Brits arrive with an aircraft carrier and AUKUS reinforcements
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey will hold annual defence and diplomatic talks in Sydney on Friday, coinciding with the arrival of a Royal Navy aircraft carrier in Darwin in a show of British prestige and power projection.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
24 minutes ago
- Perth Now
'Why do we need that?': Push to ban AI nudity apps
Parents are being warned their kids may be exploited online for child abuse material, amid a push to criminalise the use of apps that "nudify" pictures. Possessing nudify apps, digital platforms that allow users to insert a person's photos and use generative artificial intelligence to sexualise them, would become a criminal offence and carry up to 15 years in jail under proposed laws. "Why do we need that in an Australian community?" International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children's Dannielle Kelly told reporters in Canberra on Monday. One in four children has experienced sexual abuse, according to the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Independent MP Kate Chaney, who introduced the proposed laws, said the federal government needed to respond more nimbly to ensure it wasn't outpaced by technological developments, such as AI being used to exploit children with little consequence. The proposed laws contain small carve-outs for law enforcement and researchers. "This is just the start, but it's something that the government could do right now," Ms Chaney said after introducing her private member's bill on Monday. The legislation follows a roundtable on AI-facilitated child exploitation, which called for urgent action. Child safety advocates and law enforcement representatives at the roundtable called for AI literacy for young people, the use of new technology to detect child exploitation material, legal restrictions on downloading such apps and better resourcing for police to tackle the issue. There was a consensus that AI was being weaponised to harm children, from creating deepfakes - which digitally manipulate images and video to superimpose someone's face or voice - to generating child abuse material, creating the potential for exploitation, blackmail and bullying. MP Zali Steggall, who seconded Ms Chaney's bill, branded it every parent's worst nightmare. "When a criminal is downloading this technology to then create this material, that's going to have a lifelong impact on children and is really damaging," the independent MP said. "We need these guardrails with urgency, we need the government to show it can act quickly. "My concern is, amidst the paralysis of a broad review of AI, we have these very clear areas of harm that go unaddressed for months at a time ... this is a very clear area of harm identified that can be dealt with very quickly." International Justice Mission Australia chief executive David Braga called for the government to legislate a digital duty of care, requiring platforms to actively take steps to prevent harm. "Now is the time for the Australian government to strengthen the Online Safety Act to require companies ... to detect and disrupt child sexual abuse material in all its forms on their platforms," he said. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said keeping vulnerable Australians safe was the government's priority, and it would consider the legislation. "Keeping young people safe from emerging harms is above politics and the government will give appropriate consideration to the private member's bill," she said in a statement to AAP. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
West Australian
35 minutes ago
- West Australian
Barnaby Joyce delivers first Coalition bill in 48th Parliament, calling for net zero goal to be repealed
Nationals maverick Barnaby Joyce has delivered his net zero repeal bill to Parliament while dispelling suggestions that Sussan Ley's leadership is being undermined. As the new Opposition leader settled into her second week in at the dispatch box, the Coalition's internal climate wars flared again as Mr Joyce forged ahead with his private members bill. The one-time Nationals leader told Parliament the emissions target harmed Australian jobs and industries. 'Why are we doing this to ourselves? Whether it's pie shops or hairdressers, it doesn't matter. It's hurting the Australians,' Mr Joyce said when introducing the bill. He had earlier labelled the policy 'totally, utterly illogical' when flanked by fellow Nationals — including ex-leader Michael McCormack — and a flock of farmers for a press conference on the forecourt of Parliament House. 'Net zero in Australia will have zero effect on the climate,' he said. 'The only thing it's affecting is our nation's capacity to defend itself, our manufacturing's capacity to continue on, and the dignity of the lives of people who can't afford the cost of living.' It makes the first bill that the Coalition have brought forward in the first few sittings of the 48th Parliament as one to scrap action on climate change. The push comes despite the fact both the Liberal and National parties are still reviewing their climate policies in the wake of their 2022 election loss. Asked if he was undermining Coalition leadership and the post-election review, Mr Joyce said he wasn't acting to offend politicians 'on a good wicket' but stick up for pensions struggling to pay their bills. Among the handful of Nationals out on Monday, Queensland Liberal Groom MP Garth Hamilton spoke alongside Mr Joyce — urging Coalition to have a 'mature' conversation around net zero. 'It's okay for us to discuss the impact on the economy that net zero is having. There's not some moral Rubicon that we're crossing by doing this,' Mr Hamilton said. Despite the full-court-press backing Mr Joyce on Monday morning, Nationals leader David Littleproud downplayed suggestions the bill undermines his authority. He said Mr Joyce's move doesn't threaten his leadership and that '19 very independent' Nationals MPs will make up their own minds. His deputy Kevin Hogan backed the leader and his decision to launch a review 'at the will of the room'. He also noted Mr Joyce's 'passion' on the issue, saying 'good on him'. 'This is what we're here for. This is Canberra in action. We're not a croquet club,' he told Sky News. Among those to speak along Mr Joyce on Monday was Yass Valley Council Mayor Jasmin Jones who labelled net zero an 'insane quest of virtue signaling' and expressed her support for Barnaby's 'Top Gun: Maverick' bill. She said hundreds of turbines in the regions under Labor's renewables push would make responding to bushfires more difficult and jeopardize beef producers' quality through the 'shedding of microfibre'. Delivering the bill in the House of Representatives on Monday comes after several State branches voted to take an axe to the target of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It includes a motion by WA Liberal party at the weekend, which was carried with an overwhelming show of support. It is expected that Queensland's LNP conference this weekend will also host a similar motion. Later on Monday, One Nation's Pauline Hanson is expected to bring an urgent motion into the Senate, which some Coalition members are expected to back. Greens agriculture spokesperson Peter Whish-Wilson described Mr Joyce's push as a 'predictable attack', 'out-of-touch' and 'reckless'.
News.com.au
an hour ago
- News.com.au
Europe hopes for 'no surprises' as US weighs force withdrawals
After keeping Donald Trump happy with a pledge to up defence spending at NATO's summit, Europe is now bracing for a key decision from the US president on the future of American forces on the continent. Washington is currently conducting a review of its military deployments worldwide -- set to be unveiled in coming months -- and the expectation is it will lead to drawdowns in Europe. That prospect is fraying the nerves of US allies, especially as fears swirl that Russia could look to attack a NATO country within the next few years if the war in Ukraine dies down. However, the alliance is basking in Trump's newfound goodwill following its June summit in The Hague, and his officials are making encouraging noises that Europe will not be left in the lurch. "We've agreed to no surprises and no gaps in the strategic framework of Europe," said Matthew Whitaker, US ambassador to NATO, adding he expected the review to come out in "late summer, early fall". "I have daily conversations with our allies about the process," he said. While successive US governments have mulled scaling back in Europe to focus more on China, Trump has insisted more forcefully than his predecessors that the continent should handle its own defence. "There's every reason to expect a withdrawal from Europe," said Marta Mucznik from the International Crisis Group. "The question is not whether it's going to happen, but how fast." When Trump returned to office in January many felt he was about to blow a hole in the seven-decade-old alliance. But the vibe in NATO circles is now far more upbeat than those desperate days. "There's a sanguine mood, a lot of guesswork, but the early signals are quite positive," one senior European diplomat told AFP, talking as others on condition of anonymity. "Certainly no panic or doom and gloom." - 'Inevitable' - The Pentagon says there are nearly 85,000 US military personnel in Europe -- a number that has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "I think it is inevitable that they pull out some of their forces," a second European diplomat told AFP. "But I don't expect this to be like a dramatic overhaul. I think it's going to be gradual. I think it's going to be based on consultations." Trump's first target is likely to be the troops left over from a surge ordered by his predecessor Joe Biden after Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine. Officials say relocating the rump of that 20,000-strong deployment would not hurt NATO's deterrence too much -- but alarm bells would ring if Trump looked to cut too deep into personnel numbers or close key bases. The issue is not just troop numbers -- the US has capabilities such as air defences, long-range missiles and satellite surveillance that allies would struggle to replace in the short-term. "The kinds of defence investments by Europe that are being made coming out of The Hague summit may only be felt in real capability terms over many years," said Ian Lesser from the German Marshall Fund think tank. "So the question of timing really does matter." - 'Inopportune moment' - Washington's desire to pull back from Europe may be tempered by Trump now taking a tougher line with Russia -- and Moscow's reluctance to bow to his demands to end the Ukraine war. "It seems an inopportune moment to send signals of weakness and reductions in the American security presence in Europe," Lesser said. He also pointed to Trump's struggles during his first term to pull troops out of Germany -- the potential bill for relocating them along with political resistance in Washington scuppering the plan. While European diplomats are feeling more confident than before about the troop review, they admit nothing can be certain with the mercurial US president. Other issues such as Washington's trade negotiations with the EU could rock transatlantic ties in the meantime and upend the good vibes. "It seems positive for now," said a third European diplomat. "But what if we are all wrong and a force decrease will start in 2026. To be honest, there isn't much to go on at this stage." del/ec/jxb/tc
