Category Archives: Australia news

Ukraine makes bid for Russian embassy land in Canberra after lease terminated

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Ukrainian ambassador, who is currently touring Australia to look at defence supplies, says his government will formally apply for Yarralumla site

Ukraine is looking to snap up a plot of land in Canberra that is potentially available after the National Capital Authority terminated the Russian embassy’s lease.

The NCA said this week it cancelled the lease because of its “use it or lose it” policy. More than a decade since Russia’s building plans were approved, construction has failed to progress. The capital authority gave Russia 20 days to vacate the property.

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Mother welcomes murder charge two decades after Arthur Haines, 13, died in Sydney house fire

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Gregory Walker charged with alleged murder and arson after Haines died from burns following petrol bombing of Sydney house in 1998

The mother of 13-year-old Arthur Haines, who police alleged was murdered in 1998, says she is ecstatic police have arrested a suspect more than two decades after his death.

“I couldn’t believe … finally today is the day,” Julie Szabo said outside Surry Hills police station in Sydney on Friday.

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Northern Territory girl allegedly abducted 13 days ago found safe and well

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One person is in custody and more are helping police with their inquiries after girl taken to Darwin police station

One person is in custody and more are helping police with their inquiries after a young girl, allegedly abducted in the Northern Territory, was found safe and well.

A special taskforce was established to find the girl after she went missing on 7 August, with police focusing their efforts on a group they said “continued to peddle ideologies and false information”.

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Dropping plans for Indigenous cultural centre at Barangaroo a ‘backward’ step, Aboriginal leaders say

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NSW government under fire after scrapping proposed standalone venue at the Cutaway site

The New South Wales government has come under fire for its decision to cancel plans for an Indigenous cultural centre at Barangaroo’s enormous Cutaway site.

A number of feasibility studies and concept designs had been undertaken on the proposal for the subterranean landmark site, housing almost 5,500 sq metres of space. Wesley Enoch, an artist and playwright, and Rhoda Roberts, the head of Sydney Opera House’s Indigenous programming for nearly a decade, were among the First Nations arts leaders involved in the project.

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Queensland police deputy commissioner resigns over ‘vagina whisperer’ comment

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Paul Taylor apologises for remark at policing conference, which was aired at domestic violence inquiry

A senior police officer has announced his immediate resignation after an inquiry into Queensland police responses to domestic violence heard he had referred to his friend as a “vagina whisperer” at a policing conference.

The deputy commissioner, Paul Taylor, who has been a police officer for 45 years, said he was “deeply apologetic” for the harm his comments had caused and it was never his “intention” to offend anyone.

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Russian embassy spokesperson suggests Australian government unwilling to support espionage-proof building

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Teal independents to attend national EV summit today

Many of the newly elected independents who campaigned on a platform of stronger climate action are set today’s electric vehicle summit in Canberra.

Our support will be delivered through UN agencies to provide food, health and nutrition services, access to safe water and essential support for those at risk, including women and children.

Australia’s continued assistance to Sri Lanka supports our mutual interest in a secure and resilient Indian Ocean and reinforces our 75 year-strong relationship built on cooperation and community connection.

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Bali bomb maker Umar Patek could be released early from Indonesian jail

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Early release of ex-member of terror group linked to al-Qaida will cause distress for bereaved, says Australian PM

Umar Patek, the bomb maker who helped assemble the devices used in the 2002 bombing in Bali, could walk free early from prison this year.

The Indonesian ministry of law and human rights regional office in East Java has proposed the early release after the ex-member of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Indonesian terror group linked to al-Qaida, completed two-thirds of his sentence, plus remissions.

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Morrison ‘amused’ by afternoon of ministry meme merriment but Albanese says it’s no joke

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Shortly after apologising to Karen Andrews for secretly shadowing her ministry, Scott Morrison takes to social media to share jokey posts

Former prime minister Scott Morrison spent much of Thursday night making his own memes or commenting on Facebook jokes about his five secret ministry positions – but his successor as prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says his actions “aren’t a laughing matter”.

Morrison, who has resisted calls for his resignation after being accused of misleading his colleagues and the parliament, began interacting with Facebook jokes about his extra portfolio areas on Thursday afternoon, shortly after making a belated apology to his colleague Karen Andrews for not informing her he had been sworn in to administer her home affairs portfolio.

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Scott Morrison had a penchant for secrecy and centralising power – here are four examples

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Even before we learned the former PM was appointed to five extra ministries without telling anyone, there were warning signs of his need for control

This week we learned Scott Morrison was appointed to five extra ministries without his colleagues’ knowledge – but there were signs earlier in his prime ministership that he wanted to keep information secret and centralise power.

Morrison in 2019 arranged it so that he could hold meetings with anyone and treat them as cabinet-in-confidence. During the pandemic, the National Covid-19 Coordination Commission was set up essentially as a shadow public service.

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Bank Australia to ditch fossil fuel car loans in push for EV future

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Announcement at national electric vehicle summit comes as climate change minister seeks input on national EV strategy

An Australian bank will stop offering loans for new fossil fuel cars from 2025 in a step it says will encourage more people to buy electric vehicles.

The customer-owned Bank Australia will announce the self-imposed ban at a national EV summit in Canberra on Friday, arguing it is a responsible step to ensure its lending practices did not “lock our customers into higher carbon emissions and increasingly expensive running costs”.

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‘Unethical’ for GPs to charge to prescribe Covid antivirals, Australian charity says

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Council on the Ageing says doctors who charge consultation fee for prescription for older people should be called out

Failing to bulk bill pensioners who require life-saving Covid-19 antivirals is “morally bankrupt” and “unethical”, the head of the national peak body for older Australians has said.

The Council on the Ageing chief executive, Ian Yates, said as growing numbers of general practitioners stop bulk billing, citing rising costs and low Medicare rebates, he is hearing “more and more examples of pensioners not being bulk-billed, especially people with the seniors healthcare card.”

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Timor-Leste warns it will work with China if Australia insists on pumping Timor Sea gas to Darwin

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Exclusive: President José Ramos-Horta says his country’s leadership ‘has to make decisions … if necessary a trip to China’

Timor-Leste’s president, José Ramos-Horta, has warned his nation will seek Chinese support if Australia and Woodside Energy fail to back a gas pipeline between the resource-rich Timor Sea and his country’s southern shore, rather than Darwin.

Ramos-Horta has warned Timor-Leste – Australia’s neighbour and ally – would “absolutely” look to Chinese investment to secure what he says is the “national strategic goal” of piping gas from the Greater Sunrise fields to his nation’s coast. The comments are likely to heighten concerns about Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific.

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Follow the sun: where to holiday to escape Australia’s third La Niña

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Parts of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania are less likely to see wet weather heading into the warmer months

Australia may be about to experience a rare third La Niña this spring, but the outlook is sunnier – literally – for parts of Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.

The Bureau of Meteorology issued an alert on Tuesday for above-average rainfall through to December for around two-thirds of the nation, including the east coast, due to a negative Indian Ocean dipole and warmer than average waters in Australia’s north.

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Australia news live: John Howard criticises lack of detail on voice to parliament as Anthony Albanese arrives in Torres Strait

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The former prime minister has spoken at a National Press Club event at the Canberra Writers Festival

‘Cringeworthy’: energy minister says Morrison’s media conference was embarrassing

Circling back to Chris Bowen’s interview on ABC Radio, where the discussion on climate policy was followed by questions on the biggest story in Canberra – Scott Morrison’s secret appointment to five additional ministries.

I think to be fair that the governor general was in a difficult position, he has to accept the advice of the government or the PM of the day.

It was pretty pathetic, embarrassing and cringeworthy to be honest.

He should call Andrews.

The right thing to do would be to call all ministers concerned.

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Queensland’s police commissioner declined an initial invitation to appear at domestic violence inquiry

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Inquiry hears Katarina Carroll was asked if summons was needed for her to appear

Queensland’s police commissioner, Katarina Carroll, rejected an invitation to appear at an inquiry into police responses to domestic violence, prompting the commission to ask if they needed to issue a summons for her to attend.

During a hearing on Thursday, counsel assisting the inquiry, Ruth O’Gorman, said the commission first asked Carroll to give evidence on 4 August after they “formed concerns about lack of resourcing” after the testimony of assistant police commissioner Brian Codd.

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NRL grand final to be played in Sydney, ending NSW and Queensland battle for event

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  • Game returns to Olympic stadium after year away in Brisbane
  • ARLC chair Peter V’landys touts future ‘Super Bowl’ concept

This year’s NRL grand final will be played in New South Wales after the Australian Rugby League Commission confirmed October’s showpiece event would be played at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.

But the long-term location of the game remains uncertain, with ARLC chair Peter V’landys touting a “Super Bowl” style concept, where the game could be taken around the country to the highest bidder.

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Scott Morrison apologises to Karen Andrews over secret portfolios following Coalition pressure

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Peter Dutton says former PM’s decision to have himself secretly sworn in to five ministries was the ‘wrong call’

Scott Morrison has apologised to the former home affairs minister Karen Andrews for secretly swearing himself in to her portfolio, after she revealed he hadn’t previously reached out to her in the wake of the growing scandal.

The apology came after the opposition leader Peter Dutton said Morrison made “the wrong call” by secretly taking on five ministerial portfolios, with the Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie claiming Morrison’s actions may have breached the Coalition agreement.

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Russia considering legal action after Canberra lease on new Australian embassy site terminated

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Lease terminated under ‘use it or lose it’ policy after Russian government failed to complete building within three years

The Russian government says it is considering legal action against a federal authority after it was ordered off the site of its new embassy in Canberra.

On Wednesday, the National Capital Authority said it had terminated the Russian embassy’s lease over a block of land in Yarralumla, a wealthy lakeside suburb in Canberra, and ordered it to clear the site within 20 days.

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Misfiring Nick Kyrgios bows out in Cincinnati after heavy defeat to Taylor Fritz

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  • Australian loses 6-3, 6-2 after winning 16 of his last 18 matches
  • Alex de Minaur also tamed 6-3, 6-2 by Felix Auger-Aliassime

Taylor Fritz blasted his way to a 6-3, 6-2 win over Australian Nick Kyrgios on Wednesday and a place in the Cincinnati Open third round. In a clash of big servers, it was the American No 1 who came out on top, sending down 16 aces against a misfiring Kyrgios who hit just seven and offset most of those with six double faults.

The 11th-seeded Fritz needed just 51 minutes to condemn Australian Kyrgios to his second defeat since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. Such was Fritz’s domination on serve that Kyrgios could not muster a single break opportunity the entire match while the 24-year-old American converted three of his seven chances.

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Indonesian boys wrongly imprisoned by Australia ask attorney general for new appeal

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Exclusive: Lawyers for two Indonesian children wrongly jailed for people smuggling ask Mark Dreyfus to refer case for appeal, calling Christian Porter’s ruling on the case a ‘mockery of justice’

Two Indonesian children who were imprisoned as adult people smugglers using deeply flawed evidence have asked attorney general, Mark Dreyfus, to use his mercy powers and resolve the “mockery of justice” overseen by his predecessor Christian Porter.

Earlier this year, Guardian Australia used a trove of internal documents to reveal how federal police had placed fictitious dates of birth on sworn legal documents to prosecute eight Indonesian children as adult people smugglers, relying on a wrist X-ray age assessment technique they knew at the time to be questionable.

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