Australia news LIVE: Several Labor MPs want government to retain ATO credit card payments; Russia continues striking energy facilities despite ceasefire, says Zelensky

Hello and welcome back to our live coverage of national and international news this Tuesday, October 13. Here’s what you need to know today.

Greens communications spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young has suggested new leader David Shoebridge would not oppose sending military aid to Ukraine if asked again.

Appearing on ABC’s 7.30 last night, Hanson-Young, who lost a ballot for the party leadership to Shoebridge late last month, was asked whether she supported Australia sending tanks and ammunition to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia.

“If that’s the support that people need in order to defend themselves from the invasion of Russia, I think Australians need to support that,” the senator said, adding the Greens always wanted to de-escalate violence.

Asked whether Shoebridge, who told this masthead that the party did not support sending military aid, was wrong, Hanson-Young said she had discussed the issue with Shoebridge.

“I think he would’ve put it differently if he was asked that question again,” she said.

Josh Frydenberg, who has been doing the media rounds ahead of the launch of his book today, said he felt it was important to tell his story in his own words.

The book’s criticism of his own party, as well as policy prescriptions, have fuelled speculation the former treasurer would run again – something he has not ruled out.

Asked on Radio National this morning whether he could really sit out another contest given his dire view of the country’s trajectory, Frydenberg said he was not deciding yet.

“What I can say is that we need as many good people with a vast array of backgrounds to put their hands up for public office,” he said.

Read more about what Frydenberg’s former colleagues make of the comeback speculation here.

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth has said this morning that critics of the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion should withhold their commentary until Commissioner Virginia Bell releases her final report.

The remarks come after news yesterday that the royal commission would hold an additional secret hearing on the conduct of intelligence, security and law enforcement agencies in the lead-up to the Bondi terror attack in which two gunmen killed 15 people.

Yesterday, One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said the royal commission had not gone far enough because it wouldn’t hold hearings on hate preachers.

“[It] has been a very important process for many Australians to talk about and give evidence of their experience of antisemitism that they personally have felt, and I think by sort of discounting that part of the process, Pauline Hanson is not really giving the respect to the thousands of submissions and indeed the hundreds of people that gave their personal evidence,” Rishworth told Nine’s Today show.

“And obviously, the report has not come out, but I have a lot of confidence in Commissioner Bell, and certainly I would put Commissioner Bell and the legal experts that are running this royal commission over their judgment over Pauline Hanson.”

Labor frontbencher Murray Watt said the United States’ livestreaming of an execution was an example of why Labor’s digital duty of care reform was important to pass.

“We want to see these laws passed, and even this recent example of this execution and the possible streaming of it is an example that we need to strengthen Australia’s laws as it relates to the responsibilities of the tech platforms,” he said.

“What I do think it shows is this rapidly evolving situation that we’ve got with technology, which is why our government is trying to take as much action as we can, as quickly as we can, on these sorts of matters.”

The environment minister said allowing the public to view the firing squad execution was “absolutely disgusting”.

“When I first heard that this was being proposed, I couldn’t believe that it was real,” he said.

“I think all Australians would agree that this is a very distressing thing to have publicised. And of course, Australia’s had a long-standing public and bipartisan position against the death penalty in any country.”

Nationals leader Matt Canavan has backed former treasurer Josh Frydenberg as rumours continue to swirl about the ousted MP’s possible political comeback.

“Everyone loves Josh … Look, he’s a great guy, Josh, and I welcome contributions to the policy debate,” Canavan told News24 this morning.

He dismissed the suggestion that the focus on Frydenberg was a distraction from the Coalition’s messaging and Angus Taylor’s leadership.

“I know we down here tend to maybe all get wrapped up around ourselves … Most people aren’t focused on these things.”

On Sunday night, Frydenberg appeared on 60 Minutes and said the Liberal Party faced an existential threat, and that Taylor needed to do better as leader of the Coalition.

Frydenberg lost the seat of Kooyong to Independent MP Monique Ryan in the 2022 election.

London: British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said a suspected plot targeting the RAF Fairford air base in Britain was “highly likely” to have been co-ordinated in Iran, and almost certainly directed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The RAF Fairford base in south-west England, which had been used by US bombers to carry out strikes on Iran, became the focal point for a major security response after five British men were arrested nearby in the early hours of September 27 on​ suspected terrorism and explosive offences.

US officials have told Reuters that there had been a suspected plot involving Iran to launch a drone attack, and last week US President Donald Trump said a threat linked to Iran had prompted a decision to withdraw the bombers from the base.

“I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been co-ordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard,” Burnham told parliament on Monday (UK time).

ASOS confirmed to customers overnight that no payment information was accessed during an October 6 hack in which an unauthorised party gained access to an ASOS employee account.

The hacker impersonated a trusted contact to obtain log-in credentials, which were used to access information on third-party platforms used by ASOS.

The company’s initial investigation found that while the unauthorised party had accessed some personal information, including names and contact details, no payment card information or account passwords were accessed.

ASOS said affected customers did not need to take any further action. An investigation with law enforcement and regulatory authorities is ongoing.

Russia has kept up its attacks on energy assets despite US President Donald Trump claiming there were pledges from both sides to support an “energy ceasefire” in the war, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said after another day of strikes.

“Last night, we did not attack any energy facilities on the territory of Russia because President Trump said that there would be an energy ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia,” the Ukrainian president told Fox News in the US. “We did not attack, while Russia attacked our gas stations, energy infrastructure, and other facilities.”

There were attacks on six Ukrainian energy facilities on Monday, Zelensky said, that left 33 people injured.

“I think it was Putin’s answer to President Trump. And the message from Russia was very clear – they don’t know anything about the energy ceasefire. It’s a pity, because they always find reasons not to stop this war. Which is why I think we need more pressure on Russia.”

Russian drone attacks hit Kyiv twice on Monday, according to statements from Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported by The Kyiv Independent and others. Reuters reported that a ​Russian strike on a high-rise ‌residential building killed two ​people and injured at ​least seven. A separate strike hit a factory in the city of Vinnytsia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a 60-day ceasefire proposed by Zelensky, Reuters reported from Moscow. Instead, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would be willing to halt attacks on the day Ukraine holds a presidential election. Zelensky said Ukraine was “ready to respect an energy ceasefire” if Russia did the same.