Australia news: Albanese announces jet fuel, fertiliser shipments; Trump says planned attacks on Iran called off; WHO sends experts to the Congo as Ebola death toll reaches 110

The image of the youngest “bodies in the barrels” killer can be revealed for the first time in more than two decades.

The South Australian Court of Appeal on Tuesday lifted the 25-year suppression order on the image or description of James Vlassakis, who murdered four of the 11 victims.

His co-accused, John Bunting and Robert Wagner, are serving life sentences in prison with no possibility of parole.

Vlassakis, who was 18 at the time of the crimes, was a key witness against the two other men, and was granted the opportunity to apply for release at the end of his 26-year non-parole period.

Australians are being put at risk of dire health consequences as tainted illicit alcohol is unknowingly sold in bottle shops, prompting calls for stronger liquor regulation.

Researchers from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW and National Drug Research Institute found almost one in three bottle shops visited across Victoria, NSW and Queensland contained suspected illicit alcohol products.

“We’re finding regular bottle shops are stocking products that we suspect are illicit, and that we’ve found have contaminants in them,” postdoctoral research fellow Michala Kowalski told AAP.

The danger is compounded by people being lulled into a false sense of security, believing their purchase is legitimate because it came from a genuine retailer. Researchers found contaminants like methanol and plastic debris in some products.

Pianist Jayson Gillham’s commentary on Palestine during a classical music concert was a “middle finger” to those who had helped him build a stellar career, a court has been told.

Gillham performed Connor D’Netto’s composition Witness at a Melbourne Symphony Orchestra concert in 2024, introducing the piece with comments about Israel killing journalists in Gaza.

The orchestra responded by cancelling his next appearance, and the performer is suing the MSO for unfair dismissal in the Federal Court. The case is expected to test the limits of political speech for contractors in Australian workplaces.

On the second day of a 15-day trial, the court heard details of senior orchestra management’s handling of the crisis in the days after Gillham’s concert.

An outbreak of diphtheria labelled the worst in decades has spread from the Northern Territory to Western Australia, Queensland and South Australia, Health Minister Mark Butler has confirmed.

“We’re very concerned about this. This is probably the biggest diphtheria outbreak we’ve seen, certainly for decades. I was up Alice Springs a couple of weeks ago meeting with the Aboriginal Medical Service for the Northern Territory. They’re obviously deeply, deeply concerned,” Butler told ABC radio this morning.

“Almost all of the cases are Indigenous Australians. We’ve lifted our efforts around vaccine activity there. You’ve got to get a booster probably every five years if you’re an adult. We’re working with the NT government and the Aboriginal-controlled sector to get more vaccines there. But we’re also working with the NT government about other things that we can do to help them.”

Diphtheria vaccines are only available as combination vaccines alongside preventions for other illnesses such as whooping cough and tetanus. The Health Department recommends vaccines be administered for children at two, four, six and 18 months, and again at the ages of four and between 11-13. Boosters are then recommended at the age of 50.

A large group of students and teachers have been rescued after they were stranded in the Scenic Rim, south-west of Brisbane, for more than four hours overnight.

The group of 43 students and five teachers called emergency services after being cut off by floodwaters near Mount Barney about 5pm on Monday.

The year 12 students from North Lakes State College were on a school camp as part of coursework for their outdoor recreation certificate II VET course.

The Education Department said the group had been unable to return to their planned accommodation, leaving them stranded in the national park.