WEBVTT -  Ben Roberts-Smith bailed in Sydney

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<v Speaker 1>Today's biggest news from The Australian. I'm christan amiot with

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<v Speaker 1>the Front's afternoon headlines. Australia's most decorated living soldier, Ben

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Smith, will walk free from Sydney's Silver Water Prison

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<v Speaker 1>after he was granted bail at the Downing Center Local Court.

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Smith is charged with five counts of murder allegedly

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<v Speaker 1>committed between two thousand nine and twenty twelve while he

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<v Speaker 1>was deployed by the Australian Defense Force to Afghanistan. Prosecutors

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<v Speaker 1>told the court the Victoria Cross recipient could try to

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<v Speaker 1>interfere with witnesses if he was released pending trial, and

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<v Speaker 1>said he was quote on the cusp of attempting to

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<v Speaker 1>relocate overseas. But lawyers acting for Ben Robert Smith said

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<v Speaker 1>the suggestion he's a flight risk is quote fanciful and

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<v Speaker 1>argued their client should be released under strict bail conditions.

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<v Speaker 1>Judge Greg Grogan found there are exceptional circumstances that justify

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<v Speaker 1>Robert Smith's release on bail. He said it could take

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<v Speaker 1>years for the matter to come before the court and

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<v Speaker 1>that means Robert Smith's ability to meet with his legal

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<v Speaker 1>representatives and access evidence held in secure facilities could be

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<v Speaker 1>hampered if he's kept behind bars. Robert Smith will be

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<v Speaker 1>required to report to police three days per week and

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<v Speaker 1>provide a surety of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars plus.

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<v Speaker 1>He'll have to surrender his passport and he's prohibited from

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<v Speaker 1>traveling outside Queensland unless it's to Sydney or Perth for

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<v Speaker 1>matters related to the case. He's not allowed to access

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<v Speaker 1>firearms or come into contact with anyone he served with

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<v Speaker 1>in Afghanistan. If Robert Smith were to attempt to get

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<v Speaker 1>in touch, Judge Grogan said, quote, his arrest would no

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<v Speaker 1>doubt come very swiftly and he would find himself once

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<v Speaker 1>again donned in green. British Prime Minister Kirstarmer and French

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<v Speaker 1>President Emmanuel Macron will meet with representatives and more than

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<v Speaker 1>forty countries to discuss the reopening of the Strait of

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<v Speaker 1>holl Moors, but the United States and Iran, which controls

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<v Speaker 1>the vital shipping route, aren't on the invite list at

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<v Speaker 1>this stage. It's understood the talks will focus on support

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<v Speaker 1>for freedom of navigation and the economic impact of the

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<v Speaker 1>straits continued closure. The US Navy has been enforcing a

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<v Speaker 1>naval blockade in the waterway since Monday, at the direction

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<v Speaker 1>of US President Donald Trump. Trump claimed during a press

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<v Speaker 1>conference for his no tax on tips initiative, the war

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<v Speaker 1>with Iran is quote going swimmingly, adding it should be

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<v Speaker 1>ending soon. But in a separate appearance, he lashed out

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<v Speaker 1>at Australia again, saying he's not impressed by the defense

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<v Speaker 1>spending boost announced by Richard Miles on Thursday.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not happier with Australia because they were because they

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<v Speaker 2>were not there when we asked him to be there.

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<v Speaker 2>So Australia you asked for. Australia was another one. They

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<v Speaker 2>were not there. Happy to do with harmord to harmless?

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<v Speaker 2>What do you mean, I'm not happy. I'm not happy.

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<v Speaker 1>That's as Lebanon reportedly accused Israel of breaking a cease

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<v Speaker 1>fire agreement that took effect in the early hours of

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<v Speaker 1>Friday morning Australian time. The Times of Israel reported the

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<v Speaker 1>Israeli defense forces had engaged in quote intermittent shelling of

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<v Speaker 1>several southern Lebanese villages. Lebanon's army warned citizens not to

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<v Speaker 1>return to the villages and towns in the nation's South

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<v Speaker 1>for the time being. Federal Police charged a Sydney childcare

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<v Speaker 1>worker with an additional one hundred and twenty nine child

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<v Speaker 1>abuse offenses on Friday, bringing the total number of charges

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<v Speaker 1>to one hundred and thirty seven. The man, who is

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<v Speaker 1>alleged to have committed the offenses over the course of

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<v Speaker 1>sixteen years, has yet to enter a plea and will

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<v Speaker 1>return to court in July. Police didn't disclose the number

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<v Speaker 1>of alleged victims or childcare centers affected. Check out those

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<v Speaker 1>stories live right now at the Australian dot Com dot

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<v Speaker 1>a U and come back to the front first thing

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<v Speaker 1>in the morning for a change of pace. Our chief

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<v Speaker 1>film critics review of Russell Crowe's new Australian film Beast.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right here, Saturday morning.