7:11am: Here we go again. Leadership time.
Kevin Rudd supporters have been hitting the phones ahead of D-Day today - the last sitting day of parliament for seven weeks.
But Gillard supporters have been hitting the phones just as hard, writes Phillip Coorey in the Financial Review.
Game on.
Kevin Rudd. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
7:06am: I smell controversy brewing. And pills.
Ecstasy users should not be charged by police, former Labor health minister Neal Blewett said during a provocative keynote address to the peak police drug and alcohol forum in Australasia yesterday.
7:00am: Compelling new evidence has emerged in the disappearance and presumed murder of Katoomba mother, Belinda Peisley.
One man had been staying with her and stole from her before telling someone "she's not coming back soon".
Belinda Peisley ... missing since 1998. Photo: Supplied
7:00am: To recap the weather, it will be a hot one today - mostly sunny with a top of 28 degrees in the city and 31 degrees in the west.
Lovely day to be at the desk.
6:57am: The drugs-in-sport scandal just won't go away.
There are 31 league players of interest for the Anti-Doping Agency but, with every club except Cronulla being cleared, it looks like the problem is rogue individuals and former players.
NRL chief announces details of ASADA's investigations
NRL CEO David Smith said on Wednesday he expected the process to take between four to six weeks.
- Autoplay OnOff
- Video feedback
- Video settings
6:55am: The hammer fell on the final episode of The Block All Stars last night with favourites Phil Rankine and Amity Dry taking home $295,000 profit as well the $100,000 prize money.
The Herald was there for the invite-only auctions on Tuesday night.
The Block: hammer falls
Property reporter Toby Johnstone attended the invite only auction. Here's his take.
- Autoplay OnOff
- Video feedback
- Video settings
6:51am: In Brisbane, Gerard Baden-Clay was committed to stand trial over the murder of his wife, Allison, following a six-day hearing that revealed plenty of dramatic evidence.
In the last few hours yesterday, photos of scratches on Mr Baden-Clay's face and body were released to the media.
6:51am: You can bet the distressing footage shown on ABC Lateline last night won't be going away today.
It shows poultry workers bashing, kicking, stomping on and slamming live turkeys at a processing plant at Inghams Enterprises in Sydney's southwest.
Mystery: Richard Torbay has been asked to sdtand down by the National Party. Photo: Jim Rice
6:49am: Richard Torbay was not only removed as the federal national candidate for the New England seat yesterday, he also resigned from the NSW parliament yesterday, possibly for wreaking of Eau de Obeid.
Kate McClymont and Sean Nicholls have dug up all the dirt on the inside story behind the move.
6:48am: A fuel spill that has closed all southbound lanes of the Harbour Tunnel will be cleared in about half an hour, authorities hope. Key word: hope.
Traffic is already building on the Gore Hill Freeway back to the Willoughby on-ramp. I'll provide updates every 15 or so minutes.
Northbound lanes remain open.
6:40am: In state politics, the government's "right to silence" laws passed through parliament late last night thanks to a surprising backflip by the Shooters and Fishers Party MPs.
"We will no doubt find out what dirty deal Barry O'Farrell has done with the shooters and fishers party," said Opposition Police spokesman, Nathan Rees.
6:40am: Moving back to local news overnight, a 35-year-old man will face court today after he allegedly stole cash off a 32-year-old man in a laneway off Oxford Steet yesterday evening and then repeatedly punched him and kicked him while on the ground.
6:36am: Also on the roads:
There is an accident southbound on the F3 near the Berowra exit.
One of three southbound lanes is closed and traffic is queued back to the Hawkesbury River Bridge.
6:34am: The Sydney Harbour Tunnel has been closed southbound to clean up a fuel spill after a fuel tank fell off a truck.
Norhtbound lanes remain open.
Use the Sydney Harbour Bridge as an alternative.
6:32am: In the spicy Bolshoi Ballet drama in Russia, the general director, Anatoly Iksanov, has dismissed as "nonsense and dirt" claims by a former ballerina that dancers were pimped out to wealthy patrons, as the company's infighting escalated.
Bolshoi prostitution claim 'nonsense'
Claims by a former ballerina that dancers are forced to act as escorts to theatre VIPs, dismissed by Bolshoi management.
- Autoplay OnOff
- Video feedback
- Video settings
6:31am: So far the US President Barack Obama's trip to Israel has gone smoothly. But some idiot refueled the official limousine - an 8-tonne Cadillac known as the Beast - with regular petrol instead of diesel. It then broke down on the side of an Israeli street and had to be towed.
6:23am: In South Korea, the computer networks of several major broadcasters and banks have been paralysed in what police and government agencies were investigating as a cyber attack, possibly committed by North Korea.
6:20am: In poor crisis-ridden Cyprus, the country turned to Russia for help after the parliament overwhelmingly rejected plans to impose a tax on bank deposits and protesters celebrated in the streets.
6:14am: Moving to world news, Barack Obama is in Israel and has just fronted the media in Jerusalem with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to talk about Iran nuclear issues (and copy each other's hero poses, evidently).
There is still time to deal with it though diplomancy, Obama said.
6:08am: On the roads:
At St Andrews, there is an accident westbound on the Hume Highway at Campbelltown Road.
At Minchinbury, there is an accident citybound on the Great Western Highway at Carlisle Avenue.
6:07am: On the train network, buses replace trains between Richmond and Schofields on the Western Line.
6:04am: On the front pages of the major newspapers:
The Age reports that Kevin Rudd's supporters were last night considering a high-stakes tilt at the Labor leadership ahead of what is potentially the most vulnerable day of Julia Gillard's two-year leadership.
The Australian Financial Review says Julia Gillard’s supporters have hit the phones to rally support from Labor MPs as the government’s media package hung in the balance and Kevin Rudd’s backers worked to trigger a leadership contest as early as Thursday.
The Australian says Julia Gillard is heading for a bruising defeat on media policy after stepping in to rescue Labor's controversial reforms but failing to win over the key independents.
The Daily Telegraph reveals that internal Labor polling - taken on the eve of Kevin Rudd's political assassination - revealed a rebound in popularity for the PM but was kept secret from Rudd and senior ministers.
SMH front page, March 21
6:01am: On the front page of today's Sydney Morning Herald, Kevin Rudd's supporters are considering a high-stakes tilt at the Labor leadership, with supporters on both sides seeking to lock in crucial votes before the final sitting day of Parliament.
6:00am: Good morning all, another hot one today.
It will be partly cloudy with a top of 28 degrees in the city, 31 in the west.
Same story for the weekend - possible shower and 29 degrees on Saturday, mostly sunny and 30 degrees on Sunday.
Anyone seen Autumn?
No comments:
Post a Comment