Good morning. It's Thursday 9 June 2022 and here's a round up of the latest news.
Chris Bowen announces plan for addressing energy prices
Federal energy minister Chris Bowen says the energy market operator (the Australian Energy Market Corporation) will be given more power to store gas for future shortfalls in supply, particularly during times when energy prices spike.
Speaking after , Mr Bowen says they agreed on 11 points of action, including the development of a plan to ensure stable energy supply, which will focus on renewable energy and storage rather than coal.
The Energy Security Board has been tasked with developing the plan, which will be presented to ministers at the next meeting in July.
Mr Bowen dismissed concerns that energy outages might become more frequent with the transition to renewables.
"No, I don't accept that as inevitable. What I do accept is that is a result if you do get it wrong. That is the result of poor planning and a previous government which didn't see the opportunities for transmission, didn't see the opportunities for renewable energy because you have got to get this transformation right," he said.
"So I don't accept it is inevitable that we're going to see the sort of the crisis we've seen over the last week. That is not the result of transitioning to renewables. That is the result of poor planning and poor policy."
Climate Councillor Greg Bourne welcomed the focus on renewables, saying are being driven "by volatile, expensive and unreliable fossil fuels".
High Court ruling sparks hopes for children trapped in IS camps
The father of an Australian woman detained for years with her three children in a camp in Syria says .
The High Court on Wednesday found the then Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews .
The Turkish-Australian man, Delil Alexander, was imprisoned in Syria for a terrorism offence, after allegedly joining IS .
He did not face trial in Australia as his family and lawyers could not locate him.
Kamalle Dabboussy with his daughter, Mariam Dabboussy, and grandchildren in Al-Hol camp in Syria in 2019. Credit: Kamalle Dabboussy
Sydney-based father Kamalle Dabboussy told SBS News that he hopes the federal government intervenes to ensure the safety of the children.
His daughter Mariam Dabboussy and her three children have been in a Syrian camp since 2015 after she claims she was tricked to enter the country by her now-deceased husband, a fighter for the self-proclaimed Islamic State who was killed during fighting.
"There are children that will no longer be made stateless unintentionally as a result of these laws that were self-executing by the way (automatically applied). So I would hope that children are now entitled for the protection and rights that any other Australian child would be entitled to," he said.
"It will be in the hands of the (Australian) government to how they enact it. And how quickly they enact on things. And I of course will speak up and seek some representations to see what they can do quickly."
Passport processing delays as applications hit record
Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts has assured Australians waiting for their passport applications to be processed that .
Mr Watt says the problem is the result of the previous government's lack of planning for the upsurge in applications from Australians wanting to travel with the borders now open.
The number daily applications reached a record 16,400 on Tuesday, compared to pre-pandemic levels of up to 9,000 a day.
At least 250 additional staff are being brought in to help over the next six weeks.
Long queues outside the passport office in Sydney.
He now has his passport after multiple days of waiting in line at the Sydney passport office.
He told SBS News, he is relieved to finally get the passport, but it has been a stressful process.
"Because of the COVID and all of that, we haven't visited them in like two or two-in-half years. And I was really hoping I could see him (my father-in-law) one last time and pay my final respects; and also support my wife," he said.
"You know in this situation, a lot of things are going on and if I were there, I could help them out. I am here, helpless, sitting in a line here all day. That's all I can do."
Nadesalingam family's journey home to Biloela
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says it's the federal government's responsibility to determine whether the Nadesalingam family should receive a permanent visa.
The Nadesalingam family, also known as the Murugappans, , after four years in immigration detention.
The premier said it is a federal matter to decide on visa applications for asylum seeker families, but the Queensland Government has support services in place.
"Look we work with the federal government in terms of there's English language classes, that operate through some of our TAFE systems, but I think it's a very good day today, that family is returning home to Queensland," she said.
More than $200,000 was raised by Australians across the country .
UN's Ukraine grain plan
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres says the UN is working on a package that would export millions of tons of grain and other commodities from Ukraine and allow unimpeded access to global markets for Russian food fertilisers.
Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, corn and sunflower oil, but a Russian blockade of its ports has halted much of that flow.
While Russia and Turkey have voiced support for the creation of a safe maritime corridor in the Black Sea for Ukrainian grain exports, Turkey says this should be accompanied by easing Western sanctions on Russia.
Mr Guterres warns the ripple effects of the war could increase the number of people facing severe food insecurity by 47 million in 2022.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres. Source: AAP
"Vulnerable people and vulnerable countries are already being hit hard. But make no mistake, no country or community will be left untouched by this cost of living crisis."
