Australia news LIVE: Australia sanctions Israeli ministers; Trump vows ‘heavy force' against protesters
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6.55am
'If there's an insurrection, I would invoke it': Trump defends National Guard deployment
Amber Schultz
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President Donald Trump has vowed to use heavy force against protesters ahead of a military parade planned for Washington this weekend amid unrest in Los Angeles.
Trump said he was prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act if he believed circumstances warranted more drastic intervention.
'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it – we'll see,' he said. 'There were certain areas of Los Angeles last night, you could have called it an insurrection. It was terrible.'
Trump also stood by his decision to send in 700 marines and over 2000 National Guard troops amid violent clashes in Los Angeles over the crackdown on suspected illegal immigrants, saying 'Los Angeles would be burning' otherwise.
Californian Governor Gavin Newsom has accused Trump and his allies of inflaming the situation, and has filed an emergency motion, seeking to stop what he contended was the illegal deployment of the National Guard and US Marines in Los Angeles.
6.55am
Australia sanctions two hardline Israeli ministers
By Amber Schultz
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Australia has imposed sanctions on two senior Israeli ministers following comments which 'incited extremist violence and serious abuses' against Palestinians.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have been subjected to targeted financial sanctions and travel bans, effective from Wednesday, June 11.
Smotrich has suggested tje deaths of 2 million Palestinians by starvation in Gaza might be 'justified' and suggested Palestinians be forced to evacuate, while Ben-Gvir has provided thousands of assault rifles to civilian settlers and has joined marches where chants of 'death to Arabs' were heard.
The pair is also accused of aggressively expanding illegal Israeli settlements.
The sanctions have also been imposed by Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom.
In Australia, those found to be dealing with the sanctioned individuals' assets facing penalties of up to ten years' imprisonment or fines reaching $825,000.
Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar called the sanctions 'outrageous' and will convene an emergency meeting.
6.52am
11 dead in Austrian mass shooting
By Amber Schultz
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10 people - mostly students - have been killed at a high school in Austria before the gunman turned the weapon on himself in the worst school shooting in the country's modern history.
Another dozen people have been injured.
The gunman, a former pupil, entered the school in the southern Austrian city of Graz overnight AEST armed with two guns and opened fire. The 21 year old was found dead in the bathroom.
His motive remains unknown.
Police responded with heavy force, with more than 300 officers, specially trained COBRA units - Austria's version of SWAT teams – and police helicopter.
6.45am
This morning's headlines at a glance
By Amber Schultz
Good morning readers. I'm Amber Schultz, and I'll be helming the blog this morning.
Today's top headlines are:
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Unrest in Los Angeles continues this morning, with California requesting an emergency order in federal court to restrict Marines and National Guard troops to limit them to protecting federal property.
11 people have been killed in a horror mass shooting in an Austrian school
Apple has published a paper highlighting 'fundamental limitations' in the program's accuracy and reasoning capabilities, suggesting AI advancement may have stalled.
In NSW, surgery waiting lists have almost risen to pandemic levels, with over 100,000 patients waiting for surgery in public hospitals at the end of March.
In Melbourne, students will face a stricter disciplinary regime at Melbourne's Catholic schools via 'principles of explicit instruction'.
Ex-Greens senator Dorinda Cox, who defected to Labor, has accused her former party of racism and ignoring serious claims she raised, ABC reports.
Australia, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway will impose sanctions on two Israeli ministers over for their roles in serious human rights abuses against Palestinians.
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Aid staff killed in Gaza ambush Israel blames on Hamas
Israel has accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. GHF said in a statement that one of its buses was ambushed late on Wednesday as it headed to an aid centre near the southern city of Khan Younis, carrying local men who worked alongside a US team to deliver critical supplies. "Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with others being kidnapped," said COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. "The international community can not ignore Hamas's crimes against humanitarian workers." Hamas declined to comment on the shootings. Social media channels in Gaza said Hamas had targeted the bus because it was allegedly carrying people affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a large clan which has challenged Hamas's supremacy in the enclave and is being armed by Israel. Elsewhere in Gaza, the local health authority said at least 30 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as the small coastal enclave continued to be roiled by violence and destruction. The IDF said it had killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile towards Israeli soldiers. It also said it had arrested several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of planning to attack Israeli civilians and IDF forces. Israel has fought for more than 20 months to eliminate Hamas after it launched deadly attacks October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. All efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have failed. Despite the bus attack, GHF said it was continuing its distribution efforts on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one of its sites, before shutting its gates there. The GHF has handed out more than 16 million meals since it started operations in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of food distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near the aid centres, as the aid effort repeatedly degenerated into chaos and terror with ravenous locals scrabbling for limited supplies. "This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality," Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X. "The UN including @UNRWA have the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs," he added. Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA to be disbanded, accusing it of having ties with Hamas. UNRWA has denied this. Besides the GHF distribution effort, Israel is also letting into Gaza trucks carrying flour for the handful of bakeries that are still operating. For the first time in months, Israel allowed humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza directly overnight - with 56 trucks carrying supplies from the UN's World Food Programme crossing into the largely devastated region. Israel has accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. GHF said in a statement that one of its buses was ambushed late on Wednesday as it headed to an aid centre near the southern city of Khan Younis, carrying local men who worked alongside a US team to deliver critical supplies. "Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with others being kidnapped," said COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. "The international community can not ignore Hamas's crimes against humanitarian workers." Hamas declined to comment on the shootings. Social media channels in Gaza said Hamas had targeted the bus because it was allegedly carrying people affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a large clan which has challenged Hamas's supremacy in the enclave and is being armed by Israel. Elsewhere in Gaza, the local health authority said at least 30 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as the small coastal enclave continued to be roiled by violence and destruction. The IDF said it had killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile towards Israeli soldiers. It also said it had arrested several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of planning to attack Israeli civilians and IDF forces. Israel has fought for more than 20 months to eliminate Hamas after it launched deadly attacks October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. All efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have failed. Despite the bus attack, GHF said it was continuing its distribution efforts on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one of its sites, before shutting its gates there. The GHF has handed out more than 16 million meals since it started operations in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of food distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near the aid centres, as the aid effort repeatedly degenerated into chaos and terror with ravenous locals scrabbling for limited supplies. "This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality," Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X. "The UN including @UNRWA have the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs," he added. Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA to be disbanded, accusing it of having ties with Hamas. UNRWA has denied this. Besides the GHF distribution effort, Israel is also letting into Gaza trucks carrying flour for the handful of bakeries that are still operating. For the first time in months, Israel allowed humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza directly overnight - with 56 trucks carrying supplies from the UN's World Food Programme crossing into the largely devastated region. Israel has accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. GHF said in a statement that one of its buses was ambushed late on Wednesday as it headed to an aid centre near the southern city of Khan Younis, carrying local men who worked alongside a US team to deliver critical supplies. "Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with others being kidnapped," said COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. "The international community can not ignore Hamas's crimes against humanitarian workers." Hamas declined to comment on the shootings. Social media channels in Gaza said Hamas had targeted the bus because it was allegedly carrying people affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a large clan which has challenged Hamas's supremacy in the enclave and is being armed by Israel. Elsewhere in Gaza, the local health authority said at least 30 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as the small coastal enclave continued to be roiled by violence and destruction. The IDF said it had killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile towards Israeli soldiers. It also said it had arrested several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of planning to attack Israeli civilians and IDF forces. Israel has fought for more than 20 months to eliminate Hamas after it launched deadly attacks October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. All efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have failed. Despite the bus attack, GHF said it was continuing its distribution efforts on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one of its sites, before shutting its gates there. The GHF has handed out more than 16 million meals since it started operations in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of food distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near the aid centres, as the aid effort repeatedly degenerated into chaos and terror with ravenous locals scrabbling for limited supplies. "This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality," Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X. "The UN including @UNRWA have the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs," he added. Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA to be disbanded, accusing it of having ties with Hamas. UNRWA has denied this. Besides the GHF distribution effort, Israel is also letting into Gaza trucks carrying flour for the handful of bakeries that are still operating. For the first time in months, Israel allowed humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza directly overnight - with 56 trucks carrying supplies from the UN's World Food Programme crossing into the largely devastated region. Israel has accused Hamas militants of killing five Palestinians who worked for the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in an apparent effort to disrupt their food distribution operations. GHF said in a statement that one of its buses was ambushed late on Wednesday as it headed to an aid centre near the southern city of Khan Younis, carrying local men who worked alongside a US team to deliver critical supplies. "Hamas murdered five humanitarian workers from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation with others being kidnapped," said COGAT, the Israeli defence agency that coordinates humanitarian matters with the Palestinians. "The international community can not ignore Hamas's crimes against humanitarian workers." Hamas declined to comment on the shootings. Social media channels in Gaza said Hamas had targeted the bus because it was allegedly carrying people affiliated with Yasser Abu Shabab, the leader of a large clan which has challenged Hamas's supremacy in the enclave and is being armed by Israel. Elsewhere in Gaza, the local health authority said at least 30 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli gunfire and airstrikes on Thursday, as the small coastal enclave continued to be roiled by violence and destruction. The IDF said it had killed three militants who fired an anti-tank missile towards Israeli soldiers. It also said it had arrested several Hamas members in Syria overnight, accusing them of planning to attack Israeli civilians and IDF forces. Israel has fought for more than 20 months to eliminate Hamas after it launched deadly attacks October 7, 2023 that ignited the war. All efforts to end the conflict through negotiations have failed. Despite the bus attack, GHF said it was continuing its distribution efforts on Thursday, handing out food boxes early at one of its sites, before shutting its gates there. The GHF has handed out more than 16 million meals since it started operations in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of food distribution which the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says more than 160 people have been killed by Israeli fire near the aid centres, as the aid effort repeatedly degenerated into chaos and terror with ravenous locals scrabbling for limited supplies. "This model will not address the deepening hunger. The dystopian 'Hunger Games' cannot become the new reality," Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X. "The UN including @UNRWA have the knowledge, expertise & community trust to provide dignified & safe assistance. Just let the humanitarians do their jobs," he added. Israel has repeatedly called for UNRWA to be disbanded, accusing it of having ties with Hamas. UNRWA has denied this. Besides the GHF distribution effort, Israel is also letting into Gaza trucks carrying flour for the handful of bakeries that are still operating. For the first time in months, Israel allowed humanitarian trucks to enter northern Gaza directly overnight - with 56 trucks carrying supplies from the UN's World Food Programme crossing into the largely devastated region.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Trump administration using AUKUS review to pressure Albanese on defence spending
Sky News host Sharri Markson has suggested the Trump administration is allegedly using the AUKUS review as leverage to pressure Prime Minister Anthony Albanese into boosting defence spending. 'The United States President and his officials are frustrated, firstly Albanese's refusal to increase defence spending,' Ms Markson said. 'Secondly, his flippant attitude that defence is an issue of sovereignty, and they're concerned about his commitment to the alliance and his refusal to robustly call out China's aggressions in our region. 'Confidential sources told me today the Trump administration is extremely serious about needing Australia to lift its game on defence spending, and this is irrespective of Jim Chalmers' budget constraints.'
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
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‘Getting pretty close': Expert analyses Israeli potential to strike Iran
Strategic Analysis Australia Director Peter Jennings discusses the potential for an Israeli strike on Iran. 'I think we are getting pretty close to a time when a strike is going to happen,' Mr Jennings told Sky News host Sharri Markson. 'Trump's style here is, to give him credit, he attempted to have a negotiation with the Iranians, and there were five rounds of negotiations. 'I think Trump will realise that that was getting nowhere and will very quickly move back to what Israel has wanted to do pretty much since December. 'Strike while they still can before Iran does get nuclear weapons.'
