Stories from Canberra · Australia

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.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke addressed inquiries regarding whether the Australian government attempted to delay or block the return of ISIS brides to the country.

The Australian federal government confirmed that 13 women and children linked to the Islamic State in Syria have arrived in Canberra. The group's arrival follows previous reports regarding their movement.

Infrastructure Minister Catherine King announced a decision to reallocate funds originally intended for southern parks to the existing rail network. The exact amount of funding and specific projects affected have not yet been detailed. The Australian government has scrapped plans to build a railway connecting Melbourne and Brisbane. The decision follows advice that the project would cost more than $45 billion to complete. The freight corridor will instead operate between Melbourne and Parkes in New South Wales. Construction on the Parkes corridor is expected to be completed by the end of next year. The government cancelled the Melbourne-to-Brisbane railway after receiving advice that costs would exceed $45 billion. The Australian government will redirect $800 million in uncommitted funding from the Australia's Economic Accelerator Program to support science and research measures.

Australian newspapers are reporting that all taxpayers could receive a $200 to $300 earned income offset. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has not confirmed the reported figure. The announcement comes amid speculation regarding upcoming budget details.

The Australian Labor government is considering a budget handout worth billions of dollars for every working Australian. This proposal follows previous discussions regarding spending restraint and warnings from agencies such as the IMF. The move comes alongside increases in spending for the NDIS, aged care, childcare, and wage rises. Analysts suggest the timing of this last-minute spending is being questioned. Labor claims the budget position has improved compared to previous forecasts. These improvements are attributed to cuts in certain government programs and the redirection of uncommitted grant money. The announcement comes as a woman in Sydney prepares to face court charges for entering a conflict zone and knowingly being a member of a terrorist organization. The Australian government announced several funding reallocations to support national priorities.

Sean is taking the Australian government to federal court alleging disability discrimination. The lawsuit follows an incident where he was allegedly treated less favourably than people without disabilities while attempting to access evacuation flights.