What we learned; Tuesday 23 July
Thanks for joining us on the blog today. Here is a wrap up, in case you missed it:
The US Navy’s highest-ranking officer Admiral Lisa Franchetti hosed down concerns of a return to isolationist policies in the case of a second Donald Trump presidency, and reaffirmed her nation’s commitment to Aukus, regardless of who is in the White House.
The Australian Embassy in Paris made urgent enquiries with French authorities, following reports an Australian woman in her 20s had allegedly been gang raped, before taking refuge in a restaurant.
An Australian tourist died in Thailand, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed. Multiple reports say the man was allegedly stabbed after an argument at a restaurant.
North Shore beach, Port Macquarie, was closed after a serious shark attack where some members of the public and a fellow surfer assisted by using makeshift tourniquets.
The CrowdStrike president, Michael Sentonas, “deeply” and “personally” apologised for last week’s global outage that saw 8.5m devices affected. He said conversations about losses and compensation “has to happen” but the immediate focus is on remediation.
That is all for now, see you back on the blog tomorrow.
Updated
More on accused killer of elderly woman found in Melbourne river
Bogojevska sat half-slumped in a chair as she watched the proceedings from the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre women’s prison.
The magistrate noted Bogojevska needed steroid injections while in custody because of nerve damage to her lower back. She also required the medications Lexapro and Valium for her diagnosed depression and anxiety, Magistrate Stephen Ballek noted.
He remanded Bogojevska to appear in Melbourne magistrates court in November for a committal mention hearing. She did not apply for bail.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Accused killer of 85-year-old woman found in Melbourne river identified
A woman accused of murdering an 85-year-old woman found in a Melbourne river can now be identified after a suppression order was lifted.
Milena Bogojevska, 49, appeared via video link in Melbourne magistrates court on Tuesday, almost a week after she was charged with the murder of Lolene Whitehand.
The 85-year-old’s body was found floating in the Maribyrnong River in Flemington on 14 July.
Police allege Bogojevska knew Whitehand.
The court was closed during Bogojevska’s first court appearance on Wednesday, when her lawyers successfully sought to suppress her name and any other identifying information.
But that suppression was lifted on Tuesday afternoon during another closed-court hearing.
Once the court was reopened, Magistrate Stephen Ballek allowed prosecutors 12 weeks to compile the brief of evidence against the 49-year-old, including CCTV footage and forensic material.
– Australian Associated Press
More to come.
Updated
Hundreds of labradoodles need homes after RSPCA Tasmania shuts puppy breeder
More than 250 labradoodles – many that have never been in contact with a human – are in “urgent” need of a home after RSPCA Tasmania shut the state’s biggest puppy breeder because of animal welfare concerns.
The chief executive of RSPCA Tasmania, Andrea Dawkins, has called for urgent donations, veterinary care, foster homes and adoption of the pups.
Fostering a dog will be free, Dawkins says, while the adoption fee is $495.
“We’re asking Tasmanians to open their homes and hearts to these beautiful animals, that deserve a second chance at a loving life.”
If you are in Tasmania and want to fill the labradoodle-shaped-hole in your home, read more here:
Updated
US ‘committed’ to Aukus regardless of who’s in charge, admiral says
The US Navy’s highest-ranking officer has reaffirmed her nation’s commitment to Aukus, regardless of who is in the White House.
As she visited the HMAS Stirling naval base alongside her Australian and UK counterparts for the first time, Admiral Lisa Franchetti said the US would be there for its partners.
As part of the Aukus plan, US and UK nuclear submarines will rotate through HMAS Stirling, located on Garden Island south of Perth, before the site houses Australia’s own nuclear submarine fleet.
Franchetti hosed down concerns of a return to isolationist policies in the case of a second Donald Trump presidency. She told reporters today:
Regardless of who is in our political parties and whatever is happening in that space, it’s allies and partners that are always our priority.
I am committed to delivering our part of Aukus and really working with my teammates every day to make sure that … we meet those key milestones to deliver Aukus for our nations today, tomorrow and far into the future.
I know that all of our partners know that we are going to be there for them when it matters, where it matters, and that’s what we deliver every single day.
– Australian Associated Press
Updated
Police seek information on Sydney’s most violent public transport offences
Transport police are appealing to the public for information about 15 separate incidents of commuters being assaulted, touched inappropriately or intimidated on Sydney public transport under Operation Waratah, according to a NSW police statement released this morning.
The operation was established in July this year, targeting alleged offenders involved in “violent crimes including assaulting elderly passengers, intimidating public transport workers or touching women without consent,” according to the statement.
Supt Andrew Evans says these crimes have left victims with serious physical and emotional injuries.
These [alleged] offenders are targeting some of our most vulnerable passengers thinking that they can get away with it. Operation Waratah is here to prove they cannot.
The physical and emotional damage these [alleged] offenders inflict on members of the public is criminal.
The goal of Operation Waratah is to find these [alleged] offenders and charge them in order to make their victims feel safe again using Sydney’s extensive public transport.
Police have released images of multiple people who may be able to assist with investigations into the 15 incidents.
Updated
Indian Ocean and perhaps the Pacific to nudge Australia to wetter times
As flagged yesterday on your favourite blog (this one!), the Bureau of Meteorology’s climate model continued to project the absence of a La Nina forming later this year in the Pacific, and even a drying influence emanating from the Indian Ocean.
Well, the fortnightly update of BoM’s climate drivers report underscores the variance of its main model with some of its global counterparts.
As for the Pacific, the bureau’s Access model is forecasting neutral conditions to endure even as four of the seven models it surveys forecast a La Nina will form later in the year.
Will we get a La Nina event in the Pacific later this year (making it four of the past five years)? @Bom_au doesn't project one, nor the main European model - but the spread of quite wide (right): pic.twitter.com/ibo4J2kjtJ
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) July 23, 2024
“Since June, the rate and extent of cooling both at the surface and at depth [in the Pacific] have slowed,” BoM said. “Compared with earlier forecasts, the potential for La Niña development is now later in spring.”
Let’s see if a La Nina happens. (We’ve not had three La Ninas followed by an El Niño and then another La Nina, at least according to reliable records.)
Meanwhile, there’s also a divergence in the Indian Ocean between the bureau and other models. Most are pointing to a negative-phase of the IO dipole by the spring, while BoM’s model leans the other way, with a positive phase likely. Something’s awry.
@Bom_au's main Access model is at variance with the main international counterparts in its Indian Ocean projections. It predicts a positive phase of the IO dipole while other models indicate the negative phase will happen in the spring. (Also a lot of model spread, as per right.) pic.twitter.com/aBTGC8Mq0a
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) July 23, 2024
A negative IOD is more likely in concert with a La Nina than a positive one, and would tend to reinforce the wetter-than-average odds for much of Australia for spring into the summer.
Weather nerds aren’t the only people wondering what’s going to happen. Farmers and holidaymakers are among those keen to know if conditions might tilt towards damper or drier than usual conditions. Stay tuned for future updates.
Updated
Avian influenza response continues in Victoria
Agriculture Victoria is continuing to respond to the detection of high pathogenicity avian influenza at eight Victorian poultry farms, it said in a statement released today. No new infected properties have been identified in just under one month.
Between 120 and 160 staff have been deployed daily to conduct surveillance work, including property visits, phone calls and dead bird collections. Some 5,000 surveillance activities have been completed, and more than 16,300 samples tested, according to the statement.
All commercial poultry farms in the area are undergoing a comprehensive surveillance program while Agriculture Victoria staff work with affected properties in decontamination, and disposal of egg and litter. Nearby residents are being texted and called by Agriculture Victoria to confirm the health of poultry on their property, the statement continues.
There are movement controls in place near Terang, Meredith and Lethbridge, where permits are required for the movement of birds, poultry products and feed. A housing requirement is also restricting birds on or near infected properties to their enclosures to avoid contact with wild birds.
Victoria’s chief veterinary officer, Dr Graeme Cooke, says:
We appreciate that in these areas it’s not always easy to have your birds housed and we thank bird owners for their essential support to prevent the spread of this disease, as the risk of the disease remains.
I’d also like to acknowledge the poultry industry for their ongoing assistance as we work to eradicate avian influenza from Victoria.
It’s already been a huge effort, but we encourage all primary producers to remain vigilant and report any unwell poultry to the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226.
Updated
Many thanks for joining me on today’s blog, Rafqa Touma will take you through the rest of our rolling coverage. Take care.
Australian woman reportedly assaulted in Paris
The Australian Embassy in Paris is making urgent enquiries with French authorities, following reports an Australian citizen has been assaulted in Paris.
Local media reported that an Australian woman in her 20s had allegedly been gang raped, before taking refuge in a restaurant.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement it “stands ready to provide consular assistance.”
Queenslanders casting votes earlier on election days, says electoral commission
Continuing from our last post, Queensland electoral commissioner Pat Vidgen says, for years, Queenslanders have been shifting to early voting, and that accelerated during the Covid-19 pandemic.
For these elections, we saw around 45% of all votes cast on election day, which was a significant departure from the 35% turnout we had anticipated – a figure based on trend data and modelling of voter behaviour in recent elections, both here and in other states.
We know this shift in voter behaviour placed additional pressure on our people and our resources on election day, particularly in more populous parts of Queensland – and subsequently impacted on the voting experience for some electors.
Vidgen says the report’s recommendations will be in place for the Queensland state election on 26 October.
Updated
Voters queued for hours, some denied a vote in 2024 Queensland council elections, report finds
Hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders were forced to wait up to three hours to vote in council elections earlier this year and some were denied a vote at all because the electoral commission dramatically underestimated the number of people who would vote on election day, a report has found.
An independent review by consultancy Nous Group of the local government elections held on 16 March this year found that the Electoral Commission of Queensland “did not adequately account for how voting preferences would change from 2020,” when the last council election was held, leading to understaffing.
The ECQ forecast that 35% of people would vote on the day. In reality, 46.6% voted,, causing huge lines on election day. About 29% of election day voters waited longer than 30 minutes to vote and 36% of them were dissatisfied with the polling process.
The ECQ also aimed to save money on staff to reduce costs to councils, who pay most of the cost of holding elections in Queensland.
Staff at a few polling placesreported incidents of voters passing out in queues, the report found. Ballots ran out at 18 polling places, with one polling booth first running out at 10:30 a.m, “before twice requiring additional resupply during election day”. The longest period a polling booth had to be shut due to ballot paper shortages was about two hours, the report found.
A small subset of voters was unable to vote at all on election day and others abandoned the queues due to long wait times, it found. About 91% of election day polling places saw turnout that exceeded their forecasts. Some saw turnout of more than 200% to 300% of forecasts.
The report recommends the ECQ encourage more Queenslanders to use other methods, like pre-polling or voting by mail, to reduce the burden in future elections.
Updated
Australian tourist dies in Thailand after alleged stabbing
An Australian tourist has died in Thailand, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed.
In a statement, Dfat says it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian who has died in Thailand.
We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time. Owing to our privacy obligations, we are unable to provide further comment.
Multiple outlets have reported that the man was allegedly stabbed after an argument at a restaurant.
Updated
Independent schools requesting support over misuse of AI to alter images of staff and students, inquiry hears
Independent Schools Australia says independent schools are already requesting support to deal with instances of the misuse of generative AI to alter images of staff and students to make deepfake pornographic images or to create digital audio fakes of staff with inappropriate sexualised or racist language, a parliamentary committee has heard.
Independent Schools Australia says in its submission to the inquiry that the Association of Independent Schools NSW has already fielded several requests related to this misuse of AI.
Speaking before the inquiry on legislation aimed at criminalising the spread of deepfake pornographic images, Independent Schools Australia’s director of education policy, Tracey Taylor, says:
The way that the apps are changing so rapidly, it’s very easy for them to then manipulate someone else’s speaking, and even the technology is coming to a point where they could even have the video of that person speaking, not just the language itself.
She says the legislation needs to be future-proofed as much as possible so new legislation isn’t required six months down the track when the technology advances.
I think it won’t just be deep fake sexual imagery …. It’s already happening with political views and things like that, so it’s a huge issue for all of society.
Updated
More details about shark attack at Port Macquarie beach
A man believed to be in his 20s has been taken to hospital with critical injuries after being attacked by a shark, AAP reports.
Bystanders used makeshift tourniquets to treat the man’s wounds after he was bitten in the leg at North Shore beach, near Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast.
Emergency services were called to the scene at about 11am after reports of a shark attack.
The man was taken to Port Macquarie hospital with a leg injury. He was in a critical but stable condition.
Beachgoers and a surfer were treating the man when lifeguards arrived from nearby Town beach, Port Macquarie-Hastings lifeguards said in a statement on social media. Nearby beaches will be closed for at least 24 hours.
Updated
Federal government to award new acreage for offshore petroleum exploration, carbon capture
The Albanese government has announced it will award new acreage for offshore petroleum exploration and carbon capture and storage off western and southern Australia.
The resources minister Madeleine King says the government is finalising permits for Esso and Beach Energy in the Otway and Sorrell basins “with any discovered gas to support the domestic east coast market”.
She says the government is finalising permits for Chevron, INPEX, Melbana and Woodside Energy on Australia’s west coast. The government is also finalising 10 permits for offshore carbon capture and storage exploration.
Climate groups and environment groups reacted quickly to the announcement, with the Wilderness Society describing the release of new petroleum acreage as “reckless” and the Climate Council saying “more gas means more climate pollution harming our kids and more unnatural disasters driving up our costs of living”.
Louise Morris from the Australian Marine Conservation Society says some of the permits would be issued despite strong community opposition to seismic testing in areas such as the Otway Basin:
These permits for exploration for gas and carbon pollution dumping will impact some of the most important areas for our endangered marine life.
She says offshore carbon capture and storage is being used “to prolong the life of the fossil fuel industry”.
King said gas “supply challenges could persist into the mid-2030s unless new sources of gas supply are developed”:
As ageing coal generation comes offline in coming years, gas will continue to be needed to firm renewable energy generation and as a backup during peak energy use periods.
Updated
Sydney man charged with allegedly trafficking 17-year-old child from Indonesia
A Sydney man has been chargedwith allegedly trafficking a child from Indonesia, as the Australian Federal Police says it has removed seven potential victims from sexual exploitation.
The 43-year-old Arncliffe man is expected to appear before Downing Centre court today after a complex AFP-led investigation in Australia and Indonesia.
The man has been charged with one count of trafficking in children, carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years, and was arrested at his Arncliffe home this month.
It will be alleged he facilitated the transportation of a 17-year-old from Indonesia to Sydney to engage in sex work.
The investigation began in December 2022 after the AFP received intelligence alleging foreign nationals were arriving in Australia and being forced into sexual servitude in breach of their visa conditions.
Investigators identified the Arncliffe man as the alleged on-shore facilitator for multiple women who had arrived in Australia and subsequently engaged in sex work. A woman in Jakarta was identified as allegedly helping recruit women to travel to Australia.
Updated
Members of public and fellow surfer assisted after shark attack: lifeguards
The Port Macquarie Hastings Lifeguards have shared a statement to social media, following a shark attack at North Shore beach on the NSW mid-north coast today.
It said lifeguards responded to a “serious shark attack” around 11am, where “some members of public and a fellow surfer were rendering assistance by using makeshift tourniquets.”
Beaches between North Shore and Lighthouse Beach (Tacking Point) are closed and will remain closed for at least 24 hours.
‘Appalling’: thieves steal first world war memorial honour roll
A Sydney council has lashed the “appalling” disappearance of a bronze honour roll commemorating the service of local residents during the first world war.
As AAP reports, Ku-ring-gai council – in the city’s north – has called in police to investigate the late-night theft from a local park.
The 2m-high bronze plate missing from the gate of Turramurra Memorial Park listed the names of 67 residents, including seven who died in battle. The memorial was opened in 1928 by then-NSW governor Dudley de Chair and was funded through community donations, mayor Sam Ngai said:
It provided an ongoing and solemn reminder of the service of local residents fighting for our nation on faraway battlefields. It is appalling to think that, nearly 100 years on, the roll has been stolen in the dead of night.
Ngai said police were investigating the theft and encouraged any witnesses to come forward. Police have been contacted for comment.
Updated
IT outage compensation talk inevitable: CrowdStrike
Back to the fallout from Friday’s global IT outage, with more from AAP:
The outage, which hit an estimated 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide, was caused by a logic flaw in a software update sent by cybersecurity provider CrowdStrike to its customers, the company’s Australian president Michael Sentonas told Sky News (which we covered earlier in the blog here).
Sentonas conceded it would be hard to avoid affected businesses seeking compensation or litigation.
Those conversations have to happen and will happen.
That phase will come after we get our customers remediated.
While the full cost of the outage is difficult to quantify, some experts have estimated the impact to businesses globally at over $1bn, with Business NSW estimating the bill to top $200m in that state alone.
Airline Jetstar was particularly hard hit, with hundreds of cancelled flights leaving thousands of customers stranded.
Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said it remains to be seen whether businesses would be able to seek compensation, either from CrowdStrike directly or via some form of government redress scheme.
Willox told ABC News:
It’s impacted different businesses and different sectors of the economy in wildly different ways, and the reality is we’re going to be seeing the tailpipe of this for weeks to come.
Updated
Man reportedly injured after shark attack at Port Macquarie beach
A Port Macquarie beach is “closed until further notice following a serious shark incident today”, according to NSW Shark Smart.
The notice comes amid reports of a man suffering a leg injury after a shark attack at North Shore beach on the mid-north coast, New South Wales.
A tagged white shark was detected in the area earlier today.
More to come.
DPI Fisheries advise: tagged White Shark #1677 detected by Port Macquarie receiver at 06:07:55 AM (AEST) on 23-July-2024. Last detected at 12:43:59 AM (AEST) on 25-May-2024 by Stanwell Park receiver.Tagged and released 12-October-2022(AEDT) at Warilla Beach, Warilla.
— SharkSmart (@NSWSharkSmart) July 22, 2024
Updated
Medical devices at risk under 3G closure, inquiry told
Vulnerable people who use emergency medical devices connected to 3G data may slip through the cracks when the ageing mobile network is switched off in coming weeks, AAP reports.
It is not known how many 3G-reliant medical devices, such as personal cardiac alarms, need to be upgraded before the network closure, National Rural Health Alliance chief executive Susi Tegen has told a Senate inquiry into the 3G shutdown.
Tegen said while the federal government was in touch with a major manufacturer of the devices, the public was largely having to rely on information from private medical companies.
Telstra’s written submission to the inquiry acknowledged the challenge of reaching people with medical alarms using 3G sim cards, as they cannot be tracked like phones. The telco has been working with alarm providers, including the aged care sector, to make sure they are upgraded in time.
Snowy Monaro mayor Chris Hanna told the hearing that locals endured communications outages during the Black Summer bushfires and experience mobile black spots on long trips between towns.
We’ve got a lot of farmers out there who are on tractors and big machinery that have had accidents in the past. Our biggest concern is: will they be able to call triple zero?
Updated
Fire equipment ‘failure’ during giant factory blaze
Firefighters battling Melbourne’s largest industrial blaze on record have said they had to use broken, dangerous and outdated equipment to fight the flames.
As AAP reports, the United Firefighters Union has said equipment needed by firefighters during the Derrimut factory fire on 10 July was unavailable due to being moved to parts of the city to replace other machinery that was out of service.
One 20-year-old pumper truck failed to produce foam twice during the response and firefighters were forced to use equipment that was slower to set up. The union said this forced firefighters closer to bulk stores of flammable chemicals and the fire grew rapidly during the time it took to establish these positions.
The union’s Victorian secretary Peter Marshall said the equipment issues could be the difference in being able to contain major fires early before they spread or intensify.
You cannot put firefighters into a situation where they haven’t got the tools to do the job. We need to have a rolling replacement program, the government needs to intervene in this. Invest in the fire trucks before one of our members gets injured or worse.
Nearly a quarter of Fire Rescue Victoria’s fleet were involved in fighting the blaze with one-in-two of the vehicles at the scene past their use-by date. A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesperson said more than three million litres of water and 40,000 litres of foam were needed to stop the blaze.
Updated
Greens announce plan for Queensland housing developer
The Queensland Greens want to set up a state developer to build 100,000 homes by 2030.
At a press conference this morning, Griffith MP Max Chandler-Mather and state MP Amy MacMahon estimated the policy would cost $60bn over six years.
It’s not the first time the state has led the way out of a housing crisis. State governments built about a quarter of all new dwellings during the period after the second world war. The Queensland Housing Commission developed entire suburbs like Inala, Stafford and Zillmere at the edge of the city during the 40s and 50s.
MacMahon said the organisation would be looking at the 99,000 dwellings across the state where she said private developers had development approval but were “refusing to build”.
For instance, they could take over the stalled AVJennings Caboolture West proposal for 3500 homes in the city’s north.
That’s one potential site, but a public developer would be looking at sites right across Queensland that would be close to transport close to other services.
Updated
Four charged in alleged ‘pump and dump’ shares manipulation scheme
Four people have been charged following an alleged “pump and dump” scheme to artificially increase the price of Australian shares before dumping them.
Syed Yusuf, Larissa Quinlan, Emma Summer, and Kurt Stuart were charged in the Downing Centre local court with conspiracy to commit market rigging and false trading, facing a maximum penalty of 15 years’ prison and a fine of more than $1m for market manipulation.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (Asic) alleges that the defendants formed a private group on Telegram to discuss and select penny stocks, before announcing them to a public Telegram group named the “ASX Pump and Dump Group”.
The group has also been charged with dealing with the proceeds of crime in relation to the money they allegedly obtained from selling the shares.
The Asic chair, Joe Longo, said that “market manipulation is illegal”:
Pump and dump schemes are a form of financial fraud, eroding investor wealth, threatening the integrity of our markets and potentially the Australian economy more broadly.
The matter is being prosecuted by the commonwealth director of public prosecutions after a referral from Asic in December 2022. It was adjourned to 30 July in the Downing Centre local court, for a detention application to be made in respect of each of the defendants.
Updated
Spring shoots as tax cuts start to flow (or will RBA mow them down?)
The RBA wants to see employment hold up but not inflation, and getting the interest rates setting that best delivers that outcome will probably only be known in hindsight.
For now, there’s some evidence of consumers getting a bit more confident, at least according to the ANZ/RoyMorgan weekly survey.
Their gauge rose to a six-month high (with all their main subindices picked up) and even inflation expectations edged slightly lower.
Latest weekly survey by @ANZ_Research and @RoyMorganAus has consumer confidence ticking up to a six-month high. Inflation expectations are moderating a bit too... pic.twitter.com/jCDnSdk6ur
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) July 23, 2024
The ANZ economists said:
Notably, households’ confidence in their current financial situation was the second-highest since early-2023. This suggests households may be starting to see a boost to their incomes from the Stage 3 tax cuts and other cost-of-living relief measures.
Those tax cuts are also expected to take the edge off households facing mortgage stress, according to a separate Roy Morgan report. Just as well, as their latest report had those borrowers “at risk” and “extremely at risk” of hitting stress rising in June (although still below peaks earlier in 2024).
Mortgage stress remains high, although down a little from peaks earlier in the year. Stage three tax cuts should see the levels ease a bit - provided the jobs market holds up, @RoyMorganAus says. pic.twitter.com/vq3u9RajWL
— @phannam@mastodon.green (@p_hannam) July 23, 2024
Michele Levine, Roy Morgan’s CEO, said:
The Stage 3 income tax cuts are delivering significant financial relief, and a boost to take home pay, for millions of Australian taxpayers – including many mortgage holders.
We’ll have to see if that relief is enough over the coming months. One factor will be what the RBA does, with a 14th interest rate rise in the current cycle still only an outside chance when its board next meets on 5-6 August.
The special envoy for disaster recovery, Labor senator Tony Sheldon, is visiting Cairns to assess recovery projects following Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
The cyclone made landfall just north of Port Douglas last December, hitting the coast as a category two cyclone but taking almost five days to move west across Queensland. Many areas recorded more than a metre of rain.
In Cairns to see how recovery projects are progressing after Tropical Cyclone Jasper.
— Senator Tony Sheldon (@TonySheldonNSW) July 23, 2024
At Holloways Beach, a new bridge is being built to ensure our community is safer and more resilient in the face of future flood events.@cairnscouncil @nemagovau @QReconstruction pic.twitter.com/n3iRLVDPn9
Updated
Morning frosts forecast for inland Queensland
Parts of Queensland will wake up to another frosty morning tomorrow, with morning frost forecast inland south of Emerald.
But no frost is expected from Thursday, as temperatures are set to increase and the cold snap will finally break, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Above average temperatures are forecast across the state from Thursday for several days.
🥶Morning frost is forecast inland south of Emerald on Wednesday. No frost is expected from Thursday as temperatures increase and the cold snap finally breaks! Above average temperatures are forecast across #Qld from Thursday for several days. MetEye: https://t.co/8QnIc7aRJZ pic.twitter.com/hdOepQx61W
— Bureau of Meteorology, Queensland (@BOM_Qld) July 23, 2024
Updated
Two men charged after 10kg of meth allegedly imported from Mexico found in Melbourne storage facility
Two men have been charged and 10kg of methylamphetamine allegedly imported from Mexico has been seized amid an investigation into drug importation.
A joint operation between Victoria police and the Australian Border Force commenced in July after an illicit substance was detected at the border, with 10kg of methylamphetamine allegedly sent via international freight from Mexico to a storage facility in Richmond.
Three search warrants were executed at the facility and residential addresses in St Kilda and Malvern. Around 6kg of MDMA, two gel blaster pistols, a Mercedes-Benz GLC and 11 luxury watches were seized from the St Kilda address.
A 43-year-old St Kilda man was charged with importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, remanded to appear at Melbournes magistrates court on 21 October.
A 42-year-old man with no fixed place of address was charged with attempting to possess a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug, and was bailed to appear before Melbourne magistrates court on 10 November.
Both charges carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
A 44-year-old Malvern woman was arrested but released pending further enquiries. The investigation remains ongoing.
Updated
NDIS worker wage case heads to the Fair Work Commission
Unions claim some NDIS workers are being underpaid by as much as $9 an hour and have launched a fight to secure minimum payment rates at the Fair Work Commission, AAP reports.
The Australian Services Union, Australian Workers Union, Health Services Union and United Workers Union want providers to stop classifying staff as home care workers instead of social and community services employees.
The difference between the two can be up to $9 an hour and it’s estimated up to one in 10 providers underpay their staff, the unions claim.
The case kicked off at the Fair Work Commission in Melbourne today as they push for changes to the social, community, home care and disability services industry Award.
The federal government is attempting to pass a suite of NDIS reforms aimed at reining in the scheme’s costs, which would reduce the number of eligible new participants and changing funding criteria.
The annual cost of the NDIS is expected to pass more than $50bn by 2025-26, higher than the annual cost of Medicare.
Updated
Advocacy groups want AI legislation to have an additional offence for the threat to distribute
Sexual assault victim-survivor advocate groups have said the federal parliament should expand legislation outlawing the creation and spreading of deepfake AI images without consent to cover the threat of spreading such material.
Speaking to the parliamentary inquiry examining the Albanese government’s legislation criminalising the spread of AI deepfake pornography, the National Association of Services Against Sexual Violence chair, Nicole Lambert, said the group supports the legislation but wants it to go further, including criminalising the threat of spreading such material, not just after it has been spread:
I think that’s been articulated quite clearly here today, how that can be used in terms as a form of coercion and manipulation and perpetuating gendered violence.
Advocates appearing before the committee today also said more funding needs to be put into support services, with many people now seeking support from their services after having deepfake AI pornographic images of them distributed online.
The committee will later hear from the education sector, the eSafety commissioner, and the Australian federal police.
Updated
Tasmanian police searching for bushwalker in national park
Tasmanian police have launched a search operation after an experienced bushwalker did not make contact with friends as planned following a multi-day hike.
The man in his 20s set off for the hike along the Eastern Arthurs Traverse, in the Southwest national park, last Tuesday.
He was due to finish the walk over the weekend, police said, but has not made contact with friends as planned and was last heard from on Friday.
The Westpac rescue helicopter is being used as part of the search effort.
Updated
Defence threat warning over critical seafarer shortage
Australia’s defence, energy security and supply chains are under threat due to an increasing shortage of seafarers, according to the Maritime workforce position paper.
As AAP reports, the paper highlighted the challenges of an ageing workforce, funding shortfalls and a lack of workers with internationally recognised qualifications that allow them to service the nation’s maritime assets.
Australia’s maritime workforce dropped by 23% over the last 12 months and the ever-widening gap between demand and supply of trained workers prompted predictions of a “dangerous” shortfall by 2026, the report showed.
The paper was commissioned by oil and gas company Inpex with support from the Australian Resources and Energy Employer Association, the Maritime Union of Australia and other organisations.
Inpex Australia’s senior vice president of corporate, Bill Townsend, said that “we’re now seeing the demand for seafarers outstripping supply in circumstances approaching a flashpoint”.
He warned the lack of workers would lead to a “severe shortage” of staff able to maintain offshore oil and gas, support wind farms and decommission older technology.
Updated
Queensland premier says deepfake-AI TikTok represents a ‘turning point for our democracy’
The Queensland premier, Steven Miles, has slammed the state opposition for using AI to produce a fake video on TikTok.
As we flagged earlier, the video shows the premier dancing to Closer by Ne-Yo, with a caption over the video reading, “POV: my rent is up $60 a week, my power bill is up 20%, but the Premier made a sandwich on TikTok,” with a disclaimer: “Creator has labelled as AI-generated.”
Miles argued the video “represents a turning point for our democracy”.
Until now we’ve known that photos could be doctored or photoshopped. But we’ve been trained to believe what we see in video, and for a political party now to be willing to use AI to make deepfake attack videos, it’s a very dangerous turning point. And that means that Queenslanders between now and October will have to question everything that they see from the LNP and ask themselves, is this real? Or is this a deepfake?
He promised that Labor wouldn’t use its own form of AI-generated content for election advertising.
Updated
AFP member charged and stood down from duty
An employee of the Australian federal police has been charged and will face court today.
The person has been charged with one count of using a carriage service to menace/harass/offend.
The employee has been stood down from duty. The AFP said in a statement:
The AFP is committed to transparency. No further comment will be made.
Updated
Greens senator weighs in on deepfake-AI video of Queensland premier
David Shoebridge also weighed in on the deepfake-AI video of Queensland premier Steven Miles dancing, posted by the state opposition to TikTok (you can read more earlier in the blog).
Shoebridge told ABC News Breakfast:
This one was labelled and clearly said ‘potential parody’ but imagine if it was a more serious video, imagine if it was, you know, the premier allegedly saying things that he didn’t believe in and that may have been contrary to party platform.
What we have introduced in the federal parliament is legislation modelled on the legislation produced in South Korea for their recent election campaign, which would make it unlawful to produce deepfakes of candidates and politicians in the lead-up to an election campaign.
You’d probably want exceptions for things like parody, but it shows what a danger it is.
Updated
Greens senator says Gaza war cemetery with more than 250 Australians badly damaged amid Israeli bombardment
Greens senator David Shoebridge spoke with ABC News Breakfast just earlier, amid reports that graves of dozens of Australian soldiers are feared damaged or destroyed as a result of the Israel-Gaza war.
Shoebridge said the Gaza War Cemetery at Deir El Belah contains thousands of war graves, including more than 250 Australians, with the majority from World War I.
A lot of those graves are Australian light horse graves [and] for over a century it’s been cared for by the Palestinian community there … It’s very much sacred ground for Australians and many people in the commonwealth.
Shoebridge claimed the Greens received reports the cemetery had been badly damaged, but when put to the Department of Veterans’ Affairs during budget estimates, they had not heard anything. The Greens conducted their own research and obtained three satellite images from before the invasion and since, showing a “level of destruction [that] is genuinely horrifying.”
And these are war graves, you know? The bodies of Australian soldiers. This is meant to be sacred land and it is quite disturbing.
Shoebridge argued that Israel is damaging the grave sites “because it feels like it can act with impunity”, calling on Australia, the UK and other countries to challenge this notion.
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CrowdStrike president apologises for global outage, says immediate focus is on remediation
The CrowdStrike president, Michael Sentonas, has spoken with Sky News Australia, following last week’s global outage that saw 8.5m devices affected:
On Friday during the outage, thousands of flights were cancelled, broadcasters were forced off air, healthcare appointments disrupted and millions of PCs failed to start after CrowdStrike’s software update inadvertently crippled devices using the Microsoft Windows operating system.
Sentonas “deeply” and “personally” apologised for what occurred and said “we got this very wrong”:
We understand the disruption and the distress we caused a lot of people … The update that we put out, obviously as I said, we got wrong with some logic in that update. We’ve been using that technique for the better part of a decade and in this case, we made that mistake …
He said conversations about losses and compensation “has to happen” but the immediate focus is on remediation.
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Independent MP responds to teal criticism from Dutton
The independent MP for Wentworth, Allegra Spender, has been speaking with ABC RN about what teal MPs have achieved in parliament.
During a press conference yesterday, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, accused Climate 200 of being a “front for Green candidates” and said:
They’re not disaffected Liberal candidates, they’re Green candidates … Can anyone name anything that the teals have achieved since they’re been in parliament? I mean, there’s nothing …
Climate 200 is the fundraising giant that bankrolled the teal independent wave at the last election:
Spender responded to those comments from Dutton and said that “the Greens are very different on so many different things,” and “in a completely different world” to her on certain issues – such as the economy.
I work with the Greens on a bunch of issues, particularly on the environmental issues where there is common ground. But I’m not afraid to disagree with them in other areas … I’ve come from the real world and in the real world, you have to work with lots of different people.
Fellow independent Zoe Daniel had previously said the teal wave was a ‘media construct’, and Spender was asked to weigh in on this:
It is a media construct … There’s a huge amount of common ground but this is about a different type of politics [and] looking at each issue on its merits.
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‘Tumultuous’ coverage must not worsen post-3G, farmers say
Telcos face the ire of rural Australians if the 3G network shutdown goes awry and are being warned they will be held publicly accountable for any fallout, AAP reports.
Telstra is due to switch off on 31 August, Optus will close from September, while TPG/Vodafone ceased operation of the ageing network in January.
The closures and potential risks are the subject of a Senate inquiry, which is holding public hearings in Cooma, in southern NSW, and Canberra today and tomorrow.
Connectivity barriers in rural areas are long-standing and the 3G shutdown must not exacerbate an already “tumultuous” system, the National Farmers’ Federation said in its submission to the inquiry.
Many rural Australians are worried about being cut off from health and emergency services, or having their personal medical alarms fail after the shutdown.
Last week, the federal government said 102,000 active mobile phones aren’t compatible with 4G, although that’s a sharp decrease from more than 740,000 in March.
While the Senate committee isn’t due to report until November it has been urged to hand down its initial recommendations before the 3G shutdown.
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Alice Springs mayor on merits of curfew, nearly two weeks on
The mayor of Alice Springs, Matt Paterson, has spoken with the Today show after a second curfew on the red centre was lifted earlier this month.
Asked how the town is going nearly two weeks on, Paterson said:
The initial curfew we had regarding [just] the youth about 12 weeks ago made a drastic difference. This one was a little bit different because it was for everyone after some incidents we had.
I would say it is a success, but it just comes down to being a little bit more proactive where we get to a point where we don’t need a curfew. [When] we’re bringing thousands of people into Alice Springs for an event we need to be ready and unfortunately on this occasion we were not…
Here’s our story when the curfew was lifted:
Updated
Queensland premier denounces AI-deepfake video posted by state opposition of him
It seems deepfake content has reached the Queensland election.
Last week, the Liberal National Party posted an AI video of Steven Miles on their TikTok account, showing the premier dancing to ‘Closer’ by Ne-Yo.
A caption over the video reads, “POV: my rent is up $60 a week, my power bill is up 20%, but the Premier made a sandwich on TikTok,” and the video has a disclaimer: “Creator has labelled as AI-generated.”
Miles is an avid TikTok user and regularly shares videos of himself chatting to the camera about state government policy, while making a sandwich.
In a statement to the ABC, Miles said that it was “appalling and disgusting” the state opposition leader, David Crisafulli, had “stooped to using AI and deep fake videos to attack me.”
Mr Crisafulli needs to explain why he thinks this is OK. It’s a test of his character. In a time when misinformation is everywhere, we as politicians have a duty to communicate with our audiences and to voters clearly and honestly.
Separately in May, the Australian Electoral Commission said it expected AI-generated misinformation at the next federal election, but warned that it doesn’t have the tools to detect or deter it. You can read more on this below:
Updated
National dictionary looking for contributions on sport-related words
A message for any sporting tragics out there: the Australian National University wants to hear from you!
The Australian National Dictionary Centre (ANDC) is looking for new contributions for the national dictionary, with a focus on sport-related words and phrases.
A statement says that “from skyscraper marks featuring the Sherrin in Aussie Rules, to a cockroach getting sent to the sin bin for a dog shot on a cane toad in rugby league, the language of Australian sport has made a significant contribution to Australian English.”
ANDC senior researcher Mark Gwynn added:
Many Australian rhyming slang terms come from the world of sport like ‘Dorothy Dix’ for a six in cricket, ‘Wally Grout’ for a shout at the bar, ‘Mal Meninga’ for finger, ‘meat pie’ for try, and ‘sausage roll’ for goal.
Some people might not realise that common Australian words and expressions such as drongo, home and hosed, sledge, fang it, and no-hoper originate in the sporting world.
You can share your sport-related words via the ANDC Word Box feature or through the ANDC contact page.
Updated
Good morning
And hello! Thanks to Martin for kicking things off for us. I’m Emily Wind, and I’ll be taking you through our rolling coverage for most of today.
See something that needs attention on the blog? You can get in touch via X, @emilywindwrites, or you can send me an email: emily.wind@theguardian.com.
Let’s go.
AFP union cites challenges in prosecuting alleged deepfake offenders
More on that parliamentary committee hearing: there was significant concern globally about the rise of sexually explicit deepfakes, the Australian Federal Police Association said.
There were challenges in prosecuting offenders, it said, writing in a submission to the inquiry:
With the creation of deepfake child exploitation material increasing, the role of law enforcement and identifying a victim is becoming exponentially more difficult.
Police must first determine who the victim is (and whether they are actually a real person).
How long do investigators spend trying to find a child who potentially doesn’t even exist or who had their likeness stolen but has ultimately not been abused themselves?
Relationships Australia wants the bill to include a definition of consent that aligns with an affirmative consent model, where it had to be expressly given rather than a person simply not saying “no”.
The parliamentary committee will report by 8 August. More on this story:
Updated
Up to seven years’ prison for distributing sexually explicit deepfakes under proposed laws
Proposed laws would attach a six-year prison sentence to adults found to have shared “deepfake” sexually explicit images without consent and a seven-year term would apply if they created and distributed the image, AAP reports.
The proposed changes to criminal laws are being considered today by a Senate committee chaired by Labor senator Nita Green.
Green said laws were not explicit enough to criminalise deepfakes. The Labor senator said:
AI technology can be of enormous benefit, but it has also seen an explosion in the sharing of fake non-consensual images, which can have long-lasting impacts on victims.
We know that most deepfakes depict women and girls and that’s why this is an important measure to take to reduce gender-based violence.
Rape and sexual assault prevention organisations, legal and criminal experts, the eSafety Commissioner, law enforcement and federal government agencies will give evidence at the hearing into the legislation.
Updated
Women for Election Australia chief executive hails Kamala Harris bid
A potential first female US president would be a political milestone not just for America but for other democracies like Australia, advocates say, ahead of Kamala Harris’ likely endorsement as candidate in the upcoming election, Australian Associated Press reports.
President Joe Biden announced he would not seek re-election after mounting pressure to drop out and endorsed Harris as his successor to run against Donald Trump in the presidential election on 5 November.
While Harris would have to be formally nominated at the Democratic Party’s national convention in August, the chief executive of Women for Election Australia, Licia Heath, said the move would be “significant” for women in politics around the world.
Heath said:
Compared with Australia and other western democracies, America is the stand out in terms of being a laggard of having women in the top job.
America is behind other countries in comparison, and their time is well and truly due.
(Harris) being vice-president in this particular term and having taken over from the previous administration puts her in a very strong strategic advantage in terms of any future debate with Trump.
Updated
Julian Assange pictured with wife and family on beach trip
A supporter of Julian Assange has posted a picture of the WikiLeaks founder and his wife, Stella, and their children enjoying a trip to the beach at an unspecified location in Australia.
The WikiLeaks founder has been keeping a low profile after his dramatic return to a free life in Australia after years in prison in the UK before pleading guilty to a US espionage charge.
A member of the group Melbourne 4 Assange posted the picture of the family with the following message:
What a beautiful sight this is.
A family reunited.
They made it.
Love is our Resistance
#AssangeFree
Welcome
Good morning and welcome to our rolling news coverage. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight yarns before Emily Wind takes over.
Australia is criminalising disabled children and allegedly keeping them “in cages” in police watch houses, according to the national children’s commissioner. In the latest part of our investigation series In the box, Anne Hollonds calls the situation “absolutely abominable”.
As momentum continued to mount overnight for Kamala Harris to win the Democratic party nomination for this year’s US presidential race, the chief executive of Women for Election Australia said the move would be “significant” for women in politics around the world”. Licia Heath says the US has been a “laggard” in terms of having a female leader compared with other western nations such as Australia. More follows.
Australia has recorded its deadliest 12 months on the roads for more than a decade, with 1,310 deaths to 30 June according to the Australian Automobile Association. The shocking figures show that more than one person dies every eight hours in road crashes with the figure up 11.7% on the previous financial year.
