Latest news with #AndrewGreene
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
ABC forced to delete story as it's revealed reporter received $16,000 from a weapons company for travel costs
The ABC is investigating one of its reporters after it was revealed he received $16,000 in travel costs from a weapons company he covered in one of his stories. Andrew Greene travelled from Sydney to Germany on business class flights worth about $16,000, and was put up in hotels in Hamburg and Kiel to attend a press event for the German weapons company TKMS. The company paid for his trip. The senior defence correspondent for the ABC later filed a segment for The World Today about TKMS including quotes from its CEO Oliver Burkhard. After revelations of Greene's junket came to light, the story was removed from the ABC website. 'We know what we're doing,' Mr Burkhard told Greene in the report. 'I know our competitors, they never have been exported in the past.' Greene did not disclose the trip to either his ABC audience or his bosses, according to Media Watch. As far as the ABC knew, he was on personal leave and had obtained audio of Mr Burkhard's press conference by email, rather than travelling to Germany in person. Media Watch host Linton Besser was highly critical of the veteran reporter, saying that 'while Andrew Greene might have a long history as a news breaker, he's now been brought undone by weakness before temptation'. Media Watch host Linton Besser (pictured) was highly critical of the veteran reporter 'It's a cautionary if shabby tale of the risk every journalist takes in flirting with the generosities of a ruthless corporate sector.' After Media Watch put questions to the national broadcaster about Greene's trip, his story was scrubbed from its website. It has since launched an investigation into Greene's conduct. 'These are serious allegations and the ABC is investigating them,' ABC spokesperson Sally Jackson said in a statement on Monday. 'The ABC has rigorous editorial policies and any such behaviour, if proven, would be unacceptable and could constitute misconduct.
The Guardian
17-06-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
ABC investigates defence correspondent for allegedly not disclosing trip paid for by German ship builder
The ABC is investigating 'serious allegations' its defence correspondent Andrew Greene filed a story about a German ship builder without disclosing he had traveled to Germany courtesy of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, which is hoping to win Australian navy contracts. Media Watch revealed that Greene filed a story for ABC radio's The World Today last week about how business is booming at German shipyards. The report, which has since been taken down, allegedly failed to disclose the journalist had been a guest of the defence giant. 'These are serious allegations and the ABC is investigating them,' a spokesperson for ABC News said. 'The ABC has rigorous editorial policies and any such behaviour, if proven, would be unacceptable and could constitute misconduct. For reasons of due process and confidentiality we won't comment further while the investigation is underway.' As a public broadcaster the ABC does not generally accept travel paid for by the subject of the report as it would be a conflict of interest. The ABC did not clarify whether Greene had been stood down pending an investigation. 'Across northern Germany, shipyards are at capacity as military orders ramp up. Rising global strategic tensions mean business is booming,' Greene reported on The World Today on 11 June. According to Media Watch, the ABC was unaware Greene had travelled to Germany at all. He filed the story when he returned from personal leave. Greene has been with the public broadcaster since 2010 and has been a high-profile defence correspondent for the past 10 years. The same international press junket was taken by the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald's Matthew Knott, who is the foreign affairs and national security correspondent. Knott's report disclosed that he 'visited Germany courtesy of TKMS [ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems]'. A spokesperson for Nine Entertainment said it is 'standard for the mastheads to disclose trips that have been provided'. Knott reported from Kiel, Germany, that ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is competing against Japanese firm Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to build up to 11 general-purpose frigates to replace the Australian navy's ageing fleet. The Australian government is deciding whether to award the $10bn shipbuilding contract to Germany or Japan, and defence correspondents are keeping a close eye on developments. The ABC did approve another trip Greene took last year hosted by the Foreign Press Centre Japan, which is a privately funded non-profit, and he filed three reports. 'While in Japan, Mr Greene covered the topics of security and diplomacy, interviewing a House of Representatives Member and government officials with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defense,' the centre said. 'He also visited the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Yokosuka Naval Base and saw the JS Mogami frigate.' The press centre helped arrange access for Greene to some of the country's top defence officials while in Tokyo. A disclosure was included on two stories that the Foreign Press Centre Japan 'hosted Andrew in Tokyo'. Greene has been approached for comment.
ABC News
30-05-2025
- General
- ABC News
Suspected boat arrivals discovered in Arnhem Land
Samantha Donovan: Up to eight people have been detained by Border Protection Authorities after reaching a remote part of the Northern Territory coast by boat. They were found walking near the town of Maningrida, east of Darwin. The ABC understands they're Chinese nationals. Their arrival has set off another stoush between the government and opposition over border security. Andrew Green is the ABC's Defence Correspondent. Andrew, what can you tell us about these people who've arrived in Australia? Andrew Greene: These details have started emerging in perhaps the past 24 hours or so, but what we have established is that earlier this week on Tuesday, authorities in a remote part of the Northern Territory in Arnhem Land, around 500 kilometres east of Darwin, were alerted to the presence of a group of men believed to be from China who had made their way onto the Australian mainland in a very remote part of the northern coast of Australia. But they were detected and then apprehended by authorities. And then a day later, another two men, also believed to have come to Australia from China originally, were spotted by some local rangers and they too, we understand, are now in the custody of the Australian Border Force, but their precise location is not known. Samantha Donovan: Have the authorities had much to say about their arrival, Andrew? Andrew Greene: Following their usual course of action, they've said very little. In fact, in a statement, the Australian Border Force tells the ABC that it does not either confirm or deny operations or comment on them. But what we have established is that authorities are yet to locate a boat that may have taken these people to Australia. Now that points to a few things. It suggests that perhaps they were dropped off close to the mainland by perhaps even an Indonesian fishing vessel or by another party that's brought them to Australia. Apart from that though, very little known. We know that it's up to eight individuals who are, we believe most of them are from China, but that is of course not confirmed by the authorities. Samantha Donovan: And what's been the reaction from politicians? Andrew Greene: Well, the newly appointed Shadow Home Affairs Minister, Andrew Hastie, has said that this is another example of the underinvestment by the Albanese government in border protection. The fact that a boat carrying unauthorised arrivals had made it to the Australian mainland. And in response to that, the Home Affairs Minister, Tony Burke, took aim at his new opposition counterpart. And he said that two days into the job, Andrew Hastie had already helped the cause of people smugglers by making those comments. So while not officially commenting on whether the arrivals had happened at all, Tony Burke did take a swing at his opponent. Samantha Donovan: Andrew Greene is the ABC's Defence Correspondent.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Australian believed killed fighting in Ukraine
Andy Park: A Queensland labourer who travelled to Ukraine three years ago to join the fight against Russia is feared to have been killed in battle with authorities yet to locate his remains. Caleb List: I wanted to test myself. I wanted to, like, again, I wanted to join the French Foreign Legion. I wanted to push myself to the extreme. So, I came here with the same motivation and basically done that. And now I just, I just do this because that's the only thing I'm really good at. Andy Park: Former Gladstone resident Caleb List speaking to the German public broadcaster last year. The ABC's defence correspondent Andrew Greene has the story. Andrew, what do we know about Caleb List's journey to the front line? Andrew Greene: He's a young man in his twenties and had lived in Gladstone in Queensland. He'd worked at the Yarwan refinery as a trade assistant, according to his social media pages. In about 2022, he noticed what was happening in Ukraine and decided to head to Europe to join the Foreign Legion in armed services. But before doing so, we also know that Caleb List had been an army cadet while at school and had tried unsuccessfully to join the Australian army. So, three years ago, like other foreign fighters around the world, he made the journey to Ukraine to enlist in that country's Foreign Legion. Andy Park: And what do we know about his presumed death? Andrew Greene: We believe that he has been missing since late April. So, members of his unit, the Foreign Legion in which he was serving, say he has not been seen since about April 28. He was taking part in fierce fighting that was occurring in eastern Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, near the city of Izhimur. But the Australian has not been heard of since and his comrades fear that he has been killed and his body has been unable to be recovered. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is not saying very much at all. In fact, it's citing privacy reasons for not commenting, but it has again reminded Australians not to travel to that part of the world. The foreign minister, Penny Wong, was speaking to the ABC this morning and did confirm that the case was being examined. Penny Wong: I'm always constrained in terms of these matters as a result of privacy. But I will just simply say that this is a very dangerous place to be. And we are assisting, providing consular assistance to a family in relation to this matter. Andy Park: Foreign Minister Penny Wong there. And Andrew, what do we know about the other Australians who have been captured or killed in Ukraine? Andrew Greene: Since the war broke out, there have been a number of Australians confirmed as killed on the Ukrainian battlefield. Precise numbers tend to vary, but it's certainly getting close to a dozen Australians who have now lost their life in Ukraine. We know there's also a high profile prisoner of war, Oscar Jenkins, who remains in Russian captivity. Earlier this week, also confirmation that in recent days, another Australian man and a former soldier, Nick Parsons, was killed while working for a non-government organisation clearing landmines in Ukraine. He was killed in an incident that is believed to involve an improvised explosive device, which killed him and a British national. Andy Park: Defence correspondent Andrew Greene.
