Australia news as it happened: ADF helicopter crash remains found; Brittany Higgins sued by Linda Reynolds for defamation

In case you missed this from earlier today: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau have announced they are separating after 18 years of marriage.

The pair made posts on Instagram saying they’d decided to move on after “many meaningful and difficult conversations”.

A statement from the prime minister’s office said both had signed a legal separation agreement.

The couple were married in 2005. They have three children: Xavier,15, Ella-Grace, 14 and Hadrien, 9.

Read the full story from the AP and Reuters here.

The Australian sharemarket extended its losses on Thursday, weighed down by the mining and banking index heavyweights and IT stocks, after Wall Street suffered its biggest fall since April.

The S&P/ASX 200 closed 42.8 points, or 0.6 per cent, lower at 7311.8, falling for a second day after Wednesday’s 1.3 per cent decline. Information technology companies (down 1.6 per cent) fell sharply as Xero lost 2.7 per cent and NEXTDC dropped 2 per cent.

The Australian dollar retreated again, losing 1 per cent overnight. It was fetching 65.35 US cents at 4.15pm AEST.

More than $400 million in NDIS payments are being investigated for fraud.

The number of criminal investigations linked to payments from the disability support scheme has risen to 46, up from 38 in April, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten told parliament.

The investigations are being overseen by a fraud task force, set up in October to examine rorts of the scheme.

Since April, an extra $100 million worth of possible fraudulent payments are being looked at by the task force.

“When there is government money, sometimes people - opportunists, criminals, others - become attracted to trying to siphon that money off for their own good, rather than the best interests of participants,” Shorten told parliament on Thursday.

“There is an element in the Australian community who were basically taking money from participants, robbing people on the scheme, and sometimes not only in an unethical manner, but indeed in a criminal manner.”

The NDIS is on track to be one of the federal budget’s biggest expenses, projected to cost more than $50 billion by 2025/26 and overtaking the annual spend on Medicare.

Shorten had previously announced a review of the NDIS in an attempt to rein in spending and reduce fraudulent payments.

AAP

Victoria has recorded new cases of mpox – previously known as monkeypox – for the first time in almost nine months.

The two locally acquired cases were confirmed today, prompting health authorities to warn people with symptoms to seek medical care and testing from their doctor or local sexual health clinic.

The last case of mpox in Victoria was reported in early November 2022, but the viral infection has spread internationally since May last year.

Cases have recently increased in South-East Asia and the Western Pacific, including in Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand and China, acting chief health officer Professor Ben Cowie said.

The international outbreak has predominantly affected men who have sex with men. However, anyone who has close and usually prolonged intimate contact with an infected person is at risk of contracting mpox.

The viral infection usually causes a mild illness and most people recover in a few weeks, but some may develop severe illness and have to be hospitalised.

Symptoms of mpox can arise up to three weeks after a person is exposed.

Infected people may experience a fever, chills, tiredness, headache, sore throat, muscle aches, swollen lymph nodes, pain on urination, rectal pain, bloody stools and diarrhoea. They may also develop a rash, which can appear as vesicles, pustules or ulcers on any part of the body.

Cowie urged people to get vaccinated against mpox if they were eligible, and said people could reduce their risk of exposure to the infection by limiting their number of sexual partners.

“Exchange contact information with your sexual partners to assist with contact tracing if needed,” he said in a health alert.

People who are eligible for the mpox vaccine include high-risk close contacts of existing cases, sexually active gay and bisexual men who are both cis and trans, their sexual partners, sex workers, certain lab workers and health workers.

Two doses of the vaccine are required to ensure optimal protection from the infection.

AAP

Following today’s earlier news that Liberal senator Linda Reynolds is suing Brittany Higgins for defamation, we’ve now got statements from both Reynolds’ and Higgins’ legal teams.

“Ms Higgins continues to use the media to make defamatory comments about my conduct,” said Reynolds today, “notwithstanding the existence of facts and evidence to the contrary and without regard to a non-disparagement clause she agreed to.”

She said the concerns noticed issued on July 5 requested Higgins refrain from defaming the senator, “however her conduct following receipt of that notice … and the unsatisfactory response received from her lawyer is evidence that she has no intention of stopping”.

A spokesperson for Arnold Bloch Leibler confirmed Higgins had retained the law firm’s services and intended to defend the claim vigorously.

Further details on the story here.

Canberra’s Parliament House will be illuminated in green and gold on Sunday and Monday nights in honour of the Matildas’ next match against Denmark in the Women’s World Cup.

Speaker Milton Dick told parliament Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s request to illuminate the building in support of the team in the lead-up to Monday night’s game had been approved.

Earlier, Albanese said the nation would be coming together on Monday to cheer the Matildas.

“I think we should show leadership and this is one practical way, by lighting it up in the magical green and gold of Australia,” he said.

Liberal MP and Voice supporter Bridget Archer has sided with the government in shutting down a motion put by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was dividing the nation over the Voice.

“I don’t think anyone would be surprised that I would not support that motion,” Archer told this masthead. “I have been strongly on the public record in support of the Voice to parliament.”

Before the parliament went to a vote, Albanese said both sides of the chamber wanted to legislate a version of the Voice.

“You cannot say it will promote racial division and then say you will legislate the Voice. You cannot say it will not make a positive difference but then say you will legislate for the Voice. They don’t see it as radical or divisive or any other noise they want to inject into the referendum, otherwise why would they legislate?” he said.

The vote was defeated 90 votes to 52.