BREAKING NEWS Bruce Highway closed in both directions after shots fired
The Bruce Highway shut in both directions south of Gympie following a police incident.
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Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Huge twist as footy star Payne Haas's dad fights to avoid death by firing squad after allegedly trafficking a huge amount of meth
There is renewed hope that the father of two NRL stars may be allowed to return to Australia and avoid the death penalty in Indonesia, more than a year after he was arrested on serious drug trafficking charges. Gregor Haas, father of NSW State of Origin star Payne Haas and Gold Coast Titans forward Klese Haas, was detained in Cebu City, Philippines, in May 2024 following a red notice issued by Interpol at the request of Indonesian authorities. That red notice has now been lifted after a successful appeal by Haas' Australian legal team, which could pave the way for a return home. Investigators allege that in December 2023, Haas attempted to smuggle five kilograms of methamphetamine from Mexico to Jakarta, allegedly hiding the drugs inside ceramic tiles. The case allegedly links him to the powerful Mexican Sinaloa cartel, though Haas has consistently denied any involvement. He says he has never visited Mexico and believes the allegations stem from a business dispute related to a resort deal in Indonesia. Following his arrest, Haas was held at Camp Bagong Diwa, a notoriously harsh immigration detention centre in Manila. Over the past year, his health has deteriorated significantly. According to his lawyer, he has lost 30 kilograms and is receiving inadequate medical care. The red notice issued by Interpol is sent to law enforcement bodies globally and enabled Indonesia to request provisional arrest while pursuing extradition. If extradited and convicted, Haas could face execution by firing squad under Indonesian law. While Indonesia initially offered assurances that the death penalty would not be imposed, those promises were made under former president Joko Widodo. His successor, Prabowo Subianto, has yet to confirm whether that stance will hold. In December 2024, a Philippine court found that Haas was also a Filipino citizen by birth through his mother. However, the Bureau of Immigration appealed the decision, and the ruling was later overturned, keeping him in detention. Then, in a major legal breakthrough on June 2, 2025, Interpol revoked the red notice against Haas. His legal team argued that the notice was based on inaccurate and unfounded information and violated international human rights conventions. Interpol accepted those arguments, agreeing that enforcing the notice could lead to torture or death, and deleted the associated data. Australian lawyer Abdul Reslan, representing Haas, called on the Philippines to act swiftly to release and deport him to Australia. 'We now urge the Philippines to ensure the expeditious release and repatriation of Haas to Australia,' he said. He told SMH that if the Philippines does not comply with international norms, the Australian government must step in and formally demand Haas' repatriation. He emphasised that Haas holds an Australian passport and should not be detained by a foreign government now that the red notice has been removed. It is rare for Interpol to revoke a red notice, particularly one issued by a democratic nation such as Indonesia. Phillip Gibson, a defence lawyer specialising in international crime, said the decision was significant and raised expectations that the Philippines would follow suit. The case has become a diplomatic flashpoint, putting strain on Australia's relationships with both Indonesia and the Philippines. Australia strongly opposes capital punishment and has laws preventing the extradition of citizens to face execution abroad. Indonesia has also proposed a prisoner exchange involving Haas and Alice Guo, a former Philippine mayor arrested in Indonesia and accused of links to Chinese organised crime. No deal has been finalised. The situation unfolds amid wider negotiations between Australia and Indonesia, including a separate agreement last year in which Prime Minister Anthony Albanese secured the release of five remaining Bali Nine inmates still serving life sentences. Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it is providing consular assistance to Haas but declined to comment further due to privacy rules. Meanwhile, the personal toll on Haas' family continues to grow. Payne and Klese's mother, Uiatu 'Joan' Taufua, remains in custody in Queensland over a 2022 car crash in Bonogin that killed three people. She has been charged with three counts of manslaughter and is yet to enter a plea. Payne Haas has not commented publicly on his father's legal battle. The NSW Blues forward is expected to take the field for State of Origin II in Perth on Wednesday night.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
NRL club mourns fan who died in tragic scenes at their home ground just moments before kick-off in milestone match
The Broncos are in mourning after a fan died at Suncorp Stadium moments before their clash against the Gold Coast Titans on June 7. Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy confirmed a club supporter suffered a heart attack in the stands as halfback Adam Reynolds prepared to run out for his 300th NRL game. Suncorp Stadium management and the Broncos provide on-site paramedics for all home games - but tragically, the man couldn't be revived. Relatives of the man informed the club of the news, and the Broncos will donate a jersey to be placed on his coffin. 'It was horribly sad,' Donaghy told News Corp. 'Our thoughts are with the family right now and of course we will do whatever we can to support them at this difficult time. 'The first responders on the night were remarkable, I couldn't imagine the job they had to do in difficult circumstances.' Meanwhile, Broncos star Pat Carrigan has backed teammate Ezra Mam following the controversial pivot's selection in the Queensland Origin squad. Mam recently returned to the NRL following a nine-game ban after pleading guilty to driving with drugs in his system and without a licence, following a head-on collision with an Uber last October. Many footy fans felt Mam should have been punished more severely. 'Look, he made a well-publicised mistake and he had to own that,' Carrigan said. 'We know what Ezra has more than well and truly done enough work on himself and he continues to do so. 'It (Origin camp) is a good opportunity for him, you get into these sort of environments and you get to learn from guys like Cameron Munster and Tommy Dearden, how they prepare and how they go about things. 'Those experiences will be good for the Broncos too. Ezra's done a lot of hard work outside of it and it's nice to see him get rewarded.' As 18th man, Mam could feature in game two in Perth on June 18 for the Maroons if there is a concussion-related injury.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Senator Linda Reynolds lashes out after corruption watchdog clears Brittany Higgins' $2million payout
Senator Linda Reynolds is 'bitterly disappointed' by a watchdog's finding there was no corruption associated with a $2.4million compensation payout to former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins. Ms Higgins reached the agreement with the Commonwealth in December 2022 after her alleged rape in Parliament House in 2019, while she was working in Senator Reynolds' office. The settlement was referred to the National Anti-Corruption Commission by Senator Reynolds, who questioned the handling of the process by then-attorney-general Mark Dreyfus. 'I am bitterly disappointed by the NACC's decision not to investigate the circumstances surrounding the Commonwealth's multi-million dollar settlement with Ms Higgins,' Senator Reynolds said in a statement on Thursday. The senator claimed she had been given 'no opportunity to defend the serious and baseless claims against me' during a mediation process. 'I fail to understand how the Commonwealth and its lawyers could not appreciate the serious and probable consequences of settling such serious allegations on my behalf... and the message that it would send to the public about the truth of those matters,' she said. Senator Reynolds said it was one of the issues her Federal Court lawsuit against the Commonwealth over the settlement would explore. The commission found 'no corruption issue' with Ms Higgins' payout following an investigation. 'No corruption issue arises, and so there is no basis for any further action by the commission,' the watchdog said in a statement. 'There was no inappropriate intervention in the process by or on behalf of any minister. 'The then-attorney-general approved the settlement in accordance with the departmental advice. 'Documents produced showed that decisions made in relation to the settlement were based on advice from independent external solicitors and experienced senior and junior counsel.' The commission said there was 'no material difference' in the legal advice surrounding the payment during the term of the former coalition government and the current Labor government. The agreement of the settlement amount within one day during mediation was not unusual. 'It was the culmination of a process which took approximately 12 months. None of this is unusual for a non-litigated personal injury claim,' the commission said. 'A critical consideration during the settlement process was avoiding ongoing trauma to Ms Higgins.' Ms Higgins alleged she was raped by Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann in a Parliament House office in 2019. Lehrmann has always denied the allegations. Charges were brought against Lehrmann in a criminal trial in 2022, but were abandoned after juror misconduct. A retrial was ruled out because of the potential effect on the mental health of Ms Higgins. A defamation trial brought on by Lehrmann found that on the balance of probabilities he had raped Ms Higgins.
