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‘They are kids’: Greens issue fresh pleas after reports from inside al-Roj camp

The Greens are pleading with the Albanese government to stop treating children detained in north-east Syria as “disposable political pawns” and assist their return to Australia, after first-hand accounts from inside the al-Roj camp laid bare the extent of their plight.

The Guardian on Thursday reported the stories of several of the 23 Australian children held in the detention camp along with their mothers, the wives and widows of suspected Islamic State fighters who travelled to Syria during its so-called caliphate.

“Why do I have to be in here? I don’t want to be in a tent. I don’t want to be in a camp. I don’t want to be in a prison … I just want to go and be free,” one of the children, 11-year-old Baidaa, said.

Speaking after the accounts were published, the Greens home affairs spokesman, David Shoebridge, told Guardian Australia:

You can hear the children speak on the Full Story podcast:

Advocate for Syria-held women says children-only rescue ‘dirty work’

A Sydney Muslim community figure fighting for the repatriation of detainees in Syria has said he won’t split the children from their mothers, calling it the government’s “dirty work”.

The 11 mothers in the group have suggested that their 23 children be taken back to Australia without them, The Guardian has previously reported.

Jamal Rifi has revealed the mothers proposed their solution to himself and fellow advocates who rejected the idea, saying if the Australian government wanted to split mothers from children it should do so itself. Rifi told the ABC:

We as a human being, we as fathers, we’re not going to actually pursue that, that’s not our call. If the government want to do this, let them actually do it themselves. We’re not going to do it for them. We won’t do their dirty work for them. …

It is on the Australian government to look after the interests of all Australian children and if they have an ounce of humanity and care and compassion, they will act to remove those children, the sooner the better. If they will do the children only, that’s their call, that’s not going to be my call, I won’t do it.

Rifi said the children would be harmed and prevented from integrating into Australian society if taken from their mothers, who are the wives and widows of ISIS soldiers. He said:

Haven’t we learned from what happened to the Stolen Generation, haven’t we learned the impact that happened on the family, and also on the children, when we separate them from their mothers – who cared for them for the last six years, in awful circumstances. Regardless [of] if they are actually the biggest terrorists on earth, but yet they are mothers. They are caring for their offsprings and I’m not going to separate them.

The mother may ask us to do this right now but later on in life they will actually curse us. The kids might [have been] coming right now. But if separating them from their mothers who cares for them is going to impact on their rehabilitation, and on their integration and on their well being and emotional well being, it wouldn’t be doing any favour.

The Guardian’s William Christou has spoken to the children detained in the camp, as you can read here:

Sydney doctor helping Syrian detainees says camp officials’ reports cannot be trusted

Jamal Rifi, the Sydney doctor who has been working to evacuate the 34 Australian citizens in a detention camp in Syria, says reports of extra Australian detainees are not to be trusted.

Rifi has previously lobbied for the government to bring the cohort of women and children back to Australia. He has this month been in the Middle East working to help the group get home.

In some of his first public comments since travelling overseas, Rifi said the reports of additional Australian women being detained separately could not be relied on and said the camp officials were not trustworthy. Rifi told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:

I wouldn’t take what we see from the camp officials as the gospel or the truth. … I reckon they’re lying through their teeth. Because they lied before. They didn’t facilitate what we’re doing, they leak information to the local media so the media can sell all the footage and I reckon they are after the money. Everyone is after the money in that area.

He described the difficult circumstances playing out on the ground earlier this month.

It took us three days to convince the Syrian Democratic Forces for the uncles to visit their nephew and nieces in the camp and it was hard negotiation. Then we took them out. Media was not supposed to be there and we had a big media scrum over there. Then, they make now the decision that they are going to close the camp.

Labor assistant minister cautions against ‘rush to outrage’ at PM’s Grace Tame comment

A Labor MP defending Anthony Albanese’s description of Grace Tame as “difficult” has warned against a “rush to outrage”.

Josh Wilson, Labor’s assistant minister for energy, said Albanese had claimed he would have said “powerhouse” if he had been trying to describe Tame’s character. Wilson told the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing:

There is a bit of a risk in … the kind of rush to outrage that we go a little bit too deep on these things. …

Grace Tame is a significant public figure and she is entitled to express her views on a range of subjects. … I totally respect Grace Tame’s response [and] she is entitled to take her own view.

A Liberal frontbencher, James McGrath, said Albanese should deliver a stronger apology to Tame. He told the same program:

The prime minister shouldn’t have said what he said. He clearly meant it and what he has been doing since this morning has been doing a bit of flip-flopping and walking sideways and giving a half-hearted apology, saying that is not what he meant to say. It is clearly what he meant to say and he should come out and do a proper apology to Ms Tame.

I am not a fan of Ms Tame, I think she is someone who should herself apologise after all the comments that she has made about “globalise the intifada” … but I don’t think that the prime minister should be calling any woman, regardless of their political pedigree, difficult.

Albanese wrong to call Grace Tame difficult, says Liberal

The Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh has said the prime minister should not have described Grace Tame as difficult.

McIntosh, the Coalition’s shadow minister for Social Services, said the phrase was “a poor choice of words”. She told the ABC:

When I heard that he had said that, I cringed inside …. Women get told we are difficult a lot … If she didn’t accept his apology, he should sort it out with her.

McIntosh has previously demanded the prime minister condemn Grace Tame for her chant of the phrase “globalise the intifada” ahead of a protest march against the Israeli president’s visit in Sydney earlier this month.

She told host Patricia Karvelas she still believed Albanese should not describe any woman as difficult:

Grace Tame, by no means, I don’t always agree with her, I felt quite strongly about what she did it at that march, I question having her Australian of the Year title even now.

If she didn’t like it, there is a reason for that. The prime minister should not have used that word. …

Have you been called difficult? I have. I reckon it’s resonating with you, it’s resonating with me, and I think it’s probably resonating with many women, which is why they are cranky. … It is not just about the recipient, being Grace Tame, but many women have been told at some point in their life that they’re difficult and that’s why people are kicking up about it.

Labor minister says PM ‘fierce advocate’ for women after ‘difficult’ Grace Tame description

Labor’s environment minister, Murray Watt, has defended the prime minister as a “fierce advocate” of women in the face of criticism of Anthony Albanese calling Grace Tame “difficult”.

Watt denied the phrase’s use was condescending. He told the ABC:

I think any honest observer of the prime minister’s actions knows that he has been a fierce advocate for the rights of women in Australia and has [made] immeasurable change to the lives of Australian women.

Albanese has claimed to be referring to Tame’s “difficult life”. When pointed out that his use of the word did not reflect that, Watt said:

Clearly not, but he has since explained what he meant by that statement, he has apologised for any misinterpretation.

And as I say, if anyone looks at the prime minister’s record … in every single possible way, this prime minister has led the charge to ensure that Australian women and respected and are supported …

I think it shows the traps for all of us in participating in these kinds of one-word games that some media outlets like to participate in.

‘Too early to put away bushfire plans,’ emergency chief warns

The bushfire season could stretch into April across Australia’s south amid long-term drought, with Victoria especially at risk.

With the release of the bushfire outlook earlier today, Rob Webb, chief executive of the Australian and New Zealand council for fire and emergency services (AFAC) has spoken to the ABC:

Even with little bits of rain that we’ve had lately and some in the forecast there are still concerns that the season may yet still hang on a little bit longer. So, too early to put away bushfire plans at the moment.

The threat of bushfires could continue into autumn as late as April in Australia’s south, for much of Victoria and parts of South Australia, Webb warned.

The southern half of the country really over this autumn period is likely to be drier than normal … The fuels are there, the conditions are there. It’s just a matter of whether the warm conditions and windy conditions develop.

… We don’t just get out of the summer months and say the fire season’s over. We’ve seen globally this trend to lengthening fire seasons and the intensity of these fire seasons increasing.

Statement from Grace Tame to be read at ‘globalise the intifada’ Sydney protest

Pro-Palestine groups say they will chant “globalise the intifada” when they return to Sydney town hall on Friday, nearly three weeks after clashing with police.

Grace Tame, who led chants of the phrase at that protest against the Israeli president’s visit on 9 February, will have a statement read at the rally, organisers said.

The prime minister criticised Tame’s use of that phrase today while apologising for describing the former Australian of the year as difficult, as you can read here:

The statement will be read outside Sydney’s town hall along with speeches from the NSW Greens politician Amanda Cohn and others, before protesters march to NSW parliament to chant “globalise the intifada”, according to the Stop the War on Palestine group.

The groups will protest against the state government’s plan to ban the phrase and other protest slogans, organiser Adam Adelpour said. He said more protests would follow:

Defiance works, and Minns can expect more of it so long as he continues to try and strip us of our basic democratic rights.

Listen now: blaring sirens on smartphones to warn Australians of major disasters under emergency alerts overhaul

Australians will soon receive intrusive alerts on their smartphones to warn of impending emergencies as governments overhaul warning systems for natural disasters and other serious events.

Here is what the system sounds like:

The $132m AusAlert system will be rolled out through a series of trials from June, replacing state-based text messaging systems which often struggle because of demand in major emergencies.

Alerts will be sent for bushfires, floods, biosecurity threats and public safety incidents like shootings. The messages will link users to more information from official sources online.

Read more from Tom McIlroy here:

Government warns against Iran travel in ‘fast-moving environment’

The Australian government is watching to see what action the US president, Donald Trump, might take in Iran, a day after offering to evacuate the families of Australian diplomats and officials from countries across the Middle East.

Trump used this week’s State of the Union address to repeat threats of an attack on Iran, as he accused the ruling regime of developing nuclear weapons.

The defence minister, Richard Marles, on Thursday said he wouldn’t comment on the possibility of military strikes but urged Australians in the region to monitor travel advice online.

“Smartraveller is a really important resource,” he said.

We update that as quickly as we possibly can. It is our best advice as to what people should do in respect of their travel.

In respect of Iran itself, it has for some time said that there should be no travel to Iran, and we’ve made clear to Australian citizens who are in Iran that if it is safe to do so, they should leave.

It is a fast-moving environment.

Two dead after fungus outbreak at Sydney’s RPA hospital

An outbreak of fungal infections at a major Sydney hospital has killed two patients and left four others unwell.

The Royal Prince Alfred hospital in inner Sydney temporarily closed its transplant unit after the six patients unexpectedly developed infections between October and December.

A spokesperson for the Sydney local health district (SLHD) said:

SLHD extends its deepest condolences to the families of the patients who died at Royal Prince Alfred hospital and acknowledges the impact on all patients and families.

Fungal spores are commonly found in soil, dust and damp environments but pose health risks for immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing organ transplant procedures.

The spokesperson said SLHD was investigating the source of the infection, noting spores of the common mould aspergillus could be stirred up by construction works. RPA has been undergoing major $940m redevelopment works since 2023.

Transplant inpatients were told of the outbreak and moved to another ward in RPA while the hospital and the construction team deep-cleaned the ward and installed enhanced air filtration systems and environmental controls, the spokesperson said.

At-risk outpatients were also warned but none reported any symptoms, the spokesperson said. Some patients were given antifungal medication “out of an abundance of caution”.

The ward reopened on 9 February with the approval of a panel chaired by NSW’s chief health officer, Dr Kerry Chant, after air quality testing found the ward had no elevated aspergillus levels.

Hello readers, I’ll guide you through the day’s breaking news from here. Thanks Nick Visser for steering the blog today.

Three injured in suspected lightning strikes during Perth storm

Three people have been injured in two separate suspected lightning strikes in Perth.

St John WA ambulance crews responded to reports of a man injured in a strike about 8.30am local time. On arrival, they treated a man in his 70s. He was transported to the hospital with serious injuries, but they are not believed to be life threatening.

Later in the morning, about 10.10am, ambulance crews were called to a high school in Mount Helena. On arrival, they treated two teenage students, who were both taken to area hospitals.

Jacinda Ardern living and working in Australia after move from US

The former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern is living in Australia with her family, a spokesperson has confirmed.

“The family has been travelling for a few years now,” her office told the Guardian.

“For the moment they’re basing themselves out of Australia – they have work there, and it brings the added bonus of more time back home in New Zealand.”

Speculation that Ardern was considering a move to Australia emerged on Thursday, after reports in Australian media that she and her husband, Clarke Gayford, and their seven-year-old daughter, Neve, attended open home viewings in Sydney’s northern beaches.

Read more here:

Record-breaking rain for desert towns as monsoon low lingers

Desert towns near the intersection of four states and territories were headed for one of their wettest Februaries, as a near-stationary tropical low dropped a deluge on usually dry outback centres.

Several towns clustered near the border of New South Wales, South Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory, had received more than 100mm of rain in the past four days, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The month wasn’t over, but rainfall totals for February were already breaking records in places.

Senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury said:

This is a hugely significant amount of rain for these areas, which are usually so, so dry. That’s obviously why we’ve seen the flooding that has spread through those areas.

Almost 270mm of rain fell in the remote NSW town of Tibooburra, making it the wettest February on record, according to the BoM.

Kalamurina, on the South Australian side of the border, had recorded about 254mm over the month, the highest ever for February, she said.

More downpours were expected, with the monsoon low expected to linger for another couple of days, before gradually moving south.

Stunning image shows ‘unprecedented detail’ of the Milky Way

A team of researchers, including those from the Australian University, have released a new image of the Milky Way in “unprecedented detail”.

ANU said the area captured by the image captures stretches more than 650 light years, surrounding the supermassive black hole at the heart of the galaxy, and is filled with dense clouds of gas and dust, hidden from ordinary view. The university said the photo “offers an unprecedented look at the cold gas – the raw material from which stars form – inside the Milky Way’s Central Molecular Zone (CMZ).”

Dr Ashley Barnes from the European Southern Observatory in Germany said in a statement:

It’s a place of extremes, invisible to our eyes yet now revealed in extraordinary detail. It is the only galactic nucleus close enough to Earth for us to study in such fine detail.

The image was captured using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (Alma) in northern Chile. It is the largest Alma image ever produced.

Scientists will use the image to examine how stars form and change in the most extreme parts of the galaxy.

NT police commissioner speaks after shots fired in Alice Springs CBD

NT police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding an incident that led police to discharge their weapon in the Alice Springs CBD. A 38-year-old man allegedly drove toward a police officer and struck an occupied police vehicle.

At about 10.30pm, police responded to reports of “skirmishes” on Todd Street involving multiple people outside the Todd Tavern.

Police then alleged a man drove “at speed” towards an officer standing near the footpath, hitting a parked police car before a police officer allegedly fired three rounds into the vehicle.

The man was not injured in the incident but was transferred to Alice Springs hospital for assessment. The officer in the stationary police car sustained minor injuries and has since been discharged from the hospital.

The NT police commissioner, Martin Dole, and assistant commissioner Travis Wurst told reporters that Crime Command detectives are investigating and the incident was “traumatic” for officers.

“Driving a vehicle at police is extremely serious and a dangerous act. Our officers are entitled to protect themselves and others when faced with an immediate threat,” Dole said.

“The deliberate targeting of our hard working officers is absolutely abhorrent and we will not stand for it.”

Wurst said the incident was confronting for officers: “Those officers are stuck with that in their minds, forever knowing what could have been.”

Charges have not yet been laid and the man is in custody.

Coles v ACCC hearings finish, with judge reserving decision

Hearings for the consumer watchdog’s legal case against Coles have wrapped up in the Victorian federal court.

Justice Michael O’Bryan adjourned the court in Melbourne about half an hour ago, after hearing closing submissions from both the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and the supermarket.

The ACCC alleges Coles broke the law by offering “illusory” discounts on hundreds of everyday products through the misleading use of its “Down Down” promotion program.

The ACCC is seeking large penalties and community service orders against Coles, which, along with Woolworths, controls two-thirds of the Australian grocery market.

Coles is defending the ACCC’s allegations by arguing the changes in pricing were a response to increased costs from suppliers.

The judge reserved his decision, so we won’t know the outcome until a later date.

Optus headcount to increase, despite more than 200 jobs to go

Optus chief executive, Stephen Rue, has confirmed reports that between 200 to 300 jobs at the telco will be cut following consultations. However, he stated that Optus’s transformation of Optus will increase headcount from around 6,000 today to 7,500 in the next couple of years.

Rue told the parliamentary inquiry on the Optus triple zero outage that the job cuts are spread across the entire business, with some staff to be redeployed into new roles.

He said the headcount increase will come from onshoring 300 of the 3,000 call centre roles in Australia, and adding more capability to the network team.

He said the role changes aim to “simplify” the Optus structure to break down the silos in the business that partly caused the errors during the outage.

He said the compliance, security, legal teams will need “greater attention” and will receive more resources.