What we learned today, Thursday 30 January
Thanks for joining us on the blog today, here’s a wrap of what’s been keeping us busy:
News of a caravan found 10 days ago laden with explosives at a residential property in Dural, Sydney has been unfolding, with Anthony Albanese labelling it an act of terrorism and confirming the National Security Committee has met over the incident.
Asio has stated it’s investigating multiple antisemitic incidents, but doesn’t believe Australia’s threat level should be raised from “probable” as yet.
Separately, overnight, a school in Maroubra, Sydney was also targeted in an antisemitic attack.
Fire Rescue Victoria crews responded to a factory fire in Cheltenham this morning, where it was reported that lithium-ion batteries had caught alight. The Environment Protection Agency Victoria was also called to the scene.
And the assistant treasurer Stephen Jones is retiring at the next election, making the announcement this morning, after 15 years in parliament.
We’ll see you bright and early tomorrow morning.
Updated
Man charged after allegedly stalking young girls in Sydney
A man has been charged after he allegedly stalked a group of four 12-year-old girls in Bondi in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
Police were told the man allegedly followed the young girls through a shopping centre, before the girls ran away on Friday 24 January.
Police allege at 6pm that day the man also blocked the girls from walking across a pedestrian crossing with a vehicle at North Bondi, before allegedly yelling at the girls and driving away.
Police were also told the girls allegedly saw the man watching them at Bondi beach the following Monday 27 January.
The girls left the scene after the man allegedly entered the water and began to swim towards the group.
After receiving the report on Monday, police say they immediately commenced an investigation into the incident and arrested a 62-year-old man today.
The man was taken to Waverley police station where he was charged with four counts of stalk/intimidate intending fear or physical harm. He was refused bail to appear before Waverley local court today.
Updated
