Good afternoon. The former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn has been sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison for the murder of a 73-year-old camper in Victoria’s high country.
In the supreme court in Melbourne on Friday, justice Michael Croucher sentenced Lynn, 58, to a maximum of 32 years in prison for the murder of grandmother Carol Clay. Lynn was acquitted of murdering Clay’s fellow camper Russell Hill, 74, after a five-week trial.
Croucher said Clay’s death was a “violent, brutal, horrific death, with a weapon designed to kill”. He said there was “no suggestion that Mrs Clay posed any threat to Mr Lynn … this was just a terrible thing to do”.
Lynn could be eligible for parole in about two decades, when he will be aged 79, as he has spent nearly three years in custody.
Top news
US report casts doubt on Aukus budget | The Australian government’s view that the nuclear submarine project is “too big to fail” could heighten the risk of cost blowouts, a US Congress report has warned, also questioning whether any rigorous cost-benefit analysis had been done before the project’s announcement.
Daniel Andrews to lead youth mental health org | In his first official post-politics role, the former Victorian premier has been appointed chair of Orygen, the world’s largest clinical research organisation focused on youth mental health.
Queensland man charged over alleged livestock scam | Cattle, a kitten and even donkeys were allegedly falsely advertised for sale on social media by a man arrested north of Brisbane. Police said at least 12 buyers had deposited more than $7,500 to the man but never received the animals or feed.
Hunt for Sydney tar ball source continues | Scientists analysing the black debris that closed beaches this week believe the “tar balls” are likely from an oil spill but have not ruled out a link to a nearby sewage treatment plant.
Wild weather to sweep Australia’s south-east | Parts of north-east Victoria face a risk of tornadoes forming, the State Control Centre has said, as severe thunderstorms with “giant hail” the size of golfballs, wild winds and heavy rainfall lash Australia’s south-east.
Nine culture review fallout | Investigations are under way into multiple individual complaints by Nine Entertainment staff, while others have engaged lawyers after an independent report found a toxic culture at the media company subjected them to sexual harassment and bullying.
Video appears to show Hamas leader’s final moments | The Israeli military released footage it says shows Yahya Sinwar severely wounded in a room destroyed by shelling and throwing a stick towards the approaching drone. The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, said Sinwar’s death was “an opportunity for this war to end”.
Updates from the US presidential race | Donald Trump laid into Kamala Harris and other Democrats on Thursday in a pointed and at times bitter speech as he headlined a charity dinner in New York, while she recorded a video that was played at the event.
And a look ahead to Japan’s election | Corruption scandals, an economic crisis and widespread leader dissatisfaction have dogged Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic party, yet it remains in contention. The question now is what happens if it fails to secure a majority.
In pictures
Under the microscope: Nikon Small World photomicrography 2024
Spider eyes, butterfly wing scales, truffle spores and slime mould come under the spotlight in the 50th anniversary of the Nikon Small World photomicrography competition. The award celebrates photography through a microscope, capturing the breathtaking beauty of a world hidden from the naked eye.
What they said …
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“I can’t say anything yet because we have got to get elected before we do anything.” – Freya Ostapovitch
The Liberal National party candidate in the Queensland election was recorded telling a voter to “trust me” on abortion and claiming that abortion “can increase the risk of breast cancer”, comments at odds with her party’s official position as the issue of abortion rights remains in the spotlight for the opposition leader, David Crisafulli.
The Labor deputy premier, Cameron Dick, said the candidate’s comments “should send a chill down the spine of every person in Queensland”.
Ostapovitch said: “Don’t fall for Labor’s desperate scare campaign. As a member of the LNP team I have committed to no changes to these laws and I will stand by that position if elected.”
In numbers
Melbourne’s notorious Montague Street bridge notched up another incident this afternoon when a truck hit the light rail bridge infamous for catching or crushing the tops of vehicles too tall for its 3 metre clearance. According to the dedicated How Many Days Since the Montague Bridge Has Been Hit website, it had been 43 days since the last collision – well above the median wait of 26 days.
Before bed read
‘As a middle-aged man, I would’ve saved loads on therapy if I’d read Baby-Sitters Club books as a kid’
Despite all the de-gendering work over the last half-century, writes Russell Marks, boys simply weren’t (and still often aren’t) exposed to emotionally intelligent character interactions in the books marketed to us.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: PERT . You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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