Latest news with #Seferis
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
WA news LIVE: Oil tanker docks at Kwinana port
Latest posts Latest posts 9.31am Oil tanker docks at Kwinana port An international oil tanker, suspected of carrying Russian crude, docked at Kwinana port overnight after sitting off the coast for two days. The Seferis departed India earlier this month. The Greek-flagged vessel contains oil from Jamnagar refinery in India, which processes Russian crude. Ukrainian campaigners claim the ship is carrying oil that originated in Russia, which is against Australian sanctions imposed on the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. These include restrictions on importing, purchasing and transporting oil that originated in Russia. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, regrettably, the mechanisms Australia would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries. 'We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia's oil revenues,' they said. The oil is destined for petrol bowsers across the state. 9.31am Across the nation and around the world Here's what's making news across the nation and around the world: YouTube Kids will escape the federal government's teen social media ban that could serve as a model for other sites to keep offering their products, and ads, to children under the age of 16. US President Donald Trump has acknowledged sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' young women from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, including American-Australian victim Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide this year. Israel appears to have thought its renewed war on Hamas would bring quick results – but the campaign is now looking like a strategic, diplomatic and humanitarian failure as the UK moves to recognise Palestine unless Israel commits to peace. A gunman who shot dead four people at a Manhattan office building before killing himself was trying to target the headquarters of the National Football League but took the wrong elevator, Mayor Eric Adams said. 9.31am Today's weather 9.31am Welcome to our live blog Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, July 30. Making headlines today, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake in WA's central Wheatbelt has woken residents across the state overnight. The quake was recorded at 2am in Wyalkatchem, 192 kilometres north-east of Perth. Meanwhile, Western Australia's year 9 students recorded some of the nation's best results in this year's NAPLAN tests, but year 3 students fell critically short. The Australian Curriculum and Standards Authority released the new data late on Tuesday evening, which showed nearly half of all year 3 students in WA did not meet proficiency standards in grammar and punctuation. And Deb Taylor is one of many West Australians guiding people through the state government-run website to register their firearms. For some, the task is too big.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
WA news LIVE: Oil tanker docks at Kwinana port
Latest posts Latest posts 9.31am Oil tanker docks at Kwinana port An international oil tanker, suspected of carrying Russian crude, docked at Kwinana port overnight after sitting off the coast for two days. The Seferis departed India earlier this month. The Greek-flagged vessel contains oil from Jamnagar refinery in India, which processes Russian crude. Ukrainian campaigners claim the ship is carrying oil that originated in Russia, which is against Australian sanctions imposed on the country in response to its invasion of Ukraine. These include restrictions on importing, purchasing and transporting oil that originated in Russia. A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Penny Wong said, regrettably, the mechanisms Australia would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries. 'We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia's oil revenues,' they said. The oil is destined for petrol bowsers across the state. 9.31am Across the nation and around the world Here's what's making news across the nation and around the world: YouTube Kids will escape the federal government's teen social media ban that could serve as a model for other sites to keep offering their products, and ads, to children under the age of 16. US President Donald Trump has acknowledged sex offender Jeffrey Epstein 'stole' young women from the spa at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, including American-Australian victim Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide this year. Israel appears to have thought its renewed war on Hamas would bring quick results – but the campaign is now looking like a strategic, diplomatic and humanitarian failure as the UK moves to recognise Palestine unless Israel commits to peace. A gunman who shot dead four people at a Manhattan office building before killing himself was trying to target the headquarters of the National Football League but took the wrong elevator, Mayor Eric Adams said. 9.31am Today's weather 9.31am Welcome to our live blog Good morning readers, and welcome to our live news blog for Wednesday, July 30. Making headlines today, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake in WA's central Wheatbelt has woken residents across the state overnight. The quake was recorded at 2am in Wyalkatchem, 192 kilometres north-east of Perth. Meanwhile, Western Australia's year 9 students recorded some of the nation's best results in this year's NAPLAN tests, but year 3 students fell critically short. The Australian Curriculum and Standards Authority released the new data late on Tuesday evening, which showed nearly half of all year 3 students in WA did not meet proficiency standards in grammar and punctuation. And Deb Taylor is one of many West Australians guiding people through the state government-run website to register their firearms. For some, the task is too big.
ABC News
3 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Tanker believed to be carrying fuel processed in India from Russian oil docks in Western Australia
A tanker believed to be carrying fuel derived from Russian oil has docked in Western Australia, with question marks surrounding the cargo exposing glaring loopholes in government sanctions against Moscow. Seferis sails under a Greek flag and berthed in Kwinana, 40 kilometres south of Perth, about 3am on Wednesday after departing India on July 11. Australia sanctioned Russian oil soon after it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. But India did not and refines Russian crude oil into liquid fuels like diesel and petroleum. When Australia purchases those products from India, it could be inadvertently funding the war in Ukraine. The issue is, there is no real way to confirm the origins of the fuel on Seferis, let alone what is being pumped at the bowser. Russia's income from exporting oil is the backbone of its economy and has effectively bankrolled the nation's war machine in Ukraine for three-and-a--half years. While Australia has committed to starving that revenue, the involvement of third parties like India has muddied the waters. Director of national security at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, John Coyne, said the majority of the country's imported liquid fuel does not come from India, but that does not clear up the issue at hand. "If Australia is to meet its full commitment of applying those sanctions, then it must also ensure that we don't contribute to a system that washes Russian oil through India," he said. Mr Coyne said Australia could follow the lead of the European Union, which applied sanctions to refineries that use Russian crude oil. "The first step here is making that very clear declaration that Australia will not take liquid fuels that find their origin in Russian oil and result in the transfer of money back into Russia that inevitably is used to prosecute and fund the campaign in Ukraine," he said. Ukrainian and Australian campaigners say Seferis is delivering fuel from the Jamnagar refinery in India. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) found in the first half of this year, almost half of Jamnagar's crude oil feedstock came from Russia. "This crude is refined into a variety of oil products — gasoline, diesel, jet fuel etc. Any country importing these products from this specific refinery can expect Russian molecules in them," CREA's EU-Russia analyst Vaibhav Raghunandan said. CREA estimated in the first four months of 2025 Australia bought more than $1 billion of oil from India that was derived from Russian crude. Earlier this month, two vessels carrying 175,000 tonnes of oil from the Jamnagar refinery berthed at Botany Bay in Sydney. The federal government said it had imposed more than 1,500 sanctions on Russia, including measures to restrict the import of oil that originated in Russia. In June, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced Australia's first sanctions against Russia's shadow fleet, which employs a variety of murky tactics to conceal the origins of its cargo. "Regrettably, the mechanisms we would need to track and monitor all energy products via third countries are not in place in those countries," a spokesperson for Ms Wong said. "We are evaluating options to place further pressure on Russia's oil revenues." Speaking on Tuesday, WA's Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia said the western world needed to be alert to the prospect of "Russia getting around sanctions and getting its oil to market … by sneaky means". "I think that is a real threat, anywhere in the world," Mr Papalia said. "Russia is still selling its oil around the world and they do it by third parties, things like refining in [third party] countries and then exporting." An international law expert said without mechanisms to oversee third party imports, the option to cut off India from Australia's supply is theoretically on the table. Australia introduced its autonomous sanctions laws, allowing it to impose sanctions independently of the United Nations, in 2011 and it has given flexibility to the government to target restrictions. "They can issue sanctions on a particular product and how we import that, which could include banning importing through a third-party state if it can be connected back to Russian oil," said Melanie O'Brien, an associate professor of international law at the University of Western Australia. Mr Coyne said the government would have to weigh up the implications of a drastic move like cutting ties with India. "At the pump, Australians want to pay the cheapest possible price for liquid fuel," he said. "There's [also] the pressure of our diplomatic relationship at a bilateral level with India. "All of these things play out."
Perth Now
25-07-2025
- Business
- Perth Now
Russian oil ‘bound for Australia'
A tanker purportedly full of Russian oil is set to dock in Western Australia within days, despite sanctions being in place against Moscow, Ukrainian and anti-Russian oil campaigners According to DFAT, the 'import, purchase or transport' of several goods is prohibited 'if they were exported from, or originated in, Russia'. That includes oil and petroleum products. The ship Seferis left Sika in India two weeks ago full of oil from the Jamnagar refinery, and it is due to arrive in the outer-Perth suburb of Kwinana by 4am Sunday. The Jamnagar refinery is notoriously fed by Russian crude oil, with as much as 55 per cent of their 2025 stock coming from the European pariah. This means the imported oil, which originated in Russia, could end up fuelling Australian vehicles on the road. Anti-Russian oil campaigners allege this ship is full of covertly imported Russian oil Credit: Supplied The alarm has been raised about a 'loophole' that allows Russian oil to be bought and sold in Australia, with local campaigners and parliamentarians calling for immediate action. Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie raised the issue in Question Time on Thursday, asking the Defence Minister Richard Marles 'Why are the loopholes in our sanctions so big you can drive a tanker through them?' 'In July, two vessels reportedly docked in Botany Bay, with some 175,000 tonnes of petrol from the Jamnagar refinery in India, which uses up to 55 per cent Russian oil,' Mr Wilkie said. 'So these vessels effectively carry some 90,000 tonnes of Russian-sourced petrol, paid for by Australians, which will help fund Putin's war in Ukraine.' Independent MP Andrew Wilkie questioned the government about the 'loophole'. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Mr Marles largely avoided the question instead focusing on the sanctions that had been put in place. 'Sanctions, which is the topic of the question the member has asked, is an important part of what we are putting in place to stand with Ukraine,' Mr Marles said. 'And our government will stand with Ukraine. 'I know the Australian people will stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its terms.' The loophole has recently been closed in the European Union, which has banned the importation of petroleum products refined form Russian crude oil in its 18th sanctions package against Russia. Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles defended Australia's sanctions. NewsWire / Simon Bullard. Credit: News Corp Australia The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has urged Australia to take similar action. 'This decisive action closes a glaring and deeply exploited loophole that has allowed Russian crude to enter global markets through refineries in third-party countries – undermining sanctions and fuelling the Kremlin's war machine. 'We urge the Australian government to take similar action and close this loophole in Australia's own sanctions regime. 'Since February 2023, Australia has imported an estimated $3.7bn worth of Russian crude, as a component in refined petroleum products from Indian refineries – sending around $1.8bn in tax revenue to the Kremlin. 'This flow of profits directly helps fund Russia's brutal war against Ukraine.'
News.com.au
25-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Tanker carrying Russian oil set to dock in WA despite sanctions, campaigners say
A tanker purportedly full of Russian oil is set to dock in Western Australia within days, despite sanctions being in place against Moscow, Ukrainian and anti-Russian oil campaigners According to DFAT, the 'import, purchase or transport' of several goods is prohibited 'if they were exported from, or originated in, Russia'. That includes oil and petroleum products. The ship Seferis left Sika in India two weeks ago full of oil from the Jamnagar refinery, and it is due to arrive in the outer-Perth suburb of Kwinana by 4am Sunday. The Jamnagar refinery is notoriously fed by Russian crude oil, with as much as 55 per cent of their 2025 stock coming from the European pariah. This means the imported oil, which originated in Russia, could end up fuelling Australian vehicles on the road. The alarm has been raised about a 'loophole' that allows Russian oil to be bought and sold in Australia, with local campaigners and parliamentarians calling for immediate action. Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie raised the issue in Question Time on Thursday, asking the Defence Minister Richard Marles 'Why are the loopholes in our sanctions so big you can drive a tanker through them?' 'In July, two vessels reportedly docked in Botany Bay, with some 175,000 tonnes of petrol from the Jamnagar refinery in India, which uses up to 55 per cent Russian oil,' Mr Wilkie said. 'So these vessels effectively carry some 90,000 tonnes of Russian-sourced petrol, paid for by Australians, which will help fund Putin's war in Ukraine.' Mr Marles largely avoided the question instead focusing on the sanctions that had been put in place. 'Sanctions, which is the topic of the question the member has asked, is an important part of what we are putting in place to stand with Ukraine,' Mr Marles said. 'And our government will stand with Ukraine. 'I know the Australian people will stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to resolve this conflict on its terms.' The loophole has recently been closed in the European Union, which has banned the importation of petroleum products refined form Russian crude oil in its 18th sanctions package against Russia. The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has urged Australia to take similar action. 'This decisive action closes a glaring and deeply exploited loophole that has allowed Russian crude to enter global markets through refineries in third-party countries – undermining sanctions and fuelling the Kremlin's war machine. 'We urge the Australian government to take similar action and close this loophole in Australia's own sanctions regime. 'Since February 2023, Australia has imported an estimated $3.7bn worth of Russian crude, as a component in refined petroleum products from Indian refineries – sending around $1.8bn in tax revenue to the Kremlin. 'This flow of profits directly helps fund Russia's brutal war against Ukraine.'
