Latest news with #NineNewsUS
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Can't ignore the irony': Anti-lockdown protest organiser points out 'double standard' after Australian journalist shot by rubber bullets in US previously celebrated his jailing
Anti-lockdown figurehead Anthony Khallouf has accused Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi of applying a "double standard'' on protest reporting after she previously celebrated his jailing during the Covid pandemic. Ms Tomasi was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet on Monday while covering the immigration riots in Los Angeles, in an incident which has sparked concern at the highest levels for the Australian government. During the incident a law enforcement officer appeared to line his weapon up and fire directly at Ms Tomasi while she was reporting. The Australian journalist was seen grabbing her leg and yelling in pain before running away and telling her cameraman she was ok. However, her reporting has now been critcised by Mr Khallouf after she previously described his jailing as a 'good result' and a "warning" to others who chose to protest the government's lockdown laws during the pandemic. In a 2021 tweet that has now resurfaced Ms Tomasi wrote: 'This is a good result. And hopefully a warning to any other 'freedom rally' protesters who want to attend tomorrow". The Nine journalist was responding to a breaking news report of Mr Khallouf being sentenced to a maximum of eight months in prison – with a non-parole period of three months – for his involvement in organising an anti-lockdown protest in Sydney, and for breaching public health orders by travelling to Sydney from Queensland. Following the news of Ms Tomasi being struck in the LA riots, Mr Khallouf told the journalist applauded state force when it "suited her", and now she has been "hit by the same system she defended". "There's a clear double standard in how protests are treated—ours were criminalised, others were celebrated," he said. "I can't ignore the irony. "She once said my sentence should be a warning, now the warning's come full circle." Mr Khallouf also called out other journalists and how they reported on his jailing, and told anti-lockdown supporters they could be tracked down by police. "The media acted like government enforcers during COVID—vilifying dissent and silencing debate," he said. "They helped normalise authoritarianism, and people aren't forgetting that." Australian anti-lockdown protests were met with extreme force during the Covid pandemic, including the use of rubber bullets.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Nine journalist shot by rubber bullets in US previously celebrated jailing of anti-lockdown protest organiser
An Australian journalist who was shot by a rubber bullet in the United States previously celebrated the jailing of a protester who organised anti-Covid lockdown rallies. Nine News US correspondent Lauren Tomasi was covering anti-immigration enforcement rallies in Los Angeles when she was hit in the leg by a rubber bullet in an incident which has sparked concern at the highest levels of the Australian government. However a tweet has resurfaced in which the Nine journalist described the jailing of protest organiser Anthony Khallouf as a 'good result' which would act as a 'warning' to others. The Nine journalist was responding to a breaking news that Mr Khallouf had been sentenced to a maximum of eight months in prison – with a non-parole period of three months – for his involvement in organising an anti-lockdown protest in Sydney, and for breaching public health orders by travelling to Sydney from Queensland. 'This is a good result. And hopefully a warning to any other 'freedom rally' protestors who want to attend tomorrow,' Tomasi said in 2021. Australian anti-lockdown protests were met with extreme force during the Covid pandemic, including the use of rubber bullets. Tomasi was covering violent anti-immigration enforcement protests in Los Angeles on Monday when a law enforcement officer appeared to line his weapon up and fire directly at her. The Australian journalist can be seen grabbing her leg and yelling in pain before running away and telling her cameraman she was ok. She has since revealed that she has a nasty bruise but is otherwise 'good'. However the incident has sparked outrage among press freedom advocates and caused concern at the highest levels of the Australian government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed he had spoken to Ms Tomasi on Tuesday Morning, describing the incident as 'not acceptable'. 'She's going okay, she's pretty resilient, I've got to say. But that footage was horrific," the Prime Minister said. 'That was the footage of an Australian journalist doing what journalists do at their very best… which is to go into an environment that's not comfortable, but where in LA it is not unreasonable to think that she would not have been targeted with a rubber bullet. 'It is not unreasonable to think that she could go about her coverage, clearly - as people can see the footage - clearly identified as media. 'So we have already raised these issues with the US administration. We don't find it acceptable that it occurred, and we think the role of the media is particularly important. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also confirmed the Australian Consulate-General in Los Angeles had been in contact with Ms Tomasi and 'stands ready to provide consular assistance if required'. 'Australia supports media freedom and the protection of journalists. All journalists should be able to do their work safely,' a DFAT spokesperson told Tomasi's colleague and Today show host Karl Stefanovic told viewers the incident could have occurred because of one of three reasons. "A moment where an LA officer so thought his life was in danger he needed to discharge his weapon, an incompetent warning shot, or the act of a coward," he said. Stefanovic described Tomasi as a 'hard-working, tenacious reporter who is always determined to be fair and balanced'. "I get that it's dangerous to cops, too. What's happened to them in the line of duty and the position they are in is horrendous,' the Today show host added. 'But how is it okay for your police force to be firing at unarmed Australian journalists? If Albo is looking for a place to start with Donald Trump - as an Australian, I might start there."
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rubber bullets were once called ‘non-lethal'. Not any more
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi came away from a day reporting on the Los Angeles protests with a 'bloody big old bruise' after a police officer shot her in the leg with a rubber bullet on Monday morning AEST. The Nine News US correspondent continued working, sore and bruised, but otherwise uninjured. Previous victims of rubber bullets have suffered serious injury, disability and death, and the use of so-called 'less lethal' weapons has attracted fierce criticism for years. Rubber bullets are designed to travel slower than normal bullets and spread their impact over a wider range when they hit someone's body. Researchers have described the bullets in The British Journal of Surgery as 'a blunt missile intended to inflict a painful slap to incapacitate dangerous individuals, yet not cause major or lethal injuries'. The Los Angeles Police Department has weapons in its arsenal called 'less-lethal launchers' that fire 40mm 'sponge rounds'. The rounds are made from plastic with a rounded foam or sponge nose. They weigh 30 grams and are 9.3 centimetres tall, about the size of a mini soft drink can, and are fired at speeds exceeding 300km/h, The Los Angeles Times reported. The rounds are designed to be fired from a range of five to 40 metres and are supposed to target the 'large muscle groups of the buttocks, thigh and even the knees of the subject', according to technical specifications posted by US munitions company Defense Technology.
The Age
2 days ago
- The Age
Rubber bullets were once called ‘non-lethal'. Not any more
Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi came away from a day reporting on the Los Angeles protests with a 'bloody big old bruise' after a police officer shot her in the leg with a rubber bullet on Monday morning AEST. The Nine News US correspondent continued working, sore and bruised, but otherwise uninjured. Previous victims of rubber bullets have suffered serious injury, disability and death, and the use of so-called 'less lethal' weapons has attracted fierce criticism for years. Rubber bullets are designed to travel slower than normal bullets and spread their impact over a wider range when they hit someone's body. Researchers have described the bullets in The British Journal of Surgery as 'a blunt missile intended to inflict a painful slap to incapacitate dangerous individuals, yet not cause major or lethal injuries'. The Los Angeles Police Department has weapons in its arsenal called 'less-lethal launchers' that fire 40mm 'sponge rounds'. The rounds are made from plastic with a rounded foam or sponge nose. They weigh 30 grams and are 9.3 centimetres tall, about the size of a mini soft drink can, and are fired at speeds exceeding 300km/h, The Los Angeles Times reported. The rounds are designed to be fired from a range of five to 40 metres and are supposed to target the 'large muscle groups of the buttocks, thigh and even the knees of the subject', according to technical specifications posted by US munitions company Defense Technology.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia news as it happened: Albanese addresses shooting of Nine journalist; Monash IVF caught in second embryo transfer bungle;
Latest posts Pinned post from 4.59pm What we covered today By Carla Jaeger Thanks for reading the national news blog. That's all for today – we'll be back tomorrow for more live coverage. Here's a look back at the day's major stories: NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car will take personal leave after announcing she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. A fresh wave of Russian drone and missile attacks has killed one person and wounded at least eight others in two major Ukrainian cities. The attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Passengers aboard the Gaza-bound aid ship, including activist Greta Thunberg, are set to be deported to their home countries after being detained by Israeli officials. Monash IVF is facing regulatory investigations after announcing it transferred the wrong embryo into a Melbourne woman, the second incident admitted by the fertility giant in two months. The Los Angeles Police Department launched an investigation after Nine News US Correspondent Lauren Tomasi was shot by a rubber bullet while covering protests in Los Angeles yesterday. And Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that an economic roundtable meeting, tasked with helping form a new economic growth and productivity agenda, will be held in August. Latest posts 4.13pm Average Australian home value passes record $1 million By Millie Muroi and Shane Wright The value of an average Australian home has soared through the $1 million mark for the first time despite a slowdown in growth as the Albanese government fights to contain the housing affordability crisis. Fresh figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Tuesday showed the average home was worth $1,002,500 in the March quarter, up $6900 from the last three months of 2024. 3.56pm Fresh wave of Russian attacks kills one person and wounds others Turning back to Ukraine, where a fresh wave of Russian drone and missile attacks has killed one person and wounded at least eight others in two major Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Tuesday, Ukraine officials said. One person was killed and four injured in the southern port city of Odesa, said regional governor Oleh Kiper. A maternity hospital and residential buildings in the centre of the city were also damaged in the attack. Four people were injured in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Associated Press journalists heard explosions, including the buzzing of drones, in different parts of the city for hours early on Tuesday. The fresh wave of Russian attacks came hours after Moscow launched almost 500 drones at Ukraine in the biggest overnight drone bombardment in the three-year war. Ukrainian and Western officials had been anticipating a Russian response to Ukraine's audacious June 1 drone attack on distant Russian air bases. Plumes of smoke were visible in Kyiv as air defence forces worked to shoot down drones and missiles on Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Ukrainian residents took shelter and slept in metro stations during the hours-long attack. Nina Nosivets, 32, and her eight-month-old son, Levko, were among them. 'I just try not to think about all this, silently curled up like a mouse, wait until it all passes, the attacks. Distract the child somehow because it's probably the hardest thing for him to bear,' she said. Krystyna Semak, a 37-year-old Kyiv resident, said the explosions frightened her and she ran to the metro at 2am with a rug. Russia has been launching a record-breaking number of drones and missiles targeting Ukraine while the two countries continue to swap prisoners of war, the only tangible outcome of recent direct peace talks held in Istanbul. A ceasefire, long sought by Kyiv, remains elusive. In Kyiv, fires broke out in at least four districts after debris from shot-down drones fell on the roofs of residential buildings and warehouses, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Vasyl Pesenko, 25, stood in his kitchen, which was damaged in the attack. 'I was lying in bed, as always hoping that these Shaheds [a type of drone] would fly past me, and I heard that Shahed (that hit the house),' he said. 'I thought that it would fly away, but it flew closer and closer and everything blew away.' 3.39pm Health regulator launches investigation into Monash IVF embryo bungle By Carla Jaeger Earlier today we told you that Monash IVF mistakenly transferred the wrong embryo into a Melbourne woman, the second incident admitted by the fertility giant in two months. The Victorian Health Regulator will now launch an investigation into the bungle, which occurred on June 5, after being notified on Tuesday. Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas described the event as unacceptable. 'Families should have confidence that the treatment they are receiving is done to the highest standard,' Thomas said. Thomas said Monash IVF would be required to fully co-operate with the regulator's investigation and provide clear answers on how this happened. 3.12pm NSW premier defends bungled psychiatry pay figures By Kate Aubusson There appears to be some creative accounting at Macquarie Street when it comes to the cost of NSW's public psychiatrists' 25 per cent pay rise. Loading Premier Chris Minns added to the confusion when he told a press conference this morning: 'If you look at the spending over the next seven to 10 years, just for the psychiatrists that have asked for that kind of increase, you are looking at over half a billion dollars, close to $700 million in spending.' Minns' statement is at odds with Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson's comments last week. Jackson told the media that agreeing to a 25 per cent pay rise in one year would cost $700 million, before clarifying in parliament that this was the total cost of paying all public hospital psychiatrists at the higher rate over forward estimates, which is typically four years. Internal government documents revealed by the Sydney Morning Herald this morning show that NSW Health's own modelling found the cost of giving staff specialists a 25 per cent pay rise to fill all 416 positions in NSW would be an additional $24.9 million per year. That would amount to roughly $500 million over four years. Minns said if the government agreed to the increase for psychiatrists, other specialists would demand the same pay rise: 'You are looking at billions of dollars from the New South Wales taxpayer.' 2.58pm Greta Thunberg and fellow activists en route to home countries: Israeli government By Carla Jaeger The twelve passengers who boarded an aid ship bound for the Gaza Strip, including activist Greta Thunberg, are en route to their home countries after being deported, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The activists' boat, which was carrying a symbolic amount of aid, arrived at the Israeli port of Ashdod on Tuesday accompanied by Israel's navy, after Israeli forces boarded it on Monday as it approached Gaza. Loading The ministry said in a social media post it had taken the passengers to an airport in Tel Aviv. If any refuse to leave Israel, they could face legal authorities to be forcibly deported. The activists set out from Sicily a week ago to protest Israel's ongoing military campaign in the Gaza Strip and its tight restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid, which have put 2.3 million Palestinians at risk of famine. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, which organised the voyage, said the activists were 'kidnapped by Israeli forces' about 200 kilometres off Gaza while trying to deliver desperately needed food, baby formula and medical supplies. With AP, Reuters 2.26pm Media union weighs in on Lauren Tomasi shooting By Amber Schultz The union representing Australian journalists has condemned the 'deliberate' targeting of Nine US Correspondent Lauren Tomasi, who was shot with a rubber bullet while reporting on immigration protests in Los Angeles. Loading In a statement on social media, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance said the 'shocking' footage was 'evidence of the lengths media workers go to report the truth'. 'Tomasi appears to be deliberately shot while she is speaking to the camera. Journalists reporting from the frontline of protests and wars fulfil the essential role of bearing witness, and should be accorded the same protections as other frontline workers,' the statement read. 'We are grateful to learn both Lauren and her camera person are safe, but this situation highlights the need to centre worker safety. No one deserves to be shot or injured during the course of their work.' 2.13pm Ban on machete sales working despite eBay ads, says Consumer Affairs Victoria By Madeleine Heffernan Consumer Affairs Victoria says its crackdown on the sale of machetes is working, despite advertisements for the weapons appearing on online marketplace eBay. Consumer Affairs told MPs on Wednesday its 14-strong machete taskforce had conducted 359 inspections, including more than 280 in-store inspections, since the Allan government announced an interim ban on the sale of machetes due to a spate of attacks. But Liberal MP Richard Welch questioned why advertisements for the weapon were still appearing on eBay. Consumer Affairs director Nicole Rich said the online retailer had provided assurances that the weapon could not be bought in the state. Loading 'One of the things that eBay has assured us that they've put in place is geoblocking technology, so even where a machete might appear for sale, whether a purchase can be completed, and also whether a machete will actually be delivered or will be cancelled when you try and make a purchase is a separate question,' Rich told the public accounts and estimates committee. 'And we're reasonably confident at the moment that that technology is working, and it would remain very difficult to purchase a machete on eBay.' The machete ban came into effect on May 28. Maximum penalties for breaching an interim product safety ban are $2.5 million for individuals and $50 million for companies. The government will move to permanently ban the possession, use and sale of machetes in Victoria later this year. 1.56pm Another election on the cards for Tassie By Alexander Darling Tasmanians – and the AFL – are watching and waiting to see if Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff will call a snap election today. Last week, Rockliff narrowly lost a no-confidence motion moved against him in parliament by the state opposition. Loading Following this, Rockliff broke with parliamentary convention and chose not to step down. He is expected to visit the state's governor today to make the election request, following a sitting of state parliament to pass an emergency budget bill to ensure public servants get paid. Labor said it moved the no-confidence motion in response to what it called issues of financial management, government plans to privatise public assets and cost blowouts on projects such as new Spirit of Tasmania ferries. If an election is called, it will be the second for Tasmania in as many years and the fourth election in seven years, when elections are meant to be held every four years. On Tuesday morning, Police Minister Felix Ellis claimed he had texts 'sent by a member of [opposition leader Dean Winter's] inner sanctum' proving Winter's no-confidence motion was a power grab rather than moved in the interests of Tasmanians. Winter has tipped the purse strings would be tightened during an election campaign. 'This will not be a spendathon from Labor. Our state can't afford it,' he said. Over the weekend, Rockliff ruled out privatisations as a way of balancing the budget, in an attempt to defuse opposition attacks. The turmoil in the state's politics is likely to have repercussions for the Tasmania Devils, the planned 19th team in the AFL. The AFL Commission is meeting today and the political situation is likely to be on the agenda. 1.45pm What we know so far By Carla Jaeger Thanks for tuning into our live coverage of the latest national and international news, headed by Amber Schultz. I'm Carla Jaeger, and I'll be anchoring the blog for the rest of the afternoon. If you're just joining us, here's what you may have missed: A formal investigation is under way into the shooting with a rubber bullet of Nine News correspondent Lauren Tomasi, who was covering the ICE protests in Los Angeles. An IVF clinic in Melbourne has transferred the wrong embryo into a Melbourne woman, the second incident admitted by the fertility giant in as many months. Federal Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy has been appointed the new chief of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's department. The announcement was made during Albanese's National Press Club address.
