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August 26, 2025 14 mins

Four men charged over leaked Brownlow Medal votes.

Australia Post halts certain services over Trump's tariffs.

Driver speaking to detectives following collision.

7NEWS Headlines with Natarsha Belling for August 26, 2025.

For more news, head to www.7news.com.au 

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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good afternoon.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Our two biggest footy codes are in crisis mode today.
Four men, including an umpire, have just been charged over
a betting scandal involving the AFL's Top Player award, while
a second NRL club has now been dragged into a
betting and drugs drama. We have reporters covering all of
today's developments in both Melbourne and Sydney. First to Blake

(00:25):
Johnson with breaking news on the Brownlow Medal. Can't blake
good afternoon. The charges relate to the vote two years
in a row.

Speaker 3 (00:33):
Yes, Sash. This has been a long and our Jewish
investigation for all involved and finally a result. Three years on.
Four men have been charged over the twenty twenty one
and twenty twenty two Brownlow Medals that's the AFL Fairest
and Best Player award. One of the men is former
AFL umpire Michael Pearl. He faces six offenses including the

(00:53):
use of corrupt conduct information for betting purposes. The other
men face similar claims by police. One of them has
fifty three charges to his name. It is alleged information
was shared by them about which players polled Brownlow votes
in specific matches. The AFL has issued a statement acknowledging
the work of the Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit, but as

(01:16):
it's before the courts, the league won't comment further. Now
we understand these men are not accused of influencing the
outcome of the Brownlow Medal, but influencing betting on it.
Michael Pell has always protested his innocence, even threatening legal
action against the AFL for his job loss. We are
a long way off sentencing, but the maximum penalty for
these offenses is up to ten years in jail.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Tash Blake Johnson, thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:40):
Let's go now to the betting and drugs saga widening
today for the ner role. First to Tom's Sacer in Sydney,
Tom Good Afternoon. Sydney Rooster's player has been dragged into
the scandal after a rabbit Os star, Brendan Smith, was charged.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Tash.

Speaker 4 (01:56):
It's a major development now allegations that the South Sydney
rabbit Oo's Brandon Smith supplied former Roosters teammate Victor Radley
with an illicit drag. Now this is on top of
another charge relating to the betting scandal that we learned
about yesterday. But it must be stressed that at this
stage there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by the

(02:17):
Roosters player Victor Radley at all, just that he has
mentioned in Queensland court papers. The two charges of this
stage relate to Brandon Smith only, and this is all
alleged to have happened during a Rooster's golf trip to
the Sunshine Coast in June while they had a by round.
Queensland Police are accusing Smith the facilitating the supply of

(02:38):
cocaine from Sydney, and that is why Smith was questioned
by Queensland Police when the Rabbit o's touched down at
Cooling Gatter Airport a couple of weeks ago ahead of
their clash with the Titans. Now there has been no
sign of Victor Radley here today he has gone to ground.

Speaker 5 (02:54):
At Roosters headquarters.

Speaker 4 (02:55):
We did ask a few of the players about the
new reports and allegations today, Unsurprisingly they refuse to comments. Now,
twenty nine year old Smith, as we learned yesterday, has
also been charged with the alleged disclosing of inside knowledge
for legal betting, as well as that one count of
supplying dangerous drugs. Now this investigation is being led by

(03:17):
a strike force in Queensland Police which deals with organized crime.
Brandon Smith is due to face a Southport court in
Queensland in September.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Tush, Tom, thank you so much, live now to Amber Laidler. Amber,
the r roll is refusing to stand down the South
Sydney Star. Any sign of Smith today.

Speaker 6 (03:40):
No sign of Brandon Smith here this morning, Tash, though
we understand the team isn't actually training today. The Rabbit
O's did release an updated statement earlier this morning, though,
which dates the club understands that Brandon was not physically
in the jurisdiction of Queensland when this matter was alleged
to have occurred, and therefore we are instructed the matter

(04:00):
will be contested. So it sounds as though Smith's lawyer
will be defending these charges by arguing that because Smith
wasn't actually in Queensland at the time of the alleged defenses,
he technically can't be charged by Queensland Police. The Rabbit
O's do have a by this weekend, but we understand
these drug and betting charges haven't triggered the NRL's automatic

(04:21):
no fault standdown policy, which means that Smith will be
eligible for selection next Friday night when the rabbit o's
somewhat ironically take on the rooster's tash.

Speaker 1 (04:32):
But thank you.

Speaker 2 (04:34):
To some breaking news now and we understand there is
an unfolding emergency at a rural property in northern Victoria
where there are reports that two police officers have been
shot dead and one injured. Details are still coming into
our newsroom as we go to where, but we understand
there is a siege situation at a property near the

(04:56):
tourist town of Bright. Will have more information on thisping
story as we receive it into our newsroom. Two more
developing news this afternoon. Accused killer police officer bo Lamark
Condon has pleaded not guilty to the double murders of
Jesse bed and Luke Davies in Sydney's East, claiming he

(05:16):
acted in self defense.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
The thirty year old.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Is accused of using his police issued glock pistol to
shoot and kill the twenty six year old television presenter
and his twenty nine year old partner in a Paddington
terrace in Sydney in February last year. It's alleged he
then placed their bodies in surf board bags before dumping
them at a remote property. The case will now move

(05:40):
before the Supreme Court, which is likely to take place
next year. Australia Post has stopped most of their shipments
to the US in response to Donald Trump's tariffs. US
correspondent Rob Scott reports a.

Speaker 7 (05:56):
Lot has been made of the big global ramifications of
Donald Trump's trade tariffs, but this one has slipped largely
under the radar until today. Australia Posts confirming that it's
suspending some international parcel services to the United States and
Puerto Rico effective immediately. That's due to the end of
a special exemption which had allowed international carriers to ship

(06:19):
goods valued under eight hundred US dollars or about twelve
hundred Australian to America without paying duties, something that had
been in place for the past decade. But the White
House announced a few weeks ago that that exemption would
come to an end on the twenty ninth of August,
linking that decision to the importation of fentanyl and other

(06:39):
illegal drugs into the US. Now the paws will largely
affect businesses selling to American customers. Australia is now joining
scores of other countries, including Germany. The UK, Sweden, France,
New Zealand and Singapore, halting those shipments to America. Os
Post will still send letters and documents and packages that
have declared gifts worth under one hundred and fifty Australian dollars,

(07:03):
but parcels will now be hit with the tariffs associated
with the country they came from, or a flat fee
of more than eighty US dollars. The new duties have
to be prepaid before they arrive in the US, but
there's confusion over how and who will collect those taxes
and how the money will be.

Speaker 5 (07:21):
Delivered to the relevant authorities.

Speaker 7 (07:22):
So the hope is that once all of that has
been ironed out, the suspension will be lifted.

Speaker 1 (07:29):
Rob, thank you well.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
Five million additional Australian workers have just secured new protections
to help them.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
Switch off after hours.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
The next phase of the right to disconnect laws now
including employees of small businesses. Live two Political reported Tim
Lister with the details in camera, Tim, Good afternoon.

Speaker 1 (07:47):
Exactly what do these new changes mean.

Speaker 5 (07:49):
Good afternoon, Tash Well, they mean four more than five
Median and Australians employed by small businesses. They have a
limited right underline. The word limited to ignore or the
boss once they leave work for the day or across
the weekend. These rights are not new. They were instituted
for employees of bigger businesses twelve months ago. So I

(08:12):
have been operating widely in Australia, but for that first
twelve month period, small businesses those employing fewer than fifteen
Australians were exempted from the laws. Well from today those
laws take effect for two and a half million smaller
Australian businesses and they give the employees that right to

(08:34):
not take note of text messages, not monitor something that
might ordinarily need monitoring during work, not accept phone calls
related to the business if they don't want to, and
generally down tools. It's supposed to promote a better work
life balance for Australians, but there are circumstances in which

(08:57):
this right is not afforded to Australian and they could
be judged by the Fair Work Commission if there is
a dispute between a company and an employee. So now
big and small businesses have to cut their employees that
amount of slack.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
Dad tim Lester joining us with those details from Canberra.
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Returning now to our breaking news on the police shooting
in regional Victoria Live to our reporter Laura Turner. Laura,
what more information do we know at this stage?

Speaker 8 (09:28):
Well, this is unfolding as an extremely serious situation. What
we know is that two police officers have been shot
dead in what is now a siege situation at Poor Punker,
which is near Bright and south of Aubrey. There are
also fears for another officer and this has happened while
police officers were executing a search warrant at this property

(09:49):
at Poor Punker in the last hour or so. Special
Operations Group officers are on the way to this property
as we speak. It's happened at the base of Mount
Beauty in Victoria's Alpine region. A very significant police scene unfolding,
and there's been reports of ambulances screaming through that tourist

(10:11):
town of Bright in the past hour or so and
all emergency services heading to that property right now. But
just repeating it was a search warrant that has apparently
gone awry and now a siege situation with two police
officers shot dead. Will bring you more details as they
come to hand.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
Laura, appreciate the update. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
A toddler is right now at a critical condition after
they were hit by a car in Melbourne. Life to
Jordie Right Jordi, the two year old boy is now
fighting for life.

Speaker 9 (10:45):
It's incredibly heartbreaking Taj That little boy remains in the
Royal Melbourne Children's Hospital on life support. The two year
old was struck by a van crossing at pedestrian crossing
here in Chelsea, Melbourne Southeast, just after nine last night.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
Tragically.

Speaker 9 (11:01):
The collision was witnessed by his father, who was understandably
distraught at the scene. Police say the two year old
was riding his balanced bike across Thames Road when that
green pedestrian light came on. He took off in front
of his father. That's when they say the van ran
a red light, hitting the child and throwing him thirty
meters into the air. By chance, an off duty police

(11:23):
officer was passing by. He stopped performing first aid until
paramedics arrived. Local residents also ran to help the little boy,
who was lying in the middle of the road.

Speaker 10 (11:34):
For the first like five minutes, we were all freaking
out and the cops were coming, the ambulance was coming,
and then after that the kids started crying and then
we're like we're all like, oh, thank god, you know
he's still love.

Speaker 11 (11:47):
At least.

Speaker 9 (11:49):
The twenty nine year old driver stopped immediately. Police say
speed was a factor, though it wasn't excessive. The Clyde
man has been formally interviewed but released without charge as
the police investigation continues.

Speaker 1 (12:02):
Tash Jordi thank you.

Speaker 2 (12:04):
Israeli is facing outrage today over an attack on a
hospital in Gaza that killed at least twenty people, including journalists.
Benjamin Nitnya, who claims it was a tragic mishap that
world leaders are demanding answers.

Speaker 1 (12:19):
Jacquelin Robson has this story.

Speaker 2 (12:22):
Well, it's not often we hear Israel say that it
has made a mistake, but that's what it's. Prime Minister
Benjamin Etna, who has said today no doubt feeling the
pressure of widespread condemnation after the deaths of five journalists,
he said Israel deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred
today at NASA Hospital, southern Gaza's largest hospital, adding that

(12:43):
Israel values the work of journalists and medical staff. This
attack brings the journalist's death toll in this water close
to two hundred, which is not only shocking but also
alarming giving these Given these journalists are our only insight
into what is happening in Gaza. Foreign media are not
allowed into the strip. They are blocked by Israel and sadly,

(13:04):
it was the first Israeli strike that brought rescuers and
reporters to this scene at the hospital to help the
injured and show the world what had happened. That's when
the second strike hit just eight minutes later, causing even
more carnage. The IDF says it's investigating.

Speaker 11 (13:20):
We are aware of reports the term was caused to civilians,
including journalists. I would like to be clear from the
start the IDF does not intentionally target civilians. The Chief
of the General Staff has instructed that an inquiry be
conducted immediately to understand the circumstances of what happened and

(13:42):
how it happened.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
Now, the US President Donald Trump says this nightmare needs
to end today, saying he expects the war to come
to a head in about two weeks. We know Israeli
is building up its military around Gaza City for a
planned military takeover, which it says will finally eliminate mus
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