Aus police raid properties linked to New Zealand terror suspect
Melbourne: Australian counter-terrorism police on Monday searched two homes linked to the family members of the gunman accused of killing 50 people at two mosques in Christchurch to obtain material that may assist New Zealand Police in their investigation into the terror attack.
The attacker, identified by authorities as Australia-born Brenton Tarrant, 28, targeted immigrants during Friday prayers. Witnesses said victims were shot at close range.
He was arrested shortly after entering two mosques --Masjid Al Noor and Linwood - with high-powered weapons and shooting dead 50 people, including five Indians.
The New South Wales (NSW) Joint Counter Terrorism Team on Monday two properties on the state's mid-north coast.
One of the properties being searched belongs to Sharon Tarrant, the mother of the attacker.
''Around 8.30 this morning (local time) officers from the NSW JCTT executed a search warrant at a home in the town of Sandy Beach, near Coffs Harbour. A short time later, a second search warrant was executed at another home in Lawrence near Maclean,'' the statement said.
''The primary aim of the activity is to formally obtain material that may assist New Zealand Police in their ongoing investigation,' it said adding ''the family of the Australian man arrested in Christchurch continues to assist police with their inquiries.'
Police further assured the community that that there was no information to suggest a current or impending threat related to this search warrants.
The NSW JCTT comprises representatives from the Australian Federal Police, NSW Police Force, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the NSW Crime Commission.
In an interview with Nine News, Tarrant's family expressed shock and apologised for his role in the shooting. His uncle, Terry Fitzgerald, mourned the victims in Christchurch.
"We are so sorry for the families over there, for the dead and injured," he said. His grandmother, Marie Fitzgerald, told reporters she could not fathom how "somebody in our family would do anything like this .
The 81-year-old said her grandson was "obviously not of sound mind .
The family had dinner with Tarrant 12 months ago for his sister's birthday in Grafton.
Tarrant, a self-avowed white supremacist, lived in Grafton, 500km northwest of Sydney, where he worked as a personal trainer at Big River Gym. He moved to the New Zealand city of Dunedin at some point in the last two or three years.
Tarrant did not request bail during a brief court appearance on Saturday and will next appear on April 5. He has been charged with one count of murder but further charges are expected.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton defended the ASIO and the Australian Federal Police against suggestions they had failed to identify the danger Tarrant posed.
He said Monday that Tarrant had spent only 45 days in Australia over the past three years and was not on any terror watch lists. His social media ravings were missed because of the massive amount of digital traffic which has to be monitored.
"There is only so much content that can be covered, assessed and analysed by ASIO and other partner agencies," said Dutton.
He also rejected claims the security authorities were only focused on Islamic terrorists, ignoring right-wing extremists.
Dutton said Australia's security agencies are very concerned about retaliatory or copycat attacks in the wake of the Christchurch terror attack.
Tarrant's travels through Europe, Turkey and Asia are now being examined in detail, in part to see if he had any overseas help in carrying out the massacre.
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Cong slams Modi govt as 'anti-worker', calls for review of new Labour code
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday accused the Modi government of being "anti-worker" and demanded that the new labour code be reviewed, MGNREGA be revived as well as a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day be established.
On International Labour Day, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took a swipe at the government and said unemployment in India today is a direct consequence of the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policies.
"Driven by the 'Hum Do, Hamare Do' policy, the Modi government implemented an anti-worker Labour Code. As a result, unrest has erupted everywhere - be it in Noida, at the IOCL facility in Panipat, Adani's factory in Raikheda, NTPC Patratu, or the Samsung factory in Sriperumbudur," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
Instead of ensuring job security, this Code promotes policies such as contract labour and 'Hire & Fire' practices, Kharge said and called for a review of the new Labour Code.
The Modi government has effectively dismantled MGNREGA by forcibly pushing legislation through Parliament, he alleged.
"Mr. Modi has shifted 40% of the wage burden onto the State governments. State governments are unable to bear this financial strain and will eventually be forced to stop providing work," he claimed.
The Modi government has compelled workers into a state of unemployment and pushed them towards 'gig work', Kharge said.
Currently, 69% of the workforce is working for wages below the statutory minimum wage, he said.
The Modi government has engineered a crisis of stagnant wages, Kharge alleged.
"When adjusted for inflation, the wages of the majority of India's workers have grown by less than 1% annually over the last decade (from 2014-15 to 2022-23)," he said.
The Modi government has created a massive unemployment crisis among the educated workforce, specifically, among graduates, Kharge claimed and added that jobs have been eliminated through the sale of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs).
"The government has refused to fill approximately 30 lakh vacant government positions. Furthermore, the government's policy blunders have led to the decimation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)," the Congress chief said.
The Congress reiterates its five demands for India's workers including revival of MGNREGA and its expansion to urban areas, Kharge said.
He said a national minimum wage of Rs 400 per day should be established, with MNREGA included within its scope.
Kharged demanded that a 'Right to Health' law must be enacted, providing Universal Health Coverage of up to Rs 25 lakh for laborers and workers.
"'Life Insurance and Accident Insurance' coverage must be provided for all unorganized workers. Preventing the contractualization of employment must be made a core priority of the government, and the new Labour Codes must be reviewed," Kharge asserted.
