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Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 12 April 2023; Hits: 81

A NSW government employee provided private data to those behind a violent kidnapping in which a man's teeth were forcibly removed, police say.

The 26-year-old victim was grabbed from his suburban Sydney home on March 9, forced into a vehicle and held for nearly a week as ransom demands were made.

Six men aged between 19 and 21 have since been put before the courts, charged with various weapons and kidnapping offences.

Police on Wednesday evening charged a seventh person, who is an employee of a state government agency.

The Yagoona woman, 21, is accused of accessing personal data which was shared with others for the purpose of criminal activity.

She is due to face Burwood Local Court on Thursday on charges related to kidnapping for ransom, making unauthorised functions with intent to commit a serious offence and accessing restricted computer data.

Police in March described the kidnapping as a "very serious crime" involving an "extreme" level of violence.

The six men allegedly tried to extort a large sum of money from the victim and his associates, police said at the time.

The men held their victim and physically abused and tortured him over six days.

During the ordeal the man, who was not known to police, was bound and had his teeth forcibly removed.

It's not clear why the man was targeted, police said.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 12 April 2023; Hits: 83

The husband of a woman found dead inside their Sydney home has spoken of walking into the "biggest nightmare" as police continue searching for answers on her suspicious death.

Erin Gilbert, 42, was discovered in the couple's Merrylands apartment after neighbours called police about 11.30pm on Sunday to report concerns for her welfare.

Nic Gilbert said he arrived home on Sunday night and pressed the doorbell but no one answered.

Assuming his wife was asleep, the 38-year-old said he threw a rock at the window to get her attention before using a bin to climb over the balcony when there was again no response.

"(I) walked into the biggest f***ing nightmare," he told media on Wednesday.

"I walked through the bedroom, Erin was on her back and it looked like she was choking on blood."

Mr Gilbert said he tried to resuscitate his wife and perform CPR before police officers arrived at the Newman Street unit.

"I feel like I let her parents down. I feel like I should've been there," he told Nine News.

Local police commander Superintendent Andrew Holland told reporters on Tuesday that Ms Gilbert suffered "serious and severe" injuries, but her cause of death was not yet known.

"The injuries (were) very serious and severe. Unfortunately, we don't know the exact cause of death at this point," he said.

Mr Gilbert was taken to Granville Police Station for questioning and was released without charge.

"He hasn't been ruled in or ruled out at this stage," Supt Holland said on Tuesday.

Police are appealing for help from the public to establish a timeline in the case.

"When police arrived, she hadn't been passed away for long," Supt Holland said.

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Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 12 April 2023; Hits: 79

The head of the Department of Foreign Affairs has wrapped up talks with key Chinese officials, as hopes grow for a breakthrough in the trade dispute between the countries.

DFAT secretary Jan Adams held discussions in Canberra with China's Executive Vice Foreign Affairs Minister Ma Zhaoxu during his visit to Australia.

The meeting followed a pause in the federal government's World Trade Organisation case against Beijing for imposing hefty tariffs on barley.

The breathing space has led to optimism the tariffs could be removed entirely and extended to other items caught up in the dispute, such as Australian wine and rock lobster.

The two officials discussed trade between the countries along with human rights, strategic competition and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"Secretary Adams reiterated that it was in the shared interests of Australia and China to continue on the path of stabilising the bilateral relationship," according to a readout.

"The talks followed the agreement between foreign ministers at the Foreign and Strategic Dialogue in December 2022 to maintain high-level contact and commence or re-start dialogue in a range of areas."

Barley exports from Australia have effectively been blocked from entering China due to a more than 80 per cent tariff since 2020.

Beijing will conduct a review of the tariffs in the next three to four months after which the WTO case will resume if no agreement is reached.

National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the trading breakthrough was reassuring and in both parties' long-term interest.

"We hope to see quick progress on removing trade barriers for rock lobster and wine," he said.

The four Australian export products at the centre of the dispute with Beijing are barley, wine, meat and crayfish.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government was working as quickly as possible to remove the trade impediments.

"This is all about working to try and resolve this more quickly because of course Australian barley growers and communities that depend on barley would welcome a return of access to the Chinese market," she told Nine's Today show on Wednesday.

Senator Wong said wine exports were the next trade issue the government wanted to address.

Australian Grape and Wine board member Nikki Palun said the industry had built a lot of long-term relations in China before the tariffs and was cautiously optimistic about the resumption of trade.

"We're looking at the barley as a template, as a way forward for the Australian wine industry," she told ABC TV.

"We're very hopeful that a negotiated outcome rather than direct action with the WTO will bode well for the Australian wine industry."

But Senator Wong said Australian exporters would need to rely less on the Chinese market.

"We know we're not going to be able to continue to separate our economic and strategic relationship," she said.

"Australian producers, whether of barley or wine, are going to have to look to diversify markets."

Australia's trade ministers have also met in Townsville for an update on the Chinese relationship where federal Trade Minister Don Farrell outlined the government's trade diversification plan.

A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry says China is willing to work with Australia "to return relations onto the right track".

China remains Australia's largest trading partner, with the relationship worth $300 billion last year.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 12 April 2023; Hits: 79

Australian farmers are hopeful a breakthrough in a trade dispute with China over barley could pave the way for restrictions on other goods to be eased.

The federal government has paused its World Trade Organisation dispute against Beijing for imposing hefty tariffs on barley.

Australian exports of the grain have effectively been blocked from entering China due to a more than 80 per cent tariff since 2020.

Beijing will conduct a review of the tariffs in the next three to four months after which the WTO case will resume if no agreement is reached.

China's executive vice minister of foreign affairs, Ma Zhaoxu, will hold talks in Canberra with senior trade officials during a visit to Australia on Wednesday.

National Farmers' Federation chief executive Tony Mahar said the trading breakthrough was reassuring.

He said other items subject to hefty tariffs could possibly re-enter the Chinese market in the future.

"The constructive approach from both countries progressing with this issue is in the longer-term interests of all parties and Australian farmers," Mr Mahar said.

"We look forward to a positive outcome through this review process and hope to see quick progress on removing trade barriers for rock lobster and wine."