/qnotables25/ - ===Q Notables 2025===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23470875 (160848ZAUG25) Notable: Parents of gender dysphoric kids hit back at Jacinta Allan — Parents representing more than 50 Victorian families have written to Premier Jacinta Allan after she dismissed warnings of a “school to gender clinic pipeline” as “disgraceful nonsense.” The group, Parents of Adolescents with Gender Distress, challenged Allan’s claim that transgender children are “15 times more likely” to commit suicide, accusing her of using “alarmist and irresponsible” figures without reliable data. They argued the Respectful Relationships curriculum is pushing children toward harmful medicalisation and requested a meeting to share lived experiences, after being refused access to Education Minister Ben Carroll.

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Parents of gender dysphoric kids hit back at Jacinta Allan

'RACHEL BAXENDALE - August 14, 2025

A group representing more than 50 Victorian parents of children with gender dysphoria has hit back at Jacinta Allan after she dismissed the views of one as “disgraceful nonsense”, writing to the Premier to ask that she meet them to hear their concerns.

Parents of Adolescents with Gender Distress has also taken issue with Ms Allan’s assertion that transgender children are 15 times more likely to commit ­suicide than their peers, accusing her of citing inaccurate data and making “alarmist and irresponsible” claims.

The Australian revealed on Thursday Victoria’s curriculum had been ­updated to teach children as young as five that their body parts may not match their gender, and biologically male students who identify as female are entitled to play sport on girls’ teams.

Concern over the Respectful Relationships curriculum pro­mpt­ed a spokeswoman from PAGD to warn of a “school to gender clinic pipeline”, arguing children struggling with adolescence are being persuaded they were born in the wrong body and pushed towards irreversible and often harmful medical treatment.

Asked to respond to the views of the spokeswoman, whom The Australian has agreed not to name to protect her child’s privacy, Ms Allan said the notion of a “school to clinic pipeline” was “nonsense”.

“It’s disgraceful nonsense. Like, seriously, this sort of ongoing attack on a program that is making a difference in kids’ lives just should be stopped,” she said.

“It should be stopped. It’s disgraceful reporting. It’s hurtful. When you consider the incidence, that transgender kids are 15 times more likely to kill themselves, we should be supporting them,” the Premier said.

In a letter sent to Ms Allan on Thursday afternoon, PAGD sought a meeting with the Premier in light of her “recent dismissive comments concerning the operation of the Respectful Relationships program and its impact on our gender distressed children”.

“We would welcome the opportunity to discuss our concerns and lived experience with you,” PAGD wrote, adding they have been seeking meetings with Education Minister Ben Carroll and his departmental secretary for more than a year, “and they have refused to engage with us”.

“You made the alarming suggestion of a 15 times higher rate of suicide amongst transgender children. We believe this figure comes from survey data and concerned thoughts of suicide rather than completed suicide,” the parents wrote.

The data Ms Allan referenced appears to come from the website of advocacy group LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, which did not cite its source. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare website states “there are … no reliable ­national data on rates of suicide and self-harm among LGBTIQ+ communities in Australia”.

Data from the world’s largest gender clinic, the UK’s Tavistock Clinic, shows that rates of suicide amongst youth referred to the clinic were slightly higher than the general population, and the same amongst those receiving treatment and those who were not.

Pediatrician Hilary Cass’s comprehensive independent review of gender identity services for children in the UK last year found that “the evidence does not adequately support the claim that gender affirming treatment reduces suicide risk”.

PAGD said Ms Allan’s remarks were “especially concerning considering experts caution against alarmist and irresponsible claims of suicide, particularly, as is the case here, when it’s not backed up by data”.

“Data shows suicide rates for transgender youth, while elevated, remain extremely low, and as many also suffer from co-occurring conditions (ASD (autism spec­trum disorder), eating disorders, anxiety) which have similar levels of risk, a direct correlation can’t be made,” the parents wrote.

“Neither affirmation nor medicalisation impacts this suicide risk or suicidal ideation and there is no evidence that programs introducing unevidenced concepts of ‘gender identity’ are beneficial to the mental health of children or ­adolescents.

“We believe these programs which invite children to question their sex, and therefore their comfort in their own bodies, based on stereotypes, create unnecessary anxiety and confusion, particularly for gender-nonconforming or neurodiverse children.

“We hope that in the spirit of inclusivity you could meet with us to hear our personal stories.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/parents-of-gender-dysphoric-kids-hit-back-at-jacinta-allan/news-story/ac8c7932c4cf77c80953dc767b02f346

https://x.com/pagd_vic

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23470911 (160903ZAUG25) Notable: COMMENTARY: Why amplifying suicide risk cynically inflames transgender row — "Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, is right about the risk of harm and wrong about the cause… Media scrutiny of social transition in schools is perfectly legitimate… If Allan wishes to prevent harm, she should stop the suicide scare campaign… Like politicians, journalists are supposed to follow mental health advice not to harp on the suicide risk of a particular group… The “transition or suicide” claim is a feature, not a bug, of the “gender-affirming” treatment model… The clearest study so far hails from Finland… suicide risk was driven not by gender distress but by the accompanying psychiatric problems." — Bernard Lane, writer of Gender Clinic News, The Australian

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COMMENTARY: Why amplifying suicide risk cynically inflames transgender row

BERNARD LANE - August 15, 2025

Victoria’s Premier, Jacinta Allan, is right about the risk of harm and wrong about the cause (“Jacinta Allan blasts concerns over gender-clinic pipeline in schools”, 14/8).

Media scrutiny of social transition in schools is perfectly legitimate. Social transition – where adults reinforce a child’s alienation from his or her immutable birth sex – is akin to a clinical intervention with potentially lifelong effects. Parents should know about this. Canadian psychologist Ken Zucker, an international authority on gender dysphoria, argues that early social transition makes it more likely the child will go down the path of gender medicalisation, starting with puberty blockers.

If Allan wishes to prevent harm, she should stop the suicide scare campaign. Unable or unwilling to discuss social transition, she protested twice that “transgender kids are 15 times more likely to kill themselves”. Like politicians, journalists are supposed to follow mental health advice not to harp on the suicide risk of a particular group, nor to catastrophise or oversimplify the possible causes of suicide. Social contagion of suicide is a distinct possibility.

Allan is not alone in ignoring this danger. The “transition or suicide” claim is a feature, not a bug, of the “gender-affirming” treatment model championed by Victoria’s Labor government. Parents hesitant about signing off on blockers, hormones or a mastectomy for their child have been told to choose between a “dead daughter or a trans son”.

Why do suicide prevention experts remain silent when the “trans suicide narrative” is irresponsibly used to promote experimental medical treatments and to silence dissent?

Alarming statistics of the kind invoked by Allan typically come from low-quality, anonymous online surveys with no follow-up to verify the answers.

The resulting headlines reinforce the stereotype of vulnerability, which is likely to amplify responses to the next survey. Thoughts of suicide, distressing but not so unusual, are glibly conflated with actual suicide attempts. Activists seem untroubled by the possibility that suicide may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Thankfully, it appears suicide among patients of pediatric gender clinics is rare and, in some cases, it follows treatment offered as “life-saving”. A study of the UK Tavistock clinic found four patients over 10 years known or suspected to have died by suicide out of a total of 15,000.

Zucker is among the clinicians who believe that although gender-dysphoria patients do have an elevated suicide risk compared to the general population, it is comparable to the risk of the wider group of young people with mental health problems. Clinicians are used to managing the suicide risk of depression; nobody expects a politician to recklessly publicise exaggerated risks in this context.

But Allan seems to think that deploying the term “transgender kids” marks the end of inquiry, not the start. The surge in young people identifying as the opposite sex or “non-binary” is complicated by disproportionate rates of mental health issues, autism and ADHD, as well as awkward same-sex attraction and, in some cases, past sexual abuse. What is it exactly that causes the suicide risk?

The clearest study so far hails from Finland, where researchers concluded suicide risk was driven not by gender distress but by the accompanying psychiatric problems. And the risk was not reduced by the hormonal or surgical treatments of gender medicine, a finding repeated by England’s historic Cass Review.

In 2020, Finland led the European shift away from the medicalised gender-affirming model. This more cautious therapeutic approach insists on an open-minded exploration of all the difficulties of a gender-distressed child, with priority treatment of any mental health disorders. To truly help these young people, it’s necessary to look beyond the “trans kids” slogan.

Bernard Lane, a former journalist with The Australian, writes Gender Clinic News.

'''If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, call Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467) or Beyond Blue (1300 224 636).

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/why-amplifying-suicide-risk-cynically-inflames-transgender-row/news-story/56e60a2e59cd15d14da16df0f23060e2

https://www.genderclinicnews.com/

https://qresear.ch/?q=Bernard+Lane

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23470925 (160913ZAUG25) Notable: Finnish doctor Riittakerttu Kaltiala argues case for science in teen gender dysphoria care — Finnish psychiatrist Riittakerttu Kaltiala, who leads a national gender identity service in Finland, has warned that early medical interventions such as puberty blockers have shown “very weak” evidence of benefit and often failed to improve outcomes. She said most patients were teenage girls with “a long history of severe psychiatric issues” rather than lifelong dysphoria, and many did not thrive on hormone treatment. Finland’s cautious guidelines now stress psychosocial support and psychiatric care before any intervention. Kaltiala will present her findings in Adelaide at the Gender Healthcare Summit in October.

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Finnish doctor Riittakerttu Kaltiala argues case for science in teen gender dysphoria care

DAVID PENBERTHY - 15 August 2025

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Finnish psychiatrist Riittakerttu Kaltiala holds a unique and important position in the treatment of gender dysphoria. She has had a front-row seat for the introduction and subsequent rollback of gender-affirming care in her native Finland across the past 15 years.

She has done so not from the position of activist or ideologue but as a medical professional concerned with patient care, who believes she has a medical duty to call out practices that are failing to improve the lot of the unwell.

This is the conclusion she drew about the gender-affirming care treatments that were introduced for adolescents in Finland after 2010 but that have been wound back, so medical intervention and the use of puberty blockers now occur only in rarer cases where alternative treatments for perceived gender dysphoria prove ineffective.

Kaltiala is professor of adolescent psychiatry at Finland’s Tampere University and chief psychiatrist in the department of adolescent psychiatry at Tampere University Hospital. She also has been the leader of one of the two nationally centralised gender identity services for minors in Finland since 2011, when the services were first opened.

She will be a keynote speaker at the Coalition for Advancing Scientific Care Gender Healthcare Summit in Adelaide in October.

Ahead of her visit she spoke to The Australian about how Finland made its own transition away from a world where transitioning was being touted as the default option for troubled adolescents.

“In Finland, until 2010, medical gender reassignment and gender assessments and interventions were only available for legal adults,” Kaltiala says.

“Discussion started in society about whether this was a problem, whether it was aged-based discrimination that minors could not access these assessments.

“It was decided there must be a gender identity service for adolescents as well. It was decided that in adolescent psychiatry we had to provide this service for minors. So I was given this task and of course I set about to organise our team and we familiarised ourselves with the literature and we contacted other services that had been providing gender identity services for gender dysphoria.”

Kaltiala says that in the early 2010s what’s known as the Dutch model of care – early intervention with puberty blockers – was just emerging as the preferred treatment for younger people found to have gender dysphoria. She and her colleagues spoke with gender treatment clinics in Amsterdam, London and Stockholm, all of which were working in accordance with the Dutch protocols, and prepared to work along the same lines.

“The literature assumed that young people with lifelong gender dysphoria or cross-gender identification would find the onset of puberty stressful as they are developing undesired sex characteristics,” she says.

“The thinking was that this would risk the development of mental health issues as well.

“But when the patients started coming in they were nothing like they had been described in the literature. Given the small size of the population here in Finland we were only expecting a small number of patients. We were expecting they would predominantly have male sex. We also expected they would have only mild mental health issues.

“But actually, to our surprise, the patients were mainly biologically female, they presented well after puberty at an average of 16 years old, they had the onset of feelings of gender dysphoria well after the onset of puberty.

“Many of them, around two-thirds of them, had a long history of psychiatric need and psychiatric treatment. A long history of severe psychiatric issues, which predated any sense of gender dysphoria.

“So what was this about? We were very confused. Nevertheless, and especially because this was a new field, we made a very thorough assessment of all the patients and tried to make sure their feelings of identifying with the opposite sex would indicate a permanent and stable achieved identity rather than just being a phase of adolescent development.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476554 (180907ZAUG25) Notable: ‘Sanction China’ plea from Hong Kong activist granted asylum, Ted Hui — Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui, now granted asylum in Australia, has urged the Albanese government to impose Magnitsky-style sanctions on Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses, including the 10-year jailing of Australian Gordon Ng. While praising his family’s new security, Hui said Canberra has shown “much greater attention” to Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun, and asked why Ng has not received the same focus. He noted Hong Kong police have placed bounties on him and lawyer Kevin Yam, and said US-style sanctions would limit officials’ global reach.

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‘Sanction China’ plea from Hong Kong activist granted asylum, Ted Hui

STEPHEN RICE - August 17, 2025

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui Chi-fung has pleaded with the Albanese government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses, including the 10-year jail sentence imposed on Australian Gordon Ng.

While expressing gratitude at being granted political asylum last week to remain in Australia, Mr Hui urged stronger action to free Mr Ng and other Hong Kong activists.

“There’s a lot of room for the Australian government to speak up a lot more and more strongly, and also for actions like putting sanctions over Hong Kong officials who infringe human rights in Hong Kong,” the now-Adelaide-based lawyer said.

“I’ve been making that request consistently over the years – I say that to (Foreign Minister) Penny Wong whenever I see her,” Mr Hui told The Australian. “I understand it’s complicated, but I think it’s about time to do it, because they spend a very long time in jail just for defending democratic rights.”

Mr Hui noted the much greater attention paid by the government to higher-profile cases like that of news anchor Cheng Lei, released by China in 2023, and writer Yang Hengjun, still imprisoned on spying charges.

“Gordon is also an Australian citizen – why doesn’t he deserve more attention to stronger positions by the Australian government, like how it has been done for Cheng Lei and Yang Hengjun?”

The former Hong Kong lawmaker fled Hong Kong while on bail in December 2020 after he was hit with criminal charges over his role in pro-democracy protests. He was granted a special travel exemption to enter Australia with his wife and children in March 2021 during the pandemic.

Mr Hui said the grant of asylum had brought the family a great sense of security. “We are very much relieved because we have been living in Australia for 4½ years and my wife and my kids are more settled. There were many questions in the past, but now those questions are answered by this protection.”

In July 2023, Hong Kong police placed a $HK1m bounty on Mr Hui and Melbourne-based Australian lawyer Kevin Yam, in an unprecedented application of the Beijing-authored National Security Law.

Chief Superintendent Steven Li said Hong Kong police “won’t stop chasing them” under a controversial law that bans acts of ­secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with ­foreign forces, and was imposed under instructions from Beijing after months of protests in 2019.

Mr Hui said he would still be restricted in where he could travel, not only to those countries that had extradition treaties with China but even those that were simply friendly to Beijing.

“They might have diplomatic relations – I wouldn’t go to those countries unless they are free and open countries and democracies, so there’s half of the world I wouldn’t travel to,” he said.

“But think about those Hong Kong officials who put bounties and arrest warrants over my head – they’re sanctioned by the US, so there’s half the world where they can’t travel either, so that’s fair enough,” he says.

He said he would like to see the Australian government using its Magnitsky legislation to join the US in imposing sanctions on those same Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

“I haven’t seen any sanctions being put up by the Australian government for Hong Kong or Beijing officials who infringe on human rights in Hong Kong.

“It’s a pity and I can’t understand, but I’m still urging the government to do it.”

Earlier this year, Mr Hui was the target of a local intimidation campaign involving an anonymous letter purporting to be from Hong Kong authorities and offering a $HK1m reward for information leading to his arrest or the whereabouts of his family.

A fake pamphlet was also sent to Adelaide mosques claiming he wanted to “wage war” against ­“Islamic terrorism”.

“In terms of personal safety, I think I’m safe,” he said. “I have trust in the AFP, for example, who are really trying very hard to track down those people who sent the letters. They have been in constant communications with me, and they will call me from time to time to check on my safety.

“And with asylum status, I think it will be even better because those who are in Australia trying to do work for the Chinese government intimidating me, now they understand the Australian government’s stronger positions in giving me protections, and they would know there will be ­consequences.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/sanction-china-plea-from-hong-kong-activist-granted-asylum-ted-hui/news-story/f73926988843428ac6bc6ae97dc5d135

https://qresear.ch/?q=Ted+Hui

https://qresear.ch/?q=Gordon+Ng

https://qresear.ch/?q=Kevin+Yam

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476569 (180927ZAUG25) Notable: Far-right Israeli politician's visa cancelled ahead of speaking tour — The federal government has cancelled the visa of Simcha Rothman, a far-right Israeli MP from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, blocking his planned speaking events in Australia and banning him from entry for three years. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said, “If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here.” Rothman, who has advocated expelling Palestinians from Gaza, denounced the decision as “blatant anti-Semitism.” The cancellation comes a week after Australia said it would recognise a Palestinian state at the UN next month.

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Far-right Israeli politician's visa cancelled ahead of speaking tour

Jake Evans - 18 August 2025

The federal government has cancelled the visa of Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, a member of Israel's far right Mafdal-Religious Zionism party, just days before he was due to arrive in Australia for a speaking event.

Mr Rothman, whose party is part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition, has previously advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, and denied claims of starvation in the territory.

In May Mr Rothman told the UK's Channel 4 that Britain should let Palestinians "run away" from Gaza, and if it did not, "you are aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation using them as human shields".

He added those refugees should not be accepted into Israel, however, because "they are our enemies".

"And according to international law, treaties about refugees in a time of war, you don't let them conquer your country with refugees," he said.

The Israeli politician was due to speak at events in Australia in a matter of days, including a Sydney event next Thursday hosted by the Australian Jewish Association.

But his visa has been cancelled, and Mr Simcha has been banned from travel to Australia for three years — a condition that is sometimes applied to a cancellation depending on the grounds it was cancelled on.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said Australia would not accept people travelling to cause division.

"Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division," Mr Burke said.

"If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don't want you here.

"Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe."

Rothman claims visa denial is 'anti-Semitic'

In a post on social media, Mr Rothman responded to the visa cancellation.

"In the decision to deny the visa, the Australian Home Affairs Minister claims that my presence and my words will have a serious impact on peace and the rule of law in Australia, meaning that the Islamist mob calling for the destruction of Israel on the streets of Sydney and Melbourne will not be happy about my presence," he wrote.

"I was invited by the community in Australia due to anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues and a strong sense of alienation and hostility within the community.

"The Australian government's decision to deny me the opportunity to come and speak to my people, due to expressing simple and clear positions, is clear and blatant anti-Semitism that gives a boost to terrorism."

Mr Rothman's visa cancellation is the first major action against a member of Israel's Knesset since the federal government's announcement last week that it would recognise a Palestinian state at next month's United Nations meeting.

Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, one of two government members sanctioned by Australia, accused the federal government on social media of aiding Hamas.

"The Australian government's active support for Hamas and terrorists, and the entry ban against MK Simcha Rothman, are a historical stain and a shame for the Australian government," Mr Ben-Gvir said in a post in Hebrew, translated to English.

"The cheers of joy by Israeli left-wing activists, Hamas collaborators, and Israel slanderers around the world, are a disgrace that will never be erased from their minds."

In June, Australia joined several other nations to impose sanctions on Mr Ben-Gvir and another minister, Bezalel Smotrich, accusing the men of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Mr Smotrich is the leader of the Mafdal-Religious Zionism party, of which Mr Rothman is a member.

Liberal senator Dave Sharma, who was previously an ambassador to Israel, said he was not aware of Mr Rothman during his time in Israel but that elected representatives should as a principle be granted entry to Australia.

"I would say that elected representatives from democratic nations, liberal democracies with friendly relations with Australia, the presumption should always be they are granted a visa, they are entitled to visit Australia, even if we don't always agree with their views," Senator Sharma told Sky News.

"I would like to know the basis on which Tony Burke has cancelled this visa because it seems as though it was issued. And what are the comments in particular that he finds so troubling that he think would incite social unrest here in Australia?"

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-18/simcha-rothman-visa-cancelled/105668088

https://x.com/rothmar/status/1957332583785669039

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476575 (180931ZAUG25) Notable: Royal Randwick lined up for Pope visit on a bumper weekend — Sydney’s Royal Randwick racecourse is being considered to host a papal Mass in 2028 if Pope Leo XIV accepts Anthony Albanese’s invitation to attend the Catholic Church’s International Eucharistic Congress. Early planning has flagged September 30, coinciding with the AFL grand final in Melbourne and potentially disrupting the Epsom Handicap and NRL grand final weekend. The Archdiocese of Sydney said dates and venues were still open, with attendance expected to vary greatly depending on whether it marks the first papal visit to Australia in 20 years. Royal Randwick last hosted Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.

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Royal Randwick lined up for Pope visit on a bumper weekend

Chris Barrett - August 15, 2025

Royal Randwick racecourse is in line to stage a papal Mass two decades after a crowd of 400,000 filled the venue for Pope Benedict XVI’s appearance at World Youth Day.

Sydney will host the Catholic Church’s International Eucharistic Congress in 2028 and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited the new head of the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV, to attend.

The American pontiff is yet to take up the offer, but the church has begun devising plans in the event he does, and Royal Randwick has been discussed as a favoured site for a large-scale public gathering.

It’s understood Saturday, September 30, of the October long weekend that year, has been raised as an option for a papal Mass in Sydney.

Such timing would force racing’s $1.5 million Epsom Handicap to be relocated from Royal Randwick and potentially cause disruption around the NRL grand final, which is typically played on the first Sunday of October. It would also be the same day as the AFL grand final in Melbourne.

The church congress, which Sydney is holding in 2028 for the first time in a century, is being organised by the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, which said dates and venues were still to be determined.

“There have been several dates touted for the [congress], but we are keeping options open because we are excited about the potential of having Pope Leo here and will obviously work around his availability, if he accepts the invite,” said Benjamin Galea, chief operating officer for the International Eucharistic Congress.

“Estimates of pilgrim numbers and sourcing of venues will differ greatly depending on whether we get our first papal visit in 20 years, and so these early stages are planning for several different possibilities.”

Galea said while the archdiocese had expressed its desire to have the Pope visit Australia, he expected any official acceptance would be made directly in response to Albanese’s invitation.

The quadrennial congress is not as big as World Youth Day, a week-long coming together of young Catholics from around the world.

But a crowd of 100,000 assembled in Budapest for the 2020 event, which was held in late 2021 due to the pandemic, for a closing Mass led by Pope Francis.

Royal Randwick’s 80 hectares and central location make it one of the few places suitable for such an occasion.

In 2008, there was resistance from Randwick-based racehorse trainers to World Youth Day, where more than 200,000 people slept overnight before a Mass fronted by Pope Benedict XVI.

It went ahead after the racing industry was promised $40 million in compensation from the state and federal governments, including $10.8 million for relocation of horses and staff while Randwick was shut down.

Railings had to be taken down and horses moved to temporary stables, but according to early discussions, the crowds for the closing Mass at the 2028 congress would be contained to the in-field and the grandstands rather than on the track itself.

That would prevent the racecourse being out of action for weeks on end, limiting the impact on other major races such as the $20 million The Everest, which is held in mid-October.

Albanese invited Pope Leo XIV to Australia at the Vatican after attending his inauguration Mass along with other world leaders at St Peter’s Basilica in May.

It was the first time an Australian prime minister and a pontiff had met in 16 years and the Pope blessed the rosary beads of Albanese’s late mother, Maryanne, who was Catholic.

The Chicago-born former cardinal is no stranger to Australia, having made several trips in his past capacity as prior general of the Order of St Augustine.

Then known as Robert Prevost, he delivered a Mass at Sydney’s Collaroy Beach after World Youth Day in 2008 and visited St Augustine’s College at Brookvale in 2008 and 2009.

According to the 2021 census, more than 5 million Australians – 20 per cent of the population – identified as being Catholic.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw/royal-randwick-lined-up-for-pope-visit-on-a-bumper-weekend-for-sydney-20250814-p5mn01.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476579 (180938ZAUG25) Notable: Citizenship reward for PNG warriors to fight for Australia in ADF — Thousands of Papua New Guineans will be able to gain Australian citizenship by joining the Australian Defence Force under a new treaty to be signed by Anthony Albanese and PNG Prime Minister James Marape on September 15. PNG Defence Minister Billy Joseph said the deal, timed with PNG’s 50th independence anniversary, would cement the nations as defence partners and allow up to 10,000 recruits. The agreement, addressing Australia’s workforce shortfall, will see PNG citizens serve in support roles while retaining dual nationality. Fiji is expected to join the scheme later.

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Citizenship reward for PNG warriors to fight for Australia in ADF

BEN PACKHAM - August 15, 2025

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Thousands of Papua New Guineans will get Australian citizenship by serving with the Australian Defence Force after the PNG government dropped its resistance to the legal requirement that it feared would deprive the country of some of its most capable people.

Anthony Albanese and PNG counterpart James Marape will sign off on the plan next month to open the ADF to PNG recruits as part of a landmark defence treaty.

The agreement will cement PNG as one of only three Australian allies, after the US and New Zealand, shutting out China from any security involvement with Australia’s closest neighbour.

PNG Defence Minister Billy Joseph said it would include mechanisms committing each country to come to the other’s aid if threatened with military force.

“The idea is that PNG and Australia are like two houses, and the treaty will create a big fence so that those two houses are inside one fence,” Dr Joseph told The Australian.

“We want to be seen as a partner who can be trusted in good times and in bad times.”

PNG citizens will become the first in the Pacific other than New Zealanders to join the ADF under the government’s plan to address a military workforce crisis.

Dr Joseph said his country could supply 10,000 personnel, and “if they want more, we are willing to give them”.

“You know that 58 per of the population of PNG is below the age of 25, so you are looking at a very big pool, and Australia can have as many as they want,” he said.

Would-be recruits would have to meet “stringent requirements”, Dr Joseph said, and would be signed up in Port Moresby and provincial centres including Lae and Manus Island.

Admission to the ADF is likely to become a coveted prize for Papua New Guineans, with the salaries on offer far exceeding those available in their home country, where unemployment is rife and the minimum wage is just $1.30 an hour.

The defence treaty will be inked by Mr Albanese and Mr Marape in PNG on September 15 – the day before PNG’s 50th anniversary of independence from Australia.

It will open the way for much closer military co-operation between the countries, and support the expansion and modernisation of the PNG Defence Force.

Dr Joseph said it would offer no immunities for Australian personnel if they broke the law while on PNG soil, and PNGDF personnel would be subject to Australian law when in Australia.

Australian law requires that anyone serving in the ADF is a citizen or applies to take out Australian citizenship within 90 days of joining up.

PNG initially expressed concern over the requirement, because it wanted to ensure its people would return home after their service.

But Australia argued its sovereignty required that those who served under the Australian flag were Australian citizens. Papua New Guineans who take up the offer will retain their PNG citizenship as dual nationals.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476583 (180949ZAUG25) Notable: Video: MRF-D joins U.S. Ambassador, Solomon Islands Government to honor Allied sacrifice for 83rd Battle of Guadalcanal Anniversary — U.S. Marines from Marine Rotational Force–Darwin stood with officials in Honiara on August 6 to mark the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal. A sunrise service at Skyline Ridge honored more than 7,000 Allied troops and Solomon Islanders killed, with wreath-layings and tributes recalling the brutal six-month campaign that turned the tide of the Pacific War. Colonel Jason Armas said victory “was not won by Marines alone but forged in partnership with the people of these islands.” Tributes were paid to Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers whose bravery was vital to the Allied victory.

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MRF-D joins U.S. Ambassador, Solomon Islands Government to honor Allied sacrifice for 83rd Battle of Guadalcanal Anniversary

Capt. John Fischer - 08.08.2025

HONIARA, Solomon Islands — On August 6, 2025, U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) stood alongside U.S. and Solomon Islands officials atop Skyline Ridge, participating in the 83rd anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Guadalcanal. Hosted by U.S. Ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu Ann Marie Yastishock and with the Solomon Islands government, the ceremony served as a solemn reminder of the shared history and sacrifice that binds the United States and Solomon Islands in strength, security, and prosperity.

Representing the U.S. Marine Corps and 1st Marine Regiment’s “The Old Breed” in this historic location, MRF-D’s presence honored the memory of the Marines from the 1st, 5th, and 7th Marine Regiments who landed on Guadalcanal in 1942 — Marines whose courage helped define the identity of the modern Corps. Their presence reflected a deep respect for the sacrifices of both American and Solomon Islander lives lost during the six-month campaign that turned the tide of the Pacific War.

“As Marines returning to this region today, we do so with humility and gratitude,” said Col. Jason Armas, commanding officer of the MRF-D 25.3 MAGTF. “We are here to acknowledge that victory in Guadalcanal was not won by Marines alone but forged in partnership with the people of these islands. May their courage be remembered, and their spirit of unity and resilience live on in our bond of friendship, today and always.”

The sunrise ceremony, held at the Guadalcanal American Memorial, included wreath-layings and tributes to the more than 7,000 Allied service members and Solomon Islanders who died in the Guadalcanal Campaign. Superintendent Ryan Blum of the American Battle Monuments Commission noted that Skyline Ridge, once known as Hill 73, witnessed some of the fiercest fighting of the war and now serves as hallowed ground for remembrance. During the memorial’s construction, the U.S. Defense Prisoner-of-War/Missing in Action Accounting Agency uncovered more U.S. service member remains, returned final closure and peace of mind to the families of lost loved ones.

Later that morning, MRF-D Marines honored the Solomon Scouts and Coastwatchers — local and Allied personnel whose bravery and intelligence-gathering were instrumental in defeating enemy imperial forces. These individuals operated deep in enemy territory, often unarmed and always at risk, guiding Allied forces through dense jungles, rescuing downed airmen, and relaying critical information that shaped the outcome of the campaign.

“These were not supporting roles,” said Col. Armas. “The Coastwatchers and Solomon Scouts were integral to the success of the Guadalcanal campaign and to turning the tide of war in the Pacific.”

Among those remembered was Sergeant Major Sir Jacob Vouza, a local hero tortured by his enemy captors but who refused to betray Allied forces. His story, along with those of Coastwatchers like Frederick “Snow” Rhoades and local scouts like Biuku Gasa and Eroni Kumana, was shared to highlight the deep and often overlooked impact of Solomon Islander sacrifice.

Today, MRF-D continues to serve as a forward-deployed force in the Indo-Pacific, committed to enhancing regional security and honoring the legacy of those who came before. That legacy includes not only U.S. Marines in uniform but the brave communities who fought beside them in times of great peril.

“As we commemorate today those lost in this bloody battle and give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy as a result of their sacrifices, let us also remember that the work continues to ensure safety of all of our countries, and the Pacific,” said Ambassador Yastishock. “From UXO [unexploded ordnance] clearance to educational exchanges, the United States will continue to work with Solomon Islands to ensure our people are safer, stronger, and more prosperous.”

As wreaths were laid and names echoed across revered grounds, the Marines of MRF-D stood with U.S. and Solomon Islands government officials as quiet sentinels of memory — part of a small but enduring presence that connects the past to the present and reaffirms the shared values of peace, sacrifice, and unity.

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/545258/mrf-d-joins-us-ambassador-solomon-islands-government-honor-allied-sacrifice-83rd-battle-guadalcanal-anniversary

https://x.com/MRFDarwin/status/1955113862879232349

https://qresear.ch/?q=Guadalcanal

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23476596 (181002ZAUG25) Notable: VP Day: Remembering the war and what we sacrificed — "Eighty years ago, prime minister Ben Chifley began his address to the nation with perfect simplicity: ‘Fellow citizens, the war is over’… Chifley turned his words to all who had fought the darkness but not lived to see the light… ‘Let us remember those whose lives were given that we may enjoy this glorious moment’… We think of all we owe to every Australian who served in our name. Every Australian who fell, and every Australian who came home but could never leave the battle. Every family that felt the pride and weight of a loved one who put on the uniform. Every family that knew the grief that had no ending, only a beginning. Amid the shadows of war, the power of their courage and the strength of their character is a light that is a beacon to us still. They showed us what it is to remain true to ourselves, no matter what. They showed us what it means to stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies. And together, they turned the tide. As we stand here today, think of everyone who gathered 80 years ago. Think of the noise of their elation. And, hanging in the air just beyond the sound of their happiness, the silence of those who never came home. A silence that touched every corner of our continent, from the biggest city to the smallest country town. As we do, we return to another sentence whose simplicity is matched only by its power: Lest we forget." — Anthony Albanese, The Australian

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VP Day: Remembering the war and what we sacrificed

ANTHONY ALBANESE - August 15, 2025

Eighty years ago, prime minister Ben Chifley began his address to the nation with a sentence of perfect simplicity – and infinite power: “Fellow citizens, the war is over.”

The signing of the surrender was some weeks off, but the darkness that had engulfed the world – and made its last stand in the Pacific – was at last lifted.

Here in Sydney – as they did in towns and cities across Australia – crowds poured into the streets. They sang and danced amid a joyous blizzard of paper. Chifley, who had seen his friend and predecessor John Curtin worn down by the gravity of war leadership, turned his words to all who had fought the darkness – but not lived to see the light.

“Let us remember those whose lives were given that we may enjoy this glorious moment and may look forward to a peace which they have won for us.

“Let us remember those whose thoughts, with proud sorrow, turn towards gallant, loved ones who will not come back. … Nothing can fully repay the debt we owe them nor can history record in adequate terms their deeds …”

Chifley spoke, too, of the home front, the men and women who had “performed miracles of production … so that the battle of supply could be won”.

Between us and that extraordinary day, eight decades now stretch. At this distance, the story of World War II has become set in our memories.

The Allied victory over tyranny has, in retrospect, taken on a feel of inevitability.

Part of the debt we owe to all who served our nation is to remind ourselves how close history came to taking a different path. And to remember and honour every Australian – and every friend and every ally – who gave everything to ensure it did not. Across Europe and North Africa. Across Asia and the Pacific, and even across our own shores. We think of all the stories of courage. Of resilience and exhaustion, of fear and elation, and an endless longing for the home that so many never saw again. These are not stories rendered in bronze or marble, but written in flesh and blood. Stories of ordinary people facing the extraordinary. Facing loss, securing victory. Stories of mateship tempered in the fire of combat.

We think of all we owe to every Australian who served in our name. Every Australian who fell, and every Australian who came home but could never leave the battle. Every family that felt the pride and weight of a loved one who put on the uniform. Every family that knew the grief that had no ending, only a beginning.

As we gather in the very place so many Australians celebrated that day, we reflect on what victory meant – and what it cost.

Every life and dream and future swallowed in that vortex of madness and cruelty, from every battlefield and every burning city, from the prisoner of war camps to the unprecedented horror of the concentration camps. These were nightmares made real – not by monsters but by human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity.

Yet, as we feel that weight, our hearts are lifted by every Australian who stood against it.

Amid the shadows of war, the power of their courage and the strength of their character is a light that is a beacon to us still. They showed us what it is to remain true to ourselves, no matter what. They showed us what it means to stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies. And together, they turned the tide. As we stand here today, think of everyone who gathered 80 years ago. Think of the noise of their elation. And, hanging in the air just beyond the sound of their happiness, the silence of those who never came home.

A silence that touched every corner of our continent, from the biggest city to the smallest country town. As we do, we return to another sentence whose simplicity is matched only by its power: Lest we forget.

This is the text of a speech Anthony Albanese delivered on Friday, August 15 2025, in Martin Place, Sydney.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/remembering-the-war-and-what-we-sacrificed/news-story/93c04fb76fbb1d840f6e5a2f89a41bbb

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23482561 (190923ZAUG25) Notable: Israel bans Australian officials as diplomatic row intensifies — Israel has revoked visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority and warned of tighter restrictions on official travel after Canberra blocked Israeli MP Simcha Rothman from visiting. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the Australian ambassador was notified and future visa applications will be “carefully examined,” citing Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian state and refusal to admit Israeli figures including former minister Ayelet Shaked and Rothman. Tony Burke defended cancelling Rothman’s visa, saying Australia would not accept visitors spreading “hate and division.” The move escalates tensions after Australia sanctioned Religious Zionist leader Bezalel Smotrich in June.

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Israel bans Australian officials as diplomatic row intensifies

RHIANNON DOWN - 18 August 2025

Israel has revoked the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority and warned of tighter entry restrictions for officials, in a sharp escalation of diplomatic tensions after Canberra blocked a controversial Israeli politician from visiting.

Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s foreign minister, confirmed on Monday he had ordered the cancellations, saying the Australian ambassador to Israel had been notified and the Israeli Embassy in Canberra instructed to “carefully examine” any future visa requests from Australian officials.

The move follows the Albanese government’s decision to revoke the visa of Simcha Rothman, a member of Israel’s right-wing Religious Zionist Party and chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

Mr Rothman was scheduled to begin a solidarity tour with Australia’s Jewish community this week before Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke intervened at the 11th hour.

“I decided to revoke the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority,” Mr Sa’ar said in a statement.

“The Australian Ambassador to Israel was just notified on the matter. I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel.

“This follows Australia’s decisions to recognize a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures, including former Minister Ayelet Shaked and the Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, MK Simcha Rothman.

“While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population.

“It is shameful and unacceptable!”

Earlier on Monday, Mr Rothman was unable to travel after his visa was revoked the day he was due to fly to Australia to meet with victims and visit institutions targeted in anti-Semitic incidents in Australia.

Mr Rothman has drawn criticism for describing children in Gaza as “enemies”, pushing for the takeover of the West Bank and forcefully grabbing a megaphone out of a protester’s hand in New York, prompting a criminal harassment complaint that was later dropped.

Mr Burke confirmed on Monday he had blocked Mr Rothman from entering Australia, declaring anyone who came to the country to spread “hate and division” would not be welcome.

“Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division,” Mr Burke said.

“If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here. Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe.”

Mr Rothman’s party forms part of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. The Religious Zionist Party’s leader, Bezalel Smotrich, was sanctioned by Australia in June for inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. He is also a chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee.

Australian Jewish Association chief executive Robert Gregory, whose organisation had arranged the visit, said the decision to cancel the visa was the result of Labor’s obsession with “targeting the Jewish community and Israel”.

“All the paperwork was filled out correctly and on time and the visa was approved,” he said. “The timing of the cancellation at the last minute was spiteful and intended to cause maximum harm to the Australian Jewish community.”

Mr Gregory said the purpose of Mr Rothman’s tour was to show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community”.

The decision comes after Mr Burke approved Palestinian woman Mona Zahed’s application for an entertainment visa, after she had publicly praised Hamas’s October 7 attack. The visa – which is usually reserved for rock stars and sportsmen and women stars – was later cancelled on the grounds she was not eligible to receive it.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/tony-burke-blocks-visa-for-rightwing-israeli-politician/news-story/84447e7f70b88a0ebec3eefa622a51c9

https://x.com/gidonsaar/status/1957400330875896095

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23482715 (190958ZAUG25) Notable: Netanyahu blasts Albanese as ‘weak’ as diplomatic relations plummet — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded Anthony Albanese a “weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews” as tensions over visa cancellations plunged ties to historic lows. The row began when far-right Israeli MP Simcha Rothman was denied entry, prompting Israel to revoke visas of Australian diplomats in Ramallah. Penny Wong condemned the move as isolating Israel, while DFAT officials protested to Israel’s ambassador. Home Affairs documents cited Rothman’s past remarks, including describing Gazan children as “enemies,” as likely to inflame division. Jewish leaders warned trade and security ties worth $2bn are at risk.

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Netanyahu blasts Albanese as ‘weak’ as diplomatic relations plummet

Matthew Knott - August 19, 2025

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched a scathing personal attack on Anthony Albanese, branding his Australian counterpart weak as tit-for-tat visa cancellations plunged bilateral relations to their lowest levels since the creation of the state of Israel.

Alarmed Jewish community leaders called for the two nations to stop tensions spiralling out of control after Simcha Rothman, a far-right member of the Israeli government, was denied an Australian visa and Israel retaliated by revoking the visas of Australian diplomats working in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu, who spoke on the phone to Albanese a fortnight ago, said in a post on his official X account on Tuesday night: “History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”

Albanese last week accused Netanyahu of being in “denial” about the scale of humanitarian suffering in Gaza. His office was approached for comment over Netanyahu’s latest post.

Netanyahu attacked the Albanese government on social media last December after a synagogue was firebombed in Melbourne, accusing it of encouraging antisemitism by adopting an “extreme anti-Israeli position”, including in votes at the United Nations.

In a move that drew a speedy rebuke from Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sent a warning about any Australian representatives who sought to come to his country, saying he had instructed the Israeli embassy in Canberra to “carefully examine” any official visa applications.

Wong slammed the decision, expected to affect three employees of the Australian representative office in Ramallah, as another step in “isolating Israel” from other countries and undermining attempts to find peace in the Middle East.

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade deputy secretary Harinder Sidhu called Israel’s ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon on Monday night to express the government’s displeasure at the decision.

A nine-page Home Affairs Department record of the Rothman decision, obtained by this masthead, says that Rothman could have used his planned speaking tour to Australia to “continue making inflammatory statements to promote his controversial views and ideologies, which may lead to fostering division in the community”.

“Specifically, I consider his presence in Australia would or might be a risk to the good order of the Australian community or a segment of the Australian community, namely the Islamic population,” a delegate for Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke wrote in the document, dated August 18, which outlines the reasons for his visa approval to be overturned.

The document references media reporting of Rothman’s comments in which he described Gazan children as “our enemies”, argued a Palestinian state would be the first step towards the destruction of Israel and that Israel bears the responsibility for eliminating Hamas, the militant group that has governed the Gaza Strip since 2007.

“The visa holder’s social media and public statements ... mirror the policies of his Religious Zionist Party, including the elimination of Hamas and the expansion and sovereignty of the Israeli state, and denial of any wrongdoing by Israel against Palestinians and Gaza during the current conflict,” the document states.

“These statements have been received by members of the Australian community as inflammatory and concerning.”

The document also notes that Rothman’s arrival was protested by members of the local Jewish community who opposed his support for a controversial overhaul of the Israeli judiciary in January 2024, during a visit to the US.

“Some protesters allege he is indirectly responsible for the Hamas October 7, 2023 attacks as he ignored the advice of top Israeli military leaders that the controversial judicial legislation was leading to political instability that threatened military preparedness,” the document says in a passage that has raised eyebrows in some quarters of the Jewish community.

Sa’ar named Rothman’s visa refusal, which he called “shameful and unacceptable”, and the government’s planned recognition of a Palestinian state as reasons for his decision to revoke the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority.

He made the statement in Israel, shortly after 9pm on Monday, AEST.

Wong responded within four hours of Israel’s move by issuing a statement at about 12.45am on Tuesday, AEST, saying it was an unjustified reaction after Australia chose to recognise Palestine.

“At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution,” she said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23484725 (200932ZAUG25) Notable: AUKUS tensions: Hastie warns of ‘huge backlash’ if US backs out — Opposition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie has warned that if the US abandons its AUKUS commitment to supply Virginia-class submarines, it would trigger “a huge backlash” in Australia. He said local support in Rockingham, WA — where HMAS Stirling will host rotating US and UK submarines from 2027 — could collapse if “Pillar I” fails while communities absorb thousands of US personnel under what he calls “Pillar zero.” Hastie argued Australians would see it as “giving the US prime strategic geography in exchange for nothing,” urging Washington to uphold its deal.

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AUKUS tensions: Hastie warns of ‘huge backlash’ if US backs out

JOE KELLY - 20 August 2025

Coalition home affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie has sounded a warning to Washington over AUKUS, arguing that a decision by the Pentagon to pull back from the submarine deal would ignite a damaging grassroots backlash.

Mr Hastie told The Australian “there will be consequences” if the Pentagon’s review of the AUKUS agreement resulted in the deal being shelved. He said this would be especially true in the local community of Rockingham, south of Perth.

“Australians are good partners and friends. But we don’t like being treated as mugs,” he said. “Particularly when we are effectively giving the US prime strategic geography so they can disperse their forces from the Indo-Pac (Indo-Pacific Command).”

Rockingham is home to HMAS Stirling, which, from 2027, will host the rotation of US and UK nuclear submarines under the AUKUS framework. The base is currently being upgraded to support the rotation.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Australian American Leadership Dialogue in Adelaide last week, Mr Hastie explained the rotation would require major housing and infrastructure upgrades, something he has referred to as “Pillar zero”.

He suggested the local community could end up accommodating an extra 3000-9000 Americans – a development that would place extra pressures on vital services.

If the US refused to uphold its side of the AUKUS deal and provide Australia with Virginia-class submarines, Mr Hastie warned that it would harden community attitudes towards “Pillar zero” and the accommodation of US personnel in Western Australia.

“If the USA, after this review, were to cancel Pillar I, it makes Pillar zero to the US Navy base almost impossible in my view because the backlash against America would be huge,” Mr Hastie told The Australian.

Under the AUKUS framework, the provision of three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines to Australia from the early 2030s is referred to as “Pillar I”. The sharing of advanced technologies makes up “Pillar II” of the deal.

“We talk a lot about Pillar I, which is the optimal pathway for a submarine. And we talk about Pillar II and all the emerging technologies. But no one’s talking about Pillar zero,” Mr Hastie said. “And I call Pillar zero the US Navy base that’s being built in Rockingham at HMAS Stirling.

“That’s the big secret at the heart of AUKUS – that in two years’ time, the US will have a squadron of Virginia-class submarines operating off the West Australian coastline.”

“And it’s really important that that has a social licence at the local level. At the moment, there’s not enough homes for Australians. Roads are congested. Our essential services are overrun,” he said. “So when you add up to 3000-9000 people, as the Americans have said, that’s going to potentially cause social licence issues.”

Mr Hastie said that if the Pentagon were to cancel Pillar I, there would be “a lot of pushback from the Australian people, not just locally in WA but across the country, because we would be basically giving the US prime strategic geography in exchange for nothing”.

“President Trump has written The Art of the Deal. He would himself agree that that is a very bad deal,” Mr Hastie said.

The opposition’s home affairs spokesman said he had raised this issue with a range of US congressmen including the Republican chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Roger Wicker, and the Democratic co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, Joe Courtney.

“They’re very sympathetic to my perspective,” he said. “As a believer in the alliance, I want it to continue. I think AUKUS is a great opportunity for Australia and for the United States.”

Mr Hastie said a big reason why Pillar zero was at risk was “because (WA Premier) Roger Cook and the WA Labor state government has gone so slow on it. What we really need in WA is a (South Australian Premier) Peter Malinauskas who believes in AUKUS”.

“Decisions need to be made on roads, critical infrastructure, more houses need to be built in and around the area,” he said. “We’re worried about the social licence for integrating up to 9000 Americans.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/aukus-tensions-hastie-warns-of-huge-backlash-if-us-backs-out/news-story/103fab9bb76508f287f74728ab923f5a

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23484746 (200948ZAUG25) Notable: Late former Central Coast mayor Laurie Maher linked to child sex abuse civil claims — Former Gosford mayor Laurie Maher, once celebrated for founding NSW homelessness charity Coast Shelter and awarded an OAM, has been posthumously linked to more than 100 civil child sex abuse claims from his time as superintendent of the Mount Penang Training School for Boys in the 1970s and 1980s. Maher, who died in May aged 86, had been acquitted of several charges but was awaiting retrial on others. Survivors allege sexual and physical abuse, including assaults in dormitories and offices. Lawyers say the process of pursuing claims is “really painful” for complainants, whose entire lives are placed under scrutiny. At least 59 cases have been settled by the NSW government, with victims stressing their fight is for acknowledgement, not “dirty money.”

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Mary-Louise Vince - 20 August 2025

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The death of an accused paedophile, who had once been a respected community leader, has left behind scores of alleged victims who are suing over historical sexual abuse they say they suffered at a notorious boys' home he once ran on the New South Wales Central Coast.

Laurie Maher, 86, was most widely known as a tireless crusader against homelessness and domestic violence, founding what is today one of the largest homelessness charities in NSW — Coast Shelter.

Mr Maher served numerous terms on the former Gosford City Council, was mayor for four years and in 2010 awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his service to the community.

He was never convicted of abuse, but died in May, awaiting a retrial on charges of buggery and indecent assault involving two boys.

The charges related to his time as the long-time superintendent of the Mount Penang Training School for Boys near Gosford, where many former detainees claim he sexually abused them during the 1970s and 1980s.

Mt Penang was among several state-run reform centres for "troubled" teenage boys who were convicted of varying offences.

Royal commission leads to charges

The ABC is aware of at least 100 civil child sex abuse claims dating back to when Mr Maher ran the Mount Penang Training School for Boys.

Allegations about the former superintendent's offending began to surface at the time of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse between 2013 and 2017.

The royal commission did not directly examine Mt Penang. However the ABC understands 18 private submissions were received about Laurie Maher, which triggered a police investigation in 2016.

Mr Maher was arrested in 2020 and charged with 13 offences against six boys.

By the time the case reached a District Court trial in 2022, he stood accused of eight child sex abuse charges involving four boys spanning a 10-year period.

He was acquitted of six charges, but the jury was hung on the remaining two and a retrial was set down for September 2025.

Mr Maher unsuccessfully sought to halt the retrial in 2024 when he engaged high-profile barrister Margaret Cunneen to seek a permanent stay on proceedings due to his "old age and poor health".

Tony’s story

Tony, who did not want to use his real name, said it took decades to confront his past experiences at Mount Penang, where he found himself in the late 1980s, after he was caught stealing a car stereo system.

He said he was trying to feed and clothe his two younger siblings, who had been living with him in the roof cavity of a small building in Sydney for several years to escape violence at home.

At 16, Tony was sent to Mount Penang and placed under the care of Mr Maher, who he said sexually abused him on two separate occasions.

Tony alleged he was forced to perform oral sex on the superintendent — the first time he described being "trapped in a shed" with him, while the next time, he recalled being summoned to his office.

"Laurie Maher was a monster to me," he said.

"My life was ruined from the age of 16 because of him."

Tony described living in fear after being told by Mr Maher "to keep his mouth shut", barely sleeping in the large dormitory he shared with about 40 other boys.

"You'd hear screaming at night," he recalled.

After what he described as a life of homelessness, addiction, insomnia and crippling flashbacks, Tony started to receive the medical and psychological support he needed — and the strength to "speak out" — after accessing community housing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tony successfully sued the state in 2024 over the abuse he suffered while in detention in the late 1980s.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23484779 (201007ZAUG25) Notable: Video: Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz committed to stand trial for war crimes charge of murder — Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz, 43, will be the first Australian soldier to face trial for a war crimes charge after being committed to the NSW Supreme Court. He is accused of murdering Afghan villager Dad Mohammad in Uruzgan Province in 2012, an incident captured on helmet-cam and first exposed by ABC’s Four Corners. Footage showed Schulz asking, “You want me to drop this c*nt?” before firing three shots. Mohammad, a father of two, was initially deemed lawfully killed by ADF investigators. Schulz, charged in 2023, faces arraignment in October and could receive life in prison.

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Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz committed to stand trial for war crimes charge of murder

Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop - 20 August 2025

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A former special forces trooper will be the first Australian soldier to stand trial for a war crimes charge, more than 13 years after he shot dead a villager in an Afghan field.

Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz, 43, was charged in 2023 with the war crime of murder after helmet-cam footage aired on the ABC's Four Corners showed him in 2012 shooting Afghan man Dad Mohammad.

Local court Magistrate Greg Grogin today committed Mr Schulz to stand trial in the NSW Supreme Court, after previously condemning delays from Commonwealth prosecutors.

Mr Schulz faced a committal hearing in April and May, in which the local court heard from Australian Defence Force (ADF) witnesses and repeatedly watched footage of the killing.

Mr Schulz could face life in jail if found guilty.

The killing was first publicly revealed in March 2020 by ABC Investigations and Four Corners, sparking a three-year criminal investigation.

The court heard that the footage, from the helmet camera of a dog handler on Mr Schulz's patrol, showed an SAS dog attacking Dad Mohammad in a wheat field during an ADF mission in Uruzgan Province, in southern Afghanistan.

The dog is then called off and Mr Schulz is seen training his weapon on Dad Mohammad, who is lying on the ground.

The soldier is heard asking three times: "You want me to drop this c*nt*?" He then fires three shots at the man.

Mr Mohammad was in his 20s and a father of two girls - a newborn and toddler - at the time of his death.

He had a condition that stunted growth in one leg.

ABC Investigations and Four Corners identified the dead man and tracked down his father and brother during their investigation.

Afghan villagers first complained to the ADF about the killing months after the 2012 raid.

However, ADF investigators cleared Mr Schulz, concluding that Dad Mohammad was lawfully killed because he posed a direct threat to the Australians.

Investigators were told the Afghan man was holding a radio and "tactically manoeuvring".

Mr Schulz will face the Supreme Court in October for arraignment.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23484784 (201010ZAUG25) Notable: Video: Former SAS soldier Oliver Schulz committed to stand trial for war crimes charge of murder — Former SAS trooper Oliver Schulz, 43, will be the first Australian soldier to face trial for a war crimes charge after being committed to the NSW Supreme Court. He is accused of murdering Afghan villager Dad Mohammad in Uruzgan Province in 2012, an incident captured on helmet-cam and first exposed by ABC’s Four Corners. Footage showed Schulz asking, “You want me to drop this c*nt?” before firing three shots. Mohammad, a father of two, was initially deemed lawfully killed by ADF investigators. Schulz, charged in 2023, faces arraignment in October and could receive life in prison.

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>>109566

2/2

Under the Commonwealth Criminal Code, a killing constitutes the war crime of murder if the victim is not a combatant or is out of action due to injury or damage.

Prosecutors must also prove that the perpetrator knew, or was reckless to, this fact.

The killing does not constitute a war crime if it occurred as a result of an attack on a military objective, during which the perpetrator did not expect excessive civilian casualties.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-20/former-sas-trooper-to-stand-trial-for-war-crime-charge-of-murder/105675766

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-18/igadf-inquiry-into-special-forces-in-afghanistan-is-over/12816626

https://qresear.ch/?q=Australian+SAS

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23489330 (211025ZAUG25) Notable: Pro-Palestinian protest over Brisbane's Story Bridge won't be allowed, Queensland court rules — A Brisbane court has blocked a planned pro-Palestinian protest march across the Story Bridge after police argued it posed “a real and significant risk of safety.” Organisers expected 7,000 people, citing Sydney’s Harbour Bridge rally that drew nearly 100,000. Magistrate Janelle Brassington acknowledged the cause was “serious” but ruled the route unsafe due to bridge repairs and safety concerns. Police warned they would make arrests if protesters defy the order and noted risks of crowd crush. An alternative Victoria Bridge route was offered but rejected. Organisers said they respected but disagreed with the ruling and were considering an appeal.

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>>109251

>>109458

>>109475

Pro-Palestinian protest over Brisbane's Story Bridge won't be allowed, Queensland court rules

Talissa Siganto - 21 August 2025

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A pro-Palestinian march across Brisbane's Story Bridge has been banned from going ahead after police successfully argued it would be unsafe.

The protest, which was due to take place on Sunday, is part of nationwide action against the ongoing war in Gaza.

Organisers have indicated approximately 7,000 people are expected to attend the rally.

It follows a recent demonstration in NSW, which attracted almost 100,000 protesters who shut down the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Queensland Police Service (QPS) raised safety concerns, and, when mediation with organisers— which focused on trying to redirect the march — was unsuccessful, the matter ended up in court.

On Thursday, Queensland's chief magistrate Janelle Brassington said she was satisfied police had established "a real and significant risk of safety" due to the features of the bridge and surrounds.

Asked outside Brisbane Magistrates Court if protesters would march across the Story Bridge despite the ruling, organiser Remah Naj said they were considering the next steps.

"We are considering our options in terms of appeal and in terms of what the group will decide in the next few days," she said.

"While we do respect the magistrate ... we disagree."

Police Minister Dan Purdie called on event organisers to "respect the decision of the court".

"If protesters defy the decision of the court, it will not only put people at risk, it will also take hundreds of police away from responding to crime," he said in a statement.

Police could arrest protesters

Speaking on Thursday evening, QPS Acting Assistant Commissioner Rhys Wildman confirmed police would take "tactical and operational" actions, including arrests to prevent a protest from going ahead on Sunday.

He urged anyone considering taking part to reconsider, saying police generally supported protests going ahead, as long as they were safe.

"We have to make it quite clear that anyone participating in a protest which has not [been] authorised ... faces the prospect of enforcement action being taken against them, whether that's on the day or post-event," Acting Assistant Commissioner Wildman said.

He said police interpreted the court's decision to mean there was "no alternative route" and protesters were not authorised to "block any roadways or obstruct public spaces" on Sunday.

"We will take the appropriate enforcement action in a reasoned manner to prevent offences from occurring and [maintain] community safety," he told reporters.

Police resources would be available to respond on Sunday, should something go ahead, Acting Assistant Commissioner Wildman said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23494426 (221341ZAUG25) Notable: China demands Pacific nations roll back ‘erroneous’ Taiwan participation — China has urged Pacific Island nations to amend a 1992 communique granting Taiwan participation rights in the Pacific Islands Forum, calling it “erroneous” and contrary to the One China principle. In a statement from its embassy in Tonga, Beijing cited the precedent of last year’s removal of Taiwan references under Chinese pressure. The Solomon Islands, host of next month’s summit, has already excluded both Taiwan and China, later expanding the ban to all 21 dialogue partners — including the US, UK, EU, Japan and South Korea — provoking regional backlash. Tuvalu’s Prime Minister has threatened to boycott, while New Zealand and others insist partners must attend. Analysts warn Beijing may have “overstepped the mark.”

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>>109487

China demands Pacific nations roll back ‘erroneous’ Taiwan participation

AMANDA HODGE - August 20, 2025

China has demanded Pacific Island nations amend what it says is an “erroneous” 33-year-old communique recognising Taiwan’s right to participate in the region’s most important annual forum, raising the geopolitical stakes in what is shaping up to be a contentious leaders’ summit next month.

An extraordinary statement released on Tuesday by the Chinese embassy in Tonga forcefully rejects claims of Beijing interference in the Pacific Islands Forum as “misinformation”, even as it pushes for the bloc to amend a 1992 communique declaring Taiwan a Pacific Island Forum development partner with participation rights.

“The Taiwan-related content in the 1992 Forum Communique violated the One China principle in the first place,” the statement posted on the Chinese embassy’s social media account on Tuesday reads.

“Now more than 30 years later, China has established diplomatic relations with 11 of the 14 PICs (Pacific Island countries), and all these countries firmly adhere to the One China principle and clearly support China’s reunification,” it adds, referring to Beijing’s assertion that Taiwan is an “inalienable part of China. It is now time to correct the erroneous Taiwan-related content in the 1992 Forum Communique.”

The embassy statement cites as a precedent for its demands a highly controversial decision by Forum leaders last year to delete a reference to Taiwan - under pressure from China’s Special Envoy to the Pacific - from the final summit communique.

China’s relentless push to dismantle all support for Taiwan in the region and have it excluded from the Pacific Island Forum summit prompted the Solomon Islands, this year’s host and a nation that has grown increasingly close to Beijing, to announce last month that both countries would be excluded from the September meeting in Honiara.

Solomons Prime Minister Jeremiah Manele has since controversially expanded that decision to exclude all 21 Pacific Island Forum dialogue partners - including the UK, US, EU, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia and Malaysia - sparking mass frustration and accusations that China is seeking to interfere with Pacific regionalism and splinter the bloc.

The move was clearly intended to pacify those countries that still recognise Taiwan - Marshall Islands, Palau and Tuvalu - while also meeting China’s demands, but has pleased almost no one.

Australia and New Zealand - both full PIF member states who cannot be barred from next month’s summit - Fiji, PNG, Tuvalu and the Republic of Marshall Islands have all raised concerns over the decision.

“We want all dialogue partners to be there. We think that’s important,” NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said this week.

Tuvalu Prime Minister Feleti Teo has threatened to boycott the summit over the exclusions, and in a recent interview speculated that China was behind the decision to block partners from the forum.

“There is no denying that China is trying to extend its footprint in the Pacific and so is the US,” Mr Teo told The Guardian.

Whether China sees the mass exclusion as a win is difficult to tell though its latest statement insists it gains nothing from being excluded.

While China’s Pacific presence and interest has grown exponentially in recent years, Anna Powles, associate professor of security studies at New Zealand’s Massey University, says Beijing’s latest demand is unlikely to be well received, even by nations firmly within Beijing’s camp.

“It’s going to be interesting to see how PIF members react to this latest statement by China that they should amend a collectively agreed declaration, and by extension the regional architecture,” Dr Powles told The Australian.

“I think China has overstepped the mark by calling for a change to an earlier Pacific Island forum declaration that would have been agreed to by leaders at the time. People in the region may find that quite unacceptable.”

China’s demand comes as Pacific Island nations have been discussing ways to better manage the intense and growing interest in the region by dividing partners into two tiers.

Many had hoped that process - aimed at preserving Pacific unity - would be finalised in Honiara, though Beijing’s latest diktat may have complicated that process.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/china-demands-pacific-nations-roll-back-erroneous-taiwan-participation/news-story/5a9d67d0e3de2984ca4bb456e11693bd

https://www.facebook.com/chinaembassytonga/posts/statement-by-the-chinese-embassy-in-tonga-on-recent-misinformation-concerning-th/1086464560286171/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23494458 (221350ZAUG25) Notable: Xi Jinping’s man in Canberra warns: Taiwan’s return to China must not be denied — Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian has urged Anthony Albanese to adopt a “correct historical perspective,” declaring that “Taiwan’s return to China must not be denied.” Writing in The Australian, he linked Beijing’s sovereignty claims to World War II outcomes and UN Resolution 2758, which he said affirmed the PRC as China’s sole representative. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung rejected this, stressing the PRC has “never ruled Taiwan for a single day” and likening Beijing’s claims to “the emperor’s new clothes.” Australia’s parliament last year condemned China’s use of the UN resolution to justify its claims, with bipartisan support for Taiwan’s participation in UN bodies.

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>>73422 (pb)

>>73569 (pb)

>>109230

>>109277

Xi Jinping’s man in Canberra warns: Taiwan’s return to China must not be denied

GEOFF CHAMBERS and BEN PACKHAM - August 21, 2025

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Xi Jinping’s top diplomat in Australia has called on Anthony ­Albanese to uphold a “correct historical perspective” that Taiwan belongs to China, as he seeks to exploit the memory of World War II to push the Communist Party’s strategic aims.

Amid rising US concerns about a potential conflict with Beijing over Taiwan by 2027, Chinese ambassador Xiao Qian has invoked China and Australia fighting “side by side” against the Japanese in the 1940s to declare “Taiwan’s return to China must not be denied”.

Writing in the wake of the 80th anniversary of the end of one of Australia and China’s bloodiest modern conflicts, Mr Xiao claims one of the key outcomes of the war is that communist China – which took control of Beijing and the mainland four years after Japan’s surrender – has sovereignty over Taiwan.

“The recovery of Taiwan is a victorious outcome of Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, and an important part of the post-war international order,” he writes in The Australian.

The ambassador’s use of World War II follows a speech last month by the Prime Minister during which he focused on Australia’s wartime prime minister John Curtin standing up to Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt.

The Curtin Oration address sparked concerns in Washington, where US officials are reviewing the $368bn AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine pact and calling on Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP “as soon as possible” to help thwart Chinese military aggression in the Indo-Pacific region.

After Mr Albanese last week said he would formally recognise a Palestinian state when he attends the UN General Assembly in New York in September, Mr Xiao cites a disputed UN resolution that he claims “affirmed there is but one China, the government of the People’s Republic of China”.

“Some seek to challenge the authority of UNGA Resolution 2758, calling Taiwan’s status ‘undetermined’, falsely claiming that the PRC has never governed Taiwan, and fudging and hollowing out the one-China principle,” Mr Xiao wrote in The Australian.

“To uphold the one-China principle, and to oppose ‘Taiwan independence’ and external interference, is an inevitable requirement for safeguarding China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, the foundation and prerequisite for ensuring peace and stability across the ­Taiwan Strait, and a just cause ­defending the outcomes of the victory in the Second World War and the post-war international order.”

Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung hit back at the ambassador’s interpretation of the UN resolution, pointing to the fact “the People’s Republic of China from 1949 has never ruled Taiwan for a single day”.

“The resolution is around 158 words, but none of these words have anything to do with Taiwan. Taiwan is not mentioned,” Dr Lin told The Australian in Taipei.

“I think it was the Australian parliament which first passed the resolution that rejected China’s claims on UNGA Resolution 2758 saying that it determined Taiwan’s status.

“And especially, starting from last year, the State Department of the US has continued and repeatedly expressed that we should refute these distortions by China.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23494499 (221400ZAUG25) Notable: COMMENTARY: Australia and China share history of triumph in war on fascism — "During one of humanity’s darkest hours, China and Australia stood firmly as allies in the fight against fascism… The shared memory of China and Australia standing together in mutual support and united resistance deserves to be cherished and remembered by our two peoples. Eighty years ago, Taiwan was returned to China, with the recognition of major victorious nations and Japan. The recovery of Taiwan is a victorious outcome of the Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggression and an important part of the post-war international order. Resolution 2758… settled once and for all the political, legal and procedural issues regarding the representation of the whole of China, including Taiwan, at the UN. China and Australia forged friendship in times of hardship. Today… China is ready to work with Australia and all peace-loving nations to uphold a correct historical perspective, to defend international fairness and justice, and a bright future for China-Australia relations." – Xiao Qian, China’s ambassador to Australia – The Australian.

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>>109559

>>109572

COMMENTARY: Australia and China share history of triumph in war on fascism

XIAO QIAN - August 21, 2025

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Recently, a series of commemorative events has been held across Australia to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. Together with peoples around the world, China will also hold a gathering to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war.

During one of humanity’s darkest hours, China and Australia stood firmly as allies in the fight against fascism, making important contributions to the defence of world peace and justice. Yet, for too long, the enormous sacrifices made by the Chinese people, the historic contribution of China to the victory in the world anti-fascist war, and the shared struggle of China and Australia have often been neglected or overlooked. The smoke of war may have long dispersed, but the glory of that struggle must never fade into oblivion.

To uphold a correct historical perspective of WWII is not only to restore historical truth, but also to safeguard the fruits of victory, to cherish peace, and to open up a brighter future. In this spirit, I wish to share three points. First, the strategic importance of the Chinese battlefield must not be underestimated. Influenced by the Western-centric historical view, some tend to focus primarily on the European theatre of World War II while downplaying the decisive role of the China theatre. As noted in the China-Australia jointly made documentary, The War That Changed the World, the Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression marked the outbreak of the world anti-fascist war and opened the first large-scale anti-fascist battlefield in the East.

Starting the earliest and lasting the longest in the war, China’s resistance led to more than 35 million casualties in the fight for the nation’s survival. As the main battlefield in Asia, China made an immense historic contribution to the global victory over fascism. The Communist Party of China held high the banner of the national united front against Japanese aggression, safeguarded the unity of resistance, and stood as the pillar of the entire nation’s resistance.

China’s resistance greatly weakened Japan’s capacity to expand into the Asia-Pacific, disrupted its attempts at strategic coordination with Nazi Germany, and bought precious time for other anti-fascist nations. This played an important role in ensuring coordination among the Allies’ fronts and the smooth implementation of the overall strategy. Research by institutions such as the Australian National University has shown China’s resistance paved the way for victories of anti-fascist allies in the Pacific theatre. Without China’s prolonged struggle, Japan might have shifted its forces to Southeast Asia and even towards Australia at a much earlier time.

Second, the shared history of China and Australia fighting side by side must not be forgotten. The peoples of China and Australia, standing firm for justice and fighting side by side amid the flames of war, made immense sacrifices to secure the great victory of the world anti-fascist war.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23502068 (240817ZAUG25) Notable: Australia ‘harbouring criminal’, says Hong Kong in new row over asylum for activist - Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki has accused Australia of “harbouring a criminal” after Adelaide-based activist Ted Hui was granted asylum, summoning consul-general Gareth Williams to protest “interfering in China’s internal affairs.” Hui, a former Hong Kong legislator facing national security charges, dismissed the threats, saying officials “know they cannot change the situation now that the visa has been granted.” The dispute follows Britain’s granting of asylum to student leader Tony Chung. DFAT said Australia was concerned by Hong Kong’s broad application of the security law, stressing support for freedoms of expression and assembly. Hui has urged sanctions on officials responsible for human rights abuses.

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>>109554

Australia ‘harbouring criminal’, says Hong Kong in new row over asylum for activist

STEPHEN RICE - August 22, 2025

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A fresh diplomatic row with China is brewing after the Hong Kong government called in Australia’s consul-general, Gareth Williams, to protest against Australia’s grant of political asylum to pro-democracy activist Ted Hui, accusing the Albanese government of “interfering in China’s internal affairs”.

Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary, Chan Kwok-ki, summoned Mr Williams to express his government’s anger at the asylum granted last week to Mr Hui, accusing Australia of “harbouring a criminal” and vowing to keep pursuing “the fugitive”.

The former Hong Kong lawmaker fled Hong Kong while on bail in December 2020 after he was hit with criminal charges under national security laws over his role in pro-democracy protests.

Mr Hui told The Australian he was not concerned about the Hong Kong government’s threat to keep hunting him.

“They are doing it in a very high-profile (way), and they are jumping up and down, but they know they cannot change the situation now that the visa has been granted,” he said.

Mr Hui said it was unusual his case was now being handled by the Hong Kong government rather than the foreign office in China.

“Perhaps it’s something that’s too big for them, so they have to break protocol and do it in a higher profile to make their position clear to Australia and the international community,” he said.

Mr Hui memorably threw rotten plants on the floor of Hong Kong’s Legislative Council chamber in 2020 to protest at the National Security Law, saying it symbolised the decay of Hong Kong’s political system.

He was given a special travel exemption to enter Australia with his wife and children in March 2021 during the pandemic and now lives in Adelaide, practising as a lawyer.

The British consul-general in Hong Kong, Brian Davidson, was also called in for a dressing-down on Tuesday after the UK granted refugee status to student leader Tony Chung, who was convicted under the national security law of calling for Hong Kong’s secession.

The chief secretary demanded the Australian and British governments “immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are purely China’s internal affairs”.

In a statement released after meeting the two diplomats, Mr Chan expressed “strong opposition to the granting of asylum to two Hong Kong fugitives endangering national security who have absconded overseas”.

The Australian understands Mr Williams made it clear to Mr Chan that Australia was troubled by Hong Kong’s continued pursuit of Mr Hui.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesperson said the Australian government had consistently expressed concerns about the broad, extraterritorial application of Hong Kong’s National Security Law to arrest or pressure pro-democracy figures.

“Freedom of expression and assembly are essential to democracy, and we support people who exercise these rights. We have raised our concerns directly with China and with Hong Kong authorities,” the spokesperson said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23502072 (240829ZAUG25) Notable: ‘Sheltering criminals’: China ramps up attack over asylum for Hong Kong activist - Beijing has escalated its condemnation of Australia’s decision to grant asylum to Hong Kong activist Ted Hui, with the Chinese embassy quoting Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning calling Hui “an anti-China agitator… lawfully wanted by Hong Kong police” and denouncing “any country sheltering criminals in any form.” The backlash follows Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary summoning Australia’s consul-general last week. China Daily carried fierce commentary, with barrister Grenville Cross branding Hui “a vile criminal fugitive” and accusing Canberra of “demeaning itself.” Hui, who fled Hong Kong in 2020, now lives in Adelaide. Meanwhile, Melbourne-based lawyer Kevin Yam was struck off the roll of Hong Kong solicitors in Hong Kong and fined $160,000 after calling for sanctions.

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>>109554

>>109575

‘Sheltering criminals’: China ramps up attack over asylum for Hong Kong activist

STEPHEN RICE - 24 August 2025

China has ramped up its attack on the Albanese government for giving political asylum to Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Ted Hui, condemning Australia for “sheltering criminals” after last week accusing Canberra of interfering in China’s internal affairs.

Late on Friday, the Chinese embassy in Australia posted on its official Facebook account a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning that Mr Hui “is an anti-China agitator who disrupts Hong Kong’s order and is lawfully wanted by Hong Kong police” and condemning “any country sheltering criminals in any form”.

The move comes after Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary, Chan Kwok-ki, called in Australia’s ­consul-general, Gareth Williams, last week to express his government’s anger at the asylum granted to Mr Hui, and vowed to keep pursuing “the fugitive”.

The former Hong Kong politician fled Hong Kong while on bail in December 2020 after he was hit with criminal charges under the National Security Law over his role in pro-democracy protests; he now lives in Adelaide, working as a lawyer.

Australia’s grant of asylum last week to Mr Hui – and an almost simultaneous grant by Britain of refugee status to student leader Tony Chung – has come at a sensitive moment for Hong Kong as the landmark sedition trial of democracy activist and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai comes to a close, with a guilty verdict all but certain.

In an interview with The Australian last week, Mr Hui pleaded with the Albanese government to impose sanctions on Hong Kong officials responsible for human rights abuses.

Commentators in the China Daily, a newspaper owned and controlled by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party, have launched vitriolic attacks on Mr Hui in recent days.

Barrister and former Hong Kong director of public prosecutions Grenville Cross described Mr Hui as a “vile criminal fugitive” and said Canberra had “demeaned itself” by giving him sanctuary.

Mr Cross is a regular cheerleader in the China Daily for Hong Kong’s National Security Law, and for the $HK1m cash bounty ($197,000) offered for the arrest and conviction of Mr Hui and other pro-democracy activists.

“That Canberra should have embraced a figure like Hui is offensive to right-thinking people everywhere. A common criminal who lied to the courts, he is a worthless individual,” Mr Cross said. “To grant Hui asylum was a calculated insult to China and an affront to the rule of law.”

Mr Cross claimed the Albanese government had “shamefully turned a blind eye to his anti-China activities”, which included “close liaison with subversive elements” in Britain UK and the US.

“No civilised society should have any truck with serial offenders like Hui, and Canberra has demeaned itself by letting him stay,” he said.

Noting Mr Hui’s fear that someone might try to kidnap him and send him back to Hong Kong or China illegally, he said: “He will never know for sure who he can trust or where he can go. Nobody need feel any pity. He will forever be looking over his shoulder.”

Meanwhile, Hong Kong legal authorities launched new punitive measures against Melbourne-based pro-democracy lawyer Kevin Yam who, like Mr Hui, has a $HK1m reward on his head.

At the weekend, Mr Yam revealed he had been struck off the roll of Hong Kong solicitors, and hit with a $160,000 bill for the cost of the disciplinary hearing.

The proceedings were sparked by his call for sanctions against Hong Kong lawyers who participated in the persecution of democracy activists under the China-­imposed National Security Law.

In a statement at the weekend Mr Yam said he could not stand by “while those who supposedly lead and represent the Hong Kong legal profession have at best quietly acquiesced to, and at worst been enthusiastically complicit in, the post-National Security Law crackdown.”

Mr Yam has been the target of anonymous leaflets dropped around Melbourne calling for him to be kidnapped and taken back to Hong Kong.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/sheltering-criminals-china-ramps-up-attack-over-asylum-for-hong-kong-activist/news-story/44d4f5b722122c40c3ad0aad5ef67c8f

https://www.facebook.com/ChinainAus/posts/1075842294756502

https://www.chinadailyasia.com/hk/article/618096

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23502080 (240837ZAUG25) Notable: Queensland government announces new child sex offender registry with personal details of offenders – Queensland will introduce “Daniel’s Law,” creating a public child sex offender register named after Daniel Morcombe, the teenager abducted and murdered in 2003. The legislation, to be passed before year’s end, establishes a website listing reportable offenders who abscond or fail obligations, displaying names, ages, and photos. Queenslanders will also be able to apply for images of high-risk offenders in their area, and parents may ask police whether adults with unsupervised access to their children are on the register. Premier David Crisafulli said victims’ rights come before offenders’ rights, while Bruce and Denise Morcombe welcomed the reform as their son’s legacy. They believe it will deter breaches and provide families with a vital safety tool.

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Queensland government announces new child sex offender registry with personal details of offenders

Jack McKay - 24 August 2025

Queenslanders will be able to apply for images of child sex offenders who live in their area under new laws that will be introduced to state parliament this week.

The legislation, dubbed Daniel's Law, was named in honour of Sunshine Coast teenager Daniel Morcombe, who was abducted and murdered in 2003.

The reforms would create a new public child sex offender register, which is something the LNP pledged to set up at the state election last October.

Under the changes, the government would establish a website that listed reportable offenders who failed to comply with their obligations or were hiding from police.

Personal details to be shared on database

Premier David Crisafulli said the offender's name, age, and photo would be featured on the webpage.

"If you commit hideous crimes and you try to hide, Queenslanders deserve to know who you are and where you are to keep our kids safe," he said.

Mr Crisafulli said the planned law changes would also allow Queenslanders to apply for images of high-risk reportable offenders in their local area.

People making such searches would not be granted access to other personal information, such as the offender's age or their name.

"Parents have a right to protect their kids, and they have a right to be vigilant to the risks in their community," Mr Crisafulli said.

"We believe the rights of victims and the rights of parents come before the rights of offenders and the rights of paedophiles."

'Daniel's Law' by the end of the year

Another element of the reforms would enable parents and carers to apply to police to determine if an adult having unsupervised contact with their child was a reportable offender.

Mr Crisafulli outlined the details of the proposed reforms at the LNP convention in Brisbane on Sunday, with legislation set to be introduced to parliament this week and pass before the end of the year.

He said more details would be released in the coming days, including new offences and safeguards to prevent people from misusing the information on the register.

"In this important moment, I want to acknowledge the advocacy of [Daniel's parents] Bruce and Denise Morcombe," the premier said.

"They are incredible Queenslanders, who from unfathomable pain have fought for change."

Morcombes welcome change

Mr Morcombe welcomed the reforms and said it would make a difference in keeping kids safe.

"It's good news in recognising Daniel's tragedy and makes something positive come out to protect Queenslanders," he said.

"At the end of the day, we have always put one foot in front of the other to make sure that what happened to Daniel never happens to other kids.

"This is Daniel's legacy at work. Daniel's Law will make a difference and we're really quite honoured that this legislation is named after Daniel."

Mr Morcombe believed the register would act as a deterrent to potential offenders, as well as to convicted offenders who breach their court orders.

"They will think twice before they wish to abscond or not follow the court orders as required," he said.

"I think the deterrent factor is underplayed, but I think its potential benefit will be really sound and a strong force to keep Queenslanders safe."

Mr Morcombe also acknowledged the proposed law changes were not a silver bullet.

"It's possible [someone has] done stuff and never been caught," he said.

"We all understand that, but at least it's a level of security that mum, dad, grandparents, and carers have that ability to check."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-24/new-child-sex-offender-registry-daniels-law/105690778

https://qresear.ch/?q=Daniel+Morcombe

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23508392 (252257ZAUG25) Notable: ‘Shameful’: Far-right Israeli MP speaks out on visa cancellation - Israeli MP Simcha Rothman has denied describing Gazan children as enemies, claiming his remarks were misconstrued, and labelled Australia’s cancellation of his visa “shameful.” Speaking at an online event organised by the conservative Australian Jewish Association, Rothman said views cited by Home Affairs — support for eliminating Hamas and opposing a Palestinian state — were “mainstream” in Israel. He urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to conquer Gaza City, reject hostage deals, and extend sovereignty over the West Bank, which he called “the homeland of the Jewish people.” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke defended the cancellation, warning Rothman could spread division in Australia. The decision has intensified diplomatic tensions with Israel.

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>>109521

>>109555

>>109561

>>109562

‘Shameful’: Far-right Israeli MP speaks out on visa cancellation

Matthew Knott - August 24, 2025

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The far-right Israeli politician who was blocked from travelling to Australia, triggering a fiery spat between the two nations, has claimed his visa was cancelled for expressing mainstream Israeli views as he denied referring to Gazan children as enemies of his nation.

The Albanese government’s decision to cancel Israeli parliamentarian Simcha Rothman’s visa for a planned speaking tour last week prompted a ferocious response, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu branding Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese “weak” and his government cancelling the visas of Australian diplomats working in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking at an online event organised by the conservative Australian Jewish Association on Sunday night, Rothman said he believed the cancellation of his visa was a “shameful” attempt to silence Israelis who have different political views to the Australian government.

Rothman said quotes cited by the Department of Home Affairs to justify the refusal of his visa – including support for the elimination of Hamas and opposition to a two-state solution – were commonplace in Israel.

“The threat is that they are outlawing basically the views of the State of Israel and of most of the Jewish people,” he said, citing a vote last year in the Israeli parliament in which a vast majority of politicians voted against the creation of a Palestinian state.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has said the key reason for the decision to block Rothman from travelling to Australia was that he had described Gazan children as enemies of Israel in a May interview with Britain’s Channel 4.

“It was a quote by the journalist. I never said that children in Gaza are our enemies,” Rothman told the online event. “I did not say it. I said, ‘The Gazans are our enemies’.”

In the interview Rothman replied that “they are our enemies” when asked about children in Gaza, although some defenders have argued that his comments have been misconstrued.

A nine-page Home Affairs Department record of the Rothman decision said that Rothman could have used his planned speaking tour to Australia to “continue making inflammatory statements to promote his controversial views and ideologies, which may lead to fostering division in the community”.

Burke defended the decision by saying: “Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division. Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23508523 (252329ZAUG25) Notable: Video: Man charged over series of graffiti attacks on Melbourne synagogue - A 37-year-old South Yarra man has been charged with more than 20 offences over six graffiti attacks on the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation between March and August. Graffiti included “Iran Is Da Bomb” and “Free Palestine,” painted on the synagogue’s facade. Police allege he arrived alone on an e-scooter each time, and seized items linked to the vandalism at his home. He faces charges including six counts of criminal damage, offensive graffiti, unlicensed driving, and failing to stop for police. Rabbi Shlomo Nathanson welcomed the charges, saying justice will be served and expressing hope it deters future acts of “hateful, discriminatory lawlessness.”

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>>109251

>>109252

>>109286

Man charged over series of graffiti attacks on Melbourne synagogue

LILY MCCAFFREY - 25 August 2025

A man has been charged with more than 20 offences in relation to a series of graffiti attacks on a Melbourne synagogue.

Police arrested and charged a 37-year-old man on Monday in relation to six separate instances of criminal damage that occurred at the Melbourne Hebrew Congregation on Toorak Road in South Yarra, in Melbourne’s inner south.

The incidents occurred on March 11, June 21, June 22, July 22, July 30 and August 19 this year.

Photos from one incident at the synagogue in June show a mushroom cloud containing the words “Iran Is Da Bomb” in red paint on the synagogue’s facade, close to a second tag with the words “Free Palestine”.

Detectives executed a search warrant on Monday morning at the South Yarra man’s home where they seized items allegedly related to the offending, Victoria Police said in a statement.

Police arrested the man and charged him with six counts of criminal damage, six counts of marking offensive graffiti, five counts of using an unregistered motor vehicle, five counts of unlicensed driving and one count of failing to stop on police direction.

The man was bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on November 21.

Police had released CCTV footage this month of a man they believed was involved in the vandalism. Each time, he arrived alone at the synagogue on a black e-scooter and spray-painted offensive phrases on the walls, police alleged.

During the July incidents, the man wore a mask similar to one used in the horror film series Scream, which completely covered his face, police said.

Melbourne Hebrew Congregation rabbi Shlomo Nathanson told The Australian he was very grateful to the team at Victoria Police who had worked on the case.

“Whilst there was a limited resource to put on the case, they certainly have brought about justice with the outcome here,” Rabbi Nathanson said on Monday after police laid the charges.

“In this very heightened tension in the political arena that we’re feeling across the community, we’re happy that the law of the land and justice can be carried out, and that the laws that are in place to prevent hateful, discriminatory lawlessness like we’ve seen at the Melbourne Hebrew Synagogue and at other places of worship and Jewish sites across the state, that justice will be served there, and hopefully it will be a deterrent for those that have chosen violence over dialogue.

“Our hope is certainly that we can correct the path and get back to a space of mutual respect, a fair go for all, like the Australian values, rather than the hatred and the lawlessness that we’ve experienced since October 7.”

This comes after the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team last week arrested a second man in relation to an arson attack that severely damaged the Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea in December.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/man-charged-over-series-of-graffiti-attacks-on-melbourne-synagogue/news-story/a863b73d35e304ae70243dedb64ad4a2

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/congregation-exhausted-after-proiranian-vandals-again-target-synagogue/news-story/198f1a42f7cfd14469f12b1eced2b91b

https://combatantisemitism.org/cam-news/iran-is-da-bomb-historic-melbourne-synagogue-vandalized-with-antisemitic-hate-graffiti/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23508828 (260042ZAUG25) Notable: Mysterious Chinese billion-dollar proposed deal in Nauru sparks concern in Canberra - Australia is pressing Nauru for details of a claimed AU$1bn investment agreement signed with the little-known “China Rural Revitalisation and Development Corporation.” The deal, announced by Nauru’s foreign minister Lionel Aingimea, promises investment in sectors from renewable energy to fisheries, but analysts doubt its plausibility, noting no record of the company exists. Under a new treaty signed with Nauru last year, Canberra holds effective veto power over national security decisions, prompting Pacific Minister Pat Conroy to warn that Article 5 may be triggered. Experts suggest the proposal could be “theatre” ahead of Nauru’s September election.

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>>109248

>>109487

>>109571

>>109547

Mysterious Chinese billion-dollar proposed deal in Nauru sparks concern in Canberra

Stephen Dziedzic, Iris Zhao and Hugo Hodge - 19 August 2025

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Australia has pressed Nauru for more detail about a claimed billion-dollar investment agreement that it has signed with a mysterious Chinese company, as federal government officials scramble to ensure the Pacific nation is not breaching a landmark treaty it signed with Australia just nine months ago.

Last week, Nauru's government announced that its foreign minister, Lionel Aingimea, had signed a "phase 1 investment project proposal … valued at approximately AU$1 billion" with a Chinese company called the "China Rural Revitalisation and Development Corporation (CRRDC)".

But the ABC has not been able to track down any information about the company, and Pacific analysts say that scale of investment doesn't seem plausible for Nauru, which has a population of just 12,000.

Late last year, Australia signed a sweeping new treaty with Nauru, promising to provide ongoing budget and security support in return for effective veto power of decisions on national security.

The pacific minister, Pat Conroy, said that Australian officials were checking that Nauru wasn't contemplating any investments which might breach the agreement.

"(DFAT) is engaging with the government of Nauru about whether (the announcement) activates part of our treaty with Nauru, particularly Article 5 of the treaty," Mr Conroy said.

"That is a really important treaty for us that helps position us as the security partner of choice of Nauru."

The ABC understands Foreign Minister Penny Wong also raised the issue with Mr Aingimea when they were both in Fiji last week to attend the Pacific Islands Forum Foreign Ministers meeting.

Article 5 of the treaty says Australia needs to "mutually agree" with any security arrangements Nauru makes, including on maritime security, defence, policing, border protection, cyber security, and some critical infrastructure.

In its statement, Nauru said that the Phase 1 proposal would focus on "developing key sectors in Nauru", including "renewable energy, the phosphate industry, marine fisheries and sea infrastructure, water resource and environmental system, modern agriculture systems, eco-tourism, green transport system, health and cultural exchange platforms".

It also said a "scoping team" from the company would come to Nauru in October to develop a "road up" for the investments.

But Nauru's government hasn't provided any information beyond that statement.

The ABC contacted Nauru on Tuesday to seek a response to Mr Conroy's comments, but it didn't immediately reply.

The assistant minister for the Pacific, Nita Green, travelled to Nauru this week to open a Commonwealth Bank branch — delivering on an Australian government commitment under the treaty to ensure the Pacific nation wasn't left without a bank in the wake of Bendigo's withdrawal.

But it is not clear if she raised the proposed investment in her meeting with Mr Aingimea and Nauru's president, David Adeang.

One Australian government source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said there were "zero detail" available on the proposed deal, and they doubted it would ever transpire.

Graeme Smith from the Australian National University also told the ABC that the proposal was "highly unlikely" to bring in a billion dollars to Nauru because its economy simply wasn't large enough to sustain such an investment.

"I think Nauru is having their chain yanked, and I think it would be the height of foolishness for Australia to overreact and assume that this thing is actually going to happen," he said.

"I would put it up there with Manly winning the premiership this year."

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23509012 (260137ZAUG25) Notable: Epstein, Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre wrote a memoir. It’s coming out months after her death - A posthumous memoir by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice, will be released October 21 by Knopf. Giuffre, who died in April aged 41, had completed the 400-page manuscript with co-author Amy Wallace. In an April 1 email, she wrote it was her “heartfelt wish” the book be published “regardless” of her circumstances, stressing the need to expose “systemic failures” in trafficking. Knopf says the memoir contains “intimate, disturbing and heartbreaking” new details about Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and Prince Andrew, about whom she speaks publicly for the first time since their 2022 settlement.

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>>109289

>>109443

>>109473

>>109474

Epstein, Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre wrote a memoir. It’s coming out months after her death

Hillel Italie - August 25, 2025

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New York: A posthumous and “unsparing” memoir by one of Jeffrey Epstein’s most prominent accusers, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, will be published on October 21, publishing house Alfred A. Knopf announced on Sunday (Monday AEST).

Giuffre, who died by suicide in April aged 41, had been working on Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice with American author-journalist Amy Wallace. She had completed the manuscript for the 400-page book, according to the publisher.

The publisher’s statement includes an email from Giuffre to Wallace a few weeks before her death, saying that it was her “heartfelt wish” the memoir be released “regardless” of her circumstances.

“The content of this book is crucial, as it aims to shed light on the systemic failures that allow the trafficking of vulnerable individuals across borders,” the email reads.

“It is imperative that the truth is understood and that the issues surrounding this topic are addressed, both for the sake of justice and awareness.”

Giuffre had been hospitalised following a serious accident on March 24, Knopf said, and sent the email on April 1. She died on April 25 in Western Australia.

“In the event of my passing, I would like to ensure that NOBODY’S GIRL is still released. I believe it has the potential to impact many lives and foster necessary discussions about these grave injustices,” she wrote to Wallace.

In 2023, the New York Post had reported that Giuffre had reached a deal “believed to be worth millions” with an undisclosed publisher. Knopf spokesperson Todd Doughty said she initially agreed to a seven-figure contract with Penguin Press, but moved with acquiring editor Emily Cunningham after Knopf hired Cunningham as executive editor last year.

Giuffre had often stated that, in the early 2000s, when she was a teenager, she was caught up in Epstein’s sex-trafficking ring and exploited by Britain’s Prince Andrew and other influential men. Epstein was found dead in a New York City jail cell in 2019 in what investigators described as a suicide. His former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was convicted in late 2021 on sex-trafficking and other charges.

Andrew had denied Giuffre’s allegations. In 2022, Giuffre and Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement after she had sued him for sexual assault. A representative for Andrew did not immediately return a request for comment.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23509019 (260139ZAUG25) Notable: Q Post #4923 - https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1319071346282778624 - Dearest Virginia - We stand with you. Now and always. Find peace through prayer. Never give up the good fight. God bless you. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4923 - https://qanon.pub/#4568

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>>109582

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Nobody’s Girl is distinct from Giuffre’s unpublished memoir, The Billionaire’s Playboy Club, referenced in previous court filings and initially unsealed in 2019. Through Doughty, Wallace says she began working with Giuffre on a new memoir in 2021.

Giuffre’s name has continued to appear in headlines, even after her death. In July, United States President Donald Trump said that Epstein had “stolen” Giuffre from Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Florida where she once worked. She had alleged being approached by Maxwell and hired as a masseuse for Epstein. Maxwell has denied Giuffre’s allegations.

Doughty declined to provide details about the Epstein associates featured in Nobody’s Girl, but confirmed that Giuffre made “no allegations of abuse against Trump,” who continues to face questions about Epstein, the disgraced financier and his former friend.

Knopf’s statement says the book contains “intimate, disturbing and heartbreaking new details about her time with Epstein, Maxwell and their many well-known friends, including Prince Andrew, about whom she speaks publicly for the first time since their out-of-court settlement in 2022.” In a statement, Knopf publisher and editor-in-chief Jordan Pavlin called Nobody’s Girl a “raw and shocking” journey and “the story of a fierce spirit struggling to break free”.

Giuffre’s time with Epstein is well documented, although her accounts have been challenged. She had acknowledged getting details wrong, errors she attributed to trying to recall events from years ago. In 2022, she dropped allegations against Alan Dershowitz, saying in a statement at the time that she may “have made a mistake in identifying” the famed attorney as an abuser.

“Nobody’s Girl was both vigorously fact-checked and legally vetted,” a Knopf statement reads.

Wallace, Giuffre’s co-author on her memoir, is an award-winning magazine and newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications. She has also collaborated on two previous books, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull’s Creativity, Inc. and former General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt’s Hot Seat.

If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline (13 11 14), the Suicide Call Back Service (1300 659 467), Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) and Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800).

https://www.1800respect.org.au/

https://www.lifeline.org.au/

https://www.suicidecallbackservice.org.au/

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/

https://www.kidshelpline.com.au/

https://www.theage.com.au/culture/books/epstein-prince-andrew-accuser-virginia-giuffre-wrote-a-memoir-it-s-coming-out-months-after-her-death-20250825-p5mpit.html

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/712958/nobodys-girl-by-virginia-roberts-giuffre/

—

Q Post #4923

Oct 21 2020 20:55:05 (EST)

https://twitter.com/VRSVirginia/status/1319071346282778624

Dearest Virginia -

We stand with you.

Now and always.

Find peace through prayer.

Never give up the good fight.

God bless you.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#4923

https://qanon.pub/#4568

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23509797 (260901ZAUG25) Notable: Iran ambassador expelled from Australia, Anthony Albanese accuses nation of directing antisemitic attacks – For the first time since WWII, Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador after ASIO concluded Iran directed arson attacks on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue and Sydney’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, flanked by AFP chief Reece Kershaw, ASIO director Mike Burgess and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, said Iran’s “extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression” sought to terrify Jewish Australians and divide society. Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three officials were given seven days to leave. Burgess said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps used “a complex web of proxies,” including organised crime, to hide its role. Australia also suspended operations at its Tehran embassy.

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>>109584

Iran ambassador expelled from Australia, Anthony Albanese accuses nation of directing antisemitic attacks

For the first time since WWII, a foreign ambassador has been expelled from Australia. The PM gave the diplomat 30 minutes warning before holding a bombshell conference.

Samantha Maiden - August 26, 2025

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Australia’s spy agency ASIO has found that Iran was responsible for a string of anti-semitic attacks in Australia in a bombshell finding that has prompted the expulsion of Iran’s ambassador.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the shock announcement today flanked by AFP chief Reece Kershaw, ASIO boss Mike Burgess and Foreign Minister Penny Wong.

The anti-semitic campaign linked to Iran includes the attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne that occurred on December 6, 2024, when two masked men set fire to the building.

The spy agency believes there are also links with the attacks on the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Bondi, Sydney, which was damaged in firebombings in October last year.

Iranian ambassador to Australia Ahmad Sadeghi was told just 30 minutes before the press conference that he - and three other officials - were being expelled from the country.

The group - declared “persona non grata” - have seven days to leave. It also marks the first time since World War II that Australia has expelled a foreign ambassador.

ASIO stressed the Iranian embassy and its diplomats were not involved in the attacks.

“ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks,’’ the Prime Minister said.

“Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses, it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental kitchen in Sydney on October 20 last year, and the Adas Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 last year.

“ASIO assesses it is likely Iran directed further attacks as well.

“It is totally unacceptable, and the Australian Government is taking strong and decisive action in response. A short time ago, we informed the Iranian Ambassador to Australia that he would be expelled. We have suspended operations at our embassy in Tehran.”

The government also advised all Australians to leave Iran if they can do so safely.

“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” Mr Albanese said.

”They have sought to harm and terrorise Jewish Australians and sow hatred and division in our community.”

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the conduct was completely unacceptable.

“They have tried to divide the Australian community, and they have done so with acts of aggression that not only sought to terrify Australians, but put Australia’s - Australian lives in danger,’’ Senator Wong said.

“There is no doubt that these extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil have crossed a line.

“And that’s why we have declared Iran’s ambassador to Australia persona non grata, as well as three other Iranian officials and they’ll have seven days to leave the country.

“This is the first time in the postwar period that Australia has expelled an ambassador. Iran’s actions are completely unacceptable.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23509808 (260912ZAUG25) Notable: Shock tactics: Why Albanese had to send the Iranians packing – "By booting out Sadeghi and three other Iranian officials, the federal government has skipped all the interim steps available to it and gone straight to the diplomatic equivalent of the nuclear option. This suggests two things. First, that ASIO boss Mike Burgess is absolutely certain of the intelligence to hand… Second, it underscores the fact that the government’s rhetoric about wanting to stamp out antisemitism and ensure social cohesion… is genuine. Today’s move was not weak… symbolically, the expulsion of Sadeghi is a big deal because of the message it sends to Iran, and other nations such as China and Russia… that they will be called out and publicly humiliated if caught." – James Massola, The Age

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>>109584

>>109585

Shock tactics: Why Albanese had to send the Iranians packing

James Massola - August 26, 2025

The expulsion of Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, marks a shocking new low in diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

It also highlights just how serious the crisis of antisemitism has become in Australia, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and spy chief Mike Burgess revealed that Iran was involved in directing two antisemitic attacks in Australia, at the Adass Synagogue in Melbourne and the Lewis’ Continental Kitchen in Sydney.

Diplomatic expulsions of any sort are extraordinarily rare.

In the cautious world of diplomacy, there are usually multiple steps that are taken before expulsion including carefully worded protests, diplomatic démarches (essentially an ambassador getting a dressing down from a foreign minister) and even dispatching an ambassador to their home country for a spell to signal discontent.

A 2022 Parliamentary Library research paper highlights just how rare expulsions are. Since 1983, a handful of Russian, Iraqi and Syrian lower-ranking diplomats have been expelled on the grounds they were suspecting of spying, while one South African and one Israeli were also sent packing.

But as Albanese made clear, “this is the first time in the postwar period that Australia has expelled an ambassador”.

By booting out Sadeghi and three other Iranian officials, the federal government has skipped all the interim steps available to it and gone straight to the diplomatic equivalent of the nuclear option.

This suggests two things.

First, that ASIO boss Mike Burgess is absolutely certain of the intelligence to hand which showed Iran used third parties both in and outside Australia, with some links to criminal organisations, to direct and put into effect two of the most serious antisemitic attacks in Australia in years. Burgess also said that investigations are ongoing and that Iran may have had a role in other attacks.

Second, it underscores the fact that the government’s rhetoric about wanting to stamp out antisemitism and ensure social cohesion – despite the criticism it has faced from sections of the Jewish community, the federal opposition, and the Israeli government – is genuine.

Government concerns about foreign interference in Australia’s domestic politics and civil society have been growing for close to a decade, and former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced tougher laws that sought to tackle head on foreign powers interfering in Australian society.

Burgess warned in his 2022 “threat assessment” speech that “espionage and foreign interference has supplanted terrorism as our principal security concern”, while in his 2023 speech he said a “hive of spies” from an unnamed foreign country (later revealed to be Russia) had been disrupted and deported.

But there is a big difference between deporting a low-ranking Russian apparatchik and expelling a nation’s chief diplomat.

This is also Albanese’s clearest signal of how serious his government is about tackling antisemitism at its source.

Australia’s Jewish community has been sounding the alarm about the rise of antisemitism in this country ever since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

It was only a week ago that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labelled Albanese “weak” and castigated him for abandoning Australia’s Jewish community, after Albanese announced Australia was joining like-minded allies and moving towards recognising a Palestinian state.

Today’s move was not weak.

Australia and Iran are neither allies nor major trading partners.

There is a small Iranian-born diaspora in Australia of about 85,000 people, though it’s likely that many of those Iranian-Australians are fierce opponents of the vicious theocracy that has ruled Iran since the 1979 revolution that deposed the Shah.

The practical effect on the Australian economy and the diplomatic relationship may not matter much.

But symbolically, the expulsion of Sadeghi is a big deal because of the message it sends to Iran, and other nations such as China and Russia engaged in foreign interference operations on Australian soil, that they will be called out and publicly humiliated if caught.

Australia might be on the other side of the world to the Middle East, but these Iranian influence operations are a reminder that we are on the frontlines when it comes to foreign interference.

And Iran isn’t even our number one competitor.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/shock-tactics-why-albanese-had-to-send-the-iranians-packing-20250826-p5mpz1.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23509816 (260931ZAUG25) Notable: Labor is taking decisive action on Iran’s attacks, but the warnings were there for Anthony Albanese — "The evil actions of Ali Khamenei’s Islamic Republic of Iran in orchestrating the firebombings of the Adass Israel Synagogue and Lewis’ Continental Kitchen is the tip of the iceberg… Anthony Albanese has taken decisive action… The Iranian-backed attacks on Australian soil, which drove waves of copycat plots and anti-Semitic incidents, is a dramatic escalation that widens the net outside of espionage, foreign interference and cyber attacks… Yet their past comments and actions are not easily forgotten by Jewish-Australians… Iran, which funds and supplies Islamic terror groups including Hezbollah and Hamas… has always been an enemy of Australia… The interconnectedness between enemy states, organised crime gangs and street thugs poses a clear and present danger for Australia’s security." — Geoff Chambers, The Australian

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>>109584

>>109585

Labor is taking decisive action on Iran’s attacks, but the warnings were there for Anthony Albanese

GEOFF CHAMBERS - 26 August 2025

The evil actions of Ali Khamenei’s Islamic Republic of Iran in orchestrating the firebombings of the Adass Israel Synagogue and Lewis’ Continental Kitchen is the tip of the iceberg.

After ASIO director-general Mike Burgess on Monday informed the government that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was directly involved in the synagogue arson in Melbourne and attack on a Jewish-run kosher restaurant in Bondi, Anthony Albanese has taken decisive action.

The Prime Minister and Burgess revealed the shocking revelations on Tuesday shortly after the government expelled Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three of Tehran’s top operatives in Canberra – the first expulsion of an ambassador since World War II.

In the wake of Hamas’s murderous attacks against innocent Israelis on October 7, 2023, ­Sadeghi publicly incited anti-­Israel hate but received only light reprimands from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade over his anti-Semitic vomit.

The Iranian-backed attacks on Australian soil, which drove waves of copycat plots and anti-Semitic incidents, is a dramatic escalation that widens the net outside of espionage, foreign interference and cyber attacks.

The explosion in anti-Semitic incidents targeting Jewish-­Australians and the government’s immediate response to the synagogue terror attack heaped pressure on Albanese, who often struggled to manage the crisis as Labor ministers elevated the scourge of Islamophobia.

The Albanese government has been told not all anti-Semitic attacks in Australia are linked to the IRGC. While investigations are ongoing in some cases, Iranian-backed attacks should not diminish dozens of other anti-Semitic incidents across the country.

Extreme elements in the pro-Palestinian movement are fuelling a new wave of anti-Semitism, which concerns some senior government figures.

Albanese, Tony Burke and Penny Wong – who have been locked in a war of words with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the government’s decision to formally recognise Palestine as a state – on Tuesday were careful to keep the focus on anti-Semitism and supporting the ­Jewish-Australian community.

Yet their past comments and actions are not easily forgotten by Jewish-Australians.

When Israel in June launched targeted attacks against Iran ­focused on nuclear and military ­facilities, the Albanese government urged caution and called for de-escalation.

Iran, which funds and supplies Islamic terror groups including Hezbollah and Hamas, which call for the destruction of Israel, has always been an enemy of Australia.

Amid tensions between the Australian and Israeli governments, Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion is right in saying “Israel’s enemies are Australia’s enemies” and that the “Iranian regime has demonstrated that anti-Semitism is a threat not only to the Jews, it is a threat to civilisation”.

Burgess and outgoing Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw have repeatedly warned of the rising threat posed by extremism, espionage and foreign interference.

The interconnectedness between enemy states, organised crime gangs and street thugs poses a clear and present danger for Australia’s security.

ASIO and AFP investigators have been connecting the dots, threading together a complex network of encrypted communi­cations, cryptocurrency and finan­cial transactions crisscrossing the globe. This involved cracking anonymising technology, including dedicated encrypted communication devices used to co-ordinate the Iranian-backed attacks.

Investigators focused on young criminals based in Australia who were actively recruited, radicalised online and encouraged to commit anti-Semitic attacks.

The forensic investigation, supported by Five Eyes security partners including the US and other intelligence agencies, was built around the need to gather hard evidence.

In his Hawke Lecture delivered on July 31, Burgess listed China, Russia and Iran as countries targeting Australian secrets but warned people that there were many other nation states seeking to undermine our security.

As China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and other countries forge closer security and intelligence ties in an increasingly fragmented world, the schism between Western democracies and autocracies is deepening at a frightening pace.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/how-asio-cracked-the-code-and-found-out-iran-was-plotting-attacks-on-australias-jewish-community/news-story/cf776ef2a199d2886de157dfd16c7f6d

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514551 (270923ZAUG25) Notable: Second man faces court for Adass Israel firebombing, a day after Iran exposed as behind the attacks — A 20-year-old Meadow Heights man, Ali Younes, has faced Melbourne Magistrates Court charged with arson, conduct endangering life and theft of a motor vehicle over the firebombing of the $20m Adass Israel Synagogue in Ripponlea last December. Police allege Younes was one of three masked men who broke in and set the building alight while about 20 people were inside. He is also accused of stealing a blue Volkswagen Golf used in the attack and linked to other crimes. Co-accused Giovanni Laulu, 21, was charged last month. Neither man has entered a plea.

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>>109447

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>>109585

Second man faces court for Adass Israel firebombing, a day after Iran exposed as behind the attacks

GEORGIE KIBEL - 27 August 2025

A second man has faced court over the alleged firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue, valued at about $20m, a day after it was revealed Iran was behind the attack.

Ali Younes, 20, appeared via video link from Metropolitan Remand Centre on Wednesday for a brief filing hearing.

The Meadow Heights man was charged by the Victorian Joint Counter Terrorism Team with arson, conduct endangering life and theft of a motor vehicle for his alleged involvement in the destruction of the Ripponlea place of worship in the early hours of December 6 last year.

Police will allege Mr Younes is one of three individuals who broke into the synagogue on Glen Eira Ave, and deliberately set it on fire.

Charge sheets released by the Magistrates Court allege that Mr Younes “did engage in conduct namely setting fire to the Adass Israel Synagogue … while persons were inside, that placed those persons in danger of death”.

About 20 people were reported to be inside the place of worship when it was set alight.

CCTV footage released this year showed masked men smashing their way into the property – estimated to be valued at about $20m – with one carrying a red jerry can. Flames then engulfed the building.

The charge sheets revealed Mr Younes was accused of stealing the blue Volkswagen Golf in which the three offenders arrived at the scene .

Police believe the vehicle was used as a “communal crime car” and has been connected to a string of unrelated incidents – including a firebombing at South Yarra’s Lux Nightclub.

Mr Younes wore a green prison-issued bomber style jacket, and was mostly expressionless throughout the hearing.

He did not apply for bail and his lawyer did not declare any custody management issues.

Last month, Mr Younes’s co-accused – 21-year-old Werribee man Giovanni Laulu – was charged with arson, recklessly endangering life and vehicle theft.

The offence of arson carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment, while theft of motor vehicle and conduct endangering life both carry a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.

Neither man has yet been required to enter a plea. They will return to Melbourne Magistrates Court on December 4.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/second-man-faces-court-for-adass-israel-firebombing-a-day-after-iran-exposed-as-behind-the-attacks/news-story/dddfb8ac2e2ca5683f5f16ddd84a78fd

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514558 (270930ZAUG25) Notable: Australia 'primarily' responsible for investigation that uncovered Iran links to antisemitic attacks — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed ASIO was “primarily” responsible for uncovering Iran’s role in the firebombings of Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue and Sydney’s Lewis’ Continental Kitchen. He said the investigation traced perpetrators “right through to the funding” and identified individuals both offshore and onshore. Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the expulsions of its ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi and three officials as an “assault on diplomacy,” linking them to domestic criticism of Israel. ASIO said Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps used “cut-outs” to direct the attacks. Operations at Australia’s Tehran embassy have been suspended, and the IRGC will be listed as a terrorist organisation.

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>>109584

>>109585

Australia 'primarily' responsible for investigation that uncovered Iran links to antisemitic attacks

Maani Truu, Claudia Long, and Olivia Caisley - 26 August 2025

Iran has criticised Australia's move to cut diplomatic ties with the regime after an investigation found the country directed antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne, labelling it an "assault on diplomacy".

ASIO chief Mike Burgess on Tuesday accused Iran of ordering the attacks on Adass Israel Synagogue and Lewis Continental Kitchen in October and December, prompting the expulsion of Iran's ambassador to Australia from the country.

Responding publicly to the revelations for the first time, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said the move appeared to be influenced by "domestic developments" in Australia, citing recent protests against the war in Gaza.

"It appears that this action against Iran, effectively an assault on diplomacy and the relationship between the two nations, is being used to offset the modest criticism Australia has recently directed at the Zionist regime," he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed late on Tuesday that Australia was primarily responsible for the investigation that uncovered Iran's alleged links to the attack.

In an interview with the ABC, he dismissed a question about whether those findings were a result of a joint investigation with other countries.

"No, it was primarily ASIO's investigation, and ASIO came to this determination," he said.

"They have been able to trace the whole line-up, if you like, from the perpetrators who physically committed the crimes, the actions, right through to the funding of those criminal acts."

The ABC understands that partner intelligence was used in one case, but it did not confirm Iran's involvement, and that the majority of intelligence was Australian-based.

Mr Burgess said the investigation found Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed the attack through a series of "cut-outs" or third parties and that some perpetrators were paid.

Evidence uncovered during the investigation leading to certain individuals is "clear", the prime minister told ABC's 7.30, confirming that their identities are known.

"We certainly have the identity of people that were involved offshore, as well as onshore, the elements that were used to carry out these attacks," he said.

Mr Albanese did not say whether the individuals within the Revolutionary Guard identified by the investigation would be sanctioned, but added that the government would "take whatever action is appropriate".

The Iranian ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three other officials have already been expelled and given seven days to leave Australia.

ASIO confirmed no diplomats or embassy staff were involved in the attacks.

Meanwhile, operations at Australia's embassy in Tehran have been suspended, with all diplomats already out of the country.

Pending legislation, the government will also designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, a move that has been welcomed by the opposition.

Mr Burgess flagged that ASIO believed Iran may have also been behind other antisemitic attacks.

The spy agency and the Australian Federal Police will continue their investigations into Iran’s interference in Australia, the prime minister said, including the regime’s activities targeting Australian citizens.

"What we will continue to do is to work with the agencies. ASIO are very aware of the activities that have occurred, including two Australians of Iranian descent who've been harassed here."

"This is a very complex situation that they have worked through and they have kept the government and our appropriate committees informed at regular intervals about the work that's been taking place."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08-26/prime-minister-iran-links-antisemitic-attacks/105700422

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514579 (270947ZAUG25) Notable: Video: Israeli government claims credit for pushing Albanese to expel Iranian diplomats — Israel has claimed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “forthright intervention” shamed Australia into expelling Iranian ambassador Ahmad Sadeghi after ASIO linked Tehran to antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne. Israeli spokesman David Mencer said Australia was now “taking the threats seriously,” while Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke dismissed the claim as “complete nonsense,” insisting the decision was based solely on ASIO’s findings. Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed Netanyahu’s insult, branding Anthony Albanese a “weak politician,” while Tehran rejected responsibility and threatened reciprocal action, accusing Canberra of appeasing Israel and ignoring “genocide” in Gaza.

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>>109585

Israeli government claims credit for pushing Albanese to expel Iranian diplomats

Matthew Doran - 27 August 2025

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The Israeli government is claiming credit for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and intelligence agencies publicising Iranian involvement in antisemitic attacks on Australian soil, as well as kicking Tehran's envoy out of Canberra.

On Tuesday, Mr Albanese and ASIO director-general Mike Burgess accused Iran of directing at least two attacks in Sydney and Melbourne.

In protest, the government announced it would expel Iran's ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, and three other diplomats.

Australia's diplomatic mission in Tehran has been suspended, and officials have already left the country.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) will also be labelled a terrorist organisation under Australian law.

Mr Albanese was personally called out again for the move, with Iran echoing Benjamin Netanyahu's criticisms from last week.

Officials in Israel had refused to comment for hours after the announcement, pointing only to a statement from the Israeli embassy in Canberra welcoming the move.

But in a press briefing overnight, Israeli government spokesperson David Mencer effectively accused Australia of being shamed into acting.

"Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu has made a very forthright intervention when it comes to Australia, a country in which we have a long history of friendly relations," Mr Mencer said in response to a question from the ABC.

"He made those comments because he did not believe that the actions of the Australian government had gone anywhere near far enough to address the issues of antisemitism. He made very forthright comments about the prime minister himself.

"We certainly see it from Israel that Australia taking the threats against Israel and the Jewish people, Jewish Australians living in Australia — for the Australian government to take those threats seriously is a positive outcome."

Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said it was "complete nonsense" for Israel to claim credit.

"There was not a minute between us receiving this assessment [from ASIO] and us starting to work through what we would do as a response," Mr Burke told ABC Radio National.

"We've taken this action because Iran has attacked Australians. No other country is involved in terms of that conclusion."

Last week, a diplomatic furore erupted as Mr Netanyahu labelled Mr Albanese a "weak" leader who had "betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews".

The day before, Israel announced it would tear up the visas of Australian diplomats working in the West Bank in protest against the Albanese government's moves to recognise a Palestinian state and block controversial Israel figures wanting to travel to Israel.

"Jewish Australians felt threatened," Mr Mencer said.

"The relationship between this country and Australia was damaged, and so it's welcome that after the Prime Minister Netanyahu's timely intervention that these actions have been taken by Australia's government."

Mr Mencer added that it was up to Australia to decide how to respond to the threat of foreign interference from Iran.

"The government of Iran are a wholly negative influence on world affairs — they desire, they openly say, they wish to wipe this country [Israel] off the face of the earth," he said.

"They have around the world, in London, and now it seems in Australia as well, are actively seeking to attack Jewish communities and other Israeli interests or targets in Israel."

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514611 (271010ZAUG25) Notable: Loud bangs heard, as police reveal identities of cops allegedly killed by fugitive Dezi Freeman — Victoria Police has named Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, as the officers killed in Tuesday’s Porepunkah ambush. Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said the loss “has struck at the heart of Victoria Police,” describing both men as heroes. Thompson was a 38-year veteran nearing retirement; De Waart, a linguist and traveller, joined in 2018. As colleagues and leaders offered tributes, the hunt for alleged gunman Dezi Freeman intensified with roadblocks, a no-fly zone, and Special Operations Group units searching bushland where Freeman, armed and skilled in survival, remains at large.

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>>109588

Loud bangs heard, as police reveal identities of cops allegedly killed by fugitive Dezi Freeman

As bad weather closes in, those pursuing alleged double cop killer Dezi Freeman know it could take days before police are able to flush out a man with nothing to lose. Now they have named his alleged victims.

JOHN FERGUSON - 27 August 2025

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The identities of the two slain police victims of the Porepunkah ambush have been revealed by the force on Wednesday.

Killed were Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson, 59, a 38-year veteran of Victoria Police, and Senior Constable Vadim De Waart, 35, who joined the force in 2018.

Both men have been hailed as heroes by their colleagues after being allegedly gunned down by Dezi Freeman in a firefight on Tuesday morning that also seriously injured a third officer.

Chief Commissioner Mike Bush said: “This devastating loss of Neal and Vadim has struck at the heart of Victoria Police, the broader policing family and the community of Porepunkah.

“In the coming days, weeks and months, we will all grieve this loss and deeply miss our colleagues and friends who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

“It is not lost on me that our members take a risk every time they go to work to protect the Victorian community. While we all live with the knowledge that the worst could happen on a shift, we don’t expect it to.

“In these difficult times it is so important that our people stand together and support each other, and I have full confidence that we will all do this with dignity and respect.”

Police said Mr Thompson joined in September 1987 and spent seven years in general duties at Collingwood police station.

Mr Thompson then worked as a detective at the Major Fraud Squad and the State Crime Squad, before moving to Wangaratta CIU in July 2007.

“Neal was an adventurer and enjoyed all things outdoors. He loved getting out in nature, and his friends and colleagues regularly joined him on these trips,’’ police said.

“Neal had spent the past six years alongside his partner, Lisa, the love of his life. Since the pair met, Neal had found new purpose and was planning in earnest for his imminent retirement.

“Together with Lisa, Neal had built a new home and had a long list of tasks planned after he knocked off work for the last time.’’

Mr De Waart started his career at the Victoria Police Academy in December 2018.

“Following his training, Vadim joined St Kilda police station where he worked for three years, before joining PORT as a senior constable in April 2023. At the time of his passing, Vadim was on temporary assignment in Wangaratta,’’ police said.

“An eternal optimist and avid traveller, Vadim was fluent in French, Spanish, Flemish and English. He had also completed scuba dives all around the world and motorcycling trips more locally with his friends and colleagues.

“He was a keen gin collector and always picked up a local bottle on his overseas adventures for his large collection at home. While travelling was his passion, Vadim was extremely proud to have purchased his first home in Melbourne in recent years.

“Vadim is survived by his beloved parents Carolina and Alain, who live in his native Belgium, and his younger brother Sacha, who lives in Switzerland. Closer to home in Melbourne, he leaves behind his aunty Jacqueline, uncle Shane, uncle Peter, aunty Maria and his cousins Christopher, Jeremy, Laura and Tessa.’’

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514638 (271026ZAUG25) Notable: Allies bowing to defence demands, Hegseth boasts after Marles meeting — US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Indo-Pacific allies were “stepping up” on military spending just hours after his talks with Richard Marles in Washington on the AUKUS submarine pact. Marles also pitched Australia as a “reliable” supplier of critical minerals while seeking relief from Donald Trump’s tariffs, and met with Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Trump aide Stephen Miller. Hegseth wants Australia to lift defence spending from 2% to 3.5% of GDP, but Labor has so far resisted, leaving the Pentagon review of AUKUS under Elbridge Colby unresolved.

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Allies bowing to defence demands, Hegseth boasts after Marles meeting

Jessica Gardner and Andrew Tillett - Aug 27, 2025

Washington/Canberra | US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has boasted that allies in the Indo-Pacific have heeded Donald Trump’s demands to lift military spending, just hours after talks with Richard Marles on the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal.

The defence minister also pushed Australia’s case as a reliable and plentiful supplier of critical minerals for new technologies – an offer Labor has put repeatedly as it seeks relief for exporters from Donald Trump’s tariffs – in face-to-face talks with high-ranking US officials.

Marles made a sudden dash to Washington this week, skipping parliament, amid growing concerns over differences between Canberra and Washington on trade and defence spending and the outcome of a Pentagon review into the AUKUS submarine pact.

While the purpose of the trip was to meet Hegseth, it took several days for Marles to lock in a time with the colourful defence secretary.

Marles shared photographs of his encounter with Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) in Washington, highlighting that a diplomatic blunder was avoided but providing little detail about the engagement.

Marles said in a post on social media platform X that he was able “to reaffirm” Australia’s commitment to its longstanding alliance with the US to Vance and Hegseth.

As well as the meeting with Vance, Marles met Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who is regarded as one of the president’s most loyal and influential aides, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio is also filling in as Trump’s national security adviser, giving him Trump’s ear.

Marles’ meeting with such high-ranking figures could pave the way for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to have his first face-to-face meeting with Trump sooner rather than later. The date of that long-awaited meeting remains up in the air.

Hegseth has pushed for Australia to lift defence spending to 3.5 per cent of gross domestic product, up from 2 per cent, which put some strain on the relationship, amid a broader push that American allies boost their military budgets.

After the Albanese government rebuffed the request, it was revealed that Hegseth’s Pentagon policy chief, Elbridge Colby, was conducting a review of the AUKUS nuclear-submarine pact.

Following his meeting with Marles, much of Hegseth’s day on Tuesday was taken up by a live-streamed cabinet meeting in the White House, which went for more than three hours.

Hegseth sat to the left of Trump, who encouraged each of his cabinet secretaries to speak about their successes in the first eight months of his second term, especially any initiatives that were “bringing jobs back to America”.

“Whether it’s Europe ... our allies [will be] paying 5 per cent now. Our allies in the Indo-Pacific [are] stepping up to do the same,” Hegseth said.

“That’s a recognition that American leadership is here.”

Labor is already increasing defence spending, albeit not at the rate the US is demanding, but Marles has left the door open to a further rise next year when Defence updates its integrated investment program – the 10-year blueprint for new weapons.

During Marles’ meetings, the ministers and the Americans discussed deepening the military alliance between Australia and the US, including through AUKUS and US deployment of forces to Australian military bases.

Marles reiterated the importance of defence co-operation to the Indo-Pacific amid a time of strategic competition in our region with China.

Marles also highlighted Australia’s potential as one of the largest resources deposits to meet increasing global and domestic demand for critical minerals and rare earths needed for energy, technology and defence. He also emphasised the importance of two-way investment.

“Australia’s defence relationship with the United States continues to grow and deepen,” Marles said.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/allies-bowing-to-defence-demands-hegseth-boasts-after-marles-meeting-20250827-p5mq3v

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514649 (271031ZAUG25) Notable: Marles’ mystery visit to US raises more questions than answers amid mix-ups — "Richard Marles was on a mission for Australia this week in Washington DC, but his purpose and whether he succeeded are mysteries. His meetings with the Trump administration have raised more questions than answers… The Defence Minister’s main public reason for rushing to Washington was to meet Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth… As revealed by The Australian, Marles touched down in Washington to find that no meeting with Hegseth had been locked in. In the end, Marles did see the Defence Secretary - although it appears they spoke only briefly. A readout from the Australian side revealed that Marles discussed critical minerals and rare earths, investment opportunities, US-Australia defence ties including AUKUS, US force-posture initiatives and growing ties between both nations’ defence industrial bases as well as the need for deeper defence industry engagement. Yet, his overall agenda with the administration remains opaque - including whether he may have laid the groundwork for a face-to-face meeting between the President and the Prime Minister. On these issues, it may better serve the government’s political interests to embrace ambiguity rather than clarity." — Joe Kelly, The Australian

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Marles’ mystery visit to US raises more questions than answers amid mix-ups

JOE KELLY - 27 August 2025

Richard Marles was on a mission for Australia this week in Washington DC, but his purpose and whether he succeeded are mysteries.

His meetings with the Trump administration have raised more questions than answers and the evidence suggests the visit did not go according to script.

The Deputy Prime Minister left the US on Tuesday, local time, after cancelling a news conference and without answering a single question from the media.

His key engagements appeared to have been secured at the last minute – lending the entire trip an improvised atmospheric. Yet, on the surface, it must be seen as a success.

Marles obtained in-person meetings with Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House – two of the most powerful people in the Trump administration.

He also met White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.

This should be seen as a clear symbol of the strong relationship between Canberra and Washington and the high-level access afforded to Australian ministers – a good news story for the Albanese government.

Except this isn’t why Marles said he was travelling to America.

The Defence Minister’s main public reason for rushing to Washington was to meet Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

This was crucial given Australia is under immense pressure from the US after rebuffing a request – by Hegseth – to increase defence spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP.

A major review being conducted by the Pentagon into the landmark AUKUS agreement also threatens plans for Washington to sell Australia Virginia-class submarines from the early 2030s.

The situation has been made more uncertain given Anthony Albanese’s failure to meet Donald Trump and the growing rift with Washington on key policy matters – including recognition of a Palestinian state.

Marles may have been on a simple mission to assure the US that it could still rely on Australia as an ally and partner. But there was a major problem.

As revealed by The Australian, Marles touched down in Washington to find that no meeting with Hegseth had been locked in. This sparked a diplomatic scramble on Monday, local time, and a short time later news emerged of meetings the next day with Vance, Rubio and Miller. The source of the mix-up with Hegseth and whether it was reflective of a deeper problem in the alliance relationship is unclear but unlikely.

Australian officials believe it was the result of a scheduling clash on the US side.

In the end, Marles did see the Defence Secretary – although it appears they spoke only briefly.

While Marles issued a statement saying that he met Vance and Rubio to “reaffirm our commitment to the alliance and advance our strong partnership”, his engagement with Hegseth was given a more cosmetic description.

“It was fantastic to see Secretary Hegseth again, following our most recent meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue in May,” Marles said.

He posted photos on social media of himself standing alongside both Vance and Hegseth, declaring the alliance was “built on our shared history of deep collaboration”.

A readout from the Australian side revealed that Marles discussed critical minerals and rare earths, investment opportunities, US-Australia defence ties including AUKUS, US force-posture initiatives and growing ties between both nations’ defence industrial bases as well as the need for deeper defence industry engagement. Yet, his overall agenda with the administration remains opaque – including whether he may have laid the groundwork for a face-to-face meeting between the President and the Prime Minister.

There is also no illumination on whether assurances were provided by the US on the future of AUKUS or if a further request was made for the Albanese government to increase the defence budget.

On these issues, it may better serve the government’s political interests to embrace ambiguity rather than clarity.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/marles-mystery-visit-to-us-raises-more-questions-than-answers-amid-mixups/news-story/5299a98ab687d6db56ce879e78f75eef

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/23514674 (271041ZAUG25) Notable: Beijing to Canberra: ‘Say no to AUKUS’ — Beijing has used the rift between the Albanese government and the Trump administration over defence spending to renew pressure on Australia to abandon AUKUS. In a China Daily editorial, Beijing said Canberra should “exercise strategic autonomy” and “say no to AUKUS,” calling the pact a Cold War project serving only to heighten tensions. The piece cited Paul Keating’s view that Washington might “save Australia from itself.” The warning came as Defence Minister Richard Marles met US counterparts in Washington, and ahead of a major PLA parade showcasing new hypersonic and strategic missile systems.

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Beijing to Canberra: ‘Say no to AUKUS’

WILL GLASGOW - 27 August 2025

Beijing has seized on the rift between the Albanese government and the Trump administration over defence spending to argue that Australia should follow Paul Keating’s counsel and “say no to AUKUS”.

Xi Jinping’s government delivered the message in the lead editorial on Wednesday in the state-owned China Daily, Beijing’s most authoritative English language masthead.

“As the Pentagon is now reviewing the AUKUS security pact between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Canberra needs to decide whether it is still ready to push ahead with this US-led project that goes against its own national interests in many aspects,” the China Daily editorialised.

“The purported aim is to counter what the US and its allies perceive to be a ‘China threat’ in the Asia-Pacific through enhanced trilateral security and defence collaboration,” continued the state-owned masthead, which is overseen by Beijing’s Propaganda Ministry.

“China has firmly opposed the plan since it was announced, saying it is driven by a Cold War mentality and serves only to increase tensions in the region,” the China Daily wrote.

“Now, with the current US administration’s review of AUKUS being conducted to make sure it meets the ‘America First’ agenda, the possibility has emerged that the project might be put on hold or even dropped.”

Beijing has opposed the AUKUS pact ever since it was announced in September 2021. The defence sharing agreement was conceived by then Prime Minister Scott Morrison and became a centrepiece of the Biden administration’s attempt to work with allies to create collective deterrence against future military aggression by China.

The AUKUS pact is currently under review by Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby, leading some of its longstanding critics to argue that it may be shelved.

Amid the review, Defence Minister Richard Marles this week visited Washington for meetings with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Vice President JD Vance and White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller.

Mr Marles cancelled a planned press conference in Washington amid ongoing speculation about when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will meet with US President Donald Trump. Eight months after the American president’s inauguration, the two leaders have still not met in person.

The Wednesday editorial continues Beijing’s four year effort to talk Canberra out of the AUKUS pact, which the China Daily characterised as a “lopsided arrangement where the US calls the shots with the unilateral right to cancel any aspect of the deal”.

“This has prompted former Australian prime minister Paul Keating to express the hope the ongoing review ‘might very well be the moment Washington saves Australia from itself’.”

Beijing’s excitement about fissures in the US-Australian defence partnership comes as the People’s Liberation Army prepares for a huge display of its increasingly potent military power.

Next week, President Xi will be joined by Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders for a military parade in central Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of what it calls the victory in the “Chinese people’s war of resistance against Japanese aggression and the world anti-fascist war”.

A PLA major general last week said the parade will include the debut of hypersonic, antimissile defence and strategic missiles “to exhibit our strong strategic deterrence capabilities”.

China has undertaken a huge military build up over the past three decades as its economy has grown into the world’s second biggest.

That build up, along with the PLA’s increasingly assertive behaviour in the region, has concerned capitals around the region, including Canberra.

Beijing dismisses those concerns, including in its barbs against the China-focused AUKUS agreement.

“Under the plan, Australia will spend huge amounts of money on a navy transformation based on the false belief that China, its largest trading partner and export market for the past 16 years, ‘threatens’ the country’s security,” the China Daily wrote in its Wednesday editorial.

“The assumption, which has no historical or contemporary proof to support it, will only jeopardise the mutually beneficial partnership between the two countries.

“Canberra should come to terms with reality and exercise strategic autonomy in handling China-related issues … It should say no to AUKUS.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/beijing-to-canberra-say-no-to-aukus/news-story/ba039e2b63252689fb150f4fd5638642

https://www.chinadailyasia.com/hk/article/618702