Latest news with #ASIO
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Chaos and disorder': Russian spies named, sanctioned by UK government
Brussels: Russian spies have been named and sanctioned for arson attacks and attempted murders as well as hacking mobile phones, in a dramatic British action backed by tough new measures across Europe. The UK government revealed the Russian agents who engaged in the attacks over more than a decade, in a rare exposure aimed at highlighting the scale of the threat to the public. The operations included a 'sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity' over many years – some of them by a hacking unit previously named by ASIO for presenting the same threat to Australia. The British Foreign Office warned of the 'chaos and disorder' from the operations and blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crimes, while imposing sanctions on 18 individuals. The hacking included targeting Russian émigré Yulia Skripal with malicious malware known as X-Agent in the years before she and her father Sergei – a former Russian military intelligence officer – were almost assassinated. Russian agents tried to kill the Skripals in March 2018 by smearing the nerve agent Novichok on the family's front door handle, but the father and daughter recovered from the poison. One person who came into contact with the discarded nerve agent died, while others suffered severe illness. The Foreign Office did not name the other targets of the Russian hacking, but revealed the identities of the military intelligence officers as well as three units of their agency, the GRU. The European Union separately announced sanctions against nine individuals and six entities on Tuesday for electronic warfare, hacking and other malicious attacks.
The Age
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
‘Chaos and disorder': Russian spies named, sanctioned by UK government
Brussels: Russian spies have been named and sanctioned for arson attacks and attempted murders as well as hacking mobile phones, in a dramatic British action backed by tough new measures across Europe. The UK government revealed the Russian agents who engaged in the attacks over more than a decade, in a rare exposure aimed at highlighting the scale of the threat to the public. The operations included a 'sustained campaign of malicious cyber activity' over many years – some of them by a hacking unit previously named by ASIO for presenting the same threat to Australia. The British Foreign Office warned of the 'chaos and disorder' from the operations and blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for the crimes, while imposing sanctions on 18 individuals. The hacking included targeting Russian émigré Yulia Skripal with malicious malware known as X-Agent in the years before she and her father Sergei – a former Russian military intelligence officer – were almost assassinated. Russian agents tried to kill the Skripals in March 2018 by smearing the nerve agent Novichok on the family's front door handle, but the father and daughter recovered from the poison. One person who came into contact with the discarded nerve agent died, while others suffered severe illness. The Foreign Office did not name the other targets of the Russian hacking, but revealed the identities of the military intelligence officers as well as three units of their agency, the GRU. The European Union separately announced sanctions against nine individuals and six entities on Tuesday for electronic warfare, hacking and other malicious attacks.
ABC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Palestinian woman released from immigration detention after visa 'personally' cancelled
A Palestinian grandmother has been released from an immigration detention centre a week after her visa was "personally" cancelled by a federal assistant minister over alleged security concerns. Maha Almassri, 61, was detained by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers at her son's home in Sydney's west last Thursday and taken to Villawood Immigration Detention Centre. Ms Almassri fled Gaza in early 2024 and arrived in Australia, where she was granted a bridging visa. In a document seen by the ABC, Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Customs Julian Hill "personally" made the decision to cancel her visa because he reasonably suspected that she "does not pass the character test". The document stated that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) advised the immigration department "it had assessed Ms Almassri to be directly or indirectly a risk to security". The ABC has confirmed with multiple sources familiar with the case that the 61-year-old was released from the detention centre on Thursday. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government would not comment on the visa "cancellation" but said that any person given an "adverse security assessment" remains in detention. "Any information in the public domain is being supplied by the individual or her family and is not necessarily consistent with the information held by our intelligence and security agencies," Mr Burke said in a statement on Friday. "For people in Australia who have been given an adverse security assessment, none of them have been given visas, and they remain in detention in accordance with the Migration Act." Ms Almassri's family and her legal team declined to comment on Friday. In a statement provided a day after she was detained, her family condemned the dawn raid on the "loving mother, sister, and grandmother" and questioned the reasons provided for cancelling her visa. "She has lost members of her family back in Gaza; her home and town of Khan Younis have been systematically bombed and destroyed," the statement read. "We are all for protecting this great nation but are very concerned by the vague ASIO assessment and report, which was accepted by the immigration department." Mr Hill has also been contacted for comment.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
Family plead for alleged China pilot trainer's freedom
The wife of an Australian father locked up for 1000 days on allegations he unlawfully helped China remains pleading with the government to intervene in his case. Daniel Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly training Chinese military personnel in South Africa after leaving the US Marine Corps. The father-of-six is fighting his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court after former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus ticked it off in December. Charges and an indictment were first filed in a sealed court case in 2017 under the first Donald Trump administration, before Duggan was arrested and detained in 2022. His wife Saffrine Duggan used the 1000-day milestone to beg Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to lobby for his release before he is sent to America. She called the charges "politically motivated" and said they do not stack up. "Surely that can't stand in free Australia. Surely Dan, me and our six kids have been failed by our government," she said. "We often hear our prime minister advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government. "Why won't our own government advocate for us?" Ms Duggan has written to Ms Rowland asking her to examine the facts of the case "and learn what we already know". "Dan and my family should not be in this situation. "Australia should be a place of strength, of freedom, independence and justice," she said. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 after being accused of breaching US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012. He had worked part-time as a flying instructor during the relevant period. In a letter from prison in May, Duggan said he believed his activities were not illegal and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service knew of his work. He claimed ASIO agents brought up being able to meet Chinese generals and the topic of intelligence in a 2012 interview, leading him to believe they were trying to recruit him as a spy. ASIO said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the court. The wife of an Australian father locked up for 1000 days on allegations he unlawfully helped China remains pleading with the government to intervene in his case. Daniel Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly training Chinese military personnel in South Africa after leaving the US Marine Corps. The father-of-six is fighting his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court after former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus ticked it off in December. Charges and an indictment were first filed in a sealed court case in 2017 under the first Donald Trump administration, before Duggan was arrested and detained in 2022. His wife Saffrine Duggan used the 1000-day milestone to beg Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to lobby for his release before he is sent to America. She called the charges "politically motivated" and said they do not stack up. "Surely that can't stand in free Australia. Surely Dan, me and our six kids have been failed by our government," she said. "We often hear our prime minister advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government. "Why won't our own government advocate for us?" Ms Duggan has written to Ms Rowland asking her to examine the facts of the case "and learn what we already know". "Dan and my family should not be in this situation. "Australia should be a place of strength, of freedom, independence and justice," she said. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 after being accused of breaching US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012. He had worked part-time as a flying instructor during the relevant period. In a letter from prison in May, Duggan said he believed his activities were not illegal and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service knew of his work. He claimed ASIO agents brought up being able to meet Chinese generals and the topic of intelligence in a 2012 interview, leading him to believe they were trying to recruit him as a spy. ASIO said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the court. The wife of an Australian father locked up for 1000 days on allegations he unlawfully helped China remains pleading with the government to intervene in his case. Daniel Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly training Chinese military personnel in South Africa after leaving the US Marine Corps. The father-of-six is fighting his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court after former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus ticked it off in December. Charges and an indictment were first filed in a sealed court case in 2017 under the first Donald Trump administration, before Duggan was arrested and detained in 2022. His wife Saffrine Duggan used the 1000-day milestone to beg Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to lobby for his release before he is sent to America. She called the charges "politically motivated" and said they do not stack up. "Surely that can't stand in free Australia. Surely Dan, me and our six kids have been failed by our government," she said. "We often hear our prime minister advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government. "Why won't our own government advocate for us?" Ms Duggan has written to Ms Rowland asking her to examine the facts of the case "and learn what we already know". "Dan and my family should not be in this situation. "Australia should be a place of strength, of freedom, independence and justice," she said. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 after being accused of breaching US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012. He had worked part-time as a flying instructor during the relevant period. In a letter from prison in May, Duggan said he believed his activities were not illegal and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service knew of his work. He claimed ASIO agents brought up being able to meet Chinese generals and the topic of intelligence in a 2012 interview, leading him to believe they were trying to recruit him as a spy. ASIO said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the court. The wife of an Australian father locked up for 1000 days on allegations he unlawfully helped China remains pleading with the government to intervene in his case. Daniel Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly training Chinese military personnel in South Africa after leaving the US Marine Corps. The father-of-six is fighting his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court after former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus ticked it off in December. Charges and an indictment were first filed in a sealed court case in 2017 under the first Donald Trump administration, before Duggan was arrested and detained in 2022. His wife Saffrine Duggan used the 1000-day milestone to beg Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to lobby for his release before he is sent to America. She called the charges "politically motivated" and said they do not stack up. "Surely that can't stand in free Australia. Surely Dan, me and our six kids have been failed by our government," she said. "We often hear our prime minister advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government. "Why won't our own government advocate for us?" Ms Duggan has written to Ms Rowland asking her to examine the facts of the case "and learn what we already know". "Dan and my family should not be in this situation. "Australia should be a place of strength, of freedom, independence and justice," she said. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 after being accused of breaching US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012. He had worked part-time as a flying instructor during the relevant period. In a letter from prison in May, Duggan said he believed his activities were not illegal and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service knew of his work. He claimed ASIO agents brought up being able to meet Chinese generals and the topic of intelligence in a 2012 interview, leading him to believe they were trying to recruit him as a spy. ASIO said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the court.
Perth Now
5 days ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
Family plead for alleged China pilot trainer's freedom
The wife of an Australian father locked up for 1000 days on allegations he unlawfully helped China remains pleading with the government to intervene in his case. Daniel Duggan faces up to 60 years in prison for allegedly training Chinese military personnel in South Africa after leaving the US Marine Corps. The father-of-six is fighting his extradition to the United States in the Federal Court after former attorney-general Mark Dreyfus ticked it off in December. Charges and an indictment were first filed in a sealed court case in 2017 under the first Donald Trump administration, before Duggan was arrested and detained in 2022. His wife Saffrine Duggan used the 1000-day milestone to beg Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Attorney-General Michelle Rowland to lobby for his release before he is sent to America. She called the charges "politically motivated" and said they do not stack up. "Surely that can't stand in free Australia. Surely Dan, me and our six kids have been failed by our government," she said. "We often hear our prime minister advocating for Australians locked up by a foreign government. "Why won't our own government advocate for us?" Ms Duggan has written to Ms Rowland asking her to examine the facts of the case "and learn what we already know". "Dan and my family should not be in this situation. "Australia should be a place of strength, of freedom, independence and justice," she said. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 after being accused of breaching US arms-trafficking laws by providing military training to Chinese pilots in South Africa between 2010 and 2012. He had worked part-time as a flying instructor during the relevant period. In a letter from prison in May, Duggan said he believed his activities were not illegal and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and the US Naval Central Intelligence Service knew of his work. He claimed ASIO agents brought up being able to meet Chinese generals and the topic of intelligence in a 2012 interview, leading him to believe they were trying to recruit him as a spy. ASIO said it was unable to comment because the matter was before the court.
