditions like mine and living through the pain my family and I have throughout out my life so far."

READ MORE: Russia requests to base aircraft 1300km from Australia

Walters told 9news.com.au he did not expect anyone in Australia to care about his plight, let alone the prime minister.

"It's easy to feel lonely being so far from home, but to hear that people are cheering me on – even the PM himself, trying to fight for Vegemite and our Aussie cultural icon over here is so moving," he said.

"Makes me even more proud to be Australian — if that's even possible."

Despite the contradiction, the Canadian food authority told Canada's CBC that the added vitamins in Vegemite made it ineligible for sale.

The CBC was told that Vegemite sold in Canada must be altered to meet regulations.

Bega Group, the company that produces Vegemite, said it was aware of the situation, but since they do not export directly to Canada, the decision was out of their hands.

"We're aware of the recent reports regarding the removal of Vegemite from the shelves at Found Cafe in Toronto, and the disappointment this has caused for our fellow Aussies abroad," a spokesperson for the company said.

"Vegemite is more than just a breakfast spread – it's a taste of home and we know how much comfort that brings to Australians living overseas."

The company said it does not directly export the spread to Canada.

"After looking into it, we can confirm we do not currently export Vegemite to Canada for sale within Canada. As such, we're not directly involved in or across the specific import regulations that apply – including those set by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)," it said.

"While we're limited in our ability to influence the outcome, we're sending our support to Leighton, his team and the Found Cafe community of happy little Vegemites in Toronto who are missing their favourite Aussie icon."

DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

A man, 50, has been charged with assault after her death in Waiuku.

However, the expert ended up softening his views after questions from counsel.