Australia raises terror threat level as disinformation, conspiracy theories stoke fears of unrest

SYDNEY - Australia raised its terror threat level from “possible” to “probable” on Aug 5 amid growing concerns about rising extremism and polarisation, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Israel-Hamas war.

The move, which

raised the threat level to the middle of five levels,

was recommended by Australia’s domestic spy agency, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which said the country’s security outlook was becoming “more volatile and more unpredictable”.