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Government ‘unaware’ of booked flights for ISIS brides returning home
The Australian government is unaware of plans for the remaining group of so-called ISIS brides to return home as reports emerge they are on their way to the airport.
Six women, their children and grandchildren have now left the Al Roj camp in Syria for Damascus, the ABC reported.
Nine.com.au understands the government is not aware of any group booking tickets or making plans to return home at this stage.
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Earlier this week, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reiterated that the government was not providing any assistance to the cohort, and anyone suspected of breaking the law will face the full force of the law when reports emerged they would likely return home soon.
Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek repeated that statement to the ABC this morning.
"I can tell you they will face the same consequences as their first group, which is if there are any crimes they are accused of, they will be taken into custody and treated with the full force of the law," she said.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor called on the government to do whatever it could to stop the group from entering Australia.
"The government should be doing everything in its power to prevent these people from coming because they turned their backs on our country to support a terrorist organisation," he told reporters today
"One that has been guilty of extraordinary atrocities, including on Australians."
Last month, four women and nine children boarded flights from Damascus to Sydney and Melbourne.
Three of the women – 53-year-old Kawsar Ahmad, her 31-year-old daughter Zeinab Ahmad, and 32-year-old Janai Safar – were arrested upon arrival and later charged.
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The mother and daughter were charged with slavery-related offences, while Safar was charged with joining a terrorist organisation and travelling to a declared conflict zone.
All three currently remain in custody pending future court dates.
They are all part of the wider group of 34 Australians – 11 women and 23 children – who have spent the last seven years at the camp due to their alleged links to Islamic State fighters.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has only been able to legally ban one of the women from returning to Australia.
She is expected to remain behind in Syria. Her children will likely join the second group in returning to Australia.
A group of Australians travelled to Syria and Iraq to either join or support ISIS from 2012 to 2019.
The federal government has been making plans for their return since 2013.
A group of children of a convicted ISIS terrorist were repatriated to Australia in 2019 under the Morrison government and a second group of women and children were repatriated three years later under the Albanese government.
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Two Jamaican Fugitives Captured in St. Kitts and Repatriated Following Joint Security Operations
Authorities in St. Kitts and Nevis have successfully captured and repatriated two Jamaican fugitives wanted for serious violent crimes, following coordinated operations between the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force (RSCNPF) and the St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF). Kemar Matthews and Chevone Brown were taken into custody during separate joint operations carried out on […]
‘It will be hard’: Parents warned as mass childcare centre shutdown looms
Thousands of childcare workers around the country could walk off the job on July 15 after union members voted in favour of mass industrial action.
Early childhood educators will down tools for one day in protest of the 2026 Federal Budget, which did not include the billions of dollars in funding needed to support an ongoing 15 per cent pay increase.
Over 20,000 educators from 1000 centres in Australia had signed an open letter demanding the government to permanently lock in the pay increase.
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Hundreds of union members endorsed the walk-outs at a meeting earlier this week in response to the budget.
Childcare workers say they won't be able to survive on the industry's minimum wage as the cost of living bites.
"Educators are making it clear: they will not accept going backwards," the United Workers Union (UWU) said in a statement.
"Without action, many educators face a pay cut before the full Fair Work Commission outcome takes effect.
"This isn't about asking for something new, educators are fighting to stop losing pay they already have."
The UWU has members in every state and territory who plan to stop work and join a rally on July 15.
Around 500 childcare centres in Victoria alone signed the letter.
Union member and Goodstart early educator Clare said that while the one-day strike will be difficult for families, it will help shape a more stable and thriving sector.
"While the walk-off in the interim will be really hard for families to navigate, the long-term impact that it will have on our sector, and the future generations of children and families coming into our services, we will have a higher-quality educational services that really amplify children's learning," Clare said.
"Right now it will be hard, the long-term impact will be magnificent."
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The federal government delivered a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators in December, which amounted to an extra $160 per week for the average worker.
The $3.6 billion in funding, which has already "improved retention, reduce vacancies and bring more stability to the sector" will run out in November.
This year's budget did not extend this worker retention payment.
Greens senator Steph Hodgins-May claimed early childhood educators had been "shafted" in the budget.
"Thousands of early educators are now facing a Christmas pay cut because Labor refused to extend a payment they themselves boast that the sector depends on," she said.
"These are workers already leaving in droves because of burnout, low wages and now uncertainty about their future. Labor looked at that crisis and decided to make it worse."
Minister for Early Childhood Education Jess Walsh said the government would have "more to say later this year on the next steps to support this workforce" when discussing the budget's early childcare policies on May 15.
Nine.com.au has contacted Federal Minister for Education Jason Clare for comment.
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New Zealand: Projects Selected To Improve Accessibility
Programmes aimed at addressing access issues for disabled people in street navigation, reading, housing and sports education through technology will soon get a boost, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says. The six successful applicants of the Access Activator pilot programme have been selected. The programme is run through the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha, […]
New Zealand: Boosting Ambulance Services Across New Zealand
More ambulance crews, upgraded technology, and stronger frontline support will strengthen ambulance services across New Zealand, enabling quick and effective responses to emergencies, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Health Minister Casey Costello say. “When New Zealanders call an ambulance, they need confidence that they will get the help they need quickly and that frontline crews […]
Great Britain: Investment Firm CEO Imprisoned For Contempt Of Court
Former Chief Executive Officer of collapsed investment firm London Capital & Finance Plc (LCF) Michael Thomson, and his wife Debbie Thomson, have today been sentenced following action by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), for selling restrained luxury items such as horse saddles and a hot tub. Michael Thomson received a six-month prison sentence. Thomson’s wife […]
Great Britain: First-ever National Cadets Week To Celebrate Cadets And Reconnect Young People With The Armed Forces
Tens of thousands of young people across the UK will have the opportunity to discover the cadet forces as the government announces the first ever National Cadets Week, taking place from 5-11 October 2026. The week will celebrate the UK’s cadet community – one of the country’s most effective youth organisations – and the tens of […]
Great Britain: £1bn Boost To PE And School Sport To End Fitness Postcode Lottery
More young people will have access to high quality PE and school sport under the government’s new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, which will bring national sporting expertise into every primary and secondary school to tackle inactivity. The government is investing over £1 billion in school sport over the next three years, including funding for the new Partnerships Network, improvements […]
United States: Cuban National Extradited From Panama To Face Sex Trafficking, Extortion, Cyberstalking, And Other Charges In Homeland Security Task Force Investigation
A 41-year-old citizen of Cuba living in the Southern District of Texas, is set to make his initial appearance in Houston on multiple charges for allegedly using threats, violence, and other coercive means to compel four Cuban nationals to engage in commercial sex acts for his financial gain. According to court documents, Michel Cedeno-Castillo used […]