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Today's reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos
South Korea Nuclear Sub Deal Raises Questions About AUKUS Timeline, Albanese Dismisses Concerns
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese firmly dismissed concerns Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to help South Korea develop nuclear-powered submarines could delay or complicate Australia’s own nuclear submarine program under the AUKUS partnership.
“No,” Albanese said flatly when asked whether South Korea’s submarine deal concerns him or whether Seoul is receiving higher-level U.S. nuclear technology than Australia will obtain through AUKUS. “In a word, to put it clearly.”
Australian Government Introduces Environmental Law Overhaul as Coalition, Greens Signal Opposition
The Australian government introduced sweeping environmental protection legislation to Parliament on Thursday, five years to the day after an independent review declared the current system “fundamentally broken,” but the bill faces immediate opposition from both the Coalition and the Greens, threatening its passage.
Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt, a Labor Senator from Queensland, warned that the reforms represent a “now or never” opportunity to modernize Australia’s environmental laws, which have been criticized for failing to protect biodiversity while also hindering economic development.
Trump orders immediate U.S. nuclear testing resume after 33-year ban—cites Russia, China threats
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States would immediately resume nuclear weapons testing for the first time in more than three decades, citing increased capabilities of Russia and China over the next five years as justification for ending a 33-year moratorium that began in 1992.
The announcement came minutes before Trump’s scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to a transcript of an ABC News broadcast. Trump made the declaration via his Truth Social platform, marking a significant departure from decades of U.S. nuclear policy and international nonproliferation norms.
ON PART8A
This episode features Dr. Tahani Mustafa, a Middle East expert from the European Council on Foreign Relations, discussing the recently ratified Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement. Dr. Mustafa explains why she believes this deal follows a familiar pattern of previous failed agreements, with ambiguous language that gives Israel significant leeway and lacks serious guarantees for enforcement.
She breaks down the practical challenges Hamas faces in locating all hostages, the limited pressure from regional Arab states despite public posturing, and the proposed technocratic governance structure for Gaza. The conversation also explores how the ceasefire might impact the West Bank, where Israel has accelerated land seizures and arrests, and examines the controversial international involvement, including Trump’s 200 U.S. soldiers and Tony Blair’s potential role.
Throughout the discussion, Dr. Mustafa emphasizes that the deal offers little benefit to Palestinians while serving Israel’s public relations interests and regional states’ self-preservation goals.
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METRO & POLITICS
➡️ State Disability Ministers Threaten NDIS Meeting Boycott Over Two-Minute Speaking Limit. Australian state and territory disability ministers have warned they will boycott next week’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) meeting with federal ministers Mark Butler and Jenny McAllister unless their speaking time is increased from two minutes to at least ten minutes to discuss the government’s $2 billion Thriving Kids program that would move children with autism and developmental delays off the NDIS.
➡️ Eight-Year-Old Boy Dies After Head-On E-Bike Collision on Sunshine Coast Bike Path. An eight-year-old boy has died at Sunshine Coast University Hospital after a head-on e-bike collision with a 15-year-old rider traveling in the opposite direction on a bike path near the Kawana Way and Sunshine Motorway interchange at Mountain Creek on Thursday afternoon, prompting a Forensic Crash Unit investigation.
➡️ Former Australian Cyber Spy Peter Williams Pleads Guilty to Selling Hacking Tools to Russia for $1.97M. Peter Williams, a 39-year-old former Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) employee, has pleaded guilty in a Washington DC court to stealing and selling at least eight sophisticated cyber hacking tools to a Russia-based broker for $1.97 million while working at Trenchant, an American defense contractor, causing over $53 million in losses and prompting authorities to seize his assets including property, luxury watches, and multiple bank accounts.
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