'Lawyer X' court files to be revealed
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Secret court files exposing further details of Melbourne's 'Lawyer X' police informer scandal are set to be revealed.
Victoria's Supreme Court will make the contents from five files available for inspection on Friday, unveiling potentially thousands of documents.
The High Court will also open its file in the case between Nicola Gobbo - whose identity was exposed in March after a suppression order was lifted - and Victoria Police and prosecutors.
That file is understood to include more than a thousand pages of documents.
Full story: Supreme court to reveal Lawyer X files
Julian Assange appears in London court
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has appeared in a London court just hours after he was forcibly removed by British police from the Ecuadorian embassy where he had been holed up since 2012.
He pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to surrender to a Swedish warrant and skipping bail.
Assange resisted as he was dragged down several steps at the embassy by officers on Thursday morning and bundled into a police van and taken to a central London police station.
Assange's lawyer Jennifer Robinson said he had also been arrested in relation to a US extradition request.
His Australian legal adviser Greg Barns fear he could face 45 years in jail in the US for publishing classified military documents.
The US Justice Department said in a statement Assange, 47, was arrested pursuant to the US/UK extradition treaty, and accused him of involvement in one of the largest compromises of classified information in the history of the US.
US President Donald Trump said he didn't have an opinion about the arrest of the WikiLeaks founder.
Full story: Julian Assange arrested by British police
Morrison hunting votes in western Sydney
Scott Morrison is expected to hit marginal electorates in western Sydney as the federal election campaign begins in earnest.
The prime minister spent time in the Labor-held seats of Lindsay and Macquarie on Thursday after announcing Australians will go to the polls on May 18.
He has outlined economic management, border security and funding for essential services as key themes for his campaign.
Mr Morrison is set to kick off the first full day of campaigning on Friday in Sydney's west.
After a national redrawing of seat boundaries, the coalition starts with a notional 73 seats (down from 74) with Labor on 72 (up from 69).
Full story: PM kicks off election campaign in western Sydney
Geoffrey Rush wins defamation case
Actor Geoffrey Rush has been awarded at least $850,000 after a Federal Court judge found he was defamed by a Sydney newspaper and journalist.
Justice Michael Wigney on Thursday said the publisher of the Daily Telegraph and journalist Jonathon Moran had been reckless regarding the truth when they reported an allegation of inappropriate behaviour by Rush in 2017.
The judge found a poster and two articles contained several defamatory meanings - including that Rush was a pervert and sexual predator - but the news organisation didn't prove they were substantially true.
The Telegraph's articles related to an allegation Rush behaved inappropriately to a co-star - later revealed to be Eryn Jean Norvill - during a Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear in 2015-16.
Full story: Geoffrey Rush wins $850k in defamation case
Folau return to NRL all but ruled out
The NRL appears to have ruled out any prospect of Israel Folau returning to the game after ARL Commission chairman Peter Beattie said the rugby star had no support from league officialdom.
Rugby Australia announced its intention to sack Folau on Thursday following his latest social media missive, a meme which said hell awaits homosexuals.
A former NRL star who played rugby league for Queensland and Australia, it was thought a return to the 13-man game could be an option if Rugby Australia goes through with terminating Folau's contract.
But that prospect now seems unlikely after Beattie raised his concerns about the 30 year-old back.
South-west footballer suspended for head butting
Coleraine premiership player Trevor Row has been suspended for three games after being charged with headbutting Tyrendarra's Tye O'Connell in a South West District Football League game.
Row, a former captain of the Maroons, pleaded not guilty at the AFL Western District tribunal held on Thursday, presided over by Ian Yewers, Robert Anderson and Paul Jones.
The incident occurred on April 6 when Tyrendarra hosted Coleraine in round one of the SWDFL season.
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Cold morning ahead of a nice, sunny day
It was a cold start to the day on Friday with temperatures hitting a low of five degrees in Warrnambool overnight.
At 7am it was six degrees in Warrnambool but it felt like 1.3.
There were patches of light frost in the northeast of the region, with patchy fog expected for the rest of the morning.
The south-west will enjoy a sunny afternoon with with temperatures to reach a top of 24 degrees in Casterton, 23 in Mortlake and 22 in Warrnambool, Hamilton, Heywood, Portland and Port Fairy.
Northely 15 to 25 km/h winds will tend north-westerly in the middle of the day before becoming light in the late afternoon.
Saturday will be mostly cloudy with a 60 per cent chance of showers, most likely in the morning.
Overnight temperatures will fall to between seven and 10 degrees, with daytime temperatures reaching around 18.
Sunday will see patchy morning fog in the south-east with a 20 per cent chance of showers and light winds. Daytime temperatures will reach the low 20s and overnight temperatures will fall to about 10 degrees.
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