Storms hit Sydney, Net zero divide, Rugby League's concussion policies

Emergency services in Sydney are hard at work this morning after a brutal spring storm toppled trees and stopped trains.

The Coalition is on the brink of abandoning it's net zero policy with mounting pressure on Sussan Ley to side with the Nationals

A distressing incident in the Pacific Championships has pushed Rugby League's concussion policies back into the spotlight.

7NEWS Headlines with Edwina Bartholomew for November 04, 2025.

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

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Emergency services in Sydney are hard at work this morning
after a brutal spring storm toppled trees and stop trains.
Trees have fallen in Liverpool, Croydon Park and men I.
The heavy rain coursed flooding at Sydney Airport and wind
gusts up to ninety kilometers an hour were recorded in
some areas. Queensand was hit with more wet weather overnight

(00:24):
after a really hot and muggy Monday. The rainband bringing
the soggy conditions is expected to move off shore today.
Convicted triple mushroom killer Aaron Patterson is appealing her guilty
verdicts after her bid was granted by Victoria's Court of Appeal.
Patterson was found guilty of murdering her parents in lord
Don and Gale Patterson, and Gail's sister Heather Wilkinson in July,

(00:48):
and attempting to murder Heather's husband, Ian Wilkinson, fifty one
year old, is serving a minimum prison sentence of thirty
three years. The boss of Optics has revealed they waited
almost day before they told customers that its triple zero
outage caused three deaths and a Senate inquiry in Canberra.
He was asked directly why it took so long to

(01:10):
tell the government about the deaths. It took you six
hours to inform the Federal government.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
It was my judgment Chair that it was important that
the information provided was accurate.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
The Telcos Borders back CEO Stephen Rue for the job,
while the Coalition wants Communications Minister Annika Wells to front
the inquiry. The British man accused of stabbing eleven people
on a train in England's East has faced court on
attempted murder charges. He's been investigated in relation to three
other incidents in Petersborough. A video has emerged an accused

(01:46):
attacker brandishing a knife in a barbershop a day before
the train attack. It's believed Anthony Williams boarded the train
around seven thirty on Saturday night, with the first emergency
calls made just about ten minutes later. Soon after, the
driver made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon, allowing passengers to
escape the train. The Coalition is on the brink of

(02:08):
abandoning its net zero policy, with mounting pressure on Susan
Lee to side with the Nationals. Live Now to Josh
Martin and Camber Josh. It's a major leadership test for
the opposition leader.

Speaker 3 (02:20):
Good morning, Eddie. Susan Lee is fighting for her political
life and her leadership after we saw that horror News
poll yesterday, a record low primary vote of twenty four percent.
The day before we saw the National Party announced it
would ditch a policy of net zero emissions by twenty
fifty seven years. Understands, Susan Lee called a leadership meeting

(02:40):
of her top leaders, and every one of those senior
Liberals supported ditching net zero, apart from Health Shadow Health
Minister Ann Rustin. Susan Lee will now likely make a
decision before the last sitting week of the year before Christmas.
That's how much pressure she's under. She obviously wants to
keep away any leadership challenges to talk is Andrew Hasty

(03:01):
or Angus Taylor may challenge. Liberal sources say Angus Taylor
would have more support across the party rown but if
they did ditch net zero, this would make powerbills the
dominant issue of this parliament. Last time we saw inflation
numbers dominating the political debate. This term, it would be
power bills. They've gone up thirty nine percent since net
zero was adopted. Of course, there was also the Ukraine War,

(03:25):
but it will put pressure not just on Susan Lee
but also on the Prime Minister in Labor to bring
down power bills as well.

Speaker 4 (03:30):
Addie, thank you, Josh.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
The Reserve Bank is expected to keep rates on hold
at three point six percent it meets today after last
week's disappointingly high inflation figures. It's also dealing with rising
unemployment and an acceleration in house prices. Westpac is tipping
two more rate cuts, but says the first won't happen
until May next year. The Southwest City man has survived

(03:53):
a four day kidnapping ordeal, with friends claiming his kidnappers
were paid one million dollars for his release. Security video
shows twenty eight year old George I Yube being kidnapped
by two men outside his home last Thursday. Mister E Yube,
who is understood to have no criminal background, was dumped
without injury at a service station after being held hostage

(04:15):
for four days. Belisa examining the veracity of the plot
and if it was financially motivated at a short mother
has made a desperate plea after her one year old
daughter disappeared in Adelaide's north. The father allegedly took off
with the baby following an alleged assault at their Salisbury
home on Sunday. Pilli say he's in contact and claims

(04:36):
the child is safe, but Amy Cotzel remains incredibly fearful.
She's urging the public to look out for a gray
Holden Captiva. Pro Palestine activists and Greens MPs are staging
a blockade and an Indo Pacific Defense expo and city
this morning in New South Wales. Government is the principal
sponsor of the event at Darling Harbor. Organizers call it

(04:59):
the region's lead naval and maritime showcase, but protest to
describe it as a festival of war criminals, saying Israeli
weapon companies profiting from the war and Gaza are among
the exhibitors and new delivery is set to arrive at
Adelaide tomorrow and it's ten tons of precious cargo you
wouldn't expect. The create is carrying thirty five year old Putchamas,

(05:22):
a male elephant, joining Manato Safari Park to complete the
party of five elephants. He's currently making a record baking
trek across the Nulla bore, the longest ever by a
full grown bull elephant. The Johnbo delivery is expected to
arrive before lunchtime tomorrow. At a stressing incident in the
Pacific Championships as push Rugby League's concussion policies back into

(05:45):
the spotlight, serious questions are being asked as how medical
staff cleared Elie Katoa to play after being floored by
shoulder to the head in the warm up. After taking
two more head knocks during the game, Katoa suffered a
seizure on the sideline and had to be rushed to
hospital for emergency surgery to drain fluid from his brain.

Speaker 4 (06:07):
The stark warning to play a health and safety heard
throughout Rugby League.

Speaker 1 (06:12):
Sort of heartbreaking to here, and this is probably just
the plea to look after our players.

Speaker 4 (06:17):
Tongue and player Ellie Katoa is recovering in hospital from
emergency surgery to drain fluid on his brain after copying
three separate head blows in the Pacific Championships against New Zealand.
The NERL wants to know where its concussion protocols went
so wrong.

Speaker 1 (06:33):
Prayers go out to Elliot and his family through this
sort of tough period.

Speaker 4 (06:37):
Katoa wasn't given a head injury assessment after taking a
brutal hit in the warm up in Auckland. Cleared to play,
the twenty five year old took two more headheads during
the game. His health quickly deteriorated, suffering seizures on the
sidelines before being given an oxygen mask and taken to hospital,
later found to have a brain bleed. Tong Has say

(06:58):
they followed the rules.

Speaker 2 (07:00):
Who very experienced doctors.

Speaker 3 (07:01):
They've done their usual haie, he's passed all that and
passed all that well.

Speaker 1 (07:05):
And my job is not to question doctors. I think
that's probably what their role is to do is look
after the health and safety of the player first.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
The NRL's protocols will be forensically examined, especially with increased
research on the health dangers of concussion.

Speaker 1 (07:21):
Often if they don't get the right help, things get
worse and worse, and it's like a doubt, a decreasing spiral.

Speaker 4 (07:29):
But questions do remain over the forwards playing future Jane's
Manton seven

Speaker 2 (07:36):
Checking Chueresday's weather and our morning Shower two in Brisbane
and thirty shower to becoming Wendy in Sydney, twenty five
showers becoming Wendy in Canberra, thirteen showers for Melbourne, a
very cold start to the day on Cup Day at
top of sixteen degrees, rain easy and Hovide, and eighteen
a shower to in Adelaide and eighteen shower to in
a possible storm in per thirty and a shower too

(07:57):
for dar one thirty four