The News They "Forgot" to Report

Social media and the US in panic mode because the FAA went down for a day. Qantas and Virgin in Australia since forever: hold our beer, and your bags, and your connecting flight, been delaying for no reason for years 🤣

Microsoft Thursday, FAA comms Friday, now Workday says it broke its own systems testing the backups. Four "glitches" in two days. Each one has a boring explanation. Put together it looks like nobody's testing anything before they push it live. Or someone's testing us. 🤔

Dubbo tiler on a working visa refused bail on child sex charges A tiler on a working visa in Dubbo has been refused bail on child sex charges. The prosecutor told the court nobody knows when he plans to go back to his home country, which makes him a flight risk. He needed a translator in court. He stays in custody until a short mention on 21 January 2027, more than 10 weeks away.

The US Lt Col arrested in the UK not charged yet, and a US official says nothing went to Moscow. But he's reportedly HR at a NATO HQ, and people think HR is boring. HR handles personnel files: names, home addresses, postings, family details, who's deploying where and when, and often who holds which clearance. For a foreign service that's gold, because it shows who to target, pressure or recruit. US officers at that level commonly hold at least a Secret clearance, and NATO posts need a NATO clearance on top. Just my two cents. Charges still coming.

Microsoft yesterday, FAA comms today. Microsoft says it was a botched network upgrade, not hackers. FAA hasn't said a word on cause yet. Two "glitches" in two days hitting the biggest systems in the US? Maybe.

Haisem Zahab, the electrician from Young (who researched rocket guidance for Islamic State), served his full 9-year sentence without parole and was released in March. The Federal Court has now kept him under an AFP control order until 22 March 2027. The judge found a "real and unacceptable level of risk" that he could fall back into the habits that led to his radicalisation. The ankle monitor came off, though, because the judge accepted it could be a barrier to him getting work. He can only travel in NSW or the ACT…

6 June 2022. Police are on their way to remove union organisers at Gap Road. Rail Projects Victoria's comms boss replies: "Thanks for the heads-up, I'll let MO know." MO, the inquiry heard, is the minister's office. The minister was Jacinta Allan. #springst

Wtaf is happening. A Vic police first constable, 32, has been charged with possessing and accessing child abuse material and bailed. Police say the offending happened in August while he was ‘off duty’. Their release doesn't name the court, give a date, or say whether he's been stood down. He's at least the FOURTH serving officer in Australia whose charges have been announced since 8 November.

Monday: Allan will "answer whatever questions the royal commission has for her." Wednesday: declined to comment. Friday: a public servant testifies her office's message to the builder was handle the CFMEU or "can't have any more work." Your turn, Jacinta. #springst

Central Coast: four men charged, 10 privately made shotguns, seven other firearms and homemade explosives seized. Yet the charges include 30 counts of supplying firearms to unauthorised people. So where are the guns allegedly sold?

Border Force flagged his phone at Sydney Airport on 23 October. Twenty days later the AFP raided his Villawood home. A 29-year-old man faced Bankstown court today, bail refused, on child abuse material and child sex charges carrying up to 20 years. That's THREE cases in NINE days that started with a Border Force phone check at an airport.

Gap Road's delivery director to the Royal Commission today, on the CFMEU's safety notices: "they weren't genuine safety issues... They never are." And after the meeting at union HQ? "Amazingly all our safety issues ceased." Funny how that works. #springst

Albanese stood up at COP31 and asked the WORLD to chip in for the Pacific Resilience Facility. Notice what's missing from his release? A single dollar. Australia pledged a "foundational" $100m at COP28. That was December 2023. Nearly three years later, the fund's own investor memo says we're paying it in three instalments, starting this year. The target is US$500m by December. By February, the world had pledged US$173m. Pledged, not paid. So Labor is passing the hat around at a summit it's co-running, while our own money is still trickling in. How much of our $100m has actually landed, Prime Minister? 🤔

Ten electrical pits opened and the copper cut out, with three large coils stashed in the scrub by a creek. Police say that around 2:30am on 5 Nov, officers spotted a man near an electrical pit at Paradise Rd and the Pacific Highway, Slacks Creek. They allege he took off on a bicycle, then on foot. When officers searched the area they found the 10 opened pits, the hidden coils and tools nearby. A 47-year-old Loganholme man is charged with two counts of stealing, wilful damage, possessing implements and obstructing police. He was remanded in custody and is due in Beenleigh Magistrates Court on 16 Feb. That's three weeks after Queensland passed tougher metal theft laws (15 Oct), with up to 25 years where lives are put at risk or during disasters. His charge list doesn't include any of the new offences. It's the second Queensland copper charge this month, after Goodna (Ipswich court, 25 Nov).

Second one today. Another NSW constable, this time from south-west Sydney, has been charged with accessing restricted police data and misconduct in public office. He's suspended with pay until court in January. Whose data, and have they been told?

Union shuts down Gap Road. WorkSafe finds no significant issues. So who did the state lean on? The builder. Asked if the message was "It's your fault, you fix it," CPB boss Craig Nuttall told the royal commission: "Yeah." #springst

Monday: a Sydney teen who researched a pressure-cooker plot gets 3 years' community corrections. No jail. Max penalty: life. Wednesday: counter-terror police raid an Auburn home and charge another teen, who allegedly had research on making explosives. Bomb squad called to an "unknown powder." What message did Monday send exactly?

John Holland's own briefing note, read out at the royal commission today: the CFMEU's "level of influence... within the Victoria Labor party" made dealing with the union crucial. Was that just conceding to its demands? "Yes. There was a lot of concessions required." #springst