Gunshots fired at Gosnells house early today

SUBURBAN TERROR: Police are investigating gunshots fired at a Gosnells house early today. Picture: Kerris Berrington Source: PerthNow

SUBURBAN TERROR: Police are investigating gunshots fired at a Gosnells house early today. Picture: Kerris Berrington
Source: PerthNow

POLICE have confirmed that at least six shots were fired at a Gosnells property early this morning, with at least one striking the house.

There are reports that the occupant of the house has been involved in a dispute with the owner and that two separate weapons could have been used in the attack.

Photographs from PerthNow photographer Kerris Berrington show up to 15 gunshots could have penetrated the front fence, or it could have been a blast from a high-powered shotgun.

Police received a call shortly before 5am today that several shots had been fired at the Crandon Street house.

Armadale Detectives and forensic police remain at the scene this morning.

ABC radio reported that the name of a suspect had been passed to police, but they were unable to confirm that report.

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Stolen car crashes into Mirrabooka house

PURSUIT: A stolen car has crashed into the rear of a Mirrabooka house after a short police chase. Source: PerthNow

A STOLEN vehicle has crashed into the back of a house in Perth's north-east after a short police chase overnight.

Two men are being interviewed by police following the Mirrabooka crash.

About 9.30pm officers attempted to stop a vehicle on Mirrabooka Drive after noticing the number plates were stolen.

However, the vehicle accelerated from police, who pursued it for a short time but officers then lost sight of the car.

The vehicle was then found crashed through the rear fence and into a garage of a home on Caesia Place in Mirrabooka.

Police will allege the driver and passenger then tried to flee the scene, but were caught nearby and are expected to be charged today.

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White House says alien guards 'sacked'

Conspiracy theorists have had a field day with footage of an odd looking bodyguard seen with President Obama, suggesting the guard is an alien shape shifter.

ARE shape-shifting aliens protecting the President of the United States? Not any more - they've been sacked due to budget cutbacks.

A viral video doing the rounds on YouTube claims to have captured footage of an "alien shape-shifter" among President Obama's security team at a March 4 public function.

The narrator points out that the picture is distant and distorted by pixilation and data-compression effects - but then ignores his own advice and concocts a comprehensive conspiracy theory around it.

The obvious security guard - tall, bald and alert - scans the crowd for any visible threat.

Standing in a bright spotlight in a darkened room, his pixelated face looks remarkably featureless and malformed.

A correspondent for Wired magazine decided to take the issue direct to the White House.

A screen capture from a video purporting to have captured images of a "shape-shifting alien" bodyguard at a recent function attended by President Obama.

When the question was posed to National Security Council chief spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden, her reply was unexpected:

"I can't confirm the claims made in this video, but any alleged program to guard the president with aliens or robots would likely have to be scaled back or eliminated in the sequester," Caitlin Hayden quipped.

"I'd refer you to the Secret Service or Area 51 for more details."

There you have it.

No direct denial that alien shape-shifting humanoids are part of the Presidential team...

A screen capture of the purported "shape-shifting alien" bodyguard at a recent function attended by President Obama.

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L-plater charged after crashing into house

POOR EFFORT: A learner driver has been charged with a series of offences after putting his Holden Commodore through a Yanchep house. Source: PerthNow

A LEARNER driver has been charged over a crash where a car went through a Yanchep house window overnight.

Police will allege the 21-year-old Balga man was driving the Holden Commodore about 7.30pm on Compass Circuit when he went to turn into an address, but continued on to the house next door.

He then allegedly drove on the front lawn and instead of braking, he accelerated and went through a retaining wall and large window at the front of the house.

No one inside the house was injured and the man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, contravening a learner's permit and breach of bail.

He will appear in court today.
 
 

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Shooters, Fishers take upper house seat

Longstanding Greens MP Giz Watson has failed in her bid to for election to the upper house from the South West region. Source: PerthNow

UPPER HOUSE: Shooters and Fishers WA leader Rick Mazza scores an upper house seat in the WA Parliament. Picture: inmycommunity Source: PerthNow

CABINET TIP: Riverton MP Mike Nahan is tipped to be the new Energy Minister in a revised Liberal Cabinet. Source: PerthNow

THE West Australian parliamentary career of veteran Greens MP Giz Watson has been brought to an end.

Ms Watson failed in her bid to for election to the upper house from the South West region.

The six incumbents - Liberals Robyn McSweeny, Barry House and Nigel Hallett, Labor's Sally Talbot and Adele Farina, and Nationals WA president Colin Holt - were all re-elected.

Ms Watson was elected to the Legislative Council at the 1996 election as a member for the North Metropolitan region, and was re-elected in 2001, 2005 and 2008.

Last week after the Liberal party's landslide win, she said she'd remain heavily involved with the Greens.

Shooters and Fishers make a splash

THE Shooters and Fishers Party has secured one seat in Western Australia's upper house.

The NSW-based party registered in WA late last year.

The WA Electoral Commission announced today that Rick Mazza, the leader of the Shooters and Fishers Party, had won a seat in the Legislative Council's agricultural region.

Liberals Jim Chown and Brian Ellis, Nationals Paul Brown and Martin Aldridge, and Labor's Darren West won the other seats in the upper house's agricultural region.

However the Shooters and Fishers party has missed out on an expected second seat in the upper house.

Its Mining and Pastoral region candidate John Parkes was pipped by Dave Grills of The Nationals by 223 votes.

Other seats went to Robin Chapple of the Greens, Liberals Ken Baston and Mark Lewis, Labor's Stephen Dawson and Jacqui Boydell of The Nationals.

Winners for the East Metropolitan region will be announced later today.

More counting is needed for the North Metropolitan region, so winners of these seats will be unveiled on Wednesday.

Same line-up for South Metro seats

All six members of the West Australian Legislative Council's South Metropolitan region have been re-elected.

The seats will again be held by Lynn MacLaren of the Greens, Labor's Kate Doust and Sue Ellery, and Liberals Nicolas Goiran, Phil Edman and Simon O'Brien.

Media speculation suggests Mr O'Brien may lose his role as finance minister to Riverton MP Mike Nahan.

The WA Electoral Commission will release the winners for the Legislative Council's East Metropolitan region later today.

Nahan tipped to be new Energy Minister

SPECULATION is rife over the line-up of WA's new Cabinet, with media reports suggesting science minister John Day will be able to name his role.

The Liberals will hold a party meeting later on Tuesday and is expected to announce the new ministry today, after the 36 members of the Legislative Council are revealed.

It's already known the Shooters and Fishers Party will make its parliamentary debut with two upper house seats - the same amount the Greens has been reduced to after losing two seats.

In the meantime, reports speculate Mr Day will be given the pick of ministerial portfolios, given Premier Colin Barnett announced during the election campaign he would take personal responsibility for science.

And many fingers point to environment minister Bill Marmion taking on the crucial mines portfolio from the state's longest serving MP Norman Moore, who is retiring.

Mr Marmion is seen as a good fit because of his civil engineering background and knowledge of the approvals process.

Member for Riverton Mike Nahan is expected to take on the energy portfolio after beating Hannah Beazley, the daughter of former prime ministerial contender and current Australian Ambassador to the US Kim Beazley.

Dr Nahan, an advocate of nuclear and renewable energy, won the seat by a mere 64 votes in 2008 but this year beat his main opponent by more than 4400 votes.

Other less prevalent speculation is that child protection minister Robyn McSweeney will be demoted, while 33-year-old Ocean Reef Liberal MP Albert Jacob could join Cabinet.

A key question is whether WA Nationals leader Brendon Grylls will remain minister for regional development.

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Suspicious house fire causes $150k damage

A FIRE in the Geraldton suburb of Wonthella has caused $150,000 damage to a house on the North West Coastal Highway overnight.

Two fire crews were called out to the house fire, on the highway between Phelps Street and Sixth Street, at 2.55am and had it contained by 3.15am.

The fire was contained to one bedroom and no one was injured in the blaze.

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Lottery winners blow up house

TWO brothers who celebrated a $75,000 winning lottery ticket by buying marijuana and meth then accidentally blew up their house.

The explosion sent one of the brothers to hospital with second-degree burns on his hands, arms and chest.

The other brother was sent to jail, The Wichita Eagle reports.

The brothers were in a Wichita house on Friday night  when one went to the kitchen to refuel the butane torches they planned to use to light their bongs. He emptied two large cans of butane lighter fluid, leaking butane into the air.

“The butane vapour reached the pilot light in the furnace, and as you might expect, ka-boom,”  said Sgt Bruce Watts of the Wichita Police Department.

The victim was wearing a lottery T-shirt during the explosion.

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