What we learned today, Saturday 9 July
With that, we’ll wrap up our live news coverage for today. Here’s a summary of the main developments:
- World leaders are reacting to the assassination of the former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, as his body was transported to Tokyo from the western city of Nara where he was shot. Anthony Albanese paid tribute to Abe in Canberra on Saturday, calling him a “true patriot and a true leader” who was instrumental in furthering Australian-Japanese relations.
- A total of 77 deaths from Covid-19 were announced by health authorities across Australia on Saturday, including 33 in New South Wales.
- A man has been charged after a nine-year-old girl was shot outside a home in Sydney’s south. The child was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries as the state’s anti-bikie and organised crime squad hunted for the alleged gunman.
- Queensland has recorded its first case of Hendra virus since 2017 after a horse tested positive in Mackay.
- A pilot has died following a helicopter crash north of Windsor, in Sydney’s north-west, this morning.
- Australia’s economy needs a shake-up to ensure “cosy monopolists” don’t dominate the market, with the new minister for competition, Andrew Leigh, pledging to legislate tough new penalties of up to $50m for anti-competitive behaviour.
- The former UK chancellor Rishi Sunak has described himself as a “serious candidate for serious times” as he kickstarted his campaign to become the UK’s next prime minister, with as many as 15 Conservative MPs expected to run for the party’s leadership.
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Elon Musk has withdrawn his $44bn bid to buy Twitter after a dramatic few weeks of speculation that his deal to take over the company was falling apart.
- Australian Nick Kyrgios will take on Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon men’s singles final on Sunday after the Serb defeated local Cameron Norrie overnight.
- The Sopranos actor Tony Sirico, who played Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri on the hit TV show, has died aged 79, his family has announced.
Have a great evening.
Updated
Helicopter pilot dies in crash in Sydney’s north-west
A pilot has died following a helicopter crash north of Windsor, in Sydney’s north-west, this morning.
Emergency services responded to a call in remote bushland off Tuff Hill Lane in South Maroota shortly before 11.50am today.
The response included police officers attached to Hawkesbury police area command, PolAir, police rescue, ambulance helicopter, Rural Fire Service, SES and the Westpac rescue helicopter.
Responders had to make their way through difficult terrain and flood-affected bushland.
In a statement, NSW police said the helicopter was alight upon the arrival of emergency crews. The fire was extinguished by Rural Fire Service.
Once the scene was deemed safe, Police Rescue located the body of a man – believed to be aged in his 60s – in the wreckage. He is yet to be formally identified.
He was the sole occupant of the aircraft.
A crime scene has been established and will be held under police guard overnight, with a recovery operation and investigations to continue tomorrow.
JUST IN: A helicopter has crashed in isolated bushland north of Sydney.
— 9News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) July 9, 2022
Emergency services are attending the crash site in Sackville North.
MORE: https://t.co/f9kvmXBgKQ#9News pic.twitter.com/NY13LUX8Ub
Updated
