Latest news with #Cairns-born
The Age
6 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Brisbane news live: Lord mayor accuses PM of ‘misinformation' on Story Bridge
Latest posts Brisbane mayor accuses PM of 'misinformation' By Brisbane's lord mayor has accused the prime minister of peddling 'misinformation' over Story Bridge funding. Anthony Albanese told ABC radio last week the crumbling asset was a 'local road' and therefore responsibility for its maintenance fell on council. Adrian Schrinner disagreed. 'It's called the Bradfield Highway and part of the national movement network and listed on the federal Department of Transport's website,' he said in council chambers yesterday afternoon. 'Calling it a local road is a bit of an interesting thing. I think that would have been fed to him by the local Labor opposition here. Loading 'It was misinformation because it certainly isn't a local road.' The stoush comes amid negotiations for a funding arrangement with the federal government for multimillion-dollar restoration works. The lord mayor said Albanese was otherwise being 'very reasonable', and federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Catherine King was engaging in negotiations. 'We're dealing very closely with minister King, who didn't call it a 'local road' and actually said it's the second most important bridge in Australia,' Schrinner said. 7.14am The weather this Wednesday Thought it was cool in Brisbane overnight? Make sure you have an extra blanket on for tonight, then, when the overnight temperature is set to plunge to a chilly 11 degrees. Before then, Brisbane is set for a mostly sunny day, with a top of 22. The days ahead a predicted to be much the same, with just a few degrees' difference. Here's the seven-day outlook: 6.52am While you were sleeping Here's what's making news further afield this morning: Senator Dorinda Cox called One Nation leader Pauline Hanson a 'f---ing retard' in a text message leaked after she defected to Labor. The mother and sister of Cairns-born man Lamar Ahchee, who was arrested for allegedly taking delivery of 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, wept during a meeting with him, his lawyers say. Accused killer Erin Patterson has told the jury about her relationship with her in-laws and ex-husband, as well as her love of mushroom foraging. Joe Biden's inner circle lied about the president's mental state. Now, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson have written a damning account. Elon Musk amplified his criticism of the sweeping tax and spending bill that US President Donald Trump has been pushing fellow Republicans in Congress to embrace, calling it a 'disgusting abomination' that will increase the deficit. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it any more,' Musk wrote in an X post. Australians' living standards are being undermined by restrictions on where homes can be built and the types of businesses being established across the nation's cities, the OECD has found. We inhale about 15 cubic metres of air every day, and you can bet that air contains a good dose of mould spores. But when does it become risky to health? Medical experts have laid bare the risks of the Run It Straight social media craze, which has already ended in tragedy. But contestants say they're 'blessed' to compete.
Sydney Morning Herald
6 days ago
- Climate
- Sydney Morning Herald
Brisbane news live: Lord mayor accuses PM of ‘misinformation' on Story Bridge
Latest posts Brisbane mayor accuses PM of 'misinformation' By Brisbane's lord mayor has accused the prime minister of peddling 'misinformation' over Story Bridge funding. Anthony Albanese told ABC radio last week the crumbling asset was a 'local road' and therefore responsibility for its maintenance fell on council. Adrian Schrinner disagreed. 'It's called the Bradfield Highway and part of the national movement network and listed on the federal Department of Transport's website,' he said in council chambers yesterday afternoon. 'Calling it a local road is a bit of an interesting thing. I think that would have been fed to him by the local Labor opposition here. Loading 'It was misinformation because it certainly isn't a local road.' The stoush comes amid negotiations for a funding arrangement with the federal government for multimillion-dollar restoration works. The lord mayor said Albanese was otherwise being 'very reasonable', and federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Catherine King was engaging in negotiations. 'We're dealing very closely with minister King, who didn't call it a 'local road' and actually said it's the second most important bridge in Australia,' Schrinner said. 7.14am The weather this Wednesday Thought it was cool in Brisbane overnight? Make sure you have an extra blanket on for tonight, then, when the overnight temperature is set to plunge to a chilly 11 degrees. Before then, Brisbane is set for a mostly sunny day, with a top of 22. The days ahead a predicted to be much the same, with just a few degrees' difference. Here's the seven-day outlook: 6.52am While you were sleeping Here's what's making news further afield this morning: Senator Dorinda Cox called One Nation leader Pauline Hanson a 'f---ing retard' in a text message leaked after she defected to Labor. The mother and sister of Cairns-born man Lamar Ahchee, who was arrested for allegedly taking delivery of 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, wept during a meeting with him, his lawyers say. Accused killer Erin Patterson has told the jury about her relationship with her in-laws and ex-husband, as well as her love of mushroom foraging. Joe Biden's inner circle lied about the president's mental state. Now, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson have written a damning account. Elon Musk amplified his criticism of the sweeping tax and spending bill that US President Donald Trump has been pushing fellow Republicans in Congress to embrace, calling it a 'disgusting abomination' that will increase the deficit. 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it any more,' Musk wrote in an X post. Australians' living standards are being undermined by restrictions on where homes can be built and the types of businesses being established across the nation's cities, the OECD has found. We inhale about 15 cubic metres of air every day, and you can bet that air contains a good dose of mould spores. But when does it become risky to health? Medical experts have laid bare the risks of the Run It Straight social media craze, which has already ended in tragedy. But contestants say they're 'blessed' to compete.
The Age
7 days ago
- The Age
Family of accused Bali cocaine runner break down in private meeting at police HQ
Bali/Sydney: The mother and sister of Lamar Ahchee, an Australian accused of drug running in Bali, wept during a private meeting with him at police headquarters on Monday, his lawyers say. Ahchee, 43, was paraded before the media last week after being arrested for allegedly accepting a delivery of 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, hidden within chocolates, for a promised reward of just $4700. The alleged deal could put the Cairns-born businessman at risk of the death penalty if convicted under Indonesia's drug laws. 'His mother and sister visited today,' lawyer Edward Pangkahila said. 'Lamar didn't cry, but his mother and sister did.' Asked if Ahchee's family believed he was innocent, Pangkahila said, 'Yes, they do, and us, too'. Sienny Karmana, another member of the legal team, confirmed that plastic bags and a scale had been found in Ahchee's apartment in the coastal village of Canggu but said they were consistent with personal drug use. 'He admitted he was a user, so sometimes he needs to rescale the drugs he bought,' Karmana said. 'It was not because he was planning on selling. He needed it because many times people will try to cheat him and sell him less drugs.'
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Family of accused Bali cocaine runner break down in private meeting at police HQ
Bali/Sydney: The mother and sister of Lamar Ahchee, an Australian accused of drug running in Bali, wept during a private meeting with him at police headquarters on Monday, his lawyers say. Ahchee, 43, was paraded before the media last week after being arrested for allegedly accepting a delivery of 1.7 kilograms of cocaine, hidden within chocolates, for a promised reward of just $4700. The alleged deal could put the Cairns-born businessman at risk of the death penalty if convicted under Indonesia's drug laws. 'His mother and sister visited today,' lawyer Edward Pangkahila said. 'Lamar didn't cry, but his mother and sister did.' Asked if Ahchee's family believed he was innocent, Pangkahila said, 'Yes, they do, and us, too'. Sienny Karmana, another member of the legal team, confirmed that plastic bags and a scale had been found in Ahchee's apartment in the coastal village of Canggu but said they were consistent with personal drug use. 'He admitted he was a user, so sometimes he needs to rescale the drugs he bought,' Karmana said. 'It was not because he was planning on selling. He needed it because many times people will try to cheat him and sell him less drugs.'
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Sky News AU
Lawyer of Australian man arrested in Bali for allegedly aiding in drug smuggling operation says client was unaware package contained drugs
The lawyer representing an Australian man arrested in Bali for allegedly aiding in a drug smuggling operation has revealed his client is distressed about potentially facing the death penalty and that he did not know the package contained drugs. Lamar Aaron Ahchee, 43 was arrested in Bali on Monday with police alleging he aided in the smuggling of 1.8 kilograms of cocaine into the south-east Asian country. The man was arrested at the location where the drugs were allegedly delivered, with authorities estimating the drugs to be worth $1.1 million. Police in the Indonesian province allege the man arranged to have two small packages containing cocaine picked up from a post office and taken to him, and that the packages arrived in Bali last week disguised as small chocolate wrappers. The lawyer representing the man said his client was extremely distressed he could face the death penalty if convicted, so much so he threw himself against the wall of the police station after being arrested. Edward Pangkahila said that although his client was a regular user of cocaine, he was completely unaware the packages contained drugs, and that he only retrieved them as a 'favour' to a friend, who Mr Ahchee claimed deceived him. "He's telling me that honestly, he doesn't know what is inside [the chocolate wrappers]," Mr Pangkahila said. "Lamar is very upset and stressed because he knows [he could face the death penalty]," he stated. 'All these drug dealers, they will involve innocent people because if and when police make an arrest, they are not the ones with the drugs,' he said. Police are not alleging that Mr Ahchee smuggled the packages himself, but rather that he was promised 50 million rupiah ($4,731) by someone called 'boss' to collect them. Mr Pangkahila said his client had known the friend for only a year, and that he had since left town. The lawyer also stated Mr Ahchee had not received payment for collecting the packages and never agreed to accept one. "I can't speak for the police, but I can speak for my client. [Ahchee] had no idea what was in the package; he never admitted it was his, he never received or was promised payment. It was just a favour. Authorities are accusing Mr Ahchee of arranging for a driver to retrieve the drugs from a Bali post office, and that the Cairns-born entrepreneur collected the parcels the day after at a restaurant. Police, who were tracking the parcel since it's arrival from the UK, then followed Mr Ahchee back to his residence and arrested him. Mr Ahchee is yet to be charged with an offence, but authorities have indicated he could be slapped with a range of charges including some that contain the death sentence as the maximum penalty. He was presented to the media at a press conference on Monday wearing a black balaclava and an orange jumpsuit. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed it was providing consular assistance to an Australian citizen detained in Bali.
