Category Archives: Australian security and counter-terrorism

Australia news live updates: ClubsNSW chief says he ‘misspoke’ in linking Perrottet’s faith to pokies policy

Posted on by

Independent MP Alex Greenwich calls on Josh Landis to step down following comments about NSW premier. Follow the latest updates live

Alice Springs’ convention centre was packed last night for a meeting where business owners alleged they’ve suffered losses due to government inaction.

The ABC is reporting that organiser and business owner Garth Thompson told the crowd that the Northern Territory government had neglected Alice Springs and residents “deserve to be compensated for what the government has put us through”.

I’m more than proud to stand here and say we, as a community of Alice Springs, are about to sue our government for $1.5 billion in compensation.

Those of us who came here for a community meeting ended up listening to 20 to 30 minutes of a local business owner essentially stir up a very emotive narrative centred around the protection of private property.

I think it’s fair to say that the premier has very little understanding of this issue and has acted from his conservative Catholic gut rather than based on evidence.

Continue reading...

Australia and France agree arms deal for Ukraine as talks seek to bury Aukus debacle

Posted on by

The countries will jointly supply thousands of artillery shells to Kyiv to kickstart ‘new cooperation between defence industries’

Australia and France have agreed a deal to jointly manufacture and supply thousands of artillery shells to the Ukrainian army, the defence and foreign ministers of the two countries announced on Monday.

The agreement, “worth several million (Australian) dollars”, was announced after bilateral talks in Paris aimed at resetting the relationship between the two countries seriously damaged by the 2021 Aukus affair.

Continue reading...

Labor flags law reforms to stop cases involving national security being cloaked in secrecy

Posted on by

Bernard Collaery welcomes proposed changes as attorney general recognises importance of open justice and public interest

The federal government has flagged amendments to national security laws to ensure that the near total secrecy that hid the prosecution and imprisonment of a former Australian intelligence officer cannot happen again.

The former government faced persistent criticism of its use of the National Security Information (NSI) Act to enforce extreme secrecy in cases of clear public interest, including the prosecutions of Bernard Collaery, Witness K and the former military lawyer David McBride.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Australia news live: flood peaks expected in parts of SA, private hospital nurses to strike in NSW for first time in decades

Posted on by

South Australian SES revises dates for expected peak flows with Renmark and Berri expected to peak today; nurses at two major private hospitals in Sydney to walk off the job at 1pm

Private hospitals nurses to walk off the job for first time in decades

Staying in NSW, nurses at two major private Sydney hospitals will walk off the job later today.

The Australian market regulator and the cap price that people pay for electricity will make their announcement in February about what bills people will pay for next year. And we expect that the move will feed directly through to that and see downward pressure of up to $243 on electricity bills of what it was previously going to be.

How much of a philosophical jump was it for you as a Liberal, to intervene in the market in this way and cap the prices?

Well, it wasn’t a jump at all to stand by people following the illegal war in Ukraine, which is pushing up electricity bills. The government is there to protect the people – not the other way around.

And that’s exactly what we did. We looked at a range of measures to support people to deal with these high electricity prices. And this is the one that the commonwealth government asked us to do and, obviously, our No 1 priority is standing by the people of New South Wales using our balance sheet to support families and businesses. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.

Continue reading...

Flood warnings issued for Murray River in South Australia – as it happened

Posted on by

The SA SES has told residents in low-lying areas along the river to prepare to evacuate. This blog is now closed

Woolworths salads recalled in NSW, ACT, Queensland and Victoria

A food recall notice has been issued for two salads sold at Woolworth stores across New South Wales, the ACT, Queensland and Victoria.

Food products containing unsafe plant material may cause illness if consumed. ​

Consumers should not eat this product and should return the products to the place of purchase for a full refund. Any consumers concerned about their health should seek medical advice.​

Continue reading...

‘Foreign actors’ may have fanned rightwing extremism during Covid to sway election, Liberal MP says

Posted on by

Exclusive: Andrew Wallace urges colleagues to be ‘mindful’ of possibility but says he has no hard evidence

The deputy chair of parliament’s intelligence committee has suggested “foreign state actors” may have stoked anti-vaxxer and rightwing extremism sentiment in Australia during the Covid-19 pandemic in a bid to influence the outcome of the May federal election.

“I’m very mindful of the increase in the fanning of rightwing extremism in the lead-up to the last federal election,” the Coalition MP Andrew Wallace told Guardian Australia.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

Continue reading...

Chinese ambassador hails ‘very successful’ meeting – as it happened

Posted on by

This blog is now closed

The US secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, is up next.

Austin says there will be an increase rotational presence of US navy and army troops in Australia. It will see more US air, land and sea forces in Australia.

Our mateship will stand as a bedrock of future peace and security.

Continue reading...

Young and sick children to be first Australians repatriated from Syrian detention camps

Posted on by

About 60 wives, sons and daughters of slain or jailed IS combatants to be rescued from Roj camp, but some women face arrest upon return to Australia

The youngest, most unwell and most vulnerable of the Australian children currently held in squalid Syrian detention camps will be the first ones repatriated to Australia. But some of their mothers could face arrest – and potential charges – upon return to the country.

The Australian government is currently implementing plans to repatriate about 60 Australian women and children – wives, sons and daughters of slain or jailed Islamic State combatants – who have been held for more than three years in the dangerous detention camps in north-east Syria.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Families of Australians held in Syrian detention camps welcome ‘incredibly exciting’ news of planned repatriation

Posted on by

One man whose daughter and grandchildren are in the Roj camp says the government has not notified family members of rescue missions

A lawyer for Australians trapped in Syrian detention camps say conditions are “volatile and unsafe” inside the camps as winter approaches, with interruptions to food and water supply, and the need for their repatriation growing increasingly urgent.

Guardian Australia reported on Sunday that the government was preparing an operation to start repatriating more than 60 Australians – widows and children of slain or jailed Islamic State fighters – who are in the al-Hawl and Roj detention camps. About 20 are adults, many of whom say they were coerced or tricked into travelling to Syria by husbands who have since died.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

AFP investigates $1m ransom demand posted online for allegedly hacked Optus data

Posted on by

Attorney general Mark Dreyfus has been briefed by the privacy commissioner about hack and is seeking ‘urgent’ meeting with telco

The Australian federal police is investigating after the data of millions of Optus customers exposed during a recent hack was allegedly put up for sale online.

On Saturday morning a post appeared on a data market from a user claiming to be in possession of the information obtained from the breach with a demand for $1m in Monero cryptocurrency.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Labor concerned about apparent national security committee ‘leak’ in book on Morrison government

Posted on by

Plagued, which revealed Scott Morrison’s multiple ministries, also details secret discussions on China, defence and border closures

The government’s new chair of the intelligence and security committee, Peter Khalil, says he is “absolutely concerned” about what appear to be leaks from the national security committee of cabinet contained in a recently published book.

Plagued, which was written by Simon Benson and Geoff Chambers and revealed how Scott Morrison appointed himself to multiple ministries in his government, also contained details of previously secret deliberations of Australia’s national security committee (NSC) of cabinet.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Plagued: book revealing Morrison’s ministries discloses national security discussions

Posted on by

Book also includes comments about the government’s approach to dealing with China and discussions around Australia’s defence posture

It is the book that has landed Scott Morrison in the hottest water of his political career – revealing how he appointed himself to multiple ministries in his government unbeknown to the public or his colleagues.

That disclosure has attracted the most public interest, but the book Plagued also reveals previously secret deliberations of Australia’s national security committee (NSC) of cabinet.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

NSW becomes second state to ban Nazi flag and symbols

Posted on by

Intentionally bearing swastikas can now land a person in jail for up to a year and a fine of over $100,000

Intentionally waving a Nazi flag in New South Wales or displaying memorabilia bearing swastikas could now land a person in jail for up to a year, along with a fine of over $100,000.

The Crimes Amendment (prohibition on display of Nazi symbols) Bill 2022 swiftly and unanimously passed the NSW upper house on Thursday.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

US and Australia to launch second joint spy satellite from site in New Zealand

Posted on by

Some in space industry bewildered by Australia’s lack of fanfare about the launch of the satellites, which will be used to collect intelligence for allied nations

A second spy satellite built by Australia and the United States is scheduled for liftoff on Tuesday from a launch site in New Zealand.

The first of the two satellites, which will be used to collect intelligence for the allied nations, launched two weeks ago.

Continue reading...

China’s challenges to Australian ships: three reasons not to panic | Adam Lockyer

Posted on by

It’s important to view encounters between the two militaries in operational context

Last week it was reported that in early July an Australian warship had been closely followed by a Chinese guided-missile destroyer, a nuclear-powered attack submarine and multiple military aircraft as it travelled through the East China Sea.

This incident followed a confrontation on 26 May, when an Australian maritime surveillance plane was dangerously intercepted by a Chinese fighter over the South China Sea.

Continue reading...

Tool to assess jailed terrorists before release criticised as unreliable and prejudicial to Muslims

Posted on by

Offenders may be kept in prison after serving sentence, but wrongly made order ‘almost always amounts to arbitrary detention', rights group argues

A tool used by authorities to assess the risk posed by convicted terrorists before their release from prison is unreliable and should be investigated, the Australian Human Rights Commission and a peak body for Muslims have argued.

The Violent Extremism Risk Assessment 2 Revised, known as VERA-2R, is used to measure the threat posed by extremists, often when considering whether they will be subject to strict court orders once their prison sentence is completed.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Public service shake-up continues with four new secretaries for government departments – as it happened

Posted on by

Dominic Perrottet called on to halt Barilaro appointment pending inquiry; at least 63 Covid deaths recorded nationwide. This blog is now closed

NSW teacher strike ‘about politics, not pay’, Kean says

Matt Kean has hit out at plans by public and Catholic school teachers to strike next Friday after receiving a 3% pay rise offer, well below the rate of inflation.

Our 3% pay increase is far more than the Labor government’s 1.5% pay increase for public servants down in Victoria.

So the same unions complaining about our generous pay rise up here in NSW and protesting aren’t marching in the streets down in Victoria.

A senior woman, a senior public servant with knowledge of financial markets and trade particularly with the United States was offered the job, it was rescinded by the New South Wales government.

We don’t know by whom. And then John Barilaro mysteriously was given it just last week.

Continue reading...

Five Eyes must ramp up fight against rising organised crime, AFP commissioner warns

Posted on by

Pandemic has contributed to ‘destabilisation of world order’ leading to weaponisation of technology, Reece Kershaw says

The Australian federal police commissioner has urged his Five Eyes counterparts to ramp up the fight against organised crime, declaring the pandemic has fuelled “the destabilisation of the world order”.

Reece Kershaw issued a rallying call for closer coordination on law enforcement as he addressed colleagues from the US, Canada, the UK and New Zealand, who have been visiting Australia for talks since Monday.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...

Australia ‘louder than we should have been’ in criticising China says former Asio chief

Posted on by

Sharp critique from Duncan Lewis comes as Chinese foreign minister embarks on ‘extraordinary’ Pacific island nation tour

Australia’s former intelligence chief Duncan Lewis says Australia has been “rather louder than we should have been” in public criticism of China when a better approach, given escalating regional tensions, should have been “speak softly and carry a big stick”.

Lewis has told the Australian National University’s national security podcast Australia had been at the forefront of China criticism in recent years “when we might well have been better to have been one back and one wide”.

Continue reading...

Australian eSafety office tells websites to remove Buffalo attack video but does not block access

Posted on by

Commissioner issues notices to eight sites, four of which have removed material associated with the attack

The Australian office of the eSafety Commissioner has issued eight notices to websites hosting the Buffalo terrorist attack video or manifesto, but has not blocked any from being accessed in Australia.

On Saturday, an 18-year-old white man allegedly opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle at the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighbourhood of Buffalo, New York. According to US authorities, as he struck 13 people with gunfire, killing 10, he used a camera to livestream the rampage, and posted a 180-page manifesto online.

Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning

Continue reading...