Australians warned to check travel plans as 240,000 people flee Bali volcano

Australians warned to check travel plans as 240,000 people flee Bali volcano https://t.co/Usj0PMu84N

— The Age (@theage) September 22, 2017

Barcelona terrorist cell planned much bigger attack using explosives, suspect tells court

An alleged member of an Islamist cell suspected of carrying out last week’s deadly Barcelona van attack has told a Spanish court that the group had been planning a much bigger strike using explosives, a judicial source says.

Key points:

• Suspects questioned one-by-one, no specific charges laid yet
• Two suspects say an imam was the instigator of the attacks
• Local media reports the alleged Islamist cell was planning attack on major landmarks

The testimony to a closed hearing at Spain’s High Court came from Mohamed Houli Chemlal, one of four detained suspects brought to Madrid to testify for the first time in court about the plot.

The judge ordered two of the four suspects, Chemlal and Driss Oukabir, to jail charged with membership of a terrorist organisation and murder, according to the court ruling.

A third suspect, Salh El Karib, who ran an internet cafe in the town of Ripoll where most of the 12 suspects lived, will remain in police custody pending further investigation.

The fourth suspect, Mohamed Aalla, 27, owner of the Audi car used in the Cambrils attack, will be released on certain conditions.

Source: Barcelona terrorist cell planned much bigger attack using explosives, suspect tells court – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

WA election: What you need to know before you vote

With the WA election upon us, we’ve put together a guide on having your say at the ballot box.

1. When can I vote?

You can cast your vote at polling booths anytime between 8:00am and 6:00pm on Saturday.

If you are unsure where to vote, you can enter your suburb into the WA Electoral Commission (WAEC) website.

The number of West Australians who’ve cast an early vote has more than doubled since the last state election.

The WAEC said it expects the number of people to have early voted to exceed 180,000 by Friday night.

As a result of recent changes to the Electoral Act, voters no longer need a particular reason to vote early by post or in person.

2. More importantly, where can I find a democracy sausage?…

MORE: WA election: What you need to know before you vote – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Chamari Liyanage, doctor who killed abusive husband, talks about the domestic violence trap: ‘I thought he would change’

Chamari Liyanage doesn’t look like a woman who’s endured years of abuse.

She doesn’t look like a woman who was beaten by her husband with a wooden rolling pin and a metal chair, forced to perform sex acts for strangers on Skype, who lived in constant fear of the man she thought loved her.

She certainly doesn’t look like a woman who bludgeoned that same man to death with a mallet as he lay in bed in their Geraldton home in June 2014.

And that’s exactly why she’s telling her story.

“I knew all about domestic violence myself as a medical officer, I’ve seen it and I’ve dealt with it,” she told 7.30.

“But in my own life I was trapped and I was isolated and I couldn’t talk about it.

Key points:

• Chamari Liyanage suffered years of abuse by her husband
• In 2014 she bludgeoned him to death
• She was charged and convicted of manslaughter
• Released from prison after serving two-and-a-half years

Family violence support services:

• 1800 Respect national helpline 1800 737 732
• Women’s Crisis Line 1800 811 811
• Men’s Referral Service 1300 766 491
• Lifeline (24 hour crisis line) 131 114
• Relationships Australia 1300 364 277

 

MORE: Chamari Liyanage, doctor who killed abusive husband, talks about the domestic violence trap: ‘I thought he would change’ – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

#F1 testing 2017: Day three – BBC Sport

Follow live text commentary, images, social media and analysis from the third day of testing at the Circuit de Catalunya.

Source: F1 testing 2017: Day three – BBC Sport

Vitaly Churkin: Russian envoy to United Nations dies in New York

Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, dies suddenly at work in New York.

Source: Vitaly Churkin: Russian envoy to United Nations dies in New York, Foreign Ministry says – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)