Cigarette likely to be cause of devastating bushfire
A discarded cigarette butt was likely the cause of a devastating bushfire that destroyed 11 homes and a historic lodge on the Gold Coast.
Police said two local teenagers, aged 17 and 19, had been questioned about the incident but they determined the blaze in September was accidental.
A Queensland Police spokesperson said as a result the teens wouldn’t be prosecuted.
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[Image: Jonas Gratzer/The Guardian]
Xylouris White: The Sisypheans
- The Sisypheans is the fourth album from the duo known as Xylouris White, consisting of George Xylouris on Cretan lute and vocals alongside drummer Jim White (perhaps most notably of The Dirty Three, but also a frequent collaborator with artists such as Will Oldham and Cat Power). This record is the first to follow on from the act's opening trilogy of records: Goats, Black Peak and last year's Mother.
Israel agrees to Egyptian-mediated truce
Islamic Jihad says Israel has agreed to an Egyptian-mediated truce to stop the cross-border rocket salvos that has killed dozens over the past two days.
Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab al-Berim says the deal went into effect at 5:30 am local time.
He said it was based on a list of demands presented by his group late Wednesday, including a halt to Israeli targeted killings of the group’s leaders.
Behrouz Boochani free in New Zealand
Former Manus Island refugee, Behrouz Boochani, is free in New Zealand.
The Kurdish Iranian refugee and journalist is a multiple award-winner for documenting life in Australia’s offshore detention system and has finally left Papua New Guinea.
He says, ““I will never go back to that place. I just want to be free of the system, of the process. I just want to be somewhere where I am a person, not just a number, not just a label ‘refugee’.”
The High Court has referred George Pell’s application to appeal his conviction
The High Court has referred George Pell’s application to appeal his convictions to the court’s full bench after being found guilty of sexual abuse last year.
Although Wednesday’s decision does not mean the Cardinal has the right to appeal, his case will be considered by the full bench of up to seven judges.
President of the Victorian Bar Matt Collins says "It could be that the court has seen something that needs to be clarified as a question of law. Or it could be to allow the oral appeal, either from Pell's lawyers or the OPP, in the interests of justice.”
Tinder-dry Queensland
Lightning strikes are likely to spark fired as thunderstorms are forecasted for tinder-dry Queensland.
The state remains so dry that thunderstorms forecast for the weekend could bring lightening but no rain, a potential spark for more bushfires but no relief.
The Bureau of Meteorology national operations leader Richard Wardle says “In terms of the longer-range outlook for rainfall it is looking like it’s going to stay dry. We’ve had a very dry 2019 and we expect those very dry conditions to continue until 2020.”
Truck and car collision near story bridge
Two people have been injured in a truck and car collision near story bridge.
Roads have been closed following the collision and two people have been taken to hospital after the incident.
Delays were expected for motorists after yesterday’s accident.
Attempted break-in in South Brisbane
Police are seeking public assistance following the attempted break-in at a South Brisbane home this morning.
Police were called to a Bourquet Street unit complex just before 5am this morning after reports came through that men were trying to gain entry to a storage area.
A 30-year-old female Senior Constable was taken to hospital after being knocked to the ground by the perpetrator’s car in an attempt to escape.
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