WA has recorded a rise in daily COVID cases to 4,062 new cases and four new virus-related deaths.
It comes as the Federal Government accepted an Australian Technical Advisory Group recommendation to make COVID-19 vaccination available for children aged six months to under five years.
Modern COVID-19 vaccine will be accessible for about 70,000 children in certain at-risk population groups from September 5.
The COVID-related deaths in WA report date back to July 28 and include a man in his 100s, a woman in her 80s and a man and woman in their 60s.
Hospitalizations remained stable to 6pm last night with 404 people still admitted, while patients requiring intensive care dropped to 12.
Of the 4062 cases, 1479 were confirmed via PCR test, the remaining 2583 were self-reported positive rapid antigen tests.
The daily figures are an increase on yesterday’s 3821 recorded infections and 2816 the previous day.
There were 4034 cases reported on Saturday.
The infections bring the State’s current active cases to 22,290.
At this stage, the COVID-19 vaccination is only recommended for children aged six months to under five years with severe immunocompromise, disability and those who have complex and multiple health conditions which increase the risk of severe COVID-19.
The severe damage caused by the State’s once-in-a-year storm has cost millions of dollars as thousands of resident lodge insurance claims.
Emergency services spent another day fighting the brunt of Perth’s severe storm as calls continued to rise, with several regions across the State breaking wind gust records.
RAC Insurance said they received more than 2,700 claims since 12pm Wednesday, totaling $4.9 million in damage.
“We’re seeing a range of claim severity from fences being blown over to trees causing major damage to properties,” a spokesperson said.
“Our call center has been extremely busy since opening first thing yesterday morning. We would encourage members to lodge their claims online, where possible.”
The severe storm warning is still in place across the Perth, Midwest-Gascoyne, South West, and Great Southern regions as several cold fronts continue to battle down and bring thunderstorm weather.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services received 405 calls for help across the State since 6.30am Tuesday.
Of those calls, 354 were for the metro region covering Alkimos down to Mandurah.
Emergency services received no rest overnight as 134 calls were made from residents who experienced damage to their homes. Of those calls, 119 were in the metro area.
A ceiling collapsed inside a Joondalup house overnight Credit: 7NEWS/7NEWSA tree fell down along Clovertree Street in Maddington. Credit: Ian Munro/The West Australian
A DFES spokesman said overnight damage had been reported at properties stretching from Butler in Perth’s north to Mandurah in the south.
It includes a home on Walbeck Street in Kalamunda where a large tree was ripped from the ground and toppled onto the roof of a shed just after midnight. Homes have also copped a lashing, with damaged roofs and fallen trees blocking roads.
The incident took out a telephone line. The homeowner said he was up at 1am assessing the damage and called SES for help. The extent of the damage is not yet known, as the tree remains on the shed.
Thousands remain without power across parts of WA as strong wind gusts continue to rip large trees from their roots causing them to topple onto overhead lines.
In Maddington a large tree came billowing down in the early hours of the morning, taking down with it overhead powerlines.
The tree kept residents blocked inside their homes in the morning as it barricaded half of the street. Western Power was called to the scene to isolate the fallen wires and make the area safe.
The City of Gosnells sent a chipper to the area to cut up the fallen tree.
As of 12.30pm Wednesday, 13,200 homes remained without power, with 11,00 being in the metro area while the remaining 2,200 were in the South West.
It comes as parts of Perth were drenched in heavy rainfall and hail storms overnight and into Wednesday afternoon.
Flooding caused a section of Riverside Drive to be closed. Credit: daniel wilkins/The West Australian
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Perth Airport was soaked in 62.6mm of rainfall since the start of the storm on Monday, with the metro area also receiving heavy rainfall of up to 62.8mm.
Duty Forecaster Jessica Lingard said due to the heavy winds some of the rainfall recorded may be under the mark as the rain missed the gauges in their regions.
“With how strong the winds are, the rain is coming in sideways so we may not have picked up the correct amount of rainfall just because we see the rain skipping over the top of the rain gauge and not falling in it,” she said.
Heading towards the south, parts of Rockingham were showered with 54.9mm, while Collie was saturated with a bucketing 83mm. Cape Leeuwin received 61.6mm.
In Perth Hills, Bickley copped the brunt of the storm with a soaking 80.4mm of rainfall for the last 72 hours and record-breaking gusty winds of 117km/h. The last record was 109km/h recorded in 2009.
Kris Igar gets up close to the storm at North Beach. Credit: Andrew Richie/The West Australian
More severe weather is on the way
Ms Lingard said there were still some very “significant likes” across the region as the “final cold front moves through.”
Mandurah was just shy of their wind record, with BOM reporting 117km/h winds for the area. The previous record was 118km/h in 2012.
Along the coastline also received destructive winds, with Cape Naturaliste recording a gusty 93km/h. Busselton was blown away with 90km/h wind peaks, and off the coast at Rottnest Island recorded 85km/h gusts.
The early hours of Wednesday morning Ocean Reef peaked at winds over 100km/h, with Jandakot also blowing at 93km/h.
Ms Lingard said Perth should be able to sleep a little easier tonight as the last cold front pushes through the region, with conditions expected to ease come Friday.
“We’ve probably got one more burst moving through the area this evening as this final front pushes through,” she said.
“Once that system moves through. . .we will see conditions really easing, especially for the wind.
“We’ll still see some showers around tomorrow, and obviously the conditions out on the ocean are going to be pretty (rough).
Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed at the home of an FBI-wanted Taliban lackey who was once given a platform by the New York Times.
The jihadist, one of the planners of the Sept. 11 attacks, was taken out by a CIA-issued drone strike Sunday morning at a Kabul home belonging to senior Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani, according to initial reporting by Gray Lady herself.
The publication infamously published an op-ed penned by Haqqani — the leader of the insurgent Haqqani Network in Afghanistan linked to brutal and deadly attacks — to ask for a peace agreement between US and Afghan leaders in 2020.
The paper was slammed by critics and even its own reporters for giving the global terrorist a microphone to thousands of readers to spew what many saw as thinly-veiled propaganda. The Times defended its decision to publish the piece at the time.
The home that Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed at belonged to senior Taliban official Sirajuddin Haqqani.Bilal Sarwary/Twitter
Now the Times is being accused of “stealth-editing” their reporting on the killing of al-Zawahri to remove details of the initial report specifically naming Haqqani.
“According to one American analyst, the house that was struck was owned by a top aide to Sirajuddin Haqqani, a senior official in the Taliban government whom American officials say is close to senior Qaeda figures,” the Times wrote in his initial reporting.
However, that paper axed that paragraph without an editor’s note and later replaced it with language that failed to name Haqqani specifically, as first pointed out by Pluribus editor Jeryl Bier.
The New York Times published an op-ed written by Sirajuddin Haqqani regarding a peace agreement between Afghan and the US.Universal Images Group via Getty
“After the strike, members of the Haqqani network, a terrorist group that is part of the Taliban government, tried to conceal that Mr. Zawahri had been at the house and restrict access to the site, according to a senior administration official. But the official said the United States had multiple intelligence threads confirming that Mr. Zawahri was killed in the strike,” the Times wrote in the updated story.
Critics of the newspaper suggested the publication removed the initial paragraph linking Haqqani’s role in protecting al-Zawahri due to the backlash it received for publishing the Taliban leader’s op-ed.
Critics of the New York Times suggested the newspaper remove Haqqani’s initial paragraph linking his role in protecting al-Zawahri.FBI
However, a Times spokesperson denied such a narrative in a statement to Fox News.
“We regularly edit web stories—especially breaking news stories—to refine the story, add new information, additional context or analysis,” the spokesperson told Fox.
In this case, we updated a complex piece of breaking international news with additional detail from open press briefings. There is absolutely no connection between the editing of this news item and any previous publication by Times Opinion.”
Ayman al-Zawahiri was one of the planners of the Sept. 11 attacks.FBI
Haqqani, deputy leader of the Taliban, is on the FBI’s most wanted list for his alleged involvement in a January 2008 attack on a Kabul hotel that killed six people, including an American citizen. He is also believed to have coordinated and participated in cross-border attacks against the United States and coalition forces in Afghanistan, according to the agency.
The FBI is offering up to a whopping $10 million for information leading directly to his arrest.
PHOENIX – We’re watching Arizona Primary Election races from across the state on Aug. 2, which includes those running for governor, attorney general, US Senate, Secretary of State, House seats and other highly contested races.
We’ll be providing up-to-date information on candidates and their progress in respective races, live looks at watch parties, and results as they come in, which is expected at 8 pm
UPDATES –
11:33 p.m.
This wraps up our election coverage for tonight (August 2). Check back tomorrow morning for more election results.
Masters is one of a number of candidates in the GOP primary for this year’s US Senate election. No news agencies have made a projection on the Arizona Republican Party Senatorial Primary, as of 11:20 pm on Aug. 2. Whoever wins the GOP primary will face incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Kelly in November. Kelly ran unopposed in the Democratic Party Senatorial Primary.
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Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio
Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio is trailing his opponent in the race to be Fountain Hill’s mayor.
The former sheriff said during the late night hours of August 2 that the vote totals so far came from early ballots, and he was awaiting the totals of in-person voting.
If Arpaio loses in the mayoral election, it would mark his fourth electoral defeat in recent years.
Read More
11:15 p.m.
(A.P. Report) Voters on the vast Navajo Nation have advanced tribal presidential candidates Jonathan Nez and Buu Nygren to the general election in November.
Voters narrowed the list of 15 candidates in the primary election Tuesday.
The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the US, extending into New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. The candidates pushed platforms that included economic development, ensuring that basic needs such as running water and electricity are met and finding ways to preserve the Navajo language.
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2022 Primary Election: Political analyst talks about Arizona’s Gubernatorial Primary
FOX 10’s Marc Martinez and Ellen McNamara spoke with political consultant Charles Coughlin on the ballot count so far in the primary election, as well as the state of both leading campaigns in the GOP primary for governor.
10:53 p.m.
10:47 p.m.
The Associated Press is projecting Kirsten Engel to win the Democratic primary in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District. That district covers portions of Cochise, Graham, Pinal and Pima Counties, as well as the whole of Greenlee County.
10:40 p.m.
Kari Lake addresses supporters amid ongoing primary vote count
Lake is running against Karrin Taylor Robson and a number of other candidates for the Republican Party nomination for Arizona Governor. The state’s current governor, Doug Ducey, cannot run again due to term limits.
10:38 p.m.
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Karrin Taylor Robson addresses supporters amid ongoing primary vote count
Karrin Taylor Robson is running against Kari Lake and a number of other candidates for the Republican Party nomination for Arizona Governor. The state’s current governor, Doug Ducey, cannot run again due to term limits.
10:24 p.m.
Pinal County elections officials have provided a live feed of ballots being counted
2022 Primary Election: Arizona political expert analyzes the results
FOX 10’s John Hook and Christina Carilla spoke with political consultant Charles Coughlin, who breaks down the election results, as it stood at around 9:30 pm on August 2, 2022.
9:54 p.m.
Michelle Udall released a statement. She is one of five candidates, including write-in candidates, in the GOP primary for Superintendent of Public Instruction
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The question now, in terms of the ballot counting process, is what happens from here on out?
According to a statement released by the Maricopa County Elections Department, they will publish in-person Election Day results as they are returned from each of the 210 Vote Centers throughout the night. They estimate 106,000 ballots were cast in person on Aug. 2.
“Starting Wednesday, August 3, the Elections Department will begin to sign verify and process the early ballots dropped off on Monday and at the polls today. We’ll update unofficial results daily by 7:00 pm until all verified ballots are counted. We ‘ll also provide a daily update of the estimated ballots left to count,” read a portion of the statement.
Elections counting officials say they can’t complete until after the Aug. 9 statutory deadline for the following:
Conditional Provisional Ballots, cast by voters who did not provide sufficient ID when voting in-person.
Questionable Signatures, or ballots cast by voters whose early ballot signature were questioned. Those voters have a chance to cure the signature issue.
8:49 p.m.
Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Marco Lopez released a statement after the AP projected his opponent, Katie Hobbs, to win the primary race.
The last line, written in Spanish, translates to “It always seems impossible until it becomes reality.”
8:46 p.m.
Katie Hobbs addresses supporters after projected Democratic gubernatorial primary win
Katie Hobbs, who is Arizona’s incumbent Secretary of State, is projected by the Associated Press to defeat former Nogales mayor Marco Lopez in the Democratic gubernatorial primary.
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8:02 p.m.
8 p.m.
The first batch of election results are released. Click here to view them.
7:05 p.m.
Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer says 106,000 in-person votes have been counted, so far.
7 p.m.
Polls have officially closed in Arizona.
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FOX 10 has received several calls and emails on Election Day from viewers saying they had issues with the voting in Pinal County, in-person. Some people said they couldn’t get a ballot to vote because some locations ran out.
MORE: Primary Election 2022: Confusion in Pinal County caused by ‘unprecedented demand for in-person ballots’
5:00 pm
It’s Election Day in Arizona and voters from around the state are heading to the polls for the 2022 Primary. Voters will decide on candidates for governor, senate, congressional races, and dozens of state and local contests. Many voters have already cast their ballots, but plenty of people are still showing up tonight at the polls.
Arizona Governor Race:
Arizona GOP Primary Election update – 9 pm
FOX 10’s Stephanie Bennett and Brian Webb reports.
Arizona Gov. GOP Primary watch party – 9 pm
FOX 10’s Stephanie Bennett reports.
Democratic
libertarian
Republican
The AP is projecting that Katie Hobbs has won the gubernatorial Democratic Party primary.
Attorney general race:
Arizona Attorney General Election Day update – 9 pm
FOX 10’s Justin Lum reports.
Democratic
libertarian
Republican
Arizona Senator race:
Arizona Primary Senate race update – 9 pm
FOX 10’s Linda Williams reports.
Democratic
libertarian
Republican
More races:
Not finding information on a race you’re looking for? Click here.
Further coverage:
What to watch in the Arizona Primary Election
Arizona, which Democrat Joe Biden narrowly won in 2020, is a top target for former President Donald Trump, who tried in vain to get his defeat overturned. He has endorsed a slate of candidates up and down the ballot who have promoted his false claims of a stolen election.
Comancheros bikie boss Mark Buddle has been deported from Turkey and is in police custody in Australia.
Buddle is suspected of being involved in major drug shipments to Australia and is a person of interest in the 2010 murder of NSW security guard Gary Allibon.
SEE THE ARREST FOOTAGE IN THE VIDEO PLAYER ABOVE
Buddle left Australia in 2016 and has been living in various locations in the Middle East since then.
He is expected to face court on Wednesday.
Footage has emerged of Comanchero bikie boss Mark Buddle being frogmarched into a police station in handcuffs. Credit: Australian Federal Police/Australian Federal PoliceThe nation’s most wanted man was apprehended by Australian Federal Police over alleged drug importation after he touched down in Darwin on Tuesday morning. Credit: Australian Federal Police/Australian Federal Police
Buddle is suspected of having moved to Northern Cyprus to avoid extradition to Australia, where he faces questioning about his alleged involvement in drug and murder investigations.
Northern Cyprus is not officially recognized by any country other than Turkey and does not share an extradition treaty with Australia.
Buddle took over as head of the Comancheros in 2009 following the jailing of former boss, Mahmoud ‘Mick’ Hawi. Credit: Supplied
Buddle took over the leadership of the Comancheros in 2009 when former boss Mahmoud “Mick” Hawi was jailed over a fatal brawl at Sydney Airport.
Hawaii was later shot dead outside a gym in Sydney.
Buddle fled Australia in 2016 after being named a person of interest in the murder of a security guard and has evaded authorities ever since.
In 2010, 59-year-old Gary Allibon was shot in the back during the early-morning robbery of a cash-in-transit van on Sydney’s Sussex Street.
It is understood he had handed over a cash box and had his hands in the air when he was shot.
Buddle is believed to have been one of the focus points of police investigations — although no charges have been laid.
It is understood Buddle has spent the past several years in different countries with partner Melanie Ter Wisscha and their two children. Credit: Supplied
For several years, Buddle lived with long time partner Melanie Ter Wisscha and their two children in Dubai.
Last year, video surfaced of Buddle in an altercation with tourists at a Dubai pool.
Soon after, he left the country and the Sydney-born fugitive is believed to have traveled to Turkey, Greece and Iraq, before finally settling in Northern Cyprus.
In 2021, Cypriot newspaper Kibris Gercek reported Buddle had been granted residency by high-ranking politicians until August 6, 2022.
The reason for the residence permit was reported to be his “high income”.
A statement by the interior ministry said police had later determined Buddle’s presence was “inconvenient in terms of public peace and security”.
It was just a quick snack and drinks while on their honeymoon in Greece — and it turned into a whopping bill.
Newlyweds Alex and Lindsay Breen ordered just one beer, one cocktail and a dozen oysters — and were then hit with a staggering $850 bill by the DK Oyster bar on the island of Mykonos.
The Canadian couple were in disbelief when they saw the eyewatering tab, with restaurant waiters handing them menus without prices.
“We went to the oyster bar for a bite to eat and a drink,” Lindsay said.
“They immediately said, ‘Do you want oysters?’ We said yes and he said, ‘A dozen?’, so we said yes because a dozen is a typical order.
“My husband ordered a beer and I asked for a cocktail menu and he came back with the beer but I had to ask again for a cocktail menu and he started rhyming off different kinds of alcohol he had, vodka, gin but I asked for a menu.”
Alex Breen with his beer and oysters at the restaurant in Greece. Credit: Kennedy News and Media/Kennedy News and Media
The waiter eventually brought her a menu “but it didn’t have the brand or the drinks”.
Lindsay gave in and ordered an Aperol spritz.
When they had finished the oysters, the waiter tried to persuade them to order crab legs.
“When we’d finished the oysters, he was trying to get us to have crab legs and thank goodness we didn’t,” Lindsay said.
She said the waiter then tried to pressure them into having dessert.
“The guy came back with a huge trolley of desserts and he says, ‘So of course we’re having cake today’, and starts putting different desserts on our table and we said we didn’t want them and he started getting offended that we didn’t want to take them, so I can see how people would be pressured to take more,” she said.
“As we kept refusing what he was trying to give us, he was getting more frustrated.”
When the couple were ready to leave, they asked for the bill — but rather than giving it to them at the table, Alex was taken to a back room to pay.
Lindsay Breen with her cocktail. Credit: Kennedy News and Media/Kennedy News and Media
On being shown the massive bill, Alex was shocked and asked for a breakdown, which they gave him in Greek.
Feeling under pressure and getting a “sketchy vibe”, Alex paid the bill.
“He definitely felt intimidated and he’s the friendliest guy, so even if the bill was double he probably would have paid it to avoid any problems,” Lindsay said.
“It was pretty crazy. I’m glad in hindsight that we didn’t cause an argument or refuse to pay because it could have ended up worse for us.
“They know when you’re tourists and they take advantage.”
Egg lovers across the country may have to get used to seeing near-empty shelves, as Coles and Woolworths supermarkets continue to face shortages amid a decreased supply from farmers.
Over the course of the pandemic, Aussie customers have become accustomed to reduced supplies of essential food items, with eggs just the latest to be added to the list.
Coles has placed restrictions on eggs, with customers only allowed to buy no more than two cartons in one shop.
For more Food related news and videos check out Food >>
A Coles spokesperson told 7NEWS.com.au it was continuing to monitor supply and work hard with suppliers to improve availability.
“(We) will keep customers updated on any changes,” the spokesperson said.
Woolworths stores do not currently have any restrictions in place, with eggs continuing to be delivered into stores on a regular basis despite the constrained supply.
Woolies and Coles say they are continuing to work with suppliers to meet demand. Credit: Getty Images
A spokesperson attributed the shortage to a reduction in the output of locally produced eggs at a number of farms across the country.
“While we continue to deliver eggs to our stores regularly, customers may notice reduced availability at the moment and we thank them for their patience and understanding,” the spokesperson said.
“We’re in close contact with our suppliers and are working to increase the availability of eggs in stores as soon as possible.”
Australian Eggs managing director Rowan McMonnies said while some were pinning the blame on free-range eggs for the empty shelves, there is actually a host of contributing factors.
“Free-range production is more complex than other systems as there are more variables to manage, including seasonal weather conditions,” he said.
“Egg farmers are usually able to meet demand across the year through planning but COVID disruption has made this difficult.”
According to McMonnies, when lockdown ended last year, egg demand dropped significantly, which sent a signal to farmers that people did not want as many eggs.
The reason for the decrease in supply should not be boiled down to the production of free-range eggs, says Australian Eggs managing director Rowan McMonnies. Credit: Getty Images
However, demand has bounced back much faster than expected, and demand for eggs has increased over the past 12 months.
“Retail volumes are only down slightly on this time last year, which was at an elevated position due to the COVID lockdowns,” McMonnies said.
“Cafes and restaurants appear to have also bounced back faster than anticipated as diners have made up for lost time.”
McMonnies reassured customers that the egg industry was strong and that a range of production systems meant customers would continue to have a variety of choices.
“Egg farmers will respond to the current shortages to ensure demand will be met going forward.”
Perth Airport is in chaos after desperately trying to recover from a total blackout because of the severe storms crossing the State.
Flights were up and running but there was a huge backlog with passengers attempting to get through security.
Hundreds of people in high-vis were at Terminal 2 as regional flights were taking off. The line to get through to security was almost out the door as people raced to make their flight on time.
Terminal 1 was less chaotic, almost a ghost town in comparison, as several flights were still cancelled.
An airport spokeswoman said the terminals were “fully operational” as of 10pm last night but the flow-on effects of the impact could still be felt.
Perth Airport has announced a thorough review of its backup power systems in light of the power disruption.
While the backup power for the critical runways switched on, terminals were thrown into disarray chaos as backup power failed to come on.
Chief executive Kevin Brown said the review would start immediately to understand why parts of the back-up generation system did not deploy.
“We apologize for the inconvenience the power outage caused to passengers and we thank them for their patience and understanding that we were dealing with a unique and challenging weather event,” he said.
“The back-up generation system for critical safety systems such as the runway lighting worked as intended, meaning that aircraft could continue to land safely throughout the event.
“Other parts of the back-up generation system that provide power to the terminals did not work as intended.
“We need to understand why that happened.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
Thousands of passengers were disrupted overnight with dozens of flights delayed or cancelled.
The airport told its passengers to go home and declared all flights were canceled due to power outages “out of their control”, but by 8pm on Tuesday, changed its mind.
“With critical services back online, Perth Airport is now able to process some passengers through the outbound security processes,” a statement said.
“However it will take some time to clear the backlog of delayed services.”
By 10pm, the airport said it was working to activate its systems across its terminals in order to become fully-operational following delays and cancellations across the airline networks.
Passengers were warned some airlines could still decide to cancel and reschedule flights. “We ask passengers for their continued patience as our team and our airline partners work to get flights underway,” the airport said.
Travelers were left sitting in the dark with only torches to light their way.
Severe storms hitting Perth shut all the power down at the airport in what some experienced staff have never seen before.
Disgruntled passengers battled with freshly unloaded luggage as torrential wind and rain pelted them as they left the airport to board taxis.
Perth Airport announced the news about 5.15pm, warning that a power outage would result in lengthy delays for the next two hours.
The airport apologized to passengers, some of whom are understood to be stranded at other airports because they’re unable to land in Perth.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Picture are Angela and Han Nguyen Justin Benson-Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“The safety of everyone who works in or is traveling through our airport remains our highest priority,” the airport said.
“We apologize to our passengers and customers for any inconvenience.”
Perth Airport said the decision to cancel flights earlier in the evening was made based on the advice of Western Power.
“Perth Airport has made the decision to delay all outbound services currently scheduled to depart before 7.30pm,” the statement said.
“All enroute inbound flights will be able to arrive safely. All scheduled flights into Perth which have not yet departed will be delayed until further notice.”
Hundreds of people were still crowding around baggage carousels at 7.30pm waiting for luggage to be unloaded from aircrafts.
Passengers in the Qantas terminal were reminded to stay patient while a “technical issue” prevented people from rebooking flights, as staff handed out water and chips to affected travellers.
A team in Sydney is currently working to “uncheck” passengers so flights can be rebooked. “Please be patient and go home, rebook from home as I’ve been advised delays could take up to another two hours,” staff announced.
Qantas Passengers Angela and Han Nguyen hoped to be on a flight to Sydney for a three-day work event.
Ms Nguyen, who is pregnant, said at about 3pm they were aware of flight delays.
Perth Airport has experienced a major power outage. Justin Benson Cooper Credit: Justin Benson Cooper/The West Australian
“We were Sitting in the lounge upstairs getting notifications from staff that it was out of their control and they had no idea what was happening,” she said.
“Staff working for 20 years told us they’d seen nothing like this.”
While “disappointed”, the couple said they were glad they could return to their Attadale home.
The lights came back on shortly before 7pm.
Passengers were told to leave as soon as their bags were collected and Perth visitors were told to find their own accommodation. Car park shelters were packed, as people waited to be picked up by transport services.
Melbourne woman Caren Vidler said she had no idea what to do as she frantically tried to find a bed for the night.
She was on her way to London when she was stopped at immigration and told her flight was cancelled.
“I’m going to watch some friends, who are divers, compete in the Commonwealth Games,” she said.
“I’ll be gutted if I can’t watch them, this was the whole purpose of my trip.”
“I’ve never experienced this before, I don’t know anyone in Perth…I’m going to need a bed for the night.”
Western Power says emergency crews are working hard in difficult conditions to restore power across Perth.
“Damaging and destructive winds associated with the front have thrown debris, including tree branches, into the network, damaging equipment and bringing down powerlines,” a spokesperson said.
“Our priority during the storm is responding to reported hazards to ensure the safety of the community and our crews.
A power outage has delayed flights at Perth Airport. Credit: Lincoln Baker/The West Australian
“Our network operations team is working to isolate damaged parts of the network and back feed where possible to restore power where it is safe to do so.”
It comes as Perth braces for more damaging winds set to smash the State after thousands were left without power and properties damaged overnight.
On Tuesday night, 11,000 homes in Perth and the South West remained without power.
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe weather warning for Goldfields, Eucla, Lower West, South West, South Coastal, South East Coastal, Great Southern, Central Wheat Belt and parts of Gascoyne, South Interior and Central West districts.
A strong wind warning is also in place for Melville Waters and the Gascoyne Coast.
These winds are forecast to continue through to dawn on Wednesday and the Bureau has warned that wind likes may cause damage to homes and property, particularly along the coast and nearby inland, becoming more isolated further inland.
WA’s biggest independent food distributor has warned consumers to expect further hikes at their favorite pubs and restaurants – and eventually supermarkets – as supply chain pressures and skyrocketing input costs continue to drive up prices.
The price of vegetable oil supplied by New West Foods to hundreds of eateries across WA has almost doubled since August 2020, with eggs up 75 per cent over the same two-year period.
Salmon has jumped 50 per cent while cheese and bacon are both up around 35 per cent.
Even the humble frozen chip – a staple of takeaway menus everywhere – has climbed 25 per cent.
The scale of price rises over the past two years. Credit: The West Australian
The majority of those price rises have come in the last 12 months as myriad factors combined to create what New West Foods managing director Damon Venoutsos said was the “perfect storm” for food costs.
Mr Venoutsos described distribution businesses like his own as the “canary in the coal mine” for price increases because – unlike supermarkets and fast-food chains – they did not enter into long-term agreements with suppliers.
“Most of the time we get 30 days’ notice from our suppliers that prices are going up whereas your big retailers (such as Coles and Woolworths) and quick service restaurants (such as KFC) can lock in their prices for anything up to six months ,” he said.
“Often we’re using the exact same supplier so while I don’t know when (the supermarkets) are going to catch up, it’s inevitable they will have to.”
Mr Venoutsos said prices had increased “very quickly and very dramatically” in recent months and that practically no food type had been spared, although some – such as fish, meat and dairy – had been impacted worse than others.
The biggest riser – vegetable oil – is in short supply globally, with exports largely cut off from war-torn Ukraine which traditionally produces 50 per cent of the sunflower oil used around the world.
New West Foods clients include Optus Stadium, King Edward Memorial and Sir Charles Gairdner hospitals and hundreds of restaurants and cafes.
New West Foods managing director Damon Venoutsos has warned of more price hikes. Credit: simon santi/The West Australian
Mr Venoutos said takeaway-oriented restaurants such as fish and chip shops and pizzerias were among the hardest hit with practically all their staple ingredients surging in price.
Independent Food Distributors Australia chief executive Richard Forbes listed half a dozen reasons for the escalating costs including clogged ports globally, COVID lockdowns in China, a shortage of sea containers and spiraling domestic energy and transport prices.
Last month, Manjimup-based WA Chips – the State’s only local manufacturer – revealed its gas bill was up $400,000 (60 per cent) compared to the previous year.
Mr Forbes said additional costs were being incurred at every step of the production, distribution and storage supply chain.
“Anyone that refrigerates product in bulk – which would be practically all distributors – have seen those costs go from around $50,000 to $80,000,” he said.
Labor shortages were also a major issue, with Mr Forbes estimating there were 160,000 vacancies between the agriculture, transport, warehousing and hospitality sectors.
Jamie Vardy has been pictured for the first time today behind the wheel of his £130,000 Bentley following the sensational Wagatha Christie verdict.
The Leicester City footballer, 35, was pictured looking glum in the front seat of his Bentley Bentayga Azure amid his wife Rebekah’s High Court defeat on Friday – as the couple face an expensive £3million legal bill.
The bombshell libel trial led to a dramatic showdown between two of English football’s most prolific strikers as Wayne Rooney and Jamie went on the attack in defense of their wives.
Former England teammates Wayne and Jamie were once described as ‘close friends on and off the field’ by former England manager Roy Hodson but all that was kicked into touch as the high-profile trial unfolded.
Wayne, 36 dutifully accompanied his wife Coleen for each day of the trial, dressed in sharp suits that matched her formal outfits and the two were photographed purposefully striding into the High Court as they put on a united front.
Jamie, on the other hand, only accompanied Rebekah once during the trial, ironically on the day when his former international colleague Wayne was giving evidence.
Meanwhile, Mrs Vardy could still appeal against the bombshell ruling as she declared herself ‘devastated’ and branded the decision ‘unjust’ and ‘wrong’.
Sources close to Rebekah said that ‘nothing has been ruled out’ and that lawyers were still ‘combing over’ the 75-page judgment as they searched for possible grounds to take Coleen back to court.
The 40-year-old’s reputation is in tatters after she scored one of the worst own goals in British legal history after a High Court judge dismissed her evidence as ‘evasive or implausible’ and said she had deliberately deleted WhatsApp messages central to the case. Her agent de ella was also told she had intentionally dropped her phone de ella in the North Sea.
Jamie Vardy (pictured) has been pictured for the first time today since the sensational Wagatha Christie verdict behind the wheel of his £130,000 Bentley
The Leicester City footballer, 35, was pictured looking glum in the front seat of his Bentley Bentayga Azure amid his wife Rebekah’s High Court defeat on Friday
Rebekah Vardy and her Leicester City footballer husband Jamie pictured together outside the High Court on May earlier this year
Mrs Vardy and her footballer husband have been left with a £3million legal bill after Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in favor of Mrs Rooney in a judgment that said swathes of her evidence given under oath had been ‘manifestly inconsistent’, ‘not credible’ and needed to be treated with ‘very considerable caution’.
Rebekah, who now risks losing a quarter of the £12million fortune she shares with her husband Jamie, said: ‘I am extremely sad and disappointed at the decision that the judge has reached. It is not the result that I had expected, nor believe it was just. I brought this action to vindicate my reputation and am devastated by the judge’s finding.
‘The judge accepted that publication of Coleen’s post was not in the ‘public interest’ and she also rejected her claim that I was the ‘Secret Wag’. But as for the rest of her judgement, she got it wrong and this is something I cannot accept’.
She added: ‘The case is over. I want to thank everyone who has supported me.’
It comes as Mrs Vardy returned to Instagram on Saturday and posted a picture of her walking away from a camera with the caption: ‘Peace out’ and showing a V-sign towards a camera.
The image shows Mrs Vardy wearing a black jacket with graffitied text reading ‘normal is boring’, along with blue denim shorts and black boots.
Mrs Vardy returned to Instagram on Saturday (pictured) and posted a picture of her walking away from a camera with the caption: ‘Peace out’ and showing a V-sign towards a camera
Rebekah Vardy and footballer husband Jamie (pictured leaving court at an earlier hearing) have been left with a £3m legal bill after Mrs Justice Steyn ruled in favor of Coleen Rooney
Coleen Rooney pictured arriving with husband Wayne to the High Court in London in May earlier this year
It comes as Vardy’s efforts to restore her reputation may include a documentary, a biography and two retail campaigns.
Sources close to Vardy hope a bidding war will break out among production companies, five of which are said to be interested, to create a documentary on the infamous case.
Bidders are expected to offer between £50,000 and £250,000 for her involvement, The Times reports.
Streaming giants Netflix, Amazon and Disney are already believed to be battling it out to broadcast Rooney’s side of the legal battle made by Lorton Entertainment – the same company responsible for the feature film on Wayne.
A source close to Coleen said she could be in line for ‘several million pounds’ for her participation.
Vardy’s Instagram post comes amid reports suggesting that Mrs Vardy has not ruled out a possible appeal despite legal experts claiming she has little hope of being successful and would be better off ‘retiring to a Scottish island’.
Vardy had sued over an accusation she had leaked details of her private life to the press. It came after Mrs Rooney had staged an elaborate sting operation to find out who she was passing on stories about her private life from Ella to The Sun.
Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy together in 2016. The WAGs have ended up in court in the libel trial of the year and Mrs Vardy’s reputation is in tatters after bringing the case and losing
The judge, Justice Karen Steyn, said in her ruling that Coleen had successfully proved her allegation was substantially true.
Mrs Vardy will have to pay her rival’s costs as well as her own, which sources in both camps say comes to between £2million and £3million.
The huge legal bill means the Vardys may be forced to sell their beloved Portuguese villa to cover the costs.
Mrs Vardy relentlessly pursued the case against her Wag rival Coleen Rooney for nearly three years after being accused of leaking private stories about Coleen and her family to The Sun newspaper.
The bombshell verdict from Court 13 of the High Court was handed down remotely online at noon by Mrs Justice Steyn just over two months after the hearing in May. Vardy’s failed libel suit has been branded the most ill-advised in history.
Mrs Vardy had insisted on a full trial in the glare of the international media – and lost.
Legal expert Mark Stephens dashed cold water on any ideas Mrs Vardy may have had in terms of an appeal and described her decision to go to court as ‘ill-advised’.
He told MailOnline: ‘She has got no hope whatsoever of appeal. The judge has made findings on the fact, in order to appeal she has to demonstrate that the judge has erred in law some way – and she has not.
Mrs Vardy will have to pay her rival’s costs as well as her own, which sources in both camps say comes to between £2million and £3million
‘This case was always ill-advised. If you go into a libel courtroom, the lawyers are paid to dissect you. They did it. They damaged both women reputationally.
‘Unfortunately for Vardy the stain will be very long lived. She will be better off retiring to a Scottish island and not saying much ever again.
‘An appeal is going to be throwing good money after bad and this is already an own-goal. What you don’t want is an own hattrick that makes a disaster out of a crisis.’
Media litigator Matthew Dando, a partner at Wiggin LLP, told MailOnline: ‘It is a devastating and damning judgment for Rebekah Vardy that leaves her credibility in tatters. It is hard to imagine a stronger judicial condemnation of her evidence.
‘It will do real damage to Rebekah Vardy’s finances too as she will have to pay Coleen Rooney’s legal costs as well as her own.
‘It is hard to imagine Rebekah Vardy emerging from this with anything less than a fatal wound to her character and credibility’.
The High Court found that Mrs Rooney’s social media post accusing her rival was ‘substantially true’ and that Mrs Vardy ‘knew of, condoned and was actively engaged’ in leaks to the media by her ex-agent Caroline Watt.
