7News Just In

The NSW state government has launched a $9 million two-year trial program offering free asbestos waste collection and disposal for households. One in three homes built before 1990 contains asbestos, and the initiative aims to reduce illegal dumping. More than 4,000 Australians die each year from historical asbestos exposure.

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Newcastle camel jockey Emily Parrott has claimed victory at the outback camel races in Jundah, Queensland, after travelling more than 4,000 kilometres with her ride Polished Copper. The second-generation camel jockey sent the red dirt flying as she stormed home to win, with a month's worth of desert races still ahead of her.

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The Northern Territory has launched a tourism campaign offering airfare refunds of up to $750 per person for travellers booking trips to Alice Springs. The offer requires visitors to book a minimum two-night accommodation stay and a guided tour, and is available from August through the end of January. The initiative aims to encourage Australian households to take holidays despite cost of living pressures.

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Western Australia has conducted Australia's first trial of real-time facial recognition cameras, scanning over 131,000 faces in less than a week. The technology identified registered sex offenders as the highest alert category, with arrests made even during the trial's press conference. Child safety advocates are calling for nationwide rollout of the technology, while experts emphasise the need for a national legislative framework to prevent misuse.

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A single-engine seaplane made a hard landing in New York's East River between Brooklyn and Queens, with a wing strut snapping on impact. Eight people were onboard the aircraft when it crashed, with rescue boats quickly responding to the wreckage. Two passengers suffered minor injuries in the incident.

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Abalone poaching has surged in Victoria's coastal waters following mass job cuts that reduced fisheries officers from 26 to just eight statewide. Non-compliance with fisheries laws has jumped to almost 17% since the sackings, with experienced divers warning the legal abalone industry is on the verge of collapse as poachers steal undersized and breeding stock. The government disputes the figures, claiming 90% compliance and doubled convictions, but New South Wales experts warn Victoria faces the same industry devastation they've experienced.

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Leah Stewart, a 34-year-old mother who survived a shark attack at Coogee last month, remains in stable condition at St Vincent's Hospital after losing an arm and suffering catastrophic injuries. She faces several more weeks of treatment before beginning rehabilitation. Her family reports she has experienced challenging days but draws strength from public messages of support.

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A Mandurah rental property was contaminated with methamphetamine at 200 times the safe limit after being used as a clandestine drug laboratory. The owner faces over $50,000 in cleaning costs and a $200,000 loss in property value, while Western Australian legislation has no mandatory requirements for accreditation of meth lab cleaners or certification of decontaminated properties. Long-term exposure to methamphetamine residue can cause damage to vital organs including kidneys and liver, and can lead to birth defects.

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Western Australian Labor Minister Paul Papalia announces his resignation from Parliament due to a family member's serious illness, ending a career spanning 26 years in the Navy and multiple ministerial portfolios since 2007. His departure will trigger a by-election in the beachside electorate of Secret Harbour, 50 kilometres south of Perth, with One Nation emerging as a potential challenger to Labor's historically strong hold on the seat. A separate incident sees a 25-year-old Brabham man in critical condition with burns to 75% of his body after his robotic vacuum exploded in his kitchen.

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A 25-year-old man from Brabham suffered critical burns to approximately 75% of his body after a robotic vacuum exploded in his kitchen. The explosion caused significant fire damage, blowing out windows and blackening walls from the kitchen to the living room. Investigators have confirmed a fault in the robotic vacuum is likely responsible for the incident, with the victim currently sedated in Fiona Stanley Hospital's burns unit facing at least two months of treatment.

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