Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr has called out Anthony Albanese’s government after it lifted ankle monitors and curfews for four ex-offenders, including a convicted rapist.

The Cuban man, better known as XTVC, was thrown behind bars after raping a 19-year-old girl at a party in 2009. The Australian reports this.

He was sentenced to four years in prison with a non-parole period of two years and six months, and was placed in immigration detention after his release in 2015.

The man was unable to return to Cuba because of a documentary he made about the plight of his people, which led to him being considered a counter-revolutionary.

Four years later, XVC was charged with causing harm to a government official while detained in a Western Australian immigration center.

He was sentenced to 10 months in prison and was detained again upon his release in 2020.

Following the landmark Supreme Court ruling last November, XTVC was released under strict conditions, including ankle monitoring and a curfew from 10pm to 6am.

However, on February 7, the control conditions were revoked and the convicted rapist was allowed to walk free for the first time since 2009.

Barr demanded to know why the rapist was not closely monitored when she confronted Home Secretary Clare O’Neil on Wednesday morning.

“Can you please explain to us how this rapist, who was given a two-year prison sentence for raping a 19-year-old girl at a party, is now free, without ankle monitor monitoring and without a curfew?” she asked Secretary O’Neil on Wednesday.

Ms O’Neil said the Community Protection Board provided advice for every detainee released following a High Court decision last November and that following that advice was “the legally safest way for us to manage those decisions”.

“This is an expert group of former police officers, law enforcement officers, criminologists and psychologists who work to advise the government on what protections should be provided for each individual,” she said.

Barr demanded to know whether the government was bound by the advisory or could have intervened and kept an ankle monitor on the convicted rapist.

Ms O’Neil dodged the question, saying: ‘I can’t comment on the individual cases.’

“So you could have maintained control and said, we are the government, we don’t think that is a good idea given the circumstances of this man and what he has done?” she said.

“Australia is watching this morning and thinking: wait a minute. Australians are trying to find out what the hell is going on.”

Ms O’Neil, her government, had come up with alternative ways to protect Australians, including a $255 million investment in police and border forces.

“If I could bring that detention system back, I absolutely would,” she said.

“But the High Court has made a decision and the government must follow the law, just like every other Australian.”

The Supreme Court ruled last November that indefinite detention was unlawful, leading to the release of 148 detainees.

Some of the group had serious criminal convictions, including for murder and rape, while others faced less serious charges.

They were all behind bars before being placed in immigration detention and subjected to ankle monitors and a curfew.

Several have since been arrested for violating visa rules.

But they avoided conviction due to a “technical issue” with the way their visas were issued, which has since been resolved.

Opposition spokesman Dan Tehan pressed the minister to answer why the visa issue was not addressed earlier.

In response, Mr Giles said the issue dates back to 2013 and had existed for almost a decade under the former coalition government.

Labor faces a new immigration challenge

It comes as Labor faces another High Court challenge as an Iranian citizen known as ASF17 makes a legal bid for freedom.

The Albanian government has tried to send him back to Iran, but as a bisexual man he could face the death penalty if he returns.

Iran is the only country Australia is trying to send him to, even though he is willing to go to another country, his lawyers said in written submissions to the court.

If the ruling is extended to people detained indefinitely who refuse to cooperate with Australian authorities, the Iranian man would be freed and more immigrants could be freed.

Immigration Minister Andrew Giles was asked about the issue during Question Time on Monday.

Individuals who have not cooperated in their removal should be forced out of Australia as a matter of priority and remain in immigration detention during the process, he said.

“We will vigorously defend this position before the Supreme Court,” Mr Giles said.

If the Commonwealth wins the case, the government will be able to block further releases from immigration detention.

By Kylie Stevens for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 5:08 PM EST, March 5, 2024 | Updated: 5:36 PM EST, March 5, 2024

Sunrise presenter Nat Barr has confronted NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb after an officer allegedly shot his ex-boyfriend and his new partner with his service pistol.

Beaumont Lamarre-Condon, 28, is behind bars after being charged with the murders of former Ten reporter Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, in Sydney on February 19.

Investigators allege Lamarre-Condon’s crimes were the result of a months-long campaign of “predatory behavior,” which culminated in the fatal double shooting.

Webb was confronted about her lack of leadership during the week-long investigation by Barr and her cohost Matt Shirvington.

“You have been criticized for your lack of public presence on this issue. It wasn’t until three days later that I actually heard from you,” Shirvington said. ‘Why was that so?’

Webb responded, “It really was a live investigation. The officer reported himself on Friday. He has not been charged and will appear in court in the afternoon. I got up yesterday. I issued a statement on Sunday.

“I’ve been off doing other things, I have a big organization and a $5 billion budget for 22,000 people.

“The great thing about being a commissioner and a leader is that you have great people around you,” Webb continued.

‘I have a great director. I have a great team. And they all have a role to play. I let them do their job and they do it well.’

But Barr was unimpressed by her response.

‘Commissioner, it is about leadership. You said you’re the leader. And no matter how busy you are, you have a police officer who is allegedly involved in this.

“Do you have three days to speak for a crime that has gripped this nation, and especially this city? Come on.’

Webb hit back.

“It’s still a live investigation, it’s very complex.”

But Barr kept calling for Webb.

‘You don’t have to argue with anyone. To stand there and speak and be human, would it be a mistake not to do that?’ she continued.

Webb responded, “What I did on Sunday was talk to Jesse’s family. What I did yesterday was discussed with Luke’s family.

“I want them to know we’re doing everything we can to find Jesse and Luke.”

She was then asked if she deserves the criticism.

“There will always be haters. Haters love to hate. Isn’t that what Taylor says?’ she said.

‘I have work to do. It’s a big job. This is just one of many. We had seven murders last week. Although this is of course a complex matter. All we have to do now is find Jesse and Luke.”

Commissioner Webb, who earns a salary of $679,050, was criticized for remaining silent during a news conference Monday about the alleged double homicide.

Deputy Commissioner Dave Hudson answered questions about the investigation for more than 30 minutes, while Ms Webb spoke for just 12 minutes.

Many of the questions asked focused on the fact that the commissioner did not speak publicly about the case until three days after the alleged murders.

She said criticism of her leadership was “offensive” after she was accused of “absconding” by MP and former police officer Rod Roberts.

More to come.

Barnaby Joyce has blamed mixing prescription drugs with alcohol after an embarrassing video showed him lying on his back near a gutter and mumbling profanities into his phone.

Daily Mail Australia unveiled exclusive video last Wednesday of the former deputy prime minister, 56, sprawled on the footpath on Lonsdale Street, in the Canberra suburb of Braddon.

Sources said the Nationals frontbencher was sitting on a large potted plant while having an animated phone conversation with his wife, Vikki Campion, when he fell off, 'rolled on the floor' and continued with his phone call.

Mr Joyce was forced to address the night out during an appearance at Sunrise with Natalie Barr.

“How are you,” Barr asked awkwardly.

Mr Joyce replied: “Look, I clearly made a big mistake. There's no excuse for it.

'There's a reason. And it was a very eventful walk home, wasn't it?

'I'm taking a prescription drug and they say certain things can happen to you if you drink [on it], and they were absolutely 100 percent right. They did that.'

Barr continued to ask Mr. Joyce, “So you mixed alcohol with prescription drugs, and this is what happened?”

Joyce replied, “That's exactly what I said, yes.”

Barr then asked, “Are you a little upset that you were on the ground and someone filmed you and no one helped you?”

Joyce said, “Well, that's a question for them, you know. For me, the Good Samaritan was the… was the Indian taxi driver who stopped as I was walking home and said, 'Do you need a lift, mate?', which obviously I did.”

'Do you need support with this?' Barr asked Mr. Joyce.

“Well, look… I'm not looking for sympathy and I'm not looking for an excuse,” he said.

'I'll just stick with that. What I said is what I said. I came back, sat on a planter, fell off and was videotaped. There you go. What else can you say?'

Barr suggested that if something similar happened to a company director “and they were right there and under the influence of alcohol, they could be reprimanded.”

“Do you think you should be? That's being discussed this morning,' she asked.

Mr Joyce said this was 'not really my decision'. “I'm not going to get into a long dialogue about what other people might want to do,” he said.

Nationals leader David Littleproud said Joyce would “get the support” he needed, while Labor Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek declined to comment.

“I won't add anything to it,” she told reporters.

“It's a matter for Barnaby, his family and his company to resolve.”

Mr Joyce's admission comes after his father-in-law revealed he had received a devastating message shortly before the incident.

“He had some really bad family news that day,” Peter Campion told Daily Mail Australia on Saturday.

'He has already lost a brother to cancer. That's where you should start. He had very bad similar news, which is not for me to reveal, but of the same magnitude, and it affected him deeply.

'As my daughter said, he was in a very, very bad situation and deeply depressed.

'Any decent human being who came across someone in that position, who was so sad that they collapsed on the footpath, would stop and help, not just make a video clip and sell it to the media.

“The biggest part of this story wasn't Barnaby being an emotional wreck on the sidewalk. It is the lack of caring from his countrymen, his fellow Australians.”

'What have we conveyed that people will do that? Walk past a man who clearly needs help.”

Meanwhile, a fake plaque has appeared at the spot where Mr Joyce fell last Wednesday evening.

The artist was in such a hurry that they got the date wrong and said it happened in January and not February.

A local who saw it told Daily Mail Australia: 'It's pretty hilarious. Everyone stops and laughs.

“It's glued down, so it's going to be there for a while.”

By Eliza Mcphee for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 4:07 PM EST, February 4, 2024 | Updated: 4:41 PM EST, February 4, 2024

Nat Barr has confronted Lidia Thorpe as her uncle sets up an indefinite camp in a public park and refuses to leave until the government hands it back to the Aboriginal people.

Robbie Thorpe established 'Camp Sovereignty' at Kings Domain in Melbourne on Tuesday, saying the park is sovereign land that has not been ceded.

Mr Thorpe is joined by others who say they will stay there 'forever', or at least until the large park, 1km south of the city's CBD, is returned to the people of the Kulin Nation.

The Kings Domain Resting Place is the burial place for 38 Aboriginal people, and Mr Thorpe held a similar demonstration there for 60 days in 2006.

This follows the recent return of a park in Melbourne's north to traditional owners and a $100 million claim for Sydney's Balmoral Beach.

Senator Thorpe has voiced her support for her uncle's land claim and was confronted by Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr on Thursday morning.

“It's an incredibly complex issue that people have a hard time understanding,” Barr said.

“Today people are watching and saying, 'I can't be held responsible for what happened in the past. Do you understand that? What do you say to them?'

Senator Thorpe hit back with some damning statistics about the impact of colonization on Aboriginal people and its Aussie demands.

“We were 100 percent of the population in the country before colonization and boats came,” she said.

'We are the most imprisoned; 23,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have been taken from their families, and the list goes on.

“We are the most incarcerated women in the world; Aboriginal women, at just 3 percent. That's a lot of women. So we want peace. We want unity. We would like a treaty that is about a peace agreement.

'And I understand there is fear. But don't listen to the politicians who create this fear. Listen to those who want to unite the country and get started. So we can be proud of where we live and who we are as a nation.”

Senator Thorpe also spoke about the divisive state of the nation following the referendum, saying Camp Sovereignty was a peaceful gathering open to all Australians.

“The sit-in at Kings Domain, or Camp Sovereignty, is a peaceful gathering. “Everyone is welcome to come down, participate in the truth-telling, share stories around the fire, and contribute to the healing of our country from the grassroots,” she said.

“This is an opportunity for ordinary Australians to join the conversation about treaty and peace, moving away from the divisions seen every January 26,” she explained.

Barr's cohost, Matt “Shirvo” Shirvington, then asked the senator if the sit-in in the park was the best way to address the problem.

“Robbie's done this before,” Shirvo explained. 'In 2006 he did it for 60 days. Basically, he makes it his life's work, right? He won't leave until a solution is found. Was he forced to do this? Is this the best way to do this?'

'And I understand there is fear. But don't listen to the politicians who create this fear. They got it wrong in the referendum. They were told not to have it.

“So I think it's up to the people now to start these conversations at the local level so that we can show these politicians how we can have a united nation here, so that we can come together and live together.

“It's not about taking people's backyards. It's not about taking anything away from the ordinary Australian. It's about improving your life by understanding the country you live in.

'Understanding the true stories. I mean, what they now call Kings Domain has been a gathering place for thousands of generations. We want to make it a meeting place for everyone again.'

Indigenous activists hope to build a stone house there as a cultural interpretation center while removing all traces of the 'Windsor crime family'.

They plan to rename the park “Yalukit Willam,” its traditional name, and hold ceremonies for education and healing at the cultural interpretation center.

Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl and the area around the Royal Botanic Gardens are all within Kings Domain.

Mr Thorpe said if his group doesn't 'win' they will be left with nothing.

He said he is trying to work with the City of Melbourne to help promote an 'Aboriginal culture close to the CBD'.

Police have visited the camp several times and Mr Thorpe has so far complied with requests to remove tents and marquees from the space.

Camp Sovereignty organizers held a meeting with council members Wednesday morning to map out a path forward for their protest.

Greens MP Tim Read also visited the camp on Wednesday to talk to Thorpe about his ambitions and to call on others to get involved.

Sunrise presenter Natalie Barr has accused the Woolworths chief executive of trying to make a political statement about Australia Day, prompting the supermarket boss to insist he is not trying to 'cancel' the national holiday.

The supermarket giant shocked customers earlier this month when it announced it would not stock any products on January 26 due to declining demand and daytime sensitivities.

In response to the public backlash, the retailer has since taken out full-page newspaper advertisements with a letter written by its boss emphasizing that the retailer is not anti-Australia Day.

“We are not trying to 'cancel' Australia Day, but Woolworths is deeply proud of our place in providing the fresh food that brings Australians together every day,” wrote Woolworths CEO Brad Banducci.

The South African-born CEO faced a backlash from Barr when he appeared on Sunrise on Wednesday morning.

“Is it ultimately your role to tell Australians what they can and cannot buy?” she asked.

In his response, Mr Banducci took a swipe at rival retailers who had rejected Woolworth's move.

'The great thing about retailers is that we all make different decisions about what we want to stock. They made their decision and we made ours,” he said.

'We are focused on providing great value for everyday needs so you can mark the occasion and celebrate the Australia Day long weekend with friends and family. That is our focus.'

Barr asked if there was more to the decision, which Mr Banducci denied, insisting the decision was a commercial rather than political one.

“It's more than that, on this subject, isn't it? Does it make a political statement by not stocking Australia Day merchandise?” Barr asked.

Mr. Banducci hit back: “I don't think that's true.

'We focus on what we are good at, which is food and daily needs.

“There are pressures on Australian families and affordability, so we are focusing on what we do best, which is that.”

Barr also grilled Mr. Banducci about the newspaper ads, and why the supermarket felt the need to do so.

“It doesn't sound like it went well,” she said.

Mr Banducci defended the ads, but admitted that communication with shoppers could have been much better.

'It didn't go badly. It is a decision we made together as a team,” he explained.

'But I do worry that people who feel frustrated, who may not fully understand our message, risk taking the frustration out of hard-working staff.'

'I thought it was important to reiterate our position.

“We didn't say it as clearly as we should have in the beginning. That's the problem with Australia Day.'

“If nothing else comes from this, the clear message is: treat our team with the respect they deserve.”

Mr Banducci added that Australia Day merchandise sales have declined in recent years.

“That space in our store has gotten smaller,” he said.

“I'm a very grateful first-generation Aussie and I'm going to celebrate the classic way, which is at a barbecue with friends and family,” he told Barr.

Earlier on the Today Show, Mr. Banducci dodged an important question from host Karl Stefanovic.

“So you're not anti-Australia as a company today?” Stefanović asked.

“Karl, we are a very proud Australian company. We have been around for 100 years. We have 178,000 hardworking team members who will be in store on Australia Day to do good for our customers, and we are passionate about this country,” said Mr Banducci.

“But you're not anti Australia Day?” Stefanovic asked again.

Mr Banducci hit back, saying it “means different things to everyone” and supermarket management is backing Australians to commemorate the day in whatever way they can.

“You must seriously regret this?” Karl dug into it.

“I think we obviously could have explained our decision better, that's why I'm here,” Mr. Banducci responded.

'I am concerned about the impact this has on our team. They are proud, hard-working Australians, and it is fundamentally unfair to see them as anti-Australian or woke.”

Liberal Senator Matt Canavan spoke out in response to the Woolworths boss' comments later in the show.

“Brad is a man under pressure, Woolworths is under pressure and I want to thank all Australians for standing up to these unelected corporate elites who think they can dictate what should happen in this country,” he said.

Senator Canavan believes the retail giant is 'clearly trying to make a political statement' about Australia Day.

By Kevin Airs for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 4:38 PM EST, January 21, 2024 | Updated: 4:51 PM EST, January 21, 2024

They continued to dominate the breakfast TV ratings even after the retirement of Sunrise mainstay David ‘Kochie’ Koch.

But now Natalie Barr and Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington are ready for their next TV challenge: prime time.

This year the Sunrise duo present Carols In The Domain, broadcast nationally on Seven on Saturday 23 December from 7.30pm.

In a statement, Shirvo said he had been watching Carols in the Domain “with my family since I was a boy, so to now be on stage for the first time as host is quite surreal.”

‘It’s pure joy and that’s why Australians have loved it for so many years. I can’t wait,” Barr added.

Among the talents taking to the stage this year are The Wiggles, Dami Im, Lucy Durack, Casey Donovan and Silvia Colloca.

Carols In The Domain is broadcast nationally on Channel 7 and 7plus.

The news comes after Seven bigwigs recently suggested they were not always convinced the 45-year-old former Olympian was the right choice to replace retiring veteran David ‘Kochie’ Koch..

In conversation with an industry blog MediaweekSarah Stinson, director of Seven’s morning television, alluded to the network’s reservations.

“We are absolutely thrilled and relieved,” she said of the show’s continued ratings dominance.

They also revealed that they are happy that ‘Shirvo’ has hit it off with co-host Natalie Barr.

“He and Nat have such natural chemistry, and it shows on the air,” Stinson said.

Although it suffered some rare ratings losses last month against arch-rival Today on Channel Nine, Sunrise is predicted to end 2023 as Australia’s most-watched breakfast show.

And Stinson has described the hit program as ‘more than a television show’ for his fans as viewers will no longer have to watch the show on Seven’s main channel.

The program extends its reach through social media and streaming and can be viewed on mobile devices.

“Sunrise is now more than a television show,” Stinson stated.

Meanwhile, Sunrise executive producer Sean Power told the publication that while Sunrise has dominated breakfast TV ratings for two decades, it still doesn’t want to take any risks.

“We never take for granted the fact that there is such extraordinary dominance,” he said, and has promised fans some surprise segments for the new year.

“Some of the things on the whiteboard are crazy big,” he explained.

Koch, the longest-serving breakfast TV presenter in Australian history, stunned viewers and the industry in May by announcing he was leaving the program after 21 years.

Shirvington, who shares teenage daughters Siena and Winter and a five-year-old son named Lincoln with wife Jessica, was announced as Koch’s replacement in June after being at Seven since 2020.

Nine’s Today has struggled to gain ground against Sunrise in recent years, partly due to the revolving door of presenters on the Nine show.

Despite recent setbacks, Seven Network executives are no doubt keen to pop the champagne corks after the end of the upcoming viewing season, with Sunrise believed to be the overall winner.

This will be the 20th year that Sunrise has won first place in its timeslot, after taking first place in the overall ratings survey last year.

According to the 2022 OzTam survey year, Sunrise had an average national daily audience of 397,000 viewers.

Seven said it was ’31 percent larger than its nearest competitor’.

Lucy Hale And Nat Wolff bring the heat – and the romance – to their upcoming film Which brings me to you.

Based on the novel of the same name Julianna Baggott And Steve Almond, Which brings me to you follows romantic burnouts Jane (Hale) and Will (Wolff), who almost end up in a coat closet at their mutual friend’s wedding. Instead, they spend the next 24 hours getting each other through their heartbreak.

Prior to his role in Which brings me to youNat gained recognition as a child star alongside brother Alex Wolff on Nickelodeon The Naked Brothers Band. He went on to score leading roles in films such as Paper Towns, In Love, Bad Behavior, Palo Alto And The Fault in Our Stars.

“I had a moment in my 20s where I was playing young, nerdy heartthrob roles that were successful,” Nat said. Andrew Garfield for Interview magazine in March 2022 on how its approach to selecting projects has evolved. “I was really stupid in my career in my early twenties, I destroyed myself a bit, but now I’m finally getting a chance at some of the roles I’ve always dreamed of playing, and I’m finally ready as a person and as an actor to take it on.”

Hale, for her part, has cemented herself in the rom-com space by starring in films such as A Cinderella Story: Once upon a time there was a song, a nice girl like you, the hate game And Puppy love.

“I feel like I’m in my rom-com era,” the actress told TVInsider in August 2023. “I love being in it. I always love the challenge of being an actor [taking] the story [and asking] how can I make it uniquely mine.”

Keep scrolling to find out everything Which brings me to you:

When will ‘Which Brings Me to You’ be released?

The film will be released in theaters on January 19, 2024.

What is the upcoming romantic comedy about?

According to the synopsis it is Which brings me to you follows Jane and Will who are “instantly attracted to each other” at a mutual friend’s wedding. After a “disastrous meeting” in a cloakroom, the next day they decided to exchange “candid confessions about messy history and heartbreak, in the unlikely situation that this affair could be true.”

Who else is in the movie?

Besides Hale and Nat, Britne Oldford, Genevieve Angelson, Alexander Hodge And John Gallagher, Jr. also star.

What did the trailer reveal?

The sneak peek, which was released in December 2023, showed Jane and Will taking each other through memories of their romantic past. As the fictional couple grows closer, their fear of finding love threatens to ruin their chances of a future together.

Is there a connection between ‘Which Brings Me to You’ and ‘The Hating Game’?

Which brings me to you marks a reunion for Hale and the film’s director, Peter Hutchingswho was also behind the camera The hate game. In the 2021 film, Hale played a character named Lucy, who ended up in an enemies-to-lovers romance Austin Stowell‘s character, Josh.