That's it for today, thanks for reading
Here are the main stories on Tuesday, 30 April:
Airline Bonza cancelled all flights across Australia and entered into voluntary administration;
Police are investigating the death of another woman in NSW amid an ongoing national crisis of gendered violence;
A man released after the NZYQ high court decision has allegedly assaulted a woman during a home invasion in Western Australia;
David Sharaz says Linda Reynolds will not settle her defamation case against him and Brittany Higgins;
X lodged appeals against orders to remove content issued by the eSafety commission; and
Weekend flooding is possible on Australia’s east coast, BoM say.
We will see you back here for more news tomorrow.
Updated
Sharaz says Reynolds will not settle defamation case
David Sharaz, the fiance of Brittany Higgins, says senator Linda Reynolds will not settle her defamation case against the couple, potentially exposing Higgins to another trial.
In a statement posted on X on Tuesday afternoon, Sharaz said:
Despite our best efforts Linda Reynolds has not accepted attempts to resolve this matter through mediation and Brittany may now be exposed to another trial. It will be her third.
I cannot afford to pay legal costs to defend myself over a 6 week trial. As a result I have today informed the court that I will not fight Reynolds’ legal action any more.
I now appeal for Senator Reynolds to settle her litigation against Brittany, a rape victim, by agreeing to disagree and putting all of this behind them. It’s time to move on. It’s time to let Brittany heal.
Reynolds, a Liberal senator from Western Australia, is suing Higgins, her former political staffer, and Sharaz over a series of social media posts that she says damaged her reputation.
Reynolds was approached for comment about Sharaz’s statement.
The case is before the Western Australian supreme court, which had previously ordered the parties into mediation. A trial was expected to start in July.
