‘Stop buzzing about China’: Beijing slams defence plans
China has slammed plans by the federal government to pump billions of extra dollars into defence over the next decade, urging Australia to abandon its “cold war mentality”, AAP reports.
This comes after the defence minister, Richard Marles, unveiled the new national defence strategy yesterday, which will increase funding to 2.4% of GDP by 2033/34.
Responding to the strategy, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said:
We hope Australia will correctly view China’s development and strategic intentions, abandon the cold war mentality, do more things to keep the region peaceful and stable, and stop buzzing about China.
China’s ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson Lin Jian. Photograph: Wu Hao/EPA
Marles yesterday quoted the strategy, which states China has employed “coercive tactics in pursuit of its strategic objectives”.
But Lin said the security risks in the Indo-Pacific were coming from “major countries” outside the region:
They have been forming exclusive groupings, stoking bloc confrontation, and in particular, muddying the waters in the South China Sea, as if the world needed any more instability. China firmly opposes it.
Australia's unemployment rate rose to 3.8% in March
Peter Hannam
Australia’s employers shed 6,600 jobs last month as the impact of higher interest rates sapped demand in the economy.
The jobless rate in March was 3.8%, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has said, compared with the previously reported 3.7% rate in February and the 3.9% reading economists had predicted for the month.
Economists had also tipped the economy to have added 10,000 extra positions for March, down from February’s unexpected jump of 116,500 extra jobs.
Queensland Labor accuses opposition of ‘abusing’ chair of independent youth crime committee
Queensland Labor has accused the opposition of “abusing” the chair of a parliament committee, and “intimidating witnesses, including public servants” during a youth crime inquiry.
The government dissolved the inquiry into youth crime late last night, after it failed to come to a consensus. During question time, the youth justice minister, Di Farmer, went on the attack in response to a question about a proposal the LNP said would gag the media.
The behaviour of the members of Currumbin. If anyone watched any of those public hearings … intimidating witnesses, including public servants, was absolutely disgraceful. There was no intent whatsoever to address youth crime in this state.
Farmer withdrew her allegation after Currumbin MP Laura Gerber took personal offence.
Queensland youth justice minister Di Farmer. Photograph: Dan Peled/AAP
The government has accused the opposition of politicising what was intended to be a bipartisan inquiry by refusing to allow it to release an interim report, and by insisting on it recommending their own policy. They asked it to recommend eliminating detention as a last resort, among other sticking points. Farmer said:
This fake concern about youth crime … We have seen an unprecedented incident in the house last night where the member for Noosa had to beg the house for some semblance of bipartisan support to ensure community safety in Queensland.
It has followed months of LNP members refusing to engage, abuse the chair in public hearings, abuse public servants, questioning witnesses or politicising those statements and questions never once – never once –coming up with any suggestions whatsoever.
More from Blacktown court, where first person has been charged following Wakeley riot
The 19-year-old charged by police for his alleged involvement in Monday’s riot is a barber in Mt Druitt.
The magistrate heard he is the sole provider for his family.
Police told the court Mansour came to their attention via social media posts, and were concerned a successful bail application with restrictions on access to social media could be circumvented.
They are specifically concerned Mansour would contact other attenders of the riot, and interfere with the investigation into attenders, the court heard.
The police also say they believe 2,000 people took part in the riot, a much higher estimation than previously reported figures in the hundreds.
Mansour heard the details with his head bowed, only looking up when a group of family and friends walked into the courtroom,
Last night, heavily armed police raided a property in Doonside, and arrested Mansour, holding him at Blacktown police station overnight.
A decision is due after tea break and after an interpreter is found.
Police charge first person as part of investigation into Wakeley riot
Mostafa Rachwani
Police have charged the first person as part of their ongoing investigation into the riot that followed the stabbing attack of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuael at a church in Wakeley on Monday.
In Blacktown court this morning, police charged 19-year-old Dani Mansour with riot, affray and destroying or damaging property during public disorder.
They requested the magistrate refuse an application for bail on the basis of the serious nature of the alleged offending, and the risk he would “interfere” with evidence and the investigation into the riot via potential communication with anyone who was there.
The police referred to his “knowledge and connection” with other attenders of the riot that have yet to be identified.
Mansour’s lawyer argued that he does not have any previous convictions and that while it is a relatively strong case, and serious actions are alleged, she said strict conditions could be imposed to allow bail.
The magistrate said he would delay his decision until an interpreter is found so that Mansour could clearly understand everything being said in court.
Opposition leader pays respect to victims at Bondi Junction Westfield
Peter Dutton was also at the Bondi Junction Westfield this morning, and spoke to the media earlier. He said:
Obviously when you see an attack like this – it’s repugnant enough that people are targeted, but in the case where women are targeted or children are the victims, there’s a particular chord that strikes in the community.
I’m honoured to be here today to pay respect to those who have lost their lives, to honour the very many brave acts, and to be part of the healing process and the unifying process that must happen for our country after a period of grief and horror like this.
Most importantly at the moment, our thoughts and prayers are with those who are still in hospital or recovering from the physical and mental scars that will in many cases take a lifetime to heal. To all those family and friends and all those that have been particularly impacted, we send our very warm and heartfelt wishes to them as well.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP
Premier walking through Bondi Junction Westfield, due to address media later this morning
The ABC is broadcasting live footage from inside the Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, is walking through the centre, along with the police commissioner, Karen Webb, and others. He is expected to give a press conference a bit later this morning, which we will bring you here.
None of the stores will be open today and they all appear to have their lights turned off, and advertising banners appear blacked out.
Signs can be seen displayed throughout the store with a black ribbon, reading:
Together we remember all those impacted here, Saturday 13th April 2024.
A space for the community has been established on Level 4, Myer side.
Driver stopped while allegedly going 110km/h over the speed limit in Bathurst
A man will face court after his car was allegedly detected going 110km/h over the speed limit in New South Wales at the weekend.
Police allege they detected an orange Ford Mustang travelling at 170km/h in an area signposted 60km/h around 6pm on Saturday. Police stopped the man and a drug and alcohol test allegedly returned a positive result for cannabis.
The 22-year-old was taken to Bathurst police station where a secondary test allegedly returned the same result.
He was charged with driving recklessly/furiously or speeding in a dangerous manner, and exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h.
The Kellyville man was given a court attendance notice to appear at Bathurst local court on 22 May. Police also suspended the man’s licence on the spot.
A man will face court after his car was allegedly detected going 110km/h over the speed limit. Photograph: Joel Carrett/AAP
Australians arrested in global phishing network sting
Five Australians have been arrested as part of a global sting operation into an alleged “one-stop shop” for cybercriminals seeking to steal personal data, AAP reports.
Federal police made the arrests as part of a takedown of the platform LabHost, which they allege allows for cybercriminals to impersonate websites as part of phishing scams.
The personal details of 94,000 Australians have been stolen through LabHost, which has been used by criminals to impersonate 170 websites, including banks and government websites such as myGov, the AFP alleges.
A Melbourne man and an Adelaide man were arrested during police search warrants carried out yesterday, with police alleging the pair used LabHost. A further three people were arrested in Melbourne for drug-related offences during the searches.
Five Australians have been arrested as part of the global sting operation. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA
AFP acting assistant commissioner for cyber command Chris Goldsmid said investigations into the Australian arm of LabHost had been under way since October:
[We allege] what was really insidious about LabHost is it was a one-stop shop for phishing. LabHost provided cybercriminals with all the tools they needed to undertake phishing attacks, including the infrastructure to host a phishing website.
Criminals could sign up to the service for as little as $270 to obtain information such as log-ins and passwords to steal money from victims, the AFP alleges.
Landscaping goats cause traffic delays along Melbourne’s Eastlink
Delays have cleared on Melbourne’s Eastlink after several escaped landscaping goats have been caught.
ConnectEast, the owner and operator of the EastLink tollway, took to X about 9am this morning to report congestion around High Street Road at Wantirna South. They wrote:
Some landscaping control goats have escaped from their work site and are being rounded up by our team on an embankment. All lanes are open, there are no goats on the roadway, but please drive carefully.
Just 14 minutes later, they wrote the “landscaping control goats are safely back where they belong”.
Back in 2018, Eastlink confirmed they had recruited goats to clear weeds from a steep and rocky area of the tollway. At the time, they said goats have a “voracious appetite for non-native weeds, and are particularly sure-footed and ‘at home’ on tough terrain”.
