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Jailing is failing: conference calls for re-think of youth crime crackdown

Jailing is failing: conference calls for re-think of youth crime crackdown

SBS Australia26-06-2025
Bec is a resident of Queensland who says she and her family have been the victims of a series of break-ins allegedly perpetrated by a gang of juveniles. "As a victim, our entire family has been traumatised. We feel like prisoners in our own home now, in ways in which we never thought we would be. That should be where we feel the most safe but now we feel vulnerable." Bec is calling for justice to be served. "Yeah, to punish the people responsible in an adequate way." Bec and her family are among the public faces of a push by the Queensland government to introduce tougher laws to address what they say is a youth crime crisis. Children as young as 10 can now face similar jail time to adult sentences for a range of offences, after the state government passed a tranche of controversial crime laws - as Queensland Premier David Crisafulli told Channel 9 in early June. "We passed the first round of 'adult crime, adult time' before Christmas. In the past couple of weeks we've passed the second round." Stronger approaches have been adopted or are being considered across the country. Tasmania is said to be mulling a similar policy to Queensland's, and in New South Wales and the Northern Territory, they've brought in tougher bail laws - the Territory's coming after a Darwin shopkeeper was allegedly being killed by a young man who was out on bail. The Top End also lowered the age of criminal responsibility to just ten years of age in its first week of parliamentary sittings in 2024. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says he makes no apologies for the approach his government has taken. "Before the election, I spent a lot of time listening to victims. Now it's time to deliver for victims. And I am still driven by that." But not everyone is on board. The Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - Ann Skelton - has criticised the new laws, saying they display a flagrant disregard for children's rights. "We do not agree that the so-called exceptional circumstances warrant what will be a flagrant disregard for children's rights under international law... We urge the government of Queensland to stand firm with the principle that children should be treated differently from adults in the criminal justice system." Katie Kiss is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner. She's told NITV News the Queensland government's approach is a mistake. "I would encourage them to demonstrate some integrity here and to actually reconsider their positioning on this to ensure that while yes we agree that the rights of victims and those experiencing harm from crime are also supported in this process, but that does not give people the opportunity or the right to take away the human rights of our children." In Mparntwe Alice Springs, scores of experts and advocates have gathered for what's known as the Reintegration Puzzle Conference. Among them is a Noongar woman named Rocket, who these days works with the Justice Reform Initiative, but has spent time in prison. "I was in and out most of my life from like, two weeks after my 18th birthday. And it was just like they had a revolving door at the front of the prison until something finally clicked. And I got sick of seeing that revolving door and seeing Aboriginal women going in and out, in and out." Rocket is worried about the nationwide crackdown on law and order - and there are plenty at the conference who feel the same way. Catherine Liddle is the chief executive of children's organisation SNAICC - or the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care - and an Arrernte/Luritja woman from Central Australia. She is concerned that these recent government responses are punitive approaches that will actually make contact with the justice system for vulnerable young people more likely - especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. "We are standing in the middle of an incredible storm, and at the centre of that storm are children; in particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children." The numbers appear to back up these concerns. Figures from the Productivity Commission indicate that First Nations youngsters are detained in youth detention facilities at 22 times the rate for non-Indigenous youths. Northern Territory Children's Commissioner, Shahleena Musk, has told NITV this is more than evident in the Top End. "The Northern Territory has the highest detention rate in the nation. On any given day, 94 per cent to 100 per cent of children in custody are Aboriginal children. So we're regressing when it comes to Closing the Gap targets, we're failing to meet national and international standards and commitments, and we're failing to protect the and promote rights of really vulnerable children who are being catapulted through these systems." Robert Tickner was the Australian Minister for Indigenous Australians in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was handed the report of the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in custody - and says even after all these years, little has changed anywhere in the country. "In the three and a half decades almost since the Royal Commission report came down, things have really gotten worse. And at this particular point in time we're at the lowest point we've been. We've got now record levels of Aboriginal incarceration right around Australia, and we've got a youth detention centre which is totally failing. It's almost at the point of collapse." Advocates say the law and order systems championed by state governments are often problematic because they do little to reduce rates of re-offending, or to address the reasons why people end up in youth detention or adult prisons. They say the evidence shows most people entering prison usually arrive there because of an underpinning cycle of trauma or disadvantage, and that prison both exacerbates and entrenches a broader cycle which needs to be broken. Rocket says she has seen this first-hand. "You know, I've seen how the system was just churning people out - in and out, in and out - and it really annoyed me. I got really mad about nothing being done to stop the offending. Like, I was an addict and you know, there was no programs for me to address my addiction. All I had to learn about was my triggers and stuff. And once I learned about them I was able to change my life and address my addiction." There's also evidence to back up the concern that help isn't there within the system at an early enough stage to make a difference. A 2022 report from the Sentencing Advisory Council in Victoria said that children who are first sentenced between the ages of 10 and 12 are more likely to reoffend than those first sentenced when they are older. And Shahleena Musk says in her jurisdiction, 85 per cent of children who had previously spent time in custody were returned to prison within 12 months. Catherine Liddle argues that state governments serious about keeping people out of prison should invest in local communities and the strengthening of families - something she says dozens of other reports and reviews have also recommended. "If we're truly investing in diversionary tactics, if we're truly investing in our communities, then we're saying at this moment in time if a child is unsafe, what do they need? And as a parent - and any parent in the country will know this - when they look at their children and they're sitting with them at the dinner table, they know that they need food. They know that they need a house. They know that they need shoes. They know that they need to be able to go to school, to play sport, to learn how to adult, to have a girlfriend, to go to a Christmas party, to go to a birthday party. These are things that are fundamental. Investing in an environment, investing in the programs, investing in the services that support that for all families stops children hitting tertiary interventions." The state governments are pushing back against these kinds of arguments. Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro says the Country Liberal Party believes they have done the right things. "We're very strong and comfortable with our decision to lower the age (of criminal responsibility). If we're capturing young people early while that offending is in its infancy, we can turn their life around through boot camps and bush camps, and other alternative sentencing options." Queensland's Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support, Laura Gerber, says the state has taken steps to increase support for vulnerable children, and have established SecureCare facilities for young people with mental health needs. And in Victoria, Attorney General Sonia Kilkenny says their approach emphasises early intervention and diversion from the justice system as key strategies. Victoria's Youth Justice Commissioner, Andrea Davidson, says now Children's Courts and the Supreme Court have the power to impose electronic monitoring and intensive supervised bail for teens in the metropolitan area - as part of their bail conditions - that's an extra incentive for youths to take their situation seriously. "The electronic monitoring trial represents a new way to support young people and help them to turn their lives around... We know that there is a small but very complex group of young people responsible for repeat offending including whilst on bail... We're committed to providing the best possible outcomes for young people in Victoria, using an evidence-based understanding of what works to address offending behaviour and divert young people away from the community justice system." Mindy Sotiri is the executive director of the Justice Reform Initiative, a group that lobbies for a reduction in the number of people in Australia's prisons. She argues that overall, governments ARE ignoring the evidence about what works to combat youth crime. She says there's also problematic attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people which sees them over-represented in the justice system. "The issue is that we are sending far too many people into prison. We are policing communities and imprisoning communities, rather than actually building up communities." She has told NITV a 2025 Human Rights Watch report contained examples of First Nations children being de-humanised and maltreated, highlighting cases where Australian children were subjected to harsh conditions in detention, including solitary confinement. She says children's basic needs aren't being met in some communities or families because of widespread inequality. And when that's coupled with high representation of First Nations children in the child protection system, it's a recipe for disaster - and how they end up in youth detention. "Making sure that the supports and the preventative and intervention programs that are necessary to ensure that these children are not in contact with the child safety or the justice system in the first place, is where we should be starting here, not legislation that fills the jails and the new detention centres being built." These are all problems that Tyson Carmody is trying to address. The Arrernte man is the founder and director of Kings Narrative, a support service for Aboriginal men and one of a number of grassroots organisations that seek to address the drivers of incarceration for First Nations people - especially young people. "When we can know and understand our story - and particularly our trauma stories, and in our narrative we call them Problem Stories - if we can name those stories and understand them and see them for what they are, then we have better ownership over rewriting those stories to what we call our Preferred Stories or our Stronger Stories. And from my grandfather's teachings we know that the best Preferred Stories and our Stronger Stories are found in our culture." Still, frustrations remain. Closing the Gap data released by the Productivity Commission in March showed just four of the 19 national targets are on track to be met, including Indigenous incarceration rates. Their numbers indicate Australia is not on track to meeting the targets on adult imprisonment - and in fact, things are only getting worse for young offenders. For Robert Tickner, it's little wonder. "As long as politicians keep using Aboriginal affairs as a party-political football, the people who will most lose out are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. But you know what? The whole nation loses out when politicians treat Aboriginal affairs in this way. We've got to get some common ground here." Others are frustrated over what they say is a consistent lack of resourcing, which has been backed up by the release of an independent, Indigenous-led review. The review was led by a group called the Coalition of Peaks, and engaged with more than 500 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and organisations across Australia. University of Technology Sydney's Jumbunna Institute director Lindon Coombes says the review found Closing the Gap goals aren't being met because too often there's a lot of talk, followed by inadequate funding to meet the need. Mindy Sotiri says there ARE signs of a willingness for genuine partnerships that do work if they're properly supported and resourced. "The system is broken. But what we can see at the moment is a real appetite to change things. We have all this evidence about what works in the community. We have all these examples of First Nations place-based programs now that really make a difference when it comes to reducing incarceration. We have incredible examples of community organisations working with people post-release that can reduce re-offending by up to 70 per cent." But Robert Tickner says real, wider change will only happen when governments of every level listen to what the experts - and the evidence - are saying, and back it up with real funding. And he says that change must start at the top.
"No minister for Aboriginal Affairs - no matter how well-intentioned - can do this. This is a matter for our Prime Minister. I have a great respect for his integrity and his compassion, but on this issue, I beg of him to show leadership to get this issue before the National Cabinet."
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Trump vs Rupert Murdoch over an Epstein article
Trump vs Rupert Murdoch over an Epstein article

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Trump vs Rupert Murdoch over an Epstein article

Sam Hawley: On the one side, there's a media tycoon. On the other, the President of the United States. It has all the makings of a fascinating courtroom drama. Donald Trump is suing Rupert Murdoch and The Wall Street Journal over an article alleging the US President sent a lewd birthday message to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Today, media expert Rod Tiffin on the complex relationship between Trump and Murdoch and how the legal proceedings are likely to play out. I'm Sam Hawley on Gadigal land in Sydney. This is ABC News Daily. Sam Hawley: Rod, we're going to have a look at the relationship between two of the most powerful men in the world, that is Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch, which has dramatically re-entered the spotlight in the last few days. This revolves around a Wall Street Journal article, which is owned, of course, that newspaper by Rupert Murdoch. Just tell me what this article alleged when it appeared in the paper last Friday. Rod Tifffen: Well, it alleges that Donald Trump years ago sent a birthday greeting to Jeffrey Epstein with a sketch of a girl on it. News report: Donald Trump launching yet another lawsuit against the press, this time targeting media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his News Corp empire over an article in The Wall Street Journal. News report: He denies writing the letter, which the journal said included a sexually suggestive drawing and ended with the line, Happy birthday and may every day be another wonderful secret. News report: The president dismissed the letter as fake, saying 'These are not my words, not the way I talk. Also, I don't draw pictures.' News report: The paper says it happened in 2003, which is before Epstein was convicted. It's all adding to the pressure Donald Trump is under over his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. Sam Hawley: Now, as soon as this was published, Donald Trump threatened to sue. He said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social he was looking forward to getting Rupert Murdoch to testify in his lawsuit against him. And in Donald Trump's words, the pile of garbage newspaper. So Donald Trump was furious. Rod Tifffen: Murdoch has three main media outlets in the States. He has Fox News, which is unfailingly loyal to Trump. He has the New York Post, which swings around a bit. And he has the Wall Street Journal, where the market incentives are very different. The Wall Street Journal has to keep its credibility with a high flying business audience. Otherwise, they'll go to the New York Times or Washington Post or somewhere. So the Wall Street Journal's coverage of Trump is typically more independent and more probing than, say, Fox News is. So I would imagine that Rupert didn't know this was going to appear before it appeared because he's sort of, you know, at 94 years old, he's more hands off these days and he doesn't actually have the role of chief executive anymore. But I think that the key thing is the Wall Street Journal has to keep up its credibility with its audience. Sam Hawley: But just to put that in context, once upon a time, of course, Rupert Murdoch had great control over what was in these newspapers. He certainly would have been told beforehand if an article like this was to appear. Rod Tifffen: Yes, that's true. Certainly, let's say during Trump's first term, if this appeared, Murdoch would have known in advance. But I'm not at all sure that he knew this in advance. Sam Hawley: All right. Well, he's now involved in an almighty fight with the US president who has indeed sued in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida. So he's going all out Donald Trump here. Rod Tifffen: Yes. I think the thing is, he's had a record of success since he was reelected, Donald Trump. He's got a settlement from ABC and, you know, CBS paid out a huge settlement for a case that had no substance at all. News report: Paramount has agreed to pay Donald Trump more than 24 million dollars after settling a lawsuit over a televised interview with Kamala Harris. In the lawsuit, Mr Trump alleged the media group deceptively edited an interview with the former Democratic presidential candidate on its 60 Minutes program on CBS. Rod Tifffen: And basically that was seen as its parent company, Paramount, wanting to do favours for Donald Trump. The Washington Post is owned by Jeff Bezos, is leaning over backwards to be nice to him. I think the difference, though, is like Bezos is very keen to get government contracts for his space program. And CBS and ABC have other business interests which depend a lot on the favour and patronage of the president. And this president is all about favour and patronage. But Murdoch doesn't have that. So I'd be certainly very surprised if Murdoch settled any time soon. It would be a huge step down in credibility. It would be a huge blow to his ego because he doesn't like giving in, surrendering on these sorts of things. And he doesn't have any ulterior motives and interests like the other major media corporations do. Sam Hawley: All right, well, Trump is suing News Corp. He's suing Mr. Murdoch. He's suing News Corp's founder, Robert Thompson. News Corp's chief executive. He's suing Dow Jones, the publisher, and he's suing the two journalists involved. So there's a lot of people involved in this lawsuit. That's for sure. Rod Tifffen: All over a birthday card. Yeah. Sam Hawley: Oh, yeah. It's a rather damaging birthday card if the allegations are, in fact, true. And we are not insinuating that they are. But Trump is also after huge damages, not less than $10 billion, he says he wants. Rod Tifffen: Yes, I mean, it's serious, but it's very funny at the same time. The one thing that would make News Corp, make Murdoch settle is if Murdoch was forced to testify in court, because I think he's not really up to doing that anymore. And I think that would be the one threat that would make Murdoch settle. Sam Hawley: Hmm. All right. Well, let's come to the history of this relationship in just a moment. As you mentioned, you don't think Rupert Murdoch will settle. The newspaper is absolutely sticking by its reporting. It's not removed the article. It's still up there for everybody to see. So it's backing in its own journalism at this point, isn't it? Rod Tifffen: It is. And one imagines they went through a pretty strenuous process before they published. I mean, this isn't a fly by night newspaper. It's one of the leading newspapers in America. And it wouldn't publish something like this without doing due diligence beforehand. Sam Hawley: All right, let's get into the history of this relationship, because it has been rather volatile, hasn't it? It's been interesting to watch Rupert Murdoch and his almost reluctance to back Donald Trump, but then sort of falling into line. Just tell me what it was like in the beginning, I guess, back in 2016 during Trump's first pitch for the White House. Rod Tifffen: Well, the beginnings go back even further than that. Rupert Murdoch took over the New York Post in 1976, and Trump was an absolute publicity whore. He was always wanting to get into the paper. And they have a page six column, which is all gossip about politicians and celebrities and so on. And he often featured in that and was often a source for it. And he more or less divorced his wife in the pages of the New York Post. And they were willing to play the game because Trump, they thought Trump was good copy. But Murdoch saw him as just a lightweight, a crooked property developer. So Murdoch was happy to give him publicity, but never had any high opinion of him, either morally or intellectually. Sam Hawley: Hmm. All right. But by 2016, he'd sort of come around, had he? He supported Trump. Rod Tifffen: Well, 2016, Fox News is locked into being on the Republican side of politics. And initially, Murdoch didn't think Trump would be a good candidate. But once Trump won the nomination for the Republicans, Fox News in particular, just and all of the Murdoch empire actually just fell in behind Trump. After the election, Fox News was a faithful outlet for Trump all through the next four years. But then we get to the 2020 election and Trump loses to Biden. And then we've got Trump refusing to accept the result. Got the terrible attack on the Capitol building on January the 6th, 2021. And Murdoch is absolutely appalled. He sees this as an attack on American democracy, American institutions. And he really can't stand the way Trump was behaving. At the same time, though, Fox News had created this audience that believed everything that Trump said. And after the election, Fox's ratings were falling. And in a panic meeting, Murdoch and others said, well, we've got to start going along more with Trump. And then they locked themselves into this false narrative that there was something fishy about the 2020 election. Now, Murdoch was reluctant to go along with this. And in fact, there's evidence of him saying he wants to make Trump history and all this sort of thing. But in the end, the commercial incentives are such that he he toes the line. So you get to 2024 and Fox News is locked in behind Trump. And then, of course, Trump wins. And now the power relationship is all around the other way. Here's Murdoch wanting to be part of the action again. And Trump saying, maybe, maybe not. Sam Hawley: All right, well, Rod, this relationship between Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch is clearly volatile, but it really is at a new low right now. How ugly do you think this could get? Rod Tifffen: Well, Trump's not known for his subtlety. You know, we've already seen, you know, I'm going to sue his ass and all this sort of talk. I think that it could get very all depends a bit on how the Murdochs respond. And my guess is they will want to take the heat out of it a bit. But I think the Epstein stuff is, it's hard to know because, I mean, Trump has survived so many scandals it would have sunk any other politician. But it seems to me the Epstein stuff and the different excuses they've given for not releasing information and whatever, this seems to be dividing Trump's MAGA base, you know. And it could be that both sides think it's in their interest to keep, you know, for all this to go away. But Trump's drawn a lot more attention to the article than it would have got, you know, by all this. So if I was a spin doctor, I'd say this wasn't a very rational strategy. But maybe that's why I'm not a spin doctor. But, you know, I would think that it could get very ugly. And certainly I can't see the Wall Street Journal rolling over and saying, yes, we got it wrong. Sam Hawley: And who do you think will be the victor then, Murdoch or Trump? We know, don't we, that when things proceed to court, all sorts of information might come to light. Rod Tifffen: Yes. And I think Rupert Murdoch wouldn't want to be having to testify in court. But equally, Trump wouldn't want to have to testify in court where he's cross-examined on his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. That would be just a nightmare for him. They've got various things in America where president can't be sued during their term of office and that sort of thing. So it could all just be put off until after the next election. Who knows? Maybe it will just peter out. But it doesn't show any sign of that yet. Sam Hawley: Rod Tiffen is an emeritus professor in government and international relations at the University of Sydney. This episode was produced by Sydney Pead and Sam Dunn. Audio production by Cinnamon Nippard. Our supervising producer is David Coady. I'm Sam Hawley. Thanks for listening.

BTN Episode 19, 2025
BTN Episode 19, 2025

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BTN Episode 19, 2025

Yaama. Jack here with a whole new term of BTN. I hope you had a great break. Let's see what we've got coming up for you today. We look at Australia's new internet searching rules, find out about Australia's latest world heritage site and Learn about the quest to resurrect the moa. Defence Spending Reporter: Justina Ward INTRO: But first, we're going to take a look at a big military exercise that's happening in Australia right now. It's called Talisman Sabre, and it involves thousands of defence workers from around the world but it's also drawing attention to some big questions around the future of Australia's military. Take a look. JUSTINA, REPORTER: On the ground, in the air and on the water. BRIG. TIM ORDERS, AUSTRALIAN ARMY: You're gonna see an increase in military vehicle traffic in and around the roads in Darwin and Katherine but, uh, citizens shouldn't be alarmed. So, what's this for exactly? Welcome to Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025. 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DONALD TRUMP, US PRESIDENT: The NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defence spending to that 5% of GDP. This is a big win for Europe and for actually Western civilization. His government has also asked Australia to up its defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. PETE HEGSETH, US SECRETARY OF DEFENSE: A long standing, incredibly important relationship with our friends in Australia. That would be $40 billion extra a year. So, a lot and our prime minister wasn't exactly on board. ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: They announced an amount of money they couldn't say where it was coming from, and they couldn't say what it was for. That makes no sense. ANTHONY ALBANESE, AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER: We determine our defence policy here, we're a sovereign nation. 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Age Verification Rules Reporter: Tatenda Chibika INTRO: Recently, Australia became the first country in the world to make internet search providers check your age when you log in. The new rules are designed to make sure kids aren't seeing harmful stuff online. But will they work? Tatenda found out more. PERSON: I feel like on Google I just look up like whatever comes to my mind, like if I'm curious about something, I'll search it up and see if there's an answer for it. PERSON: Chat GPT. That's what I search up. PERSON: Sometimes I go online shopping on Google and then I also like to help me with my homework and stuff. TATENDA, REPORTER: Yeah, for a lot of us it's kind of hard to imagine a world without search engines. But along with all that useful information, entertainment, recipes and the name of that one annoyingly catchy song you heard at the shops but couldn't memorise all the lyrics to, there's also some stuff that you probably shouldn't be seeing. PERSON: Just like there's sometimes weird ads and stuff PERSON: it's just, like naked people. It's like everything's out there, which is too much exposure, too much exposure PERSON: it's been a lot of inappropriate things sometimes. That's why from December, search engines run by companies like Google and Microsoft will have to check the ages of anyone who logs in. It's among a whole heap of changes being introduced under the Online Safety Act. JULIE INMAN GRANT, ESAFETY COMMISSIONER: Very few of these technologies and platforms were created with children in mind or with safety as a primary goal. If you're under 18 search results will filter out things that are inappropriate like gambling, violence or other stuff that's not meant for kids. And the eSafety Commissioner's making the industry itself come up with the solutions. So, how exactly are they going to check your age well the government has given them a few options. 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LISA MAE GIVENS, RMIT PROFESSOR: At the end of the day, where there's a will there's a way, people can definitely still access this content by not logging into an account they could also use a VPN to get around it by pretending to not be in Australia for example. There are also some concerns that the new rules will risk people's privacy. Companies will need to store all that data and that can make them a target for cyberattacks. And some people think it's more important to teach young people how to use the internet responsibly instead of shielding them from some parts of it. So, what do you think? PERSON: There's some things that are on the internet that people my age shouldn't like, really see and I think that age verification is a good way to stop that. PERSON: I know kids that like, don't really use it for what they're really meant to. So, yeah, I think filtering should happen. PERSON: As a child I grew up and I could choose what I was exposed to a certain degree, whereas now that choice is taken away. So, yeah, I think it's important. PERSON: I think it's really hard to shelter anyone from what the world is. PERSON: Education and educating your child is the main thing, but also those restrictions being put in place is definitely like a good add on to that. Quiz Do you know what the most searched-for word is? Weather, YouTube or Google? It's YouTube. More than a billion people type it into Google's search bar every month. UNESCO Rock Art Reporter: Jack Evans INTRO: Now to Australia's brand-new World Heritage Site and when I say new, I mean incredibly ancient. The rock art at Murujuga in Western Australia is up to 50,000 years old and it's now joined the likes of Stonehenge and the pyramids on a very special list. On the northwest coast of Western Australia, you'll find the Murujuga Cultural Landscape, home to the biggest and most diverse collections of rock art engravings in the world. Some of which date back more than 50,000 years and include carvings of extinct species and the earliest depiction of the human face. PETER JEFFERIES, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: They tell the story of our ancestors and what they've done over tens of thousands of years. That's why at a meeting in Paris the United Nations Heritage Committee decided to add this sacred site to the World Heritage List. UNESCO: Let me congratulate Australia on behalf of the entire committee. BELINDA CHURNSIDE, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We have all come here together and from far away from the Murujuga lands. This has been a long-awaited journey and a fight for our elders, our old people and we are thankful to receive this recognition from a global scale. Thank you everyone. PETER HICKS, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We were very, very happy that, you know. That word probably can't describe it, you know, to the full extent of it. Murujuga, alongside 25 other sites from around the world, will now join a long list of famous sites, like the Taj Mahal in India, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Stonehenge in the UK, Machu Picchu in Peru and the Great Wall of China in, well, China. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation or UNESCO started the World Heritage List in 1978 as a way to protect sites that had "outstanding universal value to humanity". Today the list includes 1223 sites from 170 countries. Here in Australia, we have 21 on the list including the Sydney Opera House, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the Blue Mountains, the Great Barrier Reef and now Murujuga. Being heritage listed is a big honour and helps to boost tourism, but it also means governments are put under more pressure to protect sites and have to regularly report to UNESCO. So, Traditional Owners are hoping the heritage listing helps to keep Murujuga safe. They say nearby mining and gas projects cause damage and erosion to the rock art. RAELENE COOPER, MARDATHOONERA TRADITIONAL CUSTODIAN: You cannot have industry. And culture coexist. MURRAY WATT, ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: In the end, what persuaded the committee was both the scientific evidence but also the genuine passion from the traditional owners to see this World Heritage listing be secured. They're hoping that by showing the world how special this site is they can make sure it's still there for future generations. PETER JEFFERIES, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: We start a new journey or a new story that we created in the rocks today and we will continue to manage culture and country as our ancestors have already done or have done prior to or previous to us. BELINDA CHURNSIDE, MURUJUGA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION: This is a testament to the true dedication and commitment. Our resilience of Aboriginal people. Thank you all. Quiz Which of these Australian sites has been on the World Heritage List for the longest? Uluru, Kakadu National Park or the Melbourne Royal Exhibition building? It's Kakadu National Park. It was one of three Australian sites to make the list in 1981, along with Willandra Lakes and the Great Barrier Reef. Moa De-extinction Reporter: Justina Ward INTRO: Now, have you ever seen one of these. It's a moa and you probably haven't because they've been extinct for hundreds of years. But an American bioscience company wants to bring them back and so does Peter Jackson. Here's Justina. NARRATOR: Some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for 500 years, the moa passed out of all knowledge, until. HOBBIT 1: What's that? HOBBIT 2: It looks like an emu. WIZARD: I think it's a moa. JUSTINA, REPORTER: Yeah, meet the moa. It's a 3.5 metre wingless bird that once roamed the plains of Middle-Earth, I mean, New Zealand. Moa disappeared around 500 years ago possibly because of human hunters, but now an American bio-tec company says they can bring them back. BETH SHAPIRO, COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES: The process of de-extinction is that we extract DNA from ancient bones, and we sequence that DNA and assemble ancient genomes. DNA is like blueprint that exists inside the cells of all living things determining how they look and act. Sometimes you can also find DNA preserved in dead things. BETH SHAPIRO, COLOSSAL BIOSCIENCES: To de-extinct the moa we are collecting DNA from all nine species of moa. We'll be comparing the genome sequences to genomes of living birds to identify what it is that made moa unique, and using the tools of genome editing to make those changes in the DNA sequence of the living close relatives. And it's got a lot of moa fans excited, especially the Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson who's invested around 23 million dollars for the project. PETER JACKSON, FILMMAKER: You know, in the hope that within a few years we'll get to see a moa back again. I mean, that to me, it's given me more enjoyment and satisfaction than any films ever have. WIZARD: Oh. Colossal Biosciences is using similar techniques to try to bring back other species, like the woolly mammoth, and Tassie tiger. Then there were these guys which Colossal Biosciences claimed were the first dire wolves to be born in more than 10,000 years. Although some were sceptical. STUART PIMM, DUKE UNIVERSITY: The claim that they have created the dire wolf is just simply rubbish. You know they've put a few, you know, dire wolf genes to create a big white dog. Yeah, some scientists say they're not really creating an extinct animal, instead they're just making existing species look more like their long-lost relatives. NIC RAWLENCE, OTAGO PALAEOGENETICS LABORATORY: Scientists can create genetically engineered animals like what they did with the grey wolf and dire wolf. But we're definitely not at the point of bringing back a 100% genetically engineered emu to look genetically look like a moa. There are also some people who say it's not right to try to bring back extinct species. For starters, keeping these new creatures alive takes specialised knowledge and a lot of money. Plus, some reckon all this effort could be better spent protecting species that are still alive. WIZARD: Do not be too eager to deal out de-extinction. For even the very wise cannot see all ends. Yes, thank you Gandalf, others say we should bring back species that we helped send into extinction and thanks to things like climate change and habitat loss, species extinctions are happening faster than ever, some reckon it might be good to have a backup plan. PETER JACKSON, FILMMAKER: Yeah, it's uniquely a New Zealand bird, so it's something that we've always been very fascinated with and proud about. So, it's a big thing here. The moa is a big thing. In any case, Colossal says it'll be about 5 to 10 years before we see any moa hatching, until then these amazing creatures will remain a fantasy. WIZARD: Hang on, that's definitely an emu, I don't think we're in New Zealand anymore. Sport COMMENTATOR: Australia wins their first ever Asia Cup Championship. Yep, the Opals have done it, winning the 2025 Championship in China. While they led at every break Japan narrowed the lead to 8 points at the final change. But the Opals came back strong. COMMENTATOR: Big start to fourth from Issy Bourne. Japan levelled the scores twice. But it wasn't enough to stop the Aussies who won eighty-eight to seventy-nine and locked in a ticket to next year's World Cup in Berlin. Now to the Tour De France. In the 15th stage of this 3000-kilometre race, Tim Wellens finished in front but this guy in third place hadn't noticed. COMMENTATOR: He doesn't think he's won. Surely not. COMMENTATOR: Please tell me someone's told him. Julian Alaphilippe said he couldn't hear his radio after a crash. JULIAN ALAPHILIPPE, FRENCH CYCLIST: You have to take in on a funny way you know it's part of the game. And Australia has taken out the Frank Worrell trophy after an eventful third test. They knocked the West Indies over for just 27 the second lowest test innings total ever. Mitchell Starc became the fastest player to take five wickets in an innings. COMMENTATOR: That's 400 hundred test match wickets for Mitchell Starc. And Scott Boland became the first Aussie in 15 years to take a test hat-trick. Charity Flights Reporter: Wren Gillett INTRO: Now if you're from the bush, you'll know that there are a lot of great things about growing up away from the city. But there are also some down sides, especially if you need a lot of medical care. Winnie and Raffy are going to tell you how a medical flight charity has helped their family. WINNIE: My name is Winnie, and I am 9 years old. I live in NSW Coonabarabran. Yeah. RAFFY: I'm Raffy, 15, from Coonabarabran. Yeah. Winnie and Raffy are siblings, and as you heard, home for them is here, in Coonabarabran. It's a rural town in New South Wales, and fewer than 3,500 people live here. WINNIE: I'll describe my town as fairly good, but it doesn't have much in it. But yeah, I could live here for the rest of my life. RAFFY: Living in a small country town, nearly everyone knows you, so you know, you always, every time you think you're gonna go downtown for like 10 minutes, ends up going half an hour because you're talking to nearly every person you see. But while living in a small town might mean you're closer to your community, it's common to be far from other things. RAFFY: Some of the harder aspects living here is, I suppose, medical facilities, schooling, you know if you want, and especially for the things I've experienced with farming, that if you want a part or something like that, you got to drive more. For Winnie, that distance really matters. She has a medical condition that means she has to constantly monitor her blood sugar. WINNIE: I'll describe it as just like if all my sugars go low, there's some possible risks that could happen. I might have to get rushed to the hospital if they're like, really, really low. RAFFY: It does get hard in Coonabarabran because yeah, there are not many facilities here that can help her or stuff like that. It's why she sometimes needs to fly for treatment. GLEN BRIDGLAND, LITTLE WINGS: My job entails flying sick kids to and from hospital visits from towns in Outback NSW to the larger hospitals in Sydney and Newcastle. Glen is a volunteer pilot for Little Wings, A charity that's been helping Winnie for a long time. WINNIE: I feel like I've flied like a lot of times because I've been flying with them since I was like 3, I think. They have, like tiny teddies in there and I like, eat them because I'm hungry. GLEN BRIDGLAND: If you live in the larger cities, access to medical treatment is taken as granted. But if you're in the bush that's not as easy, and for people with serious medical issues, the only way they can reach treatment is if they travel a long way. That's where we help. RAFFY: People should be able to get the treatment they need when they need it and how much they need because everyone has the right to it no matter who they are. WINNIE: The other kids that have my condition, I just want to tell them never give up, and you can be whoever you want to be, and Little Wings can help you no matter what. Closer Well, that's all we've got for you today. We'll be back next week with more. But if you can't wait till then you can head to our website there's plenty to see and do there. You can also catch Newsbreak every weeknight. Have an awesome week and I'll see you next time. Bye.

Four injured as citizens pursue man through Sydney hardware store in wild chase
Four injured as citizens pursue man through Sydney hardware store in wild chase

News.com.au

time5 hours ago

  • News.com.au

Four injured as citizens pursue man through Sydney hardware store in wild chase

Dramatic footage has emerged of a wild chase through the streets of Western Sydney that began with a crash tackle in an attempted citizen's arrest, and involved a hacksaw, butcher's knife and an allegedly stolen hire truck, before ending in heavy morning traffic on the motorway. The ordeal began at a petrol station in Austral on Monday where CCTV captured two locals - dressed in black in the vision above - closely trailing a 51-year-old man dressed in blue. They're seen walking slowly until the man in blue approaches a corner and legs it away from the others. The two locals give chase and one of them manages to tackle the man in blue to the ground in the carpark of a nearby Mitre 10. He isn't able to restrain the man for long, however, and he is seen entering the hardware store. Inside, the man in blue allegedly used a hacksaw to injure two employees and one of the locals who had been pursing him from the start. According to 9News, the locals had been following the man as they suspected him of stealing from businesses in the area. One of the locals, who was allegedly sliced across his ear, is again seen on CCTV when he exits the Mitre 10 and is handed a large knife from the butcher shop at the other end of the carpark. The knife was not used however, as the 51-year-old used the intervening time to escape out the rear exit of the Mitre 10 and allegedly steal a hire truck. According to police, a third hardware store employee was crushed between two trucks when the vehicle was allegedly stolen. That employee was treated by paramedics and taken to Liverpool Hospital. Police were informed of the alleged theft and picked up the pursuit after officers sighted the truck at about 8.50am and followed it onto the M4 Motorway. The Mitre 10 truck was also fitted with a GPS tracker, making the man's movements easy to follow. In the end, heavy traffic proved to be the man's downfall and he was arrested and taken to Blacktown Police Station.

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