Australia information reside: ‘disappointing’ PM not at Nato, Birmingham says; NSW extends Anzac Day retail ban

Matt Thistlethwaite, who has already been assembly with US political leaders forward of the Nato summit, was requested what he’s listening to from Democrats about president Joe Biden’s future?

He instructed ABC RN this was “obviously … a matter for the United States”, and that Biden had been “a strong supporter” of the Aukus alliance.

It’s encouraging to see that there’s throughout the aisle help for Aukus. It’s well-known in congress, and each Democrats and Republicans are very supportive of this system.

We’re now beginning to work by way of among the particulars. We had a roundtable this morning, myself and the deputy prime minister [Richard Marles] and ambassador [Kevin] Rudd with defence trade right here…

Circling again to Biden’s management: Thistlethwaite stated “at the end of the day, that’s a matter for the United States and its people.”

No matter who occupies the White Home, the alliance that Australia has with the USA has been sturdy and has grown no matter which occasion was in authorities right here, and certainly the identical in Australia.

Australia’s help for Ukraine has been ‘appropriate’, says help defence minister

Assistant minister for defence, Matt Thistlethwaite, additionally spoke with ABC RN only a second in the past forward of the Nato summit in Washington, the place he’s in attendance.

On the final Nato summit, the prime minister introduced extra Bushmaster navy autos for Ukraine – will there be additional bulletins in assist this time?

He stated the defence minister would announce “Australia’s next stage of support for Ukraine”.

We’ve already pledged over a billion {dollars} price of help, most of that’s in navy gear, Bushmasters, artillery, drones, communications, gear, and … I believe we’re on the sixth rotation of Australia troops visiting the UK and importantly, offering coaching for Ukrainian troops …

We predict that Australia’s contribution is acceptable … We’ve acquired to stability Australia’s defence wants in addition to being a superb worldwide associate, not solely in our area – the Indo-Pacific – however extra broadly in conflicts, akin to in Ukraine.

Queensland Greens’ plan to interrupt up grocery store duopoly

It’s not typically that the Greens and Peter Dutton are on the identical web page however immediately is likely to be one among them, when the Queensland Greens announce a plan to interrupt up the Coles and Woolworths “duopoly” – identical to the Coalition chief hinted he was considering the opposite week.

The plan is a part of the Greens’ cost-of-living technique they usually additionally wish to cap the value of 30 necessities akin to bread, milk and nappies, with will increase tied to wages.

Extra developing as they make their announcement, however right here’s our full story:

What retail buying and selling restrictions do different states have for Anzac Day?

As AAP stories, retail buying and selling restrictions range throughout Australia’s jurisdictions, with solely Western Australia additionally imposing a complete ban.

Victoria and Queensland permit buying and selling from 1pm, Tasmania does from 12.30pm whereas South Australia solely permits it within the Adelaide CBD between 12pm and 5pm.

The ACT and the Northern Territory haven’t any restrictions.

NSW is extending its Anzac Day retail buying and selling ban to cowl the whole day, AAP stories, hoping it is going to assist encourage extra folks to commemorate veterans.

Beforehand banned till 1pm, the restrictions on retailers together with supermarkets now gained’t be lifted till midnight.

Retailers who’ve exemptions – akin to cafes, eating places, chemists and information companies – can proceed to commerce all day.

The NSW RSL and the retail employees union again the ban, which premier Chris Minns says is acceptable due to Anzac Day’s standing as Australia’s most “solemn and significant” event.

[We] will lengthen our retail buying and selling restrictions throughout Anzac Day, to ensure our veterans are recognised and free to participate in providers all through the day.

It is likely to be inconvenient for a couple of hours, however closing our largest company outlets for a single day is a small worth to pay for residing in a free and open democracy.

Impartial MP for Curtin, Kate Chaney, was talking with ABC RN earlier in regards to the want for playing reform, arguing that “we regulate gambling a bit like Swiss cheese” in Australia.

This comes because the Alliance for Playing Reform blamed weak promoting and client safety legal guidelines for the promotion of “bonus bets” and cashback presents, which it says are luring Australians into downside playing – fastidiously designed to make clients consider they’re inserting “safer” bets and {that a} win is extra doubtless.

Chaney stated that “partial bans don’t work” and “the clock is ticking” to implement the suggestions of the Murphy inquiry – of which she was a participant – multiple 12 months since they have been handed down.

Each week counts and … I believe the federal government has to point out some guts and implement these suggestions as a result of it’s actually what the group needs.

She stated the Murphy inquiry was a “really great achievement and a good sign that there’s broad community support” for reform, particularly given there was unanimous suggestions with no dissenting feedback.

We regulate playing a bit like Swiss cheese, there are simply holes all over the place and we take the bottom frequent denominator method throughout the nation. So there’s nonetheless a lot work that must be finished.

A person has been charged with homicide after the invention of a girl’s physique at a tip in Melbourne’s north, AAP stories.

The 45-year-old, who police say was identified to the alleged sufferer, was arrested and questioned by detectives all through the day earlier than being charged final night time.

Employees discovered the lady whereas shifting inexperienced waste at a facility in Epping on 3 July however investigators consider her physique was initially inside a home bin picked up exterior a property in a close-by suburb the day gone by.

They recognized the deal with as Hilgay Avenue in Coolaroo, which has garbage collected every Tuesday. Forensic and uniformed officers have been seen at a home on Hilgay Avenue surrounded by police tape on Saturday, when the invention was made public.

The girl, who continues to be but to be formally recognized, is believed to be a 67-year-old from Coolaroo.

The accused man has been remanded to look in Melbourne magistrates courtroom immediately.

Detectives nonetheless wish to communicate to anybody who seen any suspicious behaviour in Coolaroo from 23 June to 2 July.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a street climate alert for Brisbane amid the widespread fog, warning:

Lowered visibility in fog will make street situations harmful throughout Wednesday within the Brisbane Space.

The alert was issued simply after 5am.

Flights have been cancelled or delayed out of Brisbane airport this morning as thick smoke blankets the town.

In keeping with the Brisbane airport web site, 9 home flights and two worldwide flights have been cancelled. On social media, the airport wrote that widespread fog throughout Brisbane was “slowing movements on ground and limiting visibility.”

Flights are nonetheless departing however there are delays because of the decreased visibility.

The Bureau of Meteorology shared these photos of the fog from its workplace:

Authorities to unveil scorecards to trace incapacity employment providers

The federal government will overhaul the way it tracks incapacity employment providers, with new scorecards to measure how suppliers are supporting jobseekers.

Social providers minister Amanda Rishworth will unveil the brand new system immediately, in a bid to boost transparency and accountability within the employment system.

Contributors will be capable to verify accessible scorecards that may present what providers DES suppliers supply and the way they charge for high quality and effectiveness, serving to them make an knowledgeable selection when choosing their supplier.

The brand new efficiency framework will measure service high quality, how suppliers assist contributors discover work, and full coaching programs.

Contributors might be given entry to scorecards to assist them select suppliers, as will stakeholders.

The goal is to assist folks discover high quality suppliers and drive enchancment of the system.

The unemployment charge for folks with incapacity is 7.5% on the newest authorities statistics, which is down from 10.3% in 2018 however greater than double the speed for folks with no incapacity. Rishworth:

The brand new efficiency framework will give suppliers, employers and contributors, in addition to most people, a really clear image of what’s anticipated of DES providers and the way suppliers are stacking up.

We would like DES suppliers to be striving to make sure jobseekers with incapacity are knowledgeable, supported and getting the perfect providers attainable.

We ‘need a strong US’, Birmingham says

Simon Birmingham was additionally requested if he believes US president Joe Biden is “capable” of being president for the following 4 years, if elected?

He responded that Nato and the world “need a strong United States” and that it could be “counterproductive” for him or “any Australian leader to offer that type of assessment”.

We’ve got to work as a rustic with whoever the US folks elect, and we’ve to respect their democratic programs and processes.

We anticipate them to respect us. We do want a powerful America, one during which the management is engaged in worldwide discussion board to do precisely the kind of goals I’ve simply been speaking about. Sturdy ranges of engagement, by way of sturdy ranges of deterrence, to get the perfect probability of sustaining peace and prosperity in our area and around the globe.

If Nato was to have an even bigger footprint within the Indo-Pacific, may that inflame tensions with China?

Simon Birmingham responded that Nato members have “managed to preserve peace throughout the last 75 years … by working with each other to create deterrence from conflict”.

And that’s exactly what we would like for our area – a deterrence framework that ensures peace and for the Indo-Pacific area.

And what we needs to be asking China very clearly to do, and searching for as many international locations it’s attainable to take action, is for China to desist and cease the kind of confrontational navy actions that we see in opposition to the Philippines and elsewhere within the area, and that run the danger of miscalculation battle.

And that’s why having not simply Nato international locations, however after all south-east Asian international locations and different companions, all engaged clearly on upholding rules, of holding worldwide guidelines, but in addition creating sturdy defence deterrence and is essential to preserving the peace in our area.

The shadow international minister, Simon Birmingham, has weighed in on the Nato summit and what he believes Australia’s focus needs to be.

Chatting with ABC RN, he stated:

It’s disappointing that Anthony Albanese has chosen to not go – with the leaders of Japan, South Korea and New Zealand there – as a result of it’s essential that we do attempt to forge stronger ties and Australia needs to be there, not simply to attend with a plan for the way we make Nato a extra central associate in our regional safety and within the peace we would like for our area on this planet.

As we flagged a second in the past, deputy prime minister Richard Marles is attending in Albanese’s place.

Birmingham stated Australia ought to ask Nato to develop its Indo-Pacific technique and search to formalise the ties between Indo-Pacific nations and Nato, “so that we aren’t just invited each year but we’re embedded as part of these critical security talks”.

Biden has finished a ‘magnificent job’, Marles says

The occasion, which might be led by US President Joe Biden, may even be seen as a take a look at of his health because the octogenarian struggles to persuade Individuals that he’s match for a second time period, AAP stories.

Requested about his confidence within the US chief, Richard Marles stated Biden had finished a “magnificent job”.

We actually couldn’t be happier with the presence of his administration … the best way during which he has performed a management function within the Indo-Pacific however the truth is all through the world.

Australia’s relationship to Nato has by no means been extra necessary, the deputy prime minister says, as issues develop over Russia’s conflict in Ukraine and stability within the Indo-Pacific.

As AAP stories, Richard Marles has arrived in Washington DC and can quickly start rubbing shoulders with the world’s leaders as he attends the three-day Nato summit instead of prime minister Anthony Albanese.

Forward of the summit, Marles stated Australia deeply valued its partnership with Nato. He instructed reporters in Washington:

Our reference to Nato has by no means been extra necessary.

The seventy fifth anniversary of Nato reminds us that over that time frame, Nato has been a defender of peace on this planet, within the post-World Struggle order, within the chilly conflict and now, immediately.

We see that the world is far more related place, Ukraine places that into stark reduction, and the importance of that battle on the Indo Pacific.

Albanese was anticipated to attend the summit himself however deferred to his second-in-command to deal with home issues.

Good morning

Emily Wind

Because of Martin for kicking issues off – I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be with you on the weblog this Wednesday.

See one thing that wants consideration? You will get in contact through X, @emilywindwrites, or you possibly can ship me an e mail: emily.wind@theguardian.com.

Let’s go.

China hits again at cyber accusations

Daniel Hurst

China’s international ministry has hit again at cybercrime accusations levelled by the Australian authorities and its shut companions.

Australia printed a technical report attributing malicious cyber actions to the group APT40, which it stated was appearing on behalf of China’s ministry of state safety and had stolen “several hundred” usernames and passwords from an unnamed Australian entity in April 2022.

The Australian Alerts Directorate’s report was backed by the US, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, Germany, South Korea and Japan.

A Chinese language international ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, instructed reporters final night time that Beijing was “firmly opposed to such repeated hypes about so-called Chinese cyber-attacks aimed to smear and frame China on cybersecurity”. He stated the US was liable for sweeping cyber surveillance and added:

We urge related events to open their eyes and make the suitable judgment, relatively than serving because the cat’s paw at their very own expense.

Shut followers of Beijing’s rhetoric might recognise the “cat’s paw” expression. The international ministry used it in July 2021 on the top of the commerce dispute with Australia’s then Morrison authorities, saying on the time: “When a certain country acts as a cat’s paw for others, it is the people that pay for misguided government policies.”

Australia’s international affairs minister, Penny Wong, stated yesterday that the Albanese authorities was participating with China “without compromising on what is important for Australia and to Australians”.

Good morning and welcome to our rolling information protection. I’m Martin Farrer and these are among the prime tales this morning earlier than my colleague Emily Wind takes over.

China’s international ministry has hit again at cybercrime accusations levelled by the Australian authorities and its shut companions.

Australia printed a technical report attributing malicious cyber actions to the group APT40, which it stated was appearing on behalf of China’s ministry of state safety and had stolen “several hundred” usernames and passwords from an unnamed Australian entity in April 2022.

A Chinese language international ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, instructed reporters final night time that Beijing was “firmly opposed to such repeated hypes about so-called Chinese cyber-attacks aimed to smear and frame China on cybersecurity”.

The price of the nationwide incapacity insurance coverage scheme is on track to blow out to $90bn a 12 months by the tip of the last decade and Labor is making an attempt to reform the scheme. But it surely hasn’t helped that present in style deal with the NDIS issues the query of whether or not or not shoppers ought to be capable to declare for intercourse work providers. The NDIS minister, Invoice Shorten, says there have been 228 requests for sexual exercise help within the 12 months to April and, though none have been granted, it has opened a debate about what’s cheap and what isn’t. Extra developing.

Questions on Joe Biden’s health to run for workplace once more later this 12 months proceed to canine the president, however the Australian defence minister, Richard Marles, gave his backing to the chief of the free world as he landed in Washington in a single day for this week’s Nato summit. The deputy prime minister was requested about Biden’s well being and responded that he had finished a “magnificent” job as president. He additionally stated Australia’s relationahip with Nato had “never been more important” because the defence pact marks its seventy fifth 12 months.