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Collins dismisses Tump’s ‘posturing’ on war

Sensational assertions from President Donald Trump that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky is a dictator who started the war with Russia is “posturing” as the US tries to broker a peace deal, New Zealand believes. Defence Minister Judith Collins has taken the rare step of refuting Trump’s bombshell claims, following her fellow conservative in Australia, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. “We’re clearly not of that view … clearly Russia illegally and immorally invaded Ukraine,“ she said.

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Defence

Collins: Presence of Chinese ships a ‘wake-up call’

Defence Minister Judith Collins says the presence of three Chinese naval ships off Australia is a wake-up call for New Zealanders. She says people can no longer rely on feeling safe because this country is geographically isolated from the rest of the world. She was commenting after revealing earlier that New Zealand received no notice from China that it would be sending three naval ships to the Tasman Sea.

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Weather

‘High chance’ of cyclone forming over flooded region

Western Australia can breathe a sigh of relief as a potential tropical cyclone is not a threat to the coast, one week after a category five system caused extensive damage. But Queensland is on edge as a tropical low with a high chance of becoming a cyclone could impact the flood-stricken coast. Northern Queensland is deep into the clean-up from the weeks-long downpour that caused record-breaking flooding from Mackay to Cairns with two lives lost and hundreds evacuated from their inundated homes.

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Ukraine

Australian leaders back Ukraine

Australia is diverging from the US on how peace should be achieved in Ukraine after Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on its leader Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump trashed the Ukrainian president as a “dictator without elections” and falsely claimed Kyiv had “started” the Russian war.

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Government

Thousands of public service jobs on the chopping block

Thousands of public service jobs are set to be slashed as a debt-riddled state eyes billions of dollars of budget savings. A review of the Victorian public service has been commissioned by the Labor government, ahead of the May state budget. “This independent review … (will ensure) … a laser-focus on every dollar of expenditure in the Victorian government’s budget,“ Premier Jacinta Allan said.

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Security

Espionage and terror threats grow in dangerous era

At least three nations that plotted to murder or harm people in Australia have been put on notice by the top spy agency, whose chief has vowed to protect the community. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess used his annual threat assessment to declassify information about a hostile nation attempting to lure someone from Australia to another country to hurt or kill them. The plan to arrange an “accident” was foiled when the intelligence agency stepped in to stop the gambit.

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Transport

Rail chaos eases as industrial action ends

In a win for rail passengers and the NSW government, the Fair Work Commission has ordered the suspension of industrial action on Sydney’s train network, imposing a cooling-off period until July 1. Interim Transport Minister John Graham expressed relief at the late-Wednesday decision by the full bench of the commission after months of legal wrangling. ”This promises an end to disruption for all commuters in Sydney - that’s hugely welcome,“ he told reporters.

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Security

ASIO foils plots to kill dissidents

Plots by foreign agents to lure and kill dissidents have been foiled by the nation’s spy agency, with at least three countries targeting people in Australia. Australians and multicultural communities have been the target of attempted assassinations and coercion from hostile countries. At least three nations have plotted to harm people in Australia, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation revealed.

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Fire

Mum, daughter perish in house fire

A devastated local community is coming to terms with the tragic deaths of a mother and her daughter in an overnight fire despite heroic attempts by neighbours to save those trapped in the house. Ten people were inside a property at Heckenberg, in Sydney’s southwest, when the fire broke out shortly after midnight on Wednesday, gutting the family home.

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Politics

Palmer trumpets a new party

Mining magnate Clive Palmer has launched new Australian political party “Trumpet of Patriots”, looking to echo US President Donald Trump’s policies and promises to “drain the swamp”. Palmer recently lost his bid to register his United Australia Party for the upcoming federal election, and has joined the new party as chairman.

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Economy

Rate cut in bag, but RBA still cautious

Australian borrowers hoping for more interest rate relief have been disappointed at the Reserve Bank’s hawkish tone following its first cut in more than four years. While Tuesday’s 25 basis point cut will be cheered by millions of homeowners across the country, the $100 per month reduction on repayments for an average mortgage will be a drop in the bucket for many Australians.

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Military

Black Hawks join defence fleet

A dozen Black Hawk helicopters will be rolled out by the Australian Defence Force to be used as part of emergency and counter-terrorism operations. Following testing and training, 12 UH-M60M Black Hawks have joined the defence force’s fleets, with...

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Fire

Battery behind latest killer blaze

Dangerous lithium-ion batteries have claimed another victim, with a charging e-bike behind a fatal house fire. Authorities responded to a fire at Guildford, in Sydney’s west, on Tuesday morning and found a man trapped inside a burning room. However, he could not be revived after being extracted. Five other people had evacuated the home before firefighters arrived, with one taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.

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Politics

PM denies rate cut will impact election timing

Anthony Albanese has downplayed suggestions the first interest rate cut in almost five years will be the trigger for a federal election. The Reserve Bank cut the official cash rate by 25 basis points to 4.1 per cent, delivering much-needed relief for mortgage holders. With cost-of-living issues set to dominate the upcoming election, speculation loomed an interest rate cut could see the prime minister calling the poll sooner than expected.

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Weather

‘Like winning lottery’: Graziers salute flood impact

Drone footage quickly confirmed floodwaters had completely inundated Richard Kinnon’s popular Longreach tourist attraction Outback Pioneers. Instead of being devastated by the sight of his underwater western Queensland site, Kinnon compared it to winning the lottery. Longreach graziers needed all the water they could get after a dry 2024.

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Cost of living

Relief at last for mortgage holders

The Reserve Bank of Australia has cut interest rates for the first time in more than four years but mortgage holders might have to wait a while before more relief comes down the pike. Mortgage lenders including all four big banks immediately promised to pass the widely expected 25 basis point decrease on to borrowers in full. Governor Michele Bullock said high interest rates – which had been at a 15-year high of 4.35 per cent since November 2023 – had been working as anticipated to restrict demand and reduce inflation.

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Culture

Leaders slow to condemn Islamophobic attacks

Australian political leaders are slowly condemning an Islamophobic attack on two women, but the prime minister isn’t among them amid accusations of double standards. The Muslim women wearing hijabs were assaulted in separate incidents at an Epping shopping centre, in Melbourne’s north, on Thursday. An unidentified woman allegedly assaulted a 30-year-old Lalor woman inside the shopping complex about 1.10pm before she pushed a 26-year-old Wollert woman to the floor in a separate incident about 10 minutes later, police said.

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Russia

New footage of Australian PoW

Russia recognising Australian fighter Oscar Jenkins as a prisoner of war is a promising sign but won’t guarantee a quick release, an expert warns. An unverified video posted online shows the 32-year-old teacher from Melbourne wearing a military camouflage uniform and being asked by a captor to confirm he is alive. “My name is Oscar Jenkins. I come from Australia, I’m Australian,“ he says in a video uploaded to YouTube more than a week ago.

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