Albanese says Australia will have ‘private’ discussions with US about Strait of Hormuz plan

Anthony Albanese has defended his government’s handling of national security after the interim report from the Bondi Royal commission found counter-terrorism funding ‘significantly declined’ in the lead-up to December’s deadly attack.

Appearing at a Daily Telegraph’s Future Western Sydney Forum, the Prime Minister has been grilled about funding for national security agencies.

“What the report shows is that there is increased funding for ASIO, ASIS, the AFP, Australian Signals Directorate, every single one of our agencies has more funding today than when we were elected,” Mr Albanese responded.

Pressed on whether there should be more dedicated funding towards counter-terrorism funding, Mr Albanese said “we’ll take on we’ll take on board every recommendation” from the Royal Commission.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed sorrow over the death of Kumanjayi Little Baby, saying he understands the “anger and frustration” unfolding in Alice Springs while calling for unity and calm in the community.

Mr Albanese said Kumanjayi’s death “breaks your heart”.

His comments come after riots broke out in Alice Springs following the arrest of suspect Jefferson Lewis, with the Mr Albanese saying he had been in contact with local community members and leaders who are also urging restraint.

“We must remember that literally hundreds and hundreds of people came together to search for this young girl before the tragic result,” Mr Albanese said.

“These are communities that are hurting, they need to come together.

“There’s meetings there on the ground as we speak right now, bringing together community leaders, the police, the health workers, the people at the hospital who had to do what occurred last night.

“And we want to see the community come together, we certainly understand anger and frustration, but we want the community to come together.”

The Prime Minister says Australia will have “private” discussions with the United States about its latest proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and insists his government has not made any determination on whether to commit military personnel.

A US State Department cable cited by Reuters says the Trump administration is seeking participation from other countries to form an international coalition to restore freedom of navigation in the critical waterway.

Asked about the idea on Friday, Anthony Albanese said his government would “have those discussions privately” but added that “we’ll engage in anything that can assist”.

Pressed on whether he was open to Australian military personnel joining the US-led effort, the PM responded: “there hasn’t been that determination”.

Bottle shops in Alice Springs have been shut down following a night of violent rioting that saw police and ambulance officers attacked on Thursday.

At a press conference in Alice Springs on Friday, NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro thanked local alcohol retailers for cooperating with a day-long ban on takeaway alcohol sales, saying the measure would provide some relief for frontline workers who were assaulted the night before.

A police officer required stitches for a head wound after being attacked while extracting alleged killer Lewis from Charles Creek town camp, where a mob had earlier bashed him. An ambulance officer who attended the camp to assist also suffered facial injuries requiring hospital treatment.

Further violence erupted later when Lewis was inside Alice Springs Hospital, leaving several police officers injured in the chaos outside.

“Attacks on frontline workers are never acceptable,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

“We have to let them do their job.”

Ms Finocchiaro said she hoped the violence was an isolated incident and stressed it “should not define what has been an incredible community effort this week”.

“We’ve seen this town come together like never before – hundreds of people walking shoulder to shoulder through the long buffel grass, through the bush to make sure we left no stone unturned,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

Mrs Finocchiaro said that as a response to last night’s riots, there will be no takeaway alcohol available in Alice Springs on Friday.

“It’s very, very important and will bring important reprieve to the community and our frontline workers,” she said.

“Tomorrow, there will be limited takeaway between 11am and 2pm.

“Sunday is already highly restricted and Monday and Tuesday are already grog-free days.”

ANZ’s new cost-cutting chief executive Nuno Matos has boasted that simplifying its banking business is paying off with a much stronger half-year profit following mass retrenchments during a time of global uncertainty.

The Portuguese-born financial captain, who took over the helm of Australia’s fourth biggest bank almost a year ago this month, used his opening four months in the job to slash 3500 technology jobs, with the last of the retrenched staff finishing at the end of April 2026.

His strategy of getting the tough decisions out of the way early appears to be working with ANZ’S first half-year cash profit of $3.78 billion for the six months to March 31, up by 14 per cent compared with the six months to September 30.

With significant items included, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group made a statutory profit of $3.65 billion, which was up 9 per cent.

“We simplified our business and reduced duplication and settled long-standing regulatory matters,” Mr Matos told the Australian Securities Exchange on Friday.

“We have also made significant progress to reduce duplication and simplify the bank, while continuing to make progress in improving non-financial risk management.”

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Independent MP Allegra Spender, whose Wentworth electorate covers Bondi Beach, has described the contents of the interim report by the Royal Commission on anti-Semitism and Social Cohesion as “deeply unsettling” for her Jewish constituents.

Thursday’s report said the US and Israel’s war in Iran was “likely to have increased the risk of attacks directed at the Australian Jewish community”.

On Wednesday, Ms Spender told Channel 9 she recently visited a Jewish school in her electorate where it was clear the alleged Bondi terror attack “reverberates every single day with the kids”.

“This is not something that the community is over,” she said.

The report included 14 recommendations but five remained classified. Among the remaining nine recommendations included turning the federal government’s counter-terrorism co-ordinator into a full-time position, prioritising a national gun buyback scheme and nationally consistent gun laws, and reviewing joint counter-terrorism teams.

Ms Spender said the threat to Jewish communities identified by the report was “really stark”.

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Iran’s supreme leader has vowed to protect the country’s “nuclear and missile capabilities” as a national asset, drawing a firm line amid ongoing tensions with the United States and fragile ceasefire efforts.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his remarks in a written statement read on state television, continuing a pattern of indirect addresses since taking over leadership.

He struck a defiant tone, saying the only place for Americans in the Persian Gulf was “at the bottom of its waters” and declaring a “new chapter” for the region.

“By God’s help and power, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America, one serving the progress, comfort and prosperity of its people,” Khamenei said.

He added that Iran and its neighbours shared a common destiny, warning against foreign interference in the region.

“We and our neighbours across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the [Gulf] of Oman share a common destiny. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometres away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it – except at the bottom of its waters.”

The comments come as Iran’s oil sector faces growing pressure from a US naval blockade restricting tanker movements, further tightening economic conditions.

Khamenei also made clear that Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs would not be part of any concessions in wider negotiations linked to the ceasefire.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain, escalating tensions with key NATO allies over their opposition to the Iran war.

Speaking in the Oval Office, the Mr Trump said he was considering reducing America’s military presence in both countries, a day after floating a similar move involving Germany.

“Yeah, probably, I probably will. Why shouldn’t I?” Mr Trump told reporters when asked about troop reductions in Spain and Italy.

“Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.”

On Wednesday, Mr Trump said Washington was “studying and reviewing the possible reduction” of US forces in Germany, adding he would make a decision “in a short period of time”.

As of December 31, 2025, there were 12,662 active-duty US troops in Italy and 3,814 in Spain, compared with 36,436 in Germany.

The US president has repeatedly criticised NATO allies for not supporting US and Israeli operations against Iran, as well as for failing to assist in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to oil shipping.

King Charles and Queen Camilla have begun wrapping up their four-day state visit to the United States with a very quick stop by the White House to bid farewell to President Donald Trump.

The official reason for the royal trip was to mark the 250th anniversary of the US winning its independence from British colonial rule, cueing multiple wry jokes from Charles in speeches to Washington DC’s elite about being on the losing side of the American Revolutionary War.

But it was also designed to mend what Charles called in Tuesday’s state dinner with Mr Trump an “unbreakable bond” and “indispensable alliance” between the two countries, lately strained by the United Kingdom, alongside other European allies, declining to join the two-month-old US-Israeli war against Iran.

It seemed to work.

As enraged as he has been by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Mr Trump told reporters at some length how fond he was of his “great friend” Charles the day after their dinner: “When you like the king of a country so much, it probably helps your relationship with the prime minister.”

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The Federal Government says it has not been involved in any discussions with Syrian authorities over a group of Australians reportedly seeking to return home.

Health Minister Mark Butler has responded to reports that Syrian officials had blocked the return of a cohort of Australians who had travelled to, or been taken to, the region to join Islamic State.

According to The Australian, the Federal Government told Syrian authorities it would not accept the return of the women.

But Mr Butler said Australia has not engaged with Syria on the matter and is not assisting the group.

“The Prime Minister said yesterday quite clearly that we’re not engaged with Syrian authorities about this matter,” Mr Butler says.

“We’re not across the detail of what these people are trying to do because we’re not providing any assistance,” he says.

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