Australia news live: police arrest then release two people in Porepunkah, Littleproud says Katter threat not ‘becoming’

Police arrest and then release two people in Porepunkah

Cait Kelly

Police have taken two people into custody last night as part of their investigation into the fatal shooting of two police officers and serious injury to a third during the execution of a search warrant in Porepunkah this week.

In a statement they said:

Fugitive squad detectives, along with Special Operations Group members, attended a Porepunkah address about 8.40pm.

A 42-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy were safely arrested at the address and taken into custody.

The Porepunkah pair were interviewed and released pending further enquiries.

The arrests form part of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, who were killed in the line of duty.

A third officer, a 56-year-old male detective leading senior constable, remains in hospital after being shot in the lower body.

The officers were part of a group of 10 members who were attacked while executing a search warrant at a Rayner Track property shortly after 10.30am on Tuesday, 26 August.

Extensive searches remain ongoing for the offender Desmond Filby, also known as Desmond Freeman, whose location remains unknown.

We urge the public in and around the township of Porepunkah to remain vigilant and report any sightings or suspicious behaviour by calling Triple Zero (000).

Detectives from Crime Command, including the homicide squad and fugitive squad, are investigating the incident.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Updated at 01.53 CEST

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Benita Kolovos

Victoria police set up designated area due to far-right protest

Victoria police will set up a designated area across Melbourne’s CBD as they prepare for “violence” at a rightwing protest on Sunday.

Supt Troy Papworth, from the north-west metro specialist operations unit at Victoria police, told ABC Radio Melbourne the entire CBD up to the Shrine of Remembrance will be declared a designated area under the Control of Weapons Act.

This means officers can randomly stop and search anyone or their vehicle without a warrant or reasonable grounds.

The designated area has been declared due to concern around some rightwing figures attending the protest near Flinders Street to “cause violence and mayhem”, Papworth said:

In a week where we’ve lost two police officers … we are having to respond to protest intended to cause violence in the city.

He says another planned pro-Palestine rally is also organised for the State Library. Organisers have been communicating with police and say they will avoid Flinders Street, but Papworth says he remains concerned there could be confrontation between the two groups.

Updated at 02.39 CEST

Man charged with murder after woman allegedly kidnapped and killed in Sydney

NSW police charged a man on Thursday over the alleged kidnapping and murder of a Sydney woman in April.

Police said they responded to a home in the suburb of Bankstown in western Sydney on 17 April, where they were told a group of people had forced their way into a home before allegedly kidnapping the woman, 45, and assaulting an eight-year-old boy with a baseball bat.

Photograph: Steven Saphore/AAP

The group, armed with a firearm, then allegedly forced the woman into an SUV. Later that day, emergency services responded to reports of a car fire, where they discovered the body of the woman inside.

Police claim the woman and children were targeted over her partner’s alleged involvement with an organised crime group in Victoria.

A man, 29, was arrested yesterday and charged with murder and wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He was refused bail and will appear before court later today.

Police will alleged the 29-year-old facilitated the alleged kidnapping and murder of the woman.

Updated at 02.27 CEST

Josh Butler

PM downplays speculation over purpose of Marles’s US trip

Anthony Albanese downplayed reports that Richard Marles’s much-debated trip to America was about locking in a meeting with Donald Trump. Albanese told Channel Nine:

That wasn’t his job and it wasn’t his issue and I don’t think it was – I don’t know whether that was raised or not, but that’s not the reason why he goes.

We have office-to-office communication and Ambassador Rudd is responsible for those issues.

Richard Marles and Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The prime minister wouldn’t say whether a meeting had finally been confirmed, only saying “when you see it on your screens, you’ll know it’s confirmed”.

I’ll be certainly with President Trump a number of times between now and the end of the year. It’s summit season, which sounds glamorous but isn’t. You spend more time on a plane than you do on the land.

And so we have a range of meetings, whether it’s the UN general assembly, Asean, Apec. So we’ll be running into each other regularly. And we’re just trying to finalise the Quad meeting as well.

Updated at 02.20 CEST

Josh Butler

Bob Katter needs to ‘have a look at himself’, prime minister says

Albanese also criticised Bob Katter’s explosive press conference yesterday where he threatened to punch a journalist who asked about his Lebanese heritage. He told Channel Nine:

Bob Katter I like, but Bob Katter needs to have a look at that footage. Have a look at himself, frankly, and recognise that that’s just not what we expect of any Australian, let alone someone who’s in public office.

You’re speaking to someone called Albanese . We’ve got a Senate leader called Wong. Migration enriches.

Except for the First Australians, we’re all either migrants or descendants of them.

ShareJosh Butler

Prime minister says government has offered ‘every support’ required in hunt for Dezi Freeman

Anthony Albanese says federal authorities will give Victoria “every support that is required” to assist in the manhunt for Dezi Freeman in the Victorian high country. On Channel Nine’s Today show earlier, he confirmed the AFP’s elite tactical unit had joined the operation:

What’s occurred here is that we have offered the premier, Jacinta Allan, every support that is required.

This guy clearly is dangerous. He’s on the run and we want him caught and we want people who are traumatised in that northeast community of Victoria to feel safe again.

Anthony Albanese. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The prime minister again paid tribute to the police officers killed, saying “it’s devastated as well the entire police family”.

The police have a bond and it’s a reminder of all of us that the men and women who put on blue to defend us and to look after safety in our local communities take a risk each and every day. So, they are heroes, Detective Thompson and Senior Constable De Waart are heroes. And we also give our thoughts to those who have been injured during this incident.

Updated at 01.57 CEST