Good morning. Anthony Albanese is in France to reset a strained bilateral relationship. Federal and state health ministers will meet in Canberra.
Pacific island countries may halt the use of Australian-provided Guardian class patrol boats after potentially serious defects were discovered, in a blow to a $2.1bn maritime security program. The Australian government is considering how to help Pacific nations close any gap in maritime surveillance activities while the issues – including carbon monoxide entering the boats – are resolved. One of the problems – cracking in the coupling between the engine and the gear box – is believed to have been discovered in February 2021 and Pacific island countries were notified at the time. Two other problems emerged during the Australian election campaign, but were not disclosed publicly until now.
Ukrainian forces have pushed Russian forces from Snake Island, a strategic Black Sea island off the southern coast. Russia portrayed the pullout from Snake Island off the port city of Odesa as a “goodwill gesture”. Ukraine’s military said the Russians had fled the island in two speedboats after a barrage of Ukrainian artillery and missile strikes. Satellite images indicate equipment may have been left behind on the island. President Vladimir Putin has issued fresh warnings that Russia would respond if Nato set up military infrastructure inside its new members Finland and Sweden. And Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has declared a new iron curtain is descending between Russia and the EU.
