Key posts
- Thousands of anti-war protesters detained in Russia
- Thousands displaced as true extent of NSW floods revealed
- Morrison plans east coast base for nuclear powered submarines
- This morning’s headlines at glance
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Thousands of anti-war protesters detained in Russia
Police detained more than 4300 people on Sunday at Russia-wide protests against President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, according to an independent protest monitoring group.
The protests came as Putin said his campaign in Ukraine – now into its 12th day – was going to plan and would not end until Kyiv stopped fighting.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s envoy to the United States has called on President Joe Biden’s administration to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow and to step up arms supplies to Kyiv, saying Russia should be treated “as a terrorist state”.
Ambassador Oksana Markarova in an interview on Fox News Sunday repeated charges that Russia is committing war crimes by targeting civilians, hospitals and schools.
“This is a terrorist state and we should treat Russia as a terrorist state,” Markarova said.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said the United States has seen “very credible reports” of deliberate attacks on civilians.
Moscow has repeatedly denied attacking civilian areas.
Reuters, Bloomberg
Thousands displaced as true extent of NSW floods revealed
More than 2000 homes and businesses in the state’s inundated Northern Rivers have been declared unliveable and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has warned the recovery will take years as the true extent of the disaster becomes clear.
Mr Perrottet on Sunday described scenes in Lismore and its surrounds as “unimaginable” while receding floodwaters revealed the scale of the deadly catastrophe. Short-term housing for the thousands displaced across the region has been identified as a priority.
Scenes of devastation in Lismore.Credit:Brook Mitchell
Two out of three flood-affected homes in Lismore, which bore the brunt of last week’s historic weather event, will need to be demolished and rebuilt, or substantially repaired, before they can be inhabited, while more than 200 schools across the state remain offline.
The NSW floods have also prompted Deputy Premier Paul Toole to call for a reassessment of where housing developments are permitted across the state, saying the government needed to ensure people were not settled in the path of potential natural disasters.
More on the situation in NSW here.
Morrison plans east coast base for nuclear powered submarines
A new base for nuclear-powered submarines will be built at either Brisbane, Newcastle or Port Kembla under a $10 billion plan to be announced by the Prime Minister later today.
Australia is set to buy a fleet of at least eight nuclear submarines from either the United States or Britain, at a cost of at least $116 billion, with delivery expected before 2040.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Credit:Louie Douvis
But in a major expansion of Australia’s defence footprint, Mr Morrison will reveal that a new base for the submarines will be chosen from one of three east coast sites by the end of next year. The government shortlisted the three east coast sites after reviewing 19 options.
Separately, Defence Minister Peter Dutton yesterday revealed he would announce which country Australia had selected to make its nuclear boats within the next “couple of months”.
Read the full story here.
This morning’s headlines at glance
Good morning and thanks for your company.
It’s Monday, March 7. I’m Broede Carmody and I’m back from leave to anchor this morning’s live coverage. I’m joined by Hanna Mills Turbet, who is monitoring all things Ukraine.
Here’s what you need to know before we get started:
- Russian authorities have detained more than 4000 people after Russia-wide protests against President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s envoy to the United States has labelled Russia a “terrorist state” and called on President Joe Biden to step up arms supplies to Kyiv. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is now into its 12th day.
- To the NSW and Queensland floods, and the NSW State Emergency Service says further evacuations are possible over the next 72 hours. Severe weather warnings are in place for the NSW Mid North Coast, Hunter, Sydney, Illawarra, South Coast, Tablelands and North West Slopes districts. Tom Rabe reports that more than 2000 homes and businesses in NSW’s Northern Rivers region are declared unliveable. Meanwhile, a man’s body has been pulled from floodwaters in Queensland’s south east. It takes Queensland’s death toll to 12.
- In federal politics, the Morrison government is looking to build a new submarine base between Wollongong and Brisbane amid growing tensions in the Asia Pacific. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is due to announce the $10 billion plan later today.
- In business news, tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes is expected to walk away from his offer to buy AGL after the energy giant’s board rejected a sweetened bid worth nearly $9 billion, Nick Toscano writes.
- And a health expert says extreme dieting can lead to an increased risk of a heart attack in those with existing cardiac problems. It comes after cricketing legend Shane Warne died over the weekend due to a suspected heart attack.
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