![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Josh_Butler.png\")
Josh Butler<\/p>\nOne person in Syrian group temporarily banned from AustraliaJosh Butler<\/p>\n
Home affairs minister Tony Burke has announced one person among the group of 34 Australian women and children in a Syrian detention camp has been issued with a temporary exclusion order, banning them from coming to Australia for up to two years.<\/p>\n
The group – the wives, widows and children of ISIS fighters – have been attempting to leave the al-Roj camp on Monday, but were turned back. The government has faced criticism and questions over how it has responded to the group, but Albanese government ministers have said they\u2019re not providing repatriation or assistance to the group.<\/p>\n
Burke has been taking advice from security agencies as to whether any should be subject to a temporary exclusion order, which can be levelled on Australian citizens if the minister \u201csuspects on reasonable grounds\u201d that such an order would prevent a terrorist act or supporting a terror group.<\/p>\n
In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Burke confirmed one TEO had been issued, but that others in the group have not been assessed to meet the necessary threshold. He said:<\/p>\n
I can confirm that one individual in this cohort has been issued a Temporary Exclusion Order, which was made on advice from security agencies. At this stage security agencies have not provided advice that other members of the cohort meet the required legal thresholds for temporary exclusion orders.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.34 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n eSafety responds to court ruling on social media warnings<\/p>\n More on the federal court dismissing an eSafety commission appeal:<\/p>\n An eSafety spokesperson acknowledged the decision of the court, and said it was considering the ruling:<\/p>\n Platforms often have material that may breach their terms of service drawn to their attention informally by a range of parties, rather than by formal statutory notifications, and it reduces regulatory burden on service providers compared to formal processes.<\/p>\n Guardian Australia understands since the ART ruling, eSafety has adjusted the language on these notices to state they\u2019re not required to take action, and they\u2019re not statutory notices.<\/p>\n The Online Safety Act review recommended legislative clarity on informal requests, noting that these requests often lead to quicker resolutions for people who may be in severe distress.<\/p>\n On appeal, last year the ART found that the informal notice had constituted a formal decision that the ART could review.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> eSafety loses appeal on notice sent to X over queer club tweet<\/p>\n The full federal court has dismissed an appeal by the eSafety commissioner against an earlier ruling that an informal notice about an allegedly bullying tweet from a user about a queer club at a school constituted a formal notice to X.<\/p>\n The user had posted on X and Instagram about a person who ran a queer club for primary school students, which eSafety described as a student-led initiative. The person featured in the user\u2019s post complained to eSafety that it was cyber abuse under the Online Safety Act.<\/p>\n eSafety judged that it was not, but sent an informal notice to X stating it may violate X\u2019s policies on harassment.<\/p>\n X geoblocked the post to prevent Australian users from seeing it. The user then launched an appeal in the Administrative Review Tribunal, leading to X lifting the geoblock. On appeal, last year the ART found that the informal notice had constituted a formal decision that the ART could review.<\/p>\n eSafety appealed to the full federal court, and on Wednesday, the court dismissed the appeal. The full court stated that X \u201csaw this as a legal direction to remove content\u201d and was therefore an exercise of eSafety\u2019s power, despite it being an informal notice.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>One person in Syrian group temporarily banned from Australia Home affairs minister Tony Burke has announced one person among the group of 34 Australian women and children in a Syrian detention camp has been issued with a temporary exclusion order, banning them from coming to Australia for up to two years.<\/p>\n The group – the wives, widows and children of ISIS fighters – have been attempting to leave the al-Roj camp on Monday, but were turned back. The government has faced criticism and questions over how it has responded to the group, but Albanese government ministers have said they\u2019re not providing repatriation or assistance to the group.<\/p>\n Burke has been taking advice from security agencies as to whether any should be subject to a temporary exclusion order, which can be levelled on Australian citizens if the minister \u201csuspects on reasonable grounds\u201d that such an order would prevent a terrorist act or supporting a terror group.<\/p>\n In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, Burke confirmed one TEO had been issued, but that others in the group have not been assessed to meet the necessary threshold. He said:<\/p>\n I can confirm that one individual in this cohort has been issued a Temporary Exclusion Order, which was made on advice from security agencies. At this stage security agencies have not provided advice that other members of the cohort meet the required legal thresholds for temporary exclusion orders.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.34 EST<\/p>\n Army base in Townsville lifts lockdown after \u2018incident\u2019 at barracks<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s defence force is launching an investigation after a major army base in Queensland\u2019s north went into lockdown earlier today.<\/p>\n The defence force confirmed Townsville\u2019s Lavarack Barracks faced an \u201cincident\u201d today that required personnel to enact security protocols. It declined to specify the nature of the incident.<\/p>\n A defence spokesperson said Queensland police attended the barracks and the incident was resolved with \u201cminimal impact\u201d to personnel and operations at the base. They added:<\/p>\n Defence treats all security matters seriously and will conduct an investigation into the circumstances of the incident.<\/p>\n Lavarack Barracks is one of northern Australia\u2019s major military establishments, the home base of elements of multiple brigades as well as Singapore armed forces personnel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.26 EST<\/p>\n Thanks Nick Visser, and good afternoon readers. Let\u2019s get on to the rest of today\u2019s breaking news.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Thanks all, that\u2019s it from me. Luca Ittimani will take things from here.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Video: helicopter crew sounds siren as 4.5-metre white shark spotted off WA coast <\/p>\n A 4.5-metre white shark was spotted off Cape Naturaliste on Sunday. Lifesaving Western Australia posted the video on their Facebook page, saying the crew on the Westpac Life Saver rescue helicopter saw the shark circling two divers.<\/p>\n The divers were alerted and exited the water.<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.07 EST<\/p>\n Two people found dead inside home in Rockhampton<\/p>\n Queensland police are investigating the deaths of two people found inside a home in Wandal, a suburb of Rockhampton, on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n Officials said they were called to an address to carry out a welfare check around 8pm last night. On arrival, a woman, 76, and man, 37 were found dead.<\/p>\n A crime scene has been established and investigations are ongoing.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.02 EST<\/p>\n Chris Minns accuses Pauline Hanson of \u2018racist intervention\u2019<\/p>\n Minns added he wanted to make it clear, \u201cparticularly after the racist intervention of Pauline Hanson in recent days\u201d that \u201cNew South Wales is full of wonderful, great Australians of Muslim faith who care about our country\u201d.<\/p>\n The NSW premier said:<\/p>\n The police are there for every Australian in need. The last two months have shown that they will place their own safety at risk to protect another Australian. They have a major role in security for Muslims during the holy month of Ramadan so that our Muslim communities are safe and can celebrate their religion in peace and security.<\/p>\n Chris Minns. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi\/AAPShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.03 EST<\/p>\n NSW premier hopes Ramadan a period of \u2018happiness, family and community\u2019 <\/p>\n The New South Wales premier, Chris Minns, has said he hopes the Ramadan holy month is a time of \u201chappiness, family and community\u201d for the state\u2019s Muslim community following a protest earlier this month at Sydney\u2019s Town Hall.<\/p>\n Minns said he had met with many Muslim leaders over the last week, saying they were \u201cdifficult conversations\u201d after NSW police officers disrupted a group of men praying during the protest against Israeli president Isaac Herzog\u2019s visit to Australia.<\/p>\n The Muslim community have told me of their sadness and hurt following the events of last Monday night.<\/p>\n I said privately what I have said publicly: that NSW police would never have intentionally interrupted a prayer service or religious observance, that it was an incredible difficult event to police, but no offence was intended.<\/p>\n The premier said he agreed there were steps \u201cwe can all take\u201d to ensure that the events during the protest don\u2019t happen again, \u201cso our community is not wrenched apart as a result of protests, international conflict or disharmony\u201d.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a023.00 EST<\/p>\n Race commissioner calls on Pauline Hanson to apologise to Muslim community Australia\u2019s race discrimination commissioner says One Nation leader Pauline Hanson should apologise for her comments about the Muslim community, calling them \u201cIslamophobic\u201d.<\/p>\n Giridharan Sivaraman said the comments on Sky News on Monday \u2013 in which Hanson said she didn\u2019t know any \u201cgood Muslims\u201d \u2013 were offensive and would cause lasting damage.<\/p>\n \u201cI hesitate to respond to remarks like these because doing so risks giving further oxygen to sentiments that should have no place in our public debate,\u201d he said, going on:<\/p>\n But comments that single out and diminish any community have real and lasting impacts.<\/p>\n Words that stigmatise and devalue people do not strengthen our society. They increase fear, deepen division, and intensify pain and harm that many in our communities have experienced for far too long.<\/p>\n Giridharan Sivaraman. Photograph: Darren England\/AAP<\/p>\n Sivaraman challenged political leaders talking about the importance of social cohesion to take action.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s Muslim communities \u2013 like all our communities \u2013 deserve to feel safe, respected and included. Public figures have a responsibility to elevate our national conversation, not inflame tensions, divide us or undermine the dignity of others.<\/p>\n I call on Senator Hanson to withdraw her remarks and offer an apology to Muslim Australians.<\/p>\n![\"Josh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Josh_Taylor.png\")
Josh Taylor<\/p>\nJosh Taylor<\/p>\nJosh Butler<\/p>\n![\"Luca](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Luca_Ittimani.png\")
Luca Ittimani<\/p>\n![\"Nick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Nick_Visser.png\")
Nick Visser<\/p>\n![\"Helicopter](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/604.jpg\")
Helicopter crew sounds siren as 4.5-metre white shark spotted off Western Australia coast – video Share<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Tom](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Tom_McIlroy.png\")
Tom McIlroy<\/p>\n
![\"Andrew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Andrew_Messenger.png\")
Andrew Messenger<\/p>\n