7News Just In

Veteran broadcaster Alan Jones, 85, will face trial next month on 22 charges including two counts of sexual touching after four charges were withdrawn when two accusers pulled out of the proceedings. The total number of alleged victims now stands at six. The indecent assault trial is scheduled to begin next month.

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Four additional arrests have been made in connection with the alleged murder and kidnapping of 85-year-old North Ryde grandfather Chris Baghsarian, who was taken from his home on February 13th in a case of mistaken identity and found dead near a golf course in Pitt Town. Police have charged 32-year-old Alesana Schaaf, believed to be the coordinator who physically kidnapped Baghsarian, along with three other men including 19-year-old amateur boxer Julius Pula. The kidnapping was allegedly ordered by a criminal network overseas that police continue to investigate.

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A deadly fire at a Bangkok pub has killed at least 28 people and injured 73 others. Initial investigations suggest the blaze was caused by a short circuit in a ceiling-mounted air conditioning unit, with blocked emergency exits potentially contributing to the high casualty toll. The Department of Foreign Affairs is working to determine if any Australians were among the victims.

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Two Victoria Police officers, James Fitzgerald and Alexander Papanastasis, are facing a four-day committal hearing over negligent manslaughter charges following the death of 35-year-old Luke Briggs. Briggs died in hospital eight days after an early morning arrest at a Hoppers Crossing 7-Eleven in 2024. The court heard evidence that Briggs had a toxic level of methamphetamine in his system, with his cause of death believed to be brain damage resulting from cardiorespiratory arrest, though what caused the heart and lungs to fail remains undetermined.

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Sydney childcare worker Hamish Tait has been charged with more than 300 child sex offences, with police identifying 136 alleged victims after examining 2.4 million files from his devices. The Australian Federal Police have received dozens of calls from families since publicly revealing his identity, and are still working to identify 22 additional potential victims. Investigators spent a year analysing evidence before requesting his name be made public to help trace remaining children.

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Sydney childcare worker Hamish Tait has been charged with more than 300 child sex offences, with police identifying 136 alleged victims after examining 2.4 million files from his devices. The Australian Federal Police have received dozens of calls from families since publicly revealing his identity, and are still working to identify 22 additional potential victims. Investigators spent a year analysing evidence before requesting his name be made public to help trace remaining children.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Essendon, alleged to be a high-ranking lieutenant in Melbourne's underworld criminal syndicate known as 'The Commission'. The suspect, who operated under the encrypted app handle 'ComBank', is accused of recruiting children and teenagers to carry out firebombings, aggravated burglaries and kidnapping across Victoria on behalf of criminal figures operating from the Middle East. Police believe Melbourne's underworld wars are being directed by former crime kingpin Kaz Hamad from a prison cell in Iraq, with another man now also calling shots from the region.

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A man has been arrested following a dramatic police operation in Newtown where he jumped across roofs of cars and houses near Denison and Darley Street while attempting to evade officers. Multiple ambulances and cars had their windscreens smashed when he allegedly crashed into them. The man was taken to hospital under police guard.

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In one of his final public appearances, Sam Neill read the iconic poem For the Fallen by Laurence Binyon during the ANZAC Day Eve Sunset Tribute at the Sydney Opera House. The beloved actor, best known for the Jurassic Park franchise, has died aged 78, surrounded by his family. His passing comes after he recently revealed he was cancer-free following a diagnosis of a rare form of blood cancer in March 2022.

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A new poll reveals 61% of Australians want house prices to fall, with support spanning across all political parties including homeowners and investors. Cricket Australia faces criticism for not planning to sing the national anthem at the Big Bash final on Australia Day, with Indigenous Olympic gold medallist Nova Peris calling for its inclusion as a uniting gesture. Director Christopher Nolan dismisses concerns about AI replacing actors and film technicians as 'nonsense', noting young audiences are rejecting AI-generated content dubbed 'AI slop'.

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