WA news LIVE: Perth hills driver to fight charges over Christmas Day head-on crash
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Perth hills driver to fight charges over Christmas Day head-on crash
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A Hovea man who was allegedly behind the wheel of a car involved in a horror head-on collision on Christmas Day in Perth's east has pleaded not guilty to six counts of dangerous driving.
Ryan North, 47, was allegedly behind the wheel of a Toyota Corolla hatchback when it and a Hyundai Santa Fe station wagon collided on the afternoon of December 25 in Greenmount.
The crash happened on the Great Eastern Highway near Old York Road, about five kilometres east of Midland.
Two women aged 45 and 48, each a passenger in one of the vehicles, were taken by ambulance to Royal Perth Hospital with critical injuries.
The 48-year-old male driver, and two other passengers aged 17 and 10 who were in the Hyundai Santa Fe, were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
North sustained minor injuries as a result of the crash, police said at the time.
He was charged earlier this month with six counts of careless driving causing bodily harm and made his first appearance in Midland Magistrates Court yesterday.
During the hearing, North pleaded not guilty to all charges and said he wanted a neurological report to be provided to the court, as well as crash expert opinion.
He will be back before Perth Magistrates Court in November.
9.43am
Across Australia and around the world
Here's what's making headlines elsewhere today:
Indo-Pacific experts in the United States have urged Australia to speak more clearly about the threats posed by China, including how it would respond in the event of a regional conflict, or risk the AUKUS submarine agreement that is now under review by the Trump administration. It comes after US lawmakers from both main parties pushed Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth to keep the deal, ahead of the review's completion in coming months.
European leaders have aired a potential deal to halt the war in Ukraine under plans to be put to Russian leader Vladimir Putin in talks with US President Donald Trump on Friday, signalling a negotiation over territory as long as a ceasefire comes first. The proposal came in an online meeting attended by Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Zelensky telling his European counterparts that Putin was 'bluffing' about his desire for peace.
The Australian sharemarket is set to advance on Thursday as US stocks drifted around record levels on Wednesday. Wall Street made gains after expectations reached a virtual consensus that the US Federal Reserve would cut its main interest rates for the first time this year at its next meeting in September, boosting investment prices and the economy while making it cheaper for households and businesses to borrow.
9.42am
Today's weather
9.42am
Welcome to our live news blog
Good morning readers and welcome to our live news blog for Thursday, August 14.
Making headlines today is new data from property analysts Cotality, formerly CoreLogic, which reveals Perth prices are – surprise, surprise – at a record high and have increased the most out of any capital city bar one.
The data revealed Perth's dwelling value growth was up 0.9 per cent over the month and 2.6 per cent over the rolling quarter.
Cotality economist Kaytlin Ezzy said Perth's strong value growth was driven by a combination of low advertised supply and elevated demand.
Holly Thompson has the full story. You can read it here.
Meanwhile, an Ellenbrook teenager has spent his first night behind bars after his suspended sentence for coward-punching a fellow student was overturned on Wednesday.
The 14-year-old victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was at Ellenbrook Central shopping centre with friends in April when he was struck from behind.
His 16-year-old attacker, who was 15 at the time of the attack and cannot be named due to his age, was confronted by shoppers and fled the scene.
On Wednesday last week, the 16-year-old was handed a six-month suspended sentence with supervision, but that decision was overturned days later by Children's Court President Hylton Quail, who said a strong message must be sent to about the dangers of one-punch attacks.
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Trump leaves Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed
Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. 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It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's. Donald Trump has failed to secure an agreement from Vladimir Putin to end Russia's war in Ukraine, falling short in his most significant move yet to stop the bloodshed, even after rolling out the red carpet for the man who started it. "There's no deal until there's a deal," the US president said, after Putin claimed they had hammered out an "understanding" on Ukraine and warned Europe not to "torpedo the nascent progress". Trump said he would call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders to brief them on the talks. Trump, who for years has baulked at American support for Ukraine and expressed admiration for Putin, had pledged confidently to bring about an end to the war on his first day back in the White House. Seven months later, after berating Zelenskiy in the Oval Office and staunching the flow of some US military assistance to Kyiv, Trump could not bring Putin even to pause the fighting, as his forces make gains on the battlefield. The US president had offered Putin both a carrot and a stick, issuing threats of punishing economic sanctions on Russia while also extending a warm welcome at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, but he appeared to walk away without any concrete progress on ending the war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year. Instead, he handed Putin long-sought recognition on the international stage, after years of Western efforts to make him a pariah over the war and his crackdown on dissent, and forestalled the threat of additional US sanctions. In a sign that the conversations did not yield Trump's preferred result, the two leaders ended what was supposed to be a joint news conference without taking questions from reporters. During a subsequent interview with Fox News before leaving Alaska, Trump insisted the onus going forward might be somehow on Zelenskiy "to get it done", but said there would also be some involvement from European nations. That was notable since Zelenskiy was excluded from Trump and Putin's meeting. The US president had wanted to show off his deal-making skills, while Putin wanted to negotiate a deal that would cement Russia's gains, block Kyiv's bid to join the NATO military alliance and eventually pull Ukraine back into Moscow's orbit. "We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to," Trump said while standing next to Putin. "And there are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there." He continued: "We didn't get there." Putin says Trump 'shows understanding' that Russia has its own interests. For Putin, just being on US soil for the first time in more than a decade was validation after being ostracised following his invasion of Ukraine. His meeting with Trump may stall economic sanctions the US presiden promised unless Moscow worked harder to bring the fighting to a close. It also may simply lead to more meetings, giving his forces more time to make progress on the battlefield. Putin said Russia and the US should "turn the page and go back to co-operation". He praised Trump as someone who "has a clear idea of what he wants to achieve and sincerely cares about the prosperity of his country, and at the same time shows understanding that Russia has its own national interests". "I expect that today's agreements will become a reference point not only for solving the Ukrainian problem, but will also mark the beginning of the restoration of businesslike, pragmatic relations between Russia and the US," Putin said. Despite not reaching any major breakthrough, Trump ended his remarks by thanking Putin and saying, "we'll speak to you very soon and probably see you again very soon". When Putin smiled and offered, "next time in Moscow", Trump said "that's an interesting one" and said he might face criticism but "I could see it possibly happening". When Trump and Putin arrived in Alaska, they greeted each other with a warm handshake, chatting almost like old friends, and gripped hands for an extended period on a red carpet rolled out at the military base. As they chatted, Putin grinned and pointed skyward, where B-2s and F-22s — military aircraft designed to oppose Russia during the Cold War — flew overhead. The two then shared the US presidential limo for a short ride to their meeting site, with Putin offering a broad smile as they rolled past the cameras. It was the kind of reception typically reserved for close US allies and belied the bloodshed and suffering in the war Putin started in Ukraine. Although not altogether surprising considering their longtime friendly relationship, such outward friendliness likely raised concerns from Zelenskiy and European leaders, who fear Trump is primarily focusing on furthering US interests and not pressing hard enough for Ukraine's.
Sydney Morning Herald
3 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
It's obvious what Putin got from this meeting – for Trump, not so much
Others will give Trump more credit. He always said this was going to be about listening – 'feeling out' Putin, gauging his sincerity about peace. He played down expectations, saying it was about 'setting the table' for a second meeting, this one with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Indeed, it's difficult to see how much of consequence could have come out of a meeting that excluded the Ukrainian leader and Europe. However, Putin could have pretended to make concessions. He could have thrown on the table a temporary ceasefire until a second meeting could be arranged. He could have publicly committed to meeting Zelensky. Trump could have secured some sort of pledge about returning the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. This summit was always unusual because it was convened hastily and without largely pre-determined results. But as much as Trump might have played down expectations, if you are going to hold an event like this, people will expect you to walk away with something to show. After the meeting, Trump told Fox News' Sean Hannity he believed a deal was close. 'It's now up to Zelensky to get it done,' the president said. 'And I would say the European nations have to get involved.' Well, many would point out the Europeans are intimately involved, and say Zelensky should have been invited to Anchorage too. Loading The danger for Ukraine is that Trump may have bought into Putin's pretence of wanting peace. He came away saying as much. Previous US presidents have made that mistake; notably George W. Bush in 2001, who said he looked the Russian in the eye and saw his soul. We might yet learn details about the apparent progress that was made in Alaska on Friday (Saturday AEST). You cannot discount the possibility this summit will pay dividends later. Lisa Murkowski, the Republican senator from Alaska who is sometimes at odds with Trump on multiple issues, said she was cautiously optimistic. 'It was also encouraging to hear both presidents reference future meetings, which I hope will include Ukraine,' she said. On that point, Putin ambushed Trump at the end of the news conference, suggesting in English that their next rendezvous should take place in Moscow. Trump smiled and said it was a possibility but noted correctly that he would cop a bit of heat if he agreed to that. The meeting also featured Trump's trademark obsession: everyone wanting to do business with the United States. And both men sounded bullish about that prospect. Loading It's clear what Putin got out of this exercise: a global stage, a warm welcome and the prospect of thawing relations with the world's biggest economy. What Trump got out of it is much less clear, at least for now. On the way home, he confessed to Hannity that the Russia-Ukraine conflict was proving to be much harder to resolve than he imagined. 'I thought this would be the easiest of them all, and this was the most difficult.' Perhaps the one thing Trump took away from Anchorage was a dose of humility.
