Jet crashes into school in Bangladesh, killing at least 20
'What we've been making sure of is that whenever we make a statement of this nature that we're bringing as many other countries along with us at the same time,' Burke told the ABC.
'On our own, Australia's not a loud voice or a decisive voice, on the other side of the world, but when you can make a statement together with so many other significant powers, then, you know, we're all hoping that there'll be something that will break this.'
He described the recent deaths of Palestinians in Gaza as indefensible.
'We've seen too many images of children being killed, of horrific slaughter, of churches being bombed. The images that we've seen have been pretty clear that so much of this is indefensible, and as that statement referred to, you know, aid being drip-fed in.
'None of this changes the fact that the hostages need to be released. Of course that needs to happen. But what we are watching on the other side of the world is indefensible. The hostages still need to be released, but the war needs to end.
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ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
NT government expands role of G4S private security guards to support overcrowded watch houses
In an expansion of private prison staff responsibilities in the Northern Territory, Department of Corrections employees have heard the duties performed by private security firm G4S will be increased. In March, the NT government signed a six-month contract with G4S to manage the transfer of Darwin prisoners. G4S security guards currently help to transfer inmates between prisons and the courts, as territory correctional staff face record prisoner numbers. Despite a recruitment drive for 202 new corrections officers to be employed inside prisons this financial year, NT Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has previously acknowledged the prison population is growing and that the government needs to expand the workforce. In an internal memo seen by the ABC, corrections staff were told Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley had signed a work order to expand the duties carried out by private security guards. "As we shape this next phase, we are working closely with G4S to determine what a Northern Territory-based G4S staffing model could look like." The United Workers Union (UWU), which represents corrections officers, has been strongly opposed to the NT's six-month arrangement with G4S since it began in March. UWU NT branch secretary Erina Early said although G4S guards had been assisting with prison transfers since that time, corrections staff had not seen any improvement to their working conditions. "It hasn't made much change to our correctional officers at all because the [prisoner] numbers are increasing," she said. "Bringing in G4S may relieve a couple of shifts, but it's not having the outcome that the government [is] hoping for." Ms Early said union members were worried for "the safety of the prisoners and also safety of the police" — who have a different skillset to correctional officers — and held concerns the expansion of G4S's services signalled growing privatisation in the NT's corrections system. "They've been saying this since it was announced by Commissioner Matthew Varley, that G4S were coming in — as soon as you have them in, it's like a cancer, they will spread," she said. "They have been taking more and more roles." Corrections Minister Gerard Maley last month told the ABC that privatising the entire NT prison system was not on the government's radar. "There are private firms that run prisons in their entirety, that's not our plan at all," he said. "Our plan is to make sure that we have highly trained officers behind the wire, and then independent contractors such as G4S doing the services outside that." The NT's corrections department has been housing a growing number of prisoners in police watch houses in recent months, due to capacity constraints at territory prisons. Earlier this week, there were about 100 people being held inside the Palmerston police watch house, including overflow corrections prisoners. G4S is part of American private security giant Allied Universal, which employs more than 800,000 people internationally and generates about $20 billion in annual revenue. The company describes itself as a "global leader in security". Security guards employed by G4S in Australia mainly work in prisons and detention centres. The firm has operated Victoria's largest maximum security prison, Port Phillip Prison, since it opened in 1997. A 2018 report by the Victorian auditor-general's office found "serious incidents" at Port Phillip Prison, including assaults and drug use, and "exposed weaknesses in how G4S … manage safety and security risks". A Victorian coroner recently recommended G4S improve staff training following the "preventable" 2022 death of an Aboriginal man in his prison cell. Port Phillip Prison is due to close by the end of this year. Last year, G4S reached a confidential settlement with the parents of an Iranian asylum seeker, who was fatally bashed by guards at a Manus Island offshore detention centre in 2014. The company was also fined over its role in the death of an Aboriginal elder, who overheated in the back of a prison van in remote Western Australia in 2008. It is not yet clear how much the NT government's contract with G4S has cost the public.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- ABC News
The Shakeup: Albo's Gaza statement, Parliament back + tinned lizard
Albanese has called Gaza's humanitarian crisis "beyond the world's worst fears", but is a statement on Instagram enough as Palestinians in Gaza starve? And colleagues yelling at each other, MPs snubbing a Welcome to Country, Bob Katter nodding off — we unpack the big moments as parliament resumes for the first time since the election. Plus, while tinned fish is having a moment online, a tinned lizard caused a different stir. Host Dave Marchese is joined by Laura Masia and AAP reporter Dominic Giannini. Get the whole story from Hack:
Sydney Morning Herald
8 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Please. End the suffering and feed Gaza's poor, starving children
Forty-five children died of starvation or malnutrition in Gaza on Thursday. Reports vary between 100 and 300 in the past six weeks, including a six-week-old baby. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by IDF gunfire meant to 'disperse crowds' at aid distribution sites, all located in militarised zones. Freelance journalists in Gaza are reporting widespread hunger. The World Health Organisation says 25 per cent of Gaza's population is facing 'famine-like conditions', and director Tedros Adhanom Gadbreyesus has said it's a 'mass starvation, and it's man-made'. Let's call a spade a spade: Israel is starving Palestinians to death. Marilyn Lebeter, Smiths Creek After the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced that Israel had a right to defend itself but that the response should be measured and proportional. There was the expected pile-on against her by the usual suspects. If only her sentiments had been followed. Article 33 of Geneva Convention IV identifies the collective punishment of a people as a war crime. We learn today that one in five children in Gaza are suffering from malnutrition. People are dying of starvation daily, while tons of aid remains blocked at the borders. In the years to come, this will be recognised as the crime against humanity that it is. It needs to be stopped today. Jack Amond, Cabarita With the fox in charge of the henhouse, the Israel and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) will deny seeing any starvation on its watch. Which is strange really, given the IDF performs military strikes with almost pinpoint accuracy. The death toll of civilians in those misnamed 'humanitarian aid' lines has risen to more than 1000. How has the GHF allowed this to happen? It's a despicable state of affairs and needs universal condemnation, and action. Helen Lewin, Tumbi Umbi They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so how poignant that the Herald front page carries the photo of one-year-old Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, who is facing life-threatening malnutrition (' Suffer the children ', July 25). When will the world take more decisive action to bring an end to this catastrophic war in Gaza and allow aid to flow? When will all the folk who talk about antisemitism raise their voices to rein in Netanyahu's tyrannical quest for power and domination of the Palestinians? I hope Muhammad's picture will be seared into people's consciousness, just like the 'Napalm Girl' picture taken during the Vietnam War. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill I'm totally distraught from the shocking images of starvation emerging from Gaza. I don't care what the rest of the world is doing – I want the Australian government to be courageous and place immediate sanctions on the Israeli government now. It is not a Zionist thing or a Jewish thing or an Israeli thing. It's a humanitarian thing. Matt Bower, Green Point The heartbreaking front page picture of an emaciated child and mother reduced me to tears of utter despair. How can this be allowed to happen? So much rhetoric from world leaders to absolutely no avail, as the appalling carnage continues. Elizabeth Kroon, Randwick Your front-page photo is today's real-life version of Michelangelo's The Pieta. Shame on those countries enabling Netanyahu's behaviour. Shame on the rest of us for standing idly by and watching the humanitarian crisis in Palestine, illustrated starkly by the photo. Meg Pickup, Ballina A picture, or a cartoon, tells a thousand words. The front-page photo of a mother cradling her starving child, together with the Wilcox cartoon highlighting the fate of Gazans at the hands of Israel, make clear the horrors now experienced by the Palestinian people. The denial of humanitarian aid and the killing of those seeking it is obscene, immoral and a crime against humanity. Michael Healy, Raworth I looked at the Herald's front-page photo today and wept yet again. How much longer before the world stops talking and does something about removing Benjamin Netanyahu? How is it that this man is allowed to continue, day by day, wreaking death and starvation on the defenceless? Enough talking. Margaret Ryan, Bexley The children of Gaza are being starved to death. They are paying the ultimate price for the 1200 people killed by Hamas in October 2023. There is a moral obligation for Australia to join South Africa in filing the case of genocide against Israel in the International Court of Justice. Mark Porter, New Lambton To accompany your front-page headline 'Suffer the children', a reference to the so-called mass starvation in Gaza, you feature a photo of an emaciated child and a very healthy, well-fed woman, purportedly the child's mother. How is it that the child is cachectic, yet the mother is well nourished? George Fishman, Vaucluse It is morally indefensible for Australia to remain silent while thousands of civilians in Gaza are bombed, starved and displaced. The deliberate targeting of hospitals, schools and aid convoys has been widely documented and condemned by the UN and humanitarian organisations. As an Australian, I am ashamed that our government has yet to call for sanctions or even a permanent ceasefire. Silence is not neutrality – it is complicity. We must not stand by while war crimes are carried out. Australia must act. Deborah Nestola, Brighton (Vic) Starvation and malnutrition are growing alarmingly in Gaza. Shame on the world's leaders for remaining so passive for so long. Only now, when images of skeletal children emerge and the weight of public pressure grows, are they saying something. Enough of the meek voices and the moral relativism – concrete, consequential action to stop this atrocity is needed now. Alexander Lane, Thornleigh Day after day we hear resolutions from nations, the UN and the International Criminal Court condemning the actions of the Israel Defence Forces. We hear terms such as mass starvation, genocide and war crimes, yet the situation in Gaza rages on with no sign of ending, and the world looks on helplessly. Similarly, the war in Ukraine continues after three years, with the US and European nations seemingly powerless to intervene to bring a halt to this unjust war. Given all of this, it is difficult to imagine how the world would respond in any meaningful way to any action by China to seize Taiwan. Phil Peak, Dubbo Waleed Aly exposes a painful conundrum in the debate over antisemitism (' Segal's antisemitism plan takes us down a path we should fear to tread ', July 25). Considering the events in Gaza and the West Bank right now, it is to be expected that compassionate people will condemn unbearable cruelty. While we argue over whether criticism of Israel or Zionism is antisemitic or not, innocent men, women and children are dying every day in Gaza from weaponised starvation or being shot for approaching a food convoy. Israel controls the food shipments into Gaza, so Israel is responsible for the present catastrophe. Israel, not Jewish people in general. Just how does one object to these inhumane events without being called antisemitic? Bruce Spence, Balmain I defy anyone to remain dry-eyed after seeing the photo published with Waleed Aly's article – children holding saucepans forward in the hope of getting a little bit of food, but the look of resignation on their faces is heartbreaking. I had just answered a survey regarding the food that gets delivered to my door, do you mind, and the contrast hit hard. Please, powers that be, get food and water to the starving people of Gaza. Now. Pen Layton-Caisley, Marrickville Undeserved loyalty It could be argued that US Navy presidential appointee Jerry Hendrix is well wide of the mark when he claims that Australia is 'noticeably fickle' in its dealings with the mighty US of A (' WA shipyard 'can be base with US',' July 25). History shows that our country has been a remarkably reliable partner in the many military adventures in which America has been involved, from the forgotten Korean War right down to Vietnam and the disastrous invasion of Iraq. When the US wanted a loyal deputy for some of its rather questionable international activities, the Australians, among other minor powers, were there for them. To now deliver us a kick in the guts for possible disloyalty shows a huge lack of respect and abysmal ignorance. Derrick Mason, Boorowa Hard to swallow Have I got this right? The Nationals want 'an independent scientific panel' to assess the government's decision about importing beef from the US, but ignore all the other independent scientific panels that urge fast action on climate change. Please explain (' Will lifting US ban put more foreign meat on menus? ', July 25). Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown Having been born and raised in a California farming community, I have witnessed US beef production. Cattle are penned and grain fed. The conditions and smells are horrid. The animals are paralysed up to their chest in their own waste. It's offensive and inhumane. I'm not a vegetarian, but I believe that no animal deserves that kind of misery. As far as I'm concerned, there's little contest between US beef and Australian beef. Australian beef wins hands down – it's healthier, tastier, has less fat and the production is more humane. I don't like the idea of capitulating to a bully like Trump and I sure as hell won't be buying US beef, or dining where it is on the menu. Alph William, Red Rock Providing biosecurity safeguards on American meat are met, I doubt their meat will pose a threat to Australian suppliers. Having lived and worked in various parts of America, Australians will only buy American meat once, and regret that decision, as it falls a long way short of the quality and taste of Australian meat. My meat consumption declined whenever I was living there. As an added bonus, if we allow American meat into Australia and no one buys it, Donald Trump will go apoplectic, which is always fun to watch. Victor Marshall, Meander (Tas) Herald readers seem to have little regard for the decision to allow US beef into Australia (Letters, July 25). But looking at the decision from the federal government's position, it would be electoral poison to make the wrong decision given the consequences of getting it wrong, thus I see it as a well-considered move. I also believe the decision 'plays' Trump spectacularly, given his shallow knowledge of beef markets and how tariffs work. Phil Armour, Yass So American beef is finally entering our market. I won't buy it or anything else from America. If we all do the same the message will soon filter through to importers. Olga Stosic, Gordon Degrees of folly No one expects free university education, but the HECS system as it stands is seriously flawed (Letters, July 25). The problem lies with indexation of the debt every year. This makes paying it off almost impossible in a lifetime. Then there's the problem of the fee increase in some degrees to steer students towards STEM subjects. No wonder there is a teacher shortage when doing an arts degree costs so much more than other degrees. Why is this Morrison folly still in existence? Judith Rostron, Killarney Heights Why do we have to put a negative spin on everything? (' As bill to slash HECS debt edges closer, is it enough to ease pain? ' July 25). Instead of celebrating small steps, we criticise and undermine any change for not being big enough, or costing too much, or other perceived issues. No wonder our government is timid and slow to move ahead. Margaret Grove, Concord Fossil fools Thank heavens the NSW Court of Appeal has punctured the illusion that we should not care about carbon emissions from our coal and gas just because they get burnt overseas (' Court overturns massive coal mine approval ', July 25). Australia is the third-largest exporter of fossil fuels on the planet, yet we wash our hands of any responsibility for the emissions they cause. It's a bit like being one of the largest producers of heroin but denying responsibility for how people use it. Similarly, the ruling of the International Court of Justice holding fossil fuel producers liable for the consequences of climate change is another sign that we need to move away from our economic reliance on exporting coal and gas. It will come back and bite us. Neil Ormerod, Kingsgrove Political chameleon The 'Chameleon of Canberra', Scott Morrison, said he was appearing in a personal capacity at a US congressional hearing (' Morrison: Australians 'going to sleep' on China threat', July 25). No, he is now a defence industry lobbyist working mainly for US and UK interests. Australians may be accused of going to sleep on the China threat, but we have woken up to Morrison. Paul McShane, Burradoo Morrison is trying to wriggle out of responsibility for insinuating that a Chinese laboratory was responsible for COVID, which led to the disastrous bans on our products. The truth is that Morrison got us into that mess and it has taken Anthony Albanese's skilled diplomacy to restore relations with our biggest trading partner. Morrison should have the decency to acknowledge that. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer Voting changes Perhaps a fair voting solution for the troubling ages of 16-17 and 85-plus is to allow both to only opt in if they wish to vote. The elderly could be spared a chore they are no longer inspired by, or capable of, and only the politically committed youth will bother. Allan Kreuiter, Roseville Seditious content Sally Spurr is a well-travelled, regular Herald correspondent. I am perplexed as to why, having successfully negotiated US immigration, she would be nervous about going through customs (Letters, July 25). What was she carrying? The Herald? Ross Drynan, Lindfield
