/qnotables25/ - ===Q Notables 2025===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24289977 (220216ZFEB26) Notable: Staff ‘feared reprisal’, concerned parents ‘alienated’ at ‘unsafe’ Cairns gender clinic - A Queensland Health review has found children as young as 12 were prescribed puberty blockers at the Cairns paediatric gender health service without adequate assessment, documentation or monitoring, while staff feared reprisal for raising safety concerns. The 213-page report said the clinical environment was “not reliably safe for pediatric clients” and identified deficiencies including incomplete notes, missing baseline tests and lack of consent documentation. Investigators found “little evidence” Gillick competency, the legal test of whether a child under 18 has sufficient maturity and understanding to consent to medical treatment, was properly assessed in many cases and some patients moved from psychological care to hormone treatment within weeks. Parents who questioned treatment were reportedly “alienated”, while the report cited a culture discouraging scrutiny. Queensland Health accepted the review’s 21 recommendations “in principle”.

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>>137168

Staff ‘feared reprisal’, concerned parents ‘alienated’ at ‘unsafe’ Cairns gender clinic

RACHEL BAXENDALE - February 13, 2026

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Children as young as 12 were prescribed puberty blockers without adequate assessment, documentation or monitoring, staff feared ­reprisal when speaking up about patient safety concerns, and parents who objected to the treatment were alienated, a damning review of the Cairns pediatric gender health service has found.

The 213-page report, commissioned by Queensland Health ­director-general David Rosengren in January 2025 and made public this week, found there was a limited understanding among the workforce of clinical governance responsibility, “with access prioritised over safety, consumer-led care prioritised over appropriate and effective evidence-based care, and individual clinician approaches prioritised over family-centred care”. “The clinical environment was not reliably safe for pediatric clients, with mixed adult-child settings, unsecured medications and incomplete risk assessments for high risk adolescents,” the report found, making 21 recommendations, all of which have been ­accepted “in principle” by Queensland Health.

The two investigators, whose names have been redacted in the published version of the report, wrote of staff raising concerns about being asked to prescribe ­puberty blockers “almost as a technician rather than as part of a multidisciplinary assessment”.

“A review in December 2024 of 17 patient records showed major deficiencies, including incomplete clinical notes, missing baseline tests, absence of consent documentation, long prescription intervals, and lack of pediatric or mental health input,” they found.

“Some children as young as 12 were commenced on puberty blockers, with others on testosterone, without adequate documentation of assessments or monitoring.”

The investigators found “little evidence” that staff had properly assessed Gillick competency — the capacity for a child or young adult under 18 years to consent to medical treatment. “In many cases (it was) either not done or not ­recorded.” Staff reported that young people with developmental delays were prescribed medication “despite lacking capacity to understand treatment information”.

The report revealed a Queensland-wide multidisciplinary review of under-18 gender dysphoria cases had identified “missed hormone monitoring and bone density tests, and decisions one doctor noted as ‘extremely dubious’, including starting testosterone for 17-year-olds without parental knowledge”.

“There were cases where pediatric patients moved from psychology to hormone treatment within weeks, without a consistent process for family engagement or education,” the report found. “Treatment in some cases commenced before formal consent was obtained from clients or their families.”

The report highlighted the dismissal of staff concerns, finding senior staff “noted a culture of ‘we do excellent care and you don’t question it’, which discouraged scrutiny and feedback.” “The (service) demonstrated a negative ­patient safety culture, and the workplace was typified by lack of psychological safety,” it found.

“Staff did not feel safe from bullying and harassment and feared reprisal when speaking up about patient safety concerns.

“In 2018 there were anecdotal reports from senior medical staff regarding misdiagnosis of patients with gender dysphoria when they had mental health conditions, and comments suggesting non-adherence to guidelines. Instead of triggering closer scrutiny of adherence to guidelines, the issue wasn’t followed up.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24290728 (220645ZFEB26) Notable: Oscar winner Tom Hanks spotted taking selfies with fans while riding Sydney’s Metro - Hollywood actor Tom Hanks has been spotted riding Sydney’s Metro and posing for selfies with fellow passengers while visiting Australia to film a sequel to the 2020 naval drama Greyhound. The 69-year-old actor was seen standing on the train wearing dark sunglasses and a bucket hat as fans recognised him and took photos. Hanks appeared relaxed and “welcomed the attention”, stopping to pose for selfies before reaching his stop. The Oscar winner has been seen frequently around Sydney in recent weeks, including visiting a cricket store in North Sydney with his son Truman. Hanks is in Australia filming the Apple TV sequel to Greyhound, which became one of the platform’s most successful films. - https://qresear.ch/?q=Tom+Hanks

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Oscar winner Tom Hanks spotted talking selfies with fans while riding Sydney’s Metro

A legendary Hollywood star worth $600 million was spotted taking a ride on Sydney’s Metro to the delight of fellow riders.

Joshua Haigh - February 21, 2026

Hollywood legend and Oscar winner Tom Hanks has been spotted slumming it with us regular folk on the Sydney Metro.

A fan had to double take on Friday when she realised Hanks was stood on the train while appearing to be chatting to a pal.

Sporting dark sunglasses and a bucket hat, Hanks seemed to realise the fan was snapping a picture as he waited for his stop.

Hanks certainly didn’t seem to mind though, in fact he appeared to welcome the attention and even posed for numerous selfies with fans while still on the train.

It’s not the first time he has been spotted Down Under recently.

Last month, the Hollywood star was seen chatting to fans on set while filming, and on Monday he was seen shopping with his son Truman, whom he shares with his wife Rita Wilson, at a cricket store in North Sydney.

The 69-year-old Toy Story star is in Australia to film the sequel to his 2020 World War II movie Greyhound for Apple TV.

Greyhound has quietly become one of Apple TV’s most successful movies in recent years. The film was met with positive reception from both critics and audiences, leading to scores of 78 per cent from the former and 76 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hanks’ current trip is at least his second to Australia since 2020, as he was here then to film his role as Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s epic movie Elvis.

Hanks seems keen on using public transport wherever he is in the world. Last year, he was seen riding the subway in New York.

Even with a face mask on, there was no mistaking the man beneath the mask was Hanks, who was also later spotted grabbing a $1 coffee from a street cart.

“Gotta love how humble and normal he is despite being a huge star,” one fan tweeted as photos of the actor on-board circulated online.

“Tom Hanks just casually riding the NYC subway like a regular New Yorker. The definition of down to earth. What a legend!” another tweeted.

Other X users weren’t as impressed with the actor for wearing a face mask while on the $3 train ride.

“Blending right in with locals behind a simple face mask,” one user sarcastically tweeted, as another commented, “Got that mask so he don’t catch any of those poor people germs?”

Meanwhile, last year, Hanks hit headlines when he praised his daughter E.A. Hanks’ candid new memoir, which detailed her “abusive” childhood with her late mother, Samantha Lewes.

“It’s a pride because, I think, she shares it with me; she’s been very open about what the process is,” Hanks told Access Hollywood.

“I’m not surprised that my daughter had the wherewithal, as well as the curiosity, as well as, I’m going to say, perhaps, the ‘shoot herself in the foot’ kind of wherewithal in order to examine this thing that I think she was incredibly honest about.”

The Cast Away star shares E.A., 43, and son Colin Hanks, 47, with Lewes, whom he was married to from 1978 to 1987.

“We all come from checked or cracked lives, all of us, despite the fact that part of it would seem as though she worked for some international well-known firm with a copyrighted last name,” the Forrest Gump actor, 68, continued.

“She knows that, and she leans into absolutely everything of it, and I think anyone who does that is a bold journalistic literary mind, and I’m thrilled I can say the same thing about my daughter.”

https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/celebrity-photos/oscar-winner-tom-hanks-spotted-talking-selfies-with-fans-while-riding-sydneys-metro/news-story/9104a710ed3f3f0d4cb18ddb72559684

https://www.instagram.com/lanecove_living/p/DU-FJaYkzIK/

https://www.instagram.com/lanecove_living/p/DU1px9Nk6Pb/

https://qresear.ch/?q=Tom+Hanks

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24295203 (230718ZFEB26) Notable: Pro-Palestine group prepares for ‘advocacy fight’ at royal commission - The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network is preparing to mount a coordinated campaign at the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, describing the inquiry as “one of the most important advocacy fights in the country”. The organisation says it will seek to challenge claims that anti-Jewish incidents are linked to pro-Palestinian activism and argues antisemitism has been “weaponised” to suppress criticism of Israel. The commission, led by former High Court justice Virginia Bell, begins hearings this week following the December Bondi massacre. Former treasurer Josh Frydenberg has urged the inquiry to focus on religious extremism, saying Australia must rebuild “a culture of tolerance”. Jewish community organisations are also preparing coordinated legal submissions to the inquiry.

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>>137415

Pro-Palestine group prepares for ‘advocacy fight’ at royal commission

JAMES DOWLING - 23 February 2026

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Australia’s biggest pro-Palestine network will launch a co-ordinated legal barrage on the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, using its voice at the inquiry to attack Israel and claim anti-Jewish incidents have been “weaponised” against its movement.

It comes as former treasurer Josh Frydenberg calls for royal commissioner Virginia Bell to put a “special focus” on religious extremism, as she prepares to launch her year-long post-Bondi inquiry on Tuesday.

The Australian Palestine Advocacy Network has begun hiring for a royal commission project manager, calling the federal inquiry “one of the most important advocacy fights in the country”.

“It is important that APAN and the broader movement for justice and freedom for the Palestinian people have a voice at the royal commission,” a job listing reads. “We are acutely aware that over the last two and a half years we have seen a dramatic increase in anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Arab racism.

“We have also seen over a long period of time the weaponisation of antisemitism to blunt legitimate criticism of Israel, including its genocide in Gaza, its illegal occupation and theft of Palestinian land, and its system of apartheid.

“APAN advocates for a national co-ordinated approach to tackle all forms of racism and rejects notions of exceptionalism in relation to any one form of racism.”

APAN is the latest anti-Israel advocate to signal its plans for the royal commission, which will deliver an interim report by April 30 and a final report by December 14.

High-profile publisher Louise Adler earlier this month said the progressive Jewish Council of Australia was developing submissions with “an alternative perspective to the Jewish establishment”, while political lobby group Muslim Votes Matter is recruiting volunteers to engage with the inquiry.

A central friction for the inquiry will be its balance between its titular elements: antisemitism and social cohesion, the latter of which Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has hinted could provide a catch-all for more forms of bigotry.

Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy this month said the National Indigenous Australians Agency was sitting in on the royal commission’s internal meetings.

Jewish groups have urged against a wider investigation of social cohesion problems, citing the scale of antisemitism and the inquiry’s tight 11-month deadline.

Mr Frydenberg on Saturday said a sharp focus on religious extremism was also integral.

“We need to rebuild a culture of tolerance in our country with a special focus on the extremists in our midst who want to hurt and do harm to their fellow Australians,” he said in a statement.

“Extremism can no longer be tolerated if we are going to turn a new page and create a safer and ­secure Australia for us all.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24295246 (230806ZFEB26) Notable: The five key questions for the Bondi royal commission to answer - The royal commission into the Bondi Beach massacre and antisemitism in Australia begins hearings this week, with commissioner Virginia Bell tasked with examining the December 14 attack that killed 15 people and injured more than 40. The inquiry will investigate the prevalence of antisemitism in Australia, the motivations of gunmen Sajid Akram and Naveed Akram, and whether intelligence or policing failures contributed to the attack. It will also examine whether governments ignored warnings about rising antisemitism following the October 7 attacks in Israel. The commission will assess the role of radicalisation, including links to Islamic State, and consider potential legal reforms and policy changes aimed at countering extremism and strengthening social cohesion in Australia.

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The five key questions for the Bondi royal commission to answer

Matthew Knott - February 23, 2026

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The royal commission into the Bondi Beach massacre and antisemitism in Australia begins in Sydney on Tuesday with its first public hearings. Royal commissioner Virginia Bell and counsel assisting Richard Lancaster, SC, will deliver opening statements explaining how they will perform their duties.

Later this week, Bell will visit Bondi, the scene of the worst terror attack in the nation’s history, to meet with survivors of the massacre and relatives of the 15 innocent people killed on December 14.

Those invited have been told that Bell will use the informal meeting to explain “limitations on the approach the commission can take to leading evidence of the circumstances of the attack and answer questions about how it will operate”.

With a tight mid-December deadline and expansive terms of reference, Bell and Lancaster have much work to do over the next year. Here are the five key issues they will examine.

How prevalent is antisemitism in Australia, and how does it compare to other forms of prejudice?

The royal commission’s terms of reference instruct it to investigate “the nature and prevalence of antisemitism in institutions and society, and examining its key drivers in Australia, including religious and ideologically motivated extremism and radicalisation”. The inquiry should also assess “the impact of antisemitism on the daily life of Jewish Australians including with respect to security, physical and mental health and wellbeing”.

Jewish organisations have recorded a surge in antisemitic incidents following the October 2023 attacks on Israel and the war in Gaza, including attacks on synagogues, homes, Jewish daycare centres and restaurants.

The latest Scanlon Foundation report into social cohesion, released last year, found that 15 per cent of Australians said they hold negative feelings towards Jews, up from 9 per cent two years earlier. (Thirty-five per cent of Australians said they held negative views against Muslims and 18 per cent about Christians.)

An important, but complicated, question for the royal commission will be the connection between antisemitism in Australia, events in the Middle East and the Albanese government’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What motivated the shooters?

Two months after the attacks, Australians still have little insight into exactly what motivated Naveed Akram and father Sajid to unleash terror on Bondi Beach. Naveed came onto domestic spy agency ASIO’s radar in 2019 because of his associations with radical preachers in Sydney’s western suburbs. Even though it appears he fell off security agencies’ radar in following years, he and his father became radicalised by falling under the sway of Islamic State, a terror group that pursues an extreme, fundamentalist vision of Islam.

Bell’s terms of reference call for her to examine the “lead-up to and planning of the attack”. What drove the Akrams from being devout Muslims to violent extremists? Did the war in Gaza, and other events in the Middle East, influence their radicalisation? Or were other factors more important? Some evidence related to this aspect of the royal commission may remain confidential because of the requirement that the inquiry does not prejudice ongoing criminal hearings.

Did intelligence and security failures contribute to the Bondi attack?

This section of the inquiry is being led by former ASIO and Defence department boss Dennis Richardson. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese originally planned for Richardson’s probe to be a standalone inquiry, sitting alongside a NSW royal commission, but rolled it into the Commonwealth royal commission after bowing to community pressure to establish the wider investigation. Richardson will deliver to Bell by April an interim report examining the performance of intelligence and law enforcement agencies leading up to the attack. ASIO and the Australian Federal Police will be his focus.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24295251 (230810ZFEB26) Notable: Accused China asset 'fabricated' Kevin Rudd reports for cash - An Australian businessman accused of foreign interference allegedly fabricated reports claiming to contain advice from former prime minister Kevin Rudd and supplied them to individuals he believed were Chinese intelligence agents, a court has heard. Alexander Csergo, 59, has pleaded not guilty to reckless foreign interference after allegedly providing reports on topics including AUKUS, the Quad diplomatic partnership and critical minerals to two contacts he believed worked for China’s Ministry of State Security. Prosecutors say the reports relied on open-source information but included quotes from “fake interviews”, including material attributed to Rudd. The former prime minister is expected to testify he never spoke to Csergo about Australian defence, AUKUS or Quad matters.

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>>137404

Accused China asset 'fabricated' Kevin Rudd reports for cash

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd was asked for advice about Australian defence and security by a businessman ‘groomed’ by Chinese spies, a jury has heard.

Miklos Bolza - 19 FEB 2026

Security and defence advice falsely claimed to have come from former prime minister Kevin Rudd was supplied to Chinese intelligence agents by an Australian businessman, a jury has heard.

Dr Rudd is expected to testify in the foreign interference trial of businessman Alexander Csergo, which began on Thursday.

Csergo, 59, has pleaded not guilty to one count of reckless foreign interference after providing reports to two people he believed were working for China’s Ministry of State Security.

The owner of IT consulting firm Conversys was living in Shanghai and working on data-sensitive telecoms projects relating to Chinese government strategy.

Jurors heard he communicated with two individuals - known as “Ken” and “Evelyn” - from when he was approached on LinkedIn in November 2021 until March 2023, a month after he returned to Australia.

The Australian believed Ken and Evelyn worked for Chinese intelligence and were “grooming” him to be a potential source, crown prosecutor Jennifer Single SC said.

In exchange for cash, he provided reports on topics including lithium and iron ore, the change in German government, the AUKUS security agreement and the Quad diplomatic partnership.

Csergo compiled this information from open-source material found online and included quotes from fake interviews he claimed to have conducted with a number of individuals, including Dr Rudd, the court was told.

The former prime minister and diplomat was expected to testify he did not talk to Csergo after the businessman contacted him and asked about Australian defence, AUKUS and the Quad, the prosecutor said.

“(Csergo) fabricated source material to lend feasibility to his reports and make him a more valuable asset,” Ms Single said.

When the businessman finished compiling each report, he would not send it by email.

Instead, he would hand over a printed version or digital file on a USB stick at in-person restaurant or cafe meetings, the jury heard.

“Often those restaurants and cafes were completely empty apart from the accused, Ken and Evelyn,” Ms Single said.

In early 2023, Ken provided Csergo with a “shopping list” of topics to research when he returned to Australia.

‘I have read your ‘shopping list’. I know what you are looking for,” Csergo told Ken on WeChat days before he flew out.

During a search warrant at the 59-year-old’s Bondi premises in March 2023, Australian Federal Police seized a document that was read out to the jury on Thursday.

In it, Ken asked for information about China-related issues in the Australian and US intelligence communities, defence and national security strategies on China, and China foreign policy.

He instructed Csergo to find contacts in the prime minister’s office, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and other law-enforcement bodies.

The AFP also seized his smartphone, laptop and other electronic devices, finding over 3,200 WeChat messages between the 59-year-old and his two alleged handlers.

Csergo told police he felt he had to work with Ken and Evelyn because he was under Chinese surveillance and could not leave the Asian nation due to COVID-19 lockdowns, the court was told.

His barrister Iain Todd argued his client made a commercial decision to provide the information for money.

“There are no secrets disclosed, no blueprints of military weapons or Australia’s military capabilities in any of those reports,” he told the jury.

The only deception was Csergo lying and passing off material written by others as his own to Ken and Evelyn, Mr Todd said.

The IT consultant also did nothing with the “shopping list”, the jury was told.

The trial continues.

https://thenightly.com.au/australia/kevin-rudd-accused-china-asset-fabricated-rudd-reports-for-cash-c-21689678

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24295254 (230817ZFEB26) Notable: British submarine arrives for ‘extraordinary’ AUKUS visit - A British nuclear-powered submarine has arrived in Western Australia for a month-long visit described by Australian officials as a “historic step” in preparations for AUKUS submarine operations. HMS Anson, an Astute-class submarine commissioned in 2022, docked at HMAS Stirling in Perth for maintenance and training activities with the Royal Australian Navy. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the visit would help build Australia’s capacity to operate conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS partnership. Two Australian naval officers are embedded on the vessel during the deployment. Analysts note the timing is “extraordinary” because HMS Anson is reportedly the only operational Astute-class submarine currently available in the Royal Navy’s fleet.

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British submarine arrives for ‘extraordinary’ AUKUS visit

Matthew Knott - February 22, 2026

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A British nuclear-powered submarine has arrived in Australia for an unprecedented month-long visit despite the well-chronicled problems plaguing the British navy’s ability to send its vessels to sea.

The British and Australian governments are holding up the visit as a sign of the countries’ commitment to the AUKUS pact, even as the United Kingdom views Russia as its most pressing security threat.

HMS Anson, an Astute-class nuclear-powered submarine, arrived on Sunday at the HMAS Stirling naval base in Perth for a month-long maintenance visit.

Defence Minister Richard Marles and Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy described the first such visit by a UK nuclear-powered submarine in Australia as a “historic step in our nation’s readiness to operate and maintain conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines”.

HMS Anson, which was commissioned in 2022, is reportedly the only available submarine in the British navy’s fleet of five Astute-class boats, highlighting the significance of the extended deployment to Australia.

British defence publication Navy Lookout has written that the “timing of the deployment seems extraordinary” as the British navy does not have any other Astute-class submarines available.

“The UK must continue to play its part in AUKUS, but in the short term, perhaps more local concerns should be the priority,” the publication argued this month.

“Placing the sole attack submarine on the other side of the globe appears to be at odds with vigorous official warnings to Russia that ‘any threat will be met with strength and resolve’.”

Navy Lookout said the British navy’s other four Astute-class submarines were “all at low or very low readiness”.

Conroy described the visit as “an important milestone that will build confidence in our strategic partners that we have the workforce able to deliver AUKUS submarines, and also lays ground for more jobs for locals”.

Two Australian navy officers have been embedded on the submarine to gain a better understanding of how nuclear-powered submarines operate.

The Australian navy will also conduct tests of its Speartooth large underwater drone to see how it operates with the British submarine at sea.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24295317 (230845ZFEB26) Notable: Video: New $1.5 billion, six-star Trump hotel confirmed for Gold Coast will be Australia's tallest building - Developers have confirmed plans for a $1.5 billion Trump International Hotel & Tower at Surfers Paradise on Queensland’s Gold Coast, a project expected to become Australia’s tallest building. Altus Property Group says the 91-storey tower will rise 340 metres on vacant land at Rickett Street and include a six-star hotel, 272 luxury residences, retail outlets and a private beach club. Chief executive David Young said the project would be funded by private investors from Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. If completed as planned, the tower would exceed the Gold Coast’s Q1 building at 322 metres, currently the tallest structure in Australia.

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New $1.5 billion, six-star Trump hotel confirmed for Gold Coast will be Australia's tallest building

Sarah Swain - Feb 23, 2026

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Plans for a $1.5 billion Trump hotel on the Gold Coast will go ahead, developers say.

Last month, 9News reported conversations were under way to build a Trump hotel in front of the beach at Surfers Paradise

Altus Property Group says the deal for the hotel – which, if built to the height developers say it will, will become Australia's tallest tower – has been signed.

The Trump International Hotel & Tower will be 340 metres and 91 storey high, the company said.

It will be on vacant land on Rickett Street.

"All of my employees at Altus Property Group Pty Ltd are excited about building this iconic six-star resort in the sky and are proud of what it means for Queensland tourism and the Australian economy," Altus chief executive David Young said.

He said he signed the deal on February 14 at Trump's Florida home after he started pursuing the idea almost 20 years ago.

"We are now deeply into a process of design, engineering, construction and fit-out that will cost a shade under $1.5 billion and bring the world's preeminent hotel-resort brand to our shores," he said.

"This project is entirely funded by private investors who come from Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE and the United States.

"They have contributed a mix of debt and equity (in the form of convertible notes) and it gives my organisation access to 'patient capital' insofar as we don't have to rush to make presales as we would with Australian bank finance."

However the building will be "Australia owned and Australia built," he said.

He said it will create 500 jobs when its being built, and another 500 when complete.

Young said the design will not be "gaudy" and will be "tasteful and expensive".

He said a third of the building will be apartments starting at $5 million, although added a price tag for penthouses is yet to be set.

Shops and a beach club will also be created.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24300059 (240805ZFEB26) Notable: Australian ‘alpha male’ Nick Adams dumped as Trump’s ambassador to Malaysia - United States President Donald Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Australian-American commentator Nick Adams as ambassador to Malaysia after the appointment failed to secure Senate confirmation. Adams, a former Ashfield councillor and prominent supporter of Trump, said he had instead been “promoted” to another role that would be announced soon, though the White House has not confirmed this. His nomination had attracted criticism in Malaysia due to past comments about Islam and the Palestinian cause. Adams moved to the United States after his time in local politics and became a naturalised citizen and conservative commentator. Trump has also yet to nominate a new United States ambassador to Australia more than a year into his presidency.

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Australian ‘alpha male’ Nick Adams dumped as Trump’s ambassador to Malaysia

Michael Koziol - February 24, 2026

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Washington: US President Donald Trump has dumped controversial Australian-American Nick Adams as his nominee for ambassador to Malaysia, but the self-described “alpha male” says he has been promoted to a new role that will soon be revealed.

Meanwhile, Trump has yet to put forward an ambassador to Australia after 13 months in the Oval Office.

Adams – a MAGA diehard and author, who once served on a Sydney council – was named as Trump’s ambassador to Malaysia last July, but his nomination was never confirmed by the Senate, and lapsed at the end of the year, as per procedure.

Adams was absent from a long list of nominations resubmitted to the Senate in January, including prospective ambassadors to Hungary, Norway and the Philippines. Nor was he on another list submitted this month.

Reached by email, Adams confirmed he would not become US ambassador to Malaysia, but pointed to a new role he said would be announced soon.

“Brilliant detective work, Mick! I’ve been promoted from the role of ambassador!” he told this masthead.

“More details on that will come this upcoming week. I’m sure you’ll see it if you’re looking out for it. You might want to consider waiting a few days so you can break the news to your dozens of readers. Good luck on your hit piece, son.”

Adams did not respond to further questions about his next job. But he teased his social media followers that a “Major Announcement” was coming. The White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Adams was born in Sydney and, while a Young Liberal at Sydney University, was elected to the (then) Ashfield Council. At 21, he became the youngest deputy mayor in Australian history.

While on council, he sought to exterminate pigeons from Ashfield to protect against bird flu, and lobbied the state government to ban neighbourhood noise from lawnmowers and leaf blowers on weekend afternoons.

Adams later moved to the US, becoming a naturalised American citizen and a diehard Trump enthusiast. He founded a non-profit organisation called the Foundation for Liberty and American Greatness, which says it teaches “the [nation’s] founding documents and American values to K-12 students”.

He also attracted attention for outlandish statements on social media, particularly his identity as an “alpha male” and defence of certain traits he claimed as being traditionally masculine.

“Alpha males are an endangered species in America and this is a national security crisis,” he said in 2022. In a 2023 video, he stomped on a packet of M&Ms in Times Square after the manufacturer Mars announced packaging that depicted female M&Ms.

“Feminist M&Ms … It is outrageous, it is disgusting, and it must not stand,” Adams said in the video. “Any male that buys a packet of M&Ms from today forward must hand in their man card because they are a soft, woke, beat-up male feminist who has serious, serious problems.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24300076 (240828ZFEB26) Notable: Ukraine offers ‘modern warfare’ training to ADF - Ukraine has offered to train Australian Defence Force personnel in “modern warfare”, citing its battlefield experience against Russia and advances in drone and electronic warfare. Ukraine’s ambassador to Australia, Vasyl Myroshnychenko, said Ukrainian forces could help teach Australian troops how to operate in conflicts shaped by drones and rapid technological adaptation. He said Ukraine had become “the most powerful army in Europe” through its combat experience and was already training troops from Germany and Poland. Analysts say the ADF could learn from Ukraine’s tactics in drone production, counter-drone operations and battlefield innovation. The offer comes as Ukraine seeks continued Australian military support, including more Bushmaster armoured vehicles and regular financial contributions to Kyiv’s war effort.

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Ukraine offers ‘modern warfare’ training to ADF

BEN PACKHAM - 23 February 2026

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Ukraine has offered to teach the Australian Defence Force “how to do modern warfare”, arguing Australian personnel “don’t know how to fight” in the age of killer drones.

On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s top diplomat in Australia thanked the Albanese government for its support for his country’s war effort, urging it to lock in regular financial contributions after a rushed package last ­December.

Ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko said Ukraine could repay Australia for its assistance, given its unmatched experience in fighting one of the world’s toughest enemies.

He said Ukraine could provide Australia with new military technology, “and we can train your combat troops how to fight, because your troops don’t know how to fight”.

“We’re now the most powerful army in Europe … and we learned how to fight,” Mr Myroshny­chenko said.

“And we can teach you how to do modern warfare. So I think there is a vested interest for you. We can help you build your sovereign capabilities in uncrewed systems, in electronic warfare – something which is ­really cutting edge.

“Your industry cannot catch up with the developments in Ukraine. It’s just impossible, because you don’t have a battlefield. We have a battlefield, and we get that integrated immediately into our R&D.

“We’re now training German troops. We’re training Polish troops. We can train Australian troops.”

Australian personnel have trained Ukrainian troops in the UK as part of the nation’s $1.7bn support for the country, but it took until last year for the Albanese government to commission a high-level ADF study on the military lessons of the Ukraine conflict.

Australian Brigadier General Grant Chambers led an expert delegation to Kyiv in September, examining the country’s domestic drone industry, and how its troops deploy and defend against lethal unmanned systems.

Retired Major General Mick Ryan, a regular visitor to Ukraine during the war, said Australia had been “very slow” to take advantage of Ukraine’s battlefield ­experience.

“We’re not the Ukrainians. We don’t need to be exactly like them, but these kinds of insights are valuable for military organisations that want to fight 21st-century wars, not lose by fighting 20th-century wars,” General Ryan said.

He said the ADF could learn from Ukraine’s drone tactics, its large-scale production of “many different classes of drones”, and its system of “rapid learning and adaptation”.

“The ADF is nowhere near the leading edge in many of these areas,” General Ryan said.

He said Ukraine was also a world leader in counter-drone operations, offering valuable expertise for the ADF to tap into.

“When you shoot down 80 to 90 per cent of drones coming at you, that’s better than just about anyone else in the world,” General Ryan said.

“Our bases are largely undefended from these kinds of threats, as are our major critical civil infrastructure, whether it’s power or fuel.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24300087 (240837ZFEB26) Notable: Australia seals UK defence deal with $300m for AUKUS sub reactors - Australia will spend about $310 million on components for nuclear reactors for the AUKUS submarine program as part of a defence agreement reached with the United Kingdom in London. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy said the funding would purchase the first Rolls-Royce reactor modules to be installed in submarines to be built at the Osborne shipyard in South Australia. The deal also expands cooperation on radar systems, drones, laser weapons and missile testing that could support Ukraine. Australia has already committed $5 billion to the nuclear propulsion program and plans to acquire at least three United States Virginia-class submarines before building new SSN-AUKUS vessels with the United Kingdom from the early 2040s.

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>>137119

>>137392

>>137428

Australia seals UK defence deal with $300m for AUKUS sub reactors

David Crowe - February 24, 2026

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Australia will deepen its defence ties with Britain by spending $310 million on a new stage of the AUKUS submarine project as well as launching joint work on radar systems, drones and missile tests that could help Ukraine.

The agreement was sealed in London on Monday night in a meeting between Australian and UK ministers that cleared the way for closer links in the defence industry to develop defensive weapons.

Australia has previously pledged $5 billion to help fund the development of the nuclear power systems for the AUKUS fleet, but the new spending is the first payment for equipment from Rolls-Royce to be installed in the first submarines.

The $310 million will buy the first components for the nuclear reactors to be supplied by Rolls-Royce and transferred to South Australia for fitting to the first two AUKUS vessels to be built at the Osborne shipyard.

Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy met his counterpart, UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard, on Monday and announced the funding after their talks.

“This is the start of the construction process for these reactors,” Conroy said in London.

“We’re on track. We’re hitting all major milestones for the AUKUS project.”

As well as claiming progress on the nuclear reactor modules, Conroy pointed to the government’s announcement last week of a $3.9 billion commitment to the construction of the Osborne shipyard, with that cost likely to increase to $30 billion over several decades.

“That announcement, and that $30 billion investment, will build the only submarine yard in the Southern Hemisphere capable of constructing a nuclear-powered submarine,” he said.

“This is a challenging project. This is a project that is the greatest industrial undertaking Australia has ever attempted, but it will also be nation-shaping in terms of modernising our manufacturing sector.”

While AUKUS is fiercely opposed by some members of the Labor Party and rejected by former prime minister Paul Keating and former foreign affairs minister Bob Carr, the government insists it is necessary for national defence and will create 20,000 jobs over the decades.

The agreement relies on help from the United States to supply interim submarines – three Virginia-class vessels – but has a long-term goal of developing a future vessel with the UK.

Australia aims to have five vessels from the early 2040s, using the same SSN-AUKUS design as the UK, which plans to have up to 12 vessels. The project is based on calculations that, without the new fleet, the UK would be more vulnerable to Russia, and Australia would be more vulnerable to China.

Conroy and his UK counterpart emerged from their talks in London with plans for joint work on other projects, including lasers and radar.

The communiqué from the meeting said the two sides would explore the potential for the UK to use radar systems developed in Australia.

Australia has a world-leading radar technology developed by Canberra-based CEA Technologies, which the federal government purchased in 2023 to ensure the intellectual property remained in the country.

On drones, the two sides plan to work on the “Ghost Bat” aerial vehicle, already being produced in Australia, so it could be fitted with missiles that complement the UK and other NATO member states’ arsenals.

“That will potentially facilitate exports of Ghost Bats to European nations who might be interested in it,” Conroy said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24300121 (240905ZFEB26) Notable: Anthony Albanese moves to help keep disgraced Andrew away from the throne in pledge to Keir Starmer - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that Australia would support removing Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of royal succession following his arrest over alleged misconduct in public office. In a letter to Starmer, Albanese said his government would agree to any proposal to strip Andrew of succession rights under laws governing Commonwealth realms that recognise the British monarch as head of state. Changes to the line of succession require approval from all relevant parliaments. Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the case showed “no one is above the law”, adding status or power should not shield anyone from investigation. Andrew, who was previously stripped of royal titles, remains in the line of succession despite the allegations and ongoing police investigations.

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>>137254

>>137405

Anthony Albanese moves to help keep disgraced Andrew away from the throne in pledge to Keir Starmer

RICHARD FERGUSON and HELEN TRINCA - 24 February 2026

Anthony Albanese has promised to help remove the disgraced Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor from the line of succession to the Australian and British thrones, as Governor-General Sam Mostyn declared the King’s brother’s downfall was proof nobody was above the law.

In the unlikely case Prince William, Prince Harry and their children either die or refuse the crown before the reign of Charles III ends, his brother Andrew is still by right the next in line to be Australia’s king.

That is despite Andrew being stripped of his titles, his recent arrest over alleged misconduct in public office, and an email trail proving Elizabeth II’s favourite son had deep relationships with the notorious pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.

Any attempt to strip Andrew from the line of succession requires the consent of every parliament that considers the British monarch their head of state. The Prime Minister has now moved to tell his British counterpart, Keir Starmer, that the Australian parliament is ready to remove Andrew’s last vestige of royal power.

“In light of recent events concerning Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, I am writing to confirm that my government would agree to any proposal to remove him from the line of royal succession,” Mr Albanese wrote in a letter to Sir Keir this week.

“I agree with His Majesty that the law must now take its full course and there must be a full, fair and proper investigation. These are grave allegations and Australians take them seriously.”

In an exclusive interview with The Australian on Monday, the Governor-General said the Andrew case was a reminder that power and status do not protect potential criminals in Australia.

“I think (the King) has made the point, and others have made the point, that no one is above the law, and that is the case here in Australia,” she said.

“It’s the same here – no one escapes the law by virtue of status or power. I think that’s what people are actually talking about, and seeing, that this (arrest) demonstrates that absolutely no one is above the law.”

Nearly a week since the King’s brother was arrested over misconduct when he was trade envoy for the British government, Andrew is now facing questions about whether he was involved in any trips Epstein made between the UK and the US that may have involved the trafficking of young women and girls.

Andrew is also facing claims – like disgraced British ambassador to Washington and ex-UK Labour election mastermind Lord Peter Mandelson – that he sent the pedophile financier a number of confidential government documents.

The King, Queen Camilla, William and Princess Catherine have tried to keep up a busy public schedule while their relative threatens the foundations of the monarchy.

At the BAFTA film awards in London, William reportedly told film stars and makers that he could not watch one of the gala’s big winners, the emotional William Shakespeare biopic Hamnet, because he needed to be in a “calm state” to view it and he was not calm at present.

Back in Australia, Ms Mostyn would not comment on whether the arrest was damaging to the reputation of the royal family nor on whether it might speed an Australian republic.

“When I’m asked about the republic, I’m always very, very clear in my response, which is, if the matter is ever put by a parliament of any persuasion back to the Australian people, it will be the determination of Australians,” she said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/anthony-albanese-moves-to-help-keep-disgraced-andrew-away-from-the-throne-in-pledge-to-keir-starmer/news-story/5ebd67faa90b94ad7af13827fe1a4e85

https://www.smh.com.au/interactive/hub/media/tearout-excerpt/54813/LETTER_zy7odzor.pdf

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24305695 (250849ZFEB26) Notable: Australian Prime Minister evacuated from residence after Chinese bomb threat over Shen Yun performance - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from The Lodge in Canberra after a Chinese-language bomb threat warned explosives would be detonated if performances by Shen Yun Performing Arts went ahead in Australia. Emails sent to local presenters claimed explosives had been placed around the prime minister’s residence and warned it would be “blown into ruins” if the shows proceeded. Australian Federal Police searched the property and later confirmed the threat was false and there was no danger to the community. Shen Yun, a New York-based dance troupe founded by practitioners of the Falun Gong spiritual movement, has long faced opposition from the Chinese Communist Party. Organisers said the threats were part of a broader campaign of intimidation targeting the group’s international performances.

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>>137370

>>137862

>>137863

Australian Prime Minister Evacuated From Residence After Chinese Bomb Threat Over Shen Yun Performance

The bomb threat sent to local presenters said, ‘If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the prime minister’s Lodge will be blown into ruins.’

Cindy Li & Daniel Y. Teng - 2/25/2026

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was evacuated from his residence in Canberra on Feb. 24, following a bomb threat made in Chinese against him and other high-ranking officials.

The threat came just days before a scheduled performance by New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts, a classical Chinese dance and music company that has been a target of Beijing for years.

Ahead of the company’s Australian tour, due to start on Feb. 25, emails in Chinese sent to local presenters demanded that they cancel the shows or else face dire consequences. One email, obtained by The Epoch Times, falsely claimed that explosives had been placed around the prime minister’s residence and that they would be detonated should Shen Yun’s performances proceed.

The prime minister was taken to another location for several hours while law enforcement conducted a search at The Lodge in Canberra. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) on Feb. 24 found “no current threat to community or public safety,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

Threats Targeting Shen Yun

Local Australian presenters for Shen Yun said they received a Chinese-language email on Feb. 10 with the message, “If Shen Yun’s performance goes ahead, something will happen to Anthony Albanese.”

The email threatened the “personal safety of Anthony Albanese and all other Australian high officials.”

“It doesn’t matter as long as you can afford the cost. I won’t try to talk you out of it anymore. Just don’t regret it later,” it read.

A second email, sent on Feb. 22, was titled “Suggestion to stop Shen Yun.”

The email stated in Chinese: “Large quantities of nitroglycerin explosives have been placed around the Australian prime minister’s Lodge, located on Adelaide Avenue in the Deakin area of Canberra, Australia.

“If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the prime minister’s Lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river.”

The sender of the second email claimed to be Chen Pokong, a U.S.-based columnist, political commentator, and YouTuber who played a key role in the pro-democracy movement in China during 1989, for which he was imprisoned and subsequently exiled to the United States. However, the CCP has a history of impersonating individuals, including foreign officials and dissidents, when making these types of threats.

The Epoch Times has contacted Chen for comment.

The local Australian presenters delivered both threats to the AFP on Feb. 24.

“We strongly condemn the Chinese Communist Party’s escalating campaign of transnational repression targeting Shen Yun Performing Arts and Falun Gong practitioners worldwide,” the presenters said in a statement. “All threats have been reported to Australian national security and law enforcement authorities. We appreciate the steps taken to ensure public safety and to protect elected officials, including the Prime Minister.”

They also called for a thorough, public investigation of the threats to “address the national security implications of these incidents, strengthen counter–foreign interference safeguards, and hold responsible actors accountable under Australian law.”

Weeks earlier, similarly worded threats were made against the leaders of the UK, South Korea, and Denmark, with no actual incidents reported.

The performing arts company, which seeks to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, was founded by artists who practice Falun Gong. The spiritual discipline, also known as Falun Dafa, features meditative exercises and teachings based on the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began a nationwide persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in 1999. Under the persecution, millions have been arbitrarily detained, tortured, subjected to forced labor, and even killed for their organs to fuel the regime’s lucrative transplantation industry.

Shen Yun’s performances feature dance pieces that tell the stories of practitioners who’ve faced persecution in China. The Epoch Times is a media sponsor of Shen Yun.

Over the past two years, Shen Yun has been subjected to a transnational suppression campaign involving bomb threats, email threats, and media campaigns.

The latest emails follow a Jan. 2 statement by the Chinese consulates in Sydney and Melbourne urging Australians not to watch Shen Yun.

The consulates echoed CCP propaganda in calling on “friends from all sectors” to remain “vigilant” and to “stay away from the ‘Shen Yun’ performance.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24305703 (250905ZFEB26) Notable: eSafety Commissioner faces review after court rules takedown notices were unlawful - The federal opposition has called for a review of eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s use of social media takedown notices after the Full Court of the Federal Court ruled the regulator acted outside its powers in seeking removal of a post on X. The case involved criticism by children’s rights activist Celine Baumgarten of gender ideology being taught to primary school students. The court upheld findings that the commissioner’s “complaint alert” to the platform, which resembled a formal legal order, was a reviewable action despite being issued informally. Coalition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said the government should investigate how many removal notices may have been issued beyond the regulator’s legal authority and whether free speech had been improperly restricted.

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>>137058

eSafety Commissioner faces review after court rules takedown notices were unlawful

STEPHEN RICE - 25 February 2026

The federal opposition has demanded a full review of the use of takedown notices by eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, after an appeals court ruled she had been operating outside the scope of her powers in taking down a social media post about “queer theory” being taught to primary-school children.

Coalition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson said the Albanese government needed to investigate how many removal notices had been unlawfully issued in light of last week’s finding by the Full Court of the Federal Court.

“I am concerned there has been widespread misuse of the regulator’s powers which have improperly stifled free speech, undermining the integrity of Australia’s online safety laws,” Senator Henderson told The Australian.

The eSafety Commissioner had tried to shut down a post on X by children’s rights activist Celine Baumgarten, who had tweeted criticism of a Melbourne primary school teaching gender ideology to 8-12 year olds.

Ms Baumgarten, a member of the group Gays Against Groomers, wrote “children should not be learning about sexualities at such a young, impressionable age … This is foul. Leave the kids alone”.

Senator Henderson said she was “also concerned the commission sought to remove this post because it objected to Ms Baumgarten’s views that schools are no place for gender activism”.

After receiving a complaint that Ms Baumgarten’s post had sought to “intimidate and harass” the teacher, the eSafety Commissioner sent a “complaint alert” to X, even though the commissioner’s own investigator had concluded the post did not meet the statutory definition of cyber-abuse ­material because it did not intend to cause serious harm.

The commissioner sent the alert via X’s high-priority Legal Requests Portal – a channel reserved for law enforcement and government officials submitting valid legal requests.

The alert to X looked and acted like a mandatory order, using the regulator’s official letterhead, and citing Section 7 of the Online Safety Act as the “Legal Basis”.

Ms Baumgarten challenged the notice in the Administrative Review Tribunal, claiming it was simply “censorship of the types of gay people the eSafety Commissioner personally disagrees with”.

Commission staff revealed in evidence that they often used “informal notices” to have social media material taken down when it did not meet the statutory definition of cyber-abuse ­material because it did not intend to cause serious harm.

Last week, the Full Court of the Federal Court unanimously upheld the tribunal’s findings against the commissioner.

The judges held that a government official cannot purport to exercise power, achieve a coercive result, and then claim immunity from review because they acted outside their power.

“The Albanese government should provide Australians with the confidence the eSafety Commissioner is not censoring legitimate debate or free speech,” Senator Henderson said.

“Communications Minister Anika Wells must investigate how many removal notices have been issued by the regulator beyond the scope of its powers.”

“While the commission has updated its ‘complaint notifications’ to make clear there is no obligation for a platform to act, I am concerned there has been widespread misuse of the regulator’s powers which have improperly stifled free speech, undermining the integrity of Australia’s online safety laws.”

In Senate estimates last December, Ms Inman Grant rejected a suggestion by Senator Henderson that she acted because of her own objection to Ms Baumgarten’s views, but appeared to suggest in evidence that Ms Baumgarten was engaging in adult cyber abuse because she was “targeting another person with abuse”.

“Ms Inman Grant should clarify her evidence to make clear Ms Baumgarten was not engaging in adult cyber abuse in breach of the Online Safety Act,” Senator Henderson said.

“With excessive government spending of taxpayers’ money on such an issue, Australians also deserve to know the total cost of these legal proceedings and how the eSafety Commissioner can justify this expenditure.”

A spokesman for the eSafety Commissioner said: “eSafety acknowledges the Full Court of the Federal Court’s decision that in the circumstances of this case, eSafety alerting a platform about a potential terms of service breach, was a reviewable action … We are actively considering the decision and are unable to comment further at this time.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/esafety-commissioner-faces-review-after-court-rules-takedown-notices-were-unlawful/news-story/228f782dfb752463d01f262a1413b9aa

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24305708 (250913ZFEB26) Notable: Australian man Peter Williams given 7 years' jail for selling US trade secrets to Russian broker - A United States court has sentenced former Australian intelligence official Peter Williams to 87 months in prison for selling sensitive cyber tools developed by a US defence contractor to a Russian broker. Williams, 39, previously worked for the Australian Signals Directorate before becoming a general manager at L3Harris subsidiary Trenchant in Washington DC. Prosecutors said he sold eight trade secrets involving powerful hacking and surveillance capabilities that could have allowed access to millions of digital devices. US authorities said Williams received cryptocurrency payments and was ordered to forfeit $US1.3 million along with property and luxury items. Officials said the exploits were sold to Operation Zero, a broker whose clients include the Russian government.

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>>122479 (pb)

Australian man Peter Williams given 7 years' jail for selling US trade secrets to Russian broker

Stephen Dziedzic - 25 February 2026

A US court has handed a jail sentence of more than seven years to a former Australian intelligence official who sold "incredibly powerful" hacking and surveillance tools to a Russian broker while working as a defence contractor in Washington DC.

Senior US prosecutors once again blasted Peter Williams, saying he "betrayed" the United States and allies while working as the general manager of Trenchant, a division of defence contractor L3Harris.

Analysts say L3Harris has specialised in developing cutting-edge tools it then sells to Five Eyes intelligence agencies to help them exploit vulnerabilities in computer networks and mobile devices.

In a statement, the US Justice Department said Williams had been handed an 87-month prison term, along with a further three years of supervised release with special conditions, for selling eight trade secrets to a Russian broker.

US attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro said the "incredibly powerful" tools sold by Williams "would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices".

"By betraying a position of trust and selling sensitive American technology, Williams's crime is not only one of theft, it is a crime of national security," she said.

"Our nation's defence capabilities are not commodities to be auctioned off.

"People like Williams who endanger our national security will be met with swift and decisive consequences."

While the Russian broker was not initially identified, on Tuesday the US Treasury publicly confirmed it was Operation Zero, which "publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government".

The Treasury and the US State Department simultaneously announced sanctions against the company.

US prosecutors also confirmed Williams worked for the Australian Signals Directorate in Canberra before moving to the United States.

It is not clear exactly how much the 39-year-old earned.

Williams was ordered to forfeit $US1.3 million ($1.8 million) in cryptocurrency payments, but US authorities said he could have been paid much more, saying he received "up to $US4 million" for the exploits he sold.

He was also ordered to hand over property including a "house, and luxury items such as watches and jewellery".

The FBI's Counterintelligence and Espionage Division assistant director Roman Rozhavsky said Williams "stole a US defence contractor's trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk".

"Let this be a clear warning to all who consider placing greed over country: If you betray your position of trust and sell sensitive American technology to our foreign adversaries, the FBI will not rest until you're brought to justice."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02-25/australian-sentenced-7-years-jail-selling-us-trade-secrets/106385636

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-general-manager-us-defense-contractor-sentenced-87-months-selling-stolen-trade

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24305717 (250921ZFEB26) Notable: ‘Never’: Rudd denies talking to accused Chinese asset - Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has denied any contact with Australian businessman Alexander Csergo, who is accused of working with individuals he believed were Chinese intelligence agents. Csergo, 59, has pleaded not guilty to reckless foreign interference after allegedly providing reports to two contacts he thought worked for China’s Ministry of State Security. Prosecutors say the reports contained fabricated statements attributed to several figures including Rudd. In a statement read to the jury, Rudd said: “I do not personally know this person or business” and confirmed he never responded to an email Csergo sent seeking defence and security advice in 2022. Police allege Csergo passed reports compiled from open-source information to the contacts in exchange for money.

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>>137404

>>137427

'Never': Rudd denies talking to accused Chinese asset

Miklos Bolza - February 25 2026

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd has said he did not personally know or assist an Australian man who police allege worked alongside Chinese intelligence agents.

Alexander Csergo, 59, has been accused of reckless foreign interference after providing reports to two people he believed were working for China's Ministry of State Security.

From when he was allegedly approached via Linkedin in November 2021 until his arrest in March 2023, the 59-year-old was based in Shanghai running his IT consulting business Conversys.

His reports, given to two individuals only known as Ken and Evelyn, contained fabricated statements from a number of individuals, including Dr Rudd, a jury heard on Thursday.

In a police statement, the former prime minister and US ambassador denied knowing Csergo or Conversys.

"I do not personally know this person or business," he wrote in the statement seen by AAP, which was read out to jurors on Friday.

Csergo allegedly emailed Dr Rudd asking about defence and security advice in late October 2022.

At the time, the former politician was president of the non-profit organisation Asia Society and its associated think tank while living in New York.

Csergo sent one message to Dr Rudd's old prime ministerial email address.

"This contact was not received by me personally and I never provided a response," the 68-year-old wrote.

Csergo did not contact Dr Rudd directly at the Asia Society.

On Thursday, jurors were told the IT consultant lied to Ken and Evelyn by claiming open source information in his reports was confidential.

He supplied the reports to his alleged handlers in exchange for cash while they were alone in empty cafes and restaurants, the court was told.

Crown prosecutor Jennifer Single SC said Csergo would have believed the two individuals were working for Chinese intelligence and that he was being groomed as a future asset.

He was arrested in March 2023 when he temporarily returned to Sydney.

Police officers raiding his house found a "shopping list" asking him to seek classified information on a swathe of topics including national security, foreign policy and intelligence.

"Find out the fact and rumors in cambera (sic) or DC," Ken wrote.

"Show top leaders real thinking."

Defence barrister Iain Todd said on Thursday that Csergo merely had a commercial arrangement with Ken and Evelyn, and no top secret information was ever handed over.

The trial continues.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9183303/never-rudd-denies-talking-to-accused-chinese-asset/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309776 (260853ZFEB26) Notable: Families of Australian diplomats ordered to evacuate Israel, Lebanon - Australia has ordered the families of diplomats in Israel and Lebanon to evacuate and urged other Australians to consider leaving as tensions rise over possible US military action against Iran. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the security situation in the Middle East was “unpredictable” and warned that escalating conflict could disrupt travel through airspace closures and cancelled flights. Voluntary departures have also been offered to families of Australian officials in Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The move comes as the United States assembles a major military presence in the region while negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program. Vice-President JD Vance warned Tehran to take Washington’s threats of military action “seriously” if diplomacy fails.

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>>137088

Families of Australian diplomats ordered to evacuate Israel, Lebanon

LYDIA LYNCH - 26 February 2026

The families of diplomats in Israel and Lebanon have been ordered to evacuate while all other Australians have been urged to leave while they can as Donald Trump continues to weigh strikes against Iran and his Vice-President warned Tehran to take threats of military action “seriously”.

With America assembling its largest deployment of war power in the Middle East for decades, amid growing fears of a wider regional conflict, the federal government on Wednesday night ordered the departure of the families of Australian officials posted to Lebanon and Israel.

Other Australians in those countries have been urged to “consider leaving while commercial options to depart are still available”.

“Voluntary departures” have also been offered to families of diplomats posted to Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

“We continue to advise (to) exercise a high degree of caution in these destinations,” the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned in a social media post on Wednesday night.

“The security situation in the Middle East is unpredictable. Regional tensions remain high and there continues to be a risk of military conflict. Conflicts in the Middle East could result in airspace closures, flight cancellations and other travel disruptions.”

A “do not travel” declaration remains in place for Iran. The Australian government shuttered its embassy in Tehran in June and evacuated all officials and dependants.

Mr Trump threatened military action against Iran last month in response to the Islamic regime’s brutal and deadly crackdown on protesters. The US President has since reignited warnings of a strike unless Iran agrees to make a deal on its nuclear program.

A third round of indirect nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, mediated by Oman, was scheduled to start in Geneva on Thursday.

The US announced a fresh round of sanctions on Wednesday, targeting more than 30 individuals, entities and vessels said to be enabling “illicit Iranian petroleum sales”, as well as its weapons production.

Vice-President JD Vance on Thursday AEDT warned Iran to take Washington’s threats of military action “seriously”.

“You can’t let the craziest and worst regime in the world have nuclear weapons,” he told Fox News.

“The President has a number of other tools at his disposal to ensure this doesn’t happen. He’s shown a willingness to use them and I hope the Iranians take it seriously in the negotiations tomorrow because that’s certainly what the President prefers.”

In his State of the Union address on Wednesday AEDT, Mr Trump said his preference was to “solve this problem through diplomacy”, but warned he would never allow “the world’s number one sponsor of terror” to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“We are in negotiations with them, they want to make a deal but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’,” he said.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he was hopeful ahead of Thursdays talks as the Tehran delegation departed for Geneva.

“We see a favourable outlook for the negotiations,” Mr Pezeshkian said in a speech. “We are continuing the process under the guidance of the Supreme Leader so that we can move beyond this ‘neither war nor peace’ situation.”

The Lebanese government has urged Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah not to get involved if any fighting erupts between the US and Iran, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said on Tuesday, expressing concerns about a new possible conflict with Israel.

Speaking to a small group of journalists in Geneva this week, Mr Rajji said Lebanese officials had been warned that in the event of another Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel would strike harder against civilian infrastructure across Lebanon than in the previous round of fighting.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/families-of-australian-diplomats-ordered-to-evacuate-israel-lebanon/news-story/a5f459e1babdc7b74a849b4a5c9984f3

https://x.com/Smartraveller/status/2026588785308528837

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/iran

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309781 (260907ZFEB26) Notable: Royal Commissioner Bell meets survivors, victims’ families at Bondi massacre site - Antisemitism royal commissioner Virginia Bell has met survivors and relatives of the 15 people killed in the Bondi Beach massacre during a private briefing at Bondi Pavilion, explaining why the inquiry cannot directly examine the December 14 attack. Bell told attendees the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission must avoid hearing evidence from witnesses or victims’ families that could prejudice the criminal trial of alleged gunman Naveed Akram. Survivors said the meeting offered a chance to describe experiences of antisemitism leading up to the attack, though some hope the inquiry might later expand once court proceedings conclude. Bell has insisted the commission will focus on antisemitism as its starting point for strengthening social cohesion, while also confirming delays to intelligence evidence due to legal reviews by government agencies.

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>>137859

Royal Commissioner Bell meets survivors, victims’ families at Bondi massacre site

JAMES DOWLING - 26 February 2026

Antisemitism royal commissioner Virginia Bell has toured the site of the Bondi Beach massacre and met with victims’ families and survivors of the tragedy, providing a private presentation on her inquiry.

The “informal meeting” was held at 10am on Thursday in Bondi Pavilion to discuss why the Antisemitism and Social Cohesion Royal Commission will not be able to directly probe the attack that left them scarred.

In an invitation sent to those affected, Ms Bell said she would “explain the limitations on the approach the commission can take to leading evidence of the circumstances of the attack and to answer any questions about how the commission proposes to go about its work”. She declined to comment when approached before the meeting.

In her opening statement to the first hearing of the inquiry on Tuesday, Ms Bell said she would not hear directly from witnesses or family members of the 15 Bondi victims to avoid prejudicing the criminal trial of the surviving ­alleged terrorist who gunned down innocent Jews celebrating Hanukkah.

“One might expect that a royal commission set up to inquire into an attack would lead evidence of it: of the heroism of those who sought to confront the shooters, and of those who ran towards the gunfire, to offer medical assistance to the wounded,” Ms Bell said.

“This commission must do its work without risking any prejudice to that criminal proceeding. Leading evidence … from people who may be witnesses in the criminal proceeding would create that risk, and for that reason, it will not occur.”

‘The right decision’

Virginia Wynne-Markham, the widow of Peter Meagher said she was “curious to see” what the meeting would bring, while survivor Marc Schwartz told The Australian it was “a great moment for us to get heard by the royal commissioner, and let her hear our experience of antisemitism”.

“It culminated into what happened on December the 14th, but more specifically, telling her what happened before then as well,” he said.

He said the “right decision” was made in carving out direct evidence on the shooting to avoid prejudicing the trial of gunman Naveed Akram, but hoped there would be a chance to share his experience in future.

“I feel like the length and the timing of the Royal Commission could be extended to allow for that,” Mr Schwartz said. “Post-criminal court proceedings, this could be extended.”

Sabina Kleitman, daughter of holocaust survivor and Bondi massacre victim Alex Kleytman, on Monday told The Australian she would ask how Ms Bell will prepare for “toxic information” and submissions from pro-Palestine groups and anti-Israel Jewish organisations such as the Jewish Council of Australia.

Ms Bell on Tuesday appeared to rebuke anyone demanding she broaden the probe away from antisemitism, saying: “Against the background of the massacre of innocent people who appear to have been targeted simply because they were Jewish, I trust everyone will appreciate why the focus of this commission will be on tackling antisemitism as a starting point in strengthening our bonds of social cohesion.”

She revealed crucial security and intelligence evidence that would form part of former spy chief Dennis Richardson’s folded-in probe had been delayed due to key agencies seeking legal advice.

Her meeting with the bereaved and affected comes about six weeks after Anthony Albanese caved to community pressure and announced the federal inquiry in the wake of the beachside attack.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/royal-commissioner-bell-meets-survivors-victims-families-at-massacre-site/news-story/fe93ef42c20e894771173444e7815292

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309785 (260914ZFEB26) Notable: Fight antisemitism or lose your university registration: Clare - Universities will be required to take stronger action against antisemitism and racism or risk losing their registration under proposed federal legislation announced by Education Minister Jason Clare. The changes would expand the powers of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, requiring universities to demonstrate they are actively addressing racism as part of their regulatory standards. Clare told the Universities Australia conference the reforms were aimed at ensuring campuses respond decisively to antisemitism following the Bondi Beach massacre that killed 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration. The proposal follows recommendations from the government’s antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal, who urged stronger sanctions against institutions failing to act. Clare said racism can “creep into our campuses” and universities must do more to prevent discrimination and hatred.

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>>137859

Fight antisemitism or lose your university registration: Clare

NATASHA BITA - 25 February 2026

Universities will be forced to stamp out antisemitism and other racism as a condition of registration, federal Education Minister Jason Clare has announced.

He said legislation to strengthen the regulatory powers of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency would change the threshold standards “to require universities to demonstrate they’re taking action against ­racism”.

The move comes after the Albanese government’s special envoy, Jillian Segal, recommended in her report last July that universities that failed to act against antisemitism have government funding withheld where possible and grants terminated.

Deploring the “monsters” who killed 15 people at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach in December, Mr Clare demanded universities weed out antisemitism.

“It’s our collective responsibility to do everything that we can, to weed it out and to stop it growing back,” he told the Universities Australia conference in Canberra on Wednesday night.

“People aren’t born antisemitic. We aren’t born hating anyone. It’s something that’s taught, that’s learned. And it’s something that can metastasise into the most terrifying violence.

“We tell our children that there’s no such thing as monsters, but that’s obviously a lie. How else you describe what we saw on our phones in our TVs in December?

“But it’s not just monsters we have to fear, it’s the casual acceptance that some people are treated differently to others.”

Mr Clare said that although Australia was “not a racist country”, that didn’t mean racism didn’t exist.

“It creeps into our campuses, just like it does everywhere else,” he said.

“Look hard enough, and you will see it. Listen carefully enough, and you’ll hear it.

“I’ll never know what it’s like to be discriminated against because of who I am or what I am because of my faith or my accent or the colour of my skin.

“But what I can do, what we can all do, is try to put ourselves in the shoes of people who are.”

Mr Clare said the Discrimination Commissioner’s report, based on surveys of 76,000 university students, was “hard reading”.

“It doesn’t say racism is any worse in our universities than anywhere else,” he said.

“That’s not the point. What it makes clear is we’re not doing everything that we can. Or that we should.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/fight-antisemitism-or-lose-your-university-registration-clare/news-story/9413b6619cc176f22ef0ddaa0b068541

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309793 (260925ZFEB26) Notable: Julian Leeser accuses university chiefs of failing to stop ‘cascading antisemitism’ - Coalition education spokesman Julian Leeser has accused Australian university leaders of a “leadership failure” in tackling antisemitism, telling vice-chancellors they had lost the confidence of both government and opposition. Speaking at the Universities Australia conference, Leeser said campuses had ignored repeated warnings about rising antisemitism since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and tolerated protests and encampments that left Jewish students feeling unsafe. He said Jewish students had reported harassment, intimidation and antisemitic symbols on campuses, arguing universities had failed to confront the problem. Leeser urged the antisemitism royal commission to summon vice-chancellors to give evidence and called on all universities to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, warning the Bondi massacre was the “tragic and inevitable endpoint of cascading antisemitism”.

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>>137859

>>137871

Julian Leeser accuses university chiefs of failing to stop ‘cascading antisemitism’

NATASHA BITA - 26 February 2026

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University leaders have been branded “quislings’’ to their faces over their tolerance of antisemitism, by the Coalition education spokesman Julian Leeser.

Welcoming the Albanese government’s decision to deny registration to universities that fail to stamp out racism, Mr Leeser said they should be stripped of public funding.

“This is a red-light moment for Australia’s universities,’’ he told the Universities Australia conference in Canberra on Thursday, in his first keynote speech on the Coalition’s higher education policy.

“Both the government and the opposition are telling you today they have lost confidence in you in how you treat Jewish people.

“This is an operating risk, a social-licence risk and a reputational risk to the sector.

“It has been a leadership failure across the country – fix it.’’

Mr Leeser, who is Jewish, said universities had been warned “again and again’’ about rising antisemitism in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

“You chose to ignore it,’’ he said.

“Instead of listening, following principles, standing up for students and staff under attack, you hid. Quislings!

“I said after the Bondi attack that antisemitism has been festering with three groups: neo-Nazis, radical Islamists, and the cultural Left,’’ he said.

“Think about it: our universities – that stood up for women’s rights, LGBTI rights, and multicultural access to our institutions – now stand condemned by both the Australian government and the opposition for being unsafe places for Australian Jews.’’

Mr Leeser demanded university leaders “step up and lead’’, declaring the massacre of 15 people at a Jewish festival on Bondi Beach on December 14 was one of the “downstream consequences of failing to deal with antisemitism on campus’’.

“What sort of message does it send when encampments and protests are tolerated for weeks and months?’’ he said.

“What message does it send when the associated harassment and abuse are seen as accepted as part of campus life?

“When you fail to confront people who engage in harassment and intimidation your public standing is diminished.

“It is time to step up and lead.’’

Mr Leeser said university leaders had dismissed the need to take strong measures against antisemitism for too long.

“It includes some people in this room,’’ he told vice-chancellors and university executives attending the conference.

“It’s not okay to be a bystander.

“We have seen encampments and protests where Jewish students have been targeted – blocked from buildings, harassed in tutorials, spat on, and taunted with Nazi symbols, blocked and challenged walking across quadrangles, made to feel unsafe in their own dorm rooms.

“It is not just students – Jewish staff have also been intimidated and their workplaces defaced, occupied, blockaded, even urinated on.’’

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309801 (260938ZFEB26) Notable: Hash Tayeh’s ‘All Zionists are terrorists’ chant ruled racial vilification - A Victorian tribunal has ruled pro-Palestinian activist Hash Tayeh breached racial and religious vilification laws by leading the chant “All Zionists are terrorists” at a Melbourne rally. Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal vice president Judge My Anh Tran found the slogan incited hatred under the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act, determining that while “Zionist does not mean Jew”, many people would strongly associate Zionists with Jewish people. The case was brought by Orthodox Jewish man Menachem Vorchheimer, who said the chant made him feel unsafe and dehumanised. Judge Tran ruled the chant’s “absolute statement” attached the label “terrorist” to an undifferentiated group, encouraging hostility. Tayeh rejected the decision and said he would appeal, arguing his comments targeted political ideology rather than race or religion.

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>>137357

Hash Tayeh’s ‘All Zionists are terrorists’ chant ruled racial vilification

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 26 February 2026

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A Victorian tribunal has ruled that pro-Palestinian activist Hash Tayeh breached the state’s racial and religious vilification laws by leading the chant “All Zionists are terrorists”, in a landmark decision finding the slogan functioned as a proxy attack on Jews.

At the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Thursday, Vice President Judge My Anh Tran found that Mr Tayeh contravened sections 7 and 8 of the Racial and Religious Tolerance Act after initiating the chant at a Melbourne CBD rally on March 23 last year.

The case was brought by Orthodox Jewish man Menachem Vorchheimer, who told the tribunal that being labelled a “terrorist” was “gut-wrenching and soul destroying to me” “I felt dehumanised. I felt like the lowest of the low,” Mr Vorchheimer said.

He said he no longer felt safe going into the Melbourne CBD on Sundays around the time of anti-Israel rallies.

At the rally, Mr Tayeh took a microphone and, after a speech criticising charges laid against him by Victoria Police for using the chant, yelled: “AS LOUD AS YOU CAN! ALL ZIONISTS ARE TERRORISTS!”

The tribunal found that encouraging thousands of people to chant an “absolute statement” attaching “a heinous label (terrorist) to an undifferentiated group of people (All Zionists)” was conduct calculated to incite hatred.

Judge Tran accepted that “Zionist does not mean Jew”. However, she found there was “likely to have been a very strong association between Zionists and Jewish people in the minds of ordinary rally participants”.

The word “terrorist”, she said, was “one of the most extremely negative labels it is possible to attach to a person” and is a term “more usually applied to Hamas” in the wake of October 7.

“I find the chant was intended by Mr Tayeh to be directed against, at a minimum, all supporters of the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish state. The purpose of the chant thus extended well beyond his claimed purpose of protesting the actions of the current Israeli regime after 7 October 2023.

“In the context of the Rally, the natural and ordinary effect of initiating a chant of ‘All Zionists are terrorists’ among rally participants was to incite hatred against the perceived objects of the chant.”

Mr Tayeh is the founder and former chief executive of burger restaurant chain Burgertory. He resigned as CEO of the company less than a month after being hit with a $1m tax bill for debts allegedly run up by 13 companies.

The ruling also traversed on the broader atmosphere of the rally, noting placards bearing an inverted red triangle (a symbol of Hamas), a sign reading “Death to the Zionist regime” and voices adding to the chant with “Zionists rape children”.

Judge Tran also examined Australia Palestine Advocacy Network president Nasser Mashni’s rhetoric, including a social media post describing “Israel, Zionism and Judaism – the unholy trinity!” and messaging that portrayed Zionists as manipulating governments, police and media — themes the tribunal said echoed longstanding antisemitic tropes of secret control.

“If a people who belong to a particular race (Jewish people); or religion (Judaism) are stereotyped as holding a ‘political’ belief (Zionism); and hatred is incited against them for that reason, then hatred is being incited against them on the ground of their race or religious belief or activity,” Judge Tran wrote in her ruling.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24309823 (261002ZFEB26) Notable: China hits back at dance troupe linked to PM bomb scare - China’s embassy in Canberra has criticised Shen Yun after a bomb threat sent to the dance troupe prompted the evacuation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese from The Lodge. Emails in Mandarin warned explosives had been placed around the prime minister’s residence and would be detonated if the troupe’s Australian performances went ahead. Albanese was taken to a secure location for several hours while Australian Federal Police searched the property and found no threat. The embassy said it had “no knowledge” of the incident but condemned violence while accusing Shen Yun and its affiliated Falun Gong movement of promoting “anti-China narratives” and “cult ideology”. Shen Yun organisers said the threats reflected escalating intimidation linked to the Chinese Communist Party and raised national security concerns.

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>>137862

>>137863

>>137864

>>137865

China hits back at dance troupe linked to PM bomb scare

Grace Crivellaro - February 26 2026

The Chinese Embassy has condemned a dance troupe which received a bomb threat that forced the prime minister's evacuation from his Canberra residence.

Emails sent to the dance group Shen Yun, which is banned in China, and seen by AAP warned that bombs at The Lodge would be set off if the troupe's upcoming performances went ahead.

Anthony Albanese was subsequently evacuated from the heavily fortified property for three hours on Tuesday while searches were carried out.

"We have noticed relevant reports but have no knowledge with what happened," a Chinese embassy spokesperson said in a statement.

"China always opposes all forms of violent attacks."

The email, in Mandarin, said large amounts of nitroglycerine-laden explosives had been placed around the prime ministerial residence.

"If you insist on proceeding with the performance, then the prime minister's lodge will be blown into ruins and blood will flow like a river," read the email, translated and provided to AAP by the Falun Dafa Association of Australia.

"Of course, if you don't care about the personal safety of the prime minister and other high officials of Australia you can go ahead with the Shen Yun performance."

Shen Yun is a dance group linked to the Falun Gong (Falun Dafa) spiritual movement and is scheduled to perform in multiple Australian cities in coming weeks.

The group passed the threatening email to federal police shortly after receiving it.

The embassy spokesperson was critical of Shen Yun and Falun Gong, labelling the show as a "political tool" used by the spiritual group to "disseminate anti-China narratives and cult ideology".

"This constitutes a distortion and desecration of Chinese culture, and represents deception, manipulation, and harm to audiences," the spokesperson said.

The email was the latest in a series of rising threats against MPs, with the AFP confirming 950 incidents were investigated in 2024/25.

That number was 63 per cent higher than the previous four financial years combined.

A spokeswoman for the Falun Dafa Association said while Shen Yun regularly received threats, the emails were an escalation.

"Recent reports of a death threat directed at Australia's prime minister highlight the dangerous trajectory of (Chinese Communist Party)-linked intimidation tactics," the spokeswoman said.

"When threats extend to a nation's elected leader, this is no longer solely a matter of religious freedom or artistic expression - it becomes a direct challenge to national sovereignty, democratic governance, and public safety."

Mr Albanese thanked police following the bomb scare and urged people to dial down political rhetoric.

"It's just a reminder to take every opportunity to tell people, turn the heat down for goodness sake. We can't take these things for granted. Just turn it down," he said.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9184120/china-hits-back-at-dance-troupe-linked-to-pm-bomb-scare/

https://au.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zagx_0/sgxw/202602/t20260225_11863521.htm

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24318774 (281047ZFEB26) Notable: Q Post #1558 - Free Iran!!! Fight - Fight - Fight - Regime change. People have the power. We stand with you. Q - https://qalerts.app/?n=1558 - https://qalerts.app/?q=iran

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>>137088

>>137869

Anthony Albanese backs in Donald Trump’s mission to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions

RICHARD FERGUSON and MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 28 February 2026

Anthony Albanese has backed US President Donald Trump’s military campaign to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, calling the Islamist regime a threat to international peace and security.

The Prime Minister on Saturday night told any Australians in Israel or Lebanon to get out as the world prepares for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to fight back, and Mr Trump promises a prolonged and major attack to destroy the mullahs.

In a joint statement with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Mr Albanese and his top ministers supported Mr Trump’s decision to act against the Ayatollah.

“We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security,” he said in a statement.

On Sunday night, Labor outlined the government’s actions over the years to oppose the Iranian regime, including expelling Tehran’s ambassador last year over Iran’s co-ordination of domestic attacks against Australian Jews.

In the long statement, Mr Albanese, Mr Marles and Senator Wong also outlined the international decades-long attempts to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression,” the joint statement said.

“For decades, the Iranian regime has been a destabilising force, through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and brutal acts of violence and intimidation.”

Mr Albanese’s clear support for Mr Trump comes after he also strongly backed the US President’s strikes on Iranian nuclear strikes last June.

The Albanese government has also strengthened military ties with the Trump White House, with the Prime Minister locking down Mr Trump’s support for the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact in his successful visit to the Oval Office last year.

Mr Albanese and Senator Wong have faced past criticism for not being as clear in backing Israeli operations against Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.

Angus Taylor has called for “courage to prevail” against the mullahs said he was praying for the Iranian people.

“The theocratic Iranian regime is authoritarian, antisemitic and abhorrent,” the new Opposition Leader said on social media.

“It wants nuclear weapons, seeks the destruction of Israel, has encouraged terrorism through its proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis – and has supplied weapons to Russia to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It is also responsible for acts of foreign interference in Australia and igniting antisemitism.

“Since 1979, the revolutionary Islamic government in Tehran has oppressed, imprisoned and murdered Iranians.

“We pray for the Iranian people at this time. May courage prevail.”

The president of Australia’s peak Jewish body has labelled the Iranian government a “murderous regime” and called on Western nations to take urgent action against its nuclear ambitions and global terror activities.

In a statement released on Saturday night, Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said Tehran has attacked Jewish targets both domestically and abroad.

“The Iranian Government is a murderous regime. It has attacked synagogues and Jewish targets in Australia and around the world,” he said.

Mr Aghion said the regime funds “terrorist groups Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis” and warned that stronger international action was required.

“Western nations, led by Israel and the US, must curtail the nuclear aspirations of the Iranian Government, disrupt its international terrorism network, and protect the Iranian people from their own leadership,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/anthony-albanese-backs-in-donald-trumps-mission-to-destroy-irans-nuclear-ambitions/news-story/f7679b6fd755ef26a4566326fee66209

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/2027678880220516549

—

Q Post #1558

Jun 19, 2018 1:55:48 AM EDT

Free Iran!!!

Fight

Fight

Fight

Regime change.

People have the power.

We stand with you.

Q

https://qalerts.app/?n=1558

https://qalerts.app/?q=iran

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24318774 (281047ZFEB26) Notable: Q Post #1558 - Free Iran!!! Fight - Fight - Fight - Regime change. People have the power. We stand with you. Q - https://qalerts.app/?n=1558 - https://qalerts.app/?q=iran

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>>137088

>>137869

Anthony Albanese backs in Donald Trump’s mission to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions

RICHARD FERGUSON and MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 28 February 2026

Anthony Albanese has backed US President Donald Trump’s military campaign to stop Iran obtaining nuclear weapons, calling the Islamist regime a threat to international peace and security.

The Prime Minister on Saturday night told any Australians in Israel or Lebanon to get out as the world prepares for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard to fight back, and Mr Trump promises a prolonged and major attack to destroy the mullahs.

In a joint statement with Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Mr Albanese and his top ministers supported Mr Trump’s decision to act against the Ayatollah.

“We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security,” he said in a statement.

On Sunday night, Labor outlined the government’s actions over the years to oppose the Iranian regime, including expelling Tehran’s ambassador last year over Iran’s co-ordination of domestic attacks against Australian Jews.

In the long statement, Mr Albanese, Mr Marles and Senator Wong also outlined the international decades-long attempts to stop Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“Australia stands with the brave people of Iran in their struggle against oppression,” the joint statement said.

“For decades, the Iranian regime has been a destabilising force, through its ballistic missile and nuclear programs, support for armed proxies, and brutal acts of violence and intimidation.”

Mr Albanese’s clear support for Mr Trump comes after he also strongly backed the US President’s strikes on Iranian nuclear strikes last June.

The Albanese government has also strengthened military ties with the Trump White House, with the Prime Minister locking down Mr Trump’s support for the AUKUS nuclear submarine pact in his successful visit to the Oval Office last year.

Mr Albanese and Senator Wong have faced past criticism for not being as clear in backing Israeli operations against Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.

Angus Taylor has called for “courage to prevail” against the mullahs said he was praying for the Iranian people.

“The theocratic Iranian regime is authoritarian, antisemitic and abhorrent,” the new Opposition Leader said on social media.

“It wants nuclear weapons, seeks the destruction of Israel, has encouraged terrorism through its proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis – and has supplied weapons to Russia to support Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. It is also responsible for acts of foreign interference in Australia and igniting antisemitism.

“Since 1979, the revolutionary Islamic government in Tehran has oppressed, imprisoned and murdered Iranians.

“We pray for the Iranian people at this time. May courage prevail.”

The president of Australia’s peak Jewish body has labelled the Iranian government a “murderous regime” and called on Western nations to take urgent action against its nuclear ambitions and global terror activities.

In a statement released on Saturday night, Daniel Aghion, president of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said Tehran has attacked Jewish targets both domestically and abroad.

“The Iranian Government is a murderous regime. It has attacked synagogues and Jewish targets in Australia and around the world,” he said.

Mr Aghion said the regime funds “terrorist groups Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis” and warned that stronger international action was required.

“Western nations, led by Israel and the US, must curtail the nuclear aspirations of the Iranian Government, disrupt its international terrorism network, and protect the Iranian people from their own leadership,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/anthony-albanese-backs-in-donald-trumps-mission-to-destroy-irans-nuclear-ambitions/news-story/f7679b6fd755ef26a4566326fee66209

https://x.com/AlboMP/status/2027678880220516549

—

Q Post #1558

Jun 19, 2018 1:55:48 AM EDT

Free Iran!!!

Fight

Fight

Fight

Regime change.

People have the power.

We stand with you.

Q

https://qalerts.app/?n=1558

https://qalerts.app/?q=iran

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24323740 (010812ZMAR26) Notable: Australia 'did not participate' in Operation Epic Fury in Iran - Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed Australia did not participate in the US-Israeli military operation against Iran known as Operation Epic Fury and was not informed of the strikes in advance. Wong said the attack was determined by the United States and Israel and declined to comment on whether Australian intelligence contributed to the operation. The Albanese government convened the National Security Committee of Cabinet and is seeking to confirm whether any Australians were affected. Travel advice has been upgraded, with Australians warned not to travel to Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said officials were registering Australians seeking to leave Israel and Iran but warned assistance inside Iran remained limited.

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>>137877

Australia 'did not participate' in Operation Epic Fury in Iran

Jake Evans - 1 March 2026

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has confirmed Australia was not involved in the major Israeli-United States operation in Iran that has decapitated its leadership.

Senator Wong also confirmed Australia was not told in advance of Operation Epic Fury.

"Obviously, we did not participate in the strikes and you would not expect us to participate," she said.

The minister refused to comment on whether Australian intelligence contributed to the operation "as a general proposition".

"These are strikes which are determined by the parties concerned, which is the United States and Israel," she said.

Senator Wong urged the resumption of dialogue and diplomacy, which had been underway until the surprise attack.

Following a meeting of the National Security Committee of Cabinet this morning, the government is urgently seeking to confirm whether any Australians have been affected.

Official travel advice has been upgraded with Australians warned not to travel to Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the foreign department was registering names of people seeking to depart Israel and Iran, though he noted that capacity to help people inside Iran was restricted.

Mr Albanese expressed his hope for the people of Iran, and concerns over regional escalation.

"When Iranians went out on the street to demand their human rights … we saw the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] crack down brutally, thousands murdered," he said.

"This is a regime that — we hope that the Iranian people are able to determine their own destiny."

The prime minister urged a swift resolution to the attack.

Khamenei's death 'won't be mourned'

Iranian state media has confirmed that its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the attack, with Israel also claiming the deaths of other Iranian defence leaders.

Mr Albanese said the Ayatollah would not be mourned.

"He is responsible for orchestrating attacks on Australian soil. His passing will not be mourned," Mr Albanese said.

Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson told ABC Insiders that he did not want the situation to escalate further, but the death of the ayatollah was welcome.

"The ayatollah is dead and that means the world is now a safer place," Mr Wilson said.

Andrew Hastie, a former SAS soldier and former assistant defence minister, said Mr Trump was an "apex opportunist" who strikes when an opportunity is presented.

Mr Hastie told Sky News the president was "setting the conditions for regime change in Iran", but he believed that toppling the regime would be left to Iranians.

"It's a massive call, but given the restraining impulse of people in his administration like Vice President [J.D.] Vance there was never a prospect of boots in the ground," Mr Hastie said.

"We saw what he did in Venezuela, in and out ... we saw what happened in Iran last year, sending those bombers to hit the three nuclear facilities, I suspect this will look more of the same. Let's see what happens.

"As a veteran of the so-called 'forever wars' I am very suspicious about regime change by force, but Iran is a terrible regime, they are a proxy, they are underwritten by Chinese and Russian tech."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-01/australia-not-involved-iran-operation-epic-fury/106401742

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24328508 (020830ZMAR26) Notable: Australia rules out military role in Iran conflict - Australia has ruled out taking part in military operations against Iran as fighting escalates following Israeli and US strikes and retaliatory missile attacks by Tehran. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia did not participate in the initial strikes and would not anticipate any future military involvement, stressing the country was not central to the Middle East conflict. The government is instead focusing on assisting Australians stranded in the region as airspace closures disrupt travel and commercial flights remain suspended. Wong said about 115,000 Australians were in the Middle East and returning home would depend largely on airlines resuming services. Defence Minister Richard Marles said steps had been taken to protect about 100 Australian defence personnel stationed at Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai.

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>>137877

Australia rules out military role in Iran conflict

Renju Jose - March 2, 2026

SYDNEY, March 2 (Reuters) - Australia said on Monday it would not take part in any military operations in Iran, ruling out deploying troops to the Middle East if the conflict escalates, as Israel launched fresh strikes on Tehran and Iran responded with more missile attacks.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed in an attack on Saturday, while the United States reported its first casualties in the war as U.S. President Donald Trump hinted the conflict could last for four more weeks.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra would not get involved.

"Australia is not central to the issues in the Middle East. We didn't participate in these strikes and we wouldn't anticipate participating in the future," Wong told Channel Nine on Monday.

Wong said the Australian government was in discussions with airlines to help Australians stranded in the Middle East but acknowledged that evacuation plans would be difficult while airspace across much of the region remained closed.

"We understand how distressing and challenging this time is, and we will do all that we can to provide you with information and to support you. The situation is very challenging," Wong earlier told reporters in Canberra.

About 115,000 Australians were in the region and the most viable option to get them home would be when commercial airlines resumed services, Wong said. She declined to say whether the government was planning repatriation flights.

"There is conflict in the region, we've seen loss of life across the region and airspace is not open. So whether or not it is an Australian flight or a commercial flight, the flights are not able to occur," Wong said.

Air travel to the Middle East, a major travel hub toward Asia and Europe for Australians, remained disrupted on Monday with Etihad and Emirates cancelling some flights from Australia.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said the government had taken measures for the safety of about 100 Australian defence personnel based at the Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai, which is used to support UN missions.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-rules-out-military-role-iran-conflict-2026-03-02/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24328532 (020848ZMAR26) Notable: Shiite clerics honour Khamenei, Hezbollah leader in sermons Tony Burke says will be watched - Shiite clerics in Sydney and Melbourne have publicly mourned Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in sermons following their deaths in Israeli and US strikes, prompting warnings from Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke that authorities would monitor the rhetoric. At Sydney’s Al Zahra Mosque, Sheikh Ali Safdari praised Khamenei as a leader who fought imperialism and Zionism, while another cleric urged followers to continue the struggle against “American-Israeli aggression”. Several organisations also advertised memorial gatherings honouring Khamenei. Burke said the Iranian leader had overseen a regime responsible for attacks on Australian soil and questioned how anyone could mourn him. NSW Premier Chris Minns condemned the memorial events as “atrocious”, while Jewish community leaders called for investigations into any links between mosques and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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>>137877

Shiite clerics honour Khamenei, Hezbollah leader in sermons Tony Burke says will be watched

ELIZABETH PIKE and MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 2 March 2026

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Shi’ite Muslims in Sydney and Melbourne have openly mourned the death of Iran’s “Godly” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and have called for the struggle against “American-Israeli aggression” to continue, leading Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke to warn them that agencies would be watching.

Sermons and public obituaries honouring Khamenei were released by at least five Shiite institutions in the hours after Iranian state media confirmed his death on Sunday, following the first wave of airstrikes by the US and ­Israel.

At the Al Zahra Mosque in Arncliffe on Sunday night, Sheik Ali Safdari delivered strong praise for Khamenei in a sermon streamed to social media, saying he was “the embodiment of everything we wanted in a leader”.

Hezbollah’s slain leader Hassan Nasrallah was also honoured, as Sheik Safdari lauded Khamenei’s decades-long “struggle in serving the message, in empowering Muslims, in fighting imperialism, in fighting Zionism”.

“They can kill the soldiers, they can kill the scholars, but they cannot kill what the soldiers stood for and what the scholars died for and what we live for,” he said.

Less than 10km away in Kingsgrove, notorious cleric Sheik Youssef Nabha invoked Khamenei and the Hezbollah leader as part of a lineage of martyrs as he told followers the “struggle” against “American-Israeli aggression” should continue.

“This path, the path of confrontation between truth and falsehood, between good and evil, between justice and oppression, will continue until the reappearance (of the Mahdi),” Sheik Nabha told congregants.

“We will remain steadfast in our faith and commitment before and after … With all the sacrifices we have experienced in these years, the martyrs in Lebanon of His Eminence Sayyed Hassan (Nasrallah) and all the martyred leaders; likewise His Eminence Sayyed Khamenei and all the Iranian leaders.”

The sermon also heard that the objective of military action against Iran is to force the Islamic Republic to choose “between surrender – meaning humiliation – or resistance, sacrifice and martyrdom”.

Nasrallah was the long-time head of Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant organisation that is listed as a terrorist organisation in Australia. Khamenei was the totalitarian Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran for 36 years. Both deaths – Nasrallah in an Israeli airstrike and Khamenei in a joint US-Israeli strike – have reverberated through the Middle East and now in Australia.

The Elzahra organisation in Melbourne and Husaineyat Sayeda Zaynab foundation in Sydney also invited members to take part in Majlis, or memorial sittings, honouring Khamenei for three days. The Flagbearer Foundation, a Shi’ite community organisation in nearby Arncliffe, advertised its own Majlis before the invitation was taken down.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24334177 (030828ZMAR26) Notable: Sydney mayor backs Shi’ite memorial for ‘martyred’ Ayatollah Khamenei, lashes Chris Minns - Liverpool mayor Ned Mannoun has defended Shi’ite Muslims who held a memorial for Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei in a council-owned community centre, accusing NSW Premier Chris Minns of unfairly targeting the Islamic community. The event, organised by a local Shi’ite group at the Frank Oliveri Community Centre, mourned Khamenei after his death in US-Israeli strikes. Mannoun said he had no issue with the gathering as long as laws were not broken, arguing people in a free society should be able to mourn religious leaders. Minns had earlier labelled memorial events for Khamenei “atrocious” and condemned the Iranian regime’s human rights abuses. The dispute follows sermons and events honouring Khamenei across Sydney, prompting calls from federal opposition figures for investigations into possible links with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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>>137884

Sydney mayor backs Shi’ite memorial for ‘martyred’ Ayatollah Khamenei, lashes Chris Minns

ELIZABETH PIKE - 3 March 2026

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A powerful Sydney mayor has defended Shi’ite Muslims who held an event mourning Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a council-owned community centre, lashing NSW Premier Chris Minns for having a “fetish with attacking the Islamic community” over his criticism of the tributes.

Liverpool Mayor Ned Mannoun told The Australian that Mr Minns was doing “more to hurt social cohesion than any other premier in NSW history” after the state leader labelled memorial events for Khamenei “atrocious”.

The dead Ayatollah is estimated to have killed 20,000 of his own people in January alone for protesting his regime.

As the supreme leader, he was been responsible for years of internal bloodshed and state-sponsored terror attacks all over the world, including antisemitic firebombings in Australia in 2025.

Mr Minns issued the hard-line stance when it was revealed multiple Shi’ite mosques across Sydney were openly inviting members to honour the Iranian leader after he was killed in US-Israeli air strikes, while the events also sparked calls for criminal investigations.

The Australian can reveal the Australian Peace Association, a local Shi’ite organisation, invited members to mourn the “martyrdom” of Khamenei on Sunday night at the Frank Oliveri Community Centre, a venue owned by Liverpool Council.

Mr Mannoun, a Lebanese-Muslim, said he had not been aware of the event but as long as fees were paid and no laws were broken, he had “no issues” with the memorial being held in the council building.

“I don’t think it’s anyone’s job to say who can mourn, (Khamenei) was a religious leader for tens of millions of people all around the world,” Mr Mannoun said. “If they have broken a law please tell me which one

“Chris Minns has a fetish with attacking the Islamic community. He did not apologise for one of his police officers grabbing and throwing people praying on the ground at the Town Hall protest, and that is what I think is atrocious.

“There are millions of Iranian Australians who are in severe shock and who are mourning … there are also millions of Iranian Australians celebrating, that’s the nature of free societies.”

Mr Mannoun said the NSW Premier was yet to apologise for the actions of police at the protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit last month in Sydney, when officers dragged away a group of Muslim men praying during the rally.

The Liberal mayor also spruiked his own track record for defending free speech and expression, pointing out that anti-Islamist Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, was welcomed by the council despite calls for his visa to be cancelled.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24334212 (030845ZMAR26) Notable: Defence taskforce on standby for Middle East evacuations - The Australian government has placed Defence personnel on standby to assist potential evacuations from the Middle East as conflict involving Iran escalates. Defence Minister Richard Marles said a joint taskforce had been established to prepare for contingencies if Australians in the region require evacuation. Army units at Brisbane’s Enoggera Barracks are among those on alert for possible deployment. About 115,000 Australians are believed to be in the Middle East, many stranded after thousands of flights were cancelled following regional airspace closures. Marles confirmed Australian Defence Force personnel at Al Minhad Air Base in the United Arab Emirates were safe after a drone attack on the facility. The government says commercial flights remain the most likely way for Australians to return home once travel resumes.

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>>137880

>>137883

Defence taskforce on standby for Middle East evacuations

BEN PACKHAM - 3 March 2026

Defence has established a special taskforce to support potential evacuations from the Middle East, putting personnel on alert for overseas deployment if Australians come under threat from the escalating Iran conflict.

Army units at Brisbane’s Enoggera Barracks are among those on standby to support stranded Australians, The Australian can reveal, as Defence Minister Richard Marles confirmed the government was preparing for all contingencies.

A source said the joint taskforce was likely to include infantry personnel, logistics specialists, air movements personnel and aviators.

Mr Marles also confirmed Australian Defence Force personnel at Al Minhad Air Base, in the United Arab Emirates, were safe after it was attacked by Iran over the weekend. The base typically hosts 70-80 Australian personnel.

“There was some drones which did attack that base on the first night. We have a number of Australians who operate from a headquarters that we’ve had at Al Minhad now for many, many years. They’re all accounted for. They are all safe, ” Mr Marles told Seven’s Sunrise.

About 115,000 Australians are currently believed to be in the Middle East, with many stranded in the region after the cancellation of more than 12,000 flights since the war began.

The government has said commercial airlines will offer the best chance for Australians seeking to return home once flights from the region return to normal, but it is planning for worst-case scenarios.

“We’re working through contingencies but I really don’t want to speculate on them because it clearly is a function of what plays out and that is very uncertain,” Mr Marles said.

“But we have all the scenarios in mind and we are preparing as best we can for them.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong spoke to UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday morning (AEDT), who said the country was working hard with airlines to arrange fresh flights.

She said the situation was “unprecedented” given the numbers of Australians involved and the restriction of flights out of the UAE – an aviation hub that Australia would normally rely on in a crisis.

“The number of affected Australians dwarfs any consular operation the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has ever conducted,” Senator Wong said.

“Typically around 11,000 Australians a day travel through the region, 11,000 every day, the majority through the United Arab Emirates.

“I am advised that a small number of commercial flights to other destinations were able to depart overnight, however, the unfortunate reality is that immediate resolution to this situation is unlikely.”

She said it was a “perilous and unpredictable time” in the Middle East, with the conflict escalating and expanding.

“On a single day, the 2nd of March, Iran fired missiles or drones at nine countries in the region.

“Iran has launched attacks on Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including a drone attack as far as the UK military base in Cyprus in the Mediterranean.

“We condemn these reckless attacks by Iran including against civilians and civilian infrastructure. The regime is also threatening to attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardising global oil supplies and shipping, and we call on Iran to cease its actions.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued “do not travel” warnings for an array of Middle Eastern countries including Israel, Lebanon, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Australians are warned to “reconsider your need to travel” to Saudi Arabia and Oman.

“If you travel to or through the Middle East, you may be unable to leave if conflict escalates. Flights can change or stop at short notice. Roads and borders can close,” DFAT’s Smartraveller website said.

The US State Department has issued “Depart Now” warnings to Americans in countries throughout the region.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/defence-taskforce-on-standby-for-middle-east-evacuations/news-story/9cf2efa64fc4fd79d77c6149b35dbdf7

https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/news-and-updates/global-travel-impacts-conflict-middle-east

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24334245 (030859ZMAR26) Notable: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to push his middle power strategy during Australia visit - Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has arrived in Sydney as part of an Indo-Pacific tour aimed at strengthening trade, investment and strategic partnerships with fellow “middle powers”. During his visit he will meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, address the Australian parliament - the first Canadian leader to do so in nearly two decades - and speak at the Lowy Institute about shifts in the global order. Talks are expected to focus on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and expanded trade. The visit follows Carney’s trip to India, where he secured major investment agreements. Both leaders are expected to discuss growing geopolitical tensions, including the fallout from US strikes on Iran, while exploring closer economic and security cooperation between the two Commonwealth partners.

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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to push his middle power strategy during Australia visit

Katy Watson and Nadine Yousif - 3 March 2026

Prime Minister Mark Carney has touched down on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia — the next stop on his Indo-Pacific tour aimed at shoring up investment in Canada and building new trade alliances.

On the agenda is a meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a leader with whom Carney shares much common ground.

Carney will also address Australia's parliament, becoming the first Canadian prime minister to do so in nearly 20 years. His remarks are expected to echo the themes of his widely noted speech in Davos, which urged "middle powers" to stand together.

The visit follows a four-day trip to India, where Carney signed deals worth billions in a significant diplomatic breakthrough with Delhi.

In Australia, Carney's office said the prime minister will discuss deepening cooperation on defence and maritime security, critical minerals, trade and artificial intelligence.

Like India, a bulk of the Canadian prime minister's trip will include meetings with business leaders and investors "to attract new capital into Canada", his office said.

Relations between Canada and Australia date back more than a century, anchored in a shared colonial history and Commonwealth status, as well as steady cooperation on security, diplomacy and trade.

Albanese and Carney also have much in common as individual leaders.

Both lead centre-left parties in their countries, and both have US President Donald Trump partly to thank for their political success.

Benefiting from the so-called "Trump effect", the global uncertainty triggered by Trump's second inauguration last year helped both Carney and Albanese secure historic election victories within a week of each other, as voters saw them as the steadier hands for navigating turbulent times.

"Canada is one of Australia's closest friends, built on generations of trust, with a shared commitment to supporting stability across the Indo-Pacific and beyond," said the Australian prime minister in a statement ahead of his meet up with Carney.

"As our countries face new challenges and opportunities, we must deepen our cooperation with partners to promote our national interests."

For Carney, the trip symbolises concrete action in line with his Davos speech, where he appealed to fellow middle powers to stand together in the face of economic "coercion" from great powers — a message widely interpreted as being aimed at Trump and his tariff policy.

"Middle powers must act together, because if we're not at the table, we're on the menu," he said.

Carney added that countries like Australia and Canada should instead "develop greater strategic autonomy" to preserve their interests.

Albanese has praised the speech, telling the Australian Broadcasting Corporation last month that it is "consistent" with how Australia sees the current state of affairs.

Ahead of the address to Australia's parliament, Carney will make similar remarks on "on shifts in the global order and the opportunities they present for middle powers" at the Lowy Institute, a Sydney-based think tank.

In that spirit, Carney and Albanese intend to build on deals such as the one they signed in October to strengthen trade and cooperation on critical minerals.

The visit will also include a "defence-focused" stop, officials with the Canadian government told reporters last week.

Canada and Australia have cooperated on several military projects, including joint naval deployments in the South China Sea and the use of Australian technology for radar systems in Canada's Arctic region.

The trip comes amid global turmoil following the US attacks on Iran over the weekend. The two leaders will likely discuss the fall-out and any impact on their respective countries.

It is also the first meeting between Carney and a fellow Commonwealth leader since the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on 19 February.

Prime Minister Albanese has said that he supports the removal of the former prince from the British throne's line of succession. Carney, however, has not yet made a public statement on the matter.

Carney is scheduled to be in Australia until 6 March, first in Sydney and then in Canberra, after which he will depart to Japan for a meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czj1g3zjkg1o

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canadas-carney-arrives-australia-meeting-middle-powers-2026-03-03/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24338592 (040842ZMAR26) Notable: Wong dispatches crisis squads to Middle East to help stranded Australians - but no rescue planes yet - Foreign Minister Penny Wong has dispatched six crisis response teams to the Middle East to assist Australians stranded by widespread airspace closures following the escalating Iran conflict, as the first resumed commercial flight from Dubai is expected to arrive in Sydney. The government says about 115,000 Australians remain in the region, with officials prioritising the restoration of commercial flights as the most practical path for evacuation. Wong described the situation as an “unprecedented” consular crisis as Iranian retaliatory strikes spread across multiple countries, disrupting travel and trapping tens of thousands of travellers and expatriates. Opposition figures criticised the government’s handling of the crisis, arguing warnings to the public came later than those issued to diplomats. The Australian Defence Force has established a taskforce to explore evacuation options if conditions deteriorate further.

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>>137886

Wong dispatches crisis squads to Middle East to help stranded Australians - but no rescue planes yet

Nick Newling and Daniel Lo Surdo - March 4, 2026

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Six crisis teams will be dispatched to the Middle East to help stranded travellers and expats, as the first commercial flight to Australia is due to arrive in Sydney late Wednesday night.

Warning that the conflict was “spreading and intensifying” as Iranians bombarded 10 other nations in retaliation for US and Israeli attacks on the rogue nation since the weekend, Wong said the teams were sent to help deal with the demand for help in an “unprecedented situation”.

“It is not limited, and it is not contained in the way that we have seen previously, which is why we see so many countries affected and so many travellers disrupted,” she said.

In a terse press conference, Wong pushed back at Coalition criticisms that Australians didnt get the same level of warning delivered to families of the diplomatic corps in Lebanon and Israel when they evacuated a week ago.

“We certainly did not know that Iran was going to hit 10 countries in the region. And you know, for those who are criticising, if they think they knew that, then they probably should have told us,” she said.

“There were some 41 different warnings, updates on travel advice about the possibility of conflict or instability in the Middle East. What I would say to Australians is... please look at their travel advice.”

Emirates flight EK414 took off from Dubai shortly after 9.20am (AEDT) and is set to land in Sydney after 10.30pm on Wednesday, as the Australian Defence Force confirmed they were preparing to help evacuate Australians stranded in the Middle East, amid calls from the opposition for “every option” to be considered.

Speaking to ABC Radio National on Wednesday morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “This is a consular crisis that dwarfs any that Australia has had to deal with in terms of numbers of people.

“The foreign minister of the Arab Emirates explained to me that around 24,000 Australians are in his country. We discussed when I spoke with him ... that the best way to get people out is to get commercial flights started.”

Since the closure of airspace over the Middle East on Saturday evening (AEDT), government ministers have consistently argued that commercial flights are the most practical way for the 115,000 stranded Australians to return home.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy and Spain have all either announced or begun operating charter flights to return stranded citizens. The United States has urged Americans to use available commercial transport to exit the region.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24338605 (040847ZMAR26) Notable: Ukraine MPs urge Australian help for rebuilding efforts - Ukrainian MPs visiting Canberra have urged Australia to increase involvement in rebuilding Ukraine and to deepen defence and technology cooperation as the war with Russia enters its fifth year. A delegation met Australian ministers, politicians and business leaders to discuss reconstruction opportunities and investment in sectors including defence technology. Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko said Australian companies could participate in rebuilding efforts while benefiting commercially, and suggested Canberra appoint a special envoy to coordinate reconstruction engagement. He said Ukraine’s wartime technological developments could also help Australia strengthen its sovereign defence capabilities through local production partnerships. Ukrainian MPs described the human toll of the conflict, noting most families had suffered losses, while also highlighting declining Australian military assistance despite the earlier supply of Bushmaster vehicles and broader support.

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>>137431

Ukraine MPs urge Australian help for rebuilding efforts

Tess Ikonomou - March 4 2026

Ukraine can help Australia build up its own sovereign capabilities, its top diplomat in Canberra says, as the nation looks to attract businesses to take part in its reconstruction efforts.

Russia’s full-scale invasion has entered its fifth year, as analysis estimates up to 325,000 of its troops have been killed between February 2022 and December 2025.

It’s estimated between 100,000 and 140,000 people from the Ukrainian military have been killed defending their nation.

A Ukrainian delegation of MPs visited Parliament House in Canberra on Wednesday where they met with Australian ministers, politicians and business leaders to discuss defence and trade cooperation, and investment opportunities.

Ukrainian ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko said his nation was trying to convince the Albanese government to consider appointing a special envoy on his nation’s reconstruction.

“There will be a lot that will need to be rebuilt … there are many different sectors where Australians can contribute to and make money out of it,” he said on Wednesday.

He described the area of defence technology as “low-hanging fruit” as the government could invest this way.

“We can definitely set up production here in Australia, and this is how we can help Australia to build its own sovereign capabilities in new modern day technology, which has been developed in Ukraine as a result of Russia’s war,” Mr Myroshnychenko said.

Ukrainian MP Galyna Mykhailiuk, who is leading the delegation, said the war’s impact on her nation was difficult to describe.

“Almost every single family in Ukraine has someone on the front line or someone who died because of the war,” she said.

Dr Mykhailiuk noted the sharp decline in military and financial aid from Australia, which has provided a total of $1.7 billion in support since 2022.

She said the donation of Bushmasters had stopped in 2023, and that they had been life-saving.

Ukrainian MP Anastasiia Radina said her six-year-old son had no memory of what life was life before the war, which started when he was two.

“We have a whole generation growing up who are completely unfamiliar with the concept of peace,” she said.

“This will have its implications for years to come.”

Labor senator Deborah O’Neill, co-chair of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Ukraine group which launches on Wednesday, said Kyiv stood on the frontline of democracy.

“The Australian parliament stands in lockstep with the brave sacrifices of the men, women and children enduring barbaric Russian bombardment,” she said.

“As parliamentarians, we will continue to advocate for a peace that upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9190328/ukraine-mps-urge-australian-help-for-rebuilding-efforts/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24343318 (050913ZMAR26) Notable: Canadian PM Mark Carney and Anthony Albanese brush off calls for Middle East ceasefire - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney have resisted calls for an immediate ceasefire in the expanding Middle East conflict, arguing that de-escalation must first ensure Iran’s nuclear ambitions and support for militant groups are addressed. Speaking in Canberra after Carney’s address to federal parliament, both leaders said the international community wanted tensions reduced but insisted the war must remove the long-standing threat posed by Iran’s nuclear program and regional activities. Carney said a ceasefire could only occur once attacks on civilians and infrastructure ended and hostilities began to subside. The leaders also announced new agreements to deepen Australia-Canada cooperation across clean energy, defence coordination, space technology and critical minerals, while promoting stronger partnerships among “middle powers”.

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Canadian PM Mark Carney and Anthony Albanese brush off calls for Middle East ceasefire

Stephen Dziedzic - 5 March 2026

Anthony Albanese and Mark Carney have brushed off calls for a ceasefire in the Middle East as the war widens, with Iran launching missiles at Türkiye and a United States submarine sinking an Iranian navy vessel off Sri Lanka.

The prime ministers of Australia and Canada both fielded questions on the conflict at a joint press conference in the wake of Mr Carney's high-profile address to federal parliament today, where he again called for middle powers to band together in the face of coercion from superpowers.

Mr Carney yesterday called for a de-escalation in the Iran war, and Mr Albanese echoed that today saying "the world wants to see a de-escalation and wants to see Iran cease to spread the destinations of its attacks".

But Mr Albanese said Australia also wanted "objectives achieved" from the war, saying the "possibility of Iran getting a nuclear weapon" had to be "removed once and for all".

"I also want to see a removal of the ongoing threat that has been there for such a long period of time, of Iran endangering peace and security and stability, not just in its own region, but here in Australia," he told reporters in Canberra.

Mr Carney also declared that while he wanted to see a broader de-escalation of hostilities, "that cannot be achieved unless we're in a position that Iran's ability to acquire a nuclear weapon, develop a nuclear weapon and to export terrorism is ended."

"So, that process must lead to those outcomes," he said.

While Canada's defence minister earlier this week called for a ceasefire in the Middle East, Mr Carney today said that call was premature.

"Before there can be a ceasefire, there needs to be a de-escalation of hostilities. Right now we have a spreading of hostilities," he told reporters.

"And before we get there, there needs to be the ending of targeting civilians, civilian infrastructure. Those are necessary conditions before ceasefire can exist."

Mr Carney said he could never "categorically rule out participation" in the conflict by the Canadian military, although he stressed again that Canada had played no role in the initial strikes.

Carney address well-received

The two leaders were speaking in the wake of Mr Carney's address to federal parliament, during which he called Australia and Canada "strategic cousins" and once again declared that the post-World War II order had dissolved.

Senators and MPs from across the political spectrum gathered in the lower house to hear his speech, which was greeted with warm and sustained applause across the aisle.

Mr Carney said the existing order was breaking down due to consecutive crises, and both Australia and Canada had to form new coalitions with fellow middle powers and help shape global rules.

"In the post-rupture world, the nations that are trusted and can work together will be quicker to the punch, more effective in their responses, and more proactive in shaping outcomes," he said.

"It is my fundamental belief — the result of an optimism I may have picked up from this great country — that from this rupture we can build something better, more prosperous, more resilient, more just."

The two leaders also unveiled a host of fresh agreements between the two countries, including a new pact on clean energy, a biennial defence ministers' meeting, an annual economic ministers' meeting, and agreements to strengthen collaboration on space and emergency management.

They also promised to pursue "common positions on key critical minerals issues", with Australia joining Canada's G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance.

Both countries promised to align the work being done between their strategic reserves of critical minerals.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-05/mark-carney-and-albanese-brush-off-middle-east-ceasefire-calls/106419916

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24343325 (050924ZMAR26) Notable: ‘Military assets’ deployed to Middle East, Anthony Albanese says - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed Australia has deployed “military assets” to the Middle East as part of contingency planning to assist Australians stranded by the escalating regional conflict. Speaking during Question Time, Albanese said the situation remained volatile and dangerous, with more than 115,000 Australians still believed to be in the region. The government has prioritised commercial flights as the fastest way to return large numbers of travellers, with repatriation flights from Dubai already bringing hundreds of Australians home. Defence aircraft, including heavy transport and refuelling planes, are understood to have been positioned in the region to support possible evacuation operations if required. Opposition figures have demanded clarification about the deployment, while the government says it continues to assess options to support Australians seeking to leave the Middle East.

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‘Military assets’ deployed to Middle East, Anthony Albanese says

Anthony Albanese confirmed the detail during question time, while giving an update on the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

Jack Nivison - March 5, 2026

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Australian “military assets” have been deployed in the Middle East, Anthony Albanese says, as part of the nation’s contingency response to the thousands of Australians stranded in the conflict zone.

The Prime Minister made the comment during Question Time on Thursday while providing an update on the second flight departing from the region to Australia.

“I confirm right now another flight, EK414 is in the air with over 200 Australians on board,” he said.

“It departed Dubai at 9.16am today Canberra time, bound for Sydney and we are hopeful of more flights in the air today which is what we want to see,” he said.

“The most recent advice is another two flights are scheduled to depart to Australia today.”

Mr Albanese said he knew there were still “many Australians” who were waiting for an opportunity to get home.

He described the situation in the region as “volatile”, “dangerous” and “fast-moving.”

Mr Albanese then referenced the deployment of six crisis teams to the Middle East, as well as “military assets as part of our contingency planning earlier this week”.

The deployment of military assets in the Middle East has yet to be confirmed by the Foreign Minister, who has repeatedly ducked questions around the involvement of military personnel in the conflict zone.

It is understood a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster heavy transport aircraft and KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport had been deployed as part of planning to assist Australians seeking to leave the Middle East under Operation Beach.

Repatriation via commercial flights remained the government's focus, however, having been deemed the “fastest way to get Australians out quickly and at scale”.

Neighbouring New Zealand announced on Thursday it would send two defence planes alongside consular staff to assist citizens to get home.

Liberal Senator James Paterson earlier said the Coalition was seeking “urgent clarification” about what assets had been deployed and to which countries.

“For what purpose was this deployment conducted? And, if there are Australian military assets in the region, when will they take Australians on board and bring them home?” He said.

“It’s up to the Prime Minister to explain what’s happening, because there are 115,000 Australians waiting for answers, but they’ve got none from their government.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Ted O’Brien said the government had been “at least one day behind” since conflict broke out.

Asked if all 115,000 Australians should be entitled to a repatriations flight, Mr O’Brien said his “point is even in the lead up to the strikes beginning, the Australian government has found it wanting”.

“It’s a mystery from the Australian government about what their contingency plan is. We’re calling on the government to clarify that plan,” he said.

Speaking during question time, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said: “We have already deployed military assets as part of our contingency planning earlier this week.

“We will continue looking at all options we have available to us, engaging partners and taking action to support efforts to keep Australians safe.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24343330 (050929ZMAR26) Notable: Iran regime removal will cut global antisemitism, Ryvchin says - Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin says the removal of Iran’s regime would likely reduce antisemitic activity worldwide and improve relations between Israel and Arab states. Speaking in Washington while meeting US officials and lawmakers, Ryvchin said the Iranian government had played a destabilising role internationally and that its fall could make the world safer. He also highlighted the experience of Australian Jews, describing a sharp deterioration in security following rising antisemitism and the December Bondi Beach terror attack that killed 15 people. Ryvchin said extremist rhetoric and social division had created conditions that allowed violence to occur. He expressed support for international action against Iran’s nuclear ambitions and said a future democratic Iran could foster regional engagement and reduce tensions globally.

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Iran regime removal will cut global antisemitism, Ryvchin says

JOE KELLY - 5 March 2026

Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, says the removal of the Iranian regime will result in a “curtailment in antisemitic activity” across the globe – including in Australia – and foster greater engagement between Israel and the Arab world.

Speaking in Washington DC, where he is meeting White House officials and members of the US congress to discuss the experience of the Jewish community in Australia, Mr Ryvchin said he hoped the Iranian people could “return to modernity and not be dragged into this medievalism that the Islamic Revolution brought”.

In America at the invitation of the World Jewish Congress, Mr Ryvchin said Australian Jews had “experienced the single sharpest decline in physical security of any community in the world”.

“As an Australian, I’m still astounded to be saying those words,” he said. “Over the past couple of days, I have had meetings and engagements at the United Nations.”

“We’ve met with officials from the White House and the State Department, and members of congress, to talk about what happened in Australia, to remind them of the stories of the dead (and) the victims who suffered so cruelly on that day.”

Referencing the Bondi Beach terror attack in December, Mr Ryvchin said there was a “lesson to be learned from the Australian experience”.

“We see clearly the path to a massacre – the progression from words chanted on city streets and in national landmarks, the way that destabilised and divided our society, which created an opportunity for foreign actors and even organised crime in Australia to carry out devastating firebombings,” he said.

“We saw a terrorist cell embed itself within our country, acquire weapons lawfully, train, carry out reconnaissance and ultimately carry out a horrific, barbaric terrorist attack, leaving 15 people dead. Virtually undetected, the attack was carried out.”

Mr Ryvchin said Australian Jews still did not feel safe, and the “process towards restoring our way of life … will be a long one”.

However, he expressed gratitude to Donald Trump for “joining with Israel to take decisive action against the Iranian regime”, noting it had extended its reach all the way to Australia, where it was “able to carry out at least two devastating terrorist attacks on our soil”.

He said the removal of the Iranian regime would “make the world a safer place” and “open up enormous opportunities for greater regional engagement with Israel and the Arab world”.

Mr Ryvchin said that prior to the Islamic Revolution in 1979, Iran enjoyed cordial relations with Israel, and he hoped the military campaign would ultimately lead to greater “integration and harmony in the Middle East that will have an effect on global relations between Muslims and Jews”.

“And I think we’ll see curtailment in antisemitic activity. I really feel that,” he said.

Noting the strong support of Anthony Albanese for the military operation against Iran, Mr Ryvchin said the Prime Minister’s comments were “well received by the Jewish world and heard here in the United States as well”.

“I’m very glad that Prime Minister Albanese was supportive of the action taken and sees the merit in preventing such an aggressive violator of international norms from acquiring nuclear weapons,” he said.

Mr Ryvchin was hopeful that the action against Iran would lead to a fresh start for the Iranian people, saying they needed to be able to “chart their own course, choose their own leaders”.

This meant a “system of government that respects the rights of the people and also poses no threat abroad”.

“We need to see the Iranian people be able to live in freedom and dignity, and when they have a government that respects that, I think we’ll see a great benefit to countries around the world as well,” Mr Ryvchin said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/iran-regime-removal-will-cut-global-antisemitism-ryvchin-says/news-story/be40327db2eadb3b107ffd41ea50abd3