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Tension in a tit-for-tat visa cancellation

Tension in a tit-for-tat visa cancellation

Australia has cancelled the visa of a Netanyahu government MP.
Israel has swiftly retaliated, revoking visas for Australia's representatives to the Palestinian Authority. What does this latest tit-for-tat mean for the already strained relationship?
Meanwhile, Canberra is buzzing as the guest list for the Economic Reform Roundtable arrives. The government's word of the day is 'optimistic' - but what message are they really trying to send as day one kicks off?
Patricia Karvelas and Raf Epstein break it all down on Politics Now.
Got a burning question?
Got a burning political query? Send a short voice recording to PK and Mel for Question Time at thepartyroom@abc.net.au
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Telstra warns of new wave of scams on encrypted messaging apps
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Popular encrypted messaging platforms are becoming a safe haven for scammers looking to bypass scam blocking technology, Australia's largest telco has warned. Telstra has cautioned its customers against flocking to encrypted messaging platforms, flagging users may be more vulnerable to scam messages and calls. While the security of end-to-end encryption means messages can only be accessed by the sender and receiver, limited visibility for telecommunication providers means their scam blocking technologies cannot scan or filter suspicious activity. Telstra's Cyber expert Darren Pauli said while encryption was a 'wonderful thing', the nature of these platforms make it tough for Telco's to monitor for potential scams. '(Encryption) protects banking, it protects everything. And it doesn't care about what the contents are that it's protecting. It just works,' he told NewsWire. 'I think more broadly that wherever the scams are happening, that platform should really genuinely put effort in and money in to really try to crush this. 'It's one of those things that you have to do for the broader security of the internet.' The telecommunications provider has also flagged an uptick in sophisticated recruitment lure scams, offering fake job opportunities that seem legitimate, and a rise in AI-enhanced scams and deepfakes. In the 12 months to June, Telstra was forced to block more than 18 million scam calls a month, almost double the number from the previous year. It also intercepted an average of more than 8 million scam text messages a month, and observed a 13 per cent year-on-year increase in reports of suspicious contacts. 'These fake job offers and recruitment scams are particularly nasty … they're targeting people who are vulnerable,' Mr Pauli said. 'They might be looking for work or whatever, and they will come out with offers of work from home, with good remuneration, and a quick interview process … So these are really quite lucrative and enticing offers. 'The tragedy really is that these scams are all about harvesting personal information (which) they then use for identity theft and sell it on the dark market.' Despite the increasingly sophisticated methods used by scammers, the National Anti-Scam Centre's Targeting report recorded a 25 per cent drop in losses between 2023 and 2024. Telstra's 'Cleaner Pipes' cyber initiative comes amid a massive advocacy push across the telecommunications and banking industry, spreading awareness to the harms of scams. 'I'm genuinely impressed with what the industry as a whole has done. It's remarkable stuff,' Mr Pauli said. 'They are frustrating scammers who are trying to hammer out texts or phone calls and it's not working and it costs (the scammers) money. 'If they weren't such terrible people I'd almost have some sympathy for them.'

Benjamin Netanyahu says 'weak' Anthony Albanese has 'betrayed' Israel
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time2 hours ago

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been accused of having "abandoned Australia's Jews" by his Israeli counterpart as relations deteriorate between the two nations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to social media to personally attack Albanese in an escalation of the diplomatic stoush. "History will remember Albanese for what he is: a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," he wrote. The post comes after Australia's decision to recognise the state of Palestine and refuse entry to significant Israeli figures. Israel responded by revoking the visas of a trio of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomats were tasked with helping Australia engage with the Palestinian Authority as the federal government's recognition of Palestine is tied to commitments made by the body, including an assurance that designated terror group Hamas play no role in a future state. Though they have not been working in Gaza, the diplomats had liaised with humanitarian organisations which have been trying to get aid into the territory. 'Unjustified reaction' Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the government had a right to safeguard communities and protect "all Australians from hate and harm". "At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution," Senator Wong said on Tuesday. "This is an unjustified reaction following Australia's decision to recognise Palestine." She said Australia would continue to contribute to "international momentum to a two-state solution, a ceasefire in Gaza and release of the hostages" and would always take decisive action against anti-Semitism. The Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also condemned Israel's "arbitrary" cancellations. It stressed it would continue to deal with the Australian diplomats, saying Israel had no legal basis to block citizens of a third nation from entering Palestinian territory. Rothman denied visa after branding Gaza children as 'enemies' The decision came after more than 100,000 people marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to protest the war in Gaza. Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar accused the Australian government of fuelling anti-Semitism as he announced the visa cancellations on social media on Monday. "This follows Australia's decisions to recognise a 'Palestinian state' and against the backdrop of Australia's unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures, including former minister Ayelet Shaked and ... (Member of the Knesset) Simcha Rothman," Sa'ar posted on X. Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said she regretted the way the relationship between the Australian and Israeli governments was deteriorating. "That is something all Australians should be very sad about today," she told reporters in Sydney. Australia should be supporting Israel as a "liberal democracy" but had not demonstrated that in recent weeks, Ms Ley said, calling on Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to explain his decision to reject Rothman's visa. The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council also called the move "deeply troubling". Canberra has further imposed sanctions on two far-right Israeli ministers, including travel bans. The federal government has denied entry to people who have a history of anti-Semitism, including rapper Kanye West after he released a song praising Hitler, as well as Lebanese pro-Hezbollah influencer Hussain Makke.

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