Family's huge win after being pestered by developers for 30 years, second child dies after emu crash: Australia news live

Plus the government is warning Australians about "bonus" Centrelink payments.

The plot is expected to be snapped up by a developer. Source: Harris
This huge plot is expected to be snapped up by a developer in Adelaide this morning. Source: Harris

Yahoo's live news blog for Tuesday, October 29 has now concluded. A family in Adelaide has finally given in to developers after their giant plot has been hot property for more than three decades. See below how much money they made off the sale of the rare plot.

A second child has died following a multi-vehicle crash that was caused by an emu on the road. A 15-year-old girl has now died a day after her five-year-old brother.

Hundreds of early ballots cast for the US presidential election have been burned in two suspected attacks, police say.

Follow along as we bring you regular updates throughout the day.

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER14 updates
  • Australians likely to shun restrictions in future pandemic

    Australians are “unlikely” to accept large-scale Covid-19 measures and restrictions in an inevitable future pandemic, with “heavy-handed” rules and large-scale vaccine mandates key factors to eroding trust.

    As a result, vaccine immunity for a number of diseases has waned, with a warning of “co-occurring outbreaks” that could overrun Australia’s health system.

    The findings have been released into the final report into the large-scale Covid-19 Response Inquiry, which warned the government that it needs to “rebuild trust” with the public, with “many of the measures taken during Covid-19 are unlikely to be accepted by the population again”.

    While Australians were more likely to follow government directives at the beginning on the pandemic, trust increasingly “eroded” as the pandemic continued.

    The report, co-authored by chair and former director general of the NSW health department Robyn Kruk, epidemiologist professor Catherine Bennett, and health economist Angela Jackson, found this was, in part, because people weren’t given reasons behind the advice underpinning restrictions.

    Read more here.

    - NCA NewsWire

  • Jeff Bezos defends The Washington Post call not to endorse presidential candidate

    Billionaire Jeff Bezos has moved to explain The Washington post's decision to not endorse a presidential candidate.

    The Washington Post's decision to stop endorsing a candidate reportedly lost the newspaper more than 200,000 subscribers, Forbes reported, with the owner of the paper now speaking out about the decision.

    Amazon owner Bezos has stood by the move, arguing it is a "meaningful step" to repairing the struggling reputation of the media.

    "Presidential endorsements do nothing to tip the scales of an election... What presidential endorsements actually do is create a perception of bias. A perception of non-independence. Ending them is a principled decision, and it’s the right one," he wrote in a story published on The Post's website.

    Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos arrive at the Vanity Fair Oscar party after the 95th Academy Awards, known as the Oscars,  in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., March 12, 2023. REUTERS/Danny Moloshok
    Jeff Bezos, pictured with partner Lauren Sanchez, has defended The Washington Post's decision not to endorse a presidential candidate. Source: Reuters

    Bezos noted the changing consumption of news, with many younger citizens turning to unverified content on social media.

    "Many people are turning to off-the-cuff podcasts, inaccurate social media posts and other unverified news sources, which can quickly spread misinformation and deepen divisions. The Washington Post and the New York Times win prizes, but increasingly we talk only to a certain elite. More and more, we talk to ourselves," he wrote.

    "While I do not and will not push my personal interest, I will also not allow this paper to stay on autopilot and fade into irrelevance — overtaken by unresearched podcasts and social media barbs — not without a fight. It’s too important. The stakes are too high. Now more than ever the world needs a credible, trusted, independent voice."

  • Summer heat arriving early as millions set to bake

    Well we're roughly a month out from summer but the heat is coming early.

    A large pool of hot air is right now spreading across the country and will bring high temperatures for the country's southeast in the first week of November.

    The weather pattern has already brought temperatures above 45C to WA's northwest – the hottest October temperature in Australia for 15 years, Weatherzone reports.

    "The heat will continue to brew over northwestern Australia in the coming days before a cold front crossing southern Australia helps drag the hot air towards Australia’s southern states later this week," meteorologist Ben Domen said.

    Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Sydney are all expected to top 30C this weekend.

  • Huge result for family who rejected developers for 30 years

    Well the home with a huge plot of land we brought you earlier has now sold at auction for $5.5 million – a staggering $2.2 million above its guide price.

    Harris Real Estate agent Tom Hector told Yahoo Finance the sale would go down in history as an "iconic" bit of business with developers having sniffed around the site in Adelaide's north for more than 30 years.

    Read all about the sale here.

    The plot is expected to be snapped up by a developer. Source: Harris
    The auction did not disappoint. Source: Harris
  • Albo's fiery response to journo over book claim

    Anthony Albanese has lashed out at Joe Aston, the former Australian Financial Review journalist who claimed in a book the Prime Minister had a direct line to former Qantas boss Alan Joyce for flight upgrades.

    In fiery remarks on the controversy on Tuesday, Mr Albanese said he did not “see declarations” that Aston was “a former Liberal Party staffer for a number of senior members of the Liberal Party, including Joe Hockey and Bruce Baird.”

    “I don’t see declarations that he’s a former Qantas employee,” he said.

    “I don’t see declarations that in June, a few months ago, he was a guest ... at a Liberal Party fundraiser in the electorate of Wentworth.”

    Mr Albanese also said he was “far from being the most frequent person” to get a seat boost, claiming Liberal frontbencher Paul Fletcher had “been upgraded at least 69 times that he’s declared - 69.”

    “He’s been in parliament for less time than I’ve been in,” he said.

    Aston wrote in his book The Chairman’s Lounge that Mr Albanese personally solicited and secured 22 free upgrades from Mr Joyce while he was transport minister.

    The Prime Minister refused to say whether he called Mr Joyce for flight upgrades, insisting he has followed declaration rules to the letter.

    Read more here.

  • Should your rent drop as soon as the interest rate is cut?

    A rate cut next Tuesday, while unlikely, could actually materialise – and whatever happens, the big banks are predicting a cut in the next few months.

    So if mortgage holders are set for some relief, including landlords, should rents start to drop? Well it's a complex issue that Yahoo Finance has delved into and revealed what you can likely expect.

    We've also put it to our readers whether they expect an immediate knee-jerk reaction from landlords. You can have your say below.

    Are you a landlord with an opinion on this? Email stew.perrie@yahooinc.com

  • Woman found dead in outback street

    In some developing news from NSW now and a woman's body has been found on a street in the outback town of Bourke.

    Her body was found shortly after 8am and she is believed to be a 47-year-old woman. A 49-year-old man has since been arrested and is assisting with inquiries.

  • Woman's lucky escape after car crushed by tree

    A woman was home for just 30 minutes when a falling tree destroyed the car she'd been sat in as wild storms hammed Brisbane yesterday.

    The woman had just arrived at their house in Wilston on Monday evening when the tree fell, her partner Peter told the Courier Mail.

    "She was very lucky," he said.

    There were more than 14,000 lightning strikes in and around Brisbane in just three hours, Energex said.

    This could have ended a lot worse. Source: Facebook/ Lisa MacDermott
    This could have ended a lot worse. Source: Facebook/ Lisa MacDermott
  • Woman 'ignores' $2 million call

    While we don't know her age, we're going to hazard a guess she's Gen Z or a Millennial.

    “Sh**! I’ve been ignoring your phone calls all day," one NSW woman told lottery officials as they confirmed her $2 million win in Saturday's Lotto draw.

    Just earlier this month, a leading recruiter told Yahoo Finance she's seeing a surging trend of young Australians who won't pick up their phone to an unknown number.

  • Six university students expelled from prestigious college

    Six male students have been expelled and 21 have been suspended after a serious bullying incident at the prestigious St Paul’s College at The University of Sydney.

    The 27 students received disciplinary action after an investigation by the college found the students had engaged in “serious bullying” of another student in their friendship group.

    St Paul’s warden Ed Loane said the college was “shocked and deeply disappointed” by the male students’ actions.

    “This behaviour is contrary to our values and standards,” he said.

    Read more here.

  • Ballot boxes targeted with fire in US election

    We take you to a concerning development in the US now. Hundreds of early-entry ballots in the US election have been damaged after they were targeted with fire.

    Police are looking for a “suspect vehicle” connected to incendiary devices that set fires in ballot drop boxes in Oregon and Washington state early Monday.

    Surveillance images captured a Volvo stopping at a drop box in Portland, Oregon, just before security personnel nearby discovered a fire inside the box.

    That fire damaged three ballots inside, while officials say a fire at a drop box in nearby Vancouver, Washington, early Monday destroyed hundreds of ballots.

    Authorities said at a news conference in Portland that enough material from the incendiary devices was recovered to show that the two fires Monday were connected — and that they were also connected to an Oct. 8 incident, when an incendiary device was placed at a different ballot drop box in Vancouver.

    - AP

  • Centrelink warning to Aussies

    Australians are being warned about "one-off bonus payments" from Centrelink after scammers ramped up their attempts to fool vulnerable residents.

    Scammers are often linked to fake websites and there have been several articles posted in the last few days that claim that recipients will soon receive hundreds or even thousands of dollars as a cost-of-living boost.

    The sites are seemingly based in India and explain how Aussies can receive these "life-changing benefits". But a spokesperson for the National Anti-Scam Centre told Yahoo Finance you shouldn't trust the claims.

    "Scammers impersonate trusted businesses, friends or family, to steal money or personal information," the spokesperson explained.

    Read more from Yahoo Finance here.

  • Second child dies after emu triggers crash

    A 15-year-old girl has died a day after her five-year-old brother lost his life in a multi-vehicle crash triggered by an emu on the road.

    Police were called to South Australia's Riddoch Highway, close to the Victorian border, about 2.40pm on Sunday following reports of a three-car pileup.

    A black Holden sedan was driving along Riddoch Highway when it collided with an emu. The incident caused a grey Toyota station wagon to brake to avoid the collision. However, as the Toyota suddenly halted, a white Nissan ute crashed into its rear.

    Among those inside the grey Toyota were Chris and Paula Eykelenburg and their five-year-old son and 15-year-old daughter.

    The five-year-old died at the scene, and the teenager was rushed to the hospital.

    Sadly, the girl succumbed to her injuries and died on Monday night. Two other siblings in the car, aged 6 and 13, are in hospital with minor injuries.

    Read more here.

  • Family to sell plot after 30 years of offers

    A family who have fended off interest from developers for more than 30 years are finally selling their prized plot of land.

    The property in Salisbury in Adelaide's north has been owned by the same family for 60 years but after its owners passed away, their children are now listing the property.

    Harris Real Estate agent Tom Hector told Seven News the family had received plenty of offers over the years but had always knocked them back. "It's a very sad and emotional sale," he revealed, saying there are very few properties like this one still left.

    He says there has been remarkable interest and the property will go to auction today at 10am. It is listed with a guide of $3-3.3 million.

    The plot is expected to be snapped up by a developer. Source: Harris
    The plot is expected to be snapped up by a developer. Source: Harris

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