All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueSunday dawned clear Autumn's chill lingered a while in the shadows but was quickly banished by the sun And the sky did not fall the morning after the night before At least not for most ordinary Australians The scale of the Coalition loss was historic and largely unforeseen - except by one poll last week When YouGov modelling predicted Labor would be returned with a substantially improved majority and the Coalition would suffer its worst result since 1946 most polls had predicted Labor would hold its small majority Turns out it was almost on the money - "almost" because it underestimated the extent of the Labor win But this one poll wasn't the only vindication to be had As analysts crunched the numbers on Sunday morning Labor under Albanese had outperformed Chifley all of them historic ALP wins in their day The Marrickville mumbler had found his voice and Anthony Albanese's second election victory will rank among the greats. Picture Getty ImagesYouGov predicted Labor would win 84 seats, which seemed fanciful last week. By midday yesterday, it was being projected to win 88 and was within shooting distance of a final outcome somewhere in the 90s. If Canada's election result was breathtaking the landslide sets up huge challenges on both sides of the dispatch box With Peter Dutton's loss in Dickson the opposition has the monumental task of rebuilding itself It must choose a new leader from a badly diminished field Andrew Hastie and Dan Tehan are touted as the top contenders but none of them presents a particularly inspiring choice And the Liberal Party must somehow re-emerge as the senior partner in the Coalition even if the numbers suggest that status is now unjustified and that the LNP acronym ought to be changed to NLP "Will we see a Littleproud for PM campaign in 2028?" a landslide win brings with it enormous expectations cost of living and energy hasn't gone anywhere Albanese in this next term will be expected to be bolder in his reform agenda - certainly less timid and incremental than he was in his first term But he'll also have to be wary of creeping hubris - and risk taking - within Labor ranks Which gets us back to election night and the grace shown in both victory and defeat Finally, we got to see that softer side of Peter Dutton in his concession speech He took full responsibility for the Coalition's defeat saying his mum would have been proud of him who had taken the seat he'd held for so long Dutton said her late son would be immensely proud of her ticked off a supporter who had nasty words for Peter Dutton we treat each other with respect irrespective of our differences Grace on both sides is something that should make us proud of our democracy HAVE YOUR SAY: Did the extent of the Labor win take you by surprise? What do you expect from the PM in his second term? Who is best suited to lead the coalition out of the political wilderness? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too - Just days before the Vatican convenes to elect a new pope, US President Donald Trump has stirred controversy by seemingly sharing a doctored image of himself dressed in papal regalia The digitally altered image was posted without explanation on Trump's social media platform at 10.29pm on Friday night (12.30pm Saturday Australian time) It quickly triggered criticism - and amusement - online - Labor is set to have an easier path to implementing its second-term agenda, picking up several Senate seats at the federal election. Fresh from its increased majority in the lower house, Labor looks likely to pick up three more seats at the coalition's expense - The Nationals have again outperformed the Liberals battening down the hatches in their seats as their coalition partner experienced an electoral storm The junior coalition party has retained almost all of its seats and took large chunks out of Labor's margin in the Northern Territory seat of Solomon and Victorian seat of Bendigo THEY SAID IT: "Grace is not part of consciousness; it is the amount of light in our souls YOU SAID IT: The other clear winner in the election was democracy itself the Australian version of which has no time for extremism or populism "This column hit the nail on the head," writes Louise "We do enjoy a democratic process in Australia no mention of the horrific domestic violence and a significant increase in funding to get on top of this shameful stain on our community we must remain vigilant that the rise of Trumpism does not make its way into our enviable way of life." and within that context he was perfectly accurate When Trump trumpets himself in the same fashion he is not restricting his context and his main believer is himself While there will be some Australians who see his style his message and his apparent success as something worth adopting or following I believe the majority of Australians are sufficiently unimpressed to support his political style but the vast majority of us accept that other people have opinions too." "Many people can be so easily persuaded by simplistic slogans towards easy solutions Being disrespectful of others is never the answer to a cohesive society Joan writes: "I think we are in great danger of the Trumps of this world we are too complacent with our democratic rights too many Australians are only concerned with their own backyard and their hip pocket They only get upset when either of those are directly affected by a political manoeuvre." "Trump's actions have made many people across the world realise how lucky they are not living in America and to appreciate our own countries "If we allow inequality and greed to thrive here as they do over there We need to explain the long-term benefits of this to the community as a whole If we properly support people who are struggling instead of locking them up build interesting communities from our diversity Crazy to squash people down until they become desperate and act irrationally to deal with their pain." Jeanette writes: "Australia can remain immune to Trump's style of politics as long as we remain vigilant and become far more perceptive than we are at present Trumpism is multifarious and that's the biggest danger - not recognising it for what it really is." Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW. Today's top stories curated by our news team Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over Your digital replica of Today's Paper NSW Government is transforming a vacant Transport asset into a new community resource centre providing crisis accommodation to people in the community experiencing hardship Image: Armidale Cadets Building refurbishment project - artists impressions We are pleased to announce that the tender process has now been finalised with construction planned to commence from Monday 9 December 2024 and is expected to be completed by the end of Quarter 2 For more information, please see the December community notification. (PDF, 285.05 KB) has been vacant since 2019 and is subject to high levels of vandalism and trespass As a part of the Renewal and Heritage program Transport in collaboration with Transport Asset Management of NSW (TAM) intends to repurpose and refurbish the building which includes commercial kitchen and laundry facilities temporary supportive accommodation facilities chill out zones and counselling facilities Transport will lease the building for a nominal fee to a local not-for-profit social service provider WSA intends to use the purpose-built facility support people in the community that are experiencing hardship by creating a safe and secure space which provides a pathway to more stable accommodation options WSA will also be operating the space to provide a suite of support services including counselling skills training and various activities for young people in the community To assist the provision of these additional services the facility will also include a commercial kitchen The delivery of the project will allow WSA to provide holistic and responsive services to address homelessness and its drivers empower vulnerable members of the community as well as help strengthen the capacity of our First Nations people to engage with their own healing The Renewal and Heritage program works with communities and businesses to identify and repurpose suitable assets that deliver economic social and community benefits to regional communities across NSW.  Funding for the project has now been approved and tender awarded to an indigenous owned and operated construction company The funding injection means that in addition to more local jobs being created multiple local organisations will benefit from this project as well as the local community Transport for NSW is currently working through internal processes and will update the community when more information becomes available First Name*  Last Name*  Email*  Stakeholder Groups Personal Information Collection Notice: Transport for NSW is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring your personal and health information is managed according to law. Find out why we collect your personal information and how we use and manage it by reading our privacy statement or phone 13 22 13 to request a copy WSA is proposing to rename the new community hub and invites the community to take part in the naming processes To provide your suggestions, please go to have your say The new name will be announced during the official opening of the facility Armidale Regional Council and key stakeholders on project progress and next steps via the project website To register to receive project updates, please email the project team at regionalassetmanagement@transport.nsw.gov.au or complete the subscriber form above Some documents on this page may not comply with accessibility requirements (WCAG) If you are having trouble accessing information in these documents, please contact us For further information about this project Transport for NSW recognise and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and care of Country We pay respect to traditional custodians and Elders past and present Armidale Stud is proud to announce the addition of three-year-old colt Bodyguard to its stallion roster The dual two-year-old Group-winning son of Champion Sire I Am Invincible will stand for a fee of $8,800 (incl joining leading sires Needs Further and Alpine Eagle at the historic Tasmanian nursery A $1.6 million dollar yearling, Bodyguard turned heads early with an explosive two-length win on debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in October defeating subsequent Group winner Dublin Down He returned in the autumn to confirm his class in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) showcasing a blistering turn of foot to put away a strong field Bodyguard was lauded not only for his racetrack brilliance but also his physical presence described by Peter Snowden as “the best-looking horse I have ever been associated with.” the sire of Group 1-producing stallions Hellbent and Brazen Beau Bodyguard descends from one of the most precocious speed-oriented pedigrees in the Australasian studbook His dam Tumooh is a Fastnet Rock daughter of Golden Slipper-winning heroine Mossfun who has already produced Group winner Dajraan Bodyguard is a powerful and athletic individual with exceptional balance and presence — traits he is expected to pass on to his progeny Armidale Stud Principal David Whishaw said “Bodyguard has been on our radar for 12 months or so since he effortlessly won the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes “We were looking for a stallion to complement our existing roster and meet the demands of the current market Breeders now have the opportunity to tap into one of the most influential speed families in modern Australian racing at exceptional value further strengthening the quality on offer in Tasmania “We’re very passionate about the local breeding industry,” added Whishaw “We’ve been acutely aware that the state has needed a new stallion but we weren’t going to stand one until we found a horse that we genuinely believed in.  “Over the past few years we’ve had many stallions offered to us but none have truly matched what we’ve been looking for until Bodyguard he’s got a great mind and he was precocious and fast his pedigree is one that will resonate with breeders across Australia “To have a stallion prospect that offers those early-running types with his granddam a Golden Slipper winner and him winning that very first two-year-old stakes race along with the Blue Diamond Prelude for colts he’s got what it takes to produce sharp “We hope this acts as a sign of confidence for local breeders that we’re investing not just in a new stallion we want to inject confidence into the local breeding industry.  who have retained a stake in the colt and plan to support his early stud career with a significant number of mares Emirates Park General Manager Bryan Carlson commented: “He was a standout colt as a yearling and certainly had the ability on the track “We believe he has what it takes to make a stallion and will support him with some good mares this season “We’re excited to work with Armidale They’ve got a good history of producing great stallions and I think Bodyguard is a very exciting prospect for them and the Tasmanian industry “He’s landed in the right spot and we look forward to supporting his burgeoning stud career.” “We’ve been very deliberate in the stallions we bring to Tasmania,” Whishaw added “With Needs Further and Alpine Eagle we’ve proven you don’t need to stand in the Hunter Valley to produce quality racehorses and Bodyguard will complement our existing roster really well we believe he has the potential to make a lasting impact on the Australian racing industry and be a sire that really stamps his mark “His fee was set at $8,800 because we want to provide breeders with good bloodlines and great stallions at an accessible price Every cost is going up in the industry and breeding numbers are declining “We want to stick to our grassroots and provide world-class bloodlines at a price that delivers good value for the average breeder.” For bookings and enquiries, please visit armidalestud.com.au or contact David or Rhiannon Whishaw directly.  AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOSLABOR POLICIES TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN SECOND ALBANESE TERM All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinue* HECS debts will be cut by 20 per cent for those with student loans Prime Minister Anthony Albanese flagged this as the first piece of legislation that will be introduced when parliament resumes * Bulk-billing will be expanded to 90 per cent by 2030 with an extra $8.5 billion to be spent on a boost to Medicare * A further 50 Medicare urgent care clinics will be build across the country * Tax cuts of up to $268 will be rolled out from July 2026 with a further cut of $536 in July 2027 and every financial year after that Australians can expect tax cuts under the second-term Labor government (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)* Taxpayers will receive an instant $1000 deduction when they complete their tax return * A scheme allowing a five per cent deposit to first-home buyers will be expanded to all people looking to buy their first property * Labor has promised to build 100,000 homes solely for the purchase of first-home buyers * Non-compete clauses will be banned for workers changing jobs if they earn less than $175,000 a year * Households will get a 30 per cent discount to install electric batteries from July 2025 * The Albanese government has promised to set up a national environment protection agency after plans were stalled in his first parliament * Work will be done to bring the port of Darwin back to Australian ownership * A critical minerals strategic reserve will be set up to stockpile mining materials to trade on 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All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueNCH - NEWS - Generic Police Photo by Marina Neil - 9th September 2015.About 4.45pm on Sunday officers attached to New England Highway Patrol were patrolling Thunderbolts Way when a grey Mercedes was allegedly detected travelling 154km/h in a signposted 100km/h area was stopped and subjected to a roadside breath and drug test allegedly returning a positive detection to methamphetamine The man was arrested for the purpose of a secondary oral fluid test with further action dependent on the outcome once the secondary results are returned The man was issued with an infringement notice for P2 driver exceed speed 45km Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOSA dog's simple sniff at a music festival could lead to a multimillion-dollar payout in a massive class action lawsuit targeting police strip searches All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThousands of people were strip searched at music festivals as officers allegedly given inadequate training and supervision routinely conducted the inspections over a six-year period An "extraordinary" and unlawful strip search by police at a popular music festival and the conduct of authorities defending it is leading the class action in NSW A woman underwent a humiliating and unlawful search that found nothing (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)Raya Meredith alleged she was subjected to assault battery and false imprisonment by police at the Splendour in the Grass music festival in July 2018 after a drug detection dog sniffed in her direction She was stopped and directed to a makeshift inspection area of open cubicles with tarpaulin screens near the entrance A male police officer allegedly walked in to the area where Ms Meredith was being searched as a female officer interrogated and inspected her which was allegedly conducted with inadequate privacy and was threatened with ejection from the festival barrister Kylie Nomchong SC told the Supreme Court on Monday which did not comply with legislated safeguards "This is an extraordinary story … but it is not an isolated one," Ms Nomchong said NSW is accused of deploying large numbers of officers to festivals to do strip searches en masse (Samantha Lock/AAP PHOTOS)The state allegedly deployed large numbers of officers to music festivals with the intention of routinely doing strip searches en masse between 2016 and 2022 The directions given were "woefully inadequate" and senior echelons of the force failed to ensure officers were properly trained and supervised expose her genitals and remove a tampon during the search - "akin to things that would happen during a sexual assault," Ms Nomchong told the court The state's conduct in defending the claim had also increased the harm to the lead plaintiff and aggravated damages would be sought the state persisted with hurtful allegations and unjustifiable The state conceded in March she was unlawfully strip-searched but has not accepted fault in relation to more than 3000 others part of the class-action NSW Police acknowledged failures highlighted in a watchdog's audit of strip searches in 2023 (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)The state's barrister Julian Sexton SC told the court there may be limitations on damages and the amount that could be paid A sum of $50,000 sought for exemplary damages could exceed $150 million if applied across the class action participants for what are alleged to be systemic failures rather than individual instances NSW Police blamed a change in priorities during COVID-19 public health orders and restrictions when acknowledging failures highlighted in a watchdog's audit of strip searches in 2023 They included a finding more than half of the officers who carried out strip searches in preceding years had not completed specialist training initially scheduled to be heard over four weeks has been adjourned until May 13 with further written submissions due in the coming days National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Photo: Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOSKEY NARRATIVES TO WATCH FOR IN ROUND 10 OF THE NRL All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueARE PENRITH BACK TO THEIR BEST The Panthers' 32-8 defeat of Brisbane at Magic Round was their most complete performance of a poor season to date Nathan Cleary was at his creative best playing off the back of his physical and defensively enthusiastic teammates but coach Ivan Cleary shrugged at suggestions the four-time reigning premiers were back to their best The Panthers face North Queensland this Saturday Jye Gray and Peter Mamouzelos joined a South Sydney casualty ward now bursting at the seams Wayne Bennett tipped only Latrell Mitchell (suspension) would return for this weekend's clash against Brisbane meaning they'll be without more than 1,000 games of NRL experience Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam has cleared the nine-game suspension he incurred for drug driving so is available for selection in Friday night's clash against Souths The severely understrength Rabbitohs loom as an easy kill to help Mam get his eye in but coach Michael Maguire has not yet made a decision as to whether the five-eighth will return via reserve grade Canberra's golden point win over top-four hopefuls Melbourne improved their record to 7-2 and lifted the Raiders to second place on the ladder they'll face the only side higher on the ladder - Canterbury - for a test of their heavyweight status and could finish the round atop the ladder with a win There's two rounds left for players to push their cases for State of Origin Mitch Moses and Jarome Luai were both strong at Magic Round in pursuit of a NSW halves spot while Tom Dearden and Cam Munster are jostling for the five-eighth position next to Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans Jacob Kiraz and Terrell May are leading contenders for NSW debuts as well Photo: Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOSSEAT COUNT IN 2025 FEDERAL ELECTION All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueSEAT NUMBERS * Labor - 85 seats (+7 from 2022 election) * Independents/Minor parties - 10 seats (-1) with 77.8 per cent of the national tally counted * Melbourne (Vic) - Greens leader Adam Bandt is in danger of losing his seat to Labor challenger Sarah Witty A high number of postal votes are flowing to Labor over the Greens * Kooyong (Vic) - Independent MP Monique Ryan faces a challenge from Liberal Amelia Hamer with the teal leading 50.7 per cent to 49.3 per cent * Bradfield (NSW) - Just 501 votes separate independent challenger Nicolette Boele and the Liberals' Gisele Kapterian in the former safe seat for the coalition * Bullwinkel (WA) - Barely anything splits Labor and the Liberals in the newest WA seat with Labor's Trish Cook leading by just 85 votes over Liberal Matt Moran * Goldstein (Vic) - A razor-thin margin of 95 votes separates leading independent MP Zoe Daniel and Liberal challenger Tim Wilson with the result to come down to preferences * Longman (Qld) - Coalition MP Terry Young is ahead of Labor's Rhiannyn Douglas by a mere 102 votes in a seat previously held by the LNP with a margin of 3.1 per cent * Wills (Vic) - Labor MP Peter Khalil faces a challenge from Greens candidate Samantha Ratnam with the incumbent ahead 51.6 per cent to 48.4 per cent * Ryan (Qld) - A three-way contest has emerged in the Brisbane-based seat between Greens MP Elizabeth Watson-Brown the coalition's Maggie Forrest and Labor's Rebecca Hack but the result will come down to preference flows from the party that finishes third * Fremantle (WA) - A close battle in one of Labor's safest seats with Labor MP Josh Wilson under threat from independent challenger Kate Hulett * Bean (ACT) - The Labor stronghold held by MP David Smith is being challenged by independent Jessie Price who is leading 50.1 per cent to 49.9 per cent for Smith who previously held the seat by more than 12 per cent while admitting he didn't know his opponent Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOSAnthony Albanese has held a "warm and positive conversation" with US President Donald Trump following his decisive election victory All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe two leaders discussed the election outcome as well as tariffs imposed by the US on allies including Australia "I had a very warm and positive conversation with President Trump," Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra "I thanked him for his very warm message of congratulations We talked about AUKUS and tariffs and we'll continue to engage "We will engage with each other on a face-to-face basis at some time in the future .. and I thank him for reaching out in such a positive way "He was fully aware of the (election) outcome and he expressed the desire to continue to work with me in the future." "He's very good," President Donald Trump said of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)It was the third time the leaders have spoken and the first since tariffs of 10 per cent were imposed on all Australian exports to the US The two leaders will come face-to-face at the upcoming G7 meeting in Canada after Mr Albanese was invited to the summit by newly elected Canadian prime minister Mark Carney The phone call comes as Mr Trump praised Mr Albanese after Labor's landslide election win with the US leader not addressing suggestions his presidency contributed to a drop in coalition support Speaking to the media at the White House on Monday Mr Trump said he had a good relationship with Australia's re-elected leader I don't know anything about the election other than the man that won "I have no idea who the other person is that ran against him and you know (Albanese and I) have had a very good relationship." Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sought to distance himself from Trump policies during the campaign (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)Mr Trump did not respond to questions on whether his policies had caused a rethink from voters in Australia on support for the coalition Peter Dutton sought to distance himself from Mr Trump's agenda But the coalition was criticised for attacking the public service and taking inspiration from Mr Trump's 'department of government efficiency' Mr Trump's policies were a key factor in the recent election in Canada which returned its centre-left government and punished the right-wing opposition Mr Albanese and Mr Dutton had campaigned on who would be best placed to deal with the Trump White House following the president's imposition of tariffs on US allies Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOSErin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Heather Wilkinson and Don and Gail Patterson died after eating lunch at Erin Patterson's home (HANDOUT/INTRAWORK BUSINESS SERVICES)Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Ms Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post Simon Patterson finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Ms Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Ms Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Ms Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Simon Patterson said his mother stopped reading messages from Erin after trying to solve a dispute (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue on Tuesday Photo: AP PHOTORussia continues to press its offensive in eastern Ukraine with high intensity with more than 200 clashes in a single day All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueUkraine's General Staff said on Facebook fighting had intensified particularly around the strategic city of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region where Ukrainian forces said they repelled 70 attacks over the course of Sunday The town serves as a key transport hub and Russian forces are reportedly approaching from the east The information could initially not be independently verified Attempts by Russia to break through to the west into the neighbouring industrial area of Dnipropetrovsk have so far been repelled by Ukraine Russia's air defence systems destroyed 26 Ukrainian drones overnight TASS news agency reported on Monday citing Russia's defence ministry data The attacks come despite ongoing diplomatic efforts by the United States to broker a ceasefire between Moscow and Kiev US President Donald Trump recently proposed an unconditional 30-day truce a plan Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy accepted Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected the offer Putin has declared a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire to coincide with the annual Victory Parade on Moscow's Red Square to mark the end of World War II The ceasefire is scheduled to start at midnight Wednesday-Thursday in Moscow and end at midnight Saturday-Sunday Kiev has rejected the limited pause and demanded that the ceasefire be extended to 30 days "The Russians are asking for a ceasefire on May 9 and are themselves firing at Ukraine every day This is cynicism of the highest order," Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram on Sunday Explore more: basqhouse.com.au Tucked in a tiny laneway in the heart of Byron Bay's bustling village centre which opened in June last year with a focus on health and wellness Basq House is the brainchild of Melbourne duo Matt Walsh and Shane Wilkinson The pair have been friends for decades and wanted to create a feeling of "staying at your best friend's place" All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueTHE SETTING One of the best things about Basq House is its location It's within walking distance of Main Beach Clarkes Beach and surfing hotspot The Pass Walk a little further and you'll hit the famed Wategos Beach and Cape Byron walking track to the lighthouse The hotel's chic interiors.You can't enter Basq House without a pass making it feel very exclusive - like a retreat just for you and a privileged few The design of the hotel is inspired by two distinct cultural influences - a Bohemian spirit combined with bold colours and wild brush strokes of Fauvism paintings with a comfortable queen-sized bed with a striking headboard and private balcony there are other rooms at the hotel that offer swimming pool views Inside one of the guestrooms.Peppered around the room I find little treats - an old-fashioned copy of the classic Room amenities include high-definition TVs with Chromecast Mr Smith toiletries and a minibar loaded with local treats - from Soulsome's Cheesy Nuts & Seeds (they were delicious) to Stone & Wood beers The Living Room has an extensive collection of books with low-slung leather sofas and a large open fireplace daybeds and cabanas are where most guests hang out The pool is perfect for relieving stress and soothing sore muscles The hotel's chic interiors.The rooftop has excellent views and spaces for yoga and meditation You'll have access to the hotel's push bikes You can also access the hotel's two vehicles if you want to explore neighbouring towns such as Bangalow or Newrybar Sweat it out in a sauna and "take the waters" in mineral baths The walk along Main Beach to the Pass by sunset was simply breathtaking Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact her on carla.mascarenhas@austcommunitymedia.com.au Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOSA brazen serial groper who preyed upon 18 women in a nightclub has avoided jail time after a judge found his risk of reoffending was low All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueDavid Maria Anthony Rayan was facing up to 10 years in prison but was instead sentenced to a two-year community corrections order on Monday He dodged reporters' questions as he left the Victorian County Court The former PwC IT worker pleaded guilty to 17 charges of sexual assault and one count of attempted sexual assault over the attacks at Revolver Upstairs in Melbourne's inner east CCTV footage from the nightclub showed Rayan groping his victims on the buttocks stroking their backs and kissing them on the arms and shoulders The attacks happened on three separate occasions in September and October 2023 Rayan admitted to police he touched one of the women accidentally but claimed he could not remember the other incidents because he was too drunk Victorian County Court Judge Peter Rozen said he held reservations about those claims as he sentenced Rayan over the "brazen" attacks The attacks occurred at Revolver Upstairs in Melbourne's inner east (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)"Your offending was deliberate and you knew what you were doing," he said The women were entitled to feel safe in the nightclub and the scale of Rayan's crimes was concerning He noted that three victim impact statements were read to the court where the women described their ongoing anxiety and shattered sense of security Judge Rozen also decided Rayan's moral culpability was considerable and said the 34-year-old lacked insight into his offending But the judge accepted the sexual assaults were at the lower end of seriousness given Rayan's victims were adults and the attacks were fleeting The sentencing judge said David Rayan's offending was out of character (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)His risk of reoffending was also low no pending charges and no diagnosed mental health conditions "I accept this offending was out of character for you," the judge said Rayan was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 180 hours of unpaid community work He will also have to complete treatment for alcohol abuse and programs to reduce his risk of reoffending Photo: Pat Hoelscher/AAP PHOTOSMichael Maguire is set for the biggest call of his Brisbane coaching tenure yet as he deliberates whether Ezra Mam will come straight back into a badly-beaten Broncos side for round 10 All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMam was booed by the Suncorp Stadium crowd when shown on the big screens in Brisbane's 32-8 loss to Penrith at Magic Round the last of nine games he missed due to his ban for drug-driving A magistrate told the Broncos playmaker he was lucky not to have killed anyone when he crashed into an Uber containing three people while driving unlicensed and under the influence of cocaine last October was fined $850 and banned from driving for six-months He made a public apology in February and has been training at five-eighth in preparation for an NRL return with the Broncos Maguire said he had not yet considered whether to recall Mam for the Souths game or ease him back through Queensland Cup "I'll go through this game and work out which way we'll go," he said Mam was booed by the Suncorp Stadium crowd after his ban for drug driving Maguire will come face-to-face with a Broncos side whose halves were thoroughly outclassed by Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary at Magic Round Broncos halfback Adam Reynolds admitted he put the Broncos under pressure with stand-in five-eighth Ben Hunt also struggling to halt the Panthers once they were on a roll I obviously didn't have one of the greatest games," Reynolds said "There's a few things I got wrong out there and put the team under a bit of pressure the Broncos would have an attacking livewire eager to write his wrongs But the fifth-placed Broncos have been largely served well by Hunt at five-eighth on a 5-4 start to the season "(Mam) will be ready to play if he was called upon "But he's done everything he possibly can to give himself the opportunity to come into selection." Maguire will consult with Reynolds and senior players as to whether Mam should be selected or whether he may need time playing for feeder side Souths-Logan "There's parts of his game that under repetition he hasn't been able to have I have to make sure he is ready to go," Maguire said "I talk to my leaders all the time about how the team looks and what we're doing and what we're moving towards." Photo: AP PHOTOFormer US vice President Mike Pence has repeatedly invoked the constitution after receiving the John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinuePence received the award for his refusal to endorse President Donald Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election The award recognises Pence "for putting his life and career on the line to ensure the constitutional transfer of presidential power on January 6 Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol chanted that they wanted to "hang Mike Pence" we have to find common ground," Pence said "I hope in some small way my presence here tonight is a reminder that whatever differences we may have as Americans the constitution is the common ground on which we stand "It's what binds us across time and generations His comments came hours after an interview with Trump aired in which he was asked whether US citizens and non-citizens both deserve due process as laid out in the fifth amendment of the constitution I don't know," Trump said when pressed in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker Pence never mentioned Trump during his 10-minute speech but made several references to the Trump administration Referencing what he called "these divided times in these anxious days," he acknowledged that he probably had differences with the Democrats in the room but also with his own Republican Party "on spending tariffs and my belief that America is the leader of the free world and must stand with Ukraine until the Russian invasion is repelled and a just and lasting peace is secured" Trump pressured Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud When a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol some chanted that they wanted to "hang Mike Pence" Pence was whisked away by Secret Service agents narrowly avoiding a confrontation with the rioters "Mike Pence didn't have the courage to do what should have been done to protect our Country and our Constitution giving States a chance to certify a corrected set of facts not the fraudulent or inaccurate ones which they were asked to previously certify," Trump wrote at the time on Twitter as rioters moved through the Capitol and Pence was in hiding with his family aides and security detail inside the building Pence rejected Secret Service advice that he leave the Capitol staying to continue the ceremonial election certification of Democrat Joe Biden's presidential victory once rioters were cleared Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOSTeal independents Monique Ryan and Zoe Daniel are clinging on in their election races after strong postal returns for the Liberals All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueDr Ryan's margin over Liberal candidate Amelia Hamer in the high-profile seat in Melbourne's leafy inner east has shrunk to 1891 votes following postal returns The former paediatric neurologist declared victory on Saturday night with her husband holding up a "Kooyong we did it!" sign before she addressed supporters But Dr Ryan said she no longer felt safe in the contest declaring the outcome was a "50-50" proposition in (election analyst) Antony Green we trusted," she told ABC Radio Melbourne on Monday morning "But postal votes have been very much pro the conservative side so I think at this point Kooyong is very much in the air Independent candidate Zoe Daniel is fighting to retain her seat as postal votes are counted (Diego Fedele/AAP PHOTOS)Ms Daniel's lead over Liberal candidate Tim Wilson has dwindled to fewer than 100 votes after postal returns The former journalist said on Sunday it would take days for the result to be confirmed If Mr Wilson or Ms Hamer are able to turn the tables on the teals they're likely to be the Liberal's only federal representatives in metropolitan Melbourne Liberal frontbencher Michael Sukkar has lost his ultra marginal seat of Deakin with Menzies too close to call as up-and-coming MP Keith Wolahan narrows Labor's lead Aaron Violi is projected to hold onto the neighbouring seat of Casey after trailing Labor's Naomi Oakley on the night but fellow Liberal Zoe McKenzie's battle with independent Ben Smith is too close to call who survived a primary vote swing of five per cent against him said the Liberals "double trouble" attack on Anthony Albanese and Premier Jacinta Allan failed to land with voters "It just didn't cut through at all," he said Labor's Sarah Whitty is ahead of Greens leader Adam Bandt in Melbourne and long-time Labor MP Peter Khalil leads Wills over the Greens former state leader Samantha Ratnam But Lisa Chester's race with Nationals candidate Andrew Lethlean in Bendigo Ms Allan claimed credit for Labor's stunning result in Victoria when speaking to reporters on Sunday declaring it wasn't in spite of her government's work but because of it Deputy Prime Minster Richard Marles wasn't so sure suggesting people voted on federal issues and the choice between Mr Albanese and Peter Dutton "I was confident in the context of Victoria .. that as we got closer to the election people would ultimately see that that was the choice," he said Former Liberal strategist turned pollster Tony Barry led off recriminations of the party on election night calling the state branch a "broken institution" He noted state Liberal leader Brad Battin promoted outspoken MP Moira Deeming to become his "representative to the western suburbs" during the campaign as she continues to pursue former leader John Pesutto for legal costs following her defamation trial win Graham Seaman visits the Armidale Library most days and says they are an invaluable community asset He is looking forward to the 2025 live and live and local you'll most likely find Graham Seaman down at the public library deep diving into the endless universe of available resources "My favourite genre would be Australian playwriting "I did a paper for a conference on Deborah Oswald and her play called 'Gary's House.' "It's a wonderful play with mythical underpinnings Mr Seaman said he regularly uses the computers to check my emails and research "There's also an incredible collection of DVD's I'm into classics like Donald O'Connor films Mr Seaman moved to Armidale from Sydney about five years ago and walks to the library "It's a wonderful service the council provides The librarians here are all very knowledgeable and always happy to help and answer any questions I have." Mr Seaman will be back in the front row for the live stream of the Sydney Writers' Festival called the 'live and local,' which is a live stream directly into the library giving the audience a chance to interact with some of their favourite authors The event in Armidale is extremely popular, and Mr Seaman said he can understand why. "I'm really looking forward to hearing from Helen Garner. There's also a talk by the writer of the 'Book Thief,' Markus Zusak, that's with Richard Glover, "A.C Grayling will be incredibly interesting also, really looking forward to that one. "They always have a great selection of writers at the Sydney Writers Festival, and I really appreciate the chance to ask questions of them during the live stream. "I'd really like to ask Helen Garner or Zusak about their writing process, and where they get some if their ideas from and things like that," he said. Sydney Writers' Festival Artistic Director Anne Mossop said the Live and Local programming has proven immensely popular for regional towns all around the country. "We've been doing live and Local for many years now. "The thinking behind it is really that we're putting together this amazing festival. "We're bringing together all these writers from all around Australia and from around the world and taking the opportunity to make them available across Australia, not just people who can be there in Sydney. "It's a really fantastic thing for us. The way it works is that all kinds of organisations, libraries, community centres and performing arts centres will take the live stream from the festival and so get to share with their local community. "The technology allows for interaction, which is the key thing that makes the concept so appealing now. "If you want to see video of some of these authors, you can see it on any video sharing site, but there's something very different about it being a live experience and wholly interactive." NBN News can reveal the Armidale Business Chamber WILL return by the end of the year. Some of the region’s biggest leaders, today backing the initiative at a Regional Chamber Forum. All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinuePreviously held in the Central West area of NSW, this is the first time that it has ventured out of that area and is capped at 150 cars. Tom Raven from Griffith with a 1929-56 Dodge sedan. Picture by Heath ForsythThe rally occurs over three days, with visitors looking to tour as many of the district's attractions as can be fitted in. "We currently have 120 motor cars entered and are catering for 250 people," said tour manager Mark Wittig. "That's close to what we had last year in Orange. It's exciting to be bringing the Autumn tour to the New England area. "It's always been held in the Central West, but two years ago we were asked if the specialist car club could organise it here in Armidale. "It keeps things interesting, moving the event around, and given the wonderful autumn colours of New England, well, this is as special as it gets. "We have an immense amount of people coming from QLD and Victoria, so looking forward to seeing vehicles I have never seen before," said Mr Wittig. The tour concludes with a dinner at the Armidale Bowling Club for about 300 people. Additionally, the National Trust of NSW supports the rally, and it is through the trust that the public is encouraged to participate by visiting the many sites where the cars are on display (as seen below). If you want to see the cars, they will be at the Armidale Jockey Club on Saturday from 8:30 to 10am, and at the Uralla Showgrounds on Saturday between 10:30am and 11am. View +14 PhotosWhere to see the cars Friday, May 2: 10am departure - Racecourse (Barney Street). 11am - 4pm - Chandler School (Waterfall Way, Wollomombi). Saturday, May 3: 10am drive to Uralla Showground. 11am - drive to Deeargee and Gostwyck Chapel (Gostwyck Road, Uralla). 12.30pm - Lunch at Central School (24 Park Street, Uralla). 1.30 - 4pm - Bridge Street, Uralla. Sunday, May 4: 10am - vehicles will commence departing Racecourse (Barney Street) for home. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening Test your skills with interactive crosswords Don’t miss any of the important stories from around the region. Subscribe to our email list. Sign up to get daily news updates so you don't miss a thing. Thanks! You have been added to our mailing list. An independent news site based in New England, NSW, Australia In an exciting coup for the Tasmanian breeding industry, Armidale Stud have secured the dual juvenile Group-winning colt Bodyguard (I Am Invincible) and he will stand for an introductory fee of $8,800 (inc GST) in 2025.  A $1.6 million yearling purchase for James Harron, Bodyguard, under the care of Peter and Paul Snowden, was an impressive two-length winner in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on debut at Flemington in October, and went on to win the Blue Diamond Prelude (Gr 3, 1100m) at his next start.  Managing Director David Whishaw, whose grandfather, the late David Whishaw, began the thoroughbred breeding operation in the 1960s, said they had searched for the right fit for the farm and the Tasmanian breeding industry, and he is confident Bodyguard has the correct profile.   “We’re tickled pink to be able to get him as part of our Armidale family.” Whishaw told ANZ Bloodstock News. “We’ve been on the lookout for a new stallion for several years now and just haven’t felt we’ve found a horse that would do the job that we wanted, and that we could believe in, until we were able to secure him. And I guess when you’ve sat and waited for a few years, you get bloody excited when you can get a horse like him as part of your farm.” 
 When asked what stood out about Bodyguard, Whishaw cites the colt’s precocity, looks and physique, pedigree and racing ability.  Described by Peter Snowden as ‘the best-looking horse I have ever been associated with’, Bodyguard also has the pedigree to match. Bred by the elite nursery of Emirates Park, he is by Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible out of Tumooh (Fastnet Rock), whose dam is Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Mossfun (Mossman).   “[He is] the whole package. We have been looking for a stallion that’s got some precocity and early speed. We know the market is so focussed on that at the moment. We’ve got two, more Classic, middle distance stallions on our roster in Needs Further and Alpine Eagle, so we needed a stallion that would complement them, and we were looking for an early speed horse. But we were also looking for an outstanding physical. 
 “We breed to sell as a family, and we know the yearling sale market is so focussed on speed and type, and he was just such an outstanding individual when we saw him. He’s a gorgeous looking horse, so strong, got a great shoulder, awesome hind quarter and a great head. So his type certainly caught us as well. “We wanted a pedigree that would suit our mares down here, but then also our pedigree people could relate to. Being by I Am Invincible, who is a multiple champion, out of a Fastnet Rock mare who was out of a Golden Slipper winner, his pedigree is just so relatable. Anyone in Australia can get attracted to his pedigree.  “It was a combination of those three things and then enough racetrack performance that we knew he had genuine ability. He was a precocious two-year-old, he won the first Listed [juvenile] race in Victoria, went on to win the Blue Diamond Prelude. He had enough racing ability to know he was a serious racehorse and had a genuine excuse for finishing racing.” With all that in mind, Whishaw believes Bodyguard is ‘outstanding value’ at $8,800.  “We’ve tried to price him where breeders can afford to breed to him and get a return. If he leaves types like himself, with the racetrack performance that he showed, hopefully he’ll only grow from there. I really do believe he could be that next life changing stallion for us.” With the Tasmanian breeding industry facing a number of challenges in recent years, Whishaw, a third generation Tasmanian breeder, is hopeful that Armidale’s investment in a new stallion can inject some confidence into the industry and give breeders a much needed boost.  “The mare spread in Tasmania has declined significantly over the last few years. I think the mare spread in Tassie last year was down 40 per cent. I think that’s a reflection of a whole lot of things,” Whishaw said. “Sadly, there’s been some major confidence hits in our local racing industry, we had issues with our integrity department, the state’s been needing a new stallion, our sales have been tough. So I think there’s a whole lot of factors that have led to the decline in broodmare numbers, but I hope this will be a real vote of confidence for our local breeders. 
 “We hope that we see some of our local breeders go and invest in new mares to send to him, he is an exciting young stallion with a heap of upside. We hope it will stimulate some economic activity in our local breeding industry and hopefully that’ll flow through to our local Magic Millions sale, and in time, our local two-year-old and three-year-old fields.” Bodyguard will join Armidale residents Needs Further (Encosta de Lago) and Alpine Eagle (High Chaparral), who stand at unchanged fees of $5,500 and $4,400 respectively. “I think he goes from strength to strength,” Whishaw said of Needs Further.  “He’s an outstanding stallion. 
He’s been our leading sire down here on numerous occasions and nearly year in year out, he is our leading juvenile sire. He’s had two impressive stakes winners this year in Durazzo and Zany Girl. I think he offers outstanding value. He’s obviously from a beautiful family, from Zabeel’s family. He’s easy to breed too. We’ve been blessed. I think he’s been wonderful for our business and for the Tassie breeding industry.” 
 Of Alpine Eagle, Whishaw said: “I think he’s arguably our most versatile stallion in Tassie. He’s had two two-year-old stakes horses, and he’s recently had a Melbourne Cup runner, so he can get everything from a two-year-old sprinter to a 3200-metre horse. He’s a great breed to race stallion and he’s been our leading sire down here the last three seasons, and I think that’ll continue again this year.”  We use cookies to improve your online experience. By continuing to use our website we assume you are happy to allow use of these cookies. Cookies that are primarily for advertising purposes These are used to track user interaction and detect potential problems. These help us improve our services by providing analytical data on how users use this site. writer and academic Kieran Pender was this year's Armidale Sanctuary Human rights lecture presenter writer and academic Kieran Pender was this year's Armidale Sanctuary Human Rights Lecture presenter the event taking place at the Armidale Playhouse on May 1 All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueBased in Canberra Mr Pender is an associate legal director at the Human Rights Law Centre where he leads the Whistleblower Project - Australia's first specialist legal service to help whistleblowers expose government and corporate wrongdoing He is also an honorary senior lecturer at the ANU College of Law Governance and Policy and an award-winning writer with Guardian Australia The Armidale Express caught up with Mr Pender a few hours before his lecture the topic of conversation being the importance of political transparency to our democracy "There is a secrecy crisis facing Australia at the moment," said Mr Pender, whose work has featured in the New York Times, The Canberra Times "Tonight at the lecture we'll be talking about transparency and given that there is a federal election this Saturday "The election is such a vivid demonstration of the importance of transparency for Australians to be able to make an informed decision at the ballot box "Without an open and transparent government we don't know what government is doing in our name "That's why issues of transparency and integrity are so important we've had our laws and our systems and our institutions failing to uphold these principles that are at the heart of our democracy and conversely "We're in such a precarious era of climate change of the rise of misinformation and democratic backsliding all around the world "We only have to look to what's happening in the United States right now to see in very real time what happens when a government is no longer kept in check by these systems This year's Armidale Sanctuary lecture will be the 19th Human Rights Lecture, which in the past has featured the likes of Michael Kirby, Elijah Buol, OAM and Rev Tim Costello. According to Mr Pender, there is a growing awareness surrounding the issues of the lack of political and governmental transparency, and he said there are solutions at hand, but there needs to be the appropriate political will for them to occur. "The good news is that the public cares about these things "We've done polling at the Human Rights Law Centre with some of our partners over the years that shows really high support for whistleblowers, for transparency, for integrity in our political system, for law reform, for policy reform that makes those principles actually work in practice. "We're talking 80- 85 per cent of Australians across the entire political spectrum want more transparent and accountable government," said Mr Pender. "We're seeing, you know, how salient these issues are politically, the establishment of the National Anti-corruption Commission, the push for stronger whistleblowing laws, and a push against secrecy. With so many pressing, imperative issues on the table facing Australians in 2025 such as cost of living crisis, climatic change and energy insecurity, Mr Pender said political transparency may seem like abstract ideas to some, but flagged the example of the whistle blowers that sparked the banking crisis in the 2010's to demonstrate the importance of whistle blowers, and political pellucidity and how it effects all Australians. "Without those people coming forward who suffered an enormous toll for what they did, every Australian with a bank account would be worse off," said Mr Pender. "I think of some of the whistleblowers that have exposed other really significant wrongdoing, whether it's war crimes in Afghanistan, whether it's wrongdoing at the tax office, whether it's big companies doing bad things, Australians' lives are touched every day by some of that corporate and government wrongdoing. "It matters to us being able to make informed electoral decisions. "The ability of government to deliver for Australians is shaped by integrity and accountability, and the best way to get integrity and accountability is through transparency and knowing that if you do something wrong, someone's gonna speak up about it." Photo: Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOSGWS coach Adam Kingsley admits Jake Stringer could spend more time on the bench after opting to use the star forward as a substitute against Sydney All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueIn his 13th AFL season Stringer started as a sub for the first time and kicked three goals as the Giants went down by 14 points at the SCG Kingsley said he had started Stringer on the bench in a bid to help the former Essendon spearhead increase his fitness Stringer had been kept goalless in last round's defeat to the Western Bulldogs after playing with sickness He had been dogged by illness in the pre-season missing two simulation matches before a hamstring strain forced him out of the first two home-and-away rounds "Ever since he got quite crook a week and a half before the opening round (his preparation) has just been a bit patchy," Kingsley said "He got crook again last week and played crook (against the Bulldogs) and so I made an error of judgment there "We need to get some work into him to get him near his best "If that means he misses a week and we use that extra week to train him and get some work into him Stringer replaced Toby Bedford after the star tagger was caught high by Sydney defender Lewis Melican Melican will face scrutiny after Bedford was forced out of the game with blurred vision Kingsley said Bedford did not suffer a concussion which was obviously quite disappointing for us," Kingsley said "He'd started on (Isaac) Heeney and didn't start particularly well but he'd shifted to (Chad) Warner after probably five minutes of that quarter and was doing a really good job "I don't think Warner had touched the ball and maybe had one for the remainder of the quarter - no doubt it was certainly a little bit crippling for us "When it's a really important player to the way that you play structurally Photo: AP PHOTOJapan and China have accused each other of violating the airspace around the Japanese-controlled East China Sea islands All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe latest territorial flap came as both appeared to have warmer ties while seeking to mitigate damages from the US tariff war Japan's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it lodged a "very severe protest" with Beijing after a Chinese helicopter took off from one of China's four coast guard boats which had entered Japan's territorial waters around the Senkaku islands The ministry said the helicopter violated Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday The statement called the incident an: "intrusion .. into Japan's territorial airspace" and urged the Chinese government to ensure preventive measures Japan's Self-Defence Force scrambled fighter jets in response China also protested to Tokyo over a Japanese civilian aircraft violating its airspace around the islands saying it was "strongly dissatisfied" about Japan's "severe violation of China's sovereignty," according to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Japan late Saturday China Coast Guard said it "immediately took necessary control measures against it in accordance with the law" and dispatched a ship-borne helicopter to warn and drive away the Japanese aircraft Japanese officials are investigating a possible connection between the Chinese coast guard helicopter's airspace intrusion and the small Japanese civilian aircraft flying in the area around the same time The intrusion was the first by China since a Chinese aircraft violated Japanese airspace in August (AP PHOTO)China routinely sends coast guard vessels and aircraft into waters and airspace surrounding the islands forcing Japan to quickly mobilise its jets Saturday's intrusion was the first by China since a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft violated the Japanese airspace off the southern prefecture of Nagasaki in August Chinese aircraft have also violated the Japanese airspace around the Senkaku twice in the past All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMany put it down to a switch-over time for junior weekend sports but campaigners said otherwise the flow of people had been quite steady across the morning to lunch time View +6 PhotosBooths with the democracy sausage at Armidale City Public School and Drummond Memorial School were perhaps a little more popular than some others while a CWA bake sale satisfied the appetite of many choosing to vote at town hall Campaigners said the mood had been "steady and polite" as people passed through the gates and welcomed or denied 'how-to-vote' cards Similar to previous elections there was a trend towards pre-polling and some had heard figures that around 10,000 people had taken up the option of putting in their ballot ahead of May 3 With a number of further mail-in ballots it left around the same number to make their vote count on the day but a good spread of polling booths kept queues to a minimum Counting will start in earnest at 6pm once voting booths close I am passionate about amplifying people's stories and trying to do them justice in the written word. I find pressure washing videos soothing. email me jacob.mcmaster@austcommunitymedia.com.au or 0406 212 845. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy. each nervously hoped an exhausting five weeks of interviews doorstops and worksite visits would pay dividends at the ballot box All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueFailure would probably mean the end of a long political career - 29 years for the PM and 23 for the Liberal leader But only one man could look in the mirror and genuinely say to himself "I ran a good campaign and did all I could to maximise our vote" A welter of late opinion surveys and some less scientific exit polls suggested it was Dutton who faced the chill winds of rejection from voters The Queenslander had led insisted on a suburban strategy after getting a dream inside run to the leadership after Scott Morrison's disastrous 2022 ouster Morrison's defeat was so comprehensive it saw six blue-ribbon Liberal strongholds fall to "teal" community independents among 19 seats to go overall Dutton placed little importance on regaining them regarding the affluent inner-urban seats as best left to the teal One of those losses removed then treasurer Josh Frydenberg from the parliament - a more moderate figure who would have given Dutton a run for his money in any leadership contest Liberals were already grumbling as the election neared about Dutton's bungled campaign which was widely panned as too little too late One frustrated party loyalist called the Dutton campaign "embarrassing" and described a "betrayal of thousands of hardworking Liberals" who were left on doorsteps and polling places defending daily backflips Attention was already turning to what to do now amid a widely expected challenge by the NSW-based MP and shadow treasurer Angus Taylor who has long been touted as a future Liberal leader Taylor is well-regarded but also has plenty of detractors Also mentioned has been a possible leadership ticket featuring the WA-based defence spokesperson Andrew Hastie and current deputy Sussan Ley - a pairing that might attract support for its east-west Opposition Leader Peter Dutton should have stayed on track with cost of living messaging. Picture Getty ImagesAnother expected contender is the regional Victorian MP, Dan Tehan who first has to survive a spirited challenge by an independent in his electorate of Wannon Knives were being sharpened for Dutton even before the final result was knowable after he left key policy decisions too late to make a difference and made several tactical blunders These included opposing Labor's tax cuts, backing (before dropping) a ban on working from home Privately, Liberals also criticised Dutton's culture war forays on the school curriculum and welcome-to-country ceremonies instead of sticking rigidly to cost-of-living pressures Mark Kenny is The Canberra Times' political analyst and a professor at the ANU's Australian Studies Institute. He hosts the Democracy Sausage podcast. He writes a column every Sunday. Photo: Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOSRising star Darcy Jones is drawing inspiration from reigning premiers Brisbane as GWS look to end their early-season form slump with a derby win All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe Giants are 4-3 and risk damaging their top-four ambitions if they again give up bragging rights to Sydney at the SCG on Sunday While Jones admits back-to-back defeats have sent his sixth-placed side slightly spiralling the small forward says pointing to Brisbane's run to the 2024 AFL flag has helped them refocus The Lions were 13th (2-5) heading into round eight last year and only made it into the top eight in round 16 after overcoming a spate of injuries Darcy Jones can't wait to tackle the Swans (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS)"It's not the end of the world - in our minds so we just need to stay positive," Jones told AAP "I look back at Brisbane last year - they were not in a very good stage this time of year I said as soon as I got on the bus in Canberra after the Bulldogs game .. "And what better game to win than against the Swans We'll be ready to get one on the board again." Sydney defender Lewis Melican says it's the same story across the city with last year's beaten grand finalists also bent on resuscitating their season are 14th (2-5) and on a three-game losing streak Sydney at least have recent derby history on their side having won their past four meetings with GWS we'll reach a stage where it might be too far to come back from so we've got to start playing the footy we want to play soon," Melican told AAP "I wouldn't really say there's much of a grace period (adjusting under Cox) "We just need to really knuckle down because he's (Cox) had a pretty clear mindset that he wants to be a defence-first team we probably haven't been able to do that the way we want to and the scoreboard's been showing it." dropping forward Tom Hanily and back-up ruck Peter Ladhams while defender Ben Paton is out with a calf injury Fellow defender Sam Wicks returns from his own calf injury alongside midfielder Angus Sheldrick and defender Joel Hamling Josh Kelly (hip) and Conor Stone (omitted) out of the side Giants rookie and Western Sydney local Josaia Delana will make his AFL debut joined by fellow forward Callum Brown and defender Joe Fonti Photo: AP PHOTOThe South Texas home of Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket company is now an official city with a galactic name: Starbase All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueA vote on Saturday to formally make Starbase a city was approved by a lopsided margin among the small group of voters who live there who are mostly Musk's employees at SpaceX The tally was 212 in favour to six against according to results published online by the Cameron County Elections Department Musk celebrated in a post on his social platform Starbase is the facility and launch site for the SpaceX rocket program that is under contract with the Department of Defense and NASA that hopes to send astronauts back to the moon and someday to Mars The election victory was personal for Musk The billionaire's popularity has diminished since he became the chain-saw-wielding public face of President Donald Trump's federal job and spending cuts and profits at his Tesla car company have plummeted SpaceX has generally drawn widespread support from local officials for its jobs and investment but the creation of an official company town has also drawn critics who worry it will expand Musk's personal control over the area with potential authority to close a popular beach and state park for launches SpaceX is also asking federal authorities for permission to increase the number of launches from five to 25 a year The city at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border is only about four kilometres and SpaceX officials have said little about why they to want a company town (AP PHOTO)"We need the ability to grow Starbase as a community," Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote to local officials in 2024 with the request to get the city issue on the ballot The letter said the company already manages roads and utilities as well as "the provisions of schooling and medical care" for those living on the property SpaceX officials have told lawmakers that granting the city authority to close the beach would streamline launch operations and even just moving certain equipment around the launch base requires the closure of a local highway and access to Boca Chica State Park and Boca Chica Beach Critics say beach closure authority should stay with the county government which represents a broader population that uses the beach and park Another proposed bill would make it a Class B misdemeanour with up to 180 days in jail if someone doesn't comply with an order to evacuate the beach The South Texas Environmental Justice Network which has organised protests against the city vote and the beach access issue held another demonstration Saturday that attracted dozens of people Photo: Steven Markham/AAP PHOTOSLachlan Ilias is low on confidence after some poor performances but coach Shane Flanagan says the axed St George Illawarra halfback is too good to not wear the No.7 again All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueIlias was not the only one to blame for the Dragons' damaging 46-18 loss to Sydney Roosters on Anzac Day but a change needed to be made to allow him to find some form A shortened pre-season was one of the reasons Flanagan gave for Ilias being short on belief to start the year; Ilias was still recovering from a serious leg fracture when he signed for the Dragons But the coach is confident we haven't seen the last of Ilias in the Red V's first-grade team adding the former South Sydney playmaker's positive approach will boost his quest to return to the starting side and he just needs to go and find a little bit of form and a bit of confidence," Flanagan said ahead of the Dragons' Magic Round clash with Wests Tigers on Saturday night no one wants to get dropped but he'll go back and work hard and we'll see him again." Multiple Dragons underperformed in the Anzac Day thumping; Flanagan hinted some of Ilias' teammates could consider themselves lucky to have held their spots Lachlan Ilias will need to regain form and confidence to earn a recall (Mark Evans/AAP PHOTOS)"He (Ilias) was one of many that didn't turn up that day I just felt that we needed a change," he said whether it's the right way or the wrong way Ilias' replacement at halfback is 19-year-old Lyhkan King-Togia whom Flanagan backed to show composure beyond his years in his return to first grade who played four NRL games at the end of 2024 announced a two-year contract extension with the Dragons on Tuesday Flanagan said the new deal would not put any more pressure on the young half than he faced when called up late last year doesn't get over-excited or show any frustration and he'll handle it really well," Flanagan said "We had to win footy games to make the finals last year and you wouldn't have seen any change in Lyhkan's temperament or demeanour going into those games The coach has big plans for the incoming halfback and believes he could be the young playmaker of the future the Dragons have been searching for and we've got one we think can take us a little bit further," he said All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueBut sometimes, amid the noise, one issue stands out as the tipping point. For the Liberal Party in 2025, that issue was nuclear energy and someone who wants the Liberal Party to win The nuclear policy wasn't just a distraction it was a political liability that shifted marginal voters We must be honest about that if we want to rebuild surveying over 5000 voters in 12 marginal electorates found that 50.6 per cent of undecided voters were less likely to vote for the Coalition because of the nuclear policy Just 31.6 per cent said it made them more likely the same research showed that if the Coalition dropped its nuclear plan it would have increased its primary vote by 2.8 per cent it's the difference between forming government and falling short It was plain to see that pushing nuclear energy wasn't going to help Peter Dutton's cause Pictuyre Getty ImagesA RedBridge poll on the easter weekend found the same Kos Samaras' analysis is correct: "[Labor have] successfully been able to basically build a narrative that Peter Dutton is going to build these nuclear reactors with money that he's going to harvest via cuts ..." What senior members of the party need to understand is voters unequivocally rejected the nuclear policy The lack of clarity turned a hypothetical energy debate into countless localised fear campaigns People didn't hear "zero emissions baseload." They heard "reactor in your suburb." And when asked for detail, Coalition spokespeople offered little more than deflections The nuclear policy is more than just bad politics and handed control to bureaucrats and regulators The party of Howard and Costello prided itself on fiscal responsibility At the very moment we were criticising Labor's spending we proposed one of the most expensive infrastructure interventions in a generation And all of this was while we opposed middle-income tax cuts the Coalition had real opportunities: inflation These are the issues that keep families awake at night speculative policy with limited popular support; a small Former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called the policy "Trump-like" and "a really bad idea." "No private sector energy company would contemplate undertaking nuclear generation in Australia," he said bluntly Even Queensland Liberal Premier David Crisafulli has made it clear that nuclear energy had no place in his state's energy future and Victorian Liberal leader Brad Battin has consistently distanced himself from the policy And this election showed clearly that we did not bring voters with us We didn't lose because we weren't ideological enough unpopular energy plan during a cost-of-living crisis and expected voters to trust us The Liberal Party must look and sound like a credible and centrist party of government That means offering policies that are grounded not ones that feel like back-of-the-envelope press releases I'm personally not opposed to nuclear power in principle But the unfortunate reality is that it is politically toxic And it helped Labor change the topic away from their own failings Photo: Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOSGWS coach Adam Kingsley believes patience is key when judging the contribution of key forwards Aaron Cadman and Jake Stringer All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueStringer was held goalless in their 32-point loss to the Western Bulldogs with Jesse Hogan leading the Giants with 17 from just four matches While conceding the heat was on all his players leading into Sunday's derby against Sydney Kingsley insisted Cadman and Stringer weren't underperforming "I've been really liking Aaron Cadman's game I think he's presenting as good as anyone," Kingsley said on Friday "He's hard to play on so I've been liking his games particularly "The reality is those guys have played three or four games together in total with Jesse (Hogan) and Toby Greene "We need to be a little bit more patient with those guys It's not just going to be a click of the fingers and it's all sweet." Kingsley's Sydney counterpart Dean Cox faces similar issues in attack following the forced absences of Tom Papley (heel) and Joel Amartey (hamstring) Key forward Will Hayward looms as the likely figure to spearhead the Swans leading his side with 10 goals from seven games "We need Will and we need Hayden McLean .. we need them to take control of their area," Cox said "It's the middle tier players that we need to perform at a level "That's one thing that we've mentioned to them already without small forward Brent Daniels and veteran Stephen Coniglio have lost vice-captain Josh Kelly to a hip complaint Josh Kelly has been ruled out of the Giants side to play Sydney with a hip injury faces at least three weeks on the sidelines but Kingsley admits the timeline is not definite "It's just got to a point where it's not allowing him to perform to where he wants to perform," Kingsley said "We'd rather intervene right now and fix it than have it linger but we'll bring him back when he's ready." Photo: Sarah Rhodes/AAP PHOTOSCome down for air All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueLong admired for its fresh air the island state has been officially recognised for its sustainability credentials The city of Launceston has been named the national winner of Keep Australia Beautiful's Tidy Towns Award The honour recognises sustainability efforts in regional and rural Australia environmental innovation and community engagement Launceston has been lauded for its environmental and social works (Sarah Rhodes/AAP PHOTOS)Launceston was announced the winner at a ceremony in Beechworth "This award isn't just about one town - it's a celebration of every community working to build a cleaner kinder future and we're proud to support that mission," Keep Australia Beautiful's chief executive Val Southam said the Tidy Towns Awards show the best of regional Australia - not just in sustainability but in spirit "These winners show that when locals come together with purpose Ikuntji in the Northern Territory and the Pilbara towns of Port Hedland and South Hedland in Western Australia were the other finalists Launceston's Rocherlea Action Project was singled out for its community work 1.7 tonnes of waste and three tonnes of scrap metal from the region The volunteer group brings residents together for regular clean-up days barbecue breakfasts and children's activities to foster connection Launceston has previously been named Australia's town of the year and most livable regional city (Sarah Rhodes/AAP PHOTOS)More than 4000 volunteers were involved in community environmental heritage and cultural projects across the six finalist cities and towns "Regional towns are stepping up in powerful ways," Ms Southam said "They're not just protecting their environments - they're showing what's possible when resilience purpose and local leadership come together for a better future." During earlier rounds of Tidy Towns voting mayor Matthew Garwood hailed the recognition of Launceston's environmental and social initiatives as an "incredible honour" "This Council is committed to doing whatever we can to help ensure our beautiful region is protected now and into the future," he said "I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated staff who've worked so hard to make these projects what they are and Keep Australia Beautiful for recognising us in this way." reportedly spreading metal debris along more than 20 kilometres of roadway All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueA truck lost a load of scrap metal around 5am this morning leaving debris along the M1 Pacific Motorway southbound from Ourimbah Picture NSW Live TrafficThe motorway has been closed southbound between Ourimbah and Mount White since 5am on May 2 tow trucks and sweepers have been sent to the scene to help with the clean-up and aid drivers who had tyres shredded by the metal debris A spokesman for Transport NSW confirmed the truck "lost very small parts of scrap metal" The back door opened and distributed metal along the road "Hundreds of vehicles have had their tyres punctured by this metal so there is no use changing one tyre because three or four have gone The problem with this metal is it's really fine and small particles Pacific Motorway closed after lost metal load shredded hundreds of tyresHamilton South man Matthew Waddell was on his way to Sydney for work meetings when he was caught up in the chaos at 6am "As I was driving I saw at least 20 cars pulled over with flats and the warning sign was on the highway but I had no idea how bad it was," he told ACM's Newcastle Herald The emergency crews were brilliant but estimated over 200 cars had punctures at that stage "I had to turn around as there was no way I'd make it to Sydney for my meeting without at least one more puncture Lost a day of meetings in Sydney and now have to pay for two new tyres "By the time the emergency response changed my tyre the road was closed and traffic backed up around 10 kilometres." The truck company has sent sweepers and a magnetic device to pick up the metal particles but the closures are expected to remain in place for some time Transport for NSW thanked drivers for staying safe and abiding by road diversions Commuters should use the Pacific Highway from Ourimbah and allow plenty of extra travel time This diversion is not suitable for B-Doubles Anyone who drove through the area from 5am onwards is also advised to inspect their tyres in case the metal particles were picked up by their vehicle To follow this incident, visit Live Traffic at https://www.livetraffic.com/incident-details/233250 Share your story in an email to us at news@newcastleherald.com.au Jessica began her journalism career in 2009 as a cadet at The Port Stephens Examiner before moving to London for a two-year stint working in magazines and digital publishing. The Lake Macquarie local returned to Australia where she took up a reporting role at The Maitland Mercury. She worked across several rounds including local council, police and property before moving into digital journalism and joining the team at The Newcastle Herald in 2017. Photo: James Ross/AAP PHOTOSEssendon forward Harrison Jones says his horrific-looking ankle/foot injury has turned out better than first feared but it remains to be seen how long he'll be out of action All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueJones Jordan Ridley (hamstring) and Jade Gresham (adductor) were injured on Thursday night in a costly 9.11 (65) to 9.8 (62) victory for the Bombers over North Melbourne The Kangaroos were also left counting the cost with defender Jackson Archer set to miss some eight weeks with a high grade left hamstring strain Jones was taken off on a stretcher and taken to hospital following an awkward landing that put his left ankle at a horror angle Essendon confirmed on Friday night that Jones had suffered a minor fracture in the base of his foot but would not require surgery The 24-year-old was in good spirits when he briefly spoke to the media earlier on Friday to give an update on his situation It's a lot better than it could have been," Jones told reporters I sort of looked down and saw my foot was the other way Jordan Ridley was another Essendon player to be hurt (Michael Errey/AAP PHOTOS)Ridley has had a roller-coaster career with quad and left hamstring injuries but he has also avoided the need for surgery Gresham suffered a low-grade adductor strain and will miss next week's match against Sydney Defender Zach Reid was understandably flat despite the win it doesn't feel like a win in here because of the injuries," Reid told AAP "The first 48 hours is pretty tough and Harry's my housemate "He just headed off to hospital but I'll get around him." Essendon are already without Sam Draper (achilles) Nick Bryan (ACL) and Tom Edwards (ACL) through season-ending injuries Essendon coach Brad Scott has told his team they're facing a test of character (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)"It's just another test of character," Essendon coach Brad Scott said the hard thing's to measure the intangibles and character's one of those and resilience is another one - and character and resilience really only reveal themselves under adversity and we get an opportunity to stand up again under a bit of pressure "We've had quite a few players in our emergencies multiple weeks in a row Scott can also feel comfortable in skipper Zach Merrett leading the Bombers forward after another best-afield showing "He reminds me so much of Nathan Buckley in his will to win "The other part of his game that has developed enormously is his leadership "He's always been a very good player at AFL level All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinuePundits had predicted a swing against incumbent Mr Joyce as the tally started to roll in from 6pm on Saturday with just around 15,000 votes remaining to count as of 7am on Sunday Mr Joyce has benefitted from a two per cent swing away from Labor candidate Laura Hughes New England is a division that has shifted borders for this election with almost 20,000 additional voters inside the new boundary which some pundits thought could have contributed to a shift away from the historic safety held by the Nationals A little more than 105,000 votes have been counted Mr Joyce has secured about 52 per cent of the votes to lead 67 per cent to 33 on a two-party preferred basis One Nation candidate Brent Larkham has also garnered 10,000 primary votes indicating a five per cent upswing for Pauline Hanson's party in the region View +4 PhotosVast swathes of people pre-polled in line with other electorates There is one fewer candidate this time around but Independent Natasha Ledger previously appeared on the ballot alongside Ms Hughes and Mr Joyce Former Greens candidate Carol Sparks and Independent Matt Sharpham each secured about 7500 primary votes previously while Wendy Wales steps into the shoes as Greens contender Mr Joyce was in Sydney to be part of Sky News' coverage of the night while Ms Hughes held a quiet function closer to home in Tamworth The predictive result for Mr Joyce bucks the national trend where ABC Analyst Antony Green called a Labor victory within two hours of the count starting "This could be a big win for Labor," he told the ABC panel Opposition leader Peter Dutton has also lost his own seat of Dickson to a significant Labor swing with the ABC predicting on Sunday morning that Labor might have secured its biggest majority in history The tally above updates every five minutes as new count data is added *Vote counting will not continue on Sunday Photo: Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOSDisbelief and elation have rippled through a sea of red as Labor supporters welcomed their prime minister after an emphatic election win All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAn uproarious ovation shook Sydney's inner-west when Anthony Albanese took to the stage for his victory speech on Saturday night "This is a time of profound opportunity for our nation," he said "We have everything we need to seize this opportunity and make it our own." Winners are grinners: the Labor election night reception has turned into a party (Dean Lewins/AAP PHOTOS)Tears burst from the party faithful when barely two hours into the east coast vote count The result made Mr Albanese one of the first prime ministers in recent history to win back-to-back elections Most supporters could not believe their eyes with shouts of "this is crazy" and "this is wild" spreading through the crowd at the Canterbury-Hurlstone Park RSL who has been part of Mr Albanese's Labor branch for two decades the victory pave the way open the doors for a new era Hurlstone Park RSL Club is a sea of happy red shirt-wearing Labor supporters (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)A particularly pointed sense of schadenfreude was reserved for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton who became the third federal party leader in Australian history to lose his seat Jeers coursed through the room as Mr Dutton appeared on screen to give his concession speech And when some supporters tried to boo his name during Mr Albanese's victory speech Mr Dutton's Labor replacement Ali France was an inspiration to 53-year-old nurse Sabrina Sharp "This is the best day of my life," she told AAP Oscar Thompson could not contain his joy as results came in (Lukas Coch/AAP PHOTOS)With pollsters tipping in Labor's favour many supporters went into the evening with a cautious sense of optimism the mood and the seats shifted slowly and then all at once "This is the most overstimulated I've felt my entire life," the 17-year-old told AAP The prime minister watched the results roll in from Kirribilli House with his partner Jodie Haydon and son Nathan Photo: AP PHOTOPrince Harry's claim that he's the victim of a "stitch-up" after losing a legal challenge over his UK security is "really offensive" All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueKen Wharfe who was a royal protection officer to Harry believes the duke has "played the wrong card" regarding his security Harry can't expect the "all-singing-and-dancing protection" he had in the United Kingdom" when he was a working member of the royal family Ken Wharfe says Harry's allegation of a "stitch-up" is "really offensive" (AP PHOTO)Harry now needs to show some "humility" if he wants to begin talks with his UK family Harry has called for the Home Secretary to review the body that authorises protection for senior royals after he lost a Court of Appeal challenge last week over his security arrangements while in the UK He told the BBC he "can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK" But Wharfe says Harry "has really played the wrong card" "I don't see how he can expect to get full protection when he arrived back in the UK when he is no longer a member working the royal family when he knows that the actual security package comes at the expense of the British taxpayer," he told the PA news agency The police have seen it - so where's the problem?" Harry failed in his appeal against the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK He told the BBC he can only come to the UK safely if he is invited and King Charles could help resolve the situation by "stepping aside and allowing the experts to do what is necessary" that this is a good old-fashioned establishment stitch-up Harry says the decision "is knowingly putting me and my family in harm's way" Wharfe said: "With regards to the stitch-up I think what he should be doing now is actually showing some humility "If a reconciliation is part of what he wants then this is hardly the way to go about reconciling the differences that exist within your family." Harry's level of security changed in 2020 when he and his wife Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to Canada Photo: AP PHOTOWarren Buffett has shocked an arena full of his shareholders by announcing that he wants to retire at the end of the year All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueBuffett said on Saturday he will recommend to Berkshire Hathaway's board that Greg Abel should become CEO at the end of the year "I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the Chief Executive Officer of the company at year end," Buffett said Abel has been Buffett's designated successor for years and he already manages all of Berkshire's non-insurance businesses But it was always assumed that he wouldn't take over until after Buffett's death Previously the 94-year-old investor has always said he had no plans to retire Buffett announced the news at the end of a five-hour question and answer period and didn't take any questions about it He said the only board members who knew this was coming were his two children Many investors have said they believe Abel will do a good job running Berkshire but it remains to be seen how good he will be at investing Berkshire's cash Buffett also endorsed him on Saturday by pledging to keep his fortune invested in the company "I have no intention — zero — of selling one share of Berkshire Hathaway I will give it away eventually," Buffett said "The decision to keep every share is an economic decision because I think the prospects of Berkshire will be better under Greg's management than mine." Thousands of investors in the Omaha arena gave Buffett a prolonged standing ovation after his announcement in recognition of his 60 years leading the company Buffett earlier warned that US President Donald Trump's tariffs were harmful Buffett said Trump's trade policies have raised the risk of global instability by angering the rest of the world "We should be looking to trade with the rest of the world We should do what we do best and they should do what they do best," he said All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe election result came after a bruising five-week campaign in which Mr Albanese was able to turn around dire polling earlier in the year that indicated the Coalition could be on track for minority government and had an outside chance of a majority Such was the swing against the Coalition that Peter Dutton lost his marginal seat of Dickson Former Defence Minister Christopher Pyne said the Coalition was on track to suffer its "worst result" and that the party needed to come back to the centre Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was riding on a wave of cautious optimism after a shock YouGov analysis that predicted the worst coalition result in nearly 80 years and a broadened Labor majority While the campaign has mostly been uninspiring, it has had a few moments, with Dutton's media bus getting jammed and Albanese stumbling and losing his footing on stage Photo: Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOSWhen Australia's first prime minister Edmund Barton took office in 1901 the little school in Borenore had already been teaching rural kids for 25 years All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueOn Saturday voters in the central western NSW village braved a 12C morning to cast their ballots at the historic school to help form the 48th parliament nestled between wineries and apple orchards outside Orange Voters arrive to cast their ballots at Borenore Public School (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)Under the school motto of "wisdom through knowledge" volunteers put on a spread of country classics sponge cakes with lashings of whipped cream and piping hot pumpkin soup but Borenore is smack-bang in the middle of a heated battleground in the electorate of Calare The National Party has been campaigning hard to unseat defector Andrew Gee citing the party's opposition to an Indigenous voice to parliament and his desire to assist local flood victims free from political constraints The Nationals are also attempting to fend off popular Climate 200-backed independent Kate Hook National Party leader David Littleproud speaks to a supporters in Orange (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)Party leader David Littleproud made a last-minute flying visit to Orange standing with the Nationals Calare candidate outside the busy polling place at Bletchington Public School "I've got to go back home and vote for myself in Chinchilla otherwise I'll be in trouble," Mr Littleproud quipped to a supporter He said "quiet Australians" were turning out to vote for change in regional and remote seats like Lingiari "You never take this beautiful thing called democracy for granted and you should have to fight for every vote," Mr Littleproud told reporters "It's the democracy that over 100,000 Australians have lost their lives defending and we're the custodians of it." It was all smiles between Nationals candidate Sam Farraway and Independent MP Andrew Gee (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)Despite their political differences Mr Gee and Mr Farraway stood side-by-side on Friday as voters lined up to cast their votes at a bustling pre-polling place in an Orange church with Mr Gee pointing out to one constituent that he preferenced Mr Farraway at four but only earned a seven on the Nationals' ticket "Happy voting," Mr Farraway said to several passers-by All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMichael Roser was spotted on a trail camera breaking into a home that was part of a deceased estate.Michael Roser appeared via videolink at Armidale Local Court on Monday He pleaded guilty to entering a home with the intention of stealing had been in custody since being arrested and charged over the incident in November last year Roser was spotted on a motion activated camera entering the Canambe Street Armidale property about 9am on November 19 last year The home was part of a deceased estate and had been cleaned "[Roser] attended the property while it was unoccupied and was spotted on a trail camera set up to monitor chickens kept on the premises," police claimed the camera also recorded Roser forcing his way into the home through a rear wooden door police claimed Roser "went through the home opening drawers and rummaging through piles of clothing" Officers estimated Roser was at the property for just under an hour the home's caretaker arrived to find Roser in the house He was charged with entering a dwelling with the intent to steal Defence solicitor Elizabeth Stahlut said Roser's actions showed he had a significant mental health disorder "My client has a history of homelessness and a dysfunctional family background," Ms Stahlut said "He is trying to rehabilitate himself and he is keen to be released to get back into the community." Magistrate Mark Richardson agreed Roser had shown "a capacity to reform and that is to his credit" The non-parole period is less than three-quarters of the sentence because the court found special circumstances I cover the New England district. Phone me on 0477 347 108 if you have any news. Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Love footy? We've got all the action covered. The latest news, results & expert analysis. Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Photo: Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOSLuke Metcalf spent years learning from his halfback mentors but says he had to be his own man after taking Shaun Johnson's No.7 at the Warriors All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAnd it's working the 26-year-old earning Johnson and coach Andrew Webster's approval after a man-of-the-match Magic Round performance improved his club to their equal-best seasons start since their 1995 inception The Sydney product scored twice in a dominant first half and then produced a try-saving tackle on a flying Murray Taulagi as the Warriors held off North Queensland to win 30-26 They had led 30-12 with 25 minutes to play hanging on despite having no ball or momentum to improve to 6-2 and ensure they finish the weekend no worse than third Webster praised his playmaker for the courage to attack the line and then front up in defence after proving his ability to manage the game already this season Johnson was gushing in commentary and the pair dissected Metcalf's performance in the sheds post-game but the other 70 per cent is about footy and quizzing him," Metcalf said of Johnson's mentorship Metcalf has spent his young career learning off his senior partners Daly Cherry-Evans and Chad Townsend chief among them during stints at Manly and Cronulla Johnson was at the Sharks too and is now the man Metcalf has replaced at the Warriors "Everyone saw what he can do with his feet the stepping and the running," Metcalf said "Something he didn't get credit for was his footy nous and IQ; he was probably one of the most complete halfbacks Luke Metcalf dives over for one of his two four-pointers against North Queensland (Dave Hunt/AAP PHOTOS)So is it daunting to fill the boots of a New Zealand rugby league great "You've just got to have confidence in yourself and I knew it was something I always wanted to do so you have to be your own man," Metcalf said a sponge asking that many questions about it (to senior halfbacks) "I always wanted to step into the No.7 and when I did The Warriors only other 6-2 start came in 2018 when they eventually finished eighth and were knocked out in the first week of finals "We've seen glimpses … I love that we've got that mindset of chasing perfection," Metcalf said All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueTasmania I'm about halfway into a five-day stint on the federal election campaign travelling with the Labor contingent to follow the Prime Minister around the country as he makes his pitch for another term as leader in what will end up being seven plane trips between eight cities before the week is done Brittney Levinson was on the campaign trail with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Keegan CarrollSwitching my phone off aeroplane mode A "Welcome to Launceston" message pops up from Uber but I won't be needing to hitch a ride-share There's already a coach waiting to take the journalists and camera crews to the next location Launceston is one of three cities I'll visit in one day a fairly standard schedule for a journalist on the campaign Picture by Brittney LevinsonJournalists from all different news outlets join the trail for varying stints although some weary souls are on board for the entire five-week campaign to follow Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to a Labor volunteer barbecue lasts about one hour before we're back on a plane It's these parts of the campaign that are very much made for television the staged event is simply a photo and TV opportunity; the Prime Minister takes no questions from reporters But they're also a chance to observe the leader in the environment, talk to people on the fringes and catch some of the unplanned chaos that can arise, like protests the Prime Minister gets surrounded by journalists Picture by Brittney LevinsonDuring a pic fac in the electorate of Banks the Prime Minister struggles to make his way through the large press pack and volunteers at the pre-polling booth Mr Albanese manages to stop to hold a baby but his visit is cut short after a NSW Senate candidate begins heckling him shouts "There is blood on your hands!" and "What do you have to say to Palestinian Australians?" before the Prime Minister is whisked away into a waiting car Prime Minister Anthony Albanese struggles through the press pack in Sydney's south-west Picture by Brittney LevinsonLocal couple Darrell and Joan Schofield are on their way to cast an early vote when they come across the bewildering scene They're in even more disbelief when they realise the Prime Minister is standing directly across the street from them The Prime Minister's security detail remains close by at these events and can include up to five or six bodyguards at any one time They follow Mr Albanese to his press conferences too which usually happen once a day alongside a policy or funding announcement There's an unspoken agreement between reporters that the first couple of questions are relevant to the announcement before they fire off any other questions relevant to their audience Photographers on the Labor campaign trail quickly check their shots before the bus moves on Picture by Brittney LevinsonTravelling with the journalists are also a handful of Labor staffers who do their best to keep the press pack well-fed and corral the group on and off buses broadcast journalists are often required to do live crosses from their seats while radio reporters can be heard recording voice-overs from underneath the makeshift soundproofing of their suit jackets Travel sickness medication can be a necessity for print and digital journalists who use every possible moment of transit to file stories and blog posts As we retire to the hotel rooms that the Labor team has booked for us (but paid for by our employers) a message with tomorrow's schedule arrives from the staffers just strict times for bag drop (often before 7am) when the bus or plane will be leaving and rough flight durations A Sky News reporter broadcasts live from the Labor campaign bus Picture by Brittney LevinsonMystery chartered flights also all paid for by individual news organisations usually separate from the main city airports and the pilots are careful not to mention the destination as they make announcements over the loudspeaker It's never explicitly said why the flights and bus trips are so secretive but it's safe to assume that not wanting to tip off the opposition and protestors are big considerations There's probably a conversation to be had about the kilometres that are travelled by the leaders their staffers and the trailing press packs and whether the benefits of these journeys justify the emissions the campaign trail is the closest they'll get in three years to the leaders of the major parties to interrogate their policies and get real-time answers (not carefully worded written responses from a "spokesperson" after a three-day wait) on matters voters care most about Do you have questions about how the campaign trail works? Leave them in the comments below or contact brittney.levinson@canberratimes.com.au Brittney is part of the federal political bureau, covering politics, the public service and economics. Brittney joined The Canberra Times in 2021 and was previously the property reporter. Got a news tip? Get in touch: brittney.levinson@canberratimes.com.au All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueFresh from a thumping local election victory in his electorate of New England in rural NSW Mr Joyce is set to have the operation in Tamworth on Monday said he's expected to make a full recovery after detecting the cancer early A file photo of New England Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce Picture by Gareth Gardner"I'm having surgery .. I'll take a break to recover before getting back to work," he told ACM Mr Joyce said he was under strict instructions from family to rest after the surgery "My wife [Vikki Campion] has told me I'm not allowed to go into the paddock no ducking out to the paddock to do a bit of cattle work," he said "I didn't want to announce it during the campaign as I didn't want it to be a distraction." Mr Joyce urged men to get their prostates checked to pick up any problems as early as possible A simple blood test for the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) protein can detect elevated levels which may be a sign of cancer or some benign conditions Mr Joyce said he received an early diagnosis after doing a PSA test then MRI The cancer had not spread beyond his prostate According to the Cancer Council, prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia More than 26,000 cases were recorded in 2024 alone Mr Joyce increased his primary vote by nearly two per cent in New England at the May 3 federal poll despite a wipeout for the Coalition Opposition Leader Peter Dutton lost his Queensland seat of Dickson as Labor romped home to a stunning majority win Saffron is a journalist, editor and author with more than 20 years experience covering news. Get in touch: saffron.howden@austcommunitymedia.com.au Photo: AP PHOTOTottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are on course to clash for European glory with convincing first leg wins in the Europa League semifinals All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueUnited blew away a 10-man Athletic Bilbao in Spain 3-0 on Thursday while Tottenham took a big step towards salvaging a poor domestic campaign with a 3-1 home win against Bodo/Glimt Brennan Johnson struck after only 38 seconds to appease an expectant home crowd before James Maddison fired a second for Ange Postecoglou's men in the 34th minute The first leg semifinal win gives Ange Postecoglou's men hope of salvaging a disappointing season (AP PHOTO)A third followed through Dominic Solanke from the penalty spot after 61 minutes as Spurs put their poor Premier League form to one side to produce another stirring display in Europe Bodo had penalty appeals waved away just before the half hour mark after Isak Dybvik Maatta went down softly with Rodrigo Bentancur and Destiny Udogie in close proximity Postecoglou urged Tottenham to keep playing and Udogie had a shot saved before a Dejan Kulusevski effort was deflected wide Spurs were then hit with a sucker-punch as Bodo captain Ulrik Saltnes reduced the deficit in the 83rd minute when he worked a yard of space and had a shot deflected off Bentancur Postecoglou said the win put his side in a good position "I thought our performance was everything it needed to be really well organised and disciplined defensively and really calm going forward and created good opportunities for ourselves and maintaining pressure," he said which doesn't I think reflect our dominance in the game but if we repeat that performance next week Meanwhile United produced possibly their finest performance of the season to take a commanding first-leg lead against Bilbao Carlos Casemiro headed Ruben Amorim's team in front in the 30th minute after a cross from Harry Maguire It was 2-0 seven minutes later when Rasmus Hojlund was brought down in the box by Dani Vivian and a penalty was awarded after a VAR review Vivian was shown a red card for the foul and Bruno Fernandes converted from the spot Fernandes got his second and United's third in the 45th by running through on goal and curling a shot past goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala United's win could have been even more emphatic with Noussair Mazraoui and Casemiro both hitting the woodwork Amorin said he had urged his players to focus on the second leg Manchester United's Carlos Casemiro opened the scoring in the side's 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao (AP PHOTO)"And they have to think more about the first 20 minutes than the rest of the game because the game is going to be really tough," he said "There is no away goals so anything can change and that is my message to the players." The second leg is at Old Trafford next Thursday and United is potentially just 90 minutes away from returning to Bilbao Spurs are on the road for their second leg next week with their Norwegian opponents proving tough to beat on their home turf while Tottenham have won the trophy twice when the competition was known as UEFA Cup Photo: Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOSForget cake Marie Antoinette is perfectly content grazing pasture All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueShe's a queen among the herd of 150 alpacas at Forestglen Alpaca Stud on the picturesque plains of Millthorpe in central western NSW a newborn named for the surprising splashes of chocolate brown and white on her fleece while Talk To Me has just given birth to a snowy white girl called Rumour Has It The curious creatures appear to kiss their young and affectionately nuzzle each other on their long necks while quietly feeding in the afternoon sun Alpacas boast unique fleece, sustainable qualities and cheeky character. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)The stud, managed by Jennie Carey and her daughter Alexandra Staples, was established in the early 1990s soon after Australia's first flocks of alpacas were imported from South America Ms Carey's mother Maureen began alpaca showing and breeding after spotting the exotic animals at a field day She was besotted with their "big beautiful eyes" and adorable babies "It was love at first sight and the love affair has never really finished," she said The Australian Alpaca Association is hoping the nation's consumers will be wooed by the woolly animals too The industry is celebrating its 35th year with National Alpaca Week from May 10 complete with a campaign encouraging people to buy products made from the unique fleece said alpaca fibre has many appealing qualities it has a silky feel to it and a natural lustre that is hard to replicate," Mr Fallon said Goodness Gracious is known for her surprising splashes of chocolate brown and white. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)Australia's alpaca industry was identified by research and development body AgriFutures as an emerging market in 2023 With demand for quality and luxurious fibres here and overseas the industry has enormous potential to grow The association is working to educate and support small-scale farmers to harvest fleece in a bid to bolster the market Some farmers may only keep a few alpacas - sometimes as pets or as guard animals for other stock - but there is still money to be made in the fibre that's when you start to get better returns," Mr Fallon said Bags of fleece line the shed walls at Forestglen The stud's fleece has won supreme champion at the Sydney Royal Easter Show eight times "Because it lacks the lanolin that sheep wool has Forestglen Alpaca Stud is managed by Jennie Carey and her daughter Alexandra (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)It's not just the fleece that's magic Alpacas are known to be easier on the land than cattle and sheep allowing pastures to bounce back from grazing and drought they can expertly ward off foxes trying to prey on new lambs Forestglen has sold about 900 alpacas to farmers who use them as guardians Ms Carey trains the alpacas to respond to clapping Ken Hinkley has plenty of work to do before taking on the Crows Photo: Matt Turner/AAP PHOTOSPort Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley intends to dig deep for answers to his side's second capitulation of the AFL season All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueAfter three straight wins the Power (4-4) were brought crashing back to earth in a 20.11 (131) to 5.11 (41) thrashing from the Western Bulldogs in Ballarat on Saturday Hinkley's men were belted 49-35 in clearances and conceded 18 goals to three after quarter-time in a performance as uncompetitive as their round-one loss to Collingwood "A game like that you have to have a really close look They've been pretty resilient and been able to bounce back when it's been against them before "We're going to have to expect the same again this week." Star midfielder Zak Butters helped Port make a bright start at Mars Stadium but they were quickly overpowered by a Bulldogs outfit led by ruckman Tim English Tom Liberatore limited Butters' influence after quarter-time and the Dogs ran riot They booted six goals to one in the second quarter and dominated the Power with seven goals to two when kicking into a strong breeze in the third term "We gave ourselves a chance for the first 40 minutes but they went three gears above us and we weren't able to catch back up to them," Hinkley said they looked like a far better team and were able to score heavily into the breeze." Hinkley conceded his players were left nursing injuries "upstairs more than anywhere" But he doesn't expect many problems in getting his players up for a clash with crosstown rivals Adelaide in round nine "The positive for us is there's a Showdown coming next week and that will certainly help us get our heads into the battle pretty quickly," Hinkley said "We don't have to do too much hard work to get this team up in this competition "They all look forward to the opportunity to play every week "Sometimes you put your best foot forward and you're proud of your performance but today was a day where we certainly weren't proud of our performance." Willie Rioli was Port's only multiple goal-kicker against the Bulldogs but faces scrutiny over a high shot on Bailey Dale in an off-the-ball incident