BEIJING: China has alleged that the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 turned two staff members of unnamed Chinese central state organs into spies for the British govt, its state security ministry said in a statement on Monday. The ministry said the case against the two spies, a married couple, isContinue Reading
Federal politicians and experts have raised concerns over weak security vetting for political staffers as experts warn of an uptick in foreign espionage activity ahead of the next election. The head of the Office of National Intelligence told a senate estimates hearing on Wednesday Australia faces a “serious and sustainedContinue Reading
Liberal MP Keith Wolahan has backed ASIO’s decision to keep the identity of a former politician working as a foreign spy secret despite initial calls from Peter Dutton to reveal the individual’s identity. ABC’s QandA panellists were questioned on whether the revelation that a former Australian politician was working forContinue Reading
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has backed ASIO chief Mike Burgess’ refusal to name the former politician who he said had betrayed Australia. Australia’s top security chief is under intense pressure to publicly name the ex-politician who he said was recruited by undisclosed agents from an overseas network. During his annualContinue Reading
A long-serving member of the Victorian Liberal Party has been jailed for a foreign interference offence “aimed at the heart of the Australian government”. Di Sanh “Sunny” Duong, 68, returned before the Victorian County Court on Thursday as Judge Richard Maidment imposed a two year and nine month term ofContinue Reading
Joe Hockey has unleashed on spy boss Mike Burgess after the ASIO chief made the “extraordinary” claim that an unnamed Australian politician had “sold out” their country to a foreign adversary. The former Treasurer and US ambassador told 2GB’s Ben Fordham that Mr Burgess — the Director-General of the AustralianContinue Reading
The country’s top spy has warned of the rapidly increasing danger of espionage and foreign interference, revealing a former politician “sold out their country” to spies for a foreign actor that uses professional networking sites to target Australians with privileged information. In a rare insight into the workings of theContinue Reading
An Australian man has been charged with a foreign interference offence by federal police after an investigation from the nation’s top spy agency. The Australian national, who normally lives and operates a business overseas, recently returned to Australia before he was arrested at a Bondi residence on Friday. The AFPContinue Reading
Australia has vowed to name and shame nations responsible for engaging in foreign interference campaigns. In a major speech on Tuesday, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil revealed late last year ASIO disrupted an Iranian government operation in Australia. The plot targeted an Iranian-Australian connected to protests over the death ofContinue Reading
They’re “friends without limits”. But President Vladimir Putin has still managed to cross a red line with China. With Chairman Xi openly criticising threats of nuclear war, Moscow now denies it ever did so. Even before his troops crossed into Ukraine, President Putin threatened “unimaginable consequences” if NATO was toContinue Reading