A Sydney woman has admitted killing her six-year-old daughter.
Young Kiesha Weippeart disappeared from her Mount Druitt home on August 2010. At the time, her mother Kristi Anne Abrahams issued an emotional appeal for information about her daughter, whose body was found eight months after her disappearance.
Today, she pleaded guilty to Kiesha's manslaughter, but the Crown has refused to accept Ms Abrahams' plea and will try her for murder instead.
- Newstalk ZB
Another week of Super Rugby unfolds and the Australian sides of the Brumbies and Reds are looking every bit title contenders. The Brumbies thumped the Force in the weekend 41 - 7, and the Reds held on against the Blues winning by 1 point at home 12 - 11. New Zealand teams have hit a slight form slump in the middle of the season, and the Australians are taking the spoils.
The South African teams are always hard to beat at home, and apart from the Stormers and Cheetahs they haven’t been travelling well and it’s given the Australian teams of the Brumbies and Red’s the confidence to sit pretty in the top two spots on the table if you’re counting points.
The Chiefs and Blues are the top two teams in the New Zealand conference, and they’ve both suffered losses to the Reds in recent weeks, and the Waratahs were too good for the Chiefs a week ago in Sydney. The Waratahs have some classy players, with the likes of Israel Falau doing damage with his size and pace and they can’t be written off in the tight competition of Super Rugby.
The Reds have a confident Quade Cooper and the world’s number one halfback in Will Genia returning to his consistent best as he directs play around the park from the platform set up by a powerful pack lead by Captain James Horwill.
Head Coach for the Brumbies ex-Springbok coach Jake White has put something in their water this season, and they’re recording some gutsy wins coming down to the wire. They’ve built a game on solid defense with a potent back three who can get the job done out wide. Theay’ve drawn twice but only lost one game this season and haven’t looked this good since losing Stephen Larkham and George Gregan; maybe the return of another George who wears the number seven jersey has something to do with this new found success!
It seems the key players in these top three Australian franchises are stepping up come the International season with the Lions tour not too far away in June. Another possibly theory is that the demise of teams like the Rebels and Force who can win the odd upset, have left a gulf in the Australian conference between the top tier and the bottom, making it easier for the top Aussie teams to stay on top considering you play each team in your own conference twice. Whatever the case maybe, New Zealand and South African teams are going to have to start peaking their performances come the business end of the season, because they’ll have to beat some talented Australian teams if they’re going to have any shot at making the finals.
My prediction for the remainder of the season is that the Brumbies and Red’s will continue their winning ways and teams like the Crusaders and Waratahs will need a late run to crack the top six. The Blues and Chiefs will battle it out for top spot in the New Zealand conference while the Bulls and Cheetah’s will have a hungry Stormers and Sharks teams to subdue in South Africa if they’re to hold on and make the top six. Whichever teams makes it to the finals, they’re likely to meet a self-assured Brumbies and Red’s side who aren’t used to losing.
- RBG News
Despite calls to wind up the annual ANZAC test, at least one league hero believes it should remain.
The Anzac Test between the Kiwis and the Kangaroos, played on or around Anzac Day, was introduced by Super League (Australia) in 1997. It was dropped for a while in the early part of the new millenium, but was revived in 2004.
New Zealand Rugby League identity, Graham Lowe, says it is vitally important to both countries. The former Kiwis coach and ex-director of football for New Zealand Rugby League himself once wanted to can the one-off test following the 2008 Australian centenary match. However, he says that was for commercial reasons, which have now been resolved.
Lowe says the teams are top in the world, and that the face-off is about far more than just a rugby league test.
This year's match at Canberra might be all but a sellout, but reporter Elliott Smith says you'd hardly realise it was going on. There are no nearby billboards or advertising about the match, while appearances for fans were confined to the earlier part of the week.
Taxi drivers - usually the barometer of public awareness - have no clue the game is on tonight; and only a few fans around the city have been spotted wearing league jerseys.
The Canberra Times has splashed tonight's match across its front and back pages, labelling it history.
- Newstalk ZB/ RBG News
The case against Japan’s controversial whaling activites is headed to the United Nations’ highest court.
The International Court of Justice in The Hague will hold public hearings in the case in June.
Australia is to fire the opening salvos in the legal battle aimed at stopping Japan's whaling research programme in Antarctica.
Australia took Japan to court in May 2010, alleging that Japan's continued pursuit of a large-scale whaling programme put the Asian nation in breach of international conventions and its obligation to preserve marine mammals and the marine environment.
Although Japan claims its whaling is for scientific research, the Australian Government rejects this.
In a statement it says, “The government believes the whaling carried out by Japan is commercial, not scientific, and does not fall within that narrow exception.”
Recent years have seen numerous clashes between protesters and Japanese whaling ships, the latest of which saw accusations of whalers ramming protest vessels in the Southern Ocean.
Although the case focuses on whaling in Antarctic waters, it is unclear where these end.
A statement on the Hague Justice Portal says the Antarctic Ocean stretches from the continent of Antarctica in the south but does not have a clearly defined northern limit.
Public hearings will be heard from June 26 to July 16.
New Zealand will also make a submission at the hearings.
- RBG News/ Newstalk
Australian Rugby coach Robbie Deans has come under fire from a former player who claims he is sabotaging Austrian Rugby.
Former Wallaby fullback Greg Martin accused Deans of holding a grudge against first-five Quade Cooper, after he was left out of the 30-man preliminary squad for the Lions Test series.
Speaking on his Triple M radio show, Martin said the conspiracy theory that Deans was put in place to ruin Australian rugby is almost getting to the point where it's true.
The accusations come after Quade Cooper described the Wallabies environment as toxic last year.
However Radio New Zealand reports Cooper has no hard feelings towards his coach, and says his omission from the squad is “no big deal”.
As Australia’s first foreign-born coach, Deans is no stranger to criticism.
He came under intense fire after Australia’s shock 33-6 loss to France last year.
Following the match, Wallabies former winger David Campese described Deans as “the worst thing that has ever happened to Australian rugby” and called for his dismal as coach.
However, Deans is seldom drawn into a war of words, preferring rather to focus on his team’s on field performance.
“Words are largely irrelevant. The deeds that matter most are done on the field,” he wrote in an instructive introduction to the 2012 Wallabies media guide.
The Wallabies first test match against the Lions kicks off on June 22 in Melbourne.
-RBG News/ Newstalk
Davina William presents today's news, including what newly legislated welfare reforms under the Social Security Amendment Bill mean for beneficiares, reaction to Australia's latest case of boat refugees, and the announcement that Steve Hansen will coach the All Blacks through to RWC 2015.
From the RBG News Centre for Shine TV.
Davina William has today's top stories, including a wider privacy breach at the EQC; a last-minute bailout deal for Cyprus; and a social focus to the new Anglican Archbishop's ministry.
From the RBG News Centre for Shine TV. Catch our hourly bulletins every weeknight from 6:30-9:30pm, on Sky 111 or Freeview 25.
Davina William has today's top stories, including the latest government privacy breach - this time by the EQC; a deed of settlement that brings Tuhoe and the Crown closer to healing old wounds; Egypt's deteriorating security situation; and new leaders for the local and global Anglican communion.
From the RBG News Centre for Shine TV. Catch our hourly bulletins every weeknight from 6:30-9:30pm, on Sky 111 or Freeview 25.
The Breakers' Will Hudson has resumed training with the team for the first time in nearly six weeks.
The back-up centre has missed the national team's last five Australian basketball league games, having sustained a knee injury in early February. Hudson is spending time with team physio Anousith Bouaaphone this afternoon to see if he can travel to Perth for the Breakers' final game of the regular NBL season. The US athlete says he has already felt improvements and is thankful for that.
Will Hudson is one of five Breakers who could receive league awards. He and veteran team-mate Dillon Bouchier are amongst the players in the Sixth Man awards category.
The other New Zealand finalists in the awards are Andrej Lemanis, who is the overwhelming favourite for the Coach of the Year award; and Cedric Jackson and Mika Vukona are contenders for the Defensive Player of the Year gong.
The winners, including the league's Most Valuable Player, will be announced at an awards dinner in Melbourne on Sunday.
- Newstalk ZB
