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A car crashes into a climate protest in Sydney.
Blockade Australia protesters were among a group of 50 to 60 activists who converged on Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD around 8am today, before marching towards the harbour, chanting, playing drums, pulling down signs, dragging wheelie bins onto the road and blocking intersections.
Footage of the moment one vehicle ignored traffic controllers is now being shared across social media, showing the driver ramming into police and protesters blocking traffic. Strike Force Guard detectives are aware of the collision and are conducting inquiries. It is not known if anyone was injured during the incident.
Jesus Christ: car rams people as it drives through Blockade Australia protest pic.twitter.com/kntTsenJdi
— cammyboo AO (@cameronwilson) June 27, 2022
The protesters were met with a large police presence, including officers on horseback and in helicopters overhead. They dispersed when police stopped them at the intersection of George and Bridge streets, blocking access to the Harbour Bridge. Protesters threw concrete blocks, garbage bins, bikes and ladders onto the city streets in an effort to disrupt traffic.
The NSW deputy premier has since told climate change protesters to “go and get a real job” after police made ten arrests across Sydney. One of the women arrested included a 22-year-old who chained herself to the steering wheel of her car and blocked the Harbour Tunnel during the morning peak.
Sally-Ann Brown, an organiser with the group, defended the necessity of the small and scattered demonstration saying it was needed because “policymakers were not listening”.
With AAP.
#ResistClimateDestruction has kicked off with a crowd disrupting Sydney CBD's streets. pic.twitter.com/KyB63uChCX
— Blockade Australia (@BlockadeAus) June 26, 2022
Evening Headlines: Fallout continues from US Abortion ban.
Do you find the news cycle overwhelming? Depressing? Confusing? Boring? Endless? Then you need The Quicky. Mamamia’s daily podcast that gets you up to speed on the top stories.
Listen to tonight’s episode of The Quicky below:
US to 'purchase weapons for Ukraine'.
The US is likely to announce this week the purchase of an advanced medium to long-range surface-to-air missile defence system for Ukraine.
Washington is also expected to announce other security assistance for Ukraine, including additional artillery ammunition and counter-battery radars to address needs expressed by the Ukrainian military. It comes after Vladimir Putin warned the West about “interfering” or aiding Ukraine.
The weaponry is the latest assistance to be offered to Ukraine by the US since Russia invaded its eastern European neighbour in February.
This month, US President Joe Biden agreed to provide Ukraine with $US700 million ($A1 billion) in military aid, including advanced rocket systems that can strike with precision at long-range targets. Ammunition, counterfire radars, a number of air surveillance radars, additional Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as anti-armour weapons are also part of that package, officials said.
Another arrangement to sell four large drones to Ukraine was paused earlier this month amid concerns their radar and surveillance equipment could create a security risk for the US if it fell into Russian hands.
With AAP.
“We hate you.” The conversation we need celebrities to have.
The lineup has been revealed for Channel 10’s 2022 Pilot Showcase, and there are three new shows in particular that we are pretty excited about watching.
And Amy Schumer was recently a guest on Penn Badgley’s podcast and ended up having to tell him why she really fired his wife (Domino Kirke) shortly after she gave birth, and it’s a pretty relatable story.
Plus, over the weekend, many of us were devastated to hear the news of the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that protected one’s choice to have an abortion. It was a subject that dominated celebrity culture over the weekend and today we talk through the most intense celebrity reactions, why it’s more dangerous for some to speak out over others, and the one conversation we need celebrities to keep having.
You can listen to The Spill below:
PM and leaders weigh in on abortion news, and all the news you need to know this morning.
Morning all,
The US Supreme Court's ruling on abortion shocked the world over the weekend.
You can read everything you need to know about the overturning of the landmark Roe v. Wade decision and what it means for Australia here.
You can also read Mia Freedman's thoughts on the news here.
But first, let's get you across the biggest news stories you need to know this morning, Monday, June 27.
1. Australian leaders react to US abortion news.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in on the US abortion ruling, as leaders around the world condemn the decision to wind back women's reproductive rights.
Speaking to media before flying to Madrid for the NATO leaders' summit, Albanese recognised that Roe v. Wade was "something that was in place for many decades".
"The concern that is there for women, I think, globally, is that this is a setback for women's health, and for the issue of women's safety as well. And this is a decision which goes to the heart of a woman's right to control her own body," he said.
The prime minister went on to say it's a "good thing" that these issues are not the subject of "partisan political debate in Australia".
PM Anthony Albanese on the Roe v Wade ruling of the US Supreme Court: pic.twitter.com/sARXog7ytG
— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) June 26, 2022
Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley has also weighed in on the decision, saying it's "a step backwards for women in the US".
"I'm very discomforted by anything that puts a personal and sensitive issue that a woman has to grapple with in many instances, or a family has to grapple with, in the same sentence as criminal," she told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program.
Around the world, leaders have been vocal about the decision.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the move "incredibly upsetting".
"To see that principle now lost in the United States feels like a loss for women everywhere," she said in a statement on Sunday.
"When there are so many issues to tackle, so many challenges that face women and girls, we need progress - not to fight the same fights and move backwards."
Canadian Prime Minister said the news was "horrific".
"No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body," he said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said the decision was a "big step backwards", while French President Emmanuel Macron recognised abortion is a fundamental right which must be protected.
Abortion is a fundamental right for all women. It must be protected. I wish to express my solidarity with the women whose liberties are being undermined by the Supreme Court of the United States.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 24, 2022
2. William Tyrrell’s 11th birthday marked by police.
NSW police have marked what would have been the 11th birthday of William Tyrrell on Sunday, as the force continues to attempt to crack the case of the missing boy.
William was three when he disappeared from his foster grandmother's home in Kendall, on the NSW mid north Coast in September 2014.
A high-profile search for the body of the missing toddler in Kendall wrapped up last December without any obvious breakthroughs but detectives are not giving up.
Today is William Tyrrell's 11th birthday - and eight years on from his disappearance, tragically no trace of William has ever been found. In 2015, William's heartbroken parents opened up for the first time to #60Mins in a desperate bid for information. https://t.co/FrYSgD6d8Y pic.twitter.com/JfyDEwIYDL
— 60 Minutes Australia (@60Mins) June 25, 2022
"The NSW Police Force remains committed to finding William Tyrrell and investigations by the Homicide Squad's Strike Force Rosann are ongoing," the force said in a statement on Sunday.
"Strike force detectives are continuing to conduct interviews and other investigative activity, including those under Coronial Orders, as well as reviewing all material with the assistance of various experts."
A $1 million reward for information leading to William's recovery still stands.
3. Maxwell may seek sentencing delay, says lawyer.
Warning: This post mentions suicide and may be triggering for some readers.
Ghislaine Maxwell has been put on suicide watch at a Brooklyn jail, and may seek to delay her Tuesday sentencing for aiding Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse of underage girls, her lawyer says.
In a letter to the judge overseeing Maxwell's case, Maxwell's lawyer, Bobbi Sternheim, says her client is "unable to properly prepare, for sentencing" after officials at the Metropolitan Detention Center on Friday declared the suicide watch and abruptly moved Maxwell to solitary confinement.
Sternheim says Maxwell was given a "suicide smock" and her clothing, toothpaste, soap and legal papers were taken away.
Lawyers for jailed former socialite Ghislaine Maxwell said she had been put on suicide watch and moved to solitary confinement, despite not being suicidalhttps://t.co/1kJxwpDBXK
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) June 26, 2022
The lawyer also says Maxwell "is not suicidal", a conclusion she says a psychologist who evaluated the 60-year-old British socialite on Saturday morning also reached.
"If Ms Maxwell remains on suicide watch, is prohibited from reviewing legal materials prior to sentencing, becomes sleep deprived, and is denied sufficient time to meet with and confer with counsel, we will be formally moving on Monday for an adjournment," Sternheim wrote.
A spokesman for US Attorney Damian Williams in Manhattan, whose office prosecuted Maxwell, declined to comment.
Maxwell was convicted on December 29 on five criminal counts, including sex trafficking, for recruiting and grooming four girls for Epstein to abuse between 1994 and 2004.
If you think you may be experiencing depression or another mental health problem, please contact your general practitioner. If you're based in Australia, 24-hour support is available through on 13 11 14 or Lifelinebeyondblue on 1300 22 4636.
4. Omicron sub-variant cases surge.
An Omicron sub-variant of COVID-19 that can evade vaccine immunity is on the rise in Victoria, with authorities warning it is on track to be the state's major strain in line with virus spread in NSW and Queensland.
Traces of BA.4/BA.5 in Victoria's metro and regional wastewater have "risen significantly in recent weeks, indicating increasing transmission", says Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
Professor Sutton says the lifting numbers follow similar patterns in NSW and Queensland.
"The department of health anticipates the prevalence of BA.4/BA.5 in Victoria is likely to result in an increase in cases, including reinfections and hospital admissions."
"This is because the strain has a greater ability than BA.2 to evade immunity provided by vaccination and earlier COVID-19 infection."
We thank everyone who got vaccinated and tested yesterday.
— VicGovDH (@VicGovDH) June 25, 2022
Our thoughts are with those in hospital, and the families of people who have lost their lives.
More data soon: https://t.co/OCCFTAchah#COVID19Vic #COVID19VicData pic.twitter.com/Zm7hMDU8Wp
There is no evidence at this stage that BA.4/BA.5 causes more severe disease but authorities are "closely monitoring the situation".
Medical experts last week renewed calls for people to get boosters in the wake of rising infections and hospitalisations.
Almost 50,000 new COVID-19 cases and 82 deaths have been recorded nationally this weekend.
5. NASA launches first rocket from Australia in 27 years.
NASA has successfully launched a rocket from the remote wilderness of the Northern Territory - the first commercial space launch in Australia's history.
Troublesome winds caused the countdown to be aborted several times before the first of three scheduled rockets finally launched at about half past midnight local time early on Monday from the Arnhem Space Centre on the Dhupuma Plateau, near Nhulunbuy.
The first rocket to take off from Australian soil in 26 years launched into the skies above east Arnhem Land last night. #9Today pic.twitter.com/dTY4NmdwzY
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) June 26, 2022
The rocket, which will help scientists explore how a star's light can influence a planet's habitability, is the first launched by the space agency in Australia in 27 years and first-ever from a commercial spaceport outside the US.
It is carrying an X-ray Quantum Calorimeter, allowing University of Michigan scientists to measure interstellar X-rays with precision to provide new data on the structure and evolution of the cosmos.
NASA last launched from Australia in 1995, when its rockets lifted off from the Royal Australian Air Force Woomera Range Complex in South Australia.
And that's it, you're all up to speed. We'll be back to bring you more of the top stories throughout the day.
- With AAP.
Killing stamp duty and other way to make houses cheaper.
The NSW government recently announced a serious shake up to stamp duty, promising that from 2023, first home buyers will be able to choose between paying this up front, or paying an annual fee plus a percentage of the land value, known as land tax.
But why does the government even need this money? And will the change really help those people trying to get a foot on the ladder, or should our politicians be doing more?
The Quicky speaks to a would-be first home buyer, and a property market expert to find out what it will take to really solve the housing affordability crisis in Australia.
Feature Image: Twitter @BlockadeAus.