Australia news live: bodies of two children found after house fire near Blue Mountains
NT police call for assistance to locate man allegedly linked to abduction of five-year-old girl
Sarah Collard
Northern Territory police are calling for urgent public assistance to locate Sharona five-year-old girl missing from an Alice Springs town camp, at Marshall Court, Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs.
In a press conference, NT police said they are looking for 47-year-old Jefferson Lewiswho is known to police, but has not been located and may be able to assist with their investigation. A police official said:
We do believe Sharon has been abducted, and we believe Mr Jefferson may be able to provide us with some information.
We can confirm that he is believed to have been in the area around that time and staying at the residence. He currently remains one of the few people who were in old timers camp at the time, and who has not made themselves known to police,
Police say the man is known to authorities for domestic and family violence-related offences.
Around 1:35am, police received reports that Sharon could not be located at her residence on Marshall Court, Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs.
She was last seen wearing a dark blue short sleeve T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and white ring stripe around the end of the sleeves, and a pair of black boxer-style underwear.
Key events
Calls for plane crash-style investigations as road deaths rise
From AAP:
Plane crash-style investigations into car collisions could help reduce a growing number of fatalities on Australia’s roads, according to data from the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
In the 12 months to 31 March, 1,326 people died in crashes across the country, 39 more than the previous corresponding period.
Pedestrian deaths also surged by 16.4% while cyclist deaths rose by 4.4%.
This is the 34th consecutive month that Australia’s 12-month deaths total rose, marking a 20.9% rise since the federal government’s 2021 road safety strategy was agreed to with the aim of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries by 2050.
Blue Mountains fire not suspicious, police say
Police said the fire not being treated as suspicious. The mother was on her way to Queensland and is coming home to be with the family.
Asked if it was suspicious, police said:
As I said before, it is a matter for the coroner.
We will put together the brief of evidence for the coroner to determine time, date, place and cause of death.
Police confirm bodies of two children found after Blue Mountains house fire
Police have confirmed the deaths of two children following a house fire in the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
Police said:
There was four children including an adult male inside the house.
There was a further two children that were unaccounted for. We have located the bodies, we believe to be that of the two children, but, of course, as you can appreciate, it is a coroner’s investigation and we can’t confirm those details until a formal investigation has taken place.
The dad and four children were taken to Penrith hospital. They are still currently in hospital and being treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
Graham Readfearn
How the shift from coal stalled in Australia’s most polluting state
For all involved, it felt like Queensland’s transition away from coal-fired power was happening at speeds never seen before.
It was 2024, and the rubber was hitting the road hard on the Labor government’s plans to get the power grid almost entirely off coal by 2035.
But that October the Liberal National party led by David Crisafulli won government, bringing a sharply different approach to energy in Australia’s highest-emitting state.
“There’s been a bit of whiplash,” the chief executive of the Queensland Renewable Energy Council, Katie-Anne Mulder, says with only a hint of understatement.
Legislated renewable energy targets were repealed. Rumours of a new coal-friendly energy plan swirled and then materialised in late 2025.
Read more here:
Sabastian Sawe breaks two-hour marathon barrier
In case you missed it, there was a major milestone in the running world this weekend: Kenyan Same Sebastian broke the two-hour marathon barrier.
Here’s what he had to say after the feat:
NT police call for assistance to locate man allegedly linked to abduction of five-year-old girl
Sarah Collard
Northern Territory police are calling for urgent public assistance to locate Sharona five-year-old girl missing from an Alice Springs town camp, at Marshall Court, Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs.
In a press conference, NT police said they are looking for 47-year-old Jefferson Lewiswho is known to police, but has not been located and may be able to assist with their investigation. A police official said:
We do believe Sharon has been abducted, and we believe Mr Jefferson may be able to provide us with some information.
We can confirm that he is believed to have been in the area around that time and staying at the residence. He currently remains one of the few people who were in old timers camp at the time, and who has not made themselves known to police,
Police say the man is known to authorities for domestic and family violence-related offences.
Around 1:35am, police received reports that Sharon could not be located at her residence on Marshall Court, Old Timers Camp, Alice Springs.
She was last seen wearing a dark blue short sleeve T-shirt with a white ring stripe around the neck and white ring stripe around the end of the sleeves, and a pair of black boxer-style underwear.
Petra Stock
How can Australia be the world’s fourth-largest black truffle producer?
Black truffles aren’t native to Australia but, since the first oaks and hazelnuts were planted in the 1990s, the local industry has flourished, becoming the largest producer outside Europe.
Now, scientists have identified the environmental factors that appear to have contributed to that success.
Many types of fungi produce truffles, a fruiting body that grows underground. But a handful of species, including French black (or Périgord) truffles from Europe, are considered gourmet delicacies, highly prized for their earthy bouquet and rich, savoury notes.
They were introduced relatively recently, with the first host trees planted in Tasmania in 1995, the first black truffles harvested in 1999 and Australia’s first exports in 2007.
Read more here:
Benita Kolovos
Victoria motorcyclists will be able to use bus lanes across three main roads in Melbourne
The Victorian minister for roads and road safety, Ros Spencehas announced motorcyclists will be able to use bus lanes along three key routes in central Melbourne.
Following a successful trial, motorcycles can now use bus lanes along:
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Eastern Freeway, west of Chandler Highway and Hoddle Street (westbound)
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Victoria Parade, between Hoddle Street and Nicholson Street (westbound)
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Victoria Parade, between Nicholson Street and Hoddle Street (eastbound)
She said clear signage will show where motorcycles are permitted, making it easier for riders to know when they can safely enter a bus lane.
Spence said the trial found no negative safety impacts for riders or other motorists and no impact on bus travel times. Riders using the routes also felt more confident on the road.
Motorcyclists remain over-represented in road trauma, accounting for 21% of lives lost in 2025 despite making up less than 4% of registered vehicles.
Spence said:
Motorcyclists are some of our most vulnerable road users, and we’re making practical changes to help them stay safer on our roads. This is about helping riders avoid traffic, travel more safely and get to their destination sooner.
Two bodies found after house fire near Blue Mountains
NSW police said two bodies have been discovered after a fire tore through a home in Bowen Mountain, at the foot of the Blue Mountains, overnight.
Emergency services were called just after 2am amid reports of a fire. A man and four children were able to escape the house, but two others were unaccounted for at the time.
The two bodies are believed to be those of the unaccounted for individuals. They have yet to be identified, but a formal process is under way to ID them and determine how the fire broke out.
The man and four children who escaped the blaze were taken to the hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation and minor burns.
‘Extreme mouse situation’ in parts of WA and SA
Andrew Wiedemanthe southern region director at Grain Producers Australia, told RN this morning there is an ongoing “extreme mouse situation” in Western Australia and parts of South Australia.
He said in some areas, the group is seeing thousands of mice per hectare.
Particularly in the Geraldton area, we’re seeing numbers of calculated numbers of around 8,000 to 10,000 a hectare, which is just an extreme mouse situation.
Once it gets over five to six, you’re talking plague proportions. … At the end of the day, that certainly is a plague and we’re now looking at trying to put control measures to try and help farmers through.
He said without additional control measures, the numbers of mice would cause “a lot of grief” for many farmers as they’re sowing seeds.
You can read more on the issue here:
Concern grows for missing 5-year-old girl in Alice Springs
Concerns are mounting for a girl missing in Alice Springs as the search for her enters its second day, AAP reports.
The girl, Sharonwas reported missing from her residence at Old Timers Aboriginal town camp at about 1.30am on Sunday after being put to bed.
A search involving about 50 police officers, members of the Northern Territory Emergency Services and a police helicopter was unable to find her on Sunday, with the search set to resume early on Monday.
Acting Supt Michael Ordelman told reporters it was probable Sharon wandered out of her home, but police were not ruling out suspicious circumstances.
Because of the amount of time Sharon had been missing, police held “mounting concerns” for her safety, he said.
Police have appealed to the public to contact them with any information that may lead to finding Sharon.
