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Jefferson Lewis was unconscious when apprehended by police
Jefferson Lewis was unconscious and being treated by St John’s Ambulance when he was apprehended by police but has since been cleared fit for custody, the NT police commissioner has confirmed.
Martin Dole said:
Mr Lewis was subject to a sustained attack. He did receive treatment at the Alice Springs hospital. At the time of his apprehension by us, he was unconscious and in the process of being treated by St John’s Ambulance when they were set upon, as were the police.
He has been given a “fit for custody” and has been released from Northern Territory Health and he is now with NT police in our custody. His injuries are not significant enough to keep him in hospital.
One community member arrested after violent scenes in Alice Springs
The NT police commissioner has also confirmed one woman has been arrested in relation to the unrest in Alice Springs last night.
Police commissioner Martin Dole told media just now that the woman had been arrested for allegedly “attempting to set fire to one of our sedans”.
Dore said:
She’s in custody at the moment and is being investigated for attempted arson.
Police commissioner says those involved in confrontations with police will ‘face the law’
The NT police commissioner, Martin Dole, has said that those involved in the confrontations with police and emergency services will “face the law”, and that he expects arrests to occur today and tomorrow.
Dore, speaking at a press conference with the chief minister in Alice Springs just now, said:
Let me say, the behaviour we saw last night cannot be explained away, excused or accepted. There is absolutely no excuse for violence against emergency services that are just doing their job so for those people involved, you will face the law as Jefferson Lewis is facing the law and your behaviour will not be accepted by us.
… There is one law and that one law applies to everybody, including the people involved in the violence last night.
Alice Springs imposes restrictions on takeaway alcohol in wake of unrest
NT chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, has announced there will be a ban on takeaway alcohol sales in Alice Springs today, and limited takeaway sales on Saturday in the wake of unrest in the community last night.
Speaking to media just now, Finocchiaro said the move would bring “a reprieve” to the community and frontline workers:
Today, there will be no takeaway alcohol here in Alice Springs. I want to thank the leadership from our bottle shops and the hospitality industry for leading that charge.
It is very important and it will bring important reprieve to the community and frontline workers. Tomorrow, there will be limited takeaway between 11am and 2pm. Sunday is a really highly restricted and Monday and Tuesday are already grog-free days.
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorder
Craig Bellamy has been diagnosed with an unspecified neurodegenerative disorder but will remain as coach of Melbourne Storm in the immediate future, the club has said.
The club issued a statement on Thursday night, 24 hours out from Melbourne’s NRL clash with the Dolphins in Brisbane, with the 66-year-old Bellamy recently undergoing a series of medical tests.
The club said in the statement:
Over recent weeks, in consultation with specialists, Craig has undergone a series of medical tests and has since been diagnosed with a form of neurodegenerative disorder.
He is receiving the best possible medical treatment and has been advised by specialists that his diagnosis will not have an impact on his ability to coach the team in the immediate future.
You can read more on this story here:
Kumanjayi Little Baby's grandfather calls for calm
Robin Granites, senior Yapa (Warlpiri) elder, grandfather of Kumanjayi Little Baby and spokesperson for the family, has appealed for calm across the central Australian community.
In a statement this morning, Granites said:
It is time now for sorry business, to show respect for our family and have space for grieving and remembering.
Everyone is feeling very upset and emotions are very high, I understand that.
What has happened this week is not our way. Our children are precious, of course we are feeling angry and hurt at what has happened.
This man has been caught, thanks to community action, and we must now let justice take its course while we take the time to mourn Kumanjayi Little Baby and support our family.
Granites has asked people in bush communities to carefully consider their need to travel to Mparntwe/Alice Springs at this time:
If you need to come to join sorry business, that’s fine. But just come for that, then return home please.
Now is not the time to be heroes on social media or make trouble.
We must be mindful Mparntwe is traditional country for central Arrernte, and east and western Arrernte as well. We must respect that and their ways.
We need to be strong for each other, we must respect family and cultural practice. This is the Yapa way.
Seven fighting for lives after four-car pile-up
Seven people have been left fighting for their lives after a 14-year-old boy lost control of the vehicle he was driving, causing a horrific four-car pile-up, AAP reports.
Police said the boy was driving north with three other teenagers along Maryborough-Hervey Bay Road on Queensland’s Fraser Coast at 6.10pm on Thursday when he veered on to the opposite side of the road.
The Mitsubishi Lancer then swiped a small Suzuki Swift before colliding with an orange Kona, which was then hit from the rear by a following Volkswagen Polo.
There were lengthy delays as emergency services rushed to the scene, with multiple people needing to be freed from their vehicles.
All four teenagers in the Mitsubishi sustained potentially life-threatening injuries, with a 16-year-old girl later airlifted to Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital in a critical condition.
The driver, a 14-year-old Urangan boy, and two other passengers – a 14-year-old Granville boy and a 16-year-old Maryborough girl – were transported to Hervey Bay hospital with various head, limb, abdominal and pelvic injuries.
The driver of the Suzuki, an 18-year-old Wondunna woman, was airlifted to Maryborough hospital with limb injuries in a stable condition. Her 58-year-old passenger was taken to Maryborough hospital with chest and abdominal injuries in a stable condition.
The driver of the Kona, a 40-year-old Eli Waters man, was trapped along with a 40-year-old woman and a two-year-old girl, all of whom were taken to Hervey Bay hospital in potentially life-threatening conditions.
The sole occupant of the Volkswagen, a 19-year-old male, was taken to Maryborough hospital in a stable condition with limb injuries.
Drivers must be at least 17 years old to qualify for a provisional driver’s licence in Queensland.
Police have urged anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage to come forward.
Caitlin Cassidy
Australian who is part of the flotilla to Gaza says ‘many boats have been broken’
An Australian who is part of the flotilla convoy attempting to transport aid to Gaza says multiple boats have been broken as about 175 activists remain detained by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Anny Mokotow, who is onboard the ship Bye-Luby, said their boat had to do search and rescue to find stranded boats and passengers after the flotilla was intercepted on Wednesday evening off the coast of Greece in international waters:
Many boats have been broken, engines destroyed and rigging cut. Some like Tam Tam have passengers. Others are unknown.
Political pressure needs to be put on US, Australia, Greece and the rest of the world.
The Israel Foreign Ministry said the detained activists, including six Australians, were being transported “peacefully” to Israel. Twenty-two boats have been intercepted, and 45 are continuing to sail to Gaza.
Qantas reduces capacity and eyes Europe demand
Jonathan Barrett
Qantas will reduce its trans-Tasman services, and shift more aircraft on to Europe-bound routes, as it overhauls its schedule to save fuel and take advantage of in-demand flights.
The airline said today that it has extended previously announced schedule changes, with its additional Perth-Rome flights now running until the end of October.
Qantas and subsidiary Jetstar have trimmed capacity across the Tasman, while Qantas’s Sydney to Bengaluru service will be temporarily suspended from August.
Qantas said the decisions were made to mitigate the impact of the Middle East conflict, including high jet fuel prices, while responding to strong demand for travel to Europe.
The new changes will reduce its international capacity by a further 2%. While the Australian airline is benefiting from demand for flights that transit through Asia and avoid the Middle East, its jet fuel bill has risen sharply.
Qantas and Jetstar are also extending capacity reductions on their domestic network, predominantly on major capital city routes, until at least the end of September.
Call for investigation into correctional systems’ actions that led to release of Jefferson Lewis
The national commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people, Sue-Anne Hunter, has said she will call for “a wider investigation into the correctional systems” that led to the release of Jefferson Lewis, who was arrested last night in connection with the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
Police previously said Lewis was known to authorities for domestic and family violence-related offences, and confirmed he had recently been released from prison but was not subject to any supervision orders.
Hunter said on Friday:
This is an extremely sad day for our people. It is with heavy hearts that we acknowledge the devastating loss of Kumanjayi Little Baby. Our thoughts are with her family, her community, the wider Northern Territory public, and all those across the nation carrying grief at this time.
As we call for justice, we also call for unity, and we remember the loss that sits at the centre of this. The hope we held for Kumanjayi Little Baby’s safe discovery and return must now be held for the futures of our children. This must compel us to be better and do better for them.
Every child has a right to safety and a bright future. The wellbeing, rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people are the grounding principles for the work we do at the Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People.
We call for a wider investigation into the correctional systems that led to his release.
