December 1, 2024 • 11 mins
7NEWS can exclusively reveal that Italian authorities say the main suspect in Melbourne's Easey St murders in another cold case murder; A controversial Australia Day pub ban is causing a stir with some Indigenous leaders calling the move 'condescending' and 'divisive'; Hamas has released a propaganda video of a 20-year-old American-Israeli man being held hostage in Gaza.
7NEWS Headlines with Edwina Bartholomew for December 02, 2024.
For more news, head to www.7news.com.au
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
First this morning to some breaking news and police in
Citi's West to hunting an arsonist after a car was
destroyed in a suspicious fire at green Acre overnight. Emergency
crews discovered the vehicle up in flames around eleven thirty pm.
The car's fuel tank ruptured, spreading fuel to a ute
and truck parked nearby. Quick thinking firefighters worked to protect
(00:24):
both vehicles from being ruined. All parts of Sydney are
cleaning up this morning after a fierce thunderstorm smashed the
city on the first day of summer. Heavy rain triggered
flash flooding with gale force winds toppling trees. The city's
eastern suburbs were the hardest hit. Thirty two millimeters of
rain fell in eighteen minutes, the storm's impact leaving several
(00:45):
rail lines affected and plans or planes rather forced to
divert away from the city. Meantime, Brisbane residents are cleaning
up the damage today after powerful storms battered parts of
the state late yesterday. The southeast was hit hardest, with
cars track in dangerous floods near the Gold cop Near
the Gold Coast, swift water crews rescued five girls trapped
(01:06):
in rising waters. But what being worn the worst is
yet to come. With flood warnings active across the state.
Now to a bombshell development surrounding the main suspect in
Melbourne's Easy Street murders, seven News can exclusively reveal Italian
authorities say the sixty five year old is a person
of interest in another cold case murder. Cassi Zervost report trimitily.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Inside this maximum security prison in the heart of Rome
is the main suspect in the murders of Suzanne Armstrong
and Susan Bartlett on Easy Street almost five decades ago.
Now a shock twist, Italian authority is exclusively revealed to
seven US, sixty five year old Perry Currumbles is also
a person of interest in the nineteen seventy five suspected
(01:53):
murder of Julie Garcia slay. The nineteen year old disappeared
from a North Melbourne flat after three men visit. A
blood soak towel was discovered at the home. Her body
has never been found indicated.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
First of all, he immediately declared himself innocent. I have heard,
not through official channels, that he can be charged for
other crimes, but this has nothing to do with the extradition.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Corumbles, a dual Australian Greek citizen, has been held in
this jail for two months.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
At the beginning, he was in solitary confinement and had
no contact with people because nobody spoke English. His brother
came once from Greece to visit him.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
He was lured to Italy under the promise of a
property deal, but under cover Victorian detectives blindsided their prime suspect.
He traveled from Athens, where he'd been living for seven years.
Police unable to make a move because of Greece's Statute
of Limitations requiring charges to be laid within it twenty
years of a crime.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
As far as I know, he moved to reach his
mother and brother and for nothing else.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It was January ten, nine, eighteen seventy seven. The women
were killed in their Collingwood home. Three days later, they
were found by a neighbour after hearing Suzanne Armstrong's sixteen
month old son's cries for help. Perry Corumblus was pulled
over by police nine days later. He was found with
a knife in the boot of his car. He told
(03:18):
officers he was crossing an overpass at the local railway
station when he saw it and picked it up. The
case went cold until twenty seventeen. Police announced a one
million dollar reward for information.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
It is a terrible plod. It's one of their worst
in Victoria.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That same time, DNA evidence links Korumblus to the crime,
shortly after he fled to Greece. Then, in September this year,
the biggest breakthrough in the case.
Speaker 6 (03:45):
A man has been arrested in Italy as part of
a very long running homicide squad investigation into the murder
of two women in their home in Easy Street, Collingwood.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Last month, the Italian government signed off a request to
extra Diyed Karumblus to Australia. This is a cold case
file that's been passed on through generations. Each detective who's
taken it on hopeful that one day there would be
an arrest, But no one ever imagined it would happen
forty seven years later here on the streets of Rome.
(04:18):
And even though it is a step closer to justice,
the arrest is just the start of another mammoth task.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
They asked him for consent for the extradition. He evidently
being in a country that is not his own where
he does not know the Italian language, so he thought
it best to say yes.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
New arrests have been made in Laos as investigation to
the fatal methanol poisoning deepens. Police reportedly shutting down this
factory where the deadly liquor was made and arresting its owner.
It's understood three more staff at the vang Vienn backpackers
hostel have also been arrested, after eight would attained last week,
Six people including Melbourne Teen's Holly Bowls and Bianca Jones,
(04:59):
done in the mass poisoning. Confidence is growing this morning
that the last five members of the Bally nine will
return to Australia within weeks after almost two decades behind bars.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke will fly to Indonesia this week
hoping to seal the deal, meeting his counterpart in the
new Cibianto government. The Barly nine were sentenced to life
(05:21):
in jail in two thousand and five attending to smuggle
four million dollars of heroin into Australia. One of Victoria's
Woolworths distribution centers is set to reopen today after it
was shut down as part of industrial action calling for
better pay and working conditions. The eleven days of strike
seeing shells stripped bare across the Eastern seaboard. The reopening
(05:42):
comes after Woolli's contact in three quarters at the center staff,
with seventy two percent saying they wanted to return and
be paid before Christmas. It's unclear if any deals on
pay or working conditions were reached. The identity of the
hero police officer who stormed the Limp Cafe a decade
ago has been a identified following a seven News spotlight campaign,
(06:03):
known as Officer A. Ben Bessant fired the seventeen shots
killing terrorist man Monas.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I have been fighting for a long time to have
my name returned to me.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Mister won a legal battle to publicly tell his story,
shared last night on his exclusive interview with seven News
Chief reporter Chris Reason. That special report is also available
to watch online and on seven plus. Three people have
been injured in a terrifying collision in Cities West. Two
cars were driving near each other and it's understood one
of the drivers attempted to make a U turn. A
(06:37):
trailer parked nearby was also hit. The trio, including a
twenty year old driver, are recovering from minor injuries in
Liverpool hospital. Brazen thieves have stolen ten thousand dollars worth
of art from a Brisbane gallery in an early morning raid.
The game kicked in the front door of the Michelle
Sparks business around four yesterday morning, making off with six pieces.
(06:59):
It's the stores third break in in as many weeks.
No rests have been made. If you're traveling to Brisbane
next year, you'll have to pay a lot more to
use the train from the airport. Commuters will soon have
to fork out twenty one dollars and ninety cents when
traveling between Central Station and the airport. Discounted services are
brought in by the former Labour Premier, Stephen Miles as
(07:19):
part of the fifty cent fares program across the state,
but the L ANDP government has confirmed it won't extend
the scheme for air train fares. A controversial Australia Day
pub ban is causing quite the stir, with some Indigenous
leaders calling the move condescending and divisive. More than two
hundred pubs and bars nationwide won't acknowledge the day, with
(07:41):
the second biggest pubs group, Australian Venue Co, advising managers
January twenty six will not be celebrated in twenty twenty five.
The decision follows Woolworths and Aldi's ban on selling Australia
Day merchandise to a major developing story overseas. Now and
Harmas has released a propaganda video over twenty year old
American israel man being held hostage in Gaza lived US
(08:03):
corresponded Tim Lester, Tim, what is the video?
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Show? Eddiod shows a twenty year old New Jersey born
man who volunteered for the Israeli military and was captured
back on October seventh, twenty twenty three, when you'll recall
about two hundred and fifty were taken hostage by Hamas
into that deadly foray into Israel. Well he done? Alexander
(08:28):
speaks in a video, clearly distressed, bowing his heads in
his head in his hands at one stage, pleading directly
with Israel's Prime Minister Benjaminette and Yahoo and then with
incoming president here in the United States, Donald Trump.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Dear President Trump, my name has he done? Alexander? I
am an American Israeli citizen curly being held captive in
the Gaza strip User influence and the full power of
the United States to negotiate for our freedom. Every day
(09:08):
here feels like an attorney and depend from inside grows.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
The video and effort apparently by Hamas to stir further
support for a ceasefire in Gaza I Dun Alexander are
now thought to be among one hundred and one of
those original two hundred and fifty hostages that remain alive.
So far, no pressing signs of a ceasefire in Gaza,
(09:35):
despite the fact that a tentative or a tender ceasefire
is holding north of Israel between the Israelis and the
Lebanese militia. Has Bala Eddie thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Tim still in the region and Syrian President Basha Asad
has voud to defend his country after rebel forces took
control of its second largest city. Government forces have withdrawn
from a Leppo but planned to counterattack. It comes a
day after Russia launched a series of air strike supportingly
killing civilians. More than three hundred and seventy people have
been killed since the rebel offensive began. A truck driver
(10:10):
in Germany has caused traffic chaos after causing a series
of crashes on two motorways driving in a zigzag. The
driver crossed the motorways several times, causing a number of collisions.
More than fifty vehicles were caught up in the mayhem,
and the truck only coming to a stop after colliding
with oncoming traffic. The driver has been arrested. Post Thanksgiving
(10:33):
travel is proving treacherous in America's Great Lakes region, with
heavy snow shutting down highways one of the busiest travel
days of the year. Residents in New York State, Pennsylvania,
and Ohio have been blanketed in snow, with more than
one hundred and eighty centimeters falling over the weekend. The
weather system has also brought temperatures of ten to fifteen
degrees below average for this time of year. Checking Monday's
(10:56):
weather fin now possible shower in Brisbane in twenty nine,
sunny in City in thirty one, sunny and Canberra and
thirty a late shower tour in Melbourne and thirty partner
Claudi and Hobart and twenty four, a shower too developing
in Adelaide and thirty two, a shower turn perth and
twenty one and a shower too, and a possible storm
in Darwin thirty three degrees
Good morning.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
First this morning to some breaking news and police in
Citi's West to hunting an arsonist after a car was
destroyed in a suspicious fire at green Acre overnight. Emergency
crews discovered the vehicle up in flames around eleven thirty pm.
The car's fuel tank ruptured, spreading fuel to a ute
and truck parked nearby. Quick thinking firefighters worked to protect
(00:24):
both vehicles from being ruined. All parts of Sydney are
cleaning up this morning after a fierce thunderstorm smashed the
city on the first day of summer. Heavy rain triggered
flash flooding with gale force winds toppling trees. The city's
eastern suburbs were the hardest hit. Thirty two millimeters of
rain fell in eighteen minutes, the storm's impact leaving several
(00:45):
rail lines affected and plans or planes rather forced to
divert away from the city. Meantime, Brisbane residents are cleaning
up the damage today after powerful storms battered parts of
the state late yesterday. The southeast was hit hardest, with
cars track in dangerous floods near the Gold cop Near
the Gold Coast, swift water crews rescued five girls trapped
(01:06):
in rising waters. But what being worn the worst is
yet to come. With flood warnings active across the state.
Now to a bombshell development surrounding the main suspect in
Melbourne's Easy Street murders, seven News can exclusively reveal Italian
authorities say the sixty five year old is a person
of interest in another cold case murder. Cassi Zervost report trimitily.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
Inside this maximum security prison in the heart of Rome
is the main suspect in the murders of Suzanne Armstrong
and Susan Bartlett on Easy Street almost five decades ago.
Now a shock twist, Italian authority is exclusively revealed to
seven US, sixty five year old Perry Currumbles is also
a person of interest in the nineteen seventy five suspected
(01:53):
murder of Julie Garcia slay. The nineteen year old disappeared
from a North Melbourne flat after three men visit. A
blood soak towel was discovered at the home. Her body
has never been found indicated.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
First of all, he immediately declared himself innocent. I have heard,
not through official channels, that he can be charged for
other crimes, but this has nothing to do with the extradition.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Corumbles, a dual Australian Greek citizen, has been held in
this jail for two months.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
At the beginning, he was in solitary confinement and had
no contact with people because nobody spoke English. His brother
came once from Greece to visit him.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
He was lured to Italy under the promise of a
property deal, but under cover Victorian detectives blindsided their prime suspect.
He traveled from Athens, where he'd been living for seven years.
Police unable to make a move because of Greece's Statute
of Limitations requiring charges to be laid within it twenty
years of a crime.
Speaker 4 (02:53):
As far as I know, he moved to reach his
mother and brother and for nothing else.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It was January ten, nine, eighteen seventy seven. The women
were killed in their Collingwood home. Three days later, they
were found by a neighbour after hearing Suzanne Armstrong's sixteen
month old son's cries for help. Perry Corumblus was pulled
over by police nine days later. He was found with
a knife in the boot of his car. He told
(03:18):
officers he was crossing an overpass at the local railway
station when he saw it and picked it up. The
case went cold until twenty seventeen. Police announced a one
million dollar reward for information.
Speaker 5 (03:32):
It is a terrible plod. It's one of their worst
in Victoria.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
That same time, DNA evidence links Korumblus to the crime,
shortly after he fled to Greece. Then, in September this year,
the biggest breakthrough in the case.
Speaker 6 (03:45):
A man has been arrested in Italy as part of
a very long running homicide squad investigation into the murder
of two women in their home in Easy Street, Collingwood.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
Last month, the Italian government signed off a request to
extra Diyed Karumblus to Australia. This is a cold case
file that's been passed on through generations. Each detective who's
taken it on hopeful that one day there would be
an arrest, But no one ever imagined it would happen
forty seven years later here on the streets of Rome.
(04:18):
And even though it is a step closer to justice,
the arrest is just the start of another mammoth task.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
They asked him for consent for the extradition. He evidently
being in a country that is not his own where
he does not know the Italian language, so he thought
it best to say yes.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
New arrests have been made in Laos as investigation to
the fatal methanol poisoning deepens. Police reportedly shutting down this
factory where the deadly liquor was made and arresting its owner.
It's understood three more staff at the vang Vienn backpackers
hostel have also been arrested, after eight would attained last week,
Six people including Melbourne Teen's Holly Bowls and Bianca Jones,
(04:59):
done in the mass poisoning. Confidence is growing this morning
that the last five members of the Bally nine will
return to Australia within weeks after almost two decades behind bars.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke will fly to Indonesia this week
hoping to seal the deal, meeting his counterpart in the
new Cibianto government. The Barly nine were sentenced to life
(05:21):
in jail in two thousand and five attending to smuggle
four million dollars of heroin into Australia. One of Victoria's
Woolworths distribution centers is set to reopen today after it
was shut down as part of industrial action calling for
better pay and working conditions. The eleven days of strike
seeing shells stripped bare across the Eastern seaboard. The reopening
(05:42):
comes after Woolli's contact in three quarters at the center staff,
with seventy two percent saying they wanted to return and
be paid before Christmas. It's unclear if any deals on
pay or working conditions were reached. The identity of the
hero police officer who stormed the Limp Cafe a decade
ago has been a identified following a seven News spotlight campaign,
(06:03):
known as Officer A. Ben Bessant fired the seventeen shots
killing terrorist man Monas.
Speaker 1 (06:11):
I have been fighting for a long time to have
my name returned to me.
Speaker 2 (06:16):
Mister won a legal battle to publicly tell his story,
shared last night on his exclusive interview with seven News
Chief reporter Chris Reason. That special report is also available
to watch online and on seven plus. Three people have
been injured in a terrifying collision in Cities West. Two
cars were driving near each other and it's understood one
of the drivers attempted to make a U turn. A
(06:37):
trailer parked nearby was also hit. The trio, including a
twenty year old driver, are recovering from minor injuries in
Liverpool hospital. Brazen thieves have stolen ten thousand dollars worth
of art from a Brisbane gallery in an early morning raid.
The game kicked in the front door of the Michelle
Sparks business around four yesterday morning, making off with six pieces.
(06:59):
It's the stores third break in in as many weeks.
No rests have been made. If you're traveling to Brisbane
next year, you'll have to pay a lot more to
use the train from the airport. Commuters will soon have
to fork out twenty one dollars and ninety cents when
traveling between Central Station and the airport. Discounted services are
brought in by the former Labour Premier, Stephen Miles as
(07:19):
part of the fifty cent fares program across the state,
but the L ANDP government has confirmed it won't extend
the scheme for air train fares. A controversial Australia Day
pub ban is causing quite the stir, with some Indigenous
leaders calling the move condescending and divisive. More than two
hundred pubs and bars nationwide won't acknowledge the day, with
(07:41):
the second biggest pubs group, Australian Venue Co, advising managers
January twenty six will not be celebrated in twenty twenty five.
The decision follows Woolworths and Aldi's ban on selling Australia
Day merchandise to a major developing story overseas. Now and
Harmas has released a propaganda video over twenty year old
American israel man being held hostage in Gaza lived US
(08:03):
corresponded Tim Lester, Tim, what is the video?
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Show? Eddiod shows a twenty year old New Jersey born
man who volunteered for the Israeli military and was captured
back on October seventh, twenty twenty three, when you'll recall
about two hundred and fifty were taken hostage by Hamas
into that deadly foray into Israel. Well he done? Alexander
(08:28):
speaks in a video, clearly distressed, bowing his heads in
his head in his hands at one stage, pleading directly
with Israel's Prime Minister Benjaminette and Yahoo and then with
incoming president here in the United States, Donald Trump.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Dear President Trump, my name has he done? Alexander? I
am an American Israeli citizen curly being held captive in
the Gaza strip User influence and the full power of
the United States to negotiate for our freedom. Every day
(09:08):
here feels like an attorney and depend from inside grows.
Speaker 5 (09:13):
The video and effort apparently by Hamas to stir further
support for a ceasefire in Gaza I Dun Alexander are
now thought to be among one hundred and one of
those original two hundred and fifty hostages that remain alive.
So far, no pressing signs of a ceasefire in Gaza,
(09:35):
despite the fact that a tentative or a tender ceasefire
is holding north of Israel between the Israelis and the
Lebanese militia. Has Bala Eddie thank you.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
Tim still in the region and Syrian President Basha Asad
has voud to defend his country after rebel forces took
control of its second largest city. Government forces have withdrawn
from a Leppo but planned to counterattack. It comes a
day after Russia launched a series of air strike supportingly
killing civilians. More than three hundred and seventy people have
been killed since the rebel offensive began. A truck driver
(10:10):
in Germany has caused traffic chaos after causing a series
of crashes on two motorways driving in a zigzag. The
driver crossed the motorways several times, causing a number of collisions.
More than fifty vehicles were caught up in the mayhem,
and the truck only coming to a stop after colliding
with oncoming traffic. The driver has been arrested. Post Thanksgiving
(10:33):
travel is proving treacherous in America's Great Lakes region, with
heavy snow shutting down highways one of the busiest travel
days of the year. Residents in New York State, Pennsylvania,
and Ohio have been blanketed in snow, with more than
one hundred and eighty centimeters falling over the weekend. The
weather system has also brought temperatures of ten to fifteen
degrees below average for this time of year. Checking Monday's
(10:56):
weather fin now possible shower in Brisbane in twenty nine,
sunny in City in thirty one, sunny and Canberra and
thirty a late shower tour in Melbourne and thirty partner
Claudi and Hobart and twenty four, a shower too developing
in Adelaide and thirty two, a shower turn perth and
twenty one and a shower too, and a possible storm
in Darwin thirty three degrees
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