Liberal MP Rory Amon charged with child sex offences, de Minaur sails into US Open third round: Australia news live

The man who is alleged to have thrown a water bottle at a goal umpire during St Kilda's clash with Carlton last week has now been banned for life by the AFL.

A 23-year-old man has also been charged by police over the incident.

"A record 7.75 million fans attended matches this year, we have the best fans in the world, but if you choose to assault someone who is doing their job then you will lose the privilege of being able to attend the footy," AFL General Counsel Stephen Meade said in a statement.

The winter heat is rolling on as Sydney's Observatory Hill weather station in the CBD surpasses 30C and has set its highest temperature in 29 years in the process.

The 31.5C at Sydney Airport has smashed its winter record which had stood for 70 years.

Queensland has also set a new winter heat record just five days after it was broken. Birdsville has recorded a temperature of 39.4C this afternoon.

Australia Post is still losing big on sending letters despite scrapping delivering them every day.

The group lost $361.8 million sending letters last year, it has confirmed, with overall performance reported at an $88.5 million loss.

The average household now receives fewer than two addressed letters a week, which is expected to halve in the next five years.

Australia Post has made significant changes to shift focus to delivering parcels but CEO Paul Graham stresses there's "more work to do".

"Further reform is required to ensure Australia Post is sustainable and delivers for communities for another 200 years," he said.

The boss of NAB says customers being charged card surcharges is "outrageous".

Small businesses are increasingly complaining about EFTPOS fees from the banks but NAB chief executive Andrew Irvine said to charge an extra fee to customers in this day and age was too far.

"It's possible that surcharging was warranted over 20 years ago, but I think it behooves us to ask whether it still serves its purpose," he told a parliamentary committee into the big four banks on Friday.

"It just adds to confusion. It means I don't know what the price of a good is that I'm buying and I don't like it."

Kamala Harris needed just seven words to answer a question on Donald Trump's claim she "happened to turn black" recently for political purposes.

Asked during an exclusive interview with CNN, Harris responded: "Same old tired playbook. Next question please."

Harris was born in the US to migrant parents. Her father is Jamaican and her mother is Indian.

An arriving container ship has badly damaged an iconic Australian tall ship in Perth.

Two workers aboard The Leeuwin, Australia's largest sail-training tall ship with an overall length of 55 metres, were taken to hospital after the container ship crashed into the vessel about 6.30am.

Neil Stanbury at Fremantle Port said the incident was "terrible". "It's a pretty messy scene," he said.

Read more here.

A man has been charged with two counts of murder after two bodies were found in a home in Brisbane's north.

Emergency services were called to the Kentville St property in Mitchelton at 8.50am on Thursday, with the two people found inside unresponsive.

A 61-year-old Keperra man and a 35-year-old Mitchelton woman were later declared dead at the scene.

A 41-year-old man was arrested and has now been charged with two counts of murder and will front court on Friday.

The construction industry in Australia continues to face difficulties and now another builder has gone bust while facing the prospect of disciplinary action.

Dozens of homes have been left unfinished after Ansa Homes was put into liquidation.

A spokeswoman for the administrator firm Jirsch Sutherland, told NewsWire that Ansa Homes is $3m in debt and leaves at least 45 homes unfinished.

The Building Commission NSW found evidence of defective building work and improper conduct during inspections at Ansa Homes sites earlier in the year, and all work stopped immediately.

A Building Commission NSW spokesperson said Ansa Homes and its director were still liable to further disciplinary action despite the company's collapse.

- With NCA NewsWire

We now bring you a disturbing story from Jamaica where a 16-year-old boy has been decapitated by a shark while spearfishing.

Jahmari Reid vanished on Monday while fishing alone at sea. His body was later found by fishermen and his injuries were consistent with a shark attack, police said.

His father told the Jamaica Observer he "feels so bad" about his son's death.

We have some news just in from Victoria Police who say a newborn baby is in a critical condition after they were found outside a Melbourne home.

"The baby was discovered outside a Gladstone Road address in Dandenong North with life-threatening injuries about 2.40am," police said in a statement.

A 25-year-old woman from the home was also taken to hospital and is under police guard.

Investigations are ongoing.

Now on to a story that has become a massive talking point in China this week. A one-year-old child was locked in an aeroplane toilet after she began crying on a domestic flight, dividing the nation over whether it was the right thing to do.

The toddler was taken into the cubicle by two women on the Shanghai bound flight and was told she could only leave if she stopped crying. One of the women filmed the moment, with the video sparking backlash online with some calling it "bullying".

Responding to the incident, the airline said the women had been told they could take the child into the toilet by her grandmother who she was travelling with in a bid to "educate her".

The woman defended her actions, explaining online that she "just wanted to clam the child down and let everyone rest". Some online sided with the woman, saying sometimes children need "education".

So what do you think? Have your say below.

Alex De Minaur is into the third round of the US Open after defeating Otto Virtanen in straight sets – but he was made to work hard for the win in the first set where he was serving to stay in the set.

Australia's no.1 is looking to finish off a stellar season where he has already reached two Grand Slam quarter finals.

"I'm happy to keep going every day, I'm getting a little bit better and I'm looking forward to what's to come," De Minaur said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says a question on sexuality will be included for the next census after Labor initially dumped the question, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers saying such a question would be too divisive.

Albanese told ABC Radio this morning the Australian Bureau of Statistics will be testing for a new question after backlash from within his own party.

Liberal MP Bridget Archer said Labor had caused unnecessary drama and that such a question is "not in any way controversial".