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Police ask for public’s help regarding sisters found dead inside a Sydney unit.
Two sisters whose bodies were found in separate bedrooms of their Sydney home unit may already have been dead for a month.
Police were called to the apartment the siblings shared at Canterbury in the city’s southwest on June 7 and seven weeks later, they are still baffled by the mysterious deaths.
The women have been identified as 23-year-old Amaal Abdullah Alsehli and 24-year-old Asra Abdullah Alsehli but investigators still don’t know how or why they died.
“We have been unable to determine the exact circumstances surrounding Asra and Amaal’s deaths,” Detective Inspector Claudia Allcroft said on Wednesday.
The sisters arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia in 2017 and police are appealing to the public for help to solve their deaths, which they consider suspicious.
Det Insp Allcroft said any piece of information could hold the key.
“Detectives are interested in speaking with anyone who may have seen or who may have information about the women's movements in the days and weeks prior to their deaths – which we believe occurred in early May,” she said.
“We hope someone may be able to assist our investigators – either through sightings or those who knew the sisters and may have some information on their movements.”
Police have renewed their appeal for information after the bodies of two women were located inside a Canterbury unit last month.
— NSW Police Force (@nswpolice) July 27, 2022
The sisters have been formally identified as 24-year-old Asra Abdullah Alsehli and 23-year-old Amaal Abdullah Alsehli.https://t.co/1xUjSc35cI pic.twitter.com/oVS08LDLjs
Anyone who may have information that could assist detectives is urged to contact Burwood Police Station on (02) 9745 8499 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Image: @nswpolice Twitter
Parliament sittings resume: Here’s what happened.
It was announced during parliament sittings that Indigenous flags will be displayed alongside the Australian flag in the Senate – but the move sparked a protest from One Nation's Pauline Hanson. Senator Hanson angrily left the chamber during the opening Acknowledgement of Country.
Senator Hanson interjected, yelling: “No, I won’t and never will”, before exiting the chamber.
Indigenous Greens senator Lidia Thorpe criticised Senator Hanson on Twitter, calling the action “disrespectful”.
“Day two of the 47th parliament and racism has reared its ugly head,” she wrote. “Pauline Hanson disrespectfully stormed out of the Acknowledgement of Country in the Senate, refusing to acknowledge ‘those people’. You want to make parliament safe? Get rid of racism.”
On a more positive note, Western Australia senator Sue Lines was elected as the Senate’s second female president, becoming the first woman from Labor to hold the top job.
“Thank you very much senators for the honour and privilege bestowed on me here today,” she told the Senate after her election. “I’ll do my utmost to be a fair and consultative president.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also experienced his first Question Time, and according to all reports, there weren’t any bumps in the road.
Casually taking my seat in the Senate today at 35 weeks pregnant 💁🏽♀️
— Senator Jana Stewart (@JanaStewartVIC) July 25, 2022
An important message to all women that you belong in Parliament, and in all places where big decisions are made, no matter what stage of life you’re in.#AusPol #AusPol2022 pic.twitter.com/djLVqgbuuI
Australia faces urgent challenges. And the Government is responding with urgency.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 27, 2022
My first speech to Parliament as Prime Minister: https://t.co/VFRjfOq6W3
What a huge honour to be elected President of the Australian Senate. Thank you to my Labor colleagues for nominating me & to Senators for giving me this opportunity to serve as President of the 47th Parliament #auspol @AuSenate pic.twitter.com/PLmGfDXppN
— Senator Sue Lines (@linessue) July 26, 2022
The power of Australia’s most problematic reality TV show.
Filming has begun on the Disney+ Australian event series The Clearing. The series is inspired by the real-life Australian cult The Family and its founder Anne Hamilton-Byrne, who is one of the rare female cult leaders in history. Here’s everything we know about the all-star Australian cast.
And The Hills star Audrina Patridge has released a new memoir chronicling all the secrets behind the iconic reality TV show. The book includes some off-script stories about her castmates and it’s potentially changed the way we see the show.
Plus, Beauty and the Geek Australia is currently airing and pulling in a large and devoted audience each night. But as the makeover episodes start to air this week, we’re being forced to confront a very problematic side of the show and what it represents.
Listen to today’s episode of The Spill below:
Cashless debit cards set to be abolished, and all the news you need to know this morning.
Morning everyone,
Welcome to your live news feed for Wednesday, July 27.
All eyes are on Canberra this morning after Australia's 47th parliament opened yesterday.
As we wait to hear news from the nation's capital, here are the top stories you need to know this morning.
1. Cashless debit cards set to be abolished.
The Albanese government will use the first full day of parliamentary business today, to introduce legislation to scrap cashless debit cards.
More than 17,300 welfare recipients currently on the welfare scheme would then have the option of voluntary income management.
The move comes after widespread talks with affected communities who said the card stigmatises and often makes participants' lives more difficult.
Anthony Albanese will also face his first opposition grilling as prime minister on Wednesday.
Question Time will return today, presenting the first opportunity for Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, who took over the Liberal leadership from Scott Morrison, to quiz the Labor government.
Today was a momentous day as the new Parliament sat for the first time.
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) July 26, 2022
On election day Australians voted for change and today we met in Canberra to deliver on it. pic.twitter.com/V3Y69eejPI
All eyes will be on the lower house as Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen introduces the government's much-anticipated bill to enshrine a 43 per cent emissions-reduction target by 2030. The proposal will also require the climate minister of the day to report annually to parliament on Australia's progress.
While negotiations to pass the bill continue, Albanese said he would not ban coal and gas development as sought by the Greens.
"That would have a devastating impact on our economy," he told ABC.
2. Second woman elected as Senate president.
Western Australia Senator Sue Lines has been elected as the Senate's second female president, becoming the first woman from Labor to hold the top job.
Lines has served as deputy Senate president since 2016, and replaced the Liberals' Slade Brockman after being elected on 54 votes. She is the second woman to hold the role after the Liberals' Margaret Reid.
"Thank you very much senators for the honour and privilege bestowed on me here today," she told the Senate after her election. "I'll do my utmost to be a fair and consultative president."
Congratulations to Sue Lines on her election to President of the Senate #auspol pic.twitter.com/CracVeDbYO
— Australian Labor (@AustralianLabor) July 26, 2022
Leader of the Government in the Senate, Penny Wong, said, "It's taken a long time but I'm pleased that we see yet another woman serving in this high office".
"I'm confident Senator Lines will represent the interests of the Senate and the parliament as a whole, particularly when it comes to matters of privilege."
3. Somerton Man mystery 'solved'.
A professor claims he has discovered the identity of the Somerton Man, potentially solving one of Australia’s greatest mysteries.
The identity of the Somerton Man has baffled researchers for decades, after he was discovered propped up against a seawall at Somerton Beach in Adelaide in 1948.
74 years later, Professor Derek Abbott from the University of Adelaide, claims to have identified the man as Carl "Charles" Webb from Melbourne.
Webb was an electrical engineer and instrument maker born in 1905, making him 43 when he died. He was married to Dorothy Robertson, before they separated in April 1947.
BREAKING: An Adelaide Professor says he's solved the 73-year-old mystery of the Somerton Man, identifying him as Carl "Charles" Webb, a Melbourne-born electrical engineer and instrument maker. Story on CNN: https://t.co/3XD7cvq90Q pic.twitter.com/Oy6tMV7gTY
— Ben Avery (@benavery9) July 26, 2022
Professor Abbott, who has been working alongside American genealogist Colleen Fitzpatrick, used hair from a plaster mask made by police in the 1940s to analyse his DNA and build a family tree.
On Saturday, they had a breakthrough and identified the Somerton Man as Webb.
"By filling out this tree, we managed to find a first cousin three times removed on his mother's side," Abbott told CNN. "It just felt like I climbed and I was at the top of Mount Everest."
South Australia Police are yet to verify Abbott's findings.
4. Manly coach apologises for handling of pride jersey as seven payers boycott match.
Manly Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler has backed the message behind the club's inclusion jersey, despite it tearing apart his team to take on the Sydney Roosters, with seven players boycotting the NRL match.
In a 10-minute apology yesterday, Hasler said his club had made a grave error in not consulting players before unveiling their "everyone in league" jersey, which features rainbow colours recognising the LGBTQI community.
Hasler said he himself supported the jersey, with the club making the call to go ahead with wearing it after a lengthy meeting with players on Monday night.
However, Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau'atu, Tolutau Koula and Toafofoa Sipley will boycott the match, in a significant blow to Manly's finals hopes.
There was a heartfelt apology from Manly @SeaEagles coach Des Hasler today as he admitted that the club's handling of its controversial pride jersey was a 'significant mistake'. https://t.co/ccXI3Omfsg #NRL #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/8RJBZcUP8l
— 7NEWS Australia (@7NewsAustralia) July 26, 2022
"The jersey's intent was to support the advocacy and human rights pertaining to gender, race, culture, ability and LGBTQ rights. Sadly, the execution of what was intended to be an extremely important initiative was poor," Hasler said.
"In this specific instance, I also feel for these players. They were not included in the discussions around the jersey... at a minimum they should have been consulted."
Weighing in, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was important that all Australians are respected.
"I certainly hope this is resolved - it’s a good thing sport is more inclusive," he told reporters.
5. Russia pulls out of International Space Station.
Russia will opt out of the International Space Station after 2024 and focus on building its own orbiting outpost, the country's newly appointed space chief says.
Yuri Borisov, who was appointed this month to lead the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos, said during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Russia will fulfil its obligations to other partners at the ISS before it leaves the project.
"The decision to leave the station after 2024 has been made," Borisov said yesterday.
Breaking News: Russia said it would leave the International Space Station after 2024, marking a potential end to two decades of space cooperation with the U.S.https://t.co/D6XFivcR5k
— The New York Times (@nytimes) July 26, 2022
His statement reaffirmed previous declarations by Russian space officials about Moscow's intention to leave the space outpost after 2024.
It comes amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West over the Kremlin's military action in Ukraine.
- With AAP.
"It happened so quick." How so many Aussies end up homeless.
Despite the current economic climate, Australia remains one of the most wealthy countries in the entire world, so why is it that the number of people who are homeless is continuing to increase?
The Quicky speaks to an expert in insecure housing in Australia, and hears from a woman whose family has been left without a home despite them all having jobs to find out what is causing such instability, and what can and should be done to help vulnerable people.
READ:
Feature Image: Twitter @nswpolice.