Australia live news: Scott Morrison says quarantine rules to be tightened for airline crews after national cabinet
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3.08am EST 03:08
What we learned, Friday 11 December
That’s where I’ll leave you for this evening. Thanks as always for reading.
Here’s what we learned today:
Updated at 3.23am EST
3.07am EST 03:07
Five asylum seekers released from immigration detention before court hearing 
Five asylum seekers, who were transferred to Australia under Medevac, have been released from immigration detention this week, it has been confirmed.
Three asylum seekers were released today – including musician and artist Farhad Bandesh – and two people were released on Tuesday, according to the Refugee Advocacy Network.
Bandesh, a Kurdish asylum seeker, was released on his birthday, after eight years of detention, and met at the gates by former Socceroo Craig Foster. In total, three asylum seekers were released from detention in Melbourne, and two from detention in Brisbane. All five have been put on bridging visas.
Chris Breen from the Refugee Advocacy Network said that all five asylum seekers had cases before the federal circuit court challenging their detention.
“The decision by the minister [to release them] has pre-empted a court decision,” he said.
Breen said there were five other asylum seekers also “in the same circumstances”, with cases before the circuit court.
“Bridging visas typically get renewed every six months,” he said.
“They all have places to stay, but their next steps, they are probably overwhelmed, they spent seven years detained inside. To be out is enormous.”
Guardian Australia understands that the asylum seekers have been given two nights accommodation by the government and $300.
Updated at 4.01am EST
2.07am EST 02:07
A man has been shot in the buttocks by police during an alleged attempted carjacking in Brisbane’s southwest, AAP reports.
A police officer also suffered non-life-threatening injuries during the incident in Durack about 12.20pm on Friday.
Paramedics took the man, 28, to Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious condition.
The shooting happened after the man fled an allegedly stolen red Hyundai at the intersection of Inala Avenue and Blunder Road.
He then jumped into another nearby car and threatened the driver, a man aged 58, Detective Acting Inspector Michael Manago told reporters.
“The male person who entered that blue Commodore was armed with a knife,” he said.
“A police Taser and firearm were deployed almost instantaneously.”
The driver of the Commodore was uninjured.
“He’s pretty shaken up,” Detective Acting Inspector Manago said.
The alleged driver of the stolen car, a man aged 26, was arrested at the scene.
1.54am EST 01:54
The Bureau of Meteorology is very amped up about this weekend’s weather.
1.30am EST 01:30
Pity the Western Australian rock lobster fisheries, whose product is typically exported to China. This year, amid mounting trade tensions, Australia’s big two supermarkets have stepped in to procure large quantities of lobster, which they’re bestowing on the Australian public at bargain basement prices.
First, Woolworths announced it had purchased five times its usual volume of lobster, and would be selling the formerly fancy crustaceans for $20 a pop.
“We’re pleased to be making them accessible to more families this year, while also supporting the local industry,” Woolworths head of meat and seafood, Tim Dudding, said in a statement.
Not to be outdone, Coles quickly declared it had procured 29 times its usual order of Western Australian rock lobster, and would also be selling them for $20 each.
“This is a fantastic example of how we have been able to act quickly to support our suppliers with an income stream during a very challenging time while also benefiting our customers at the checkout,” Andy Mossop, Coles general manager for bakery, deli and seafood said, also in a statement.
Wild-caught western rock lobsters get a green pass from the Good Fish Guide, and the Coles lobsters are also certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (though the council confirms the Woolworths supply is not).
So you can enjoy your cut-price luxury seafood in clear conscience, unless the chain of events that led to them being proffered in the first place is enough to dull your appetite.
Updated at 1.37am EST
1.05am EST 01:05
The University of Tasmania has admitted its “processes did not protect people”, after releasing a review into its sexual harassment policies.
The review was sparked after its former vice-chancellor, Prof Peter Rathjen, was found to have engaged in “serious misconduct” with two female staff members while he was the vice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide.
South Australia’s Independent Commission Against Corruption made that finding earlier this year in August. After that, the University of Tasmania launched a review of its processes during the period that Rathjen was VC in Tasmania, from 2011 to 2017.
The barrister Maree Norton reviewed 11 complaints, three of which related directly to Rathjen. The UTAS review did not formally investigate individual complaints but rather was focused on the university’s “handling of issues that arose at the time”.
The current chancellor, Michael Field, today apologised and the university’s council also issued a formal apology to “victims and survivors from the period”.
“This review has highlighted that as an institution we failed in these responsibilities,” Field said. “Our systems and processes in place at the time were not effective in protecting people.”
The university’s chief people officer, Jill Bye, stressed that the review was “not a formal investigation into individual complaints”.
“This was an investigation into the university and its handling of issues that arose at the time,” she said. “This review makes clear that our systems were not sufficient and that we did not have clear processes in place, and people were let down.”
Updated at 1.49am EST
12.46am EST 00:46
Western Australia’s premier, Mark McGowan, has been taking part in the national cabinet meetings remotely because he doesn’t want to mix with South Australia’s premier, Steven Marshall. It’s not personal, but his state’s Covid-19 rules mean mixing with South Australians is a no no.
Updated at 1.11am EST
12.37am EST 00:37
The pro-democracy activist and Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded the Apple Daily tabloid, has reportedly been charged under the city’s national security laws.
12.13am EST 00:13
Labor’s shadow health minister, Chris Bowen, has also been talking about the vaccine. He’s doing that thing where he says he isn’t criticising the government while obviously criticising the government.
It is disappointing news the UQ vaccine is not going to make the grade. There was a lot of store put in the University of Queensland vaccine. But no vaccine can or should be rolled out in Australia unless authorities are 100% sure and this decision gives Australians the confidence they need in the TGA or other authorities. Having said that, it also underlines what Labor has been saying – we need to ensure as many vaccine deals as possible for Australia. The UQ vaccine was the biggest part of the national strategy with 50m vaccines on order. Australia has had four vaccine deals in place, now we have three. As I’ve constantly pointed out, international best practice is five or six … So we’ve given bipartisan support for every vaccine deal the government has entered into. We don’t hold it against them the UQ failed, but we will call for more. Australians deserve the most possible as access.
Updated at 12.20am EST
12.10am EST 00:10
Prof Sharon Lewin from the Doherty Institute has just been on the ABC speaking about the University of Queensland Covid-19 vaccine.
She says it was the right decision to scrap the vaccine, and dismisses a question about whether the call was influenced by “stigma” around HIV.
This is a public health decision. We need really strong public health to vaccinate against Covid but also to test the blood supply and test people at high rates who may be at risk of HIV. Once you have something like this that’s a false positive in a vaccine that could be potentially given to millions of people it will greatly complicate our public health response to HIV. I don’t think it’s related to stigma. We possibly could cope with it in Australia but in a low-income country this we be very, very difficult.
Updated at 12.19am EST