Trump said he appointed counterterrorism official because his wife died

Trump said he appointed counterterrorism official because his wife died

Donald Trump has said he appointed a supporter for a top national security position because his wife died.

Joe Kent headed the National Counterterrorism Centre until his resignation last month in protest of the Iran war.

He has since become a vocal critic of Trump's foreign policy agenda.

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Donald Trump has lashed out at Joe Kent, saying he only hired him because his wife died.

This morning Trump posted a lengthy message on Truth Social decrying Kent as "dumb".

He recounted meeting Kent at Dover Air Force Base when the body of his wife was being returned to the United States in 2019.

Shannon Mary Kent had been killed by a suicide bomber in Syria when she was serving as a Navy cryptologic technician.

"Her casket was being brought to Dover, along with the rest, although he married again, quite quickly, in my opinion," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

He pointed out that in the years afterwards, Joe Kent had run for Congress twice and lost.

"While I didn't know him other than our brief Dover encounter, but feeling sorry for him after the two Election losses, I told my people, 'Hire him for the White House. Give him a job, make him feel good, he lost his wife and two Elections,'" Trump said.

"They did so and, while I rarely saw him, I certainly didn't expect disloyalty, but that's what I got."

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Donald Trump's post about Joe Kent.

Trump described Kent as a sleazebag and a leaker.

He finished his message by writing about the low IQs of conservative commentators Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens.

Kent, a former Army Ranger who served eleven combat tours during the war on terror, was a controversial pick over his far-right political positions.

But he has broken away from Trump sharply.

"President Trump is sending more military power to the Middle East as Iran rejects our initial peace offers—setting the escalation trap," Kent wrote on X yesterday.

"If we try to impose a maximalist outcome on Iran (zero enrichment, etc.) this war will undoubtedly escalate—costing American lives, billions more dollars, and ultimately eroding our global standing.

"We must learn from our past and recognise when it is time to cut our losses and walk away. 

"In the end, working to restore order will strengthen America far more than any military action ever could."

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Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, testifies during the House Homeland Security Committee hearing, on December 11, 2025.

Kent had served in the Trump administration as the head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, a government group tasked with merging intelligence from multiple agencies to stop terrorism attacks.

He resigned two weeks after the war with Iran began.

"I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran," he said in his resignation letter.

"Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.

"It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby."

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UK wargaming food shortage scenarios as Iran turmoil extends

UK wargaming food shortage scenarios as Iran turmoil extends

The UK is reportedly wargaming a food shortage scenario over concerns the war with Iran will continue to impede global trade in the longer term.

The BBC quoted an unnamed government source who said the government was planning for a situation in which the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz and breakdowns in the supply of carbon dioxide impeded food supply.

Carbon dioxide is used in food preservation and for the slaughter of some animals.

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Chicken and pork were among the most likely food staples to be affected, the BBC reported.

The government hosed down fears, with spokespeople saying shortages were not a current concern.

"Right now, people should go on as they are," Business Secretary Peter Kyle told Sky News.

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He said carbon dioxide shortages were not currently an issue.

Industry figures, meanwhile, said price rises were more likely than empty shelves in the shorter term, but conceded to the BBC that the ongoing disruption could affect trade over an extended period.

The UK has flicked the switches back on at its Ensus bioethanol plant, which was shut down last year, in order to boost local carbon dioxide production.

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In Australia, farming groups have warned that increasingly expensive fuel - particularly diesel - is affecting producer output, with crops and goods becoming more expensive to transport to shops.

The NSW Farmers Association yesterday called on supermarkets to take on some of the shared burden of those costs, rather than shovel them onto producers or consumers.

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Accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith to seek freedom

Accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith to seek freedom

After spending more than a week in prison, Victoria Cross recipient and alleged war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith is expected to make a bail bid for freedom.

The 47-year-old former SAS soldier was sensationally arrested on April 7 and charged with murdering five unarmed non-combatants while deployed in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

He was placed on remand and is listed to appear at Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court today to seek bail.

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Images supplied by the Australian Federal Police show Roberts-smith being handcuffed within an air bridge at Sydney Airport.

He is expected to appear by audio-visual link from prison.

Australia's most decorated living soldier is accused of directly murdering two Afghan individuals and aiding, abetting or procuring the murder of three more.

At Kakarak in Uruzgan Province in April 2009, Roberts-Smith allegedly ordered another soldier, only known as Person 4, to kill Mohammed Essa, court documents reveal.

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He also allegedly murdered another unarmed civilian, Ahmadullah, during that same raid.

Roberts-Smith allegedly ordered the murder of another man, Ali Jan, during a raid on the village of Darwan, also in Uruzgan Province, in September 2012.

The remaining two charges relate to incidents in Syahchow, Uruzgan.

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It's been nine years since a report by investigative reporter Nick McKenzie first aired war crime allegations against Ben Roberts-Smith. Today the decorated war hero was charged.

There, Roberts-Smith is accused of jointly murdering an unnamed Afghan prisoner with another soldier, only known as Person 68, and ordering the execution of another.

Court documents reveal both deceased men were listed as enemies killed in action.

War crime allegations against Roberts-Smith were first exposed by the now Nine-owned Fairfax Media in 2018.

The war veteran sued the paper for defamation in the Federal Court but suffered a crushing defeat with a judge finding the accusations of murder were, on the balance of probabilities, true.

He failed to overturn these findings on appeal to the full Federal Court and the High Court.

The move from a civil case to criminal charges means prosecutors have to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt for a guilty verdict to be handed down.

Roberts-Smith is the second former SAS soldier facing the courts on war crime charges.

Oliver Schultz was charged in 2023 with the war crime of murder of a young man Dad Mohammad in a wheat field in Uruzgan Province in 2012.

Both war crime accused have maintained their innocence.

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Melbourne community divided over council's new bin rules

Melbourne community divided over council's new bin rules

Exclusive: A Melbourne community is being torn apart by the local council's divisive plan to slash red bin collection services from weekly to fortnightly next year.

Merri-bek City Council, about 5km from Melbourne CBD, has been rolling out changes to its kerbside bin services to cut costs for rate payers and reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

The next big change is slated for July 2027, when Council plans to reduce rubbish collections to every two weeks.

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The council has been running a fortnightly collection trial in parts of Hadfield, Brunswick and Brunswick West, which it told nine.com.au has received "mixed reviews".

"Some have found the change challenging, while others have adjusted quickly," a Merri-bek City Council spokesperson said.

"Despite the mixed views, most households did manage to make the change."

The amount of waste sent to landfill was reduced by nearly 20 per cent in the six-month trial, or about three kilos per household each fortnight.

It also saved the council money.

If rolled out council-wide, the swap from weekly to fortnightly collections could save Merri-bek City Council more than $1 million based on the trial a spokesperson said.

They did not say how much ratepayers specifically would save.

Have you got a story? Contact reporter Maddison Leach at mleach@nine.com.au

generic wheely bins on surburban street surburbia recycling recycle waste housing

Merri-bek City Council is due to make a final decision about the proposed change in June.

If it confirms the change, Merri-bek residents will be given new, bigger red bins (up to 240 litres) to cope with an extra week of rubbish.

"Different waste charges apply for different-sized bins. Smaller bins have a lower waste charge than larger bins," the spokesperson said.

Concessions would be available to households with extra waste needs, like those with multiple children in nappies.

More than 20 Victorian councils have already moved to fortnightly rubbish collections.

Some locals welcome the plan for a more waste-conscious Merri-bek.

Andrea Bunting has lived in the area for 33 years and hopes fortnightly collections will encourage more locals to use their green bins for food waste.

"Our society needs to reduce waste going to landfill," she told nine.com.au.

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Merri-Bek resident Andrea Bunting is in favour of the fortnightly bin collection plan.

Bunting lives in a block of six flats with communal bins and said everyone will need to work together to make fortnightly collections work.

She understands why some locals are apprehensive, especially families that need to dispose of lots of dirty nappies.

"I hope council is working with these households to ensure the change goes smoothly," she said.

Other residents told nine.com.au they rarely fill their red bins all the way and wouldn't mind fortnightly collections if it means lower council rates.

But they seem to be in the minority.

One resident from a fortnightly collection trial suburb who spoke to nine.com.au on the condition of anonymity called it a "nightmare".

They said that bins start to smell very quickly, even in a two-person household that composts and recycles.

"We ended up putting all our waste in council or street bins for the first week, and then putting it in our bin the second week before collection," they said.

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Council Tip at Ingleside / Rubbish / Landfill / Recycling / Waste /

Paul, who asked that his surname not be published, has lived in the area for 14 years and is vehemently against fortnightly rubbish collection.

"If the issue is reducing rubbish and redirecting waste, there are better ways to do it," he told nine.com.au.

"This feels lazy and screams of a reduction in council services."

Many of his neighbours feel the same way.

Marcus*, who did not want his real name published, said his red bin is full every week and will overflow is collections are reduced to fortnightly.

He doesn't want his child's nappies and other household rubbish spilling onto the street, especially when he pays nearly $5000 in yearly council rates.

"If you miss the collection, game over," he told nine.com.au.

"Good luck over the Christmas period and school holidays."

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Generic. Garbage Recycling green waste bin bins in the City of Sydney Council area on February 13, 2020.

Another resident, Suzi Turner, claimed there's already a waste dumping issue in Merri-Bek and said fortnightly collections would only make it worse.

"The government needs to take decisive action on manufacturers using unnecessary packaging, plastics and other materials that don't break down," she told nine.com.au

Some have started an online petition opposing it but Paul said their concerns aren't being heard by Merri-bek City Council.

"There is a widely held view that this is an inevitable change and there is nothing we can do to stop it," he claimed.

"People will naturally get upset when they feel powerless."

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Police hunt inmate wrongly released from NSW prison

Police hunt inmate wrongly released from NSW prison

A manhunt has been launched in the NSW city of Newcastle to find a prisoner who was wrongly released this week.

Kyle Quayle, 35, has been serving a sentence for stealing and assault offences.

He was wrongly released from a correctional facility on Tuesday, prompting police to issue a warrant for him being unlawfully at large.

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Quayle is believed to be in the Newcastle area.

Police today issued a photo as the search for him continues.

Quayle is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, 180cm tall, with medium build, black hair, brown eyes and is unshaven.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts should call CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Adelaide mum denied $22k parental leave due to 'unfair' rule

Adelaide mum denied $22k parental leave due to 'unfair' rule

A new Adelaide mum has called out a "deeply unfair" law that led to her application for the federal government's paid parental leave being rejected.

Nandini Hutchens said she applied for paid parental leave soon after her daughter was born in October last year, expecting no issues.

She was therefore shocked when, on Christmas Eve last year, she was told she was not eligible for paid parental leave, which is equivalent to 24 weeks' pay at the national minimum wage ($22,750 before tax).

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Nandini and Corey Hutchens expected they would have no problems getting the government's paid parental leave.

Hutchens was informed her application had been rejected because of a waiting period for "newly-arrived residents", which states that successful applicants must have been a permanent Australian resident for two years.

Hutchens moved to Australia from India eight years ago, in 2018, to complete her masters degree in physiotherapy at university. 

From 2019, she has worked full-time in South Australia as a physiotherapist. 

Hutchens said the pandemic meant vital examinations connected to her skilled visa application were delayed, and she was not granted permanent residency until December 2024.

The new mum said it was unfair to exclude her under rules for "newly arrived residents" when she had been working in Australia for seven years.

"The key here is newly-arrived, and I am not newly-arrived," she told nine.com.au. 

"I know I became a resident less than two years ago, but I have been doing my bit. I've been paying the same tax as my colleagues do.

"It feels deeply unfair to contribute to a system that supports other families, yet be excluded from the same support myself."

As an Australian, Hutchens' husband, Corey, is eligible to apply for paid parental leave under the government's scheme; however, he said his work situation meant he was unable to.

"I run my father's business, and I'm the only one who runs it all, so I can't take the time off," he said.

The couple is calling for paid parental leave applications to be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

The couple have just bought a house and said they were relying on the paid parental leave to help them pay the mortgage when they dropped down to one income.

Hutchens is able to get six weeks' paid paternity leave through her employer, but said the money would not stretch far.

"We were depending on the government money to pay for everyday expenses," she said.

"Now, any luxuries are out of the question. We have to save for the necessities."

Hutchens said it was also likely she would need to return to work earlier than she planned.

Meanwhile, Hutchens has started an online petition calling on the government to start assessing the applicants on a case-by-case basis when applying the newly arrived resident's waiting period.

"Exceptions should be made on a case-by-case basis," she said.

"If I had just got the residency and came here a month ago, then I understand why I wouldn't be eligible.

"But if I have been here for so long, and I have contributed to the economy for over two years, which is supposed to be the two-year rule, then I should be eligible."

A spokesperson for the Department of Social Services said: "The Newly Arrived Resident's Waiting Period applies to most Australian Government payments, including the Paid Parental Leave (PPL) scheme."

"This reflects the long-standing principle that migrants are expected to support themselves when they are first granted permanent residency in Australia."

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SA cop in charge of road safety fined over cycling selfie

SA cop in charge of road safety fined over cycling selfie

A South Australia Police superintendent in charge of enforcing road safety has been fined after he used a mobile phone while riding a bike.

Superintendent Shane Johnson, who heads up SA Police's Traffic Services Branch, was issued an expiation notice after taking a selfie while cycling down a back street and posting it to his Strava account.

Johnson said he had been "winding down" after a 202-kilometre ride with friends on October 18 and was less than 100 metres from his home when he took the photo.

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The image, obtained by the Adelaide Advertiser, shows the superintendent wearing a helmet and smiling while holding his phone for a selfie.

Johnson shared the image to GPS tracking app Strava, which cyclists and runners regularly use to log their rides.

Under SA law, cyclists must obey the same road rules as drivers and using a mobile phone while riding a bike is considered a traffic offence.

Johnson admitted using his phone while on a bike was a "lapse in judgement".

Officer-in-charge of the Traffic Services Branch Superintendent Shane Johnson has been issued with an expiation notice for using a mobile telephone while riding a bicycle.

"I take full responsibility for my actions. I acknowledge I have done the wrong thing and accept the consequences," Johnson added.

"No-one is immune from road traffic laws.

"Every road user needs to remain alert and aware of the rules when using mobile phones not just for their own safety, but that of other road users."

The incident has been referred to the to SAPOL's Ethical and Professional Standards Branch.

An internal conduct investigation remains ongoing.

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Israeli police discover 70 men packed inside garbage truck

Israeli police discover 70 men packed inside garbage truck

Israeli police say they found about 70 Palestinian men hiding in a garbage truck as they attempted to cross into Israel, apparently in search of work.

The men were discovered on Monday at a West Bank checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, reports Associated Press.

Footage from the scene shows the men packed inside the truck, piled one on top of another in the vehicle's waste compartment.

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Police are seen in the video, some with their weapons drawn, surrounding the truck.

Within minutes of their discovery, officers removed them one by one as garbage fell from the vehicle.

The 30-year-old Israeli man driving the garbage truck was arrested and questioned by police.

Israel's Defence Ministry said the men were "trying to infiltrate central Israel" and that they were stopped at a West Bank checkpoint.

Authorities did not provide details on the motive for the attempted entry, but Ital Almog, a local police commander, described them as "illegal entrants," a term that usually refers to Palestinians entering Israel in search of work.

Israeli police have routinely reported illegal entrants from the Israeli-occupied West Bank after Israel revoked tens of thousands of Palestinian work permits since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack.

The large number of men and grim conditions of the garbage truck incident highlighted the level of desperation and the lengths that some are willing to go.

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Judgment day in court battle for Hancock mining riches

Judgment day in court battle for Hancock mining riches

Judgment day has arrived in a bitter multibillion-dollar legal stoush that forced Australia's richest person, Gina Rinehart, to defend her iron ore empire.

The complex battle pitted Rinehart's company, Hancock Prospecting, against the heirs of mining pioneer Peter Wright and engineer Don Rhodes, amid allegations of decades-old contract breaches.

They were fighting over the spoils from the massive Rio Tinto-operated Hope Downs mining complex in Western Australia, with a judgment to be handed down today.

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Gina Rinehart

Wright Prospecting demanded a share of unmined and mined Hope Downs tenements and royalties, amid a claim Hancock Prospecting breached a 1980s partnership agreement.

DFD Rhodes also claimed a royalty share of Hope Downs' production, over an alleged deal with Rinehart's father Lang Hancock and Wright that handed over tenements in the 1960s.

The bruising encounter involved Rinehart's eldest children, John Hancock and Bianca Rinehart, over a claim their grandfather left them a hefty share in the Pilbara mining resources he discovered in the 1950s.

Mining giant Rio Tinto, as the joint venture partner in Hope Downs, was also a party in the Supreme Court battle and could be on the hook financially depending on which way the judgment swings.

The 51-day trial featured sensational allegations against Rinehart - which have been vehemently denied - including that she devised an unlawful scheme to defraud her children.

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About two dozen of the "smartest legal minds" in the country, costing an estimated $250,000 a day, packed a Perth courtroom for hearing that ended in December 2023.

At the time, Justice Jennifer Smith said the case would "turn upon an assessment of the large volume of historical documents".

Rinehart inherited her father's iron ore discovery in the Pilbara region and forged a mining empire after he died in 1992.

She developed mines from tenements at Hope Downs, signing a deal in 2005 with Rio Tinto, which has a 50 per cent stake in the project.

The Hope Downs mining complex near Newman is one of Australia's largest and most successful iron ore projects, with multiple open-pit mines.

Rinehart's wealth is estimated to be about $40 billion and she is the executive chair of Hancock Prospecting.

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Police hunt man seen on CCTV after cleaner's horror discovery

Police hunt man seen on CCTV after cleaner's horror discovery

A hunt is under way to identify a man seen on CCTV footage after the bomb squad detonated several explosives located in a Melbourne home earlier this year.

Police were called to a short-term Belle Vista rental in Keilor East on January 24 following reports a cleaner had stumbled upon a number of suspicious items, including explosives, guns, $1 million in cash and a "large quantity" of drugs.

Investigators believe the items may be linked to organised crime.

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Police hunt man seen on CCTV after cleaner finds explosives, drugs, guns and cash in Melbourne rental home

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The Bomb Response Unit attended the scene at the time and safely detonated several incendiary devices.

The property had been booked for several weeks in January and investigators identified a white Toyota Camry hire car that travelled back and forth from the address during the rental period.

A man is pictured on CCTV filling up the Camry at a petrol station on Western Ring Road in Ardeer South on December 25.

Police want to speak to the man seen in the footage and urge anybody who recognises him to come forward.

The Camry was seized by police on January 24 and returned to the hire company.

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Officers were called to the Belle Vista property in Keilor East around 11.30pm after a number of items were located.

The man in the CCTV is not the man who hired the car, police added.

Investigators said the man who hired the car has been spoken to but "has not been co-operative".

"I would urge anyone out there who recognises this man or who has any information on the items located at this accommodation to do the right thing and come forward," Major Drug Squad Detective Inspector Jamie Walker said.

"This was not a run-of-the-mill seizure of drugs and cash – there were incendiary devices and a large quantity of firearms.

"This is organised crime.

"We will track down those responsible and hold them to account. It would be in your best interests to tell us what you know now."

Anyone who recognises the man in the CCTV or with any further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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