Category Archives: Australia news

Tony Burke ‘taking advice’ from security agencies about Australian women and children in Syria seeking to return

Posted on by

Temporary Exclusion Orders allow the home affairs minister to stop a person entering for up to two years, but there is a high bar for the powers

Home affairs minister Tony Burke is “taking advice” from security agencies on whether Australian women and children in a Syrian detention camp should be temporarily banned from returning, but it is unclear how many in the cohort such an order would apply to.

On Monday night, 34 Australian women and children – the wives, widows and children of dead or jailed Islamic State fighters – left from the al-Roj camp, in north-eastern Syria, after being released by Kurdish authorities for their expected repatriation to Australia.

Continue reading...

Taunts, harassment and assaults: landmark report finds racism at Australian universities is ‘systemic’

Posted on by

Survey by Australian Human Rights Commission found universities failed to meet duty of care, while complaints processes were ‘Kafkaesque’

Racism is “systemic” at Australia’s universities, according to a landmark report found students have mocked their Palestinian peers with shouts of “terrorism”, some students have been followed by campus security and First Nations students have been compared to “petrol sniffers” in lecture halls.

The report also found Jewish students were fearful to attend classes, with one harassed for wearing their kippa walking to class and another who described people screaming “send them to the camps” at a group of Jews on campus.

Continue reading...

NDIS plans will be computer-generated, with human involvement dramatically cut under sweeping overhaul

Posted on by

Exclusive: Staff were told of major changes to the way NDIS funding and support plans will be made during a recent internal briefing

Funding and support plans for national disability insurance scheme participants will be generated by a computer program and staff will have no discretion to amend them, under a major overhaul of the NDIS to be rolled out next year, Guardian Australia can reveal.

Under the changes, human involvement in deciding support for NDIS participants will be dramatically reduced.

Continue reading...

Australia’s heaviest betters undeterred by key gambling reform, research shows

Posted on by

Exclusive: Report finds ban on credit card use for online wagering results in most gamblers switching to transaction account payments

One of the Albanese government’s flagship gambling reforms, a ban on using credit cards for online wagering, had the least impact on Australia’s heaviest betters, new research shows.

The ban saw most gamblers swap their form of payment to transaction accounts and left open a range of loopholes dedicated wagerers could exploit, according to a report by the e61 Institute.

Continue reading...

Sea World helicopter pilot ‘had a breakdown and took cocaine’ before crash, inquest told

Posted on by

Ashley Jenkinson, who died in the crash on 2 January 2023, was seen inhaling a white powder at a New Year’s Eve party

Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast

A helicopter pilot involved in one of Australia’s worst air disasters had a mental “breakdown” and used cocaine the day before making tourist joy flights, a coroner has heard.

Ashley Jenkinson, 40, was among four people who died when his Sea World chopper collided midair with another outside the Gold Coast theme park on 2 January 2023.

Continue reading...

Bid by Gina Rinehart’s company to build helipad set to be blocked by City of Perth

Posted on by

Hancock says facility is ‘modern necessity’ but opponents argue the noise would disrupt local businesses

Gina Rinehart’s company has claimed helicopter pads are a necessity of modern business as it fights to install one at its new headquarters in West Perth.

The City of Perth on Tuesday recommended councillors block the request from Hancock Iron Ore to install a helipad as it redevelops its offices.

Continue reading...

Hundreds potentially affected by Victoria police weapons searches that breached law

Posted on by

Exclusive: wide-ranging police powers used to conduct non-compliant searches that resulted in 33 people being charged or fined

Victoria police will inform the state’s anti-corruption watchdog that it did not comply with the law when it used wide-ranging powers to search people for weapons on 23 separate occasions dating back eight years.

The non-compliant searches resulted in 33 people being charged or fined, all of whom will be contacted by police and informed of the problem.

Continue reading...

Western Australian farmer dies trying to protect property from fast-moving bushfire

Posted on by

Man in his 60s was fighting large blaze near Ravensthorpe, about 500km south-east of Perth

A farmer working frantically to protect his property from a fast-moving bushfire has died after his vehicle was engulfed in flames.

The man aged in his 60s was operating a front-end loader as he tried to create a fire break at West River, about 500km drive south-east of Perth on Monday afternoon.

Continue reading...

Get shucking: South Australians urged to eat oysters and donate shells for reef restoration project

Posted on by

Shrimp soundtrack will be played under water to lure baby oysters in program aimed at fighting algal blooms

South Australians are being urged to feast on local oysters and then donate the shells to restore native reefs, which will filter ocean water and help fight harmful algal blooms.

The program will also involve lumps of limestone being sunk in the ocean, with a soundtrack of snapping shrimp playing on underwater speakers to lure baby oysters in.

Continue reading...

Victoria could become first Australian state to ban unnecessary surgery on intersex children

Posted on by

Exclusive: Legislation would prohibit deferrable, irreversible procedures until child can give informed consent, bringing state in line with ACT

Victoria will become the first Australian state to ban unnecessary surgeries on intersex children, with legislation to be introduced to parliament to ensure procedures are deferred until patients are old enough to consent to them.

The health minister, Mary-Anne Thomas, will on Tuesday introduce the health safeguards for people born with variations in sex characteristics bill, which if passed would prohibit deferrable, irreversible procedures and treatments on intersex infants and children until they can provide informed consent.

Continue reading...

Labor rejects standalone AI legislation with plan that offers to help ‘unlock’ public and private data

Posted on by

Roadmap focuses on technology’s ‘economic benefits’ and says existing laws will cover the fast-growing new technology

The Albanese government has decided against legislation to manage artificial intelligence, with a new national roadmap emphasising Labor’s focus on the technology’s economic benefits and plans to “unlock” vast datasets held by private companies and the public service to help train AI models.

Supporting and reskilling workers affected by AI in their jobs, boosting investment in datacentres, and sharing the productivity benefits across the economy are key components of the Labor government’s National AI Plan, launched on Tuesday.

Continue reading...

Australia could miss clean energy target as solar and wind investment slumps, investors warn

Posted on by

Expert cautions large pipeline of potential projects will not deliver required energy capacity unless companies make final investments

Renewable energy investors have warned “deep structural issues” are driving a slump in solar and wind investment in Australia, with commitments on large-scale farms at the lowest level in almost a decade.

Clean Energy Regulator data shows the government agency expects 2.5GW of industry-scale renewable energy capacity to reach a final investment decision this year, down from 4GW last year. The 12-month average for investment commitments on new developments is at its lowest since early 2017.

Continue reading...

Sydney police charge four men over alleged ‘international satanic child sex abuse material ring’

Posted on by

Detectives claim to have uncovered Sydney-based network involving online distribution of child sexual abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes

Four Australians remain locked up after being charged for alleged involvement in a satanic child sexual abuse material ring.

Detectives busted an apparent Sydney-based pedophile network they claimed was actively involved in possessing, distributing and facilitating child sexual abuse involving ritualistic or satanic themes.

Continue reading...

More than 670 NSW pokies venues to be stripped of ability to stay open after 4am

Posted on by

Exclusive: Government to end exemptions to mandated closing times for pubs and clubs, including those that allow 24/7 gambling

More than 670 poker machine venues across New South Wales will lose their “outdated exemptions” to operate after 4am as the state government responds to pressure to address “a public health catastrophe”.

The decision, announced by the state’s gaming minister David Harris, will ensure gaming rooms are closed at the mandated 4am deadline. Some venues are allowing them to be played 24/7.

Continue reading...

Gen Z Australians are attempting suicide and self-harming more than previous generations, study finds

Posted on by

Exclusive: Separate research also shows number of young children having suicidal thoughts has risen at ‘alarming’ rate

Young Australians aged 16 to 25 are attempting to kill themselves, self-harming and experiencing suicidal thoughts in greater numbers and at earlier ages than previous generations, a landmark study has found.

It comes as Kids Helpline data provided exclusively to Guardian Australia shows the proportion of young children experiencing suicidality is increasing at “alarming” rates and being expressed by children as young as six.

Continue reading...

Couple from Kazakhstan allegedly used hidden camera and earpieces to win $1.18m from Sydney’s Crown casino

Posted on by

Woman, 36, and her husband, 44, arrested at Barangaroo and charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage

A married couple from Kazakhstan has allegedly won more than $1m from Sydney’s Crown casino using a tiny camera hidden in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt and “deep-seated earpieces” that allowed them to communicate.

New South Wales police said on Sunday the couple, Dilnoza Israilova and Alisherykhoja Israilov, were charged with dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception, after being arrested in the Barangaroo casino.

Continue reading...

Australia news live: grounded Jetstar flights resume; foreign couple arrested over alleged $1m Sydney casino fraud

Posted on by

Follow all the day’s news live

Welcome to Guardian Australia’s Sunday live blog.

The Jetstar Airbus A320 planes that were recalled yesterday (leading to more than 90 domestic flights being cancelled) have all received the necessary software update and services have resumed as normal this morning.

Continue reading...

New behaviour standards are in place for parliament but crossbenchers say question time still rife with bullying

Posted on by

Independent MP Zali Steggall says it’s not always clear who is behind disorderly behaviour – and sometimes it can be a whole section of a political party

Sweeping behavioural standards have now been in place in Australia’s parliament for years, but crossbench MPs have warned question time is still rife with bullying and a “mob mentality” that needs to be stamped out.

Data obtained through the speaker’s office shows 21 MPs across the Coalition and Labor have been booted out of question time 31 times, under standing order 94a during the first six months of the 48th parliament.

Continue reading...

Australian taxpayers subsidise rising specialist fees as spending on Abbott-era Medicare safety net ‘explodes’

Posted on by

Exclusive: Health department data shows spending on the 2004 extended safety net has nearly tripled, from $324.9m in 2010 to $850.4m in 2024

Taxpayers are increasingly subsiding the rising fees of specialist doctors, as new data shows “explosive” government spending on the Medicare safety net, which has more than doubled in 15 years.

Total Medicare safety net benefits rose from $339m in 2010 to $871.4m in 2024, data requested by Guardian Australia from the federal health department shows, with an Abbott-era expansion causing the biggest blowout in costs while also increasing inequities in the health system.

Continue reading...

Virginia Giuffre’s sons deny unsigned document is their mother’s will

Posted on by

After Jeffrey Epstein abuse victim died intestate, sons reject claim that documents presented by her lawyer and carer represent her final intentions

An unsigned will has emerged as the crux of the battle over the estate of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein.

Details of the document surfaced on Friday as hearings began in Western Australia’s supreme court, where her sons, her longtime lawyer and her former carer are all vying for control of the assets.

Continue reading...