What we learnt from the Telstra press conference
Telstra boss Vicki Brady has returned from holidays and addressed the network outage for the first time alongside chief financial officer Michael Ackland.
Here’s what the pair covered before bringing the press conference to a close after about 25 minutes.
Time for Telstra ‘to face the music’: minister
All welfare checks arising from the recent Telstra outage have now been completed, Communications Minister Anika Wells says.
“There were no adverse outcomes associated with those referrals,” Wells told journalists at a press conference at Parliament House, Canberra, a few moments ago.
“I’m sure that is of huge relief to Australians.”
Wells went on to say that it was now time for Telstra “to face the music”.
“Telstra has a lot of questions to answer. I expect that Telstra will co-operate fully and transparently.”
Asked whether Telstra CEO Vicki Brady should consider her position, Wells said: “I will wait for those facts and recommendations [from investigations] to come in.”
On Modi’s agenda: Australian rules footy
Turning back to the Indian Prime Minister’s visit, and Narendra Modi has made it clear Australian footy, and not just cricket, were on his agenda this trip.
“A short while ago, we watched children playing kabaddi, footy, Australian rules football, and cricket,” he said through a translator.
“Looking at their enthusiasm, it feels as though this was not an exhibition match, but an audition for future champions.
“Their confidence and energy make it clear that the future of sports, both in India and Australia, is exceptionally bright.”
Watch live: minister addresses Telstra outage
Communications Minister Anika Wells is due to speak to the media at 1pm AEST.
Watch live below.
Derryn Hinch has died, aged 82
Veteran broadcaster, bon vivant and sometime senator Derryn Hinch has died, aged 82, after a long battle with a series of infections arising from a bad fall last year.
In an interview with A Current Affair in November, Hinch claimed he had had 30 falls in the preceding 12 months, one of which left him lying on the floor of his St Kilda Road apartment for 12 hours before help arrived.
He suffered two broken ribs in that incident in September, and the after-effects lingered for the rest of his life, sending him back to the nearby Alfred Hospital for multiple extended stays.
In his frequent posts on Facebook, Hinch kept his friends and followers apprised of his health (declining) and his diet (tending to the mushy) while maintaining as much of an upbeat attitude as a man who had endured cancer treatment, heart surgery, an infected leg, and a liver transplant could muster.
Deadly bird flu suspected in local bird, seal
The detection of H5 bird flu in a local bird in South Australia is a dramatic escalation in the risk to local wildlife, with experts warning the virus may now spread across the continent.
In more alarming news, a seal in NSW is also under observation.
Scientists are testing to confirm their suspicion that a greater crested tern in South Australia is infected with the H5N1 strain that has killed hundreds of millions of birds around the world, as well as marine mammals.
These birds do not migrate, raising the likelihood that the infected bird caught the virus from an overseas visitor.
Albanese, Modi arrive at MCG, reveal ‘road map’ for sport collaboration
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have arrived at the MCG, where they were surrounded by Auskick kids. The young players swarmed to persuade Modi to sign their footy jumpers.
And then it was straight to business, with Albanese announcing that the Big Bash League would be starting in India, as previously reported exclusively by our chief cricket writer Daniel Brettig.
“The season opener for this summer’s Big Bash between the Melbourne Renegades and the Perth Scorchers will be played in Chennai on Saturday, the 12th of December, and it will kick off a week-long G’day Namaste festival of Australian sport, culture, and business engagement,” Albanese announced.
Naturally, a “road map” to bigger things in the future was required.
Four more H5 bird flu detections, first case in Australian seabird
CSIRO lab testing has confirmed four more H5 bird flu cases in Australia, bringing the total to 12 total detections, after confirming three more cases in South Australia, and another in WA.
One further suspected case from Western Australia is still being confirmed in the lab.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said one case was detected in a greater crested tern found in Robe, South Australia.
“This detection in South Australia is the first case of the H5 bird flu in an Australian seabird,” Collins said.
Burnham on track to become UK PM with majority support from MPs
Andy Burnham’s path to becoming the next UK prime minister looks certain after a vast majority of Labour MPs formally nominated him to be the next party leader.
At the end of the first day of the party’s leadership contest to replace Keir Starmer, 322 of 403 Labour members of Parliament voted for Burnham.
Responding to the confirmation of the vote number, Burnham said he was “deeply grateful” for the support he’s received from party colleagues, saying it “reflects a shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics.”
“That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode,” he said in a statement published online. “I want to thank every colleague who has nominated me for their commitment to that vision.”
One Nation support has ‘taken a long time of being persistent’: Hanson
Pauline Hanson has released a behind-the-scenes snippet of her embracing the far-right Islamophobic agitator who spurred Nine to part ways with Karl Stefanovic.
“He’s a famous man,” Hanson says of convicted felon Tommy Robinson in a video posted to X overnight.
Robinson, who has urged followers to prepare for a “battle of Britain”, has been twice denied an Australian visa. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, often considered Pauline Hanson’s British counterpart, has distanced himself from Robinson.
In the video, filmed as Robinson prepared to interview Hanson for his podcast, Robinson says to the One Nation leader: “Pleased to meet you. I’ve watched your fight from afar for a long time. For years. And I want to say thank you for the comments when you’ve spoken up for me at times”.
What we learnt from the Telstra press conference
Telstra boss Vicki Brady has returned from holidays and addressed the network outage for the first time alongside chief financial officer Michael Ackland.
Here’s what the pair covered before bringing the press conference to a close after about 25 minutes.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: www.smh.com.au
