Follow our live coverage here.
Follow our live coverage here.
To overnight news now and more than 50 vehicles have been damaged in a rampage across Perth’s western suburbs.
WA Police are investigating a series of linked incidents that occurred in the early hours of this morning.
Around 12.40am, police received reports of three unknown males breaking into vehicles on Colin Street in Dalkeith. Over the next several hours, further reports of cars being damaged were reported in Wembley, Crawley, Peppermint Grove, Mosman Park and Fremantle.
It’s estimated at least 50 cars were damaged.
Police believe the unknown males are aged between 18 and 25 years old.
Anyone who had their car damaged, or who can assist to identify the group, is asked to contact Crime Stoppers.
Two Perth brothers left stranded in the ocean by their diving charter last month have spoken to ABC’s Stateline, describing how they thought they were going to die.
Brothers Ian Kensington and Ryan Chaudhry were diving with a group about four kilometres off the coast between Hillarys and Rottnest Island on March 2.
They said they were 35 minutes into a 40-minute dive when they heard their boat, being operated by Perth Diving Academy, drive away.
By the time they surfaced, it was in the distance, heading back towards Hillarys.
“I thought we were going to die, I thought we were completely stuffed,” Chaundhry said.
“I said, I think these f–kers are leaving us in the water and I just saw the absolute panic go on my brother’s face.
“I was saying maybe we should swim, try and go for shore, but we were very far out.”
Kensington said the pair ditched their weights, inflated their life jackets and activated their shark shield.
“I said to Ryan, don’t look down because underneath us was at least, I would say a couple of sharks, not large ones, you’re talking about maybe one to three metres, give or take,” he told Stateline.
The pair were rescued around 30 minutes later by a passing Rottnest Fast Ferry.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority is investigating the incident and the divers are considering legal action against the diving company, claiming heat counts and roll-call processes were not followed.
Here’s what’s making news around the nation and world:
- Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Coalition leader Peter Dutton faced off in their first leaders’ debate during a people’s forum in western Sydney on Tuesday night, during which issues of policy and character sparked a number of robust exchanges.
- Negative gearing reforms Labor was modelling last year would be back on the table in the event of a hung parliament as the Greens plan to push for the controversial tax change in exchange for their support.
- The US is “running up the score” by hitting Australia with tariffs despite already enjoying a trade surplus with the country, Donald Trump’s trade chief says, in comments likely to inflame tensions over the president’s decision to include close allies in his sweeping tariff program.
- Overseas, the roof of an iconic nightclub in the Dominican capital collapsed early Tuesday during a merengue concert attended by politicians, athletes and others, leaving more than 60 people dead and 160 injured, authorities said.
Mostly sunny and 26 today.
Good morning readers and welcome to today’s live blog.
Making headlines this morning, a 17-year-old Perth schoolgirl has broken Raelene Boyle’s under-18 sprint record for the 100 metres set at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.
Leah O’Brien ran 11.14 seconds in the under-18 national championships race, beating Boyle’s time that had stood for 57 years.
Meanwhile, Perth home values have added $350,000 in five years – but the growth is still falling way short of the 2000s boom. For that staggering number (and the welcome perspective it brings) check out her report.
And sticking with property news, the price-to-income ratio to buy a property in Perth has soared over the past two decades, from 3.9 times the typical household income, to 7.3.
We’re also bringing you the latest instalment in our popular series Three Things I Love, which asks Perth’s most high-flying personalities about the people, places and things they love most about our coastal capital. In today’s instalment, Fremantle chief executive, speaker, marketing expert, diver, trekker, sailor and all-round adrenaline junkie Chrissie Maus reveals her go-to experiences.
Stay tuned for more news as it happens.