/qnotables25/ - ===Q Notables 2025===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23796903 (010637ZNOV25) Notable: You gain from Kyiv’s pain: envoy blasts Australia’s profit from Ukraine war – Ukraine’s ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko has accused Australia of profiting from Russia’s invasion through soaring commodity prices, arguing Canberra has a moral duty to return “many billions” in windfall revenue to Kyiv. In evidence to a parliamentary committee, he said Australia had imported $123 million in fuel refined from Russian “blood oil” in four months — enough, he claimed, to buy 4900 drones used to bomb Ukraine. Mr Myroshnychenko condemned the Albanese government’s “nonsensical” strategy, saying it ignored the rise of a “Russia-China-North Korea co-operative”. He urged Australia to certify fuel imports free of Russian oil and resume aid deliveries, which he said had been “zero” in 2025. Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged Australia lacks the tools to track refined fuel origins but said businesses must avoid funding Russia’s war.

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>>109375 (pb)

>>122367

You gain from Kyiv’s pain: envoy blasts Australia’s profit from Ukraine war

BEN PACKHAM - October 30, 2025

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Ukraine’s top diplomat in Canberra has accused Australia of profiting from Russia’s invasion of his country through soaring commodity prices, arguing the Albanese government has a moral obligation to give Kyiv a share of the “many billions of dollars” in extra revenue flowing into the budget as a result of the war.

In a closed-door presentation to a federal parliamentary committee, ambassador Vasyl Myroshnychenko also warned Australia had funnelled about $123m into Moscow’s coffers in the last four months by purchasing fuel derived from Russian “blood oil” – enough to buy 4900 of the drones it attacks Ukraine with each night.

Mr Myroshnychenko delivered the scathing assessment to the joint standing committee on foreign affairs, defence and trade on Wednesday, arguing Australia’s official strategic narrative on Ukraine was “a nonsensical fiction”. He said the government’s argument that lifting support for Ukraine would detract from ­Australia’s priority activities in the Indo-Pacific was a “false strategic choice” because it ignored the need to prevent “the emergence of an emboldened Russia-China-North Korea co-operative, buoyed by a victory against Ukraine”. The critique comes as Russian forces continue to seize new territory from Ukrainian ­defenders and pound Kyiv with daily missile and drone strikes.

Anthony Albanese has vowed to stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes”, describing Kyiv’s fight with Russia as “a struggle for the international rule of law”.

In written evidence to the committee obtained by The Australian, Mr Myroshnychenko conveyed his country’s “profound gratitude” for Australia’s long-running support, which now stands at more than $1.5bn worth of military and humanitarian aid.

But he pointed out to the committee’s members that Australia’s contribution to Ukraine’s fight against Russia this year was “zero”. “It is November, and no new contributions have been made to Ukraine in 2025; no military, humanitarian, economic, ­reconstruction or energy contributions,” he said. “Any contribution flows so far this year are holdovers from previous years.”

Mr Myroshnychenko, who ­declined to comment when contacted by The Australian, said Australian officials and international ratings agencies had declared on multiple occasions that the spike in global commodity prices caused by the war had significantly improved Australia’s terms of trade, injecting “many billions of dollars into Australian tax, royalty and other revenue receipts”.

“There is a moral argument for a reasonable proportion of those Australian windfall revenue ­receipts to be transferred to Ukraine as an offset to the suffering and destruction experienced by Ukraine” he said.

The ambassador expressed frustration over the Albanese government’s refusal to end the importation of refined fuel from India and Singapore produced from Russian oil.

“This includes ADF contracts for fuel, where the Australian ­Defence Force’s budget’s money is finding its way into Russian coffers via third country oil ‘laundries’, contrary to global sanctions,” he said.

“Fuel importers into Australia, especially for the ADF, must guarantee their refined fuel is free from Russian upstream oil. It can be done. Other nations insist on it. Australia is lagging.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23797004 (010716ZNOV25) Notable: Hamas’ court bid to overturn its Australian terror listing – Hamas has asked the Federal Court to overturn its designation as a terrorist organisation, arguing the listing breaches international law, impedes ceasefire talks and legitimises Israeli attacks in Gaza. The application was filed through a case brought by Indigenous activist Robbie Thorpe, who claims the terror designation unlawfully restricts freedom of political communication in Australia by silencing discussion of Palestinian resistance. Hamas’ submission argues the listing “declares as unlawful the armed struggle of the Palestinian people” and unfairly brands Gaza’s civilian population as terror supporters. The Commonwealth is contesting the case, which Jewish leaders called “extraordinary and chilling.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Hamas continues to meet the terrorism threshold, citing its October 7, 2023 attacks. Hamas plans to lodge a fresh delisting request, while legal expert Ben Saul labelled the proscription “broad and excessive.”

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>>122289

>>122294

>>122322

>>122354

>>122455

Hamas’ court bid to overturn its Australian terror listing

Matthew Knott - October 31, 2025

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Hamas, the militant Palestinian group that launched the October 7 attacks on Israel, has urged the Australian government to remove its listing as a terror organisation in court documents filed as it embarked upon a ceasefire agreement with the Netanyahu government.

Hamas argued in Federal Court filings lodged this month that the terror listing has breached international law, impeded ceasefire negotiations, exposed its negotiators to assassination and provided legal cover for Israeli attacks that have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.

The nation’s peak Jewish body said it was outraged by the bid for Hamas to be delisted, arguing the court documents “make for extraordinary reading and they reveal something chilling about our country”.

The documents were filed as part of a court case brought by Indigenous activist and radio host Robbie Thorpe, who argues the Hamas terror designation limits freedom of political communication in Australia by chilling discussion of Palestinian strategies to resist Israeli occupation.

The Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks killed an estimated 1200 people in Israel and triggered a ferocious response from Israel that was labelled a genocide by a United Nations independent commission of inquiry.

Hamas has claimed responsibility for many high-profile terror attacks in Israel, but its listing was contested because of its nature as a political party and governing authority as well as a militant organisation.

In an October 15 filing, Hamas said the proscription of the entirety of the group, including its political and governing wing, had led to the relatives of Hamas members and the Palestinian people in Gaza more broadly to be regarded as terrorists or terror supporters.

Hamas’ request to intervene was five days after a ceasefire brokered by US President Donald Trump came into effect.

“The ongoing proscription purports to declare as unlawful the armed struggle of the Palestinian people for liberation from unlawful occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, contrary to international law,” Hamas said in the document.

Describing itself as part of “a national army of the Palestinian people”, Hamas said it had been deprived of the opportunity to provide evidence of how the terror listing undermines Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination.

Thorpe, the uncle of independent senator Lidia Thorpe, said that Western nations’ designation of Hamas as a terror group had been used by Israel to justify its fierce conduct in Gaza.

“The government should take them off the list,” he said. “Australia is not in a position to judge what terrorism is.”

The Commonwealth is contesting the court case.

The Hamas request for an interlocutory application, lodged by Thorpe’s lawyer Daniel Taylor, was refused by the court.

Taylor said that the application was provided to him by Hamas’s political bureau, which is based in Doha, Qatar.

Taylor said there was a lot of “propaganda” about Hamas’ activities on October 7, 2023, and that it was unfair for Australia to brand one side of the Hamas-Israel war as a terror group.

He said Hamas intends to file a subsequent application to the Federal Court and to lodge a formal request with the government to be removed from the terror register.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23800853 (020702ZNOV25) Notable: Australian man Peter Williams faces lengthy US jail term after selling trade secrets to Russian broker – Former Australian intelligence officer and cybersecurity executive Peter Joseph Williams has pleaded guilty in a US court to selling trade secrets to a Russian broker for $US1.3m in cryptocurrency. Prosecutors said the 39-year-old stole eight confidential products intended “exclusively for the US government and select allies”, affecting intelligence operations in both the US and Australia. Working under an alias, he sold the data while employed at defence subcontractor Trenchant, a supplier to the Five Eyes network, and even led an internal probe into his own thefts. Senior FBI agent Alexander Arnott said Williams “betrayed the United States and our allies,” while US Attorney-General Pam Bondi warned, “America’s national security is not for sale.” Williams faces up to 20 years’ jail and likely deportation.

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Australian man Peter Williams faces lengthy US jail term after selling trade secrets to Russian broker

Riley Stuart - Thu 30 Oct

An Australian intelligence insider and cybersecurity executive is facing more than a decade in a US jail after pleading guilty to selling a Russian broker his employer's trade secrets.

Peter Joseph Williams faced the US District Court in Washington DC on Wednesday, local time, charged with stealing eight trade secrets — a business term used to describe confidential and often valuable material that gives organisations a competitive edge.

While the specific nature of the information Williams stole has not been made public, prosecutor Tejpal Chawla told the court the products were supposed to be sold "exclusively to the US government and select allies".

Mr Chawla said the 39-year-old "admitted his actions had affected intelligence communities in Australia and the United States".

Williams, a US resident, sat quietly and bowed his head as Mr Chawla detailed his crimes to the court.

The prosecutor said the Australian had been paid about $US1.3 million ($2 million) in crypto currency to sell information to a Russian company he was in "regular contact" with over the course of three years from April 2022.

The court was told Williams knew the Russian company could then sell the information on again to whoever it wanted, including the Kremlin.

Mr Chawla told the court Williams had created an alias, John Taylor, to try to cover up his crimes and would have received more money if he had not been caught.

He said the Australian's crimes had cost his employer about $US35 million.

It was not revealed in court but the ABC has confirmed Williams has a long employment history in cybersecurity and intelligence fields, working for both private and public organisations in Australia and the US.

Most recently he was the general manager for defence subcontractor Trenchant, which specialises in cybersecurity and supplies the Five Eyes intelligence network — comprised of Australia, New Zealand, the UK, US and Canada — with hacking tools.

Multiple sources have told the ABC Williams worked for the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) in the 2010s. The ASD is the national intelligence agency responsible for cybersecurity and foreign signals intelligence and has the capability to conduct offensive cyber operations under the government's direction.

Australian 'betrayed US and its allies'

Williams's guilty plea drew a fierce response from the US government on Wednesday.

"America's national security is not for sale, especially in an evolving threat landscape where cybercrime poses a serious danger to our citizens," Attorney-General Pam Bondi said in a statement released after the hearing.

Prosecutors told the court on Wednesday that authorities notified Williams's employer its trade secrets had been stolen last year and that Williams had led an internal investigation into his own crimes.

Later, however, the FBI launched a probe.

"Peter Williams betrayed the United States and our allies by selling trade secrets," senior FBI agent Alexander Arnott said in a statement released after the hearing.

"The harm caused by his crimes cannot be undone.

"The FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable anyone who threatens US national security."

Williams faces a maximum of 20 years behind bars in the US. During Wednesday's hearing it was revealed he accepted sentencing guidelines that would mean he would spend more than a decade in prison.

Presiding Judge Loren AliKhan warned the Australian he would be deported after any custodial sentence and that she could imprison him for longer.

"It's very important no-one has promised you anything about what I'm going to do [in sentencing]," she told Williams in court.

Court documents filed earlier this month revealed authorities had seized Williams's house in Washington DC as part of the case, as well as funds in multiple bank accounts, a collection of 22 watches, including five fake Rolexes, and high-end jewellery, clothing and accessories.

Williams did not speak much during his court appearance, but told the judge he had been receiving treatment for depression and anxiety.

He will remain under home detention in Washington DC until his sentencing hearing on January 27, but a lengthy jail term appears inevitable.

"Oh, he's going to get a custodial sentence," Williams's lawyer John Rowley told the ABC outside court.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10-30/peter-williams-faces-us-jail-time-after-selling-trade-secrets/105945752

https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/former-general-manager-us-defense-contractor-pleads-guilty-selling-stolen-trade-secrets

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23800897 (020730ZNOV25) Notable: Video: Queensland pedophile register to launch with names, photos by December – Queensland will become the first state to introduce a public sex offender register under Daniel’s Law, named in honour of murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, whose 2003 abduction and killing exposed critical failings in child protection and offender monitoring. Passed by parliament on Thursday, the legislation will allow parents to identify convicted child sex offenders by name, photograph and year of birth through a three-tier system. Tier 1 will list offenders under supervision or who have breached reporting rules; Tier 2 will allow searches for high-risk offenders in local areas; and Tier 3 will let parents apply to check specific individuals with child contact. Premier David Crisafulli said the law ends “the days of monsters hiding in plain sight,” while Police Minister Dan Purdie said it was about “vigilance, not vengeance.” Misuse carries penalties of up to 10 years’ jail. Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe said Daniel’s Law would “save other children” and inspire nationwide adoption.

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>>109577 (pb)

Qld pedophile register to launch with names, photos by December

Queensland parents will soon be able to identify convicted pedophiles in their neighbourhood, under landmark laws. WHAT YOU CAN AND CAN’T DO

Mikaela Mulveney - October 30, 2025

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Queenslanders will be able to access the name, photograph and year of birth of pedophiles on a public sex offender register by December.

The state government will on Thursday pass new laws, dubbed Daniel’s Law after murdered schoolboy Daniel Morcombe, which will allow the public to apply to view images of child sex offenders living in their community.

The Courier-Mail can reveal how the register’s three-tiered system is expected to arm parents with information about local sexual predators in an move to keep children safe.

Premier David Crisafulli said no system would ever be perfect, but Daniel’s Law would help parents protect children.

“Families previously had no idea if convicted predators were living on their street or even next door, but the days of monsters hiding in plain sight are now over,” he said.

Police Minister Dan Purdie acknowledged the register was not designed to be fail-safe, and would not deter all predators from committing heinous crimes against children.

“It really is just about arming parents and caregivers with all the information they might need to be able to put protective strategies around their children,” he said.

“There will be a clear deterrent for registered child sex offenders to abide by their reporting obligations, and if they fail to abide by it, and they go AWOL, well, we’re going to publish their picture and their name.”

Close to 4000 reportable offenders were recorded on the Queensland Child Protection Register as of the end of September.

When the new system is in plane, every Queenslander will be able to access a list of convicted pedophiles who are subject to reporting conditions to police and their photos.

This Tier 1 list included offenders released from jail on supervision orders for child sex offences, offenders who have failed to comply with obligations and those whose whereabouts are unknown.

Alongside an offender’s photo and unique identifier number will be additional personal details, which could include their full name, year of birth and tattoos or other distinguishing characteristics.

Details will be determined by Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski, who will also decide which tier an offender is published under.

Tier 2 will see Queenslanders able to search for high-risk convicted offenders based on where they live and to view images of high-risk reportable offenders residing in their local area.

This list will include repeat offenders, those with life-long reporting obligations and offenders who are subject to a supervision order.

Mr Gollschewski can use his discretion to add an offender to this list if they pose a serious threat to the safety of a child.

The final Tier 3 will give parents and guardians the option to make an application about an individual to check if they are a reportable offender.

They will have to satisfy police that the person had unsupervised contact with a child and will be provided a yes or no answer only.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23800933 (020746ZNOV25) Notable: ‘Trying to silence me’: Outspoken doctor sacked amid transgender legal battle – Queensland child psychiatrist Dr Jillian Spencer has been issued a termination notice while multiple court cases over her suspension and whistleblower protection remain unresolved. Dr Spencer, who publicly criticised “trans-affirming” treatments for minors, said her dismissal came a month before an independent review into puberty blockers and hormones - chaired by Professor Ruth Vine - was due to report to Health Minister Tim Nicholls. “They are jumping the gun without waiting to establish whether the whistleblower claim is true,” she said, accusing Queensland Health of trying to silence her. Her dismissal letter cited breaches of the code of conduct for speaking publicly about her concerns. Graeme Haycroft of the Red Union Support Hub called the sacking “a miscarriage of justice.” Dr Spencer said she stood by her warnings that gender-affirming care “is harmful to children” and vowed to keep fighting in court.

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‘Trying to silence me’: Outspoken doctor sacked amid transgender legal battle

Queensland’s health department has been sent a termination notice to child psychiatrist Jillian Spencer while multiple legal challenges about her whistleblower status remain unresolved.

'Des Houghton - September 13, 2025''

Suspended child psychiatrist Jillian Spencer has been sent a termination notice – a month before an independent panel delivers its findings into the transgender medical practices she said were unsafe.

The timing has angered her professional association which has accused the Crisafulli government of a miscarriage of justice and attempting to subvert the courts.

Dr Spencer’s termination notice also comes before the industrial relations court has adjudicated her whistleblower status.

It also comes ahead of another legal challenge in which Dr Spencer alleges Queensland Health breached her human rights under the Anti-Discrimination Act.

“They are jumping the gun without waiting to establish whether the whistleblower claim is actually true,” Dr Spencer said.

“They are not waiting for the court to decide. They are going ahead and firing me.’’

She said official whistleblower status would have given her protection against retribution and reprisals.

The independent review into puberty blockers and same sex hormones chaired by Professor Ruth vine was due to hand it findings to Health Minister Tim Nicholls by November 30.

“Why haven’t they waited for that?” Dr Spencer said.

“Is the hospital trying to silence me; get rid of me in advance of any external scrutiny?

“I am not sure if the hospital is out of control and is acting unilaterally, or whether the Health Minister is bringing his morals and values to what is going on.

“I don’t know where this injustice is coming from. Is it coming from the hospital or from the Health Minister’s office.”

Dr Spencer says she still believes she did the right thing by “shining a light” on the dangers of “trans-affirming practices.”

“When I first raised concerns in 2023 it was a culture of fear and silence,” she said.

In the last two years that all changed and many people had raised the alarm.

“It’s now common knowledge that gender affirming care is harmful to children,’’ Dr Spencer said.

“I have been a strong voice to try to protect children, and I am still getting punished for that.’’

Her 59-page termination letter lists occasions where she allegedly broke the code of conduct by speaking on Sky News and at public meetings.

“Don’t we want doctors to speak up when there is harm to children?”

“I’m happy for my conduct and behaviours to be examined (in court). People will find that I did everything I could to try to protect children.

“I’m proud of what I did. I’m sad it may the ending of my career.

“They are using the code of conduct to stop me speaking out about a medical scandal. I have to criticise the hospital because it is responsible for the medical scandal.”

Graeme Haycroft, the chairman of RUSH (Red Union Support Hub) said he believed Dr Spencer had been denied natural justice.

He condemned Mr Nicholls who he said had failed to protect a doctor with an exemplary record.

“Jillian Spencer has been badly done by,” Mr Haycroft said.

“It is a miscarriage of justice.

“This goes to the core of the cultural problems within Queensland Health.”

https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/trying-to-silence-me-outspoken-doctor-sacked-amid-transgender-legal-battle/news-story/57b3adc38068593e84224161d2980e11

https://www.hrla.org.au/dr-jillian-spencer-s-job-termination-is-on-hold-pending-judicial-review

https://www.hrla.org.au/spencer-speak-out

https://qresear.ch/?q=Jillian+Spencer

https://qresear.ch/?q=Cass+Review

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23800976 (020805ZNOV25) Notable: Dr Jillian Spencer’s Queensland Health termination frozen amid legal battle – Queensland Health has paused its bid to sack Dr Jillian Spencer, the child psychiatrist suspended for questioning “transgender activism” at the Queensland Children’s Hospital. Her lawyers at Meridian Lawyers filed for a Supreme Court judicial review, arguing acting clinical director Brendan Hoad failed to consider her freedom of political communication and Human Rights Act protections before issuing a termination notice. Dr Spencer said she was duty-bound by the Hippocratic oath to oppose unsafe treatments, claiming puberty blockers and early affirmation “don’t have evidence of benefit and have serious harms.” She maintains doctors must prioritise patients over institutional loyalty. Other psychiatrists have backed her stance, citing the UK’s Cass Review and a Family Court ruling where Judge Andrew Strum criticised Australia’s gender-affirming guidelines. “I thought I was doing everyone a favour by speaking up,” she said. The case will return to court next year alongside her pending whistleblower claim.

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>>122481

>>122482

Des Houghton: Dr Jillian Spencer's Qld Health termination frozen amid legal battle

Des Houghton - October 29, 2025

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Child psychiatrist Jillian Spencer’s termination notice has been put on hold by Queensland Health.

However the doctor who was suspended for speaking out about transgender activism at the Queensland Children’s Hospital says her fight to be reinstated is far from over.

Meridian Lawyers, for Spencer, filed an application in the Supreme Court this week for a judicial review that seeks to invalidate Spencer’s termination notice signed by Brendan Hoad, the acting director of clinical services.

Hoad and the Queensland Children’s Hospital and Health Service have been named as respondents in the application.

Hoad’s assessment in September found Spencer guilty of misconduct for “continuing to make statements in the public domain that bring your employer and (children’s health service) colleagues into disrepute”.

Spencer’s legal team, led by Daniel Davison, told the court the threat of disciplinary sanctions and dismissal should be set aside because of Hoad’s “failure to have regard to the implied freedom of political communication under the Constitution in deciding whether he (Hoad) was reasonably satisfied (Spencer’s) conduct met the standard of ‘inappropriate or improper conduct in a private capacity’.”

Meridian’s lawyers argued Hoad also failed to take into account the Human Rights Act when deciding whether he was reasonably satisfied Spencer’s conduct met the standards of “inappropriate or improper conduct in a private capacity”.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls declined to comment.

The case drags on and on.

Spencer must now wait for a directions hearing set down for next year.

Spencer is also awaiting a judgment in the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission where she is seeking whistleblower status for her public interest disclosures.

Spencer was suspended in 2023 after she questioned the “affirmation model” and the use of puberty blockers at the Queensland Children’s Gender Service at the Queensland Children’s Hospital.

The model has been discredited in many countries, so it is a mystery why Queensland Health continued to target Spencer.

She maintains she had a professional obligation to raise the alarm as the Hippocratic oath compels her to put the welfare of her patients ahead of possible reputational damage to the hospital.

“The reason why I spoke out is because I saw children being given a treatment that doesn’t have any evidence of benefit and has serious harms,” she said.

“It was too important not to speak out about.

“I can’t be bound by some public service rules not to speak out when I am forced to witness the ongoing harm to children.

“I don’t think the Code of Conduct for the Queensland Public Service should be used to suppress speech about a medical scandal.

“I would like a full exoneration.

“As a doctor, my primary loyalty is to the patient.”

Her Hippocratic oath duty to “first do no harm” trumped all.

Spencer also quibbles the hospital’s lawful right to offer criticism.

“It’s not to my employer, because otherwise doctors just become a company representative.

“No, I can’t just represent the hospital and say, ‘things are OK’ when they’re not.’’

Spencer raised other concerns with her termination letter which she said contained several factual errors.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23801001 (020818ZNOV25) Notable: Video: Queensland Health puberty blocker, hormone treatment ban unlawful, court rules – The Queensland Supreme Court has ruled the state government’s puberty blocker ban unlawful, finding Queensland Health failed to conduct proper consultation before issuing the January 28 directive. Justice Peter Callaghan SC said the 22-minute meeting used to justify the ban “had every hallmark” of a predetermined decision. Within hours, Health Minister Tim Nicholls reissued the statewide prohibition under his own authority, citing the “public interest.” The case, brought by the mother of a transgender child, accused the government of treating minors as “political footballs.” Advocacy groups, including the LGBTI Legal Service, condemned the renewed ban, saying it lacked medical evidence and excluded expert input. Mr Nicholls said the government’s position “remains unchanged,” insisting treatment must be “grounded on solid evidence.” The directive will stand until completion of Professor Ruth Vine’s independent review into stage one and two hormone therapies, due by November 30.

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>>122481

>>122482

>>122483

Queensland Health puberty blocker, hormone treatment ban unlawful, court rules

Paul Brescia and Mikaela Mulveney - October 29, 2025

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Health Minister Tim Nicholls has used his extraordinary powers to reissue a statewide ban on puberty blockers – seven hours after a Supreme Court slammed the government for unlawful overreach.

Under the reissued directive the Minister did not need to outline why he believed gender dysphoric children not already being treated with puberty blockers shouldn’t be able to access them through the public health system, only that he believed it was “in the public interest”.

The move came after Supreme Court Justice Peter Callaghan SC, in a landmark decision just before midday on Tuesday, ruled the government’s initial puberty blocker ban was made unlawfully.

He deemed the amount of consultation undertaken by Queensland Health director-general David Rosengren in the lead-up to the January 28 directive – a 22-minute online meeting with health service bosses – insufficient.

The rebuke by the Supreme Court is the first high-profile admonishment of the Crisafulli government’s decision-making since it took office last year.

It also came on the same day Mr Nicholls faced accusations he had not delivered an ambulance ramping road map as promised, as the corruption watchdog confirmed the botched appointment of Krispin Hajkowicz as chief health officer had escalated to a full investigation.

Justice Callaghan said the 22-minute meeting “had every hallmark” of an occasion convened for Dr Rosengren to announce the directive was “what is going to be done”.

In his decision, he had pointed out the minister could have from the start simply issued his own directive “in writing and published in a way that allows it to be accessed by members of the public” rather than through Dr Rosengren.

“There can be in this case no suggestion that the minister was trying to circumvent the requirement of (Hospital and Health Boards) Act,” he said.

“On the contrary, rather than suggest this was a suggestion of the chief executive, the minister could not have been more open about his intentions, nor more insistent on his ownership of the decision.”

The Supreme Court action against the state government was brought by the mother of a transgender child, with the woman calling on Premier David Crisafulli to stop using trans kids as “political footballs”.

She said the speedy move to reissue the directive shows this was “clearly a political decision”.

“My child’s medical treatment was ultimately decided by the government, with no input from anyone with expertise,” the mother said.

“I don’t know any Queenslander who would want decisions about their child’s medical care being made by politicians.

“The Premier says he wants to keep kids safe.

“There is nothing safe about denying a child their right to expert medical care, or telling parents they don’t know what’s best for their children.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23801047 (020846ZNOV25) Notable: eSafety boss hits back at Trump ally over claims Australia threatens US free speech – Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has rejected accusations by US Republican congressman Jim Jordan that Australia is undermining free speech in the United States. Mr Jordan, a close ally of Donald Trump and chair of the House Judiciary Committee, launched an inquiry into Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Centre after it hosted Ms Inman Grant in September, alleging it “facilitated foreign censorship”. Ms Inman Grant said eSafety “has nothing to do with achieving global censorship”, insisting that all companies must obey Australian law when displaying content to Australians. The clash highlights growing tensions between the Albanese government’s tech regulation and conservative US concerns about free expression.

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eSafety boss hits back at Trump ally over claims Australia threatens US free speech

GEOFF CHAMBERS - 2 November 2025

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The eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has hit back at Don­ald Trump’s close ally Jim Jordan after the Republican congressman accused Australia and other nations of undermining free speech in the US and promoting global take-downs of online ­content.

Mr Jordan, who chairs the US house judiciary committee, has launched an investigation into Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Centre, which has links to the eSafety Commissioner and hosted Ms Inman Grant as a keynote speaker on September 24.

In an October 22 letter sent to Stanford University Cyber Policy Centre director Jeff Hancock, Mr Jordan said the centre appeared to be “facilitating foreign censorship that harms American civil liberties”.

Mr Jordan told Dr Hancock the roundtable event featuring Ms Inman Grant “brought together foreign officials who have directly targeted American speech and represent a serious threat to the First Amendment”.

“The keynote speaker at this event was Julie Inman Grant, the Australian eSafety Commissioner who has explicitly argued that governments have the authority to demand and enforce global take-downs of content,” Mr Jordan wrote.

“Other attendees and panellists included officials from some of the entities with the worst track records of extraterritorial censorship, including the United Kingdom’s Ofcom, the EU, and Brazil.

“By hosting this event, designed to encourage and facilitate censorship compliance with regulators from Australia, Brazil, the EU and the UK, Stanford is working with foreign censorship officials to vitiate the First Amendment.”

On September 25, around the same time Ms Inman Grant was participating in events with the university’s cyber policy centre, she announced the Stanford Social Media Lab, founded by Dr Hancock, was leading an academic review of the Albanese government’s Social Media Mini­mum Age obligation.

The government’s social media ban for children under 16 starts on December 10.

In response to Mr Jordan’s investigation and claims, Ms Inman Grant told The Australian that the enforcement of Australian laws had nothing to do with achieving global censorship.

“There is nothing eSafety is doing that prevents American companies from displaying whatever they wish to Americans, however all companies that operate in Australia must comply with Australian laws, including when they are displaying content to Australian end users, regardless of where they are based,” she said.

After she sought to block online access to the 2024 terror stabbing attack of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney, the Federal Court refused to grant an injunction, which was contested by Elon Musk’s X, because an effective global ban was deemed to not be a “reasonable” step under Australian law and would be “ignored or disparaged in other countries”.

Ms Inman Grant in October issued a removal notice to social media giant X and Meta in relation to the murder of Ukrainian-born US resident Iryna Zarutska, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the beheading of Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah.

The eSafety Commissioner told The Australian they had “accepted geoblocking in the Charlie Kirk, Iryna Zarutska and Chandra Mouli Nagamallaiah matters where the material has been refused classification by the Aus­tralian Classification Board and is therefore illegal to display to ­Australians”.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23805280 (031015ZNOV25) Notable: Queensland education authority offers ‘they/them’ pronouns for kindergarten kids – Parents in Queensland have been asked to specify “they/them” pronouns for their four- and five-year-olds on kindergarten consent forms, prompting criticism from psychiatrists who warned the practice could harm children’s development. The Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority recorded 46 “they/them” nominations this year, though many parents expressed shock at the requirement. Psychiatrists Andrew Amos, Philip Morris and Jillian Spencer said the policy “damages the child” and risks “indoctrination” into ideology. Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the QCAA is independent and introduced the measure to “foster inclusion”, but critics argue it confuses children and pressures teachers to comply with gender ideology.

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Queensland education authority offers ‘they/them’ pronouns for kindergarten kids

STEPHEN RICE - November 02, 2025

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Parents are being asked whether they want “they/them” pronouns used for their four- and five-year-old children attending kindergarten in Queensland, in a move condemned by psychiatrists as damaging to the individual child and to the other children in the classroom.

In this year’s cohort, 46 kindergarten children around the state were nominated by their parents as “they/them” on consent forms sent out by the Queensland Curriculum & Assessment Authority.

Kindergarten teachers in Queensland prepare a “transition statement” to help children prepare for primary school, providing information to their new teachers about the child’s strengths and weaknesses.

But many parents have been shocked to discover that they must nominate their child’s pronouns as part of the process.

Several psychiatrists told The Australian that introducing the concept to children at such a young age was harmful to their development, and for family and school relationships.

Queensland mother Nerissa Pace, whose four-year-old daughter is at kindergarten, described the move as “utterly outrageous and pure nonsense”.

“Why is the Queensland government pushing the radical gender ideology of a ‘non-binary’ child – neither male nor female – onto pre-school kids?” Ms Pace asked. “These are four- and five-year-old kids who have no concept of what ‘they/them’ as a pronoun even means, and the ­notion that a kid can be neither a boy nor a girl, and that other children and the teachers and the whole school cohort would have to then support that radical delusion, is gobsmacking. It compels teachers and it totally denies their right to acknowledge reality. It would confuse the hell out of these kids. It’s horrendous.”

Prominent psychiatrist and James Cook University academic Andrew Amos said the approach of QCAA was “not acceptable on a number of levels and very ­concerning”.

“I don’t think kids of that age are even capable of understanding the underlying concepts. It’s damaging for the children, but I think it’s also damaging to the family structure. The boundaries that you set for kids really have a large part to play in whether they’re going to be happy, healthy and functional, and this is really indoctrination into a particular political ideology that damages the child at school, but also at home.

“You’re misusing the trusted relationship between a teacher who is an expert in child education and a parent who trusts that teacher to know what’s best for their kids in a way that’s definitely harmful for the child, and I think is harmful to the relationship between the child and the parent.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23809042 (040838ZNOV25) Notable: China’s military build-up demands response, Australia defence minister says – Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles has warned that China’s “biggest military build-up in the world today”, carried out “without strategic reassurance”, demands a response from other nations. Speaking at a navy conference in Sydney, he said Australia’s sea trade routes through the South and East China Seas are becoming “increasingly risky”. Marles outlined plans for a “more capable, lethal, long-range navy”, including acquiring frigates from Japan, developing submarine drones with US company Anduril, and expanding Indian Ocean shipyards. His remarks come after a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near an Australian patrol aircraft, amid growing tension as Australia advances its AUKUS nuclear submarine program with the US and UK.

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China's military build-up demands response, Australia defence minister says

Kirsty Needham - November 4, 2025

SYDNEY, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Australia's defence force operations to protect its sea trade routes, including through the South China Sea, are becoming more risky as Beijing undertakes the "biggest military build-up in the world today", Australia's defence minister said on Tuesday.

Open sea lanes, including trade routes that go through the South China Sea and East China Sea, are at the core of Australia's national interest, Richard Marles said in an opening speech at a navy conference in Sydney.

"That work is challenging and in truth it is becoming increasingly risky. The biggest military build-up in the world today is China," he told the Indo-Pacific conference.

"That it is happening without strategic reassurance means that for Australia and so many countries a response is demanded."

About 100 protesters, including pro-Palestinian groups, gathered outside the conference centre in Darling Harbour in Sydney. New South Wales state police said 10 people were arrested and pepper spray was used after clashes with officers.

Several Israeli companies are exhibiting at the defence conference.

Marles said Australia was increasing its military spending to build a "more capable, lethal, long-range navy".

This included acquiring frigates from Japan, developing submarine drones with U.S. company Anduril, and expanding its naval shipyards facing the Indian Ocean.

Australia raised concerns with Beijing last month after a Chinese fighter jet dropped flares near an Australian maritime patrol plane carrying out surveillance in the South China Sea, the latest in a series of such incidents that Australia has labelled "unsafe and unprofessional".

Dozens of navy and coast guard chiefs, including from the United States, Japan, the Philippines, Singapore and Pacific Islands, are attending the conference in Sydney, which comes as Australia prepares to build a nuclear-powered submarine fleet with the U.S. and Britain through the AUKUS partnership.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-military-build-up-demands-response-australia-defence-minister-says-2025-11-03/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814358 (050829ZNOV25) Notable: ASIO reveals foreign operations remit – ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has confirmed that Australia’s domestic spy agency is now conducting operations offshore, with officers deployed to disrupt foreign intelligence activity. Speaking at the Lowy Institute, Burgess said ASIO “routinely conducts operations offshore” and now maintains offices in multiple countries. He revealed a recent sting in which ASIO officers intercepted foreign spies attempting to recruit Australians and issued a warning “that Australians were off limits”. Burgess also identified Russia as a growing espionage threat, citing arrests of two Russian-born citizens, and linked Iran to anti-Semitic attacks. He said hostile regimes are “unpicking our social fabric” and manipulating extremist narratives across the region to inflame division.

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ASIO reveals foreign operations remit

Spy chief confirms his agency is operating offshore, exposing foreign spy tactics, and setting new lines in Australia’s counterintelligence work.

JULIAN BAJKOWSKI - NOV 5, 2025

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Australia’s Director-General of Security, Mike Burgess, has publicly declared that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is now involved in offshore operations to defend Australia from foreign threats, revealing it has sent officers into the field to rebuff foreign cultivation attempts as part of its counterintelligence remit.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute on Tuesday night, Burgess outlined a series of persistently morphing threats to Australia’s national security, ranging from an ascendant local neo-Nazi movement to foreign intelligence service cultivation efforts directed at Australians. He also overtly spelled out that ASIO “officers routinely conduct operations offshore to defend Australia’s interests.”

The foreign counterintelligence activity by ASIO has long been an undeclared assumption, but Burgess’ statement delineates, to a degree, the difference between foreign counterintelligence operations compared to those of the collection activities of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (which is part of the Department of Foreign Affairs).

“ASIO is sometimes called ‘Australia’s domestic spy agency’. This is not accurate. Our mission is to protect Australians from security threats wherever they are — at home and abroad,” Burgess said.

“We have offices in multiple countries and working relationships with literally hundreds of intelligence and security agencies — some you would expect, some you would find more surprising.”

Burgess cited “a recent example [that] involved a foreign intelligence service that keeps ASIO very busy, despite claiming it does not spy on Australia.

“One of its teams tried to cultivate and recruit several Australians, and believed it had convinced them to betray their country,” the ASIO chief said, adding that “reflecting ASIO’s success in making Australia an unwelcome environment for espionage, the foreign intelligence service arranged for an Australian to travel by plane and then boat to a third country for a face-to-face meeting.”

The meeting was successfully interdicted.

“The spies wanted to hand over a list of their intelligence requirements — the people and things they wanted spied on. Inside information on Australia’s economy, critical minerals, and AUKUS were high on the list. Little did they know ASIO was tracking and manipulating their entire activity,” Burgess said.

“We worked with a partner in the third country to deliver an unwelcome surprise. When the intelligence officers arrived at the location, they were not met by their target; they were met by an ASIO officer,” Burgess said.

“The conversation was brief but pointed. We told them Australians were off limits. We warned them we would disrupt their operations whenever and wherever we chose. And we sent our regards to the head of their service.”

Professional courtesy in tradecraft, it appears, is not altogether lost.

“Spies are meant to report any interaction with counterparts from another country. I’m pleased to note these intelligence officers followed the rules and owned up to their superiors that their cover and their operation were blown!” Burgess said.

The ASIO chief also called out Russia as a more ambitious intelligence aggressor.

“Putin’s invasion of Ukraine prompted a more aggressive and reckless Russian intelligence apparatus to target Ukraine’s supporters around the world, including Australia. Russia has always been a significant espionage threat — Ben Chifley founded ASIO to counter it — but the ongoing war with Ukraine added urgency to its intelligence gathering,” Burgess said.

“Last year, two Russian-born Australian citizens were arrested and charged with an espionage-related offence. Russia’s brazen acts of sabotage in Europe demonstrated its willingness to use a wider range of tools and tactics to coerce, intimidate and damage perceived adversaries, and we should not assume Australia is immune.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814376 (050838ZNOV25) Notable: ASIO spy boss takes aim at China, accusing Beijing of widespread intellectual property theft – ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess has accused China of “wholesale intellectual property theft” and political interference while warning that several nations are “willing and capable” of assassinations in Australia. Speaking at the Lowy Institute, Burgess said ASIO is confronting overlapping threats from China, Russia and Iran, and vowed to keep “calling out” the Chinese Communist Party for espionage and influence operations. He said Beijing’s officials “don’t understand” Australia’s system or ASIO’s independence, adding that Chinese complaints “won’t stop my resolve”. Burgess said intelligence cooperation with the United States remains “as strong as it’s ever been” under Donald Trump’s presidency.

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Mike Burgess: ASIO spy boss takes aim at China, accusing Beijing of widespread intellectual property theft

Andrew Greene - 5 November 2025

China has been accused of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling by Australia’s spy chief who has also warned that several unnamed nations are “willing and capable” of carrying out assassinations here.

In a speech to the Lowy Institute, ASIO Director General Mike Burgess has detailed attempted foreign interference plots from Russia, but has also taken aim at Beijing and vowed to continue calling out Chinese Communist Party threats to Australian interests.

“We all spy on each other, but we don’t conduct wholesale intellectual property theft. We don’t actually interfere with political systems, and we don’t undertake high-harm activity,” Mr Burgess said when later asked about China.

Appearing in front of an audience at Sydney’s Town Hall on Tuesday night, Mr Burgess explained that when Beijing denies his accusations, it is displaying an ignorance of ASIO’s role in Australia.

“Every time I’ve done that (called China out), there’s an army of Chinese government officials that go around complaining to almost everyone in this country across the system — public and private — but not to me,” Mr Burgess said.

“If they were as smart as they should be — and they are smart — they would understand a Western liberal democracy and the role and the statutory standing of the security service. We work for the government of the day, but our security assessments and our security action are independent.

“They clearly don’t understand the system, because if they want to complain about ASIO doing its job and explaining the threats to the people we’re protecting, including calling out China when we need to, it won’t stop my resolve, it won’t stop my officers from doing the job and we’ll continue to call them out when I need to,” he added.

A senior government source familiar with ASIO operations has told The Nightly that it was “good to see Mr Burgess being open about this” and stressed the spy chief was right to point out it wasn’t just China interfering in Australia.

Relations between Australia and its largest trading partner deteriorated to new lows in 2020 over several issues, including Beijing’s anger at the then-Morrison government’s laws aimed at stamping out covert foreign interference in Australian politics.

Diplomatic and trade ties have improved since the Albanese government was elected in 2022, but security relations with Beijing remain strained as Australia increases cooperation with the United States to counter China’s rising influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Asked about Australia’s intelligence cooperation with the United States since Donald Trump’s return to power, Mr Burgess insisted it was “as strong as it’s ever been” and said he had a “strong relationship” with his counterpart, FBI Director Kash Patel.

“When it comes to protecting Australians, the Americans are great mates and they help us every day and we do our fair share of helping them as well. That’s the way it should be. I’ve seen no change to things since President (Donald) Trump was re-elected”.

During his prepared remarks to the Lowy Institute, Mr Burgess warned at least three countries are “willing and capable” to order assassination hits on Australian soil, possibly by using criminals for hire as Iran did to direct recent arson attacks here.

Citing the “degrading trajectory of our security environment”, ASIO has assessed there is now a “realistic possibility a foreign government will attempt to assassinate a perceived dissident in Australia.”

“This threat is real. We believe there are at least three nations willing and capable of conducting lethal targeting here. It is entirely possible the regimes would try to hide their involvement by hiring criminal cut-outs,” Mr Burgess warned.

https://thenightly.com.au/politics/mike-burgess-asio-spy-boss-takes-aim-at-china-accusing-beijing-of-widespread-intellectual-property-theft-c-20583211

https://x.com/LowyInstitute/status/1985879201191514485

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814383 (050842ZNOV25) Notable: Australian spy chief accuses China of IP theft and meddling; experts say remarks reflect certain Australian officials’ attempt to mislead public – "An Australian spy chief on Tuesday accused Chinese security services of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling… Chinese experts criticized the series of statements, saying they reflect some Australia politicians' anxiety and bias toward China's technological and military progress. Mike Burgess… claimed that he would continue to call out China for harming Australian interests… Burgess claimed that China would understand ‘a Western liberal democracy and the role and the statutory standing of the security service. We work for the government of the day but our security assessments and our security action are independent,’ Australian spy chief claimed. Claiming that China's intelligence agencies are engaged in large-scale intellectual property theft and political interference… reveals the Australian spy chief's deep rooted sense of anxiety and unease, Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries of Liaocheng University in East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times. As for Burgess's claim that China fails to understand how the Western mechanism operates, the accusation itself reveals both arrogance and ignorance, Chen Hong, director of New Zealand Studies Centre from East China Normal University, told the Global Times. Chen said the arrogance lies in the belief that the Western model of democracy is inherently superior and that China must learn from or conform to it. In reality, China has its own political system and model of social governance. As Australia's spy chief, Burgess made these remarks without offering any evidence - vague and misleading statements aimed not at protecting the public, but at shaping public perception, Chen said." – Zhao Yusha, The Global Times

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Australian spy chief accuses China of IP theft and meddling; experts say remarks reflect certain Australian officials’ attempt to mislead public

Zhao Yusha - Nov 05, 2025

An Australian spy chief on Tuesday accused Chinese security services of widespread intellectual property theft and political meddling and said China failed to understand how their Western counterparts operate. The remarks came on the heels of comments by Australia's Defense Minister Richard Marles, who hyped up China's "military build-up."

Chinese experts criticized the series of statements, saying they reflect some Australia politicians' anxiety and bias toward China's technological and military progress. Moreover, they said the spy chief's remarks reveal an arrogance rooted in the belief that Western political system is superior, while making such groundless accusations to mislead Australian public opinion.

Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, better known as ASIO, claimed that he would continue to call out China for harming Australian interests. Burgess made the claims at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, AP reported on Tuesday.

He also claimed that China displayed an ignorance of ASIO's role in Australia.

Burgess claimed that China would understand "a Western liberal democracy and the role and the statutory standing of the security service. We work for the government of the day but our security assessments and our security action are independent," Australian spy chief claimed.

Claiming that China's intelligence agencies are engaged in large-scale intellectual property theft and political interference is a cliché accusation and reveals the Australian spy chief's deep rooted sense of anxiety and unease - a reflection of his discomfort with China's rapid rise in technology and overall national strength, Yu Lei, chief research fellow at the Research Center for Pacific Island Countries of Liaocheng University in East China's Shandong Province, told the Global Times.

As for Burgess's claim that China fails to understand how the Western mechanism operates, the accusation itself reveals both arrogance and ignorance, Chen Hong, director of New Zealand Studies Centre from East China Normal University, told the Global Times.

Chen said the arrogance lies in the belief that the Western model of democracy is inherently superior and that China must learn from or conform to it. In reality, China has its own political system and model of social governance.

As Australia's spy chief, Burgess made these remarks without offering any evidence — vague and misleading statements aimed not at protecting the public, but at shaping public perception, Chen said.

Burgess also said he had a "strong relationship" with FBI Director Kash Patel. "When it comes to protecting Australians, the Americans are great mates and they help us every day and we do our fair share of helping them as well. That's the way it should be.

However, when asked to respond to accusations by US intelligence agencies that China had infiltrated parts of the US power grid and water systems and stolen American intellectual property and personal information, President Donald Trump told CBS News' 60 Minutes aired on Sunday, "We're a threat to them, too. Many of the things you say they do to us, we do to them."

Diplomatic and trade ties have improved since Australia's current government was first elected in 2022. But security relations remain fraught as Australia joined the US in efforts to counter China in the region, the AP claimed.

At almost the same time as Burgess made the remarks, Reuters reported on Tuesday that Australia's defense minister Richard Marles also claimed the work of Australia's defense force to protect its sea trade routes, including through the South China Sea, is becoming more risky as China undertakes the "biggest military build-up in the world today."

Although China-Australia relations appear to have "warmed" on the surface, the improvement remains largely confined to trade, with no substantive shift in Canberra's confrontational mindset in the political, military and security spheres, Yu said.

The recent Australian officials accusations, Yu noted, show some Australian officials' stance toward China continues to serve the preservation of American global hegemony.

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202511/1347412.shtml

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814416 (050859ZNOV25) Notable: ASIO Director General Mike Burgess:How the aggrieved, opportunistic and cunning are ripping our social fabric- "Our social fabric is fraying — fraying in ways we have never experienced before… Grievance is growing, intolerance is rising, inflammatory rhetoric and behaviour is being normalised… There are multiple, cascading and intersecting threats to our social cohesion, fuelled by three distinct but connected cohorts: the aggrieved; the opportunistic; and the cunning. The aggrieved are the individuals who tear at our social fabric… The opportunistic are the organised groups that take advantage, including extremist organisations skilled at harnessing grievances… The biggest neo-Nazi group strategically exploited complaints about immigration and the cost of living… Events in the Middle East triggered a troubling increase in anarchist and revolutionary extremism… The cunning are the nation states deliberately trying to set the fabric alight, operating in a security grey zone to interfere, divide and distract… Authoritarian regimes demonstrate a chilling willingness to exploit fault lines… Given the degrading trajectory of our security environment… ASIO assesses there is a realistic possibility a foreign government will attempt to assassinate a perceived dissident in Australia." – Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), The Australian

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COMMENTARY: How the aggrieved, opportunistic and cunning are ripping our social fabric

MIKE BURGESS - 4 November 2025

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Our social fabric is fraying – fraying in ways we have never experienced before. This is not an accident. There have been other periods of social dislocation in Australia, but what we are seeing today is on a different scale, with different dynamics.

Grievance is growing. Intolerance is rising. Inflammatory rhetoric and behaviour is being normalised. Anti-authority beliefs are spreading. There are multiple, cascading and intersecting threats to our social cohesion, fuelled by three distinct but connected cohorts: the aggrieved; the opportunistic; and the cunning.

The aggrieved are the individuals who tear at our social fabric. The opportunistic are the organised groups that take advantage of weaknesses in our social fabric. The cunning are the nation states that play a longer, more calculated game to divide and distract us.

The aggrieved

Political differences, political debates and political protests are essential parts of a healthy democracy. Unfortunately, here and overseas, levels of personal grievance and frustration are growing. Rightly or wrongly some Australians feel dispossessed, disaffected, disenfranchised. There are spikes in polarisation and intolerance.

Trust in institutions is declining. Even truth itself is being undermined by conspiracy, mis- and disinformation. Similar trends are playing out across the Western world.

Angry, alienated individuals are embracing anti-authority ideologies and conspiracy theories; engaging in uncivil debate and unpeaceful protest.

Some are combining multiple beliefs to create new hybrid ideologies.

It is important to understand there is significant diversity in this cohort; suggesting all the aggrieved are “sovereign citizens”, for example, is neither accurate nor helpful.

While sovereign citizens consider the government illegitimate and therefore without authority, other aggrieved activists believe the opposite – the government possesses too much authority.

Many of the aggrieved do not necessarily espouse violent views, but may still see violence as a legitimate way to effect political or societal change.

The trend increased during Covid, gained further momentum after the terrorist attacks on Israel, and accelerated during Israel’s military response.

These dynamics raised the temperature of the security environment, made acts of violence more likely, and continue to undermine social cohesion.

The opportunistic

Extremist organisations – whether religiously or ideologically motivated – are adaptive and patient. They are skilled at exploiting gaps or fissures in social cohesion; at harnessing and harvesting grievances. The way nationalist and racist violent extremists attempted to leverage the so-called March for Australia rallies is a case in point.

The biggest neo-Nazi group, the National Socialist Network – or White Australia as it is rebranding itself – identified the demonstrations as a vehicle to raise its profile.

It strategically and opportunistically exploited the organisers’ complaints about immigration and the cost of living.

This is a key part of the Network’s broader strategy to “mainstream” and expand its movement by focussing on issues with broader appeal. Modern neo-Nazis crave attention and publicity. It gives them credibility and helps with recruitment.

They see journalists as “useful idiots” in this regard, and they celebrate even the most critical coverage because it inevitably leads to a surge in membership applications.

After one recent story, members joked about thanking the media for the “free promotion”.

At the same time, though, its ideology and its provocative, offensive and high-profile actions are antithetical to social cohesion.

Even if the organisation does not engage in terrorism, I remain deeply concerned by its hateful, divisive rhetoric and increasingly violent propaganda, and the growing likelihood these things will prompt spontaneous violence, particularly in response to perceived provocation.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814436 (050910ZNOV25) Notable: Republicans lash out at Pentagon officials over treatment of Australia – Republican frustration with the Pentagon has intensified during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, with several senators accusing defence policy leaders of undermining President Donald Trump’s agenda and mishandling Australia’s interests. Senators Roger Wicker, Tom Cotton and Dan Sullivan criticised undersecretary Elbridge Colby’s policy unit for “slow-walking” Trump-backed initiatives, including AUKUS, a brief pause in Ukraine assistance and force reductions in Romania. They said the Pentagon’s review of AUKUS created doubt for Australia despite Trump declaring the pact “full steam ahead”. Austin Dahmer, nominated for a senior strategy role, defended the review but acknowledged ongoing concerns. The exchanges underscored bipartisan congressional support for AUKUS and frustration with internal Pentagon processes.

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Republicans lash out at Pentagon officials over treatment of Australia

Michael Koziol - November 5, 2025

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Washington: Republican frustration with top personnel at the Pentagon has boiled over during a public hearing on Capitol Hill, with anger about the treatment of Australia and the AUKUS agreement a key part of the dispute.

Three Republicans on the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee voiced concerns about how the policy team inside the Pentagon, led by undersecretary of war Elbridge Colby, has appeared to deviate from President Donald Trump’s priorities on major matters concerning United States allies.

That included the AUKUS defence pact between Australia, the US and the United Kingdom, as well as a short-lived “pause” on US weapons assistance to Ukraine earlier this year and a recent drawdown of US troops stationed in NATO ally country, Romania.

The Pentagon launched a review of AUKUS in June and, in briefings to reporters, raised concerns about whether the agreement suited “America First” interests or was feasible. That included questions over whether the US was producing enough nuclear-powered submarines to sell them to Australia, and how Australia would use them in the event of a conflict with China.

But Trump strongly backed the deal when he met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House last month, dismissing concerns about feasibility and saying it was “full steam ahead”.

Senate committee chair Roger Wicker, a long-serving Republican from Mississippi, said at the hearing on Tuesday he was disappointed Trump’s decisions were “apparently slow-walked or reversed” by the Pentagon during the year.

“The AUKUS deal was cast into doubt despite the president’s strong support of the AUKUS agreement – much to the surprise and dismay of Australia, one of our most steadfast allies,” he said.

Wicker said the committee had enjoyed a relatively positive relationship with War Secretary Pete Hegseth and deputy secretary Steve Feinberg, but it had struggled to receive information from the policy office led by Colby, including about the Pentagon’s imminent National Defence Strategy review. “The situation needs to improve.”

Wicker’s comments were largely directed to Austin Dahmer, Colby’s acting deputy, whom Trump has nominated to become assistant secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities. Dahmer is one of Colby’s key allies at the Pentagon.

Dahmer was also grilled by Republican senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who complained the AUKUS review surprised Australia, the UK and Trump administration officials.

“It just seems like there’s this pig pen-like mess coming out of the policy shop that you don’t see from [other areas of the Pentagon],” Cotton said.

Dahmer said the AUKUS review was directed by Hegseth, and it was natural to examine the Biden-era initiative. However, he hinted that the Pentagon still had concerns.

Asked to confirm that the deal was now full steam ahead, as the president said, Dahmer said: “I would welcome the opportunity to brief you in a classified setting on the conclusions and recommendations of the review, but I think President Trump was absolutely clear that he supports AUKUS, and we’re moving forward.”

Wicker later queried that statement. “There’s nothing classified about the fact that we’re full steam ahead with AUKUS,” he said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814460 (050925ZNOV25) Notable: AUKUS subs to receive US combat ‘brains’ – The AUKUS partnership has advanced with a new deal to install the US-designed AN/BYG-1 combat system on future Australian and British nuclear-powered submarines. BAE Systems will sign the agreement with General Dynamics Mission Systems, Raytheon Australia and Thales, ensuring the system - already used on Collins-class and US submarines - is integrated into the SSN-AUKUS boats built in Adelaide and the UK. Officials said the software will unify weapons and sensor controls and strengthen interoperability. Navy chief Admiral Mark Hammond said Australia is “well on track” to operate nuclear submarines, with Australian crews serving on Virginia-class boats. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy confirmed a $34m battery contract for PMB Defence and defended acquiring Israeli technology for the ADF.

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AUKUS subs to receive US combat ‘brains’

BEN PACKHAM - 5 November 2025

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The trilateral AUKUS partnership has taken its biggest leap forward since the submarine agreement was struck with a new deal to install a US-designed combat system on Australia’s and Britain’s future nuclear boats.

A fortnight after US President Donald Trump declared “full steam ahead” on the submarine program, the lead shipbuilder for the AUKUS-class subs has sealed a deal with three key partners to deliver the brains of the boats.

The agreement will see the AN/BYG-1 combat system – used on Australia’s Collins-class sub­marines and US nuclear-­powered submarines – incorporated into the design for the nuclear-­powered boats to be built in Adelaide and Britain.

The British-owned shipbuilder BAE Systems will sign the deal on Wednesday morning at the Indo-Pacific Maritime Expo in Sydney with the combat system designer, General Dynamics Mission Systems, together with Raytheon Australia and French-owned company Thales.

The advanced software system will integrate the boats’ weapons and sensor controls, and typically accounts for about 20 per cent of a submarine’s costs.

The agreement will ensure commonality between the future Australian and British systems, and requires the UK to switch from using its own combat system.

BAE Systems Australia chief executive Craig Lockhart said the deal was a major strategic milestone, ensuring the SSN-AUKUS submarines would receive “the most effective and advanced combat system” available.

He said it would “accelerate and enhance combat system development that is interoperable by design”, delivering a world-class submarine for both countries.

Raytheon Australia will integrate the system into the SSN-AUKUS boats while Thales will deliver the subs’ advanced sonar array.

General Dynamics Mission Systems vice-president Laura Hooks said the companies would be “entrusted to sustain and integrate combat systems aboard Virginia and AUKUS submarines in the future, ensuring continuity, confidence and low-risk delivery”.

The deal comes after the Chief of Navy, Admiral Mark Hammond, declared Australia was “well on track” to obtaining and operating nuclear-powered submarines, initially with the purchase of three US Virginia-class submarines.

“Many of our submariners are now passed through the US Navy’s Nuclear Propulsion sources, and are growing their professional mastery on board Virginia-class submarines,” he told the Sea Power Conference, on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific expo.

“In fact, every US Navy nuclear submarine operating out of Pearl Harbor by the end of this year will have Australian submariners on board.”

He said Australian personnel were also undertaking maintenance of the USS Vermont ­Virginia-class submarine in Western Australia in a major milestone for the AUKUS program.

“We’ve got command of the submarine. It’s not just historic for us. It’s historic for them,” Admiral Hammond said. “We are building an ecosystem here that can assure the availability, readiness and leth­ality of nuclear-powered sub­marines from Australia.

“That’s to the benefit of the US Navy, that’s to the benefit of the Australian navy, and it will enable us to build that level of competency to assume custody of a nuclear submarine in a few years’ time.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23814477 (050936ZNOV25) Notable: Reddit and Kick added to child social media ban – Australia’s upcoming ban on social media accounts for children under 16 will now include Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick, the government has confirmed. Communications Minister Anika Wells said the platforms join TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads as age-restricted from December 10 after eSafety ruled their primary purpose is online social interaction. Platforms must take “reasonable steps” to block under-16s or face fines up to $49.5 million. Tech firms say late guidance has made preparation difficult, but TikTok, Meta and Snap told a Senate hearing they will begin blocking underage users. Wells said there is “no excuse for failure”, adding that predatory algorithms should not “manipulate Australian children”.

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Reddit and Kick added to child social media ban

Clare Armstrong - 5 November 2025

Australia's world-first social media ban for children under 16 will apply to messaging board Reddit and live-streaming platform Kick, the online safety regulator has ruled.

Communications Minister Anika Wells on Wednesday confirmed the two platforms are joining Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, X, Facebook and Instagram, which includes Threads, as "age-restricted" from December 10.

The eSafety Commission has declared the nine services, including now Reddit and Kick, currently meet the criteria for being included in the ban, specifically that their "sole or significant purpose is to enable online social interaction". Threads, a platform which requires an Instagram account to access, is the ninth.

Ms Wells said she had met with the major social media platforms in the past month so they understood there was "no excuse for failure" in implementing the ban.

"eSafety has assessed eight platforms as requiring age-restriction but their assessments will be ongoing and this list is dynamic," she said.

"We aren't chasing perfection, we are chasing a meaningful difference."

Kick is an Australian competitor to video live streaming platform Twitch, with a reported average viewership of about 258,000, while forum-based platform Reddit is the seventh-most visited site in the world.

In the last few months platforms like Reddit received advice from eSafety they could be captured in the ban, and were given an opportunity to make submissions about why they should not be included.

A final decision was then made based on this information.

From December 10 any platform that fails to take reasonable steps to keep Australians under the age of 16 from holding an account will face fines of up to $49.5 million.

Several tech giants have argued the government's slow release of information and guidance so close to the December 10 start date has hampered their ability to prepare to implement restrictions.

But at a Senate hearing last week officials representing TikTok, Meta and Snap all confirmed they would begin blocking young teenagers from their platforms when the new laws take effect.

Snap global policy senior vice-president Jennifer Stout said Australia was a "first mover" on the ban and as a result the company was "learning as we go".

"We're doing the best we can to comply," she said.

Snapchat is looking to implement a tool so underage users can download and archive their data before their accounts are disabled and locked.

TikTok is exploring options such as giving young people the ability to deactivate or place an account in suspension, while Meta is looking to provide similar options to users on Instagram and Facebook.

Ms Wells said there was a "time and place for social media in Australia", but there was no space for "predatory algorithms, harmful content and toxic popularity metres manipulating Australian children".

"Online platforms can target children with chilling control," she said.

"We are mandating they use that sophisticated technology to protect them."

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said delaying children's access to social media accounts gave them "valuable time to learn and grow" without the "powerful, unseen forces of opaque algorithms and endless scroll".

She encouraged parents to visit the eSafety website for resources explaining the ban, including the opportunity to attend a live webinar where people could ask questions to the regulator.

Platforms not required with the new age limit from next month must be captured in one of the exempt classes including messaging, email, voice or video calling, online games, health, education, professional development or services that enable information about products or services.

This means popular gaming platforms like Roblox and messaging apps like Meta-owned WhatsApp or Messenger are not captured by the new laws.

Ms Inman-Grant said negotiations with Roblox had been asked to take other steps, including preventing adult users from contacting child users without parental consent. "We're using other tools in our arsenal to keep these other platforms safer," she said.

She also said the agency was in contact with platforms which did not meet the criteria currently, but which could see an influx of young users trying to circumvent the ban, including Yubo and Bluesky.

"This is a dynamic list and will always change... some of the companies when we made this assessment I will say were very much on the line."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-04/reddit-and-kick-added-to-child-social-media-ban/105971750

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23819495 (060839ZNOV25) Notable: USS Vermont arrives in WA for maintenance – USS Vermont, a US Virginia-class submarine, has arrived at HMAS Stirling for a major Submarine Maintenance Period, marking another step in Australia’s plan to operate and sustain nuclear-powered submarines. Thirteen Royal Australian Navy personnel are embedded in the 134-strong crew after extensive US training. This year’s program is larger and more complex than the 2024 effort, with Australian teams taking greater responsibility ahead of Submarine Rotational Force - West in 2027. ASC (the Australian Submarine Corporation), US shipyard staff and international trainees are supporting the work, which officials say strengthens nuclear stewardship and deepens AUKUS cooperation. Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, Director-General of the Australian Submarine Agency, said the visit “strengthens our ability to operate and sustain nuclear-powered submarines in Australia,” underscoring rising sovereign capability.

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USS Vermont arrives in WA for maintenance

navalinstitute.com.au - November 1, 2025

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USS Vermont (SSN 792), a US Virginia class submarine, arrived at HMAS Stirling on 29 October 2025 for the Submarine Maintenance Period (SMP), the Australian Department of Defence announced. It marks another significant leap in Australia’s journey to acquire a sovereign capability to operate and maintain conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarines from HMAS Stirling.

Together with our AUKUS partners, Australia has the responsibility for coordinating, supporting and delivering a significant package of maintenance work on USS Vermont.

USS Vermont includes 13 Royal Australian Navy personnel in the crew of 134. These are from the cohort of officers and sailors that have completed the rigorous training in the US.

The SMP builds on last year’s milestone, when Australian personnel participated in the first-ever maintenance of a US conventionally-armed, nuclear-powered submarine on home soil during the 2024 Submarine Tendered Maintenance Period.

This year’s SMP involves a larger and more complex package of work that more closely reflects the type of maintenance that will be required when Submarine Rotational Force – West begins operations at HMAS Stirling in 2027.

Unlike the previous maintenance period, this year’s work is being carried out without a tender ship – meaning Australian personnel are taking on even greater responsibility for executing complex maintenance activities on site. This will be a significant achievement and a reflection of the progress in upskilling the Australian workforce.

During this maintenance period, ASC will have an active role supporting work streams, including the provision and operation of pier temporary services and other support services like scaffolding.

Working alongside US personnel from Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF), 19 ASC International Military Students and a further two from Raytheon and Thales are currently being trained at PHNSY & IMF.

They have returned to Australia for the SMP to help deliver the majority of the maintenance effort. This will contribute to sovereign technical uplift and facilitating knowledge transfer in line with an agreed phased capability plan leading up to the 2027 Initial Operational Support (IOS) milestone with the commencement of Submarine Rotational Force – West.

To further assist with the SMP, 22 Royal Australian Navy Fleet Support Unit personnel have also been training at the Pearl Harbor Navy Shipyard since June 2025, along with eight Royal Australian Navy clearance divers who will work alongside PHNSY Divers throughout the SMP.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23828055 (080717ZNOV25) Notable: Pentagon backs AUKUS amid criticism its review has upset Australia – The Pentagon says its long-running review of the AUKUS pact is in its final stages and now agrees the agreement delivers “significant benefit” for US strategy in the Indo-Pacific. Senior adviser Alexander Velez-Green told a Senate hearing the review provided new insight into submarine production capacity and confirmed the pact aligns with Donald Trump’s priorities. Republican senators again criticised the secrecy of the process, saying it had unsettled Australia and cast doubt on US commitment. Pentagon concerns had focused on how Australia would use nuclear-powered submarines in a potential conflict with China. Officials now say AUKUS remains “in our interest”, as Australia prepares another $US1 billion payment to bolster the US industrial base. Experts argue the pact is too strategically important to fail.

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Pentagon backs AUKUS amid criticism its review has ‘upset Australia’

Michael Koziol - November 7, 2025

Washington: The Pentagon says its review of the AUKUS pact with Australia is in its final stages, but it now agrees the agreement will bring “significant benefit” for US strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Confirmation that the War Department’s policy unit supports the deal came in a congressional hearing where Republican senators once again expressed frustrations about the secrecy surrounding the AUKUS review, and other defence matters concerning United States allies.

Alexander Velez-Green, the senior adviser to war undersecretary Elbridge Colby, said the review was “in its final stages” and had been a useful exercise in trying to make the AUKUS agreement successful, in line with President Donald Trump’s priorities.

“Part of that was taking into account the submarine industrial base, production timelines, capacity issues ... [which] continue to be a challenge,” Velez-Green told the Senate on Thursday (Friday AEDT).

“We did get, I think, additional insight into the state of things and where we are going on the production issue, on other aspects … all with the goal of making this as strong and enduring as possible.

“It is our view – consistent with what the president said with Prime Minister [Anthony] Albanese recently – that it is in our interest for this to work. We do gain significant benefit from it.”

Those remarks represent the strongest public endorsement of AUKUS to date from officials inside the Pentagon team that conducted the review.

Colby and Velez-Green have been leading the inquiry, and Pentagon officials raised numerous concerns about how Australia would position and use the nuclear-powered submarines it acquired under AUKUS, especially in the event of a conflict with China.

Trump said the deal was “full steam ahead” when he met with Albanese last month, although Navy Secretary John Phelan said some “ambiguity” remained about parts of the deal, and Albanese later acknowledged there would be changes but would not say what they were.

Australia is due to pay another $US1 billion ($1.5 billion) towards the US submarine industrial base before the end of this year to improve the production rate, which has lagged at about 1.2 boats a year. Experts say it must increase to about two boats a year for the US to be in a position to fulfil its AUKUS commitments.

Australia’s first submarine chief, Vice Admiral Jonathan Mead, has announced he will retire from the Australian Submarine Agency in the middle of 2026, meaning the Albanese government must appoint a new commander to the high-stakes job before the first US nuclear-powered submarine is due to be dispatched to Western Australia some time in 2027.

Velez-Green, who has been nominated to be Colby’s deputy, was being questioned by Mississippi Republican senator Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who complained that he was not consulted about the lengthy AUKUS review, “which upset out friends in Australia and cast doubt on whether we were committed to this agreement”.

The hearing came two days after Wicker and other Republican senators vented frustration with the Pentagon policy unit over decisions on AUKUS, and other matters, which they said were at odds with Trump’s priorities.

However, others defended Colby and the Pentagon policy team from “anonymous and misleading” criticism. Missouri Republican senator Eric Schmitt said the resistance to Colby was coming from people invested in “maintaining a foreign policy status quo that has repeatedly failed the American people”.

Evan Montgomery, the vice president of research and studies at the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, said he was confident the nuclear-powered submarines would be delivered because the pact was so important for the broader strategic alliance between the US and Australia.

“It’s hard for me to imagine a situation in which the US does not actually provide those Virginia-Class [boats] to Australia roughly on the timeline we are expecting,” he said after an event at the Cato Institute in Washington about defending Taiwan. “It would be so disruptive to all these other co-operative endeavours that are underway for AUKUS to falter.”

Montgomery said even if Australia was reluctant to use the nuclear-powered submarines in the early stages of a conflict in the Taiwan Strait or South China Sea, having that capability “may give Australia more confidence to lean in early and forcefully on the side of the United States in ways that may be just as valuable, or more valuable, in the early stages of a conflict”.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/pentagon-backs-aukus-amid-criticism-its-review-has-upset-australia-20251107-p5n8f4.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23828077 (080735ZNOV25) Notable: Video: Police blunder allows neo-Nazi anti Jewish lobby rally outside NSW Parliament – A police-approved neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW parliament has drawn outrage from Jewish leaders and politicians, after extremist activists from the National Socialist Network staged a seven minute protest targeting the “Jewish lobby.” Footage showed members dressed in black chanting anti Jewish conspiracy lines and displaying a banner reading “Abolish the Jewish Lobby.” NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon admitted a “breakdown in communication” after officers approved a Form 1 request without briefing the government. Premier Chris Minns condemned the protesters as “pissants” and said the rally should never have occurred. Jewish community leaders warned unchecked hate risks becoming normalised, urging stronger laws and tools to combat extremism and protect social cohesion. Police are investigating potential offences.

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Police blunder allows neo-Nazi ‘anti-Jewish lobby’ rally outside NSW Parliament

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - 8 November 2025

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Australia’s Jewish leaders have lashed a police-approved neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW parliament as a shameful act of hate, warning that unchecked “evil” will become normalised.

A large group of extremist neo-Nazi activists have protested against the “influence of the Jewish lobby” on Australian politics in a rally on Saturday morning, in a move blasted as “despicable” by Premier Chris Minns.

Shocking footage has emerged of National Social Network members, all dressed in black, with a large banner that states “Abolish the Jewish Lobby” in a protest that was approved by police during a “breakdown in communication”.

The extremist group could be heard saying: “The Jewish lobby is one of the most powerful lobbies in Australia. They bribe our politicians, they coerce our politicians.”

A Hitler slogan was also chanted by the group at the end of the speech.

The protest reportedly lasted around seven minutes after police gave it the green light – with both the NSW Police Commissioner and Premier unaware it was taking place.

Commissioner Mal Lanyon said there had been a “break down in communication” and the government had not been briefed on the protest despite police approving a Form 1 application from the White Australia group which was received on October 28.

“They indicated that approximately 50 people would be attending that protest,” he said during a press conference.

“The purpose for conducting the protest was said to be the protest against the Jewish lobby groups but also the current hate speech laws.

“The government had not been briefed on this process. I take it very personally, there was a communication error in the police force for which I did not personally know that today’s protest was taking place.

“Accordingly, I had not briefed the Minister of Police.”

Mr Minns called the protesters “pissants” and said it was “of course, concerning” that the rally was approved to go ahead.

“If we had our time again, that rally wouldn’t have taken place,” Mr Minns said.

“It’s obviously shameful that these people feel that they have the right to demonstrate it’s such a despicable way, spewing division and racism on the streets of Sydney.

“We need to send a clear and unambiguous message that kind of behaviour will not be tolerated and the truth of the matter is if you give these racists an inch, they’re going to take a mile.”

The premier promised a review of the protest and teased the possibility of new laws, but failed to answer why existing laws against incitement of racial hatred had not stopped the event.

“We have been locked in discussions most of the day with the senior lawyers inside the government,” Mr Minns said.

“They believe that there is room to move in relation to protecting public harmony further than what we’ve currently constituted.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23831522 (090805ZNOV25) Notable: Hizb ut Tahrir’s Sydney conference sparks terror listing pressure – Hizb ut Tahrir, an Islamist political movement that rejects democracy and advocates the establishment of a transnational caliphate, plans to hold a national conference in Bankstown on November 23, triggering warnings from the Minns government that “hate speech has no place in NSW” and intensified pressure to list the group as a terror organisation. The event follows ASIO chief Mike Burgess’ accusation that Hizb ut Tahrir’s “provocative behaviour, offensive rhetoric and insidious strategy” mirror neo Nazi tactics. Federal and NSW opposition figures say the conference risks inflaming tensions, urging the Albanese government to intervene. Jewish community leaders expressed alarm that the group can openly advertise such a gathering, calling it a sign of growing extremist confidence in Australia.

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Hizb ut-Tahrir’s Sydney conference sparks terror listing pressure

Security chiefs and political leaders have united to condemn a planned Sydney conference by Hizb ut-Tahrir, which was recently banned in Britain as a terror group.

Derrick Krusche - November 9, 2025

Islamic fundamentalist organisation Hizb ut-Tahrir, which the Albanese government is under pressure to list as a terror group, is planning to host a national conference in Sydney this month, sparking a warning from the Minns state government that “hate speech has no place in NSW”.

The event, to be held at The Highline Venue function centre in Bankstown on November 23, is being promoted with messages such as “Islam – the change the world desperately needs” and “Gaza has exposed the moral decay of the global order, the world now stands at a breaking point, demanding a new system rooted in justice”.

It comes just days after ASIO director-general Mike Burgess singled out Hizb ut-Tahrir in a speech, likening its tactics in Australia with neo-Nazis, and blasting what he says is its “provocative behaviour, offensive rhetoric and insidious strategy”.

Last year, the UK banned Hizb ut-Tahrir as a terror group after its supporters allegedly chanted “jihad” at a rally.

The British government said the group “actively promoted and encouraged terrorism”, and described the killing of Jewish tourists as an “example of what should be done towards Jews”.

At a rally linked to the group in Bankstown last month, sheik Ibrahim Dadoun said: “You here today are thorns in the throat of Zionist sympathisers”.

A spokeswoman for Premier Chris Minns’s government said authorities would act if there was any promotion of violence at the event. “Hate speech has no place in NSW – it is unacceptable, it is unlawful and it will be met with the full force of the law,” she said.

Federal Opposition home affairs spokesman Jonno Duniam, who wants Hizb ut-Tahrir to be listed as a terror group, said the conference would divide people.

“Hizb ut-Tahrir is an anti-Semitic organisation that promotes and encourages terrorism.

“This conference will no doubt encourage even more division and hatred that we have seen spiral out of control under the Albanese Labor government,” Mr Duniam said.

NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman backed in Mr Burgess’s words.

“If our intelligence chief is warning that Hizb ut-Tahrir behave like neo-Nazis, then governments need to intervene to stop NSW and Australia being platforms for hate,” he said.

“This is a matter for leadership, not hesitation.”

State opposition police and counter terrorism spokesman Paul Toole said the conference should not be going ahead.

“Hizb-Tahrir has a long history of pushing extremist views that not only divide our communities but also undermine social cohesion,” he said.

“At a time when tensions are already high, the last thing we need is a platform for this provocative and inflammatory rhetoric.

“The Albanese government should step in right now, stop turning a blind eye to this, grow a spine and stop this event from taking place before more harm is done. Australians are fed up with this behaviour and deserve a government that takes this seriously.”

NSW Liberal MP Mark Coure said: “Letting Hizb ut-Tahrir gather under the banner of extremism sends the wrong message to families who just want peace, safety and a future for their kids.”

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory said he was worried.

“The fact that Hizb ut-Tahrir feels comfortable openly advertising and holding a major conference in Western Sydney should concern all Australians – what kind of venue would agree to host such an event, and who would choose to attend?”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hizb-uttahrirs-sydney-conference-sparks-terror-listing-pressure/news-story/86225c60f0d9dfa3d7363297b89f7803

https://qresear.ch/?q=Hizb+ut-Tahrir

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23835051 (100802ZNOV25) Notable: Plans for army’s 7bn infantry fighting vehicles exposed in Iran linked cyber attack – Pro Hamas hacking group Cyber Toufan, widely suspected of being an Iranian state proxy, has stolen classified plans for Australia’s 7bn Redback infantry fighting vehicles in a mass breach of Israeli defence companies. Posted online were 3D renderings and technical data for Elbit Systems’ weapons turrets – including Australian designed EOS components – after the hackers infiltrated supply chain firm MAYA Technologies and spent more than a year recording internal systems. The leak also exposed details of Elbit’s helmet display and the Spike NLOS missile under ADF consideration. CyberCX warned the incident highlights escalating global cyber risks to AUKUS era projects. Defence and Hanwha declined comment as ASD and ASIO continue warning that foreign services are actively targeting Australia’s key military programs.

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Plans for army’s $7bn infantry fighting vehicles exposed in Iran-linked cyber attack

BEN PACKHAM - 9 November 2025

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Classified plans for Australia’s new $7bn infantry fighting vehicles have been stolen by pro-Hamas hackers in a massive cyber attack on Israeli arms companies.

The Cyber Toufan hacking group – believed to be linked to the Iranian state – posted 3D renderings and technical details of the army’s next-generation Redback vehicle, which will be fitted with hi-tech weapons turrets supplied by Israel’s Elbit Systems.

The group claims to have obtained confidential data from 17 Israeli defence companies after gaining entry to supply chain firm MAYA Technologies through its security cameras more than a year ago.

It started publishing confidential details of 36 Israeli military projects on its Telegram social media channel on October 22, declaring it had “infiltrated the heart of Israel’s defence engineering operations”.

The Elbit turrets incorporate advanced sensors and remote weapons systems designed by Australian defence company EOS, as well as its own 30mm cannon and Iron Fist protection system.

The data breach also exposed plans for an Elbit helmet-mounted display system similar to one used on the Redback, as well as the Spike NLOS anti-tank missile being considered for purchase by the Australian Defence Force.

It’s unclear how much information was stolen and whether it could be used to develop countermeasures for the Redback’s weapons and defensive technology.

There are also concerns Israel’s world-leading military capabilities could be reverse-engineered from the stolen data.

The Australian Army will get 127 of the tank-like Redback vehicles, designed by South Korea’s Hanwha Defence, for about $7bn. The Elbit turrets will be supplied under a contract worth about $920m.

The breach underscores the threat to Australia’s most critical military projects, including the AUKUS submarine program, from cyber attacks on supply chain companies.

In an unverified claim, Cyber Toufan said it had compromised Elbit’s systems and those of fellow Israeli defence giant Rafael following the initial MAYA breach.

“Through the systems, we have breached Elbit and Rafael’s through then (sic). Their phones, printers, routers and cameras as well,” the group said.

“We have recorded your meetings with sound and video for over a year. This is just the beginning with Maya!”

Leading Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX said the incident was still evolving.

“We don’t yet know the impact – if any – to ADF platforms,” CyberCX executive director of cyber intelligence Katherine Mansted said.

“However, this would not be the first time that we have seen Iran-backed hacking groups compromise Israeli companies, causing harm to their customers in Australia.

“This is part of a broader trend. Conflicts in geographically distant parts of the world – from Russia-Ukraine to the Middle East – are amping up cyber threats to Australian organisations. Countries involved in these conflicts, notably Russia and Iran, are largely indifferent to cyber collateral damage.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23835108 (100820ZNOV25) Notable: Wurundjeri file native title claim over most of Greater Melbourne – The Wurundjeri people have lodged a 10,420 sq km native title claim covering most of Greater Melbourne, from Werribee River to Mount Baw Baw and including the Macedon Ranges, Yarra Valley and Port Phillip Bay. The bid, overlapping with the Boonwurrung claim, comes as Victoria prepares to sign its first statewide treaty. While freehold property rights are unaffected, the claim could expand Wurundjeri influence over parks, waterways and cultural sites, including fire-management practices in the Dandenongs and Great Dividing Range. Elders say they turned to native title after losing confidence in the state-based regime, seeking recognition of their traditional laws and an “intrinsic connection” to the Birrarung. The Tribunal will assess the claim as more Victorian groups prepare similar bids.

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Wurundjeri file native title claim over most of Greater Melbourne

Chip Le Grand - November 10, 2025

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The Wurundjeri people have lodged a native title claim over most of Greater Melbourne in documents filed with the Federal Court, more than 30 years after the landmark Mabo decision.

The 10,420-square-kilometre claim, which stretches from the Werribee River in the west to the base of Mount Baw Baw in the east and takes in the Macedon Ranges, the Yarra Valley and the top of Port Phillip Bay, follows successful native title claims by First Peoples over Adelaide and Perth.

It will bring to a head a long-running territorial dispute between Wurundjeri Woiwurrung and the neighbouring Boonwurrung people, whose unresolved native title bid overlaps significantly with land and waterways the Wurundjeri claim as theirs.

The lodgement of the claim, which brings to seven the number of native title applications before the Federal Court in Victoria, comes as Premier Jacinta Allan and the First Peoples’ Assembly prepare to sign the state’s first treaty agreement with its Aboriginal people.

The claim won’t have any impact on the rights of property owners in Melbourne, but could give Wurundjeri people greater influence over land and water use and the protection of culturally significant sites. This might include the use of traditional, wildfire prevention practices in the Dandenong Ranges and swaths of the Great Dividing Range.

A formal signing of the Victorian treaty is scheduled for Wednesday evening on the banks of the Yarra and will be followed the next morning by the legislation receiving royal assent from Governor Margaret Gardner at a closed meeting at Government House. A public event to celebrate the treaty is planned at Federation Square on December 12.

Although the Wurundjeri claim is not connected to the historic statewide treaty, it is part of a push by traditional owner groups across the state to consolidate their land rights through native title before they enter into their own treaty negotiations with the government.

An Aboriginal leader not authorised to speak about the Wurundjeri claim said it also signalled that First Peoples in Victoria had lost faith in the Traditional Owner Settlement Act, a state-based regime established by the Brumby government as an alternative to the federal native title system to secure their rights.

The Labor-aligned law firm acting for Wurundjeri, Slater and Gordon, expects the claim, if registered by the Native Title Tribunal, will be resolved through mediation with neighbouring Aboriginal groups and a negotiated settlement with the Victorian government rather that contested litigation.

Wurundjeri elder Uncle Perry Wandin, whose father Jim was recorded as the last Aboriginal person born at the site of the Coranderrk Aboriginal reserve secured by renowned Wurundjeri leader William Barak, said his mob had resorted to native title after becoming disillusioned at the way land rights were divvied up under the state regime.

“I have watched us lose the land we had, with every claim group trying to take parts of our country,” he said. “It is now time for the traditional lore and customs of the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people to be recognised.”

Fellow claimant and Wurundjeri elder Uncle Bill Nicholson said that securing greater rights over the management of the Yarra River, known in Woiwurrung language as Birrarung, was central to the Wurundjeri claim.

“Part of our sovereign inheritance, handed down from our ancestors, is to care for Country, community and culture,” he said. “The Birrarung, all its catchments and all the land associated with it, is part of that inheritance.

“If we get native title over the Birrarung and the Maribyrnong as well, our voice and understanding of what caring for Country is all about will hopefully be listened to.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23835140 (100834ZNOV25) Notable: The avowed Nazi who signed protest application letter to police commissioner – NSW Police are facing scrutiny after a four-page Form 1 application for an anti-Jewish rally — signed by 28-year-old neo-Nazi Jack Eltis — was approved without escalation to senior command. Eltis, the NSW leader of the National Socialist Network and public advocate for deporting “every last non-white”, lodged the application under the “White Australia” brand, signalling its push for political registration. Despite his documented extremist rhetoric, local police cleared the “Abolish the Jewish Lobby” rally, later described by ASIO chief Mike Burgess as part of a growing threat of propaganda capable of prompting spontaneous violence. Commissioner Mal Lanyon only learned of the event after media inquiries. Officers are now reviewing whether the rally’s Hitler-linked chants and conspiratorial claims breached new laws against public incitement of racial hatred, amid broader concerns about internal communication failures.

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>>122489

>>122494

>>122502

The avowed Nazi who signed protest application letter to police commissioner

Patrick Begley and Riley Walter - November 10, 2025

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A four-page letter addressed to Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon outlining plans for an anti-Jewish rally outside parliament was signed by an avowed racist and neo-Nazi, according to a copy of the Form 1 application seen by the Herald.

The history of public antisemitism and racism by 28-year-old Jack Eltis – the NSW leader of the National Socialist Network who last month called to deport “every last non-white” from Australia – raises questions as to why the protest plans were never flagged with senior police or politicians.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director-general Mike Burgess last week warned of an increasing likelihood that the NSN’s propaganda would “prompt spontaneous violence”. Two months ago, NSW Police assured the public that the NSN was being “constantly monitored” by officers from the engagement and hate crime unit, the state intelligence group and the counter-terrorism command.

Eltis signed his Form 1 letter on behalf of White Australia, a brand increasingly used by the NSN as it plans to register as a political party.

Outlining the proposed slogan “Abolish the Jewish Lobby”, Eltis said the event would focus on free speech issues, including new laws around protests and incitement of racial hatred. He cited a High Court case and legislation, promising the rally would not violate anti-discrimination laws, as it would not target “Jewish people as an ethnic or religious community”.

“We look forward to a safe and impactful event,” he wrote.

But the polite, deferential tone adopted in the letter was a far cry from Eltis’ public record of hateful rhetoric and the tenor of the rally itself, which “criticised Jews’ position at the head of [the] table”, promoted a highly offensive conspiracy theory and contained Hitler Youth chants, including “blood and honour”, which is banned under German law because of its connection to the Nazi party.

Lanyon was not made aware of the protest until after the Herald sent questions to NSW Police about the demonstration. He told a press conference that afternoon that, as a result of the “communication error”, he had not briefed Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley.

The rally had not been opposed by the Sydney City local area command, which had sought legal advice on the proposed “Abolish the Jewish lobby” banner, and Minns has suggested the government may seek to pass new laws. According to the legal advice given to police, the wording used on the banner did not constitute an offence, and there were no legal grounds upon which to oppose the demonstration.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23835180 (100851ZNOV25) Notable: ‘Poison Pill’ AUKUS sceptics rolled inside Pentagon, says Kurt Campbell – Former US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell says Pentagon officials who tried to derail AUKUS have been “rolled”, with the ongoing review now expected to endorse the pact with only minor adjustments. He said Undersecretary of Defence Elbridge Colby mishandled the review and sowed uncertainty until Donald Trump forcefully reaffirmed support for AUKUS during talks with Anthony Albanese. Campbell described “strategic disarray” inside the Pentagon amid purges and resignations, but said Australian lobbying by Richard Marles and Kevin Rudd helped neutralise internal opposition. He argued Colby’s approach had “hurt him politically” and that key policy ideas – restricting Ukraine arms, cutting AUKUS – had been “snipped at the bud”. Campbell said negative media coverage overlooked “remarkable progress” on AUKUS over the past five years.

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‘Poison Pill’ AUKUS sceptics rolled inside Pentagon, says Kurt Campbell

CAMERON STEWART - 10 November 2025

“Poison pill” officials in the Pentagon who were sceptical of AUKUS have been rolled and the current review of the nuclear submarine pact is likely to back it with only minor changes, according to former US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell.

Dr Campbell said he believed Undersecretary of Defence Elbridge Colby had mishandled the Pentagon’s AUKUS review and had undermined confidence until Donald Trump strongly affirmed his support for the pact in his recent meeting with Anthony Albanese.

Dr Campbell, now chairman of The Asia Group, said there were signs of “strategic disarray” within the Pentagon, which has been hit by purges, resignations, media restrictions and upheaval under Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

But he said the apparent scepticism of some senior Pentagon officials to AUKUS had been overcome, in part, by successful lobbying by Australia.

“I think there were one or two people in the Defence Department that had basically placed what we would call a poison pill in some of the work that was ongoing,” Dr Campbell told The Australian after appearing at the UBS Australasia Conference in Sydney.

“But I think through the good work of Deputy Prime Minister (Richard) Marles, Kevin Rudd, many, many others, a lot of that had been disarmed, and you saw the President reaffirm AUKUS in very positive tones and terms.”

Mr Trump strongly backed the AUKUS pact in his meeting with Mr Albanese in Washington last month ahead of the findings of a review into AUKUS commissioned by Mr Colby, who was once an AUKUS sceptic. Mr Colby’s decision in June to call for a review of AUKUS was played down by the US at the time as being standard behaviour for a new administration. But it unnerved Australia and the UK.

“I don’t think this has been a particularly successful endeavour for ‘Bridge’ Colby. I think this has hurt him politically badly,” Dr Campbell said. “I think it has undermined confidence. And, you know, allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific basically share a view of concern about how he’s approached elements of his job.

“But I can’t imagine, after the President has held forth with such positive reviews, that there’s going to be anything significant that (the review) will do.”

Mr Colby, the third-most powerful civilian Pentagon official, has been accused of freelancing on defence policy without the President’s backing, including when Mr Trump overruled Mr Colby earlier this year on the question of weapons sales to Ukraine.

“Certain elements of capacity in the Pentagon had been undeniably affected. I think some of the stuff that had been anticipated in the policy shop run by ‘Bridge’ Colby, you know, restricting arms to Ukraine, perhaps cutting off AUKUS, and a variety of other initiatives, appear to have been snipped at the bud. But I think (there are) some signs of strategic disarray,” Dr Campbell said. “The hope is that the Pentagon, which is a key institutional player in the Indo-Pacific and in the US-Australia relationship, maintains forward momentum.”

Republicans used a recent congressional hearing to express frustration over the secrecy of the AUKUS review, which was commissioned in June but the findings of which have still not been released.

Dr Campbell said he believed media coverage of AUKUS was too negative compared with the reality of the progress made so far.

“It is amazing how negative most of the stories are (and) I think what is often lost is the remarkable progress that it’s made in five years, and it really is quite significant, and I expect this to proceed,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/poison-pill-aukus-sceptics-rolled-inside-pentagon-says-kurt-campbell/news-story/b42bc256a26eb9a48e2ce397eae4eb1b

https://qresear.ch/?q=Kurt+Campbell

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23839301 (110826ZNOV25) Notable: NSW reveals new laws to stop protests outside places of worship - NSW will reintroduce protest laws allowing police to move on demonstrators who harass, block or intimidate people entering or leaving places of worship, after the previous version was struck down in a Supreme Court challenge led by Palestine Action Group organiser Josh Lees. The revised bill ties police powers directly to Crimes Act offences and is part of a broader response to a neo-Nazi rally outside parliament that Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley say they were not told about. Minns will also seek to scrap a sunset clause on hate speech laws, arguing “Nazis are not welcome in NSW”. The government is examining bans on Nazi slogans and behaviour, while the opposition proposes limits on protest frequency and cost burdens.

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NSW reveals new laws to stop protests outside places of worship

LACHLAN LEEMING - 11 November 2025

Fresh legislation enabling police to move on protesters harassing or obstructing visitors to places of worship will be reintroduced by the NSW government, after their initial attempt was struck down by a Supreme Court challenge headed by Palestine Action Group ­agitator Josh Lees.

The change is one of a slew of legal moves being taken as the state government reels from a neo-Nazi rally outside NSW parliament at the weekend, with Premier Chris Minns and Police Minister Yasmin Catley on Tuesday insisting their offices had no prior knowledge of the gathering.

The government will now try to thread a legal needle after the Supreme Court last month ruled out a previous bid to introduce powers enabling police to move on protesters outside places of worship.

The fresh legislation, first revealed by The Australia, has been rejigged with a caveat that protesters who harass, block or intimidate worshippers entering or leaving churches, synagogues, mosques or temples can now be moved on.

The new law narrows police dispersal powers, directly linking them to offences under the Crimes Act that prohibit blocking, impeding, hindering or intimidating a person attempting to access or leave a place of worship.

Mr Minns also announced his government would attempt to remove a sunset clause added to previous hate speech laws, which would have extinguished the legislation within three years.

“Does anyone believe that anti-Semitism will stop in 2½ years’ time? This sunset clause should never have been included in the bill; we’re going to attempt to remove it,” he told parliament.

“We will be asking for the house’s bipartisan (and) multi-partisan support in order to send a clear and unambiguous message: Nazis are not welcome in NSW.”

NSW Attorney-General Michael Daley, who will introduce the new protest laws to parliament next week, said the fresh legislation would ensure “the NSW Police Force retains appropriate move-on powers”.

“This change strikes the right balance between protecting the community and the right to protest,” he told The Australian.

The legal tightrope comes after the Supreme Court in October struck down amendments to protest legislation being pushed by the NSW government as part of a suite of hate speech laws.

Mr Lees brought the challenge, with his lawyers successfully ­arguing that powers allowing police to disperse protesters near places of worship “impermissibly burdens the constitutionally ­implied freedom of political communication”.

The Palestine Action Group organiser has led almost weekly protests around Sydney since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, with the 43-year-old heading at least 85 rallies, which are estimated to have cost more than $10m and tied up at least 20,000 NSW police officers.

These protests included the August march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which was unsuccessfully challenged in the NSW Supreme Court by NSW police on the grounds it would cause significant disruption to the city.

The NSW government is also investigating legislation emulating a German law forbidding Nazi slogans being used in public – after members of the National Socialist Network chanted the Hitler Youth phrase “blood and honour’’ at NSW parliament on Saturday.

Behaviour consistent with Nazi groups would also be outlawed, which could target attire worn in public.

The NSW opposition also announced on Tuesday that it would move its own slew of legislation, including that specific groups would be allowed three protests a year before having to pay for the police resources they suck up.

The opposition would also force courts deliberating whether a protest should go ahead to consider impacts including the cost to taxpayers, the frequency of protests by the same group, and whether there were less disruptive routes available.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/nsw-reveals-new-laws-to-stop-protests-outside-places-of-worship/news-story/7c29ed6dc58e35685091bef6b3ba4a61

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23839306 (110835ZNOV25) Notable: Brittany Higgins likely to be declared bankrupt over Linda Reynolds’ defamation case - Brittany Higgins is expected to be declared bankrupt after former senator Linda Reynolds filed a creditors’ petition seeking a sequestration order to place Higgins’ financial affairs under a trustee. It follows August’s defamation ruling, where Justice Paul Tottle found Higgins had made “objectively untrue and misleading statements” and ordered her to pay Reynolds $340,000 in damages plus about 80 percent of legal costs, bringing her total liability to well over $1m. The trustee will gain full access to Higgins’ financial records, including the “protective trust” holding proceeds of her $2.4m Commonwealth payout, and may require her passport if she is deemed a flight risk. Higgins, who reportedly spent more than $600,000 on her defence, is not expected to appear. Her husband, David Sharaz, faces a similar action next month.

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Brittany Higgins likely to be declared bankrupt over Linda Reynolds’ defamation case

STEPHEN RICE - 10 November 2025

Brittany Higgins is likely to be declared bankrupt in the Federal Court on Tuesday, less than three months after she was ordered to pay former senator Linda Rey­nolds well over $1m in defamation damages and legal expenses.

Ms Reynolds filed a creditors petition against Ms Higgins and her lawyers will ask judge Craig Colvin for a sequestration order that allows a trustee in bankruptcy to take control of her property and financial affairs.

The move takes the former Liberal minister one step closer to discovering whether Ms Higgins retains any of the $2.4m compensation payout she was awarded by the Commonwealth in 2022 after claiming mistreatment and a political cover-up by her former boss.

It is understood Ms Higgins will not be making an appearance in the Perth court, and may not oppose the order. However, if she has no legal representation, Justice Colvin may elect to defer a decision to allow her to reconsider, as bankruptcy has serious consequences and cannot be easily unwound.

The next step will be for the court to appoint a trustee in bankruptcy, who will immediately take control of Ms Higgins’s financial affairs. Ms Reynolds will then become a creditor of the estate. The trustee in bankruptcy will require information from Ms Higgins about every aspect of her financial affairs, including access to the “protective trust” that held the proceeds of her compensation payment.

If Ms Higgins is considered a flight risk, the trustee may require her to hand over her passport. People who declared bankrupt are generally not permitted to travel outside the country without the consent of the trustee.

Ms Higgins’s husband, David Sharaz, also pursued in bankruptcy by Ms Reynolds, will face a similar hearing on December 16.

West Australian Supreme Court judge Paul Tottle in August found Ms Higgins had defamed Ms Reynolds through a series of social media posts, awarding the one-time defence minister $340,000 in damages and interest.

That figure was dwarfed by Justice Tottle’s subsequent costs order, which found Ms Higgins liable for 80 per cent of Ms Rey­nolds’s legal costs. That alone is estimated at around $1.5m.

Justice Tottle ruled that an early settlement offer by Ms Higgins – tabled four days before the trial was to begin – could not be considered reasonable.

The offer included a “mutual statement of regret” that would have led to Ms Reynolds acknowledging Ms Higgins believed she was not given appropriate support after being allegedly raped in Parliament House.

Justice Tottle found the mutual statement “fell short of an apology by a substantial margin”.

He found Ms Higgins had made “objectively untrue and misleading statements” when she first went public with her allegations that Ms Reynolds had engaged in a cover-up of her alleged rape.

Ms Higgins dropped an appeal against the judgment three weeks ago. She has reportedly spent more than $600,000 on her own legal team during her unsuccessful defence against Ms Reynolds’s defamation claim.

Bankruptcy declarations by Ms Higgins and Mr Sharaz could open a path for Ms Reynolds to ­secure a portion of their ­future earnings.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/brittany-higgins-likely-to-be-declared-bankrupt-over-linda-reynolds-defamation-case/news-story/8bba1094f8439820a38e2d38b905fbe7

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23843517 (120859ZNOV25) Notable: Far-right figure who visited ‘motherland’ Germany is close to forming national party - The neo-Nazi organiser of Saturday’s anti-Jewish rally, 28-year-old Jack Eltis, has travelled to Germany – which he called “the motherland” – to meet far-right groups as part of the National Socialist Network’s push to register a political party and run candidates federally and in NSW. NSW Police intelligence officers knew of the rally in advance, but Deputy Commissioner David Hudson, who oversees counter-terrorism, was not briefed, deepening scrutiny of police handling after Commissioner Mal Lanyon was also kept in the dark. About 60 NSN members gathered outside parliament chanting extremist slogans. Eltis says the party is “90 per cent” formed and aims for mass deportations. ASIO warns the NSN’s rhetoric is increasingly violent and risks “spontaneous violence”. The Minns government is now moving to tighten hate-speech and protest laws.

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Far-right figure who visited ‘motherland’ Germany is close to forming national party

Jordan Baker - November 12, 2025

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The neo-Nazi organiser of an anti-Jewish rally in Sydney went on a study tour to Germany, which he referred to as “the motherland”, to meet a far-right group as part of the National Socialist Network’s push to register as a political party and run for seats in Australia’s state and federal parliaments.

Amid growing fallout from Saturday’s police-approved rally outside the NSW Parliament, the Herald can also reveal intelligence officers knew about the gathering in advance, but Deputy Commissioner David Hudson, who oversees counter-terrorism and has been the force’s public face of the fight against antisemitism, was not briefed.

The revelation raises further questions of NSW Police’s handling of the saga after it emerged that another of the force’s deputy commissioners, Peter Thurtell, was briefed before the protest but did not relay the information to newly installed Commissioner Mal Lanyon.

Police investigations into Saturday’s rally are ongoing to determine if any offences were committed.

Thurtell, who oversees NSW Police’s metropolitan field operations, said he did not inform Lanyon of the rally in an “oversight” and has since apologised. In September, he told budget estimates the group was of “such concern” to police that counter-terrorism police and intelligence officers were “constantly monitoring” its activities.

NSW Police said counter-terrorism officers had prepared a briefing for the local police area command, which had oversight of the rally. Officers from the public order and riot squad, which Hudson also oversees, attended the gathering.

About 60 black-clad NSN members gathered outside NSW Parliament to call for the abolishment of Jewish lobby groups and protest against newly introduced hate speech legislation, triggering a political firestorm.

NSW Premier Chris Minns declared the protest should not have gone ahead, but Lanyon has argued existing laws may not have been strong enough to block it – a claim disputed by several legal experts.

With Thomas Sewell, the NSN’s national leader, in jail, Jack Eltis – a 28-year-old Sydney air-conditioner mechanic – has risen to second-in-command of the National Socialist Network, as well as leader of its NSW branch.

In June, Eltis said he went to Germany on a “combined business and personal” trip. He met with another nationalist organisation, JN, or Jung Nationalist. In a social media post sighted by this masthead and headed “shoutout to the motherland”, he said he was planning to return to Europe, “our ancestral lands”, to meet with other far-right organisations.

Minns on Saturday said he had struggled with giving the NSN the attention its members craved but said it was important to condemn the ugly scenes. ASIO director-general Mike Burgess has also warned that the NSN celebrates even the most critical coverage because it leads to a surge in membership applications.

The Herald and The Age have chosen not to repeat several of Eltis’ claims, but have published some information about his activities that are relevant to the political debate over Saturday’s protests and the ambitions of the NSN.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23843541 (120915ZNOV25) Notable: Russia loses High Court battle with Commonwealth over Canberra embassy site, but will be compensated - Russia has lost its High Court challenge to the 2023 law that revoked its lease on a prime embassy site in Canberra, with the court ruling the Albanese government acted lawfully on national security grounds. The lease, granted in 2008 for nearly $3 million, was cancelled after ASIO warned the planned embassy posed a potential security threat, prompting emergency legislation and a diplomatic row. Although the law was upheld, the court found Russia is entitled to compensation for works already completed. The National Capital Authority had earlier tried to revoke the stalled project after years of inaction, and a Russian official briefly occupied the site in protest. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said Australia “will always stand up for our national security”. The future of the site is undecided.

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Russia loses High Court battle with Commonwealth over Canberra embassy site, but will be compensated

Elizabeth Byrne - 12 November 2025

Russia has lost its battle with the federal government over a site for a new embassy in Canberra but the Commonwealth will have to compensate the federation for revoking the lease on the site.

The lease was granted to Russia in 2008, but was withdrawn when parliament passed a new law in 2023, citing advice from ASIO that the planned embassy could pose a threat to national security.

Lawyers for Russia argued the law was invalid because it was not supported by the constitution, and the act did not state the reason for the termination.

Today, the High Court found the new law was valid, but Russia was entitled to compensation.

National security threat

In 2008, Russia was granted a lease on the land after paying a one-off premium of nearly $3 million.

Russia wanted a new embassy to replace the crumbling buildings it had occupied for decades at a site just down the road.

The new block was in a prime position in what is known as the dress circle of embassies around Parliament House.

But no real work was started for a long time.

Russia cited a dispute with a builder and COVID-19 as impediments to getting the project off the ground.

In the end, the National Capital Authority (NCA) stepped in, trying to revoke the lease.

That generated a tricky diplomatic situation, and court action.

Ultimately, Russia won its challenge in the Federal Court.

But it all ended when parliament rushed through a law revoking the lease.

At the time, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there had been advice from security agencies that the siting of the embassy was potentially a national security threat.

It was that act that prompted the High Court challenge, with lawyers for Russia arguing the law was unconstitutional.

But the Commonwealth said there was support to make such a law within the constitution, especially in the circumstances.

Russia also argued if it lost the High Court case, it should be entitled to compensation.

Russia had done some site works and there was one building on the site at the time of the law passing.

In 2023, after the law was passed, one Russian embassy member refused to leave for some time, taking up residence on the site, to prevent Australian authorities from moving in.

In a statement, Attorney-General Michelle Rowland re-emphasised the government's position.

"Australia will always stand up for our values and we will stand up for our national security," Ms Rowland said.

"The government welcomes the High Court's decision that found the government acted lawfully in terminating the Russian Embassy's lease.

"The government will closely consider the next steps in light of the court's decision."

The Russian Embassy in Australia said it was studying the judgment.

"The Russian side will carefully study the text of the court ruling, which sets a precedent," an embassy official said in a statement.

The future use of the site is unclear with the NCA saying it was a matter for government.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-12/russia-loses-high-court-battle-over-canberra-embassy-site/105999328

https://www.hcourt.gov.au/cases-and-judgments/judgments/judgments-1998-current/government-russian-federation-v-commonwealth-australia-0

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23847817 (130930ZNOV25) Notable: ‘The photo of Andrew and Giuffre was real,’ Epstein emails suggest - Newly released US House Oversight Committee emails appear to contradict Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s claim that the photograph of him with 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre may have been faked. In a 2011 message to journalist Michael Wolff, Jeffrey Epstein allegedly wrote: “Yes she was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew,” shortly after Giuffre’s identity became public. Other emails show Andrew privately telling Epstein “I can’t take any more of this my end” as the scandal intensified. The tranche, subpoenaed from the Epstein estate, also includes Epstein claiming Giuffre “spent several hours” with Donald Trump, prompting the White House to accuse Democrats of pushing a contrived narrative. Further exchanges show Epstein, Maxwell and Andrew coordinating media strategy, while Epstein thanks Lord Mandelson, the former UK ambassador to the US, for advice on distancing himself from the prince.

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‘The photo of Andrew and Giuffre was real,’ Epstein emails suggest

Emails show Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor telling Jeffrey Epstein he ‘can’t take any more of this’ as the scandal began to engulf the royal family

Josie Ensor and George Greenwood - November 12 2025

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A photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with his arm around 17-year-old Virginia Roberts Giuffre was real, according to newly-released emails sent by Jeffrey Epstein, which undermine Andrew’s claim it may have been faked.

Andrew claimed in his interview on Newsnight in 2019 that he had no recollection of the infamous photograph ever being taken and suggested it may have been doctored.

But a tranche of emails published by the US House Oversight Committee on Wednesday appears to undermine his claims. In a 2011 email, Epstein, who is alleged to have taken the picture, appeared to tell a journalist: “Yes she [Giuffre] was on my plane, and yes she had her picture taken with Andrew.”

The email was sent shortly after Giuffre’s identity was made public in a British newspaper, which also published the photograph of her with Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s accomplice.

The documents also seem to show that Andrew told Epstein “I can’t take any more of this my end”, as the scandal began to engulf the royal family. Andrew has strenuously denied allegations of any wrongdoing.

The emails were obtained from the Epstein estate, which was subpoenaed for its records over the summer.

The three emails released by the Democrats seem to show Epstein claiming a victim — later identified as Giuffre — “spent several hours” with Trump at Epstein’s residence.

In response, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said: “The Democrats selectively leaked emails to the liberal media to create a fake narrative to smear President Trump. The ‘unnamed victim’ referenced in these emails is the late Virginia Giuffre, who repeatedly said President Trump was not involved in any wrongdoing whatsoever and ‘couldn’t have been friendlier’ to her in their limited interactions.

“The fact remains that President Trump kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club decades ago for being a creep to his female employees, including Giuffre.

“These stories are nothing more than bad-faith efforts to distract from President Trump’s historic accomplishments, and any American with common sense sees right through this hoax and clear distraction from the government opening back up again.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23847859 (130956ZNOV25) Notable: Beijing gets personal with Australia’s ‘irresponsible’ ASIO chief Mike Burgess - China has launched an unusually direct attack on ASIO director-general Mike Burgess after he warned that Chinese state-backed hackers had probed Australian critical infrastructure. Beijing’s foreign ministry accused Burgess of “repeatedly hurling attacks at China”, “spreading disinformation” and “deliberately sowing division”, urging him to stop making “irresponsible statements”. Chinese state media amplified the denunciation, with Beijing-aligned academics claiming ASIO was “ideology-driven” and engaged in “baseless smears”. Burgess, backed by both major parties, recently warned that Chinese groups such as Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon had attempted to map and infiltrate water, transport, telecommunications and energy networks. The clash follows years of escalating espionage concerns and high-level efforts, including clandestine meetings in Beijing, to curb China’s activity.

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Beijing gets personal with Australia’s ‘irresponsible’ ASIO chief Mike Burgess

WILL GLASGOW - 13 November 2025

Beijing has made an unusually personal attack on ASIO head Mike Burgess following accusations from the spy boss that Chinese hacking groups have tried to infiltrate sensitive infrastructure networks in Australia.

China’s foreign ministry on Wednesday evening led the scolding, saying the head of Australia’s intelligence collection agency had “repeatedly hurled attacks at China” and “deliberately sowed division and confrontation”.

This was then amplified by Beijing-affiliated experts who told Chinese state media that ASIO had “long been driven by ideology” and repeatedly engaged in “baseless smears” on China.

It came a week after Mr Burgess told an audience at the Lowy Institute that after he had previously spoken publicly about China’s malign behaviour in Australia, Beijing’s representative had complained to members of the Albanese government but never to him directly.

China’s government took a different approach on Wednesday evening when asked about the spy chief’s comments about Chinese hacking networks.

“In recent months, the Australian official you mentioned has repeatedly hurled attacks at China, spread disinformation and deliberately sowed division and confrontation,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun.

“China firmly opposes it and has protested with Australia. It’s hoped that the Australian official can stop making irresponsible statements and do more things conducive to the healthy development of China-Australia relations.”

Mr Burgess, who has wide cross-party support in Canberra, was appointed to head ASIO by then prime minister Scott Morrison in 2019. In 2024, he was reappointed for a second five-year term by the Albanese government, which noted his “extraordinary contribution to Australia’s national security”.

The ASIO chief and the leaders of other Five Eyes intelligence agencies have struggled to find ways to reduce China’s often brazen espionage activities.

In mid-2023, Mr Burgess made a clandestine trip to Beijing to speak directly to Chinese spy chiefs before a visit by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in November. The then head of the CIA, Bill Burns, held a similar meeting in the first half of 2023.

In subsequent public addresses, Mr Burgess has made clear that Chinese activity has continued and has become increasingly sophisticated.

“ASIO is aware of one nation state – no prizes for guessing which one – conducting multiple attempts to scan and penetrate critical infrastructure in Australia and other Five Eyes countries, targeting water, transport, telecommunications and energy networks,” Mr Burgess told a business audience on Wednesday.

“And when they have penetrated your networks, they actively and aggressively map your systems, and seek to maintain persistent undetected access that enables them to conduct sabotage at a time and moment of their choosing.”

In addition to that barely veiled warning, the spy chief noted the activities of China’s Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon hacking groups, which have made multiple publicly identified attacks on US critical infrastructure. “And, yes, we have seen Chinese hackers probing our critical infrastructure as well,” he noted.

Among those in Chinese state media criticising Mr Burgess’s latest comments on China was Chen Hong, director of the Australia Studies Centre at East China Normal University, who was denied a visa to enter Australia in 2020 following advice from ASIO. Professor Chen has not visited Australia since.

“Australia’s intelligence agency has long been driven by ideology, repeatedly engaging in baseless smears and attacks against China,” Professor Chen told the Global Times.

China’s spy agencies have also increased their disclosures to the Chinese public in recent years. Beijing’s powerful Ministry of State Security has launched its own channel on the ubiquitous social media app WeChat to warn citizens about foreign espionage activities.

The security agency has also recently created an AI-generated anchor who appears in full MSS uniform to deliver cautionary tales about Chinese citizens who were duped into sharing China’s state secrets.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/beijing-gets-personal-with-australias-irresponsible-asio-chief-mike-burgess/news-story/a509bbe3d7b81f7e0180f3d3f42f1fd7

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xw/fyrbt/202511/t20251112_11751644.html