Latest news with #espionage
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Australia spy boss warns of Russia threat
Australia's spy chief has singled out Russia as an 'aggressive espionage threat,' saying several Moscow-linked intelligence officers have been caught and expelled in recent years. Intelligence boss Mike Burgess used a speech on Thursday night to warn of the mounting threat posed by foreign actors such as Russia and China. Burgess said 24 major espionage operations had been dismantled since 2022 — more than the previous eight years combined. 'A new iteration of great power competition is driving a relentless hunger for strategic advantage and an insatiable appetite for inside information,' he said. 'Russia remains a persistent and aggressive espionage threat,' added Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. Without providing details, Burgess said a number of Russian spies had been expelled from Australia in recent years. He also mentioned China and Iran as nations actively trying to pilfer classified information. 'You would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets,' he said. Repeating a warning sounded earlier this year, Burgess said foreign actors were targeting Australia's fledgling nuclear-powered submarine program. Australia plans to deploy stealthy nuclear-powered submarines in a pact with the United States and Britain known as AUKUS. 'In particular, we are seeing foreign intelligence services taking a very unhealthy interest in AUKUS and its associated capabilities,' said Burgess. Australian police last year charged a married Russian-born couple with spying for Moscow. The couple — accused of trying to steal military secrets — had lived in Australia for more than 10 years.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Australia's spy chief warns of ‘aggressive espionage threat' from Russia
SYDNEY: Australia's spy chief has singled out Russia as an 'aggressive espionage threat,' saying several Moscow-linked intelligence officers have been caught and expelled in recent years. Intelligence boss Mike Burgess used a speech on Thursday night to warn of the mounting threat posed by foreign actors such as Russia and China. Burgess said 24 major espionage operations had been dismantled since 2022 — more than the previous eight years combined. 'A new iteration of great power competition is driving a relentless hunger for strategic advantage and an insatiable appetite for inside information,' he said. 'Russia remains a persistent and aggressive espionage threat,' added Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization. Without providing details, Burgess said a number of Russian spies had been expelled from Australia in recent years. He also mentioned China and Iran as nations actively trying to pilfer classified information. 'You would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets,' he said. Repeating a warning sounded earlier this year, Burgess said foreign actors were targeting Australia's fledgling nuclear-powered submarine program. Australia plans to deploy stealthy nuclear-powered submarines in a pact with the United States and Britain known as AUKUS. 'In particular, we are seeing foreign intelligence services taking a very unhealthy interest in AUKUS and its associated capabilities,' said Burgess. Australian police last year charged a married Russian-born couple with spying for Moscow. The couple — accused of trying to steal military secrets — had lived in Australia for more than 10 years.
SBS Australia
6 hours ago
- Business
- SBS Australia
Morning News Bulletin 1 August 2025
In this bulletin; The multi-billion-dollar cost of espionage and foreign interference targeting Australia revealed; Australia's largest Indigenous gathering begins in northeast Arnhem Land; And in golf, Grace Kim among nine Australians competing at the Women's British Open in Wales. The director-general of Australia's domestic intelligence agency says foreign espionage is costing the economy at least $12.5 billion a year. Delivering the University of South Australia's Hawke lecture, Mike Burgess says ASIO has stopped 24 foreign intelligence operations in the last three years. He says China, Russia and Iran are the main countries behind espionage in Australia, but said a number of others are using similar tactics. "24 major espionage and foreign interference interruptions in the last three years alone. More than the previous 8 years combined. They are just the major disruptions. There have been many other cases. Spies have successfully recruited a security clearance holder who handed over official documents on free trade negotiations. In another case they hacked into the systems of a law firm involved in a sensitive government litigation. ASIO investigated all these plots. They are just the tip of an espionage iceberg." Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is travelling to the Northern Territory to attend Australia's largest Indigenous gathering. The Garma Festival is held over the next four days in remote northeast Arnhem Land - on the land of the Yolngu people. Yothu Yindi Foundation hosts the Garma Festival, and the foundation's chief executive, Denise Bowden, told NITV this year celebrates 25 years of the event. "I think when those Yunupingu men first hatched the Garma idea, I do think they did understand it would be nationally siginificant. But maybe it needed some years to brew a little. Just imagine how incredibly difficult it is, given its very remote location and the logistics of barging supplies to Gove. And I am very pleased to say the 25th anniversary - it really is quite an honour." Students have welcomed the passage of legislation to reduce student debt. Federal Education Minister Jason Clare says the passage of the legislation would see those affected save an average of $5,500. The change will take a few months for the Australian Tax Office to implement, with HECS balances expected to be updated by the end of the year. The students in Melbourne say it is welcome relief, but more needs to be done to help alleviate the cost-of-living pressures. Female student: "HECS is a very pressing issue that we all think about. So it is great that it has gone through. Male student 1: Yeah, I think the big thing is reversing the changes that were introduced by the Liberal-National government a few years back. The Jobs Ready Scheme package. I know that has had a big impact on access to education. Male student 2: It is a big issue for students, particularly because a lot of students are either working full-time or part-time - without more support going into student state of living then it could be a little bit difficult." The United States Special Envoy to the Middle East is to travel to Gaza today to inspect the food aid delivery situation. This comes as Gaza is experiencing its worst period of starvation in the conflict, and as a global hunger monitor says famine is unfolding in the Strip. The Gaza Health Ministry reports 154 people, including 89 children, have died of malnutrition since the start of the conflict - most in the last few weeks alone. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says the US Special Envoy to the Middle East is travelling to Gaza to inspect the aid distribution process and present a plan to President Trump to deliver more food to Gazans. "Special envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee had a very productive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other officials today in Israel on the topic of delivering much-needed food and aid to Gaza. President Trump is a humanitarian with a big heart and that's why he spent sent special envoy Witkoff to the region in an effort to save lives and end this crisis." In golf, Australian Grace Kim is hoping follow her Evian Championship success with a win at the Women's British Open in Wales. She is among nine Australians competing at the event, including Hannah Green and Minjee Lee - who is in pursuit of a win at the tournament, the only major she is yet to win. Kim says she has prepared well and now it is time to see how it all unfolds in the competition. "It is the last major of the season. But yeah, I am going to try and carry on the mentality that I had which was worry-free. And I know my game is good enough. My team has been put into a lot of effort into my own game. My physical, everything behind the scenes. So hopefully, we just showcase that." 144 competitors will be playing for the champion's title which carries with it $A2.2 million in prize money.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
ASIO disrupts 24 'major' espionage operations in three years
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has used a speech to warn foreign espionage is costing the nation at least $12.5 billion a year, while revealing the agency disrupted 24 significant espionage and foreign interference operations in the past three years.
The Australian
12 hours ago
- Business
- The Australian
ASIO chief exposes shocking cost of foreign spying on Australia
Foreign espionage is costing the Australian economy at least $12.5bn a year, with the ASIO boss warning against complacency against the 'real, present and costly danger'. The director-general of security Mike Burgess has for the first time publicly put a dollar figure on what foreign spies are costing Australia and espionage remains one of the country's principal security concerns. 'This is critical because I believe that we need to wake up to the cost of espionage – which is more than just financial,' he said in the annual Hawke Lecture at the University of Adelaide on Thursday night. 'We need to understand espionage is not some quaint, romantic fiction; it's a real, present and costly danger.' ASIO director-general Mike Burgess issued his warning delivering the annual Hawke Lecture at Adelaide University. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman Mr Burgess released a new report that ASIO developed with the Australian Institute of Criminology, to try to count the cost of espionage. The report found espionage cost the Australian economy at least $12.5bn in the 2023-2024 financial year, an estimate Mr Burgess called 'conservative'. 'This includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, such as the state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect costs of countering and responding,' he said. 'As just one example, the Institute estimates foreign cyber spies stole nearly $2bn of trade secrets and intellectual property from Australian companies and businesses in 2023-24. 'The report includes a case study where spies hacked into the computer network of a major Australian exporter, making off with commercially sensitive information. 'The theft gave the foreign country a significant advantage in subsequent contract negotiations, costing Australia hundreds of millions of dollars.' Mr Burgess said too many were complacent about the cost of espionage and urged 'all parts of our system – public and private, federal, state and local – to recognise the threat'. 'I've lost count of the number of times senior officials and executives have privately downplayed the impacts of espionage,' he said. 'I've watched corporate leaders literally shrug their shoulders when told their networks are compromised. 'I've heard sensible security measures such as taking burner phones to high-risk countries described as unreasonable inconveniences. 'Most recently, a trade official told ASIO there's no way the Chinese intelligence services would have any interest in his organisation's people and premises in China.' Russia, led by President Vladimir Putin, was singled out by ASIO boss Mike Burgess. Picture: NewsWire / POOL / AFP / Mikhail Metzel He again listed China, Russia and Iran as three of the main nations behind espionage in Australia and said Russia remained 'a persistent and aggressive espionage threat'. 'Last year, two Russian-born Australian citizens were arrested and charged with an espionage-related offence,' Mr Burgess said. 'Separately, I can confirm in 2022 a number of undeclared Russian intelligence officers were removed from this country. 'But Russia is by no means the only country we have to deal with. 'You would be genuinely shocked by the number and names of countries trying to steal our secrets. 'The obvious candidates are very active … but many other countries are also targeting anyone and anything that could give them a strategic or tactical advantage, including sensitive but unclassified information.' Mr Burgess revealed ASIO had disrupted 24 'major espionage and foreign interference' operations in the past three years alone. 'Nation states are spying at unprecedented levels, with unprecedented sophistication,' he said. 'ASIO is seeing more Australians targeted – more aggressively – than ever before.' While AUKUS and military technology secrets were targets, Australia's intellectual property and cutting edge research was also in the sights of foreign agents. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess said spies were targeting Australia's cutting edge research and technology as well as defence secrets. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman He said an overseas delegation visiting a 'sensitive Australian horticultural facility' snapped branches off a 'rare and valuable variety of fruit tree' in order to steal them. 'Almost certainly, the stolen plant material allowed scientists in the other country to reverse engineer and replicate two decades of Australian research and development,' he said. He said foreign intelligence services are 'proactive, creative and opportunistic' in their targets. 'In recent years, for example, defence employees travelling overseas have been subjected to covert room searches, been approached at conferences by spies in disguise and given gifts containing surveillance devices. 'Defence is alert to these threats and works closely with ASIO to counter them.'
