Tag Archives: Australia
Australia will overhaul telecommunications after Optus emergency call failure linked to 4 deaths
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Australia on Monday foreshadowed changes to the country's telecommunications industry after a major company’s failure to connect hundreds of emergency calls last week was linked to four deaths.
Optus, Australia’s second-largest telecom company, blamed a “technical failure” on Thursday last week for 624 calls failing to connect to emergency services. While Americans call “9-1-1” in an emergency, Australians call “0-0-0.” Someone died in four of those Australian emergencies.
Optus was fined more than 12 million Australia dollars ($8 million) for failing to meet emergency call rules during another network outage on Nov. 8, 2023.
Telstra, Australia’s largest telecom company, was fined AU$3 million ($2 million) in December last year for failing to comply with emergency call rules during a technical disruption at its “0-0-0” call center.
Communications Minister Anika Wells said on Monday the Australian Communications...
Australia politics live: Coalition continues question time pressure on PM over ‘former flatmate’ Daniel Andrews’ China trip; NZYQ bill passes
It’s time to wind down our live news coverage for the day. Here’s what has been keeping us busy on the last sitting day of parliament:","elementId":"8d7b66b7-4405-4afc-967f-9d39780ac327"},{"_type":"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement","html":"n n A bill to strip basic legal protections from the noncitizens it plans to deport to Nauru and retrospectively validate visa decisions made before the high court’s NZYQ ruling has passed the Senate. But just who is within the NZYQ cohort? And are they all violent criminals, as some politicians have claimed? Read our fact-check here. The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said the bill was “Trump-style” and “sends a devastating message” to migrant and refugee communities across Australia.n n The high court will not hear an appeal by Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, ending a seven-year challenge of news reports that labelled him a war criminal.n...
Australia Says It Cancelled Kanye West’s Visa Over ‘Heil Hitler’ Song
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has had his Australian visa cancelled after he released “Heil Hitler”, a song promoting Nazism, the country’s home affairs minister said on Wednesday.
The U.S. rapper released the song that praised the Nazi leader Adolf Hitler across social media and music streaming platforms in May.
The song came a few months after Ye made a string of antisemitic posts on X, which included comments such as "I love Hitler" and "I'm a Nazi".
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said that while previous offensive comments made by Ye had not affected his visa status, officials reviewed it again after the song’s release.
"It was a lower level (visa), and the officials still looked at the law and said, 'You're going to have a song and promote that sort of Nazism; we...
West Asia News Live: Australia, UK shift Gaza stance; Iraq blackout and UAE push for economic reforms
Welcome to our live coverage of the latest developments from West Asia. Follow real-time updates on regional geopolitics, oil and energy markets, diplomacy, security tensions, economic reforms, civil movements and religious dynamics. Track the actions and policies of major regional powers as they navigate ongoing conflicts, international negotiations and domestic challenges
A Palestinian girl carries buckets of water amid shortages, in Gaza City, August 6, 2025. ReutersTensions, diplomacy, and market risks are dominating the West Asia agenda today, with fresh conflict escalations, sharp political disputes, and shifting international alignments. From deadly incidents deepening media and diplomatic rifts, to high-stakes ceasefire talks, blackout-triggered unrest fears, and commercial fallout from controversial remarks, the region faces a volatile mix of security, humanitarian and economic challenges. Follow our rolling updates for real-time developments and expert context on the fast-changing situation:West...
