Australia information reside: AFP cost two individuals with allegedly spying for Russia; Marles pledges $250m in army assist for Ukraine

The trial of members of a Toowoomba sect for the homicide and manslaughter of 8-year-old Elizabeth Struhs has bought underway for a 3rd day.

The 14 defendants shall be introduced a chance to talk of their defence this morning after the prosecution completed their abstract of the allegations yesterday. It’s not but clear if they are going to take the chance to take action.

On Wednesday, the primary day of the trial, they refused to enter a plea. Justice Martin Burns ordered {that a} plea of not responsible be entered.

Later at this time crown prosecutor Caroline Marco will name her first witnesses, which is predicted to incorporate police and emergency providers officers.

A faculty trainer and scholar have chained themselves to concrete barrels inside a four-wheel drive and a ship and blocked the one highway to Woodside’s Burrup Hub fuel improvement in Western Australia in a single day.

The state and federal governments are contemplating an utility by Woodside to broaden and prolong the lifetime of the plant, one of many nation’s greatest fossil gasoline developments, by 50 years. An Australian Conservation Basis report in March discovered the total growth, together with opening new ocean gasfields, may very well be the southern hemisphere’s largest new fossil gasoline challenge.

Greenpeace has beforehand estimated the growth may result in 6.1bn tonnes of CO2 throughout the many years forward if absolutely developed, about 13 instances what Australia emits yearly. It additionally threatens the Murujuga cultural panorama, which has been proposed for world heritage itemizing and contains greater than 1m historic petroglyphs, making it “the largest and oldest outdoor art gallery on Earth” and “one of the world’s most significant cultural heritage landscapes”.

The 17-year-old highschool scholar, Emma, mentioned she was participating within the activism partly to guard the ocean ecosystem:

This won’t solely destroy our local weather, it’s going to trigger the gorgeous Scott Reef to subside and wreck the one habitat for endangered turtles and different sea life. Browse Fuel will disrupt valuable whale migration routes, so at this time I’m disrupting Woodside’s Burrup Hub to dam Browse. Our techniques are accountable for local weather destruction and ecological collapse, and direct motion is the one method to adequately reply to the disaster we face.

Petrina Harley, a faculty trainer who beforehand blockaded Burrup Street in 2021 and who additionally chained herself to the concrete barrel in a single day, mentioned a roadblock was a “safe, sensible, proportionate response to an emergency unfolding at Woodside’s Burrup Hub”.

Caitlin Cassidy

Wants-based funding for universities examined

Regional universities would obtain extra funding than city counterparts and suppliers may obtain an financial increase in the event that they succeeded in graduating deprived college students, a dialogue paper launched by the commonwealth at this time suggests.

The paper outlines proposed parts of a needs-based funding mannequin, to exchange the present system that’s grant-based and glued.

Suppliers can be allotted per-student funding contributions for low socioeconomic college students, First Nations college students and college students with a incapacity – “recognising these students often need additional support to participate and succeed”. College students finding out at regional campuses would even be supplied with extra funding.

The funding can be tied to tutorial and scholar assist actions together with scholarships and mentoring, with necessary reporting to make sure transparency. The paper famous a “major factor” in scholar success and extra assist required was Atar, noting that the brand new funding mannequin was “not intended to lower the minimum academic requirements for entry to university”.

The minister for training, Jason Clare, mentioned the federal government had set a goal that by 2050, 80% of staff would have a Tafe or college qualification:

To hit that focus on we now have to interrupt down that invisible barrier that stops lots of people from deprived backgrounds getting a crack at going to college and succeeding after they get there.

I’ll go away that press convention there – I perceive my colleagues in Canberra could have a full report for you later this morning.

‘It is acts in preparation for an espionage offence’

Reece Kershaw goes into some extra element about how the AFP intends to make use of the 2018 laws of their case in opposition to the couple, given they are saying the fabric in query wasn’t considerably compromised:

It’s acts in preparation for an espionage offence. We’re exhibiting that there’s an intent to share that info, whether or not or not that has occurred, that may kind additional to our investigation avenues of inquiry and, for instance, the 15-year offence is upgraded to a 25 years to life, relying on what we additional uncover.

Classes shall be discovered – if there are any, Asio boss says

Additional to that problem of residents of different international locations with the ability to entry delicate data, and be a part of the defence drive, Mike Burgess mentioned:

Safety clearance have particular necessities on them, together with being an Australian citizen. Peoples’ cultural background and heritage and after they got here to the nation and have they got a checkable background and all these issues are required for safety choices. A part of the investigation and internally, we’ll work with Defence to work by means of what’s the teachable second right here if there are any.

The couple had Russian passports, though Mike Burgess and Reece Kershaw haven’t really mentioned the couple had been or are Russian residents.

Nor will they are saying how they got here to concentrate on the alleged espionage operation, and the investigation is trying into whether or not the girl entered the ADF with the particular intention of committing espionage.

Burgess mentioned:

Once they arrived on this nation, all that element remains to be topic to additional investigation, ongoing investigations. We now have some info however we’re nonetheless collectively piecing that, by way of when did this begin? When did that journey begin? The opposite factor is due to Defence’s consciousness, it allowed us to intervene early and management the operation.

‘No significant compromise has been identified’

Kershaw mentioned the “alleged criminality has been disrupted” and that “no significant compromise has been identified”.

Each the accused had been in Australia for greater than 10 years, Kershaw mentioned:

The girl obtained Australian citizenship in 2016 and her husband obtained Australian citizenship in 2020. She has been employed within the Australian military, within the Australian defence drive for a number of years as an info techniques technician.

The director normal of Asio, Mike Burgess, mentioned, when requested concerning the vetting course of that happens when using individuals within the army and different areas:

I respectfully recommend that vetting is just not an answer that stops issues as a result of it relies on what you say … When you meet the necessities to get a safety clearance, you’re going to get one, however that doesn’t imply to say the safety journey stops at this level. On this case, due to defence and safety consciousness, Asio and the taskforce and the AFP had been capable of intervene and management this operation.

Married couple allegedly supposed at hand defence drive materials to Russia, AFP chief says

Reece Kershaw says the AFP arrested the pair – a married couple – yesterday morning at their Everton Park residence in Brisbane.

They’ve been charged with one rely every of getting ready for an espionage offence, which carries a most penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment. They may seem earlier than Brisbane magistrates court docket at this time.

Kershaw says:

The counter overseas interference taskforce, which incorporates AFP, Asio and different commonwealth companions, has devoted important assets and functionality to Operation Bergazada.

The AFP will allege the people labored collectively to entry Australian defence drive materials that associated to Australia’s nationwide safety pursuits.

We allege the girl was enterprise non-declared journey to Russia, while she was on long-term go away from the Australian defence drive. We allege that while she was in Russia, she instructed her husband, who remained in Australia, on the right way to log into her official work account from their Brisbane residence.

We allege her husband would entry requested materials and would ship to his spouse in Russia. We allege they sought that info with the intention of offering it to Russian authorities. Whether or not that info was handed over stays a key focus of our investigation.

The Australian federal police have charged two individuals on espionage-related issues – the primary time costs have been laid beneath legal guidelines launched in 2018.

In a press convention, commissioner Reece Kershaw has mentioned they’re a lady aged 40 and a person aged 62. The girl is a military non-public within the Australian defence drive.

Elias Visontay

CEOs making barely much less cash, audit finds

Chief executives in Australia’s largest firms are making barely much less cash however are nonetheless taking residence on common 50 instances the pay bundle of a typical employee.

In its annual audit of CEO pay, the Australian Council of Superannuation Traders discovered chief executives on the 100 largest listed companies averaged $5m within the 2023 monetary yr, down from $5.2m the earlier yr.

The drop is according to a gradual decline from Australian CEO wage highs in 2021, in response to the nation’s greatest governance adviser, when prime canine wages boomed after taking a pandemic-induced hit.

Louise Davidson, Acsi’s chief government, mentioned the actual fact CEOs had been making much less was “encouraging”:

The outcomes of this yr’s analysis point out that the efforts of buyers, and larger scrutiny from Australian boards, have seen CEO pay ranges maintain or lower in a lot of Australia’s largest listed firms.

Learn the total story right here:

A 33-year-old from the city of Forest in north-west Tasmania has been charged with three counts of tried homicide, arson and household violence offences after a fireplace at a residence there on Wednesday.

Emergency providers and police had been referred to as to the property on Wednesday morning, after a notification from an digital monitoring gadget, a press release from Tasmanian police mentioned final night time.

Fireplace providers attended shortly after noon, after a fireplace began inside the house.

Tasmanian police mentioned:

The fireplace was contained and the person – who was the only occupant of the property – was taken into custody. He was handled on the scene by paramedics for non-life-threatening accidents and brought to the North-West Regional Hospital for evaluation.

He has since been charged with arson and three counts of tried homicide in relation to the fireplace, and actions he allegedly took in opposition to attending officers.

He has additionally been charged with 5 counts of breaching an interim household violence order.

Man dies after alleged stabbing in Melbourne

A person has died after an alleged stabbing within the Melbourne suburb of Thomastown in a single day.

Emergency providers had been referred to as to an deal with within the suburb about 8.40pm final night time after stories of a stabbing, Victoria police mentioned this morning.

Police administered CPR to a person however he couldn’t be revived. The drive mentioned the precise circumstances of the person’s demise had been but to be established. A criminal offense scene has been arrange and murder squad detectives have been on web site.

Residents of Melbourne’s western suburbs of Derrimut and Laverton North have been suggested to proceed monitoring circumstances and keep away from contact with native waterways after a manufacturing facility hearth that began on Wednesday continues to be managed by emergency providers.

In an replace issued at 8am this morning, Fireplace Rescue Victoria mentioned there was now no menace to the neighborhood however individuals ought to keep away from contact with water at Cherry Creek, Anderson’s Swamp and Kayes Drain, as runoff from hearth administration has entered these waterways.

Fireplace Rescue Victoria mentioned:

Keep away from contact with the water (together with pets) downstream of the fireplace location till additional discover. Odours could also be noticed within the space. Keep away from areas the place odours happen. Contact EPA Victoria for additional info

Emergency providers are nonetheless on web site and are anticipated to stay within the space. Residents are suggested to proceed to keep away from the fast space and preserve the roads clear.

‘We are providing significant support to Ukraine’

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles has been chatting with media this morning concerning the prolonged $250m army assist bundle that Australia has simply introduced it’s going to offered to Ukraine.

He advised ABC RN simply now:

We now have made clear that that is neither the primary nor the final bundle of assist that we’ll make to Ukraine …

We’re offering important assist to Ukraine, however as I say, it varieties a part of an ongoing set of measures of assist for Ukraine and takes our total army assist to $1.1bn and our total assist to Ukraine to $1.3bn since this battle started. And we perceive that that is going to proceed so we shall be there for so long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this battle on its phrases.

Marles refused to be drawn to touch upon photographs of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi hugging Russian President Vladimir Putin on the time that Russian missiles had been placing a youngsters’s hospital in Kyiv. Marles mentioned:

The missile placing the Youngsters’s hospital in Ukraine was clearly an outrage and we categorical our condemnation of that as we do categorical our condolences to the Ukrainian individuals for this tragedy. And I had the chance to try this personally with President Zelenskiy this morning.

I imply, I’m not going to touch upon what we’ve seen in respect of certainly, however clearly, the assault on a youngsters’s hospital is deeply unacceptable. And it speaks to the immorality actually of the invasion that we’ve seen. From Russia, and simply how essential it’s for Ukraine to be supported on this second.

Victoria brings ahead playing reform

Benita Kolovos

The introduction of pressured early-morning closures for poker machine venues will come into impact a couple of month sooner than deliberate, the Victorian authorities has introduced.

The gaming minister, Melissa Horne, will at this time announce the primary tranche of the state’s playing reforms, which require pubs and golf equipment throughout Victoria to shut their gaming machine areas between 4am and 10am, to come back into impact on 30 August.

The laws had the modifications coming into impact by 3 October, although Crown On line casino is exempt.

Horne mentioned affected venues and stakeholders had been being given as a lot discover as attainable to arrange rosters and make different crucial modifications.

She mentioned although comparatively few individuals gamble at pubs and golf equipment at 4am, the individuals who do are at a a lot greater danger of experiencing playing hurt.

Horne mentioned the closure would assist patrons to be extra conscious of their behaviour, whereas stopping the follow of some venues staggering opening hours to encourage gaming with no breaks. She mentioned:

Victoria’s enforcement of gaming room closure instances will defend these most susceptible to gambling-related hurt. Offering individuals with a break in play is a vital playing hurt prevention measure – it provides individuals an opportunity to step out of the zone and take into account how a lot money and time they’re keen to lose.

The federal government has introduced a number of different measures designed to restrict playing hurt – together with lowered spin charges, necessary carded play and money load limits – however they’re but to be legislated. They are saying session with the sector is ongoing.

$250m in army assist pledged for Ukraine

Daniel Hurst

Australia will present air defence missiles to Ukraine, as a part of what the federal authorities is looking its greatest single bundle of army help to Kyiv up to now.

The deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, is in Washington DC for the Nato summit and is predicted to fulfill at this time with leaders from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea (Nato’s so-called “Indo-Pacific Four”). This group is because of maintain talks with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, earlier than a photograph alternative with the embattled US president, Joe Biden.

The Australian authorities introduced late final night time that it could present a further $250m in army help to Ukraine, describing it as Australia’s largest single army bundle since Russia’s invasion. The gadgets will deliver Australia’s complete army help to Ukraine to greater than $1.1bn, and total help to greater than $1.3bn.

The newest bundle contains air defence missiles; air-to-ground weapons, together with guided weapons; and anti-tank weapons. Different gadgets embrace artillery, mortar, cannon, and small arms ammunition.

Australia may even ship Ukraine a cargo of shoes to be used by Ukrainian army personnel.

However the authorities is predicted to refuse the define the quantity and forms of missiles and weapons as a result of it argues such particulars would offer a bonus to Russia.

Marles mentioned Australia was “proud to stand with its partners at this historic Nato summit to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to the Government of Ukraine”.

In a press release issued late final night time, Marles mentioned:

The supply of extremely succesful air defence capabilities and air-to-ground precision munitions represents Australia’s largest single assist bundle for Ukraine, and can make an unlimited contribution to its efforts to finish the battle on its phrases.

Russia’s unlawful and immoral invasion of Ukraine stands as an affront to worldwide legislation and the rules-based order.

The federal authorities introduced late final night time that Australia would offer air defence missiles to Ukraine as a part of a further $250m army bundle, which the federal government is looking its greatest single bundle of army help to the nation up to now. The brand new gadgets will deliver Australia’s complete army help to Ukraine to greater than $1.1bn, and total help to greater than $1.3bn.

Deputy prime minister Richard Marles has introduced the bundle from Washington DC, the place he’s attending the Nato summit. Extra from our overseas affairs and defence correspondent Daniel Hurst on that assist bundle shortly.

In the meantime, in Victoria, a poker machines venues curfew shall be introduced ahead by a month, the state Labor authorities has introduced. The primary tranche of the state’s playing reforms, which require pubs and golf equipment to shut their gaming machine areas between 4am and 10am, will come into impact on 30 August.

I’m Stephanie Convery and I’m going to take you thru this and all the remainder of the information of the day at this time, as slightly end-of-the-week deal with. Let’s get caught in.