Fresh search for body, evidence linked to alleged Victorian cop-killer
Police in Victoria have cleared bushland, flown drones and traversed caves as part of its latest search to uncover Dezi Freeman, who is accused of shooting dead two policemen in Porepunkah in August.
In a statement, police said:
Detectives from Taskforce Summit, supported by specialist resources, have this last week undertaken a targeted search of the Mount Buffalo national park as part of the ongoing search for wanted fugitive Desmond Freeman.
The extensive search involved a number of units from across Victoria police including local members from eastern region, search and rescue, critical incident response team (CIRT), drone unit and the dog squad as well as two New South Wales police force cadaver dogs.
Police have spent five days systematically searching 0.886 km2 in thick bush and heavy terrain, conducting line searches and clearing caves.
No trace of Freeman has been located at this time.
The area was previously searched on 12 September, police said, with the purpose of locating an “active armed offender”, but the search this week “focused on identifying and locating evidence or the body of Freeman”.
The homicide squad continues to lead the investigation into the murders of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart.
A reward of $1m remains for information leading to Freeman’s arrest.
Assistant commissioner Martin O’Brien said:
The devastating loss of Neal and Vadim has struck at the heart of Victoria police and had an enormous impact on the Porepunkah community.
I want to reaffirm to the community that Victoria police remains committed to doing everything we can – using every available resource and the necessary capabilities – to locate Desmond Freeman.
We will continue to conduct targeted searches such as this one based on intelligence.
You can read more on the ongoing search for Freeman here:
Key events
Nino Bucci
Former student charged with over alleged ongoing hacking of Western Sydney University
A former student charged for a series of alleged cyber hacks on Western Sydney University has committed more offences since her arrest, NSW police allege.
In a statement, police said the 27-year-old woman is alleged to have sent more than 100,000 fraudulent emails to students “designed to tarnish the reputation of the university” and cause the students distress.
The woman was arrested on Thursday night in North Kellyville. Police allege she was in possession of a mobile phone which had been modified to use as a computer terminal to commit the offences.
Police also allege she fabricated and posted material designed to exculpate herself in the ongoing court matter.
She was charged with two counts of “unauthorised function with intent serious offence”, two counts of “fabricate false evidence with intent to mislead judicial tribunal”, and breach of bail.
She was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court on Friday.
Fresh search for body, evidence linked to alleged Victorian cop-killer
Police in Victoria have cleared bushland, flown drones and traversed caves as part of its latest search to uncover Dezi Freeman, who is accused of shooting dead two policemen in Porepunkah in August.
In a statement, police said:
Detectives from Taskforce Summit, supported by specialist resources, have this last week undertaken a targeted search of the Mount Buffalo national park as part of the ongoing search for wanted fugitive Desmond Freeman.
The extensive search involved a number of units from across Victoria police including local members from eastern region, search and rescue, critical incident response team (CIRT), drone unit and the dog squad as well as two New South Wales police force cadaver dogs.
Police have spent five days systematically searching 0.886 km2 in thick bush and heavy terrain, conducting line searches and clearing caves.
No trace of Freeman has been located at this time.
The area was previously searched on 12 September, police said, with the purpose of locating an “active armed offender”, but the search this week “focused on identifying and locating evidence or the body of Freeman”.
The homicide squad continues to lead the investigation into the murders of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart-Hottart.
A reward of $1m remains for information leading to Freeman’s arrest.
Assistant commissioner Martin O’Brien said:
The devastating loss of Neal and Vadim has struck at the heart of Victoria police and had an enormous impact on the Porepunkah community.
I want to reaffirm to the community that Victoria police remains committed to doing everything we can – using every available resource and the necessary capabilities – to locate Desmond Freeman.
We will continue to conduct targeted searches such as this one based on intelligence.
You can read more on the ongoing search for Freeman here:
Canavan hopes to woo Joyce back to the Nationals
Nationals senator Matt Canavan hopes Barnaby Joyce will “see the light” and come back to the party to continue their crusade against net zero, AAP reports.
The now-independent maverick MP announced his resignation from the Nationals after 30 years with “a heavy heart” last week.
His Nationals’ colleagues had worked for weeks to convince their former leader to stay in the party, and it appears the fight isn’t over for Canavan who said Joyce would be a “prodigal son” if he returned:
He hasn’t signed for another team so I hold out hope he’ll come back, he’ll see the light and come back to his natural home of the Nationals Party. …
I’ll keep doing what I can to convince him to rejoin our team … I’m already fattening the calves.
Victoria’s midyear budget update
Benita Kolovos
The Victorian government will deliver a $710m operating surplus this financial year, an $110m improvement from when the budget was handed down in May, with the state’s debt also forecast to marginally improve.
The treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, on Friday released the midyear budget update, which showed the 2025-26 operating surplus is $710m, compared with the $600m forecast in May.
Net debt is forecast to rise to $192bn by 2028-29, a $2bn improvement on the $194bn figure in the budget.
The Victorian government will rake in $109.8bn in revenue this financial year, compared with the $108.3bn it forecast in May. Its expenses bill will be $109bn, compared to $107.7bn in May.
Symes will be holding a press conference shortly.
Tasmania’s Dolphin Sands not safe to return to amid bushfire threat
Tasmania’s Dolphin Sands and the surrounding areas, including Nine Mile Beach, remain a bushfire watch and act area today, with residents being warned it is still not safe to return home amid the threat from bushfires.
Officials said anyone who did not leave the area overnight should continue to monitor conditions and remain alert for changes. However, people who left should not go back until they are told it’s safe.
They added:
Be ready if the situation escalates. Read through your bushfire plan. If you do not have a plan, decide what you will do if the situation gets worse.
Stephanie Convery
Nick Cave lends support to State Library of Victoria campaign
Nick Cave has added his name to a long and distinguished list of signatories on an open letter calling for greater public accountability at the State Library of Victoria over a proposed restructure.
The musician joins more than 220 writers, scholars and researchers in expressing alarm about the restructure proposal, after plans to cut staff and refocus the 171-year-old institution on tourist-oriented digital experiences came to light.
Guardian Australia understands Cave requested his name be added to the list of signatories because his mother was a librarian, and the cause was important to him in many ways.
Signatories to the letter include Pulitzer prize-winning author Geraldine Brooks, Nobel prize for literature winner JM Coetzee, Nobel laureate Prof Peter Doherty, Booker prize winner Thomas Keneally and dual Stella prize winner Alexis Wright.
The open letter echoes recent calls from the library workers’ union, CPSU Victoria, for management to hold a public meeting to explain their proposal, in which 39 jobs would be lost and the public-facing workforce of reference librarians would be cut from 25 staff to 10. Many publicly accessible computers would be removed from the premises and critical information technology roles outsourced.
The library’s spokesperson said the proposed changes “reflect the Library’s strong commitment to best serving the community now and into the future”.
Acclaimed writer Helen Garner, another signatory to the letter, told Guardian Australia this week that the library had been turned from “a temple of calm … a place where thinking was respected” into “party central” and that the plan would “bring disgrace on the name of our city”.
Read more here:
Matilda Boseley
Heard of Coverstar, Lemon8 or Yope? Teenagers rush to apps not covered by social media ban
As Australia prepares to block under-16s from accessing 10 of its largest social media platforms, less prominent companies have begun courting the teen market – in some cases paying underaged influencers to promote them.
One teenaged TikTok influencer said in a paid “collab” video for the app Coverstar: “The social media ban is fast approaching, but I found the new cool app we can all move to.”
From 10 December all under-16s in Australia will be banned from TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Reddit, Twitch, Kick and X as Australia’s world-first social media laws come into effect.
Questions remain about how effective the ban will be, with many children hoping to circumvent it. Others have started looking elsewhere for their social media fix.
Read more here:
NSW police investigate reports of a shooting outside a Sydney gym
NSW police are investigating after a reported public place shooting in the Sydney suburb of Gregory Hills, this morning.
Police said they were called to a gym in the south-western suburb just after 8.30am this morning. On arrival, officers found a number of shots had allegedly been fired at a man outside the gym.
The man is believed to have left the scene immediately after the incident. There were no reports of injuries.
NSW police said two men were allegedly seen at the scene armed with firearms and dressed in black clothing and face coverings. They have established a crime scene and are calling for anyone with information to come forward.
Australia will compete in Eurovision, SBS says
Amanda Meade
Australia will not join Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands in boycotting next year’s Eurovision after Israel was given the all-clear to compete because doing so would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality, the broadcaster said.
An SBS spokesperson said:
SBS’s participation in and coverage of Eurovision will continue in 2026. Eurovision was created to bring people and cultures together through music, a purpose that continues to guide the contest and has shaped SBS’s broadcast for more than 40 years. Our position remains that, as a public broadcaster, making a decision to be involved based on the inclusion or exclusion of any country would undermine SBS’s editorial independence and impartiality.
SBS recognises and respects the deeply held views and concerns about the war in the Middle East and its impact, both locally among our audiences, and internationally as reflected by other broadcasters. Our responsibility is to provide comprehensive, trusted and impartial coverage for Australians across our network, and we will continue to do so.
Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service has maintained this position despite calls from the Greens and some SBS staff and viewers to withdraw.
NSW police responding to reports of shots fired in public place in Sydney’s south-west
NSW police are responding to reports of shots fired in the Sydney suburb of Gregory Hills, this morning.
An official said there is a large police presence in the area, but there are no reports of injuries.
Further information will be provided by the police when it is available.
Residents of Glunlusk, near Hobart, can return home, with caution, after bushfire threat
Tasmania’s fire service said residents of Glenlusk, near Hobart, can return home because there is no longer an immediate threat from bushfires. Some people in the area were told to urgently evacuate yesterday as flames encroached to town.
Conditions are expected to improve, but officials cautioned residents to stay alert, saying:
Although there is no immediate danger, residents need to monitor conditions and be alert for any changes.
Be ready if the situation escalates. Read through your bushfire plan. If you do not have a plan, decide what you will do if the situation gets worse.
Embers, smoke and ash may continue to fall in the area, and smoke could make it difficult to see and breathe. Fire service officials are attending the area today.
If you choose to return to your home, continue to stay alert, (and) monitor your surroundings for changes in fire conditions.
Philip Oltermann
Four countries to boycott Eurovision 2026 as Israel cleared to compete
Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands will boycott next year’s Eurovision after Israel was given the all-clear to compete in the 2026 song contest despite calls by several participating broadcasters for its exclusion over the war in Gaza.
No vote on Israel’s participation was held on Thursday at the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body that organises the competition.
Instead, participating broadcasters voted only to introduce new rules designed to stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters.
“A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision song contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place,” the EBU said in a statement.
Read more here:
Tasmania fire authorities battling bushfires, some property losses reported
Tasmania’s fire authorities are continuing to respond to numerous bushfires today after dangerous weather conditions on Thursday.
Officials said efforts are now focused on the Dolphin Sands area and Glenlusk, near Hobart, with fires burning at Abels Bay, Colebrook, Levendale and Rhyndaston.
Simon Pilkington, the southern regional chief for Tasmania fire service, said weather conditions were unpredictable for much of yesterday and “unfortunately for much of the day we were not able to safely deploy aircraft to assist firefighting efforts”.
He went on:
A slight improvement in the weather late yesterday afternoon meant we were able to downgrade many of the alerts and warnings.
We are aware of property losses in Dolphin Sands, and will be completing rapid impact assessments this morning to confirm the extent of this, when safe to do so.
Today’s weather is expected to be more favourable for firefighting.
Residents are urged to stay up-to-date with advisories at TasAlert.com.
Melissa Davey
Report card reveals private health insurance offering little value to many Australians
Australians are paying more for private health insurance but getting less value in return, a report from the Australian Medical Association has found.
Consumers are abandoning so called gold-tier policies and questioning the value of other policies, all while insurers experience huge profits, the report says.
The growth of private health insurance premiums has outstripped inflation, health sector inflation, average weekly earnings and the indexation of the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) every year since 2008. Between 2008 and 2024, premiums climbed more than 100% while MBS indexation – which was frozen for several years from 2013 – increased by less than 20%.
The report also shows that over the six years to June 2025, insurers increased benefits paid for in-hospital medical treatment by only 18.1%, described by the AMA as a modest rise compared with sector profits, which grew by nearly 50% in the same period.
In 2024‒25, insurers returned 84.2% of premiums to consumers as benefits, well below the 2019 level of 88%. The AMA is calling on the federal government to mandate insurers to return at least 90% of private health insurance premiums to consumers in the form of benefits.
AMA president Dr Danielle McMullen has renewed calls for an independent private health system authority.
