Defence Minister Peter Dutton says the Australian military is preparing to assist evacuations from Afghanistan but will not land for now at Kabul airport where there have been chaotic scenes as the Taliban approaches. Mr Dutton said the government would assist Australians working with NGOs or who are contractors, or who might be dual nationals, who had decided to stay in Afghanistan "but that will take some time". More than 250 Australian defence personnel will be deployed to Afghanistan to support three RAAF aircraft to evacuate citizens and visa holders under a US-led operation. Human rights and refugee advocates have urged the Morrison government to put in place an emergency humanitarian intake plan for people in Afghanistan at risk from the Taliban. The Taliban has taken Kabul after the US withdrew from the country. Australia resettled 12,000 Syrians at the height of the conflict there. But there are concerns communities such as Hindus and Sikhs, and ethnic minority Hazaras, are at grave risk of violence and death. Prime Minister Scott Morrison met with national security ministers on Monday to discuss the next steps. At least six people have died at the chaotic Kabul airport, as thousands try to flee Afghanistan fearing a Taliban reprisal a day after insurgents captured capital. Australia's third coronavirus wave continues to play havoc across the nation with the majority of the population again living in lockdown. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described her state's case numbers as "disturbingly high" with almost 500 local infections setting yet another grim record. Seven more people are dead, while 66 of the 391 people in hospital are in intensive care. The Delta strain continues to spread in regional NSW with 35 new cases in Dubbo and Walgett where there is major concerns about the Indigenous population. Melbourne and Canberra's lockdowns have been extended two weeks and will now stretch until at least September 2. In the Victorian capital, a curfew - a prominent feature of last year's second-wave restrictions - has been reimposed and playgrounds closed. The ACT recorded an infection spike with 19 new cases taking the capital's cluster to 28. Darwin and Katherine are in lockdown after the NT government reacted to a new case, a man who was in the community for four days with the virus. On the home front, a 15-year-old has been charged with attempted murder after Australian rugby great Toutai Kefu was stabbed in the stomach in his Brisbane home while disturbing a burglary. The former Wallabies player was left in a critical condition while trying to defend his family on Monday morning, police say, and is now at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital. AFL champion Eddie Betts has confirmed he will retire after playing his 350th game when Carlton take on GWS this Saturday night. Betts announced the end of his dazzling career via Instagram on Monday night, coming after a draining period for the Indigenous champion where he has again laid bare the pain caused by his ongoing fight against racism.
