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Australian Capital Territory

ACT prisoner who helped start major riot over cigarettes and dessert sentenced to three years in jail

Canberra prisoner George George has been sentenced to three years' jail over his involvement in a major prison riot at the Alexander Maconochie Centre in 2020 which caused more than $1.6 million in damage. 
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Fire damage to a door inside a prison.

Police officer won't face criminal charges over arrest in which protester suffered serious injuries

An Australian Federal Police officer will not be charged over the arrest of a protester who suffered serious injuries, after the conclusion of an internal investigation into the incident.
A man looks at the camera resting on the stairs.

Tap water unsafe to drink in town of Yass

Despite being advised to boil tap water before drinking, there are growing concerns it is still unsafe to drink in the town of Yass. 
Treatment Failure: Toys floating in murky brown water
Duration: 2 minutes 5 seconds

Yass businesses spending hundreds of dollars a week on bottled water, as treatment problem remains

A Yass pub says it's spending at least $50 a day on bottled water, while GPs are relying on hand sanitiser, as a treatment problem with the water supply remains one week on from when it started.
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A woman stands behind a pub bar holding five bottles of water.

In a post-Wighton world, can Kaeo Weekes become the next Canberra Raiders' success story?

In Canberra, where stars are made rather than bought, Kaeo Weekes is a developing player aiming to replace departed superstar Jack Wighton.
A man scores a try in the corner during a rugby league match

Groovin the Moo is the latest casualty of a festival industry in crisis. What can be done?

Groovin the Moo's cancellation is just the latest blow to an industry facing a perfect storm of struggles. What can be done to save festivals like it?
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A crowd of young Groovin The Moo festival-goers raise their hands and cheer.

'Unethical and misleading': Tony was deceiving his bosses and raking in the cash

Tony found himself with too much time on his hands at work. What he did next challenges long-held notions of loyalty in the workplace.
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An illustration of a man using two laptops.

Canberrans defend capital after Queensland Premier trashes city

Canberrans have rushed to the defence of the capital after Queensland premier Steven Miles described the city as 'an awful place'.
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Mixed Reactions: Cars drive on a road with Parliament House in the background
Duration: 1 minute 33 seconds

Royal Australian Navy set for a major overhaul

The federal government is set to bolster Australia's maritime firepower, investing $11 billion to acquire more warships and missiles.
Navy Overhaul: An Australian Navy warship
Duration: 2 minutes 20 seconds

'Do not move potentially contaminated material': Asbestos-contaminated mulch distributed to 12 businesses in ACT

WorkSafe ACT confirms mulch contaminated by bonded asbestos has been supplied to customers in the territory, and warns anyone who purchased '"cottage mulch" products between March 1, 2023 and February 19, 2024 not to distribute or disturb it.
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Mulch particles being examined under a microscope.

Retiring WA senator cites health concerns in decision to step away from politics

Louise Pratt announces she is stepping down from politics at the next election, citing health concerns as part of the the reason for her decision.
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West Australian Senator Louise Pratt sitting behind a desk in her Perth office holding a pen. Taken 15/07/21

analysis:Meet the five players set to make their mark on the NRL in 2024

Every new NRL season brings a fresh crop of rookie sensations. Nick Campton lists the five young players set to make an impact in 2024. 
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A player catches the ball during a rugby league training session

Australians are accidentally taking drugs 100 times stronger than morphine. Is pill testing the answer?

Synthetic drugs are circulating in Australia, increasing the risk of overdose and poisoning. Experts say more pill testing could help. 
A scientist testing a pill-like substance.

Federal government to investigate whether millions of dollars handed to oil and gas companies are 'valid and legal'

The federal government has faced questioning over whether millions of dollars of public funds that have been handed to oil and gas companies are "valid and legal". 
a gas exploration site in the middle of scrub.

ACT government unveils plans to redevelop Canberra's inner south

The Causeway could soon be home to over a thousand new apartments, but public housing residents have raised concerns.
Duration: 1 minute 56 seconds

'I thought it was all my fault': How being gaslit led this theatre director to take on a classic

Did you know the term "gaslighting" is from a 1938 play? A new adaptation shines a light on how gaslighting plays out in modern Australia.
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A middle-aged white man kisses a 30-something white woman on the forehead will holding a play script.

Canberra drivers now face fines if caught illegally using a mobile phone. Here's what you can and can't do

Canberra drivers caught illegally using their mobile phone by detection cameras face hefty fines and demerit points from today. 
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Person using a phone while driving.

Fastest-growing black hole that consumes mass of 'the Sun and all the planets combined' every day found

Australian National University researchers discover a black hole whose mass is roughly 17 billion times that of our Sun, and exists within the brightest currently known thing being continually powered in the universe.
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An artist rendering of a black hole inside a mass of fiery red and orange material.

ACT and Queensland now testing mulch for asbestos as contamination concerns spread

Asbestos, it seems, is everywhere around Sydney at the moment. 7.30 went to industry insiders to find out why. The answer according to someone else who owns a similar business is a "major let-down in processes".
A sign on a fence says 'asbestos'.

Hundreds of apartments slated for historic Canberra public housing area

The ACT government wants to develop The Causeway and surrounding areas into a new "mixed-use" precinct.
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A woman sits on her front porch

Typical smokers are not the stereotypes we've been led to believe, study finds 

Smokers are stereotypically thought to be those who are uneducated, unemployed and generally suffering from mental illness. But while smoking rates are higher among these groups, most daily smokers are actually employed, educated and in good mental health.
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A smoker lights up a cigarette

The Canberra teenager who's emerged as one of Australia's brightest athletics prospects in years

At just 17, Paris Olympics aspirant Cameron Myers displays maturity that is just as impressive as his outstanding performances on the track have been during the past 12 months.
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Cameron Myers competing at the 2022-23 national championships

These women's rights defenders escaped the Taliban. Now they're in Canberra to pay it forward

A Canberra-based organisation helped hundreds of women's rights defenders flee Afghanistan after Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021. Some are now in town to raise funds for those who remain in Afghanistan.
Two women hug in a kitchen

The smouldering wreck of Ukraine's dairy industry, where farmers risk their lives to milk surviving cows

In Ukraine, formerly one of Europe's biggest dairy suppliers, 50 per cent of the industry is gone, 200,000 cows have been bombed, and farmers are very much on the front line.
A burnt tractor, still smoking after being hit by a bomb.

Fans say Groovin the Moo cancelled 'too soon' as fallout continues over cultural and economic loss

Groovin the Moo is a key event on Bunbury's social calendar, but the announcement that this year's event will be cancelled has disappointed local music fans and businesses alike.
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Large crowd of people at music festival