CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: Two NSW men have been sentenced to more than 11 years' combined jail time for offences linked to an AFP investigation under Operation Ironside. One man, 43, was sentenced in the District Court of NSW on 2 October, 2026, to two years and 10 months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months, after pleading guilty to supporting a criminal organisation, contrary to section 390.4(1)(b) of t...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: The Tasmania Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) has charged a man following an investigation into alleged possession child abuse material. The man, 27, appeared in the Hobart Magistrates Court yesterday (8 October, 2026) and is next expected to re-appear in the same court on 3 February, 2026. An investigation into the man started after the Tasmania JACET, comprising the AFP and Tasmania Police, rec...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: This is a joint media release between the agencies of the Australian Government Fraud Fusion Taskforce Editor's note: Vision of the man's arrest at a police station available via Hightail. A Sydney man, 36, has been charged over his alleged role in a sophisticated $1.8 million fraud, following an investigation by the Australian Government Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT). Following reports of suspicious financ...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: This is a joint media release between the Australian Government Fraud Fusion Taskforce Editor's Note: Arrest vision and images available via Hightail. A man, 41, has been charged for allegedly impersonating and influencing Commonwealth officials following a joint investigation by the Australian Government Fraud Fusion Taskforce (FFT) into a sophisticated $1.5 million fraud. The joint-agency investigation c...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: Editor's note: arrest vision is available via Hightail. A Sydney man is expected to appear before Burwood Local Court today (9 October, 2026) charged over the alleged possession of child abuse material. An AFP investigation began in September, 2026, after the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) received two reports from the United States' National Center for Missing and Exploited Childre...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Australian Federal Police issued the following media release: AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has raised concerns about new research findings that reveal young victims of online sexual exploitation are more likely to seek help from an AI bot than authorities. Commissioner Barrett said AI and non-AI online child sexual victimisation: A national study of Australian Adolescents was sober reading and provided the AFP with valuable insights. The research, authored by Tim C...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- The Treasurer of Australia issued the following transcript: Jim Chalmers: There are 2 sets of announcements that we are making today, the first one is about card surcharges. We've stepped in to ensure that the tax office can take credit card payments until the end of June next year. This will give them the time to consult more with small business and to get it right. This recognises the really important contribution that small businesses make to our local communities a...
CANBERRA, ACT, Oct. 9 -- Geoscience Australia issued the following news release: A magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit south eastern Victoria just after 2AM on Saturday 3 October, near the town of Leongatha in the south Gippsland region of Victoria. The earthquake was widely felt across Victoria and into New South Wales, with over 21,000 felt reports registered. Senior seismologist Dr Hadi Ghasemi said that the earthquake was felt as far north as Canberra. Why was the earthquake felt as widely as i...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 8 -- Queensland Fire Department issued the following news release: Queensland Fire Department (QFD) has imposed a local fire ban for South West and Central West residents. The local fire ban will be in place from 0001hrs on Friday 9 October for residents in the Bulloo, Quilpie, Diamantina and Barcoo Local Government Areas. Current fire conditions are perfect for bushfires to ignite and spread quickly. Under a local fire ban all open fires are prohibited and all Per...
BRISBANE, Queensland, Oct. 8 -- The Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet issued text of the following statement: Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support and Minister for Corrective Services The Honourable Laura Gerber * The Crisafulli Government is delivering a funding boost to deliver more new early intervention programs, with the third round of Kickstarter grants now open. * The $50 millionKickstarter grants program supports at-risk youth showing early signs of criminal b...