WA news LIVE: Man swept away by tornado in freak incident in WA's Great Southern; WA pet registry in limbo as anti-puppy farming laws begin
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Man swept away by tornado in freak incident in WA's Great Southern
A West Australian man has revealed he was caught up in wild weather this week – swept away by a tornado while at work.
Fencing contractor and father of two Darcy Clode was working at a farm down in Franklin River, in the state's Great Southern, when he spotted the tornado approaching from a distance.
He said in a split second, the force of the wind had dragged him across the ground and into a fence and flipped his ute, with his dog inside, onto its roof.
You can hear the full details below.
9.30am
Across the nation and around the world
Here's what's making headlines today:
Senator Dorinda Cox described Labor as patronising to women and people of colour and claimed the party cared more about its donors than members in her application to run for the Greens in 2020.
US President Donald Trump has played down the chances of successful peace talks in the Russia-Ukraine war after a phone call with Vladimir Putin, and foreshadowed Russian retaliation to the weekend's surprise Ukrainian attacks on Russian air bases.
The heirs to Sol Goldman's real estate fortune are taking a new step in their battle over a property empire worth more than $US1.7 billion ($2.6 billion).
Tech titan Elon Musk ratcheted up his offensive against US President Donald Trump's signature tax bill, urging that Americans contact their lawmakers to 'KILL' the legislation.
At least 11 people are dead and more than 30 injured after a stampede on Wednesday as crowds tried to enter a cricket stadium in southern India's Karnataka state, authorities said.
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ABC News
2 hours ago
- ABC News
Trump-Musk feud escalates
Nick Grimm: The rift is widening between US President Donald Trump and his former close ally, tech billionaire Elon Musk, with the pair trading bitter accusations on social media. The escalating feud comes as the Trump administration attempts to get a mammoth spending bill through the Senate, which is facing fierce opposition from Democrats, some Republicans and Elon Musk himself. Gavin Coote reports. Gavin Coote: A political bromance that has devolved into an acrimonious divorce. After days of growing criticism from Elon Musk about Donald Trump's signature spending bill, the US president is now hitting back. Donald Trump: I'm very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people. He knew everything about it. He had no problem with it. All of a sudden he had a problem and he only developed the problem when he found out that we're going to have to cut the EV mandate because that's billions and billions of dollars. Gavin Coote: The CEO of electric vehicle company Tesla was until recently President Trump's most powerful ally. But the relationship fractured when Elon Musk began attacking the Trump administration's efforts to get a spending bill through Congress that would cut taxes and ramp up spending for border security. The men are now trading insults and accusations with Mr. Musk claiming on social media without evidence that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That's in reference to a large tranche of material relating to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who was accused of abusing underage girls before taking his own life in prison. For many observers, the fallout wasn't a matter of if, but when. Prof Todd Belt: This was inevitable, but seeing it blow up like this so quickly is actually surprising. Gavin Coote: Professor Todd Belt is a political analyst with George Washington University. While Mr. Musk only recently left his post as a top advisor in the Trump administration, Professor Belt suspects tensions between the pair have been building for some time. Prof Todd Belt: There's a very famous photo from behind a door of Trump pointing at Musk, and we never really got the story behind that. I suspect we might now. Elon Musk was walking the halls of power. He was in the Oval Office and now he says he's sleeping in his server farms and conference rooms. So politically, he's really gone from the pinnacle to the pit. And you have to think that this is because he's really concerned about his businesses. He's said as much. The stock prices are down. The sales are down. Gavin Coote: Tesla's share price plunged by 14 percent on Thursday. While the feud continues to play out on social media, it's unclear where it could go next. Donald Trump has already threatened to cancel billions of dollars in government contracts involving Mr. Musk's companies. Bruce Wolpe is a senior fellow at the U.S. Study Center and a former Democratic staffer. Bruce Wolpe: It's getting ugly. And the question is, how ugly can it really get? I mean, Musk says that Trump would have lost the election without him. Musk has supported a tweet calling for Trump's impeachment and J.D. Vance become president. Musk has said, I'm dropping the bomb and Trump is in the Epstein tapes. These are the notorious records of Jeffrey Epstein. He's also, Musk is also disconnecting, decommissioning a rocket that's essential to resupplying the International Space Station. And so can it go any worse? Gavin Coote: The spending bill that sparked Mr. Musk's fury is yet to pass the Senate. And while he's vowed to continue mobilising opposition to it, Bruce Wolpe suspects it will have limited impact. Bruce Wolpe: When Musk first said this bill does not control the deficit, that is something that a lot of Republicans on the Hill wanted to get some information on and want to support. But when it gets this personal, I think the Republicans on the Hill, they're choosing between Trump and Musk. There's no choice here. And the Republicans are with Trump and everything rides on Trump's being able to pass this big, beautiful mega bill. If he can pass that, then his legacy, at least for the first term, will be sealed. Gavin Coote: So where does that leave Elon Musk? Do you think he will end up becoming this sort of angry voice out in the wilderness? Bruce Wolpe: Musk said that Trump has three and a half years left. He says, I'm going to be around for 40 years and he has all the money in the world. And so wherever he applies his brain and his money and his power, he can make a difference. So we will see as to where it goes. But this will go on for a while. And that does not do anything to improve the political culture in the United States. It's ugly. It's going to get worse. Nick Grimm: Bruce Wolpe there from the US Studies Center, ending Gavin Coote's report.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
US beef might be on the table, but we don't have to eat it
If the government deals with Donald Trump's tariffs by opening our nation to beef imports, Australians' response should be quite simple – don't buy American beef (' Albanese to put beef on the table in Trump trade talks ', June 6). Australians must make a point of checking where products come from and make the decision to buy Australian. In our capitalist system, the consumer is boss. If the issue of beef imports really is a biosecurity threat, as our farmers suggest, it is also our civic duty to avoid it. I do not buy the 'grown in USA' grapes that have recently replaced the Australian ones in my local fruit barn. I also don't trust home brand products from the big two supermarkets as many of them are imported. The added bonus of telling Trump where to put his tariffs is that we support Australian jobs and reduce our carbon footprint. Lesley Maguire, Marsfield Sure, we have a beef with Trump over tariffs and presidential demands, but our biosecurity protocols are sacrosanct. Importing beef from the US may be Russian roulette for our farmers. Our agricultural industries would be devastated should they be afflicted with the diversity of pests and pathogens assailing the natural environment. One of our greatest exports is the international reputation of our quarantine and biosecurity sentinels. Steve Dillon, Thirroul On Britain's exemption from US steel tariffs, Sussan Ley said: 'We stand ready to work with the Albanese government to ensure Australia can achieve the same outcome. The Coalition wants the government to succeed because that is in the national interest.' With two sentences, the Liberal leader has hopefully begun a period of bipartisanship and a return to true Liberal principles. I congratulate her and hope she can succeed in her rebirthing of a centrist Liberal Party. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle If the US Department of Agriculture's food safety and inspection service was affected by the DOGE cuts, the prime minister should be very careful in reviewing the ban on beef from the US, or any other food products for that matter. There's too much at stake. Judith Campbell, Drummoyne The government is willing to negotiate with Trump on beef but not on pork. Clearly, surrendering their pork barrels is a bridge too far. Richard Grant, St Leonards At long last, the federal government has come to understand and appreciate the value of Australia's primary export products. For far too long, our city-centric governments have failed to value or understand that the nation's wealth has always been based on our primary exports, be it minerals, livestock, wool, grains, wine or seafood. Cost of living was a big issue at the last election, the rising price of eggs a case in point. Some time soon, urban communities will finally learn to appreciate what people living in rural and regional areas have contributed to the nation's living standards, as prices increase and shortages of supply become evident. The nation's wealth is spent but not created in our cities. Bruce Clydsdale, Bathurst Bros become foes In Trump's fickle world, one thing was always certain: his chumminess with Elon Musk would end in a mudslinging fight (' Bromance is over: Musk accuses Trump of being in the Epstein files, June 6). So many times we have watched the humiliating drubbings dished out by Trump on those he deems disloyal or with whom he disagrees. This time, however, he may have met his match. Musk's bombshell post to the world that 'Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the reason they have not been made public', may prove to be Musk's leverage in the relationship. As he cynically posted: 'Have a nice day DJT.' Mary Carde, Parrearra (Qld) Trump Derangement Syndrome. Well, there it is, from his own pen, what we've been seeing for years but didn't know what to call it – and now he's named it for us. Shrinks will be studying Trump for a long time to come, but in the meantime, can we give him the honour he richly deserves – the front cover of Mad Magazine. Patrick McGrath, Potts Point Trump, the fabulist in chief versus Musk, a certifiable megalomaniac. 'Rumble in the Jungle' on steroids. Best show in town. Maureen Moss, Beecroft Peace Prize at stake The US veto of the latest UN Security Council ceasefire resolution simply reminds us that the power to bring the Gaza conflict to an end lies in the hands of one person, the president of the United States (' US vetoes Security Council call for a ceasefire', June 6). The UN itself is powerless, as Israel's ambassador Danny Danon made defiantly clear, saying that 'no resolution, no vote, no moral failure, will stand in our way'. If Donald Trump has set his sights on the Nobel Peace Prize, as often claimed, he should sign one of his famous executive orders to immediately top supplying Israel's war machine. Tom Knowles, Parkville (Vic) Stick with Israel Josh Szeps advises Jews to abandon Israel because supporting it at present conflicts with Jewish values (' It's time for Jews to abandon Israel ', June 6). But abandonment itself is an abdication of essential and core Jewish values of, among others, Chesed and Emunah, which mean loving kindness, steadfast loyalty and faith. To suggest that Israel should be abandoned because of the way its current government is prosecuting the tragic war in Gaza could not be more un-Jewish. Raymond Schwartz, Bellevue Hill Josh Szeps writes a powerful but problematic article. When he calls for Jews to abandon Israel, I presume he means diaspora Jews – that is, Jews living outside of Israel. But what about the seven million Jews living in Israel? Are we to eschew our friends, family and religious kinsmen, tarring them all with the same brush as their government? Do I know how to fix the abhorrent situation in Gaza? No. But I do know that no solution will come from turning away. It is now, more than ever, that we need to turn towards each other and find the strength to get through this latest threat to Jewish survival. Yehuda Bassin, North Bondi Josh Szeps brutally tears the scab off what the state of Israel is doing to the Palestinian people. Is there any legitimate reason why there is space in the world for a Jewish state but not for a Palestinian state? Richard Sergi, Summer Hill Smokes and ire First Chris Minns wants to increase the threat tobacco poses to public health by reducing prices, and now the police minister wants to give a boost to organised crime by excluding the police force from acting against the tobacco black market (' Police 'can't regulate' tobacconists ' June 6). Just whose interests is the government of NSW protecting? It certainly doesn't appear to be ours. John Croker, Woonona 30-year itch The opposition is attacking the government's proposal to adjust the taxation on higher superannuation balances (' Coalition shuts down deal on super tax ', June 5). A mainstay of its argument is the government's failure to index the proposed cut-in point of $3 million. The opposition says inflation will pull in ever more super-holders so that young workers in 30 years' time will have to pay this tax as soon as they start earning. Really? Even if wages do balloon like that, does anyone know of a taxation measure still in force from 30 years ago without change or adjustment? Perhaps the Coalition expects to remain in opposition for the next 30 years, with no opportunity to introduce any changes themselves. E. Mark Latham, Croydon Park Multi-party preferred The path to desperately needed taxation reform must involve bipartisan agreements with the conservatives (' Deal or no deal: Chalmer's mistake ', June 6). The Liberals may be weak, almost irrelevant at present, but they'll not always be so. The best way to achieve this is with the support of the conservatives, Greens and independents. Obviously, some concessions will be necessary by Jim Chalmers, but increased taxation is essential and must be set in stone. Geoff Harding, Chatswood Libs doomed by inability to learn It's hard to believe that the Liberals could sink much lower after their 'near-death' electoral defeat, but they continue to surprise (' Elder statesman has taken his party backwards ', June 6). A divorce with their whacky National partners, followed only days later by a reconciliation (of sorts); old stale, pale males (Abbott and Stockdale) sniping, undermining, and publicly putting the little ladies back in their places; and even a shadow cabinet position given to someone (Kapterian), before the vote count was completed, who didn't end up winning a seat in parliament. With their inability to learn from their past defeats, it seems that the Liberals will always be the party of greater ridicule and incompetence. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl Aside from the misogyny, may I suggest that the most prominent characteristic of a certain Mr Stockdale is his eyebrowage. Photos of him sitting beneath a portrait of Bob Menzies, also magnificently eyebrow endowed, make me wonder whether the only way for women to get ahead in the Liberal Party is to put those tweezers away. Kate Coates, Wangi Wangi It's bleeding obvious that the federal intervention into the NSW Liberal Party has always been a move to consolidate the influence of the conservative faction in NSW. Ironically, the intervention team is dominated by two right-wing fossils from Victoria, a state where the Liberal Party has long been on life support. If the present intervention team prevails, the Liberals will remain increasingly irrelevant, and Australia will be the worse for it. Bruce Spence, Balmain Anyone who follows the intrigues of Victorian state politics would know that former Labor premier Dan Andrews was able to win three elections, arguably owing to the disarray of the Liberal opposition. To send two relics from that disorder of the Victorian age (sorry, Victorian state) is quite insulting. I wonder if Alan Stockdale and former NSW Liberal leader Peter Collins caught up for a bevvy or two. Peter King, Windsor Downs Women's issue Hysteria is an old word that relates to the uterus – a 'woman thing'. I'm guessing that Mark Speakman, though the product of a uterus, has not, and probably will not, understand that his use of the word 'hysterical' has just lost him a swag of women's votes. Mine especially (' Catley slams Speakman after he calls her 'hysterical', ' June 6). Kathryn Coates, Wangi Wangi Pyrrhic victory Those who celebrated North Sydney Council's failure to implement a rate rise as a win for the community should now see the reality of this Pyrrhic victory (' Inside the fight to save famous oval that's slowly falling apart ', June 6). A much-loved iconic oval is in disrepair, council buildings leak when it rains, community services will need to be curtailed and there may have to be a fire sale of income-generating assets. All of this when current residential rates are lower than those of neighbouring councils and the ill-conceived pool continues to drain council finances at an alarming rate. Catherine Turner, Cremorne Left in limbo Workers' rights are under constant pressure, every hour of every day. The ABC keeping staff members on revolving fixed-term contracts is just another example (' Play School staffer sues ABC ', June 6). Such staff members are not chess pieces to be moved around at the whim of management. Flexibility to quickly and easily sack staff is not conducive to loyalty or good mental health. It also erodes the ability of staff to plan their lives. It is not a moral way to improve any organisation's bottom line. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls A fair race The final election result for the federal seat of Bradfield has been called, with independent Nicolette Boele declared the winner by a margin of just 26 votes over the Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian (' Teal candidate Nicolette Boele wins final Bradfield recount ', June 5). The Australian Electoral Commission should be applauded for the thorough way in which the full recount was conducted over the past week and a half. The genuine commitment to democracy was evident at every stage and the staff were consistently polite and obliging. My respect for our democratic processes was constantly reinforced as I watched the process unfold. Each vote was treated with the respect it deserved and the intention of the voter was paramount. I feel nothing but gratitude for our amazing AEC and our democratic processes. Robyn Thomas, Wahroonga Waste costs schools I have been following reports in the Herald of the ICAC hearings into allegations about improper spending at the public schools building unit (' Unravelling top schools unit's network of consultants ', June 6). As a lifelong advocate for public schooling (I attended public schools, my children and grandchildren attended public schools and I taught in public schools), I am alarmed at the reported amounts of money that were spent on consultants and the awarding of contracts to friends. Public schools are crying out for money for building maintenance, extra resources, specialist staff, heating and cooling for classrooms, and proper classrooms for additional enrolments. Now we are learning where the money was being spent. Shame on those responsible, shame, shame, shame. Helen Russell, Leichhardt Rare birds It seems calling someone a 'bird brain' is no longer an insult (' Smart cockies crack the water fountain test ', June 6). Mexican sparrows have even found a way to make tobacco into a health aid – they put cigarette butts in their nests to repel parasites. Paul Doyle, Glenbrook It's good to know my visiting cockatoos might come in handy when I have a jar I can't open. Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay Hard to swallow Jeremy Brender (Letters, June 6), why would anybody consider paying an exorbitant price for an egg and lettuce sandwich at Sydney airport when they could buy a $10.30 meat pie instead? Robert Peters, Maitland Name brand Maiden name? A woman's 'maiden' name is really her father's name. Patriarchy still rules (Letters, June 6). Betsy Brennan, Wahroonga Ruff and ready While I'm in full agreement with correspondent Alison Stewart's views on misogyny in the Liberal Party (Letters, June 6), I must, in defence of old dogs, take issue with her last sentence. You can, actually, teach them new tricks. It just takes a little longer. Jo Bond, South Melbourne (Vic) Postscript Who can trust a politician? We all know the answer to that one, yet Australians trusted Anthony Albanese enough to vote for him in record numbers only a month ago. Buyer's remorse seems to be creeping up fast, as it does in politics, not least among readers who had hoped for a meaningful shift away from fossil fuels. Labor's approval of Woodside's North West Shelf gas project until 2070 was viewed by many, including Herald columnist Ross Gittins, as an inexcusable breach of trust. 'Why, Albo, why? Make it make sense,' pleaded reader Ross Hudson. In bringing Labor back for a second term, Australians had also hoped for tax reform, but the prime minister's unwillingness to slap mining companies with a resources rent tax further undermined public faith. 'Albanese has lost his spine,' lamented Peter Nash. 'Labor has been intimidated by mining companies and by business opposition to changing negative gearing and capital gains tax.' People with fat super balances are also having trust issues after Labor announced its plan to raise earnings tax on accounts above $3 million. The government's extravagant tobacco tax seems to have backfired too, leading to a proliferation of illegal imported cigarettes and vapes. 'Labor's disastrous tobacco taxes are a timely warning about their proposed super taxes,' wrote William Lloyd. Albanese's rejection of American demands for Australia to jack up defence spending didn't inspire confidence among defence hawks. David Sinclair didn't mince words. On the matter of public security 'our PM either has his head stuck firmly in the sand, or in another part of his anatomy entirely.' The defection of Greens senator Dorinda Cox to Labor this week only created more suspicion. 'Albanese's welcoming of that political turncoat adds insult to injury,' said James Fliece. A cynical Sue Dyer added: 'The prime minister and Cox should come clean about when she applied and how this was facilitated and approved.' Labor wasn't alone in the firing line. Liberal elder Alan Stockdale's 'light-hearted' remarks about 'assertive women' – in an address to the NSW Liberal Women's Council no less – drew howls of derision. Alison Stewart had some advice for Liberal women: 'You can't teach old dogs new tricks. Look elsewhere for representation.' That's always an option Alison, but the question is, who do you trust?
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- News.com.au
Venezuelan family feels full force of Trump's crackdown
Mercedes Yamarte's three sons fled Venezuela for a better life in the United States. Now one languishes in a Salvadoran jail, another "self-deported" to Mexico, and a third lives in hiding -- terrified US agents will crash the door at any moment. At her zinc-roofed home in a poor Maracaibo neighborhood, 46-year-old Mercedes blinks back tears as she thinks about her family split asunder by US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. "I wish I could go to sleep, wake up, and this never happened," she says, as rain drums down and lightning flashes overhead. In their homeland, her boys were held back by decades of political and economic tumult that have already prompted an estimated eight million Venezuelans to emigrate. But in leaving, all three brothers became ensnared by politics once more, and by a US president determined to bolt the door of a nation once proud of its migrant roots. For years, her eldest son, 30-year-old Mervin had lived in America, providing for his wife and six-year-old daughter, working Texas construction sites and at a tortilla factory. On March 13, he was arrested by US immigration agents and summarily deported to a Salvadoran mega jail, where he is still being held incommunicado. The Trump administration linked Mervin and 251 other men to the Tren de Aragua -- a Venezuelan gang it classifies as a terrorist group. Washington has cited tattoos as evidence of gang affiliation, something fiercely contested by experts, who say that, unlike other Latin American gangs, Tren de Aragua members do not commonly sport gang markings. Mervin has tattoos of his mother and daughter's names, the phrase "strong like mom" in Spanish and the number "99" -- a reference to his soccer jersey not any gang affiliation, according to his family. - The journey north - Mervin arrived in the United States in 2023 with his 21-year-old brother Jonferson. Both hoped to work and to send some money back home. They had slogged through the Darien Gap -- a forbidding chunk of jungle between Colombia and Panama that is one of the world's most dangerous migration routes. They had trekked north through Mexico, and were followed a year later by sister Francis, aged 19, who turned around before reaching the United States and brother Juan, aged 28, who continued on. When the brothers entered the United States, they registered with border officials and requested political asylum. They were told they could remain legally until a judge decided their fate. Then US voters voted, and with a change of administration, at dawn on March 13, US immigration agents pounded the door of an apartment in Irving, Texas where the trio were living with friends from back home. Immigration agents were serving an arrest warrant when they saw Mervin and said: "You are coming with us too for an investigation," Juan recalled. When the agents said they had an arrest warrant for Mervin too, he tried to show his asylum papers. "But they already had him handcuffed to take him away," Juan said. He was transferred to a detention center, where he managed to call Jonferson to say he was being deported somewhere. He did not know where. Three days later, Jonferson saw his brother among scores of shorn and shackled men arriving at CECOT, a prison built by El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele to house alleged gang members. Jonferson saw his handcuffed brother kneeling on the floor staring off into space. He broke down crying and called his mother. She had also seen Mervin in the images. "My son was kneeling and looked up as if to say: 'Where am I and what have I done to end up here?'" said Mercedes. "I have never seen my son look more terrified" she said. - The journey south - After his brother's arrest, Jonferson had nightmares. The fear became so great that he fled to Mexico -- what some euphemistically describe as "self-deportation". There, he waited a month to board a Venezuelan humanitarian flight to return home. "It has been a nightmare," he told AFP as he rode a bus to the airport and from there, onward home. Juan, meanwhile, has decided to remain in the United States. He lives under the radar, working construction jobs and moving frequently to dodge arrest. "I am always hiding. When I go to the grocery store I look all around, fearful, as if someone were chasing me," he told AFP asking that his face and his whereabouts remain undisclosed. As the only brother who can now send money home, he is determined not to go back to Venezuela empty-handed. He also has a wife and seven-year-old son depending on him. But he is tormented by the thought of his brother Mervin being held in El Salvador and by the toll it has taken on the family. "My mother is a wreck. There are days she cannot sleep," Juan said. "My sister-in-law cries every day. She is suffering." - The journey home - Jonferson has since returned to Maracaibo, where he was greeted by strings of blue, yellow, and red balloons and a grateful but still forlorn mother. "I would like to be happy, as I should. But my other son is in El Salvador, in what conditions I do not know," Mercedes said. But her face lights up for a second as she hugs her son, holding him tight as if never wanting to let him go. "I never thought the absence of my sons would hit me so hard," she said. "I never knew I could feel such pain." For now, the brothers are only together in a screen grab she has on her phone, taken during a video call last Christmas.
