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The Guardian
30-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Tsunami alerts across Pacific; inflation drops; and Australian rocket goes out with a bang
Good afternoon. A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest ever recorded, has triggered a series of tsunami warnings and evacuation orders stretching across Japan, the US west coast and parts of the Pacific. The shallow quake hit near Russia's Kamchatka peninsula on Wednesday, with reports of waves up to 4 metres high in the remote region. Japan issued evacuation warnings and the country's weather agency said the first waves measuring 30cm had reached the eastern coast of Hokkaido. In the US, tsunami waves had hit the state of Hawaii, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said, warning that urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property. A tsunami warning was also issued for parts of the Alaska Aleutian Islands, and a watch for portions of the US west coast. The PTWC included Australia in its advisory, saying waves of 0.3 to 1 metre were possible along the coast, though the Bureau of Meteorology says there is currently no tsunami threat. Follow the latest updates on our live blog. 'Moral momentum': Ed Husic says Australia should immediately join UK in preparing to recognise Palestinian state Victorian Liberal deputy Sam Groth and wife threaten defamation and privacy action over News Corp stories Kristian White avoids prison for manslaughter of Clare Nowland, 95, after prosecutors lose appeal Trump says Epstein 'stole' Virginia Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago staff role Advocates criticise 'dangerous' NT plan to reintroduce spit hoods in youth detention centres Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating fragile ceasefire for a second time After months of waiting for the right conditions, an Australian-designed and made orbital rocket launched from a spaceport in north Queensland. Built by the Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space, the Eris rocket lasted 14 seconds before crashing in a giant plume of smoke – but the operators say they are happy with the launch attempt. 'We're not here to sledge the Wiggles. My government is pro-Wiggles.' – Anthony Albanese The prime minister dodged a political Hot Potato after the communications minister, Anika Wells, said the Wiggles had approached the government to argue for YouTube to be exempt from the under-16 ban. Wells stressed it was the Wiggles' management – the 'black skivvy', or 'Big Wiggle' – who made the appeal, not the performers themselves. She said they told her that YouTube was a video platform, not a social media platform – though the government was ultimately not won over. Reader callout: With YouTube now included in Australia's under-16 social media ban, we want to know: how do your children use YouTube and what impact has it had on them? Inflation dropped to 2.1% in the year to June, down from 2.4% in the year to March. Jim Chalmers called the figures 'stunning' and 'very encouraging news' but won't predict whether it'll result in a rate cut at the next Reserve Bank of Australia board meeting. There are still plenty of signs of cost-of-living pressures, even if the trajectory is a positive one – rents were up 4.6% versus a year ago (from 5.5% in March), electricity 8.1% and insurance 3.9%. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion By the 30s, Katharine Hepburn was box office poison. Then she made The Philadelphia Story As a stuck-up socialite tangled in a love triangle, Hepburn delivers one of the most memorable screwball heroines – and we can't help but love her for it, writes Jamie Tram. Today's starter word is: MART. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland. If you have a story tip or technical issue viewing this newsletter, please reply to this email. If you are a Guardian supporter and need assistance with regards to contributions and/or digital subscriptions, please email
The Guardian
26-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
John Pesutto pays $2.3m defamation debt to Moira Deeming, avoiding bankruptcy
Former Victorian Liberal leader John Pesutto has paid $2.3m in legal costs owed to his colleague Moira Deeming, stifling a last-ditch effort by a fellow party member to block the payment. The payment, which made with the assistance of a $1.5m loan from the Victorian Liberal party, means Pesutto will avoid bankruptcy and be able to remain in state parliament as the member for Hawthorn. Last month, the federal court ordered Pesutto to $2,308,873 of Deeming's legal costs after it found in December that he repeatedly defamed the upper house MP by falsely implying she sympathised with neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The costs were in addition to the $300,000 in damages and $15,000 in interest Pesutto paid after the federal court judgment. Pesutto launched a fundraising campaign to help pay the bill but had to rely on a $1.5m loan from the Liberal party's investment vehicle, Vapold, which was approved by the administrative committee last Thursday. The payment of the costs removes the prospect of a court challenge, which was to be initiated by a member of the administrative committee, against Vapold providing the loan. More details soon …
Sky News AU
20-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
Sky News host Peta Credlin unleashes on Victorian Liberals and their former leader John Pesutto over $1.55m bailout 'mess'
Last December, Mr Pesutto was ordered to pay $300,000 in damages as well as foot Ms Deeming's legal fees, which equated to about $2.3 million. Mr Pesutto had already raised just over $750,000 in order to help pay off his debt and was pushing for an agreement which would see the Liberal Party, or a party-linked investment fund, loan him the remaining $1.55 million. The party agreed on Thursday night to loan him the remaining amount, which means he can officially repay Ms Deeming the $2.3 million he owed ahead of the deadline next week, narrowly avoiding bankruptcy in the process. Watch Peta Credlin's analysis and her full program with a Streaming Subscription. The Victorian Liberal Party was deeply divided over whether its funds should be used to bail out Mr Pesutto, who was found to have defamed Ms Deeming as someone who 'associates with Nazis'. Credlin, the former chief of staff to Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott, told viewers on Thursday, before the Victorian Liberal Party held a meeting about the loan, that the money did not come from a bank as Mr Pesutto would not put his home up for security. She said the funds instead came from party volunteers - the 'unsung heroes of the Victorian Liberal Party' - which directly contradicted Liberal Party President Greg Mirabella and the current incumbent Phil Davis, as well as Mr Pesutto himself, who said not a dollar of Liberal Party funds would be used for legal bills. Credlin lashed Mr Pesutto and quoted him saying: 'I will not be asking the party to cover any legal fees .' The Sky News host said Mr Pesutto was a lawyer who 'clearly doesn't keep his word'. 'Worryingly, reports today that Pesutto's successor as leader, Brad Batten, supports this loan not because he's a fan of Pesutto, but because he doesn't want to face a by-election for Pesutto's seat, which will happen if he can't pay his debt and Paz is bankrupted,' Credlin said. Bankruptcy disqualifies MPs from holding a seat in Parliament in Australia. Credlin said the motivation to bail out Mr Pesutto was 'fair enough', but added no political party should be 'frightened' of an election. 'Even now, after being out of power for the better part of 25 years, this is the Victorian Liberal Party that is still focused on itself, not the voters who were desperate for change,' Credlini said. 'A party room of malcontents who still are intent on scoring points against each other instead of working together to save Victorians from a government that wants to tax them into oblivion.' Credlin said Mr Pesutto had gotten himself and the party into a 'mess of his own making' and accused him of being 'spooked' by former premier Daniel Andrews which led him to acting 'irrationally'. In closing, Credlin addressed Mr Pesutto by his first name and said: 'Sorry John, you've made your bed, now lie in it.' In a statement, Victorian Liberal Leader Brad Battin said he supported the Party's Administrative Committee to pay Ms Deeming the $1.55 million owed to her by Mr Pesutto to 'satisfy the Federal Court costs order'. 'This decision was not about personalities or past disputes – it was about protecting the interests of the people we serve and ensuring our Party can continue its important work,' Mr Battin said. 'The loan arrangement ensures the Party avoids further financial and reputational damage, allows us to put this matter behind us, and refocuses our efforts where they belong – holding Australia's worst government to account and building a stronger, fairer future for Victoria.' In a social media post, Ms Deeming posted an image of herself with superimposed words reading: 'They failed to protect her when she was attacked. They punished her for defending herself.' 'They financially profited off her trauma,' the post continued. 'They told the world they did her a favour. This is what institutional abuse looks like.'
The Advertiser
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Legal bill bailout to spare ex-Liberal boss bankruptcy
A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us." A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us."
Perth Now
19-06-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Legal bill bailout to spare ex-Liberal boss bankruptcy
A state Liberal party has come to the financial rescue of its axed leader to spare him from bankruptcy and avoid a politically dangerous by-election. The Victorian Liberals' administrative committee met on Thursday night and agreed to lend former leader John Pesutto $1.55 million to settle his debt to first-term MP Moira Deeming. The party will pay the money directly to Mrs Deeming and Mr Pesutto will be required to repay the loan at market-rate interest. In a letter to party members, Victorian Liberal president Philip Davis said the outcome would ensure there was no by-election in Mr Pesutto's marginal seat of Hawthorn. "Settling this matter once and for all is in the interests of the party as it will see an end to the ongoing commentary that is letting Labor get away with their appalling performance," he wrote. The Hawthorn MP was ordered to pay $2.3 million in legal costs to Mrs Deeming after the Federal Court found he defamed her by implying she was associated with neo-Nazis. It left him facing bankruptcy, which would trigger his exit from parliament and a subsequent by-election, unless the debt was paid back in a matter of weeks. Mr Pesutto, who has already coughed up $315,000 in damages, had raised only about $750,000 through wealthy backers and a GoFundMe campaign. An offer to defer some of the legal bill in exchange for Mrs Deeming's guaranteed preselection and Mr Pesutto swearing off trying to return as leader for three years were rebuffed. Entering parliament on Thursday morning, Mr Pesutto was upbeat about the committee agreeing to his loan request. "I certainly hope it gets resolved," he said. "Tonight's an opportunity to square (the issue) off and put it all behind us." Mrs Deeming, who was expelled from the party room before being welcomed back in December, was sceptical it would end the infighting that has engulfed the party since March 2023. "I assume that they will continue with their quest to try to annihilate me," the upper house MP said. Mrs Deeming said the party can "do what they like" but she would take any support of Mr Pesutto as a "direct rebukement (sic)" of the court judgement. She said her party room colleagues "don't speak to me" because she "had the audacity to defend myself against false claims". "Some of them are very nice," Mrs Deeming said. "But I really do get treated as though it is my fault and that I'm the aggressor, and that's ridiculous." Opposition Leader Brad Battin has not escaped internal criticism of his handling of the saga despite inheriting it when he replaced Mr Pesutto as leader in December. He attended the meeting but would not reveal how he intended to vote. "I'll go through the process with the administrative committee and keep all my conversations with them confidential," Mr Battin said on Thursday afternoon. Time is running out for Mr Battin to unite the party before the next state election in November 2026. He had a message for Mr Pesutto or Mrs Deeming if the outcome of the meeting did not go their way. "Should any person wake up unhappy tomorrow, I would say to them, 'Have a look around and smell the roses and let's see what Victoria really needs'," Mr Battin said. "They need an opposition whose ready to govern and we'll ensure that is us."
