Stories from Canberra · Australia

The Australian government plans to include research and development tax breaks as a key component of a productivity package in next week's budget. This follows reports of government leaks regarding the upcoming budget.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett announced that some individuals will be arrested and charged following investigations. Barrett stated that children involved will be required to participate in re-education programs.

New research from Australia suggests that traveling can assist with anti-aging processes. The study indicates that unfamiliar surroundings and relaxing experiences help the body with balance, resilience, and repair while lowering stress.

Federal police confirmed that Australian children with connections to Islamic State group members will participate in countering violent extremism programs. The federal government was informed that four women and nine children have booked flights to return to Australia from Syria. This follows reports of individuals attempting to return from conflict zones. The Australian government confirmed that 13 Australian citizens with alleged links to Islamic State members are returning from Syria. The Home Affairs Minister stated that the government will not provide assistance to the group. No specific names or numbers of returning citizens were provided in the transcript. The return follows previous reports regarding the status of citizens in the region. Some returning Australian citizens were born in camps and claim they did not intentionally join Syria.

Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced that all planned projects north of the parks are on ice indefinitely. King cited cost blowouts as the reason for the decision. The minister plans to redirect spending toward the existing rail network instead.

Australian authorities plan to arrest and charge women returning from Syria with ISIS fighters late tomorrow. The group consists of 13 individuals, including four women and nine children. Commissioner Chrissy Barrett stated that plans to manage and monitor the group have been in place since 2015. Authorities confirmed they will not provide assistance to the group during the process. The children will be required to undergo specific procedures, according to the commissioner. The government is facing pressure following the Bondi terror attack over the summer, which also had an alleged link to IS radicalization. Since the fall of the Islamic State in 2019, at least 45 fighters and 29 women and children have returned to Australia via repatriation or independent travel.

Federal Police Commissioner Chrissy Barrett stated that Australians with connections to Islamic State members will be arrested upon their return to Australia. The government has been notified that four women and nine children have booked flights to return from Syria. Commissioner Barrett noted that police have been collecting evidence on Australians in Syria for over a decade. This follows reports of an individual seen wearing a T-shirt with an anti-Semitic slogan near an inquiry. The alert concerns individuals who may be returning from conflict zones.

Australia has allocated $3.2 billion to improve national preparedness for a potential oil crisis, according to reports.

ACT police have charged a 53-year-old woman from O'Connor with making nuisance calls to emergency services. The woman allegedly phoned 000 20 times within approximately three hours yesterday. The charges follow the reported misuse of the emergency line.

The Australian federal government received an alert this morning regarding plans by two former Islamic State fighters to travel from Syria to Australia with their families. The group consists of four women and nine children who have already booked airline tickets.