Tag Archives: oceania

Former Australia Post boss blasts ‘irresponsible’ ex-PM over watch saga

Five years on from her departure from Australia Post, former CEO Christine Holgate says she still does not regret gifting Cartier watches, worth a total of $20,000, to four senior executives who steered the organisation through COVID-19, despite losing her job over the decision.

Holgate, who was exonerated by an inquiry and received compensation over the circumstances of her exit, has also taken aim at former prime minister Scott Morrison, who declared in parliament that if she did not wish to stand aside, "she should go".

''I guess it feels like you've been run over and not just run over," Holgate told me in a revealing interview on The Pay Off podcast.

READ MORE: PM, Trump meeting finally locked in

"You've been reversed over again.

"So was I disappointed in him? Yes, I was.

"I don't think you totally do (get over that disappointment) because it's like a car crash, but do you learn from it?

"I think yes, I have learned a lot from it. You learn a lot about leadership and the type of leadership you want to be.

''Í do not regret for one moment recognising the contribution from those people. 

"The irony is I could have given them $150,000 each and not have to ask anyone for permission."

Holgate, now group executive chairman of Team Global Express, also said Morrison owes Australia Post employees an apology over the damage she says he inflicted on the brand.

''He owes an apology to all those mum and dads who own those post offices, all the workforce he put through an incredibly difficult time just as we were going into peak (season).

"It was irresponsible, and it was wrong.

"He put a black shadow over their brand, which is an outstanding organisation and does an enormous amount of good.

''He knew attacking a female CEO who just weeks before had been ranked the most powerful female in the Australian Fin Review … would create national headlines.

"It was the same week robodebt had come out and another issue was going to come the next day.

"It was a massive distraction. So clearly, hanging me instead saved his own neck for a period of time.''

Then-prime minister Scott Morrison savaged Christine Holgate during Question Time in October 2020.

READ MORE: Westpac axes 200 teller jobs

Holgate, who joined logistics company Team Global Express in 2021, does have regrets, however, over accepting a salary that was less than half that of her male predecessors when she took on the top job at Australia Post. 

''I didn't push back on it," she said.

"In fact, it was a lot less than half the pay. Maybe it was half the base pay.

"And at the time, I took a 40 per cent pay cut to go and do the job. 

"I kind of regret that…. because it probably wasn't a great role model thing to do for other women.

"So if any other women are listening to this, please, can you not make the same mistake."

As the leader of a company that directly employs up to 10,000 people, Holgate says that her philosophy as a leader was forged during her teenage years in London when she left home with nowhere to go.   

''I found myself in Euston station, sitting on the floor with no home and no job. And probably not many prospects either.

"And it really taught me about the importance of pride of work, but also when you have no money, how you get disadvantaged on so many different levels and how hard it is to take it from there to go forward.''

The Pay Off interview with Christine Holgate releases tomorrow.

Optus says fatal triple-zero outage was caused by ‘human error’

Optus' major triple-zero outage last week was caused by a team failing to follow step one of an upgrade procedure, the head of the telco has revealed.

Optus chief executive Stephen Rue has said a firewall upgrade was botched due to "human error", leading to the issue that affected more than 631 emergency calls and was linked to three deaths over 13 hours on Thursday.

"Preliminary investigations have determined that on the first night of the upgrade, the steps taken on past successful upgrades of a similar nature were not followed," he told the media today.

READ MORE: Three people died when a critical service temporarily failed. How exactly does it work?

Optus CEO Stephen Rue updates media on the company's response to its emergency communications failures.

"On this occasion of the upgrade of 18 September, the first step in the process was not followed." 

Rue said step one of the upgrade is to divert calls away from the relevant part of the core network to a separate part of the core network, which would have allowed calls to go through as normal. 

He said the team was comprised of both Optus and third-party Nokia staff in Australia and India.

"The team is based both here and it's also based in Chennai," he said. 

Rue knocked back any suggestions that the issue was caused by taking jobs offshore or job cuts, instead maintaining that it was an issue with the upgrade procedure. 

"This is not about Nokia. This is about Optus's accountability to ensure its network operates. That's what this is about," he said.

READ MORE: Jimmy Kimmel back on TV after being sidelined for Charlie Kirk remarks

An Optus phone sign hangs above its store in Sydney

Optus admitted that five people had called their customer service line to report an issue affecting triple-zero calls on Thursday, but the matter was not escalated and the telco remained unaware of the error.

Rue said that 86 of the 631 customers who failed to connect to triple zero did get through, with about 65 reaching emergency services by camping on to another carrier like Telstra or TPG.

"But early internal investigations have therefore determined there were approximately 480 customers who did not get through to triple zero," he said.

"The independent review, as well as our ongoing investigation, will be examining why this happened and will determine whether there are any patterns that exist to the core failures."

Rue admitted that Optus had "absolutely" suffered reputational damage.

"There are no words that can express how sorry I am about the very sad loss of the lives of four people who could not reach emergency services in their time of need," he said.

READ MORE: Coles and Woolies named among country's most 'distrusted' brands

Raquel said calls to triple zero failed in April.

Optus commissions independent review 

Optus has commissioned an independent review, led by Kerry Schott, into the outage.

Schott is currently a Director of AGL, Chair of the Carbon Market Institute and Chair of the Competition Review Panel.

The review will examine Optus' management of triple zero calls and actions in response to the incident in adherence to policies, procedures and legal requirements.

The report is expected to be completed before the end of the year. 

Optus Board Chairman John Arthur said the board was working with Rue and promised to prevent any further repetition of this incident, which is Optus' second major triple-zero outage in about two years.

"What has occurred is clearly unacceptable, and on behalf of the Board, I apologise for this failure in our accountability to all those who relied on our triple-zero services," he said in a statement.

READ MORE: Water taps risk running dry in vast swathes of Australia

Kerry Schott at the AFR  Infrastructure Summit 2023.

"I particularly express my deep condolences to the families and friends of the four people who passed away."

Optus paid a $12 million fine after a technical issue left more than 2000 people unable to ring triple zero in 2023, but failed to implement a third of the recommendations from an investigation into the incident.

Last week's outage has left the axe looming over Rue, who was hired in November after his predecessor Kelly Bayer Rosmarin stepped down following fallout from the 2023 outage.

The Australian Media and Communications Authority is also investigating the incident, with Communications Minister Anika Wells vowing that Optus will face "significant consequences" and be "held to account".

But any potential penalties the telco faces will largely be financial, rather than criminal.

Wells also hinted at a wider review into the telco industry and emergency service network, as Optus is not the only provider to oversee triple-zero outages.

READ MORE: Albanese, Trump meet face-to-face for the first time as formal meeting locked in

Generic Image of a mobile phone tower

Optus owner is 'deeply sorry'

The Singapore-based owner of Optus has issued an apology over last week's fatal triple-zero outage.

Singtel Group chief executive Yuen Kuan Moon said he was "deeply sorry" to learn about the incident.

"Our hearts go out to the families and friends of those who have passed away and we know that Optus will get to the bottom of this matter," he said in his first statement since the outage.

"We are working with the Optus board and management to ensure a thorough investigation of this incident to prevent any future recurrence.

"Optus has been cooperating fully and transparently with all relevant government agencies and regulatory bodies while the matter is being investigated and will share the findings in due course."

Singtel has invested over $9.3 billion into Optus over the past five years.

A large portion of that funding has been for building network infrastructure across Australia. 

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Bruce Lehrmann makes bid for legal funding after raid by anti-corruption watchdog

The federal anti-corruption watchdog is trying to shake off legal action brought by Bruce Lehrmann after a raid on the former political staffer's home.

Lehrmann claims he was repeatedly advised that he was entitled to funding for legal representation during a National Anti-Corruption Commission investigation following an "unlawful" raid on his house in June 2024.

The anti-corruption body was searching for sensitive submarine documents Lehrmann was alleged to have stolen from the office of former defence minister Linda Reynolds.

READ MORE: ABC fined $150k for sacking presenter over Gaza post

Bruce Lehrmann (right) leaves the Magistrates Court in Toowoomba, Queensland, June 17, 2024. Mr Lehrmann is charged with two counts of rape.  Picture: Dan Peled

His lawsuit against Commissioner Paul Brereton and federal Labor government minister Don Farrell was heard for the first time today.

"It's my position that the Commonwealth is delaying funding unnecessarily as to a denial of procedural fairness," Lehrmann told the Federal Court.

He asked the court for time to amend his originating application in light of correspondence from the commission which he deemed "rather inflammatory and quite intimidatory".

The request was not opposed.

But the commissioner's lawyer argued Brereton was not the right person to sue as he was not designated as a relevant decision-maker.

"But the Attorney (General Michelle Rowland) might be," Justice Brigitte Markovic mused.

READ MORE: Bad buildings, biological weapons and killing cows: Trump's most notable lines at the UN

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday 4 September 2025. fedpol Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Lehrmann said he had made an application to her office to that effect, but he had been "handballed around", ending up with Farrell.

He suggested that was due to his former employment as a political staffer.

The court gave Lehrmann until October to determine who should be a respondent.

Brereton and Farrell have not filed defences to Lehrmann's claims.

It comes after Lehrmann accused Brereton of lacking the confidence of the Australian public and called for him to resign in a letter to Rowland.

"The principle at stake is simple: no integrity body can credibly investigate and compel citizens while its own leadership is tainted by unresolved conflicts," he wrote on September 12.

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Kimmel tears up on return to late night show

Talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has tearfully said he never wanted to "make light" of Charlie Kirk's assassination as he returned to US television screens following his brief suspension.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! was pre-recorded at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and has now begun airing on ABC in the United States at 11.35pm PST (1.35pm AEST) today.

The host was treated to a standing ovation as he arrived on stage, before he launched into an emotional speech about Kirk and his suspension.

READ MORE: ABC fined $150k for sacking presenter over Gaza post

JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE!  "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" airs every weeknight at 11:35 p.m. ET and features a diverse lineup of guests that include celebrities, athletes, musical acts, comedians and human interest subjects, along with comedy bits and a house band. The guests for Tuesday, September 23 included Glen Powell ("Chad Powers"), and musical guest Sarah McLachlan. (Disney/Randy Holmes)  JIMMY KIMMEL  (Photo by Randy Holmes/Disney via Getty Images)

READ MORE: Years before AI deepfakes, Sarah's face was stolen by a friend

The host began his show with a montage of news clips covering his sensational suspension.

Kimmel was then seen wearing a bear suit while comedian Guillermo Rodriguez dressed as a banana.

As he kicked off his emotional monologue, Kimmel's voice broke as he directly addressed the comments he made about Kirk.

"It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man," Kimmel said.

"I don't think there's anything funny about it."

Kimmel said it was not his intention to "blame any specific group for the actions" of Kirk's alleged killer.

"It was obviously a deeply disturbed individual," he said.

"That was really in the opposite of the point I was trying to make, but I understand that to some that felt either ill-timed or unclear, or maybe both.

"And for those who think I did point a finger, I get why you're upset.

"If the situation was reversed, there's a good chance I'd have felt the same way."

Kimmel then explained he doesn't believe the man who shot Kirk represents anyone.

He described him as a "sick individual who believed violence was a solution".

"And also selfishly, I am a person who gets a lot of threats. I get many ugly and scary threats against my life, my wife, my kids, my co-workers because of what I choose to say," Kimmel continued.

"And I know those threats don't come from the kind of people on the right who I know and love."

He praised Kirk's widow Erica for publicly forgiving her husband's alleged killer.

"Erica Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow," he said.

"A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply and I hope it touches many."

Kimmel said countless people reached out to him during the week he was off-air.

He thanked them for their support, which included an email from his old boss in Seattle who fired him in 1989.

"Weirdly, maybe maybe most of all, I want to thank the people who don't support my show and what I believe, but support my right to share those beliefs anyway," he said.

He joked that the US has become so authoritarian that a late-night host from Germany offered him a job.

"Can you imagine? This country has become so authoritarian. The Germans are like, 'come here, cut loose'," Kimmel added.

As his attention turned to Donald Trump, Kimmel said the president's attempt at censoring him had backfired.

"He tried his best to cancel me. Instead, he forced millions of people to watch the show," he said.

"He might have to release the Epstein files to distract us from this now."

Kimmel also poked fun at Trump's latest headlines, a running theme in his monologues.

READ MORE: NSW uni student's arm 'torched' after phone charger explodes

This time, it was about the president's announcement linking Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism in children.

"Follow the advice of Donald Trump and you too can look like a glazed ham with deep-vein thrombosis," he joked.

Kimmel's monologue marked his first public comments since being pulled off-air last week.

The show was sidelined after comments the host made about Kirk's death.

He said in his September 15 monologue that the "MAGA gang" were "desperately trying to characterise this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them".

Among the guests on Kimmel's comeback show are actor Glen Powell and singer Sarah McLachlan, along with a cameo from Robert De Niro.

The Oscar-winning star dialled into the show via video and performed a skit as the "new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman".

"Pardon me for saying, and maybe you're the wrong guy to talk to, but it seems like the FCC is using mob tactics to suppress free speech," Kimmel told De Niro.

"Depends on what you want to say," The Godfather Part II and Goodfellas star said.

"If you want to say something nice about the president's beautiful, thick, yellow hair or how he can do his make-up better than any broad, that's free.

"But if you want to do a joke like he's so fat he needs two seats on the Epstein jet, that's gonna cost you."

READ MORE: Macron forced to walk NYC streets as Trump motorcade blocks traffic

Trump says Kimmel should 'rot in his bad ratings'

Trump took to his social media platform of choice to take aim at Kimmel ahead of his show's return.

The president labelled ABC, which airs Jimmy Kimmel Live!, as "fake news" for giving the host his job back.

"Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his 'talent' was never there," Trump said in a fiery message on Truth Social.

"Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who's not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE."

Trump then said the ABC is a "total bunch of losers".

"Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings," he added.

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Father admits gunning down man on suburban street but says it’s not murder

A father has admitted he gunned down another man in a suburban street but says it was a clumsy accident.

Lawyers for Luke James Picking told a Victorian Supreme Court jury the 42-year-old did kill Abdurhman Jemal, 33, in March 2024.

But they denied he committed murder, arguing Picking did not mean to pull the trigger and he should instead be found guilty of manslaughter.

READ MORE: Victoria begins nine-month, $976 million blitz to improve state's roads

Luke James Picking arrives at the Melbourne Supreme Court in Melbourne today.

"What happened here was a warning that went wrong," Picking's barrister Peter Morrissey SC told the jury today.

Prosecutors allege Picking and his son Brodi, 19, ambushed Jemal outside a Glenroy shopping strip in Melbourne's north about 4.30am on March 29.

Brodi, who is also on trial for murder, knew Jemal but the pair had a falling out in early March after Brodi accused the 33-year-old of stealing his wallet.

READ MORE: Many pandemic measures 'a waste of time': former top doctor

Abdurhman Jemal murder Melbourne

The two men had an argument in a Bunnings car park on March 28, with Brodi allegedly telling a friend he was "going to f—ing kill the c—", the jury was told.

Prosecutors allege in the hour before the shooting, Brodi and Luke Picking drove past locations connected to Jemal, including his mother's home.

It's alleged they located Jemal driving a red Hyundai in Glenroy and followed the 33-year-old until he pulled over and confronted them.

CCTV footage played to the jury showed yelling between the two groups before Jemal was shot in the face.

Prosecutors allege Luke Picking said "you want a f—ing air raid" to Jemal before firing the bullet and speeding off.

READ MORE: Father and son, 7, fighting for lives after family of five caught in horror house fire

Jemal stumbled back to his car and managed to press down on the horn before he collapsed.

He died after suffering multiple shotgun pellets to the face and neck.

Morrissey told the jury Luke Picking was responsible for Jemal's death and had already offered a plea to manslaughter, which prosecutors rejected.

The barrister argued Picking had only intended to threaten Jemal and it went wrong.

"He did mean to present the gun … but he didn't mean to pull the trigger," Morrissey told the jury.

READ MORE: 'Miracle' as police dog Rocco escapes horror crash with only a few scrapes

Morrissey said there would be evidence from a neurologist, who had identified issues with Picking's hands that caused him to be clumsy.

Brodi Picking's barrister Rishi Nathwani KC conceded his client was in the car when Luke fired the fatal shot. 

But he told the jury Brodi did not know there was a loaded gun in the vehicle and he never made an agreement with his father to murder Jemal.

"He did not positively assist or encourage his dad to do so," Nathwani said.

It was also disputed that Brodi was still upset about the stolen wallet at the time of the shooting, the barrister said.

Prosecutors allege after the killing, Luke Picking contacted his friend Ian Harris, 49, to dispose of the gun.

Harris' barrister Rahmin de Kretser accepted his client did take possession of the firearm but argued Harris did not know it had been used to kill someone.

de Kretser told the jury they should have great doubts his client was guilty of assisting an alleged murderer.

The trial before Justice Jane Dixon continues.

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Some TikTok users are convinced the world will end today. Here’s why

The world was supposed to end today – at least, according to one sect of TikTok users.

"RaptureTok" has taken over millions of users' For You Pages, revealing videos of religious Americans who are convinced the end times are upon us.

They subscribe to the evangelical Christian belief that the "Rapture", an apocalypse that will see Jesus Christ return to Earth and take true believers to heaven, is coming.

And they're convinced it's going to happen on September 23 and 24. Here's what you need to know.

READ MORE: ABC fined $150k for sacking presenter over Gaza post

A man lifts his hand towards heaven. Silhouette, rear view, unrecognizable person. Additional themes include salvation, god, praise and worship, holiness, righteousness, faith, sin, forgiveness, gratitude, meditation, prayer, self, asking, pleading, hope, heaven, healing, spirituality, balance, religious, and Christianity.

What is 'RaptureTok'?

A surprising number of TikTok users, most of them from the US, have posted videos claiming that the rapture will occur on September 23 and 24.

Several TikTok users who have made videos about the supposedly impending rapture have detailed how they're preparing to leave the Earth for heaven.

"When you finally start moving up into the air, I recommend that you don't hold on to anything … keep your face looking upwards," one user said.

One user shared a clip of a car being put on a tow truck and claiming they sold their car because they wouldn't need it after the rapture.

Another claimed she stocked her home with canned food and left 'instructions' for the people who will be left behind on Earth after the rapture.

Some have even spoken about how they're preparing their children for the rapture.

READ MORE: Bad buildings, biological weapons and killing cows: Trump's most notable lines at the UN

a kid reading the holy bible with guide by parents

The movement, dubbed "RaptureTok" by some users, has sparked confusion and ridicule on social media.

But the more non-believers interact with "RaptureTok" content, even if only to poke fun at it, the more the TikTok algorithm pushes similar content to users.

Hence why "RaptureTok" appears to be all over everyone's feeds right now.

Why do people think the rapture will happen this week?

The theory that the rapture will occur on September 23 and 24 appears to have originated with a South African man named Joshua Mhlakela.

Mhlakela holds no religious titles but claimed to have previously worked as a pastor.

In June, YouTube user CettwinzTV posted an interview with Mhlakela where he claimed to have had a vision of Christ telling him the rapture was coming.

"He says to me: 'On [September] 23 and 24, 2025, I will come to take my Church,'" Mhlakela said in the clip.

"The rapture is upon us, whether you are ready or not."

The video has since been viewed more than half a million times.

READ MORE: NSW uni student's arm 'torched' after phone charger explodes

This is the YouTube video where Joshua Mhlakela claimed the world would end on September 23 and 24.

What is the rapture according to the Bible?

Though the rapture is a staple in some Christian belief systems, the word 'rapture' does not actually appear in the Bible.

Several passages in the New Testament reference the second coming of Christ, the end of the world, or other events that believers may link to the Rapture.

One such reference is Thessalonians 4:13–17, which reads: "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

"After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord Forever."

READ MORE: Supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths named among Australia's most distrusted brands

Closeup shot of reading holy bible.

The book of Revelation also details specific signs that will precede the end of the world in chapters five, six and eight.

It starts with seven 'seals'; a white horse, a red horse, a black horse, a pale horse, martyred souls, natural disasters, and silence in heaven.

Following the breaking of the seven seals, angels will sound seven trumpets of judgement, signalling the end of days.

Belief in the rapture specifically can be traced back to mid-19th century Britain.

Christians already believed in the second coming of Christ but this new belief suggested that only some people – especially virtuous Christians, usually – would be accepted into Heaven.

The theory gained traction in the 20th century and was picked up by evangelical media, later spreading into pop culture as well.

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Water taps risk running dry in vast swathes of Australia

Southern Australia is among the global regions forecast to experience "day-zero droughts", periods of extreme drought and water shortages in the years ahead, according to new research.

The study, published in the journal Nature this week, examined how periods of drier and warmer weather driven by climate change will impact agriculture and ecosystems, including water supply.

Australia's southern states are projected to endure more prolonged day-zero drought events with less time between each one, limiting their ability to recover.

READ MORE: Where 'day-zero droughts' could happen as soon as this decade

It could face this situation as early as the 2020s or 2030s.

The scientists used a large number of climate models to assess the timing and likelihood of day-zero droughts.

Christian Franzke, a climate scientist at Pusan National University in South Korea and an author of the report, said they are "unprecedented water scarcity events, events which haven't occurred so far".

"It's when you turn on your water tap and no water comes out," he said.

South Australia has already had a taste of what may come in the years ahead following the severe drought earlier this year.

Parts of South Australia, south-west Victoria and north-west Tasmania had their driest start to the year on record.

It left farmers pleading for emergency supplies of hay, or selling stock to stay in business, while some isolated communities depended on water being trucked in as reservoirs ran dry.

Franzke said the study's findings point to the clear need to speed up the clean energy transition, he said, as well as improve water management — huge amounts are wasted through leaky pipes, for example.

– With CNN

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Bad buildings, biological weapons and killing cows: Trump’s most notable lines at the UN

US President Donald Trump's hour-long address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York was full of mockery, bizarre tangents and praises for his own accomplishments.

He spent a considerable amount of time criticising the UN for its "bad teleprompter and bad building" and failure to stop international conflicts, leaving it up to him to end seven "unendable" wars.

Maybe his most shocking line was when he told world leaders, "Your countries are going to hell" if they did not crack down on migration. 

READ MORE: Macron forced to walk NYC streets as Trump motorcade blocks traffic

If you don't have the time to sit through the entire speech, fret not. Here is a compilation of some of the president's most notable lines. 

'Whoever's operating this teleprompter is in big trouble'

Trump's speech was off to a rocky start due to some temporary teleprompter issues.

He didn't seem to mind and said this was an opportunity to "speak more from the heart".

"I don't mind making this speech without a teleprompter because the teleprompter is not working," he said.

"I feel very happy to be up here with you, nevertheless, and that way, you speak more from the heart. I can only say that whoever's operating this teleprompter is in big trouble."

The teleprompter was ultimately fixed.

'We're the hottest country' 

This is a line that we heard quite a bit during his address.

"Just eight months into my administration, we're the hottest country anywhere in the world, and there is no other country even close," he said. 

Trump was unabashedly boastful, patting himself on the back for building the "greatest economy in the history of the world".

"We had the best economy ever, history of the world. And I'm doing the same thing again, but this time it's actually much bigger and even better. The numbers far surpass my record-setting first term," he said.

The president spoke about a "prosperous" world during his first term, which descended into "weakness, lawlessness and radicalisation" under the former Biden administration.

READ MORE: Popular beef mince recalled over plastic found in packets

'I want to thank the country of El Salvador'

The president threw in a shoutout to El Salvador for taking in people the US has deported, including people who are not from El Salvador and who do not appear to be criminals.

They have been held in a controversial prison – the Centre for Terrorism Confinement.

"I want to thank the country of El Salvador for the successful and professional job they've done in receiving and jailing so many criminals that entered our country," he said.

"On the world stage, America is respected again like it has never been respected before. You think about two years ago, three years ago, four years ago, or one year ago, we were a laughingstock all over the world."

'I have ended seven unendable wars'

Trump has criticised the UN for its failure to stop global conflicts and leaving it up to him to end several wars.

"In a period of just seven months, I have ended seven unendable wars," he said.

"It's too bad that I had to do these things instead of the United Nations doing them, and sadly, in all cases, the United Nations did not even try to help in any of them.

"I ended seven wars, dealt with the leaders of each and every one of these countries and never even received a phone call from the United Nations offering to help in finalising the deal."

Trump does get credit for hosting peace talks between Armenia and Azerbaijan after nearly four decades of war.

The conflict in Congo and Rwanda continues, however, despite Trump's peace effort.

India has rejected the idea that Trump ended its short-lived conflict with Pakistan.

The ceasefire between Iran and Israel was also negotiated by Qatar and came only after Israel violated Trump's previous ceasefire announcement.

Neither Kosovo and Serbia nor Ethiopia and Egypt were technically at war during Trump's term.

READ MORE: Albanese, Trump meeting confirmed for White House

This building needs work

Trump first criticised the bad teleprompter, and now, he is going after the escalator. 

"All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle," Trump said.

"If the first lady wasn't in great shape, she would have fallen, but she's in great shape. We're both in good shape. We both stood.

"These are the two things I got from the United Nations: a bad escalator and a bad teleprompter."

Trump appeared to dislike the UN's headquarters building. We will learn more on this shortly.

'What is the purpose of the United Nations?'

The mockery of the UN continues.

"What is the purpose of the United Nations? The UN has such tremendous potential. I've always said it. It has such tremendous, tremendous potential, but it's not even coming close to living up to that potential, for the most part," he said.

"At least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up.

"It's empty words, and empty words don't solve war. The only thing that solves war and wars is action."

Trump is heralding his own peace efforts.

He, however, has failed to stop the war in Gaza and Ukraine he promised to end as a presidential candidate.

READ MORE: Trump calls climate change 'the greatest con job ever perpetrated' on the world

A general view shows a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters.

'Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize'

Several world leaders have endorsed the idea of awarding Trump the Nobel Peace Prize over high-profile diplomatic efforts.

If he wins, he would be the fifth US president to do so.

But in his speech, Trump said he does not care about winning prizes. 

"Everyone says that I should get the Nobel Peace Prize for each one of these achievements," he said.

"But for me, the real prize will be the sons and daughters who live to grow up with their mothers and fathers because millions of people are no longer being killed in endless and unglorious wars.

"What I care about is not winning prizes; it's saving lives. We save millions and millions of lives with the seven wars. And we have others that we're working on. And you know that."

Seriously, this building

And he's gone right back to the UN building. 

He revealed he had actually bid on rebuilding the headquarters, but they went in a different direction. 

"Many years ago, a very successful real estate developer in New York, known as Donald J. Trump, I bid on the renovation and rebuilding of this very United Nations complex," he said.

"But they decided to go in another direction, which was much more expensive at the time and which actually produced a far inferior product.

"It was going to cost them a fortune. And I said, and wait till you see the overruns. Well, I turned out to be right.

"They had massive cost overruns and spent between 2 and 4 billion dollars on the building and did not even get the marble floors that I promised them. You walk on terrazzo. Do you notice that?

"As far as I'm concerned, frankly, looking at the building and getting stuck on the escalator, they still haven't finished the job.

"The project was so corrupt that Congress actually asked me to testify before them on the tremendous waste of money.

"Unfortunately, many things in the United Nations are happening just like that, but on an even much bigger scale. Much, much bigger. Very sad to see."

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People walk around the plaza by the Sphere Within Sphere outside the United Nations Headquarters.

The US is in the minority by not recognising a Palestinian state

Trump spoke about the recognition of Palestinian statehood a day after Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined France, the UK, Belgium and several other countries in formally confirming their support. 

"As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state," he said.

"The rewards would be too great for Hamas' terrorists for their atrocities… but instead of giving in to Hamas' ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message: Release the hostages now. Just release the hostages now."

More than 150 of the 193 UN-recognised countries have recognised Palestine as a state.

Stop doing business with Russia

"Even NATO countries have not cut off much Russian energy and Russian energy products, which, as you know, I found out about two weeks ago and I wasn't happy. Think of it — they're funding the war against themselves," he said.

"Who the hell ever heard of that one?"

Europe does indeed continue to import oil from Russia but far less than before the war, when Russia was Europe's largest oil importer.

The US continues to import things like fertiliser from Russia, according to a CNN report.

'Ending the development of biological weapons'

Trump has used his speech to announce his plan to end biological weapons. 

"Just a few years ago, reckless experiments overseas gave us a devastating global pandemic, yet despite that worldwide catastrophe, many countries are continuing the extremely risky research into bio-weapons and manmade pathogens," he said.

"This is unbelievably dangerous."

He added that he wanted to hold a biological weapons convention. 

"To prevent potential disasters, I'm announcing today that my administration will lead an international effort to enforce biological weapons convention, which is going to be meeting with the top leaders of the world by pioneering an AI verification system that everyone can trust," he said.

"Hopefully, the UN can play a constructive role, and it will also go — be one of the early projects under AI.

"Let's see how good it is, 'cause a lot of people are saying it could be one of the great things ever, but it also can be dangerous, but it can be put to tremendous use and tremendous good. And this would be an example of that."

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President Donald Trump gestures with his hands as he addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

'You're destroying your countries'

Trump tackles the issue of migration in Europe.

"We have reasserted that America belongs to the American people, and I encourage all countries to take their own stand in defence of their citizens as well," he said.

"You have to do that because I see it. I'm not mentioning names. I see it, and I can call every single one of them out. You're destroying your countries. They're being destroyed.

"Europe is in serious trouble.

"They've been invaded by a force of illegal aliens like nobody's ever seen before. Illegal aliens are pouring into Europe.

"Nobody has ever — and nobody's doing anything to change it, to get them out. It's not sustainable. And because they choose to be politically correct, they're doing just absolutely nothing about it."

'Your countries are going to hell'

In arguably one of the most jarring lines in his entire speech, Trump tells the world leaders that their countries are going to hell.

"It's time to end the failed experiment of open borders," he said.

"You have to end it now. It's — I can tell you. I'm really good at this stuff. Your countries are going to hell."

'We will blow you out of existence'

"We've recently begun using the supreme power of the United States military to destroy Venezuelan terrorists and trafficking networks led by Nicolás Maduro," he said, speaking about blowing up boats in the Caribbean.

"To every terrorist thug smuggling poisonous drugs into the United States of America, please be warned that we will blow you out of existence.

"That's what we're doing. We have no choice."

There's a very real question about whether Trump should be asking Congress for authority to make these strikes and whether they violate international law.

READ MORE: 'Rewards would be too great': Trump hits out at recognition of Palestine

President Donald Trump addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

'It's the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world'

Trump said green energy is the "greatest con job".

"All green is all bankrupt. That's what it represents. And it's not politically correct, I'll be very badly criticised for saying it, but I'm here to tell the truth," he said.

"I don't care, it doesn't matter to me. I'm in New York City. I'm feeling a lot safer.

"It's the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world, in my opinion. Climate change, no matter what happens, you're involved in that. No more global warming, no more global cooling."

Trump blamed the UN for raising the alarm about climate change.

"All of these predictions made by the United Nations and many others, often for bad reasons, were wrong," he said.

"They were made by stupid people that have cost their countries fortunes and given those same countries no chance for success. If you don't get away from this green scam, your country is going to fail."

He also went on the attack against what he called the "falsely named renewables".

"By the way, they're a joke. They don't work. They're too expensive; they're not strong enough to fire up the plants that you need to make your country great," he said.

"The wind doesn't blow. Those big windmills are so pathetic and so bad, so expensive to operate, and they have to be rebuilt all of the time and they start to rust and rot."

'I've been right about everything'

Trump said he is "really good about predicting things".

"I don't say that in a braggadocious way, but it's true," he said.

"I've been right about everything. And I'm telling you that if you don't get away from the green energy scam, your country is going to fail.

"And if you don't stop people that you've never seen before, that you have nothing in common with, your country is going to fail.

"I'm the president of the United States but I worry about Europe. I love Europe, I love the people of Europe, and I hate to see it being devastated by energy and immigration."

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Stop being nice and politically correct

Trump drew together the ideas of climate change and immigration. 

"You want to be nice, you want to be politically correct, and you're destroying your heritage," he said.

"They must take control strongly and immediately of the unmitigated immigration disaster and the fake energy catastrophe before it's too late.

"The carbon footprint is a hoax made up by people with evil intentions, and they're heading down a path of total destruction."

'They want to kill all the cows'

Trump has made an argument against doing anything at all about the climate. 

"So all of these countries are working so hard on the carbon footprint, which is nonsense, by the way. It's nonsense," he said.

"In the United States, we have, still, radicalised environmentalists, and they want the factories to stop.

"Everything should stop. No more cows. "We don't want cows anymore." I guess they want to kill all the cows."

Cow farts produce methane, and it is a major climate change issue, but there is no serious talk about killing all the cows. 

Bizarre standing order in the White House

It's a bizarre standing order, but Trump has made everyone in the White House refer to coal as "clean, beautiful coal". 

"I have a little standing order in the White House — never use the word "coal," only use the words, "clean, beautiful coal." It sounds much better, doesn't it?, he said.

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The exterior view of the south side of the White House is seen May 31, 2005 in Washington, DC.

Make the World Great Again?

He ended his hour-long speech with a blueprint on how the world can be 'great again', drawing reference to his Make America Great Again movement. 

"In closing, I just want to repeat that immigration and the high cost of so-called green renewable energy is destroying a large part of the free world, and a large part of our planet," he said.

"Countries that cherish freedom are fading fast because of their policies on these two subjects. You need strong borders and traditional energy sources if you are going to be great again."

– Reported with CNN

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Macron forced to walk NYC streets as Trump motorcade blocks traffic

Traffic during the United Nations General Assembly in New York can be brutal—even for presidents. 

French President Emmanuel Macron suddenly found himself stranded on the sidewalk Monday night. 

That's because President Donald Trump's motorcade had the street on lockdown. Macron picked up the phone and called Trump to jokingly complain about the gridlock. 

READ MORE: Years before AI deepfakes, Sarah's face was stolen by a friend

Macron called the US president when he was blocked by his motorcade.

"How are you? Guess what? I'm waiting in the street because everything is closed for you," Macron says on the call.

Eventually, the barricades opened for pedestrians, but not for cars. 

Macron had to keep the call going while walking to the French embassy. 

And if that wasn't unusual enough, a bystander seized the opportunity for a quick kiss with the French president. 

Macron's walk through the Big Apple took about a half hour.

The French president used his trip to New York to formally recognise the "State of Palestine" on behalf of France at the UN.

Australia, Canada, the UK and Portugal have all made similar announcements.

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Years before AI deepfakes, Sarah’s face was stolen by a friend

It all started for Sarah with a strange Facebook message that arrived out of the blue. 

"One of your friends has been very naughty," the message, sent by a complete stranger, said. 

It was over ten years ago and Sarah was a student at a Victorian university, studying business and economics.

READ MORE: TV presenter backs NSW's tough new laws on sexually-explicit deepfakes

Sarah, pictured as the maid-of-honour at her sister's wedding. A trusted friend took this photo and digitally altered it to make it explicit.

Back then, the AI-powered deepfake apps that have become so common and problematic today did not exist, but the message contained screenshots of something eerily similar.

There were altered photos of Sarah with her face superimposed onto graphic pornographic images.

The original photos used of Sarah were innocent —a headshot at age 14, and another of her at 19, a beautiful picture from her sister's wedding where she was maid of honour.

The violation was unsettling.

The most confronting part to Sarah was that she had never been exposed to pornography before.

Her first experience with it was seeing her own face on explicit content.

"It made me feel violated in a very strange way," she said.

"I felt angry." 

Some internet sleuthing led to a further horrifying discovery – her photos had been uploaded to "fakes" websites, where users had been asked to photoshop them.

Some of the results were convincing, while others were clearly bad work.

The fake photos had then been uploaded to pornographic websites.

"I managed to have the images removed on one technicality – the images that had been uploaded of me were when I was age 14," Sarah said.

"I contacted the sites, directly letting them know I would pursue police action for child pornography. All sites removed my images."

The original photos were taken from Sarah's private Facebook page.

Initially, she had no idea who was behind it and deleted over 300 people from her social media, fearing that anyone could be responsible.

Sarah was 14 years old in this photo. Her trusted friend also had this photo digitally altered.

One of the men she deleted from her Facebook friends list was John*.

An international student, John held a position of trust at the university. 

"He was quiet and reserved and generally quite kind; he was a trusted man, holding a position of authority amongst the student body," Sarah said.

When Sarah had any problems, she would confide in John because of his mentoring position.

The pair were also friends and would hang out together socially.

But they had a brief falling out, and for that reason, Sarah decided to include him in her Facebook cull.

However, six months later, John sent her a Facebook friend request, and fearing she had overreacted, she accepted. 

Around a month later, more images of Sarah appeared online.

Having believed that the problem was over, seeing more digitally altered and explicit photos of herself online hit her hard.

"I wasn't sleeping, my exercise and diet were all over the place and I felt constantly dirty and like I wanted to throw up," Sarah said.

Determined to track down who was responsible, and now strongly suspecting John, Sarah did some more digging online.

Searching by the uploader's username, Sarah noticed some digitally altered photos of other female friends and acquaintances from within her university social circle.

John, she realised, was the common factor, the one person who was friends with all of the women on Facebook.

A mutual friend contacted John, who was overseas at the time, and confronted him about the images that had been found.

John broke down and confessed, Sarah said.

"He said it was because of a deep addiction to pornography and a growing obsession to be able to see the women he knew and fantasised about naked," Sarah said.

Sarah had initially reported the matter to the police, but felt her complaint was brushed off at the time.

Now, armed with this new information, Sarah went back to the police. As did her friend, whom John had confessed to.

Months later, Sarah received a call from the sex crimes unit, who told her John's passport had been flagged, meaning he would be arrested if he ever re-entered Australia. 

Sarah also reported the matter to the university, which took disciplinary action against John, excluding him from his course and barring him studying at the university ever again.

More than a decade later, Sarah's experience has had a lasting impact. 

Looking at the photos John altered is still triggering and has tarnished her memories of the special events where they were taken. 

The incident influenced her decision to raise her own four children in an almost "tech-free" home.

She has also chosen not to post images of them online, especially given the prevalence of child pornography.

Sarah, who now has a strong Christian faith, said she holds no ill will towards John and forgives him.

"He suffered terrible consequences for his actions," she said, adding she hoped he was able to get the help he needed.

A new era of deepfakes

Sarah is sharing her story as police, governments and other authorities grapple with the growing problem of young people digitally altering photographs to make them explicit.

Australia's eSafety commissioner revealed in June that reports of deepfakes and other digitally altered images of people under 18 have more than doubled in the past 18 months, compared to total figures from seven years prior.

New research released today from the commissioner has shown the extent to which pornography has been normalised among children.

Almost one-third of Australian children – some as young as 10 years of age – have seen pornographic images or videos online, according to the eSafety research.

The federal government is looking to crack down on nudify apps.

Earlier this month, Communications Minister Anika Wells announced the federal government's plans to ban "nudify" tools and hold tech platforms accountable for failing to prevent users from accessing them.

Nudify or "undress" tools are available on app stores and websites.

They use artificial intelligence methods to create realistic but fake sexually explicit images of people.

Sarah said it was important that these tools should not be normalised, and people needed to realise the impact they could have.

"I think young people especially need to realise this isn't normal, it's perverted and harmful to all involved," she said.

Wells said having already criminalised the distribution of deepfake imagery, the government now wanted to shift the focus to preventing harm, before it happened in the first place.

Cybersecurity expert Simon Smith said while it was a good idea for the government to crack down on platforms that allow access to nudify apps, or advertisers that promote them, the reality was this would likely only work in the most direct of cases.

"I think blocking and trying to have a one-size-fits-all approach is impossible, especially with VPNs and the ability for people to bypass many, many different technology prevention measures," he said.

Banning nudify apps would also not get rid of other means of using AI to develop deepfakes, like chatbots, he added.

AI and how it worked was generally still misunderstood by most people, he said.

"AI is not some big magic monster, it is a structured set of rules that have always existed to be able to edit images," he said.

"By thinking that it can be something that can be just turned off or banned, that's showing an underlying complete misunderstanding of how AI, especially generative AI, itself works."

The future may well come where the best protection people have from deepfakes is to copyright their own face to prevent it being used in unauthorised images, Smith said.

*Name has been changed.

Do you have a story? Contact reporter Emily McPherson at EM********@******om.au