The Sydney Morning Herald logo
The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement
NationalNational News Live

Australia news as it happened: ‘ISIS bride’ charged; Albanese reacts to Taylor’s ‘arrogant prick’ slur; Anika Wells failed to declare husband’s lobbying job

Jack Gramenz and Alexander Darling
Updated ,first published

Key Posts

Anika Wells failed to declare husband’s lobbying job
IS-linked woman to make bail bid next week
Ex-deputy PM’s clash with Canberra tradesman
Trump refiles $14 billion defamation suit against WSJ over Epstein ties report
Taylor’s language towards Albanese raises ire
Investigations ongoing into ‘ISIS brides’ as charges laid on 2025 returnee
Labor senator yet to apologise for saying he would ‘cut’ Bridget McKenzie
ABC boss denies he ‘threatened to sack’ outgoing news director
Pinned post from 6.34am on May 28, 2026
Go to latest

What we covered today

By

This blog is now closed. Here’s a quick recap of today:

  • Counter-terror police have charged a woman with terrorism offences after she returned to Australia from Syria last year. She will seek bail in Melbourne on Monday.
  • Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has announced the Commonwealth’s largest ever legal claim, seeking more than $2 billion from chemical company 3M over toxic firefighting foam.
  • Treasurer Jim Chalmers has introduced the first tranche of legislation to enact the recent budget announcements on tax. A Senate inquiry will examine the proposed changes. During debate in question time, Angus Taylor called the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese an “arrogant prick”, the second straight day conduct of an opposition frontbencher has overshadowed debate.
  • Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has spoken after an altercation last night with an “out of control” man at the Eastlake Football Club in Canberra.
  • Australian shares have had their worst day since mid-March after a re-escalation in the US-Iran conflict dimmed peace deal hopes and boosted oil prices. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard targeted a US airbase after the US military carried out what a Washington official said were strikes on an Iranian drone operation near the Strait of Hormuz. This happened hours after President Donald Trump rejected a report he was close to a compromise deal with Tehran.
  • ABC boss Hugh Marks said he “doesn’t make threats”, when asked in Senate Estimates today if he threatened to sack Justin Stevens if the latter did not resign as news director (which Stevens did yesterday).
  • And a state funeral will be held for motor neurone disease campaigner and AFL legend Neale Daniher on June 10. Daniher will become just the third person to have his state funeral held at Australia’s most significant sports ground.

With Reuters, AAP

Latest Posts

Environment minister in court over plans to bulldoze tropical savanna

By Lloyd Jones

A decision not to assess plans to bulldoze an area of tropical savanna 10 times the size of Sydney’s city centre for industrial agriculture has landed federal Environment Minister Murray Watt in court.

In February Watt decided against assessing Top End Pastoral company’s plans to bulldoze 2722 hectares of savanna at Claravale Station and Farm near the Daly River, north of Katherine in the Northern Territory.

Environment Centre NT, with its lawyers at Environmental Justice Australia, announced today that it would challenge the decision in the Federal Court, seeking a judicial review of the minister’s decision.

They argue the minister should have rejected the referral because it is only one stage of a three-stage clearing project which could see almost 6000 hectares of savanna cleared for crops.

Record spending on data centres drives investment growth in Australia

By James Mayger

Record investment in data centres in Australia is providing much-needed support for the economy, which is feeling the strain from the global energy crunch and higher interest rates.

Companies spent $8.7 billion on building data centres and buying the servers to fill them in the first three months of this year, almost double the level in the final quarter of 2025, data released today shows.

Over the same period, Australia’s total private investment was up 6.5 per cent to the highest level since 2014, the data showed, well above the median estimate of economists for a 1 per cent increase.

Australia is in the middle of rapid construction of data centres, with the new figures showing spending on the sector was almost 17 per cent of all private investment in the quarter, well above any previous period in data going back to 2006.

Bloomberg

Ben Roberts-Smith arrest leaker should face consequences, says AFP boss

By Matthew Knott

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett says she is determined to find out who leaked details of the pending arrest of high-profile former soldier Ben Roberts-Smith at Sydney Airport last month, declaring the leaker should face consequences if they are identified.

Barrett defended the AFP’s handling of the arrest of Roberts-Smith on war crimes charges, saying it was in keeping with regular police practice.

Commenting on the fact that members of the media were at the airport for the arrest, Barrett told a Senate estimates hearing: “I am not just disappointed the media outlet was there, but I am determined to find out how they knew of the arrest.

“I have no evidence to suggest the AFP provided information to the media about the date or the details of the arrest, but out of an abundance of caution, the matter has been referred by the AFP and the [Office of the Special Investigator] to the National Anti-Corruption Commission.”

Advertisement

Anika Wells failed to declare husband’s lobbying job

By Brittany Busch

Sports and Communications Minister Anika Wells failed to declare her husband’s role as a lobbyist on her register of interests when sworn in as a new minister in 2022, though she declared a similar role at a different company two years later.

Finn McCarthy worked at consulting firm SEC Newgate, which has long been listed on federal and state government lobbyist registers, from 2019 to 2024.

Wells and husband Finn McCarthy in 2023.Alex Ellinghausen

The Daily Mail revealed earlier today that Wells did not update her register of interests until 2024, to declare McCarthy’s next role as government relations manager at Suncorp, which is also on the government’s lobbyist register.

Other senior Labor figures have disclosed similar spousal affiliations on their register of interests.

Prime minister avoids straight answer on whether Brereton damaged NACC’s integrity

By Alexander Darling

While on ABC News, Anthony Albanese was also asked about one of the week’s major stories: the resignation of the National Anti-Corruption Commission’s first head, Paul Brereton.

Brereton announced this week he will step down on July 1, after scrutiny about his ongoing work with the Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force.

NACC chief Paul Brereton will step down in July.Alex Ellinghausen

The IGADF is one of the organisations the NACC has the power to investigate.

In announcing his departure date, Brereton said he did not need to give the government more details about his defence ties – because it was like asking what church he attends – but also that the scrutiny had made it hard for the commission to get clear air.

Albanese reacts to Taylor’s ‘arrogant prick’ slur

By Alexander Darling

The prime minister says he heard Angus Taylor call him an “arrogant prick” during question time today, and claimed it reflected how desperate the Coalition was in trying to claw back support from One Nation.

While he avoided repeating the slur on national television, Albanese said swearing across the chamber wasn’t appropriate.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor reacts as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during question time at Parliament House.Alex Ellinghausen

“It says something about the frustration the Coalition are in. A lot of the language they are using is very desperate; they are trying to mirror One Nation.”

Asked if he was prepared for a future in which One Nation was the official opposition (polling this week suggested the minor party would outnumber the Coalition in parliament by four seats to one were an election held today), Albanese replied: “The next election’s a long way away.”

Advertisement

Albanese keeps up defence of tax changes

By Alexander Darling

The prime minister is continuing his sell of the tax changes introduced to parliament today, even as special interest groups call for exemptions to the planned axing of a 50 per cent capital gains tax discount.

After rubbishing the Nationals’ call for him to call an early election over the changes – “It shows their desperation frankly, they don’t want to engage in the serious policy debate” – Anthony Albanese was asked on ABC News about small businesses calling for exemptions from capital gains tax changes.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in parliament today.Alex Ellinghausen

Capital gains exemptions exist for small businesses with a turnover of less than $2 million, but business groups want this threshold increased to $10 million.

“We will treat organisations with the respect they deserve by engaging with them in good faith,” Albanese said. He gave much the same answer when asked about WA Labor Premier Roger Cook’s suggestion that minerals companies also receive exemptions.

AFP boss flags more ‘ISIS bride’ arrests

By Matthew Knott

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett has flagged further arrests of the so-called ISIS brides as she revealed eight separate joint counter-terror investigations are under way into women who have returned from Syria or remain overseas.

Barrett indicated that the return of a group of four women and their children three weeks ago had unlocked new evidence that led to a 34-year-old Melbourne woman being charged on Thursday with being a member of a terrorist organisation and entering a declared area.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett.Alex Ellinghausen

“Those who have returned from internally displaced persons camps in Syria are subject to a range of investigative strategies and will be held to account if they are found to have breached Australian laws,” Barrett said.

“Any perceived delay in charges does not indicate investigations have ceased.”

A total of seven men and three women have been charged with foreign incursion and terrorism offences since 2019, plus crimes-against-humanity charges laid against two women who recently returned from Syria.

IS-linked woman to make bail bid next week

By Lachlan Abbott

An Islamic State-linked woman charged with terrorism offences will make a bid for bail on Monday after being arrested today, eight months after her return to Melbourne from Syria.

Broadmeadows resident Rayann El Houli, 34, walked into the dock at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court at 2.53pm for a filing hearing.

A court sketch of Rayann El Houli, 34, who appeared at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday afternoon charged with terrorism offences. Anita Lester

Federal police charged her earlier today with entering or remaining in a declared area and being a member of a terror organisation.

Her defence counsel, Peter Morrissey, SC, initially told the court he wanted to apply for bail as soon as possible, despite conceding a hearing wouldn’t finish today and would be rushed.

Advertisement

Ex-deputy PM’s clash with Canberra tradesman

By Nick Newling

Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack has spoken after an altercation last night with an “out of control” man at the Eastlake Football Club in Canberra.

McCormack was attending the club to watch the first match of the State of Origin alongside colleagues from the Coalition’s right wing. The Nationals MP said a group of tradesmen at the club had become rowdy and were making guests uncomfortable.

Michael McCormack during the altercation at Eastlakes Football Club in Canberra.Sky News

After yelling out to the MPs, believing they were representatives of Labor, the group followed McCormack outside. Here’s his recounting of the incident:

“This bloke had been out of control most of the game. I’d asked the staff to remove him at halftime because he was totally out of control, but at the end of the game he was threatening to expose himself in the club,” McCormack told Sky News.

Advertisement