Opposition leader Bill Shorten has backed down on encryption laws, agreeing to pass the controversial measures in the Senate. The laws will give intelligence agencies new powers to access encrypted messages and devices.
The bill had passed the House of Representatives with the support of both major parties earlier in the day.
The Labor party had previously insisted on amendments, making it all-but-certain the laws would not pass until February.
But Mr Shorten says Labor has passed the laws unamended to keep Australians safe over the Christmas break.
Listen to the full news bulletin in Arabic above
