NT police seek girl’s alleged abductor; unleaded fuel in most capitals at or below pre-Iran war levels

Missing Child Search: ‘Old-Style Policing’ in the Outback

Northern Territory Police are relying on traditional door-to-door inquiries and community appeals – what the force’s commissioner calls “old-style policing” – in the hunt for a missing five-year-old girl, after the prime suspect vanished without a mobile phone, bank account or car. Officers believe Sharon Granites, an Aboriginal child, was lured from her home in the Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs, around 11.30pm on Saturday 26 April. Her mother reported her missing at 1.35am the following morning.

NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole told a press conference that the force’s “number-one mission” is to find Sharon safe and well. “We still think she’s alive,” he said. The suspect, Jefferson Lewis, a 47-year-old man recently released from prison, was seen holding Sharon’s hand about 11pm on the night she disappeared. A warrant has been issued for his arrest. Lewis, who is known to authorities for domestic and family violence offences, had been free for only six days and was not subject to supervision orders after his release.

“This man does not have a telephone, a bank account, a car – so some of the usual practices that we do in 2026 are not applicable,” Dole explained. “Hence the amount of resources we have on the ground. We are knocking on doors, going through houses, old-style policing – and it is a hard slog.” Mounted police, helicopter aerial searches and thermal imaging drones have been deployed, while more than 130 members of the public joined the search on Tuesday. Assistant Commissioner Peter Malley said investigators believe members of the community know where Lewis is and appealed directly: “Tell us what you know. Tell us where he is. Tell us how to contact him.” Police have also sent a message to Lewis to “hand yourself in, go to your closest police station or give us a call and we will come get you”.

Items seized from the crime scene near the Old Timers Camp – including a doona cover, the shirt Lewis was allegedly wearing and a pair of child’s underwear – have been transported for forensic analysis, with results expected on Wednesday. Commissioner Dole said the “collective effort” from the community had made a “real difference”. Alice Springs Mayor Asta Hill described the town as being in “intense worry” and “holding its breath”, while Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price called the disappearance “every parent’s worst nightmare”. Dole stressed that any piece of information, no matter how small, “could be the one that unlocks this investigation”.

Mother Charged in High‑Profile Murder Trial

The mother of a former New South Wales police officer accused of murdering two men has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in her son’s trial. NSW Police said Coleen Lamarre, 63, was arrested in Balmain and refused bail after she allegedly tried to influence a key witness to change their evidence. She is due to appear before the bail division court on Thursday.

Her son, Beaumont Lamarre‑Condon, 29, is charged with the murders of Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies, 29, and television presenter Jesse Baird, 26, in February 2024. Prosecutors allege Lamarre‑Condon shot the men with his service weapon at Baird’s home in Sydney’s inner west before attempting to dispose of their bodies in surfboard bags. The bodies were discovered on 27 February 2024 at a rural property near Goulburn. Lamarre‑Condon pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and aggravated break and enter. His trial is scheduled to begin on 21 September and is expected to last two to three months. In earlier proceedings, he claimed he offered to plead guilty to manslaughter for Jesse Baird – an offer rejected by prosecutors – and accused NSW Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions of corruption.

US Lobbying Giant Warns of ‘Targeted Trade Remedies’ Over News Levy

The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a US lobbying firm representing tech companies including Meta and Google, has said Australia should face “targeted trade remedies” from the Trump administration over its proposed News Media Bargaining Incentive. The draft measure would force Meta, Google and TikTok either to strike commercial deals with Australian media outlets or pay a dedicated 2.25% levy on local revenues. The CCIA described the levy as “coercive” and an “illegal performance requirement” under the Australia–United States Free Trade Agreement.

CCIA president Matt Schruers said: “Australia’s proposed News Media Bargaining Incentive is a thinly veiled discriminatory tax on US digital services that is inconsistent with its commitments under the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement … If enacted, it would mark a further step away from predictable, rules-based digital trade and risk inviting reciprocal measures.” He called on the US government to “publicly and forcefully challenge the draft measure, including through targeted trade remedies, if legislation passes”. The CCIA previously warned the code could cost US companies more than US$140 million annually. Australia’s original News Media Bargaining Code was passed in February 2021, but Meta abandoned its voluntary deals in February 2024. The government has said the incentive is not intended to raise revenue.

Labor MP Backs Curbs on Capital Gains Tax Discount

Labor MP Ed Husic has said he believes reining in the capital gains tax (CGT) discount is a “good thing” for housing affordability. Speaking to Sky News, Husic questioned how long Australian taxpayers should support investors who own multiple properties. “If you’re getting to your fifth or sixth home that you’re investing in, how long should the Australian taxpayer support that?” he asked. “I reckon a lot of Australians would be thinking about whether or not that’s right and fair.” The CGT discount originated from the 1999 Ralph review, which was intended to encourage investment in high‑tech firms, not housing. Both the International Monetary Fund and the OECD have called for reforms to negative gearing and the CGT discount, saying they contribute to housing affordability problems and financial stability risks.

eSafety Commissioner Warns of Online Threats to Women in Leadership

Australia’s first eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, has warned that women in public leadership and regulatory roles may need security protections similar to those afforded to elected parliamentarians due to the level of online threats they face. Inman Grant, appointed in 2017, has driven major reforms including the world‑first social media ban for under‑16s. After that ban was announced, Elon Musk called her a “censorship commissar” on his platform X. Within 24 hours she received 75,000 posts, 80% of which were described as toxic, harmful or containing plausible death threats. “It is gendered and it is designed to wear you down, just like any other form of sexualised, violent online abuse that plays upon gendered standards,” she said. Her family members have been doxed. She noted that elected officials have security precautions, but regulators do not receive the same protections.

Second Man Charged Over Bondi Beach Footbridge Incident

A second man has been charged over offensive behaviour on a pedestrian bridge at Bondi Beach. NSW Police said the investigation began after reports that two men were engaging in offensive behaviour around 7pm on 31 January, six weeks after the Bondi Beach terror attack. One man was alleged to be mimicking firing upon people near the bridge. The first man, Zayne Jason William McMillan, 23, was arrested in February, pleaded guilty to three counts of offensive behaviour and two of intimidation, and was jailed for 12 months with a nine‑month non‑parole period. The second man, also aged 23, was arrested in Double Bay on Tuesday and charged with behaving in an offensive manner near a public place and stalking or intimidating with intent to cause fear of physical harm. He was granted conditional bail and is due to appear in court next month. The Bondi Beach terror attack on 14 December 2025 left 15 people dead and 41 injured.

Fuel Prices Return to Pre‑Conflict Levels – Except in Perth

The price of unleaded fuel has fallen back to levels seen before the Iran conflict in Sydney, Canberra and Adelaide, and is now about 20 cents per litre cheaper in Melbourne and Brisbane, according to Motormouth data. Perth is the only major city where motorists are paying more than they were before the start of the conflict. The lower pump prices are partly the result of the government’s temporary 26‑cent cut to the fuel excise and the decision to forgo the 10% GST on petrol sales. Diesel prices have also dropped from their peaks but remain 65–80 cents higher than before the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on 28 January. Separate data released earlier today showed inflation jumped to 4.6% in the year to March, up from 3.7% in February – though those figures predated the fuel excise cut.

Gas Export Tax Debate Resurfaces

Labor MP Ed Husic has also advocated for a proposed 25% export tax on gas, a measure that opposition leader Angus Taylor has warned would harm the industry. Critics, including the Greens, argue that Australia is not receiving a fair share of its gas resources and that the existing Petroleum Resource Rent Tax is ineffective. The International Energy Agency has cautioned against sudden changes to corporate taxes, citing potential impacts on investment and energy supply disruptions. The government has said its budget will not undermine existing gas export contracts.