TPG Telecom has reported that a Sydney customer tragically died after their older mobile phone software was unable to make a Triple Zero (000) emergency call. The incident occurred on November 13, and the NSW Ambulance notified the company yesterday. TPG confirmed that its mobile network was fully operational and experienced no outages.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the failure was due to the customer’s Samsung device running software incompatible with the network’s Triple Zero functionality. Samsung stated on its official website that some older devices “cannot correctly connect to an alternative mobile network to make Triple Zero calls when the primary network is unavailable.”

The company has advised affected users to urgently update or replace their devices. It also noted that devices not updated within 28 to 35 days after the first notification will be blocked, in compliance with new regulations. The most recent customer notification was sent on November 7.

TPG Managing Director and CEO Inaki Berroeta emphasized that customer safety is the company’s “highest priority” and urged users to immediately update or replace their phones.

Communications Minister Anika Wells stated that the incident will be thoroughly investigated. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will assess whether TPG complied with the Emergency Call Service Determination.

More than 70 public schools in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) were forced to close on Monday after children’s colored play sand widely used on campuses was found to potentially contain asbestos. The products, sold by Kmart and Target, were recalled over the weekend by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Laboratory tests detected asbestos in some samples. Although authorities assessed the risk of children inhaling asbestos fibers in the air as low, the closures were carried out as a precautionary measure.

Previously, over a dozen primary schools and kindergartens were partially or fully closed due to recalls of another batch of play sand supplied by Shamrock Australia and Educational Colours. The Kmart and Target products affected this time include the Active Sandtub 14-piece sandcastle set and blue, green, and pink Magic Sand.

Asbestos has been completely banned in Australia since 2003. The ACCC noted that inhalable asbestos fibers have not yet been detected in the current samples unless the sand products are crushed or processed. Authorities have still instructed the public to immediately stop using the products, follow safety procedures, wear protective equipment, seal the products, and dispose of them at authorized facilities.

Thomas Sewell, leader of the Australian neo-Nazi group National Socialist Network (NSN), disrupted a press conference held by Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan on the morning of September 2, shouting insults and declaring a plan to “take back the country” before being removed by security. The incident drew widespread condemnation, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling Sewell’s actions “shocking.”

Sewell, a white supremacist with a history of violence, is currently facing charges including intimidating police and breaching court orders. He has recently been active at anti-immigration rallies, delivering public speeches promoting extremist views, although organizers deny formal links to neo-Nazi groups. On the same day, far-right individuals attacked an Indigenous protest camp, leaving several injured.

Authorities estimate about 5,000 people attended the Melbourne rally, far fewer than the 50,000 claimed by Sewell. Minister for Multicultural Affairs Anne Aly criticized the protests as racially motivated and warned that far-right groups are spreading misinformation.

The NSN is not currently listed as a terrorist organization, but experts warn that neo-Nazi and anti-immigration movements are exploiting social tensions, posing a growing threat to Australia’s multiculturalism and public safety.