Updated July 22, 2026 — 6:34pm,first published July 22, 2026 — 9:11am6.34pm on Jul 22, 2026Today’s headlinesBy That’s our live blog done for the day, thank you for joining us.Here’s a reminder of the top headlines:A teenager charged with murdering his mother and seriously injuring his sister in a suburban home in Bentley has told a court he did not “do that”.Western Australians have been duped out of more than $1 million in gift card scams so far this year, with reports showing offenders are now coaching victims on how to avoid detection while purchasing the vouchers.Several dolphins that died after becoming stranded near the Albany foreshore overnight are being tested for bird flu.A 42-year-old man has been charged with a raft of offences after allegedly stabbing a woman on the main street of Kalgoorlie in the early hours of Monday morning.The Mt Holland lithium project near Southern Cross will double its spodumene concentration production after its owners approved a $1.4 billion final investment decision to expand the operation.Applecross residents can breathe a sigh of relief today after plans to derail a public open space area proposal worth more than $5 million at Moreau Mews failed at the City of Melville’s council meeting last night.Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says the state government has plans to supply energy to 117 remote communities in WA on solar and battery storage, with back-up diesel generation.A WA Police officer faces a “significant period of testing” after allegedly having blood thrown in their face by a HIV-positive person in the state’s Pilbara.It “remains to be seen” whether a jailed and previously-thought-dead Perth-born Islamic State doctor will be allowed to return to Australia.A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder after allegedly stabbing his mother to death in Bentley on Tuesday.We’ll see you back here again tomorrow, thanks again for joining us.6.30pm on Jul 22, 2026‘Why would I do that?’: teen in court after mum killedBy Aaron BunchA teenager charged with murdering his mother and seriously injuring his sister in a suburban home in Bentley has told a court he did not “do that”.The distressed boy, 16, made two appearances via video link in Perth Children’s Court on Wednesday, the day after the alleged attack in the city’s southeast.“On the 21st July in Bentley it said you murdered (your mother),” the magistrate said during his first court appearance.“Why would I do that? I didn’t do that,” the boy said, clearly upset.5.13pm on Jul 22, 2026Gift card scams on the rise with WA victims losing more than $1 million in 2026By Western Australians have been duped out of more than $1 million in gift card scams so far this year, with reports showing offenders are now coaching victims on how to avoid detection while purchasing the vouchers.According to Consumer Protection WA, 48 victims have lost a combined total of $1,045,880.34 to date this year to the scams, compared to 61 people throughout 2025 for a total of $669,369.57 - an increase of 56 per cent.The latest reports have triggered an urgent warning from Consumer Protection as older Western Australians become the primary targets of romance scams.“Consumer Protection has long-held agreements with major retailers to display prominent scam warnings and ensure staff are trained to question customers purchasing large quantities of gift cards,” Commissioner for Consumer Protection Trish Blake said.4.24pm on Jul 22, 2026Dead dolphins tested for bird flu after Albany strandingBy Several dolphins that died after becoming stranded near the Albany foreshore overnight are being tested for bird flu.A pod of 12 dolphins initially became stranded in shallow water near the Albany Entertainment Centre on Tuesday morning, with members of the public helping return all but one to the ocean.That dolphin died at the scene, but overnight another 10 dolphins re-stranded on a sandbank about 100 metres from the Brig Amity.Seven of those dolphins died, with the remaining three euthanised on Wednesday to avoid prolonging their suffering, a Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions spokesperson said.3.03pm on Jul 22, 2026Kalgoorlie man to face court over alleged stabbing attackBy A 42-year-old man has been charged with a raft of offences after allegedly stabbing a woman on the main street of Kalgoorlie in the early hours of Monday morning.WA Police also allege the man was in possession of an amount of methylamphetamine and cannabis and was involved in the sale or supply of illegal drugs after he was arrested in the Kalgoorlie suburb of Somerville on Tuesday.It is understood that the alleged victim and the 42-year-old man are known to each other.Kalgoorlie detectives responded to reports of a woman aged in her 40s suffering stab wounds at a house on Hannan Street around 3.40am on Monday morning.Police are treating the incident as a targeted attack.2.30pm on Jul 22, 2026Plan to double production at major WA lithium project approvedBy The Mt Holland lithium project near Southern Cross will double its spodumene concentration production after its owners approved a $1.4 billion final investment decision to expand the operation.The expansion of the project, operated as part of the Covalent Lithium joint venture between WA-based Wesfarmers and its South American partner Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, is expected to see production increase from 380,000 tonnes per annum up to 760,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per year.Wesfarmers and SQM will spend $1.4b to double lithium production at their Mt Holland mine in WA.An ore sorting facility will also be constructed to recover stockpiled material currently unsuitable for processing, adding approximately three million tonnes of spodumene concentrate production over the life of the operation. Construction of a second concentrator is expected to commence in the second half of 2027, with the first spodumene concentrate production volumes from the expansion expected in the first half of 2030.1.46pm on Jul 22, 2026Proposal to pause public park project falls flatBy Indigo Lemay-ConwayApplecross residents can breathe a sigh of relief today after plans to derail a public open space area proposal worth more than $5 million at Moreau Mews failed at the City of Melville’s council meeting last night.A motion put forward by councillor Michael McGoldrick proposed to throw almost $700,000 of works already completed on the project out the window to give councillors more time to think if they were “rushing” into the decision.“Let’s not rush a once-in-a-generation decision. Let’s process the opportunities and let’s make sure that we create a place with purpose-a place that will become the heart of the city for generations to come,” he said.In 2023, the council voted to turn 100 per cent of the site – at 50-52 Kishorn Road and 23, 29 and 31 Moreau Mews – into a town square and public open space with extensive tree planting, a children’s playground, and seating.1.23pm on Jul 22, 2026Remote communities set for new energy transitionBy Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson says the state government has plans to supply energy to 117 remote communities in WA on solar and battery storage, with back-up diesel generation.On Wednesday, the state government announced that Menzies, a town in the state’s Goldfields region, will soon be largely run on 409kW of solar generation and 2.8MWh of battery energy storage, supplying renewable energy to more than 100 residents in the community.Sanderson said the combination system will be the future of remote towns across the state.“It’s actually the plans that we have for 117 remote communities across WA,” she said.11.29am on Jul 22, 2026WA Police officer allegedly has blood thrown on them by HIV-positive personBy A WA Police officer faces a “significant period of testing” after allegedly having blood thrown in their face by a HIV-positive person in the state’s Pilbara.WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the officer was responding to a job in Karratha when they allegedly had blood thrown in their face, including in their eye.WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch.Hamish HastieSpeaking on ABC Radio Perth, Blanch said the person who had allegedly thrown the blood was charged over the incident, however the young officer faced a nervous wait amid testing to determine if they had contracted the disease.“The police officer will undergo a significant period of testing where they can’t even touch loved ones, kiss loved ones,” he said.10.14am on Jul 22, 2026‘Rot in jail’: Minister responds to reports Perth-born IS doctor is alive in IraqBy Jack GramenzIt “remains to be seen” whether a jailed and previously-thought-dead Islamic State doctor will be allowed to return to Australia.Environment Minister Murray Watt has reiterated the government’s position to provide no assistance to people who “made the absolutely awful decision to go and join a foreign terrorist organisation” when asked about reports in The Australian that Perth-born paediatrician Tareq Kamleh is alive in an Iraqi prison, not killed in the 2017 siege of Raqqa as previously thought.Perth doctor Tareq Kamleh is one Australian Islamic State fighter whose fate remains uncertain.But if he is still alive it remains to be seen if he can return to Australia.“We’ve obviously just got this early reporting about this point, but we won’t be providing assistance, just as we haven’t provided assistance to others to come back,” Watt told Nine’s Today program this morning.1 of 2