The latest national news update from the National Indigenous Radio Service.
Firefighter killed fighting flames from Dubai plane crash
A firefighter has died and four passengers were injured when an Emirates flight crash landed in Dubai overnight.
At least two Australians were on board when the flight from India crashed on the tarmac while landing.
All 310 passengers and crew were safely evacuated before the Boeing plane burst into flames. A firefighter was killed trying to bring the fire under control.
Govt quells fears about late census fines
The federal government has moved to quell fears people will be fined $180 a day if they don’t fill out their census form on August 9.
It comes as the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ move to an online form causes confusion for people who want to fill out the old paper version.
The ABS has had to put hundreds more staff and phone lines in place to cope with unexpected demand after its 24-hour phone line for those requesting a paper form was jammed, having been inundated with more than 500,000 calls.
Treasurer Scott Morrison insisted penalty notices were a last resort for the ABS and were only issued where there was a clear unwillingness to participate.
Man smashes car into Adelaide cop shop
A man will be charged after he allegedly drove his car into an Adelaide police station, before threatening officers with a knife.
Early this morning the 38-year-old drove the car into the automatic doors of the Wakefield Street station but was then trapped when a patrol car blocked him, police say.
He got out of the car and allegedly threatened police officers, before being taken to hospital for medical assessment. Police say the incident is not terrorism related.
Woman dies in freak Qld car park death
Police will investigate how a woman died in a freak accident in a Gold Coast shopping centre.
The woman is believed to have pressed down on the accelerator while leaning out the window of her car at Pacific Fair shopping centre, Broadbeach yesterday to collect a ticket.
The car sped off and her head is believed to have hit the structure holding the boom gate, say police.
Police and paramedics were called to the shopping centre about 2pm on Wednesday where she died at the scene.
Former RBA board member backs bank inquiry
A former Reserve Bank board member has called for an inquiry into banks, insisting the quality of financial advice they provide needs to be examined more closely.
Dr John Edwards told ABC TV overnight that as the authority of banks had grown over the last decade, there needed to be closer scrutiny into the culture of the financial institutions.
Dr Edwards, who was an economic adviser to former Labor prime minister Paul Keating, said the Turnbull government didn’t have a convincing plan to substantially reduce the budget deficit in a reasonable time frame.
Poll uncertainty may have hit spending
New figures to be released today will indicate how retailers performed during the federal election campaign, a time when consumer confidence was dogged by uncertainty.
Retail spending data for June will be released this morning, along with quarterly numbers that will feed into the economic growth figures for the June quarter to be released next month.
Low wages growth has been a key factor behind modest spending growth in recent months.
Consumer confidence, a pointer to spending, declined steadily during the eight-week-long election campaign and was not helped by Britain’s shock decision in late June to leave the European Union, which sent financial markets into a spin.
Retailers hope this week’s interest rate reduction by the banks will provide the sector with a much-needed boost to sales.
Boaties, surfers steer clear of Qld coast
Beaches have been closed and recreational open water anglers are being advised to stay on dry land this morning, with gale force winds expected to cause havoc off the south east Queensland and northern NSW coast.
The weather bureau is predicting offshore winds of up to 80km/h and swells of up to five metres.
Brisbane Water Police Senior Sergeant David Edden urged boaties to at least undergo a safety check before heading out on the water.
