/qnotables26/ - ===Q Notables 2026===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24974547 (261007ZAUG26) Notable: SAS witnesses in Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes murder trial warned their names may become public - Former SAS soldiers who could testify in Ben Roberts-Smith’s war crimes murder case have been warned their identities are no longer automatically protected and they may need court orders to remain anonymous. Veterans previously covered by Defence’s “protected identity status” were reportedly surprised by the change, which could complicate proceedings involving classified and sensitive evidence. Roberts-Smith is accused of responsibility for the deaths of five prisoners in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012. Prosecutors are preparing procedures for providing his lawyers with confidential material, initially in redacted form, followed by an unredacted brief for security-cleared lawyers. At least 138 witnesses received pseudonyms during Roberts-Smith’s unsuccessful defamation case, while four former soldiers cooperating with prosecutors remain protected by separate non-publication orders.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75145

SAS witnesses in Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes murder trial warned their names may become public

Former SAS soldiers who could be called as witnesses in the Ben Roberts-Smith murder case have been told their identities are no longer protected, and they will have to apply to a judge to remain anonymous.

Aaron Patrick - 25 August 2026

1/2

Dozens of former SAS soldiers who could be called as witnesses in the Ben Roberts-Smith murder case have been told by the Office of the Special Investigator that their identities are no longer protected and they will have to apply to a judge to remain anonymous.

The letters surprised some veterans of the elite regiment who appeared in a defamation case mounted by Mr Roberts-Smith and were granted pseudonyms to testify for or against the famous ex-corporal.

Two sources with first-hand knowledge of the case said potential witnesses have been told they are no longer covered under a Defence Department regulation known as “protected identity status” that prevents current SAS soldiers, commandos and some other soldiers from being named without their permission.

The rule used to apply to retired and ex-special forces soldiers but was changed ahead of the prosecution of ex-SAS trooper Oliver Schulz on a murder charge, according to a source.

The development will force veterans to seek court orders if they want to testify anonymously, further complicating what has already been dubbed the “murder trial of the decade”.

The Office of the Special Investigator, a Federal agency allocated $300 million to pursue veterans, said it did not comment on “operational matters”. The Defence Department declined to disclose when the identity rule for special forces veterans was changed or why.

Mr Roberts-Smith’s case will return to the NSW Local Court next Tuesday and on September 8 for procedural hearings about the handling and presentation of evidence against Mr Roberts-Smith, who is accused of responsibility for the death of five prisoners in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2012.

More popular than Trump

Despite the serious charges, the Victoria Cross awardee has significant public support. Research published Tuesday found that Mr Roberts-Smith is the second most popular public figure among One Nation voters after party leader and founder Pauline Hanson - and much more liked than US President Donald Trump.

Mr Roberts-Smith is regarded favourably by 69 per cent of One Nation supporters and unfavourably by 17 per cent, according to a poll of 1014 people conducted for Fitzpatrick & Co, a political consulting firm associated with the Labor Party.

The firm’s special counsel, Bruce Hawker, predicted Mr Roberts-Smith’s murder trial, which is likely years away, would split society in a way not seen since Australia’s most famous bushranger was tried and executed for murder in 1880.

“What we believe is when this thing comes to trial we are going to see very significant divisions and a level of campaigning around the issue that we probably haven’t seen in respect of someone who has been accused of such a serious crime since Ned Kelly,” he said.

An April survey by the same pollster found 50 per cent of Australians favoured the veteran compared to 30 per cent who did not, although were evenly split on whether he should have been charged.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24974589 (261029ZAUG26) Notable: Ghislaine Maxwell loses bid to overturn conviction for aiding Epstein - Ghislaine Maxwell has lost a bid to overturn her sex-trafficking conviction and secure release from her 20-year prison sentence. US federal Judge Paul Engelmayer rejected Maxwell’s habeas petition, describing nearly all her claims as procedurally barred or “frivolous” and finding no new evidence capable of undermining her conviction. Maxwell argued exculpatory information had been withheld and false testimony presented at her 2021 trial, resulting in a miscarriage of justice. Some claims relied on documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, but Engelmayer said the material was largely irrelevant and, where relevant, tended to incriminate Maxwell rather than exonerate her. He also rejected her claim that prosecutors selectively targeted her while declining to charge other alleged associates of Jeffrey Epstein. Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate, was convicted in December 2021. Engelmayer said the “overwhelming” testimonial and documentary evidence presented at trial conclusively established her guilt. Maxwell is currently serving her sentence at a prison camp in Texas.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>62998 (pb)

>>75080

Ghislaine Maxwell loses bid to overturn conviction for aiding Epstein

Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister - August 26, 2026

New York: Ghislaine Maxwell’s bid to overturn her sex-trafficking conviction and be freed from prison was rejected by a US federal judge on Tuesday (US time) who said the claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate that new evidence had emerged were “demonstrably meritless”.

Maxwell filed a habeas petition – a legal procedure challenging her detention – last December seeking to set aside her conviction and free her from a 20-year prison sentence, claiming exonerating information was withheld and false testimony presented at her trial, resulting in a “complete miscarriage of justice”.

Judge Paul A. Engelmayer rejected her arguments, saying in his written ruling they “all or almost all are frivolous” and that she had presented nothing that could upend the outcome of her trial.

“Nearly all its claims are procedurally barred; the overwhelming testimonial and documentary evidence adduced at trial conclusively established her guilt; and her petition’s claims are demonstrably meritless, and generally based on speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods,” Engelmayer wrote.

A request for comment was sent to lawyers who represented Maxwell in the past.

Habeas petitions are often filed as a last resort and to protect against unlawful confinement after appeals are exhausted, as happened after Maxwell’s conviction and sentencing.

Epstein, a millionaire financier, was arrested in July 2019 on sex-trafficking charges. Ordered detained until trial, he was found dead in his cell at a New York federal jail in August 2019 and the death was ruled a suicide.

Maxwell, a British socialite, was arrested a year later and was convicted of sex trafficking in December 2021. She was moved from a Florida prison to a prison camp in Texas last year, shortly after she was interviewed by the Justice Department’s then second-in-command, Todd Blanche, President Donald Trump’s former criminal defence attorney and now US attorney general.

The judge noted that many of Maxwell’s claims of “new evidence” stem from documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

As a result of that law, the Justice Department over the last eight months has released 18 categories of investigative materials gathered in the massive sex-trafficking probe, including search warrants, financial records, notes from interviews with victims and data from electronic devices.

Engelmayer said that material is “largely irrelevant to the charges against Maxwell and does not support her claims of error.”

“On the contrary, to the extent it is relevant, far from exculpating her, it incriminates her or reinforces the correctness of the legal rulings Maxwell challenges,” he wrote.

The judge also rejected Maxwell’s claim that she was selectively prosecuted and made a “scapegoat” when the Justice Department did not indict four co-conspirators named in a government document or 25 men who settled with victims.

Engelmayer said she could have raised that claim on appeal after her trial, but he found it to be frivolous nonetheless.

Among the recently released Justice Department documents, “she does not cite any that reveals the existence of an uncharged confederate, let alone one as instrumental as she in facilitating Epstein’s horrific crimes,” the judge said.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/ghislaine-maxwell-loses-bid-to-overturn-conviction-for-aiding-epstein-20260825-p60rjb.html

https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/17318376/united-states-v-maxwell/?order_by=desc

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612/gov.uscourts.nysd.539612.869.0.pdf

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24977810 (270947ZAUG26) Notable: Australia, Solomons push security reset as Pacific leaders weigh Wale plan - Australia and Solomon Islands will fast-track negotiations on a comprehensive bilateral security treaty as Prime Minister Matthew Wale seeks to reset Honiara’s regional security relationships. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Solomon Islands counterpart Rick Houenipwela will begin talks in Adelaide, with both governments reportedly seeking an agreement by year’s end. Wale also plans to promote a broader Pacific security treaty positioning Australia and New Zealand as the region’s principal security guarantors at the Pacific Islands Forum summit. He has pledged to review Solomon Islands’ 2022 security agreement with China, which enabled Chinese police deployments. Regional leaders will also discuss China’s recent nuclear-capable missile test, illicit drug trafficking, disaster response and climate change. China, Taiwan and the United States will participate in the Palau summit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>63050 (pb)

>>63051 (pb)

>>75095

Australia, Solomons push security reset as Pacific leaders weigh Wale plan

BEN PACKHAM - 26 August 2026

Australia and Solomon Islands will move to fast-track a new bilateral security treaty in talks on Thursday, sidelining China after years of closer policing ties between Honiara and Beijing.

The push comes ahead of next week’s Pacific Islands Forum, where Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale will seek a new multilateral agreement positioning Australia and New Zealand as the region’s main security guarantors.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Solomon Islands counterpart Rick Houenipwela will meet in Adelaide to kick off negoti­ations on the proposed comprehensive security treaty, as both countries look to formalise a reset in diplomatic ties following Mr Wale’s election in May.

Anthony Albanese has had a run of success with Pacific security deals in recent months, signing a new mutual defence treaty with Fiji and a hard-won agreement with Vanuatu, on top of an earlier alliance with Papua New Guinea.

When the Prime Minister visited Honiara in July, Mr Wale said: “They always say the best wine comes last … so we expect the best wine.”

Former Australian ambassador to Solomon Islands James Batley said it appeared both governments were “keen to finalise a treaty by the end of the year”.

Mr Wale’s bid for a new Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Regional Security Treaty is likely to be a more drawn-out process, with PIF foreign ministers calling earlier this month for “further consul­tations” on the proposal.

Mr Batley said the idea that the “Pacific family” should take the lead on regional security was becoming increasingly accepted, but there was likely to be some scepticism at next week’s PIF leaders’ summit. “I think everyone will be keen to hear, and they’ll listen to him politely,” he said. “But it’s not clear what he’s actually proposing. It won’t simply be the usual suspects holding out. I think a lot of countries might say ‘Well, what exactly have you got in mind here?’ ”

Mr Wale has also vowed to review Solomon Islands’ 2022 security agreement with Beijing signed by his pro-China predecessor Manasseh Sogavare. The agreement opened the way for Chinese police to serve in the country, where The Australian revealed they were fingerprinting local residents and encouraging them to fill out household registration cards.

Senator Wong has warned that Australia is in “a state of permanent contest” with China in the Pacific – a contest others have referred to as a “knife fight” – to prevent Beijing securing a permanent base in the region.

China’s recent test of a nuclear-capable missile in the Pacific is likely to be on the agenda in Palau after pro-Beijing states Kiribati and Naoero (formerly Nauru) refused to sign up to a joint statement condemning the launch.

The smuggling of illicit drugs through the region and disaster response arrangements will also be discussed.

Climate change will be a key agenda item, as Pacific leaders prepare for an Australian-­organised meeting in Fiji in Oct­ober ahead of the COP31 UN climate conference in Turkey the following month.

After The Australian revealed world leaders were set to snub the summit, PIF foreign ministers called on the global community “to engage with pre-COP31 events in a spirit of solidarity, to accelerate action and consensus on climate change”.

China is expected to attend the Palau meeting as a dialogue partner but Beijing has not publicly identified who will lead its delegation.

Taiwan will be represented after PIF secretary General Baron Waqa affirmed its status as a “very important development partner”, after it was barred from last year’s summit in Honiara by the-prime minister Jeremiah Manele.

Its presence this year will infuriate Beijing, which has lodged protests over the self-governed territory’s engagement with the bloc in past years.

Taiwan counts Palau as one of its three remaining diplomatic partners in the Pacific, together with Tuvalu and Marshall Islands.

The US will be represented at the summit by Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, who has described China as America’s “foremost strategic competitor”.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/australia-solomons-push-security-reset-as-pacific-leaders-weigh-wale-plan/news-story/7d1a025085861f5b0cee0ef1b025fa6d

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24977823 (271007ZAUG26) Notable: US Marines accept Australian-designed littoral craft for contested logistics testing - The US Marine Corps has accepted the first prototype of an Australian-designed Ancillary Surface Craft for testing in contested Indo-Pacific environments. Built by Birdon America through US-Australian industry collaboration, the 46-metre roll-on/roll-off vessel can transport troops, vehicles, equipment and fuel to unimproved or unsurveyed shorelines beyond the reach of larger amphibious ships. It can carry 46 tonnes of cargo or 40 combat-loaded Marines and uses forward-looking sonar for shallow waters. Australian Army personnel will participate in upcoming experimentation alongside US Marines and Birdon crews. The craft is intended to support dispersed forces operating without ports or other fixed infrastructure under the Marines’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept. Testing will also examine potential force-protection and self-defence configurations for contested operations.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75232

>>75264

US Marines accept Australian-designed littoral craft for contested logistics testing

Stephen Kuper - 26 AUGUST 2026

The US Marine Corps has accepted the first prototype of an Australian-designed Ancillary Surface Craft, developed through US-Australian industry cooperation to deliver troops, vehicles, and supplies to difficult shorelines across the Indo-Pacific.

The US Marine Corps has formally accepted the first Ancillary Surface Craft (ASC) prototype, marking a major milestone for a program aimed at strengthening amphibious logistics and littoral manoeuvre in contested environments.

Designed through US-Australian industry collaboration and built by Birdon America, the approximately 46-metre roll-on/roll-off craft is intended to carry personnel, equipment, and fuel over the “last tactical mile”, including to unimproved and unsurveyed beaches beyond the reach of larger amphibious vessels.

The ASC can carry up to 46 tonnes of cargo or 40 combat-loaded Marines and is designed to operate in Sea State 5, with survivability in conditions up to Sea State 7. A forward-looking sonar system is intended to support navigation through shallow and uncharted littoral waters.

The Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) accepted the prototype after technical validation, with the program now moving into limited technical assessments and further tactical experimentation.

Australian Army personnel will support the next phase alongside Birdon America crews and US Marine Corps personnel, providing another practical example of growing Australian-US cooperation in littoral warfare and expeditionary operations.

Aaron Hatfield, maritime program manager, Science and Technology Division, US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, said: “This validation assures that the craft’s advanced systems and robust design are ready for MCWL to begin hands-on technical experimentation, ensuring we can meet the extreme operational demands of the Indo-Pacific theater.”

The ASC is intended to complement rather than replace the Marine Corps’ larger medium landing ship. Its shallow draft and beaching capability are designed to allow supplies and equipment to move from intermediate staging areas directly onto shore without requiring ports, piers, or causeways.

The capability is particularly relevant to the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations concept, which envisages small, dispersed forces operating across contested archipelagic environments and sustaining themselves without relying on vulnerable fixed infrastructure.

Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory Science and Technology Division director Colonel Kenny Jones said the prototype would allow Marines to rapidly test concepts and reduce risk ahead of future fleet requirements.

“This prototype allows MCWL to immediately execute hands-on experimentation, test tactical concepts, and put real hardware in the hands of Marines. By exploring the ASC’s traditional bow-first beaching physics alongside other experimental platforms, we are actively reducing programmatic risk and perfecting the requirements for the future naval fleet,” COL Jones said.

The ASC’s primary role is logistics and manoeuvre rather than direct combat, although upcoming testing will examine potential force-protection and self-defence configurations for operations in contested maritime environments.

For Australia, the program provides an important demonstration of the country’s ability to contribute designs and industrial expertise to allied amphibious capabilities.

For the US Marine Corps, the ASC offers a relatively small, flexible platform capable of bridging the gap between offshore staging vessels and dispersed forces operating ashore – a capability likely to become increasingly important as the US and its allies prepare for sustained operations across the Indo-Pacific littorals.

https://www.defenceconnect.com.au/naval/18771-us-marines-accept-australian-designed-littoral-craft-for-contested-logistics-testing

https://www.dvidshub.net/image/9877980/asc-distinguished-visitor-day

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24977851 (271022ZAUG26) Notable: Two Perth hackers charged after major AFP, FBI investigation into alleged global cybercrime - Two Perth men have been charged following an Australian Federal Police and FBI investigation into an alleged international cybercrime syndicate that potentially compromised more than 1,000 organisations worldwide. Ruben Ian Thomson, 21, and Louis Michael Gaebler, 23, allegedly played leading roles in TeamPCP, which police link to data intrusion, identity crime and cryptocurrency-based money laundering. Investigators allege malicious code was inserted into open-source software and unknowingly incorporated into systems used by government, academic and private organisations. More than 500,000 user credentials and authentication materials were allegedly harvested, enabling unauthorised network access. Remediation costs are estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Both men remain in custody, while police say further charges and arrests are possible as the international investigation continues.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Two Perth hackers charged after major AFP, FBI investigation into alleged global cybercrime

Callum Liddelow and David Weber - 27 August 2026

Two young Western Australians have been described as the alleged "masterminds" behind a "sophisticated cybercrime syndicate" that created malicious software to rob hundreds of organisations around the world.

Ruben Ian Thomson, 21, and Louis Michael Gaebler, 23, were arrested in Perth following a joint investigation with federal and state police working alongside the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The FBI's Assistant Law Enforcement Attache Dave Andish said Mr Thomson was the alleged leader of the highly organised syndicate known as TeamPCP, which police say is involved in large-scale cybercrimes including data intrusion, identity crime and cryptocurrency-based money laundering.

The pair faced court today charged with 14 offences in total after police raided properties in Cottesloe, Hamilton Hill and Mandurah where electronic devices and other items were seized.

During a bail application for Mr Thomson, the prosecutor described the men as "masterminds" in the offending, saying further charges were likely.

Investigations began in April after the Australian Federal Police and the FBI received tip offs about the syndicate, which allegedly inserted malicious code into open source software available online that was then unwittingly used by other developers.

The term 'open source' refers to content that developers can modify and share because its design is publicly accessible.

Hundreds of organisations compromised

Police will allege the infected software made its way into computer systems across government, academic and private sector institutions, potentially compromising more than 1,000 organisations globally.

The software allegedly enabled the syndicate to infiltrate those organisations to steal or harvest sensitive data, including more than 500,000 user credentials and authentication materials.

AFP Commander Graeme Marshall said this allowed the group to allegedly impersonate legitimate users, bypass security controls and gain unauthorised access to networks and cloud environments.

Commander Marshall said this resulted in "significant" financial losses and interruptions to operations, with remediation costs estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

He could not confirm how many individuals, businesses or countries were implicated, but confirmed some of the organisations that fell victim to the syndicate are Australian.

"It is rare to have cyber criminals of this status domestically", he said.

"The men are internationally significant cybercrime threat actors."

Young cybercriminals common

Commenting on the young age of the alleged offenders, Commander Marshall said it was unfortunate, but not unusual, to arrest people in their early twenties, and even high-schoolers, for cybercrime.

"We do see a lot of young offenders involved in cybercrime … some of them are exceptionally smart," he said.

"They've grown up in a cyber-native environment, and for whatever reason they've decided to go down that pathway."

During the bail application, Mr Thomson's lawyer Nick Scerri told the court a trial could be more than 18 months away, and that his client could be released to stay with his parents in Cottesloe.

The magistrate said she was not going to grant bail, expressing concern that Mr Thomson may be able to tamper with evidence.

Mr Scerri withdrew the bail application, which may now be heard on another day.

Mr Gaebler's lawyer made no application for bail and his client was remanded in custody for his next appearance on September 18.

Police said they have already extracted 100 terabytes of data from devices seized from one address, and expect to extract much more.

They say there may be more arrests as investigations continue.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-27/two-wa-men-charged-after-investigation-into-alleged-cybercrime/107084796

http://archive.today/z3Zk8

https://www.afp.gov.au/news-centre/media-release/two-wa-men-charged-following-afp-fbi-wapf-disruption-alleged-global

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24985251 (291339ZAUG26) Notable: Sall Grover: This is the chilling death threat that forced me to pull out of speaking role at a Sydney women’s right rally last weekend - "On Sunday in Sydney, women gathered to do something that should never be necessary: ask the government to write the accurate definition of “woman” into Australian discrimination law so our sex-based rights are protected. I support every word of that request, as for the past four and a half years I have been fighting in federal court to do exactly that by defending Giggle, the women-only online platform I created. I can no longer run it because the legal system currently lets men who have medically transitioned to identify as women, effectively turning every female-only space into a mixed-sex one and rendering the category of “woman” meaningless. Yet I did not attend the rally. In the lead-up, transgender activist groups - specifically Trans Action Network, Pride in Protest and the Macquarie University Queer Collective - circulated material naming me as the organiser. I was not. They called me a racist. I am not. They called me a transphobe. I am not. They made false claims about Giggle and why it is offline. As far as I am concerned, the material was designed to paint a target on my back. It scared me. Last week, it all culminated in a death threat. “1 TERF, 1 bullet,” the message read in response to a post citing my News24.com.au article on a recent legal ruling that has essentially made stating biological reality a civil offence. We are watching an escalation of activist-led violent rhetoric against any woman who steps outside the approved narrative."''''

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75271

Sall Grover: This is the chilling death threat that forced me to pull out of speaking role at a Sydney women’s right rally last weekend

The escalation of activist-led rhetoric against me and other brave women for defending sex-based rights has left me in fear for my safety, writes Sall Grover.

Sall Grover, Giggle CEO - August 25, 2026

On Sunday in Sydney, women gathered to do something that should never be necessary: ask the government to write the accurate definition of “woman” into Australian discrimination law so our sex-based rights are protected.

I support every word of that request, as for the past four and a half years I have been fighting in federal court to do exactly that by defending Giggle, the women-only online platform I created.

I can no longer run it because the legal system currently lets men who have medically transitioned to identify as women, effectively turning every female-only space into a mixed-sex one and rendering the category of “woman” meaningless.

Yet I did not attend the rally.

In the lead-up, transgender activist groups - specifically Trans Action Network, Pride in Protest and the Macquarie University Queer Collective - circulated material naming me as the organiser.

I was not.

They called me a racist. I am not.

They called me a transphobe. I am not. They made false claims about Giggle and why it is offline.

As far as I am concerned, the material was designed to paint a target on my back.

It scared me.

Last week, it all culminated in a death threat. “1 TERF, 1 bullet,” the message read in response to a post citing my News24.com.au article on a recent legal ruling that has essentially made stating biological reality a civil offence.

We are watching an escalation of activist-led violent rhetoric against any woman who steps outside the approved narrative.

Pauline Hanson has faced it. Dr Marcia Langton has faced it.

Kirralie Smith, a women’s rights campaigner, was found by a NSW court to have vilified two biological males on a women’s sports team simply for noticing the unfairness of them being by there.

She is now inundated with online abuse and death threats from accounts that openly cite her opposition to men in women’s categories as the reason.

Who is the one being vilified?

Nomes Whitney, owner of Queens of the Pole, denied a man who claims to be a woman entry to her women-only studio.

She recently announced the fight will be taken to QCAT.

Since then both the studio and she personally have been flooded with abuse and harassment from online transgender activists.

The institutions that should be of help to women dealing with this abhorrent behaviour - the Australian Human Rights Commission, the state commissions, the eSafety Commissioner - are effectively of no use to us.

In fact, you’re more likely to find yourself in court against them, with the commissions lined up firmly on the side of the activists.

Both Nomes and I have discovered that the hard way.

Facing threats to argue for the right to female-only spaces actually only proves how urgently those spaces are needed.

The irony is almost elegant: women require police protection to stand in public and beg the government for legal barriers against the very men who are potentially making the police necessary.

We do not threaten. We do not intimidate. We do not try to shut down their counter-protests.

For years politicians and media have insisted the “trans and gender diverse” are uniquely vulnerable and oppressed.

Even those who claim to reject gender ideology still perform the ritual throat-clearing of “vulnerable”.

In every other context it would be acceptable for women to keep their distance.

But the moment such a man declares himself a woman, to many it’s the woman who refuses to accept it who becomes the bad guy.

Prime Minister Albanese has dismissed efforts to fix the Sex Discrimination Act as a “culture war”.

If that is the label he prefers, then he is content to watch a culture war in which some men threaten women while the government remains on the sidelines.

Women should not have to calculate personal risk simply to defend the right to single-sex spaces.

The fact that some of us now do is the clearest evidence the old narrative of vulnerability is a dangerous fiction, one that continues to cost women our businesses, our safety and our rights.

Sall Grover is a women’s rights campaigner and the founder and CEO of the women-only social app Giggle.

https://www.news24.com.au/opinion/sall-grover-this-is-the-chilling-death-threat-that-forced-me-to-pull-out-of-speaking-role-at-a-sydney-womens-right-rally-last-weekend/news-story/b64faa6fba85cd2120604fbf36bc4c70

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24985297 (291354ZAUG26) Notable: Inside extraordinary NSW Police plot to bust alleged global paedophile ring, seven people arrested across five countries - A six-person NSW Police team has helped rescue children and contributed to seven arrests across five countries in an international crackdown on alleged child exploitation. Intelligence developed through Strike Force Constantine and Strike Force Trawler led to arrests in the United States, Mexico, United Kingdom, Poland and Uruguay, including a Missouri case where a three-year-old was placed into child protection. The Sydney-based Victim Identification Team examines images and videos for minute clues that can locate victims and has helped 160 children since January. Detectives infiltrate online networks and intervene when children encounter suspected predators. Detective Chief Inspector Adam Powderly said “the internet has no boundaries”, stressing that NSW Police would pursue threats internationally. Describing his team as “normal people that come to work and do incredible things”, he said officers endure horrific material to protect children. Powderly warned communities against outdated stereotypes of offenders and urged parents to build relationships with children, saying: “We all have a role to play.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75278

Inside extraordinary NSW Police plot to bust alleged global paedophile ring, seven people arrested across five countries

An elite six-person Sydney police unit has infiltrated an encrypted platform used by “monsters” online. Their brave work resulted in seven arrests across five countries.

Cydonee Mardon - August 21, 2026

1/2

A single power point socket design from overseas, a pattern on a bedsheet sold only in 1990, or a discarded lolly wrapper in the background of a video.

These are the tiny, agonising details that a specialist six-strong NSW Police team dissects frame-by-frame every single day - hunting down real, living children before it’s too late.

The harrowing work of the Victim Identification Team has helped a staggering 160 children since January 1.

Critical intelligence generated by the Sydney unit has smashed a global web of alleged child exploitation, directly leading to the rapid arrest of seven men across five countries.

Detective Chief Inspector Adam Powderly from the Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit told news.com.au the team operates across every level of danger to protect vulnerable kids.

At the most extreme end, they pull children directly out of active physical and sexual assault, kidnapping, and trafficking, but safeguarding also happens at the critical opposite end of the spectrum, long before a child reaches that point of catastrophic danger.

“Detectives actively spot vulnerable young people on social media platforms, trapped in online groups and talking with predators pretending to be someone they’re not,” Chief Insp Powderly said.

In those cases, police intervene directly, stepping in to talk with both the children and their parents to alert, educate, and pull them out of harm’s way before the trap snaps shut.

Meanwhile other arms of the State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad Child Exploitation Internet Unit relentlessly hunt down the predators operating behind the screens, whose insidious networks spread to every corner of the globe.

“Offending online, the internet has no boundaries,” Chief Insp Powderly said.

“Our commitment to protecting children is not just based in NSW. We will do whatever we need across the world … The tentacles will reach across our country and internationally.”

Six rapid arrests across five countries

Driven by two dedicated strike forces - Constantine, targeting online child abuse material involving ritualistic or satanic themes, and Trawler, targeting broader online child exploitation - detectives recently intercepted digital footprints across encrypted platforms, sending urgent intelligence referrals overseas.

In Mexico, detectives arrested a man at the border on July 18 for possession of child abuse after receiving intelligence he intended to travel to the US to sexually abuse a child known to him.

In the US, detectives uncovered a 23-year-old Missouri man allegedly administering a chat group linked to an international paedophile ring producing and sharing extreme child abuse material online.

Then, just days ago, strike force detectives struck again, identifying an account holder in the States allegedly posting images and videos of child abuse to an online paedophile ring.

The arrest of that man, also from Missouri, on August 21 led to a three-year-old child being rescued and placed into child protection.

In the United Kingdom, investigations led to the arrest of a man allegedly posing as a woman to distribute abuse material and another who allegedly disclosed the online sexual assault of a child known to him.

Intelligence from the Sydney unit also led to the arrest of man accused of producing and sharing child abuse material in Uruguay and another alleged paedophile in Poland.

All seven men remain in custody charged with child abuse offences.

The changing face of predators

While law enforcement stretches its reach across continents to smash these networks, Chief Insp Powderly issued a blunt, heartfelt warning to the public: “We as a community can’t bury our head in the sand about the dangers children everywhere face,” he said.

“And we can’t be naive and think a paedophile is a man wearing a trench coat, driving a white van seen around parks, like we used to,” he said.

“White collar, blue collar, 20 to 60 years old, parents, teachers … It’s not that stereotypical child snatcher that we grew up thinking exists. We’ve got computer tech wizards, loners, sports people, you name it. It’s a wide, wide range of personalities and people out there involved in this type of offending.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24985317 (291402ZAUG26) Notable: Ben Carroll scraps plan for statue of Daniel Andrews - Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has scrapped plans for a $134,000 taxpayer-funded statue of former premier Daniel Andrews and will repeal the policy automatically honouring premiers who serve more than 3000 days. Andrews, who led Victoria from 2014 to 2023, had qualified for a bronze statue near Parliament House under guidelines introduced by former premier Jeff Kennett in 1999. Carroll said public money should be spent “carefully and deliberately”, adding that “gratitude does not require a taxpayer-funded statue”. The existing contract will not be cancelled, with an independent bipartisan panel instead recommending another subject for the commissioned statue. The panel will also review the frequency, scale and cost of Victorian state funerals, which Carroll said should remain special partly because of their rarity.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75141

>>75142

>>75257

Ben Carroll scraps plan for statue of Daniel Andrews

Ashleigh McMillan - August 29, 2026

A controversial $134,000 statue of former premier Daniel Andrews has been scrapped, with Victoria’s new leader Ben Carroll saying the statue policy did not meet taxpayer expectations.

Previously, any politician who served more than 3000 days as Victorian premier would be immortalised in bronze near Parliament House in Melbourne.

Carroll announced on Saturday that the statue policy would be repealed, and that work on the statue of Andrews, who was premier from 2014 to 2023, would stop.

But Carroll said the contract would not be cancelled, and that an independent panel would recommend an alternative subject for a statue, as part of a broader change which includes scaling back spending on state funerals.

The statue policy was introduced in 1999 by Jeff Kennett when he was premier.

Kennett told 3AW this month the statue policy “was not a rule, it was not legislation, it was a guideline”.

Four former premiers – Albert Dunstan, Henry Bolte, Rupert Hamer and John Cain Jr – each served 3000 days in a row in office and have been memorialised with a statue near 1 Treasury Place.

Carroll said taxpayers want public money to be used in a “careful and deliberate” manner, and that automatically granting long-serving premiers a statue did not meet that standard.

“We are grateful to former premiers for their service,” he said in a statement. “But gratitude does not require a taxpayer-funded statue.”

Carroll also said that the independent, bipartisan panel deciding on what statue should be built instead of the Andrews bronze would also make recommendations about the appropriate frequency, scale and costs of state funerals.

“State funerals are special and moving tributes. Part of what makes them special is their rarity,” said Carroll, who took over as premier last month.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/carroll-scraps-plan-for-statue-of-daniel-andrews-20260829-p60skz.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24985377 (291423ZAUG26) Notable: SpaceX rocket begins journey back to Texas from Christmas Island - SpaceX’s Starship 40 has begun a roughly 20,000-kilometre journey from Christmas Island to the company’s Starbase facility in Texas after being recovered from the Indian Ocean. The 52-metre upper-stage spacecraft splashed down on July 24 and was towed to Christmas Island before being loaded aboard heavy transport vessel Forte using a semi-submersible operation. Its unexpected arrival attracted significant local interest and tourism. The return voyage is expected to take several weeks and involve substantial costs, with large specialist vessels potentially costing tens of thousands of dollars daily. Starship 40 is the first SpaceX upper-stage spacecraft to survive a space flight intact, potentially providing engineers with valuable information as the company works towards developing fully reusable rockets capable of safely returning to their launch sites.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75253

SpaceX rocket begins journey back to Texas from Christmas Island

Amy Rossbach and Mikki Cusack - 29 August 2026

1/3

SpaceX's Starship 40 rocket has begun the long journey home after being retrieved from waters off Christmas Island.

Carrying the precious cargo, heavy duty transport vessel Forte departed the island on Friday afternoon, headed for the United States.

The rocket splashed down in the Indian Ocean on July 24, and spent just over three weeks at sea before being towed to Christmas Island, about 1,500 kilometres off Western Australia's northern coast.

The Forte arrived in Flying Fish Cove last Sunday night, with the delicate operation to retrieve the rocket getting underway on Tuesday.

The vessel's ballast tank was filled with water to change the buoyancy of the ship, lowering its deck below the surface.

Local stevedores assisted in the operation to position the rocket over the Forte before the vessel refloated, lifting the SpaceX cargo out of the water for the first time in more than a month.

Locals farewell SpaceX rocket

The Christmas Island community has been captivated by the rocket, which sheltered just off the coast.

Local school students followed the Starship's movements, and social media feeds were flooded with images of the rocket, with a local dive company offering 'rocket trips'.

A local bar even named a cocktail Rocket Fuel in honour of the unexpected arrival, with crew members involved in the retrieval leaving a message on its wall.

Local tourism operator Lisa Preston has been hosting 30 birdwatchers for the island's annual Bird Week, who have been excited to witness the retrieval operation.

Ms Preston said it had been an amazing journey, and the Christmas Island community enjoyed being in the global spotlight.

"The decision being made to tow the rocket here when there's thousands of kilometres of coastline south of us, to be able to fulfil that role, to protect it whilst they did what they needed to do … it shows we've got alternate uses for positive things."

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24987979 (300954ZAUG26) Notable: ‘Dangerous, divisive, dishonest’: Albanese, Chalmers take aim at One Nation - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has vowed to defeat One Nation following its historic victory in the Western Australian seat of Secret Harbour, describing hard-right populism as “dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest”. Addressing Queensland Labor’s annual conference, Albanese accused Pauline Hanson’s party of exploiting divisions, spreading misinformation and lacking serious policies. Treasurer Jim Chalmers said Labor had taken the One Nation threat seriously before the by-election and would continue doing so, describing the Liberals, Nationals and One Nation as a “coalition of chaos”. Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles similarly warned the LNP could need One Nation support to govern after the next state election. Albanese said Labor’s response should focus on offering Australians hope, remaining positive and developing policies that improve people’s lives.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>74967

>>75113

>>75169

>>75254

>>75291

‘Dangerous, divisive, dishonest’: Albanese, Chalmers take aim at One Nation

Cloe Read - August 30, 2026

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has taken aim at One Nation after a historic late-night byelection victory by the party in Labor’s stronghold of Western Australia, saying it was crucial to defeat hard-right populists.

On Sunday morning, Albanese addressed a crowd of Labor faithful at the party’s annual Queensland conference, hours after One Nation candidate Luke Herdegen claimed the outer suburban seat of Secret Harbour in Perth.

Albanese said One Nation leader Pauline Hanson sought to divide Australians, and that she talked Australians down.

“They can’t say what their immigration numbers are … they just have no idea when it comes to serious policy development,” he said.

“This is a crucial time for our movement because across the world, hard-right populists are on the march, peddling politics that is dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest.

“We simply must defeat them. We owe it to history. We owe it to the nation, and we will defeat them.

“They’ll say anything and do anything to win votes, bend any facts, peddle misinformation and disinformation, turn Australian against Australian.”

Albanese said One Nation had no serious answers to problems, and the party’s own division and disagreement was beginning to show.

He pointed to when One Nation won 11 seats in Queensland in 1998, they “lost them all in record time”. He questioned how they would work in a coalition with the LNP, saying it was a fact that they had to govern together.

Albanese spruiked several policies he said had improved the lives of Australians, and told the crowd the only mainstream political force that sought to govern in the interests of the Australian people was the Labor Party.

He said the best way to beat the “coalition of chaos” was to give Australians hope, to “stay positive”, and to be a party with ideas that would make people’s lives better.

This positivity is a sentiment that has crept into the prime minister’s speeches, in a pivot to respond to a growing sense of pessimism about the nation’s future.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who spoke moments before Albanese, told the crowd the government was aware of the One Nation threat.

“We took this threat seriously before yesterday’s byelection in the west, and we will take it seriously after it,” Chalmers said.

He said Australia, its cohesion, its people, and the economy were under threat by a dangerous and divisive coalition of chaos – “a three-ring circus of Liberals, Nationals and One Nation, with that karaoke clown from Melbourne [Liberal treasury spokesman Tim Wilson] as its chief economic spokesman”.

“Today, the biggest fault lines in our politics aren’t just between the centre left and the extreme right, but between those of us who want to address and alleviate the legitimate frustrations that people feel about the cost of living and other pressures, and those who just want to pick at them and prey on them,” he said.

On Saturday, Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles took aim at the Crisafulli LNP government, arguing it would need to form a coalition with One Nation to retain government at the next election.

“If you think they’re bad now, imagine what they would be like in coalition with One Nation, because the next election will be a fight between Labor and a far-right coalition of the LNP and One Nation swapping preferences and hoping to govern together,” he told the crowd.

Miles also confirmed that frontbencher and possible future leader Meaghan Scanlon would recontest the seat of Gaven, after speculation she may be moved to a safer district.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland/dangerous-divisive-dishonest-albanese-chalmers-take-aim-at-one-nation-20260830-p60sri.html

https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/one-nation-claims-victory-in-secret-harbour-as-last-minute-votes-seal-labor-s-fate-20260829-p60snp.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24987987 (301013ZAUG26) Notable: The Sentencing of Kyle Spitze - After nearly three years and five sentencing hearing delays, 764 member Kyle Spitze has finally been sentenced to 77 years in federal prison. - US-based internet investigator Becca Spinks has detailed her observations of the sentencing of 764 member Kyle Spitze, who received 77 years in federal prison for crimes involving child exploitation, extortion, animal torture and explicit satanic motivations. Spitze groomed vulnerable girls online, blackmailing them into producing sadistic material involving sexual abuse, self-harm, humiliation, animal killing and satanic symbols. FBI investigators found material involving at least 30 victims, including a 12-year-old; two identified victims later died by suicide. Victim impact statements described devastating consequences. One mother said, “I hope someone tortures this man like he tortured my daughter.” A teenage victim, left with scars spelling “Crim” and “Harm Nation”, said: “These scars will be on my body until the day I die.” Another wrote, “Kyle has ruined my life.” Prosecutors said he created another satanic cult in jail and continued contacting minor victims after his 2024 arrest.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75272

The Sentencing of Kyle Spitze

After nearly three years and five sentencing hearing delays, 764 member Kyle Spitze has finally been sentenced to 77 years in federal prison.

Becca Spinks - AUG 20, 2026

1/6

A flash of light followed by a rumble of thunder greeted me from the tarmac as my plane touched down in Knoxville. By the time I switched my phone off airplane mode, a severe thunderstorm warning was waiting on the screen. The weather felt almost too cinematic – dark, loud, and uneasy, as if Tennessee itself knew what I had come there to do.

After three long years, the day had finally arrived. Kyle Spitze was about to hear his fate in federal court.

I first learned about Kyle in January 2024, when a video he filmed of his mother’s boyfriend shooting him in the ear went viral. What followed pulled me into a years-long waking nightmare involving the 764 network, a group of online child predators fueled by a desire to accelerate the collapse of society.

For background on my personal experience with Kyle Spitze and the 764 network, start here:

—

Kyle Spitze - The Rest of the Story, Pt 1 - MAY 29, 2026

https://bxwrites.substack.com/p/kyle-spitze-the-rest-of-the-story-938

—

Kyle Spitze was among the most sadistic and prolific members of the 764 child exploitation and extortion network. In February 2024, he was arrested and charged with eight counts related to the production of child sexual abuse material, solicitation of minors, and animal abuse.

In December 2024, he pleaded guilty to several of the charges. The mandatory minimum sentence was 30 years, but prosecutors were pushing for an extended sentence of 77 years.

Kyle’s crimes were far worse than his published charges could capture. As a prolific member of 764 and its splinter group Harm Nation, he preyed on vulnerable girls he found online, grooming them before threatening and blackmailing them into creating sadistic content for his Telegram channels.

The FBI found folders on his devices containing material involving at least 30 victims, including one identified victim who was only 12 years old. The folders included images and videos of girls carving Kyle’s usernames, “Criminal” and “Crim”, along with “764,” “Harm Nation,” and satanic symbols into their bodies with razor blades and knives.

Some of the photos contained nude minor victims engaged in sexual acts. Others showed victims being threatened, coerced, or humiliated into performing sickening acts such as killing animals and licking toilet seats.

Of the 30 victims found on Kyle’s phone, the FBI was able to identify only 19. At least two of those young victims have died by suicide. The other 11, investigators said, will likely never be found.

People have argued for years over whether 764 is truly satanic or merely borrows the aesthetics of extreme belief systems to gain notoriety. That may be true of some members. But in Kyle Spitze’s case, the record pointed to explicit satanic motivations alongside the same hunger for status that drives so much of the network’s abuse.

I had followed the case from the beginning, through five sentencing delays after Kyle’s guilty plea in December 2024. Each delay forced his victims and their families – many of whom had prepared impact statements to be read in court – to wait again for their day of justice. During that time, I became close with two mothers of Kyle’s victims. They had been living in hell for three years. They did not belong there. Kyle did.

The week before the August 18, 2026 sentencing date, I learned that Kyle’s private attorney, Jonathan Cooper, had filed even more objections. As I traveled from Texas to Tennessee, the possibility of a sixth delay hung heavily over me. I desperately wanted the victims to receive some measure of closure, and I needed some of my own.

On the ground in Knoxville, I met up with my personal security detail: an online friend who had driven across multiple states to escort me for free. Knowing someone else understood the stakes reassured me, and frankly, so did knowing I had backup.

The FBI had called me the week before the hearing. Agents were monitoring potential threats to the courthouse, as Kyle’s 764 associates were known for swatting and bomb hoaxes. I had also been warned about threats to harm me if I appeared in court, including at least one attempt by a 764 member to solicit my assassination there.

The FBI’s advice to me was to keep my head on a swivel and not post about the court hearing online until I was safely on the plane back to Texas. A well-timed bomb threat to the federal courthouse could have forced yet another delay. The safest thing I could do was stay quiet until it was over.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24988001 (301025ZAUG26) Notable: Q Post #4396 - God wins. Q - https://qanon.pub/#4396

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>>/qresearch/24987998

6/6

Q Post #1735

Jul 27 2018 13:13:18 (EST)

There is nothing more precious than our children.

Evil has no boundaries.

https://genius.com/Slayer-evil-has-no-boundaries-lyrics

The choice to know will ultimately be yours.

These people are SICK!

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2018/07/27/cbs-honcho-les-moonves-will-be-accused-sexual-misconduct-in-latest-ronan-farrow-bombshell-report-says.html

To those who are courageous enough to speak out - we stand with you!

You are not alone in this fight.

God bless.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#1735

—

Q Post #109

Nov 5 2017 20:06:36 (EST)

>St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts, by the power of God, cast down to Hell Satan and all his evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Amen brother.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#109

—

Q Post #4207

May 11 2020 12:05:59 (EST)

The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#4207

—

Q Post #4396

Jun 3 2020 01:44:26 (EST)

God wins.

Q

https://qanon.pub/#4396

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24991385 (310959ZAUG26) Notable: ‘You can’t just say we’re evil’: Joyce backs Hanson when she says PM is inciting violence - One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has blamed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for contributing to threats against her after he described hard-right populism as “dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest”. Hanson’s federal police protection has reportedly increased following threats, while deputy leader Barnaby Joyce accused Albanese of attacking One Nation’s character rather than its policies, saying: “You can fight us on policy, but you can’t just say we’re evil.” Albanese had accused One Nation of dividing Australians and lacking serious policy solutions following its historic Secret Harbour by-election victory. Threats against Australian politicians have escalated, with nearly 40 people charged with Commonwealth offences since September 2025. Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman urged Hanson and her party to practise respectful politics themselves.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75291

>>75292

‘You can’t just say we’re evil’: Joyce backs Hanson when she says PM is inciting violence

James Massola and Nick Newling - August 31, 2026

1/2

Pauline Hanson’s personal protection detail has increased following threats against her, as the One Nation leader claimed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had incited violence by describing her as dangerous.

This masthead can reveal that Hanson’s security detail has increased from the usual two or three federal police to include as many as a dozen officers, including some undercover. Deputy leader Barnaby Joyce also has an occasional security detail, as the party’s leadership has become the target of protests following surging popularity in the polls.

Albanese used a speech on the weekend to attack One Nation and its leader for sowing division, but Hanson fired back on Monday, just days after her party’s first successful foray into Labor heartland outside Queensland – winning the West Australian state byelection in Secret Harbour – and a Victorian campaign event where she drove a nail into, and later buried, a coffin labelled “net zero”.

“The incitement that is happening is through our educational system and a prime minister who should know better than that,” Hanson said on Monday at a press conference in Gippsland, east of Melbourne, before demanding Albanese take “full responsibility” for threats made against her.

“I think he’s a pathetic prime minister. He’s not the leader of this nation. You don’t go out saying those things, and they’re all scared. They’re scared because now we’ve won a safe Labor seat, and this is worrying them.”

Speaking on Sunday at Labor’s Queensland state conference, Albanese said Hanson sought “to divide Australians” and “talks Australia down both here and overseas”.

“Parties like One Nation have no serious answers to our problems,” Albanese said. “Their own divisions and disagreements are now showing through. They think Australians are lazy and overpaid. That people working from home are bludging. That domestic violence is sometimes a woman’s fault. That we should, somehow, become a monoculture.”

Joyce told this masthead that “I think we have to go back to our primal nature as Australians – laconic, cheeky, but we don’t hurt people”.

“Right now you have Albanese giving a speech not on policy, but on what he believes is a fundamental character malfeasance of One Nation. That’s the wrong approach, PM. You can fight us on policy, but you can’t just say we’re evil,” Joyce said.

“Remember when Mr Albanese makes a judgment about One Nation, he’s made a judgment about 30 per cent of Australia. There are parties on the ballot paper who are nut jobs and people don’t vote for them. One Nation is the most conservative party in Australia, but it’s not an evil party, it’s not promulgating hate.”

Hanson cited the death of conservative British politician Ann Widdecombe as a warning over the danger of violent political rhetoric. Widdecombe was found dead in her home in July, having suffered a serious injury to her head. A man has been charged with her murder and is expected to face trial next year.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24991401 (311008ZAUG26) Notable: Labor declares AI biggest sovereignty moment ‘since World War II’ - Defence Minister Richard Marles has described artificial intelligence as Australia’s biggest sovereignty inflection point since World War II as the government pursues deeper involvement in US technology development. Marles will visit San Francisco with Assistant Minister Andrew Charlton to advance negotiations aimed at making Australia a major base for AI company Anthropic and meet other technology executives. He said Australia must avoid becoming a passive technology “taker” as the US and China compete for AI supremacy, declaring alignment with Washington unequivocal. Marles expects AI to eventually operate submarines and F-35 aircraft and support battlefield decision-making. Australia is seeking access to leading US AI models while attracting data centres and developing domestic expertise, with copyright arrangements for Australian creative content remaining a key negotiating issue.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>74983

Labor declares AI biggest sovereignty moment ‘since World War II’

Paul Sakkal - August 31, 2026

1/2

Defence Minister Richard Marles says Australia’s place in the AI race is the most critical moment for national self-reliance since World War II, as he heads to San Francisco to advance a $21 billion deal that would boost Australia’s stake in the technology’s development.

The deputy prime minister told this masthead the timeframe for locking in an agreement to make Australia a second home for Anthropic was measured in months not years “because the technology is moving so fast”, adding urgency to his trip.

He will fly to the United States on Monday to meet with executives at the top AI firms, accompanied by Labor’s AI pathfinder, assistant minister Andrew Charlton. Marles will then meet US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in Washington and new UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting in London to talk AUKUS.

In his most expansive remarks on how AI would influence security, Marles said the tech would one day operate submarines and F-35 aircraft, and provide battlefield data to soldiers being targeted by AI-operated drones.

To give Australia influence over and access to these models, and to avoid being a passive “taker” as the US and China battle for tech supremacy, Marles declared: “We’re with the United States – there’s no question there.”

Marles admitted there were unanswered questions about what types of capabilities Australia could develop if it turned into a relatively important player in the US tech buildout, which some have compared to the nuclear arms race.

“What I know is the opportunity to create that agency lies in this collaboration,” he said. “The question is what agency do we have over that AI technology?

“This is as big a sovereignty inflection point as we’ve seen since the Second World War … We need to be working with America to advance our national interests and develop more Australian capability.”

The emerging technology has turned into a core part of Labor’s agenda. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told this newspaper last week that his government would expand its AI focus next year when it hopes to pass laws on how data centres, which power AI, should use water and energy.

Political and voter backlash has imperilled data centre construction in the US. Albanese delivered a speech last month to offset a similar backlash in Australia where the Coalition has offered bipartisan support to maintain social licence for the technology that could bolster national security and productivity. The Greens have called for a moratorium on building data centres. Social media firm X said last week that about 200 accounts from a suspected Chinese bot farm had been trying to turn US voters against data centres.

Australia has been in talks with the White House for months to secure first access to the top US frontier models. Signing deals with Anthropic and others such as Google and Amazon could give Australia leverage with the US and its tech sector. Charlton has argued that Australia should not just be a home to data centres, investment in which is rivalling the mining boom, but should aim to develop AI expertise and its own models – a prospect downplayed by sceptics.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24991436 (311021ZAUG26) Notable: ‘Distressed’ Alan Jones accuser made graphic complaint - A former colleague of one of Alan Jones’s accusers has testified that the man appeared “agitated” and “distressed” when disclosing alleged indecent assaults by the broadcaster in 2023. The former radio staffer, connected to eight charges against Jones, allegedly said Jones had repeatedly touched him inappropriately, after previously telling his colleague that Jones was in love with him and regularly flirted with him. The disclosure followed contact from journalist Kate McClymont, whose reporting prompted the police investigation leading to Jones’s arrest. Separately, police are investigating a threatening email allegedly sent to former 2GB broadcaster Jason Morrison in relation to his testimony. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guilty to 22 indecent assault and sexual touching charges involving six men between 2003 and 2023.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75171

'Distressed' Alan Jones accuser made graphic complaint

Adelaide Lang - August 31 2026

A former radio staffer confided in a friend that Alan Jones was in love with him years before disclosing he had allegedly been indecently assaulted by the radio kingpin.

Jones, the 85-year-old former ruler of Sydney's breakfast slot, is on trial in the NSW Local Court after pleading not guilty to 22 counts of indecent assault and sexual touching without consent.

Six men allege they were kissed, groped or subjected to sexual misconduct by Jones between 2003 and 2023 at locations in Sydney and the NSW Southern Highlands.

Eight of the charges relate to a former radio staffer, who claims the former Wallabies coach repeatedly kissed and groped him without consent over five months when they worked together.

The man's former colleague testified on Monday the radio staffer told him there had been ongoing flirting with Jones, which he relayed to police.

"(The radio staffer) has made the odd comment that Alan is in love with him and has regularly flirted with him in person and over text," the former colleague said in his police statement.

He said the radio staffer had also disclosed that media reporting of allegations regarding Jones brought up a lot of feelings for him and may have used the word "trauma".

"It didn't stand out like a red flag," his former colleague said.

But he said it wasn't until 2023, after he had been contacted by Sydney Morning Herald journalist Kate McClymont, that the radio staffer confided in him about the alleged indecent assaults.

McClymont aired allegations against Jones in a 2023 article that sparked an investigation which ultimately led to his arrest the following year.

After speaking to McClymont, the radio staffer's former colleague said he then contacted Jones's accuser.

"He told me that Mr Jones used to touch him inappropriately," he told the court, later clarifying that the radio staffer was intoxicated.

"He seemed quite agitated and quite distressed.

"He said Alan used to full grab him on the cock, or words to that effect."

During the conversation, he said the radio staffer referenced an instance when they had both been at a hotel with Jones.

The radio staffer previously told the court Jones kissed him without consent in a wardrobe at the hotel and he had pushed the older man off.

His former colleague said he saw Jones ask the man to "come here for a moment" before they both disappeared into the bedroom, but he hadn't seen anything further or asked about it.

Jones has not been charged in relation to the alleged incident in Melbourne.

His barrister has accused the radio staffer of rewriting his history with the veteran broadcaster, which the younger man strongly rejected.

Former 2GB broadcaster Jason Morrison concluded his lengthy time in the witness box on Monday morning after telling the court he had not seen Jones touch the radio staffer under the table at an event.

Defence barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC told the court she was "very, very concerned" about an email that had been sent to Morrison in relation to his testimony.

"No witness should have to endure this sort of conduct," she said.

"It's a very serious matter".

The matter had been referred to police and would be the subject of an investigation, the court was told.

"Any person who reads the media reporting should be very careful in relation to what they do and not run the risk of committing a criminal offence," Judge Glenn Walsh warned.

A spokesperson for NSW Police said they had started an investigation into a report a 54-year-old man received a threatening email.

Jones has denied all of the charges against him, which are alleged to have occurred during the latter part of his 35-year broadcasting career, when he dominated Sydney's airwaves.

He also broadcast to a national audience for years as a regular commentator on Nine's Today show and a host of a political discussion show on Sky News.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9340943/distressed-alan-jones-accuser-made-graphic-complaint/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24994646 (010918ZSEP26) Notable: Labor blames Pauline Hanson’s ‘own behaviour’ for escalating threats - Attorney-General Michelle Rowland has rejected Pauline Hanson’s claim that Labor rhetoric is contributing to escalating threats against her, arguing the One Nation leader should examine her own party’s behaviour and associations. Hanson accused Rowland of “victim-blaming” and demanded an apology, saying millions of One Nation supporters were being unfairly portrayed as dangerous or extremist. Rowland acknowledged threats against politicians were “completely unacceptable” but cited One Nation’s acknowledged infiltration by extremists and Hanson’s associations with controversial figures. Hanson has received additional Australian Federal Police protection and increased security at her home. Assistant Minister Patrick Gorman said Labor had consistently urged respectful political disagreement, while Liberal MP Garth Hamilton accused Hanson of hypocrisy. The dispute follows Anthony Albanese’s criticism of hard-right populism as “dangerous, divisive and downright dishonest”.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75291

>>75292

>>75295

Labor blames Pauline Hanson’s ‘own behaviour’ for escalating threats

ROSIE LEWIS and SARAH ISON - 1 September 2026

1/2

An intense battle between the Albanese government and Pauline Hanson over what’s causing politically motivated threats against One Nation has erupted, with the minor party leader accusing Attorney-General Michelle Rowland of slandering her supporters and excusing violent threats.

Prompted by Senator Hanson’s claims on Monday that Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers had potentially incited violence by labelling her party “dangerous” and a “threat” to Australia, Ms Rowland on Tuesday defended the Prime Minister and said it was Senator Hanson’s behaviour and some people in One Nation who were to blame.

Ms Rowland’s intervention was swiftly rebuked by Senator Hanson, who demanded an apology and said the Attorney-General had been victim-blaming.

“Attorney-General Michelle Rowland must retract her comments and apologise for slandering One Nation and its supporters while appearing to excuse the violent threats directed against them,” Senator Hanson posted on X.

“Millions of Australians support One Nation. They are not extremists. They are not dangerous. And ministers should not use language that encourages others to treat them as if they are. No minister, especially the Attorney-General and first law officer of the country, should suggest there is any justification for threats against Australians because of the political party they support.

“Labor should be asking why Australians are abandoning them for One Nation, not demonising those Australians for how they vote and putting them in danger. These are desperate acts from a government of liars.”

Ms Rowland acknowledged it was dangerous to be a politician in Australia, as well as a high-profile woman, with social media algorithms “feeding not only hate, but also extremism against not only myself but many other politicians right across the aisle”. This was “completely unacceptable and it is out of control”, she said.

Ms Rowland urged Senator Hanson to look at her party and herself before making accusations about others inciting political violence.

“I would suggest that Senator Hanson should examine what her party and what her ideology and her behaviour is doing, and whether or not that is encouraging that. When you go on and you entertain some of the individuals whom she has been entertaining, who are not only convicted criminals, when you admit that you have a party that has been infiltrated by extremists and neo-Nazis, this is exactly the kind of danger to which politicians are being put in this country,” Ms Rowland said on ABC radio.

“I don’t wish ill on Ms. Hanson in a physical way, I don’t wish any politician any ill will, irrespective of their political persuasion, but I think sometimes when comments like this are made, one needs to look at oneself and one’s behaviour and the kinds of standards that they accept into their own party and their own ideology.”

As threats against Senator Hanson escalate, extra Australian Federal Police officers have been assigned to her. She’s also increased security at her home.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24994674 (011012ZSEP26) Notable: Australian Oscar Jenkins gives first interview following 13-year prison sentence in Russia - (Video) Australian Oscar Jenkins has given his first interview since receiving a 13-year Russian prison sentence after being captured while fighting for Ukraine. Jenkins said he joined Ukrainian forces in 2024 because opposing Russia’s invasion “felt like the right thing to do”, despite having no military background. He described serving as a machine-gunner, completing about 10 missions and being captured after a drone attack left him injured and separated from his unit. Jenkins also said he had offered to fight for Russia. The interview was conducted in Russian-occupied Luhansk by Australian Mark Lowe, who reports sympathetically on Russia; its circumstances could not be independently verified. Foreign Minister Penny Wong has called Jenkins’s conviction a “sham trial”, maintaining he is a prisoner of war entitled to international protections.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Australian Oscar Jenkins gives first interview following 13-year prison sentence in Russia

Sean Nicholls - 31 August 2026

1/2

An Australian man serving a 13-year prison sentence in Russia after being captured while fighting for Ukraine has given his first interview since being convicted in what the Australian government has slammed as a "sham trial".

Appearing gaunt, with a shaved head and dressed in a prison uniform, in an interview filmed inside a prison in Russian-occupied Luhansk, Oscar Jenkins explained why he decided to join Ukrainian forces in early 2024.

"It felt like the right thing to do; if a country invades another country, why?" he said.

"And if there's not a good reason for that, like Taiwan, then that's something that I should stand up for.

"I'm a young guy. It's not that my life doesn't mean anything to me, but sacrifices might need to be made.

"That's still the attitude I have."

Extraordinarily, Jenkins also said he had told his captors he would fight for them too.

"I've written a statement saying that I'd be happy to fight as a soldier for Russia," he said.

"But if they don't trust me or for whatever reason don't want that, then I can understand."

The interview was conducted in the prison over two days by Mark Lowe, an Australian who has been living in Vladivostok for four years and works as an English teacher.

Mr Lowe, who also runs a website that reports sympathetically on Russia and the Putin regime, said he tried for a year to secure permission from authorities to interview Jenkins, which forms the basis of a documentary he plans to release.

"It's geared to a Western audience to enlighten them as to what really goes on in Ukraine," he told the ABC.

"To give them a different perspective."

Mr Lowe said that he used relationships he formed with government officials who had been his English language students to secure permission for the interview, but that Jenkins had no prior knowledge before he arrived.

"I turned up [to the prison] unannounced," he said.

"I said, 'I'm here if you'd like to do an interview with me.' He said, 'Yeah'."

The ABC has been unable to independently verify the circumstances under which the interview was conducted.

However, Mr Lowe claims that no conditions were placed on the interview and also denied he had been pressured to conduct it by Russian authorities.

Asked why they trusted him, Mr Lowe said he believed they approved of the "objective" writing on his website.

Jenkins details his journey to Ukraine

During the interview, Jenkins described his journey to Ukraine, some of the "missions" he was involved with and how he was captured.

Jenkins - who did not have a military background - said that before he decided to fight with Ukrainian forces, he had considered fighting in Myanmar against the military junta and also joining the Israeli defence force.

"I was going to go to Israel. It just felt a little bit too hard for me because I wasn't Israeli or something. But now I think I could have done it," he said.

"I just thought if I were going to go to war, then Israel would be a good bet, but I chose Ukraine because it was easier, I think, just fly in and go there."

He told Mr Lowe that he had been working in China and watching videos on YouTube.

"The video was actually talking about journalism within the Donbas region, but I didn't think that, for whatever reason, I didn't think that journalism was for me.

"I thought, 'No, I'll just go and be a soldier. I want to help, so I'm just going to go be a soldier.'"

He said he bought a ticket from Australia to Poland, then took a bus to the Ukrainian border and approached officials there.

"They asked me, 'What are you going to do'? I said, 'I'm going to volunteer', and that was enough."

After signing up at a recruitment office, Jenkins said he underwent a month of "processing time".

"People didn't like what Russia was doing; they felt Russia was being a bully, and all that while I was prepping for my own position as a machine gunner," he said.

"I was told I was going to be a machine-gunner on the front."

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24994678 (011019ZSEP26) Notable: Ben Roberts-Smith to see secret evidence in alleged war crimes case - Ben Roberts-Smith will receive the full prosecution brief detailing five alleged war crime murders after a court approved procedures for handling sensitive national security information. Judge Susan Horan made 206 orders governing the storage, transportation and use of classified material, balancing national security with Roberts-Smith’s right to a fair trial. The former SAS soldier, who denies wrongdoing, is expected to receive the brief shortly. Prosecutors previously revealed that four soldiers who admitted complicity in his alleged war crimes were granted immunity in exchange for evidence against him, with their identities protected. Roberts-Smith remains subject to strict bail conditions, including travel restrictions and a $250,000 surety. The case returns to Downing Centre Local Court on September 8, with a Supreme Court trial unlikely before 2029.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75145

Ben Roberts-Smith to see secret evidence in alleged war crimes case

STEPHEN RICE - 1 September 2026

Ben Roberts-Smith will finally get to see the full brief of evidence detailing the war crimes he is alleged to have committed after a judge approved procedures that allow national security information to be shared with the former SAS soldier.

The Victoria Cross recipient has still not seen the full suite of allegations levelled against him after the commonwealth flagged that the disclosure of certain evidence or information could prejudice Australia’s national security.

The new orders, made under the National Security Information Act by judge Susan Horan in Sydney’s Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday, deal with storage, handling, communication and other use of national security material, meaning the prosecution’s brief will likely be served on Mr Roberts-Smith early next week.

The former soldier, who is out on bail, did not attend the hearing.

The orders were agreed between the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr Roberts-Smith’s legal team, led by Karen Espiner.

Judge Horan ruled that the 206 orders, which she described as “detailed and lengthy”, were appropriate to protect Mr Roberts-Smith’s right to a fair trial and for the proper administration of justice.

The orders provide that sensitive documents and secure devices must be stored in safes and kept in a room within an approved premises, and can be transported only in locked briefcases.

Even an authorised person is not permitted to photocopy a document without express permission from the commonwealth.

Stricter protocols apply to “highly sensitive information”, which has been identified as such by the commonwealth or, in the case of a closed court transcript, bears a “top secret” security classification.

Defence counsel for Mr Roberts-Smith have to be approved and must sign a consent “for their personal information to be accessed by the commonwealth for the purposes of assessing their suitability to access sensitive information and sensitive documents and/or highly sensitive information and highly secure documents”.

If they were not born in Australia or were born after August 20, 1986, they have to provide a certified proof of Australian citizenship.

A similar procedure for handling national security information was in place during the defamation proceeding Mr Roberts-Smith brought against the Nine/Fairfax group.

In June 2023, judge Anthony Besanko ruled in the Federal Court that Mr Roberts-Smith, on the balance of probabilities, had committed murders of civilians, including of Ali Jan, a farmer kicked off a cliff in the village of Darwan, and a one-legged man dragged from a tunnel at the compound known as Whiskey 108.

The highly protected sensitive court file in the defamation case contained hundreds of classified documents and photographs, the identities of all Special Air Service witnesses in the case, and transcripts of evidence given in closed sessions of the trial, including by Mr Roberts-Smith himself.

The identity of members of the SAS is deemed to be a national security matter.

Mr Roberts-Smith has been charged with five counts of the war crime of murder, allegedly committed against unarmed detainees, during his service with the SAS in Afghanistan. He strenuously denies any wrongdoing.

The 47-year-old is subject to strict bail conditions, including the provision of a surety of $250,000 and the surrender of his passport. He cannot leave Australia under any circumstances, or leave Queensland except to travel to Sydney or Perth for the purposes of the case. He is not permitted to approach anyone he served with in Afghanistan.

It is unclear what exactly will be included in the brief of evidence against him, but it is understood that the indemnified testimony of Australian soldiers who served alongside Mr Roberts-Smith will play a significant role in the commonwealth’s case.

Shortly after his arrest, prosecutors revealed that four soldiers who admitted complicity in Mr Roberts-Smith’s alleged war crimes had been granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for their evidence against him.

These witnesses’ identities are protected by non-publication orders.

The case will return to Downing Centre Local Court on September 8, where the prosecution is expected to let the court know what has been served and how much is yet to be served. The war crimes trial is unlikely to reach the NSW Supreme Court until at least 2029.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ben-robertssmith-to-see-secret-evidence-in-alleged-war-crimes-case/news-story/2a1d8a676ecf0df408ed94f00a948a43

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24998878 (020952ZSEP26) Notable: UK’s defence minister loud and clear on AUKUS as a China deterrent - Britain’s Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has explicitly framed AUKUS as a deterrent against China, Russia and other adversaries, contrasting with Australia’s more cautious public justification of the submarine partnership. Streeting said AUKUS demonstrated that Australia, Britain and the United States would stand together against aggression and eventually deploy more capable submarines across the Indo-Pacific and other regions. US ambassador Warren Stephens similarly said opposition from China, Russia and Iran showed the partnership’s strategic importance. Australian High Commissioner Jay Weatherill instead emphasised shared security challenges without naming adversaries. The contrasting rhetoric comes as Defence Minister Richard Marles prepares for talks in Washington and London.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75095

>>75130

>>75228

UK’s defence minister loud and clear on AUKUS as a China deterrent

Unlike Australia, neither the UK nor the US see the need for diplomatic language when it comes to the trilateral nuclear submarine pact’s importance to countering Chinese and Russian aggression.

Andrew Tillett - Sep 2, 2026

London | As AUKUS prepares to celebrate its fifth birthday, a high-powered reception in Britain’s Houses of Parliament on Tuesday night (Wednesday AEST) illuminated how Australia continues to tiptoe around China when justifying the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines.

As lights gleamed off the Thames, Australian High Commissioner Jay Weatherill spoke in general terms about how the three AUKUS partners – Australia, the US and UK – shared an interest in security in both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions.

“Economic shocks, supply chain disruptions, threat to critical infrastructure, coercion at sea, challenges to freedom of navigation don’t stop at regional boundaries,” Weatherill said.

By contrast, Britain’s newish Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, and the US ambassador to the UK, Warren Stephens, were both blunt in calling out the threat to Western security interests, naming China, Russia and Iran, and being prepared to mount a muscular defence.

“We should be under no illusion that there are many who do not want this partnership to succeed. It’s not a secret,” Stephens said.

“You just have to read their public statements. Russia, China, and Iran have all protested its existence. That says we’re onto something good there. But they know the economic and security benefits AUKUS will deliver, and we must not give them what they want by delaying or diverging from our course of action.”

Streeting, who became minister just six weeks ago, added: “AUKUS says to our adversaries is that if you attack one of us, you are challenging a coalition that is willing to stand together to defend the values we cherish and to fight alongside one another.

“Every day, disruptive actors show us that they have both the will and the means to exploit political vulnerabilities, to threaten and undermine UK security and the security of our allies.

“We need look no further than Russia’s recent activity in the North Atlantic, but the significance of AUKUS is global. In time, it will deliver a greater number of more capable allied [submarines], which can be deployed everywhere from the Euro-Atlantic to the Mediterranean to the Indo-Pacific.

“That’s why our adversaries, as Warren said, hate AUKUS so much. It confounds and confuses their thinking. It erodes their confidence, and so they seek to undermine it at every opportunity, and that, as the ambassador said, is a good thing because it proves we must be doing something right.”

Wetherill, as a diplomat, has to be circumspect. But while the US and UK offer a clear-eyed assessment, expect more platitudes this week when Defence Minister Richard Marles visits his US counterpart Pete Hegseth in Washington before heading to London for his first face-to-face meeting with Streeting.

The more benign tone from Australia on AUKUS reflects how the government continues to pick its moments to push back against China.

Speaking from Palua on Monday, Anthony Albanese gave a little slap to Beijing’s objections over Taiwan by insisting it would be Pacific Island Forum members who decided what would happen at the annual talks, not other countries.

Australia will also protest when Chinese military forces overstep or come too close to allied patrols in the region, and join global condemnation of Beijing-led cybersecurity incidents.

But at a time when the geopolitical walls feel like they are closing in, the government seems to value stabilisation with Beijing over the need to make the clear case for spending up to $366 billion on AUKUS and increasing the defence budget more generally.

Instead, it seems Labor often frames AUKUS as a job creation program for Adelaide and Perth, delivering blue-collar jobs and economic growth to mollify unions and local communities.

It is telling that US Studies Centre polling released this week found only 23 per cent agreed that Canberra had properly explained the rationale for AUKUS, a four percentage point drop over 12 months.

This is dismal, especially when we are told AUKUS will be the nation’s biggest-ever endeavour. After five years of AUKUS, what progress has been made continues to be undermined by uncertainty.

Streeting acknowledged this scepticism on Tuesday night.

“Let’s prove all the commentators and armchair admirals wrong, and show all the naysayers that our three great countries can still achieve great things and achieve greater things still working together,” he said.

https://www.afr.com/world/europe/uk-s-new-defence-minister-loud-and-clear-on-aukus-as-a-china-deterrent-20260902-p60tlo

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24998890 (021003ZSEP26) Notable: Prince Andrew named in US Congress as having ‘committed sex crimes’ - US Republican congressman Thomas Massie has accused Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor of having “committed sex crimes in the US” while naming alleged Jeffrey Epstein associates and calling for further investigations and prosecutions. Speaking under congressional privilege, Massie listed 14 people while campaigning for legislation to release millions more Epstein-related documents and expand access for state prosecutors and survivors. Mountbatten-Windsor has never been criminally charged in the United States and has denied wrongdoing. Virginia Giuffre previously accused him in a US civil lawsuit of sexually abusing her when she was 17, including in New York; the case was settled without an admission of liability. Giuffre’s family welcomed Massie’s intervention and called for an investigation. Mountbatten-Windsor’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75080

>>75085

>>75283

Prince Andrew named in US Congress as having ‘committed sex crimes’

JOSIE ENSOR - 2 September 2026

A member of Congress has alleged in a speech on the floor of the US House that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor “committed sex crimes in the US”.

Thomas Massie, a Republican representative from Kentucky, named more than a dozen people he alleged were Jeffrey Epstein’s “co-conspirators” or associates.

“We want perpetrators of these crimes to be investigated and prosecuted,” Massie said, naming 14 people including Mountbatten-Windsor, Jes Staley, the former Barclays chief executive, David Copperfield, the magician, and Thomas Pritzker, the former executive chairman of Hyatt Hotels Corporation - before adding, “and Prince Andrew, who committed sex crimes in the US”. All deny any wrongdoing.

Massie delivered the minute-long speech in the House as he led an effort to pass legislation to have three million more files related to Epstein released by the Trump administration.

The Department of Justice (DoJ) was forced to release a tranche of documents related to its investigation into Epstein after Massie helped pass the Epstein Transparency Act last year.

“Perhaps hearing these names will shame the Department of Justice into delivering justice,” said Massie, who lost his bid for re-election in May.

Massie has begun collecting signatures for a petition to force a vote on a second Epstein Files Transparency Act, which he said would give “state (Attorneys-General) access to Epstein files required to prosecute perpetrators under state law, and makes it easier for survivors to sue to get their files”.

The Speech or Debate Clause in America’s constitution gives members of Congress protection for statements made as part of legislative proceedings, allowing Massie to name people he accuses of being Epstein co-conspirators without facing defamation lawsuits.

It was not immediately clear what alleged crimes Massie was referring to in relation to Mountbatten-Windsor and his office did not respond to a request for comment from The Times.

Mountbatten-Windsor has never been charged with a crime in the United States. He has, however, been accused in US court of sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre when she was 17. The former duke denied the allegations, and the civil case was settled without an admission of liability.

Giuffre alleged in a federal lawsuit that Mountbatten-Windsor abused her in 2001 and 2002, including encounters in New York and at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse, as well as in London.

In a statement to The Times, Giuffre’s family said they “commended” Massie’s speech on the House floor. “Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be investigated for his sexual crimes committed on US soil, not only against our sister Virginia Roberts Giuffre, but also against others of whom we are aware,” said her brothers, Sky Roberts and Daniel Wilson, and her sisters-in-law Amanda and Lanette.

“Many of the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his collaborators remain in the three million-plus documents that are being illegally held by the DoJ, in spite of the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act into law. It is time for them to be made public.”

The former Duke of York was arrested by Thames Valley police on allegations of misconduct in a public office after allegations that he shared sensitive information with Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

The Times reported that police officers are planning to come to the US to speak to the Roberts family.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/the-times/prince-andrew-named-in-us-congress-as-having-committed-sex-crimes/news-story/114e13cd1e1e044151da4030b9bbe4ca

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25002428 (031051ZSEP26) Notable: Australia’s massive data centres to be built away from homes as Trump attacks AI critics - Major US artificial intelligence companies have indicated they will build large Australian data centres away from residential areas to minimise community opposition as investment potentially reaches $150 billion by 2030. Companies including Anthropic, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI also reportedly accept the Albanese government’s expectation that additional renewable generation offset centres’ enormous electricity demand. Australia has become increasingly attractive as US projects face community resistance and Middle Eastern investment is disrupted. The government is considering requiring companies to reserve computing capacity for Australian researchers and businesses, seeking benefits beyond construction investment. Defence Minister Richard Marles has described domestic access to leading AI technology as an economic and national security priority. Concerns remain about electricity demand, inflation, housing construction, copyright and compensation for Australian creatives.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>74983

>>75296

>>75311

Australia’s massive data centres to be built away from homes as Trump attacks AI critics

Paul Sakkal - September 3, 2026

1/2

Top artificial intelligence players have told Australia they’ll build large data centres far away from homes to avoid the type of public backlash imperilling the rollout in the US.

Reeling from moratoriums in multiple US states, including Texas, AI firms gave early assurances of building in remote areas to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and junior tech minister Andrew Charlton during talks on Australia’s $150 billion AI boom in San Francisco.

Sources briefed on this week’s talks said billionaire execs were also comfortable with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s requirement to add renewables to the grid to offset data centres’ vast energy needs. Queensland, which owns coal plants, may use fossil fuels if cheaper than renewables after Labor softened its stance.

“This is probably the most transformational economic development of our lifetimes,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers said on Wednesday, two days after releasing analysis showing AI data centres could add to inflation.

“I’m confident that we can maximise the economic upside and minimise the risks, but it will take work.”

The in-principle agreement on Labor’s new AI standards has cleared the path to land a $21 billion deal that would make Australia the second home for Anthropic to train models. Other firms involved in meetings with Marles and Charlton this week, including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI, are also keen to make big investments.

The outcome also demonstrates the newfound leverage Australian officials feel they possess over Big Tech. The companies are competing for supremacy in artificial general intelligence and scrambling to build enough data centres to keep up with demand for their models. The firms are also trying to justify their eye-watering valuations, which have sparked concerns about a financial bubble.

The ongoing war in Iran has cruelled investment in the Middle East. In the US, President Donald Trump claimed this week that opposing data centres would make America “backwards and poor”, arguing that tech and strategic rival China “could not be happier with this anti-data centre movement”.

Former Trump acolyte Marjorie Taylor Greene and populist left leader Bernie Sanders have both campaigned against data centre construction. Before midterm elections in which AI will be a hot topic, Sanders hit back at Trump, saying 75 per cent of Americans oppose data centres and want “a decent future for themselves, their kids and their communities”.

Developments in the Middle East and the US have turned Australia into a more attractive destination. Australian data centres have been controversial, including over noise pollution. But the AI firms have indicated to Marles and Charlton that they know larger data centres of the future must be built in remote areas.

Marles said before the US trip that the AI boom represented the biggest hinge point in Australia’s self-reliance since World War II as AI models became pivotal in running services such as telecommunications, banking and even national security.

Australia still needs to figure out how to allow AI firms to access copyrighted Australian material to train models. The compensation model for creatives is a sticking point in the deal with Anthropic. Charlton’s blitz will continue on Wednesday in the US when he meets Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick after meeting with Trump’s chief adviser on science and technology, Michael Kratsios.

Marles, the defence minister, said it was critical that Australia worked more closely with the US as it battled with China for tech supremacy and the Asian powerhouse sought to disseminate cheaper AI models to draw smaller nations into its orbit.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25002437 (031059ZSEP26) Notable: Ray Hadley tells court Alan Jones targeted him over breakfast radio show - Former 2GB broadcaster Ray Hadley has testified that Alan Jones targeted him after learning Hadley had secretly contracted to replace him in the station’s breakfast slot. Hadley said Jones considered him disloyal and encouraged staff to “dig up dirt” and undermine him, describing their 35-year relationship as sometimes friendly and sometimes hostile. He acknowledged probably harbouring animosity towards Jones but rejected defence claims that he colluded with Complainant C to “destroy” his former rival. Hadley said a message stating Jones “needs to be destroyed” referred specifically to C’s assault allegations and his commitment to supporting the complainant. He also denied giving false evidence about C’s initial disclosure. Jones has pleaded not guilty to 20 indecent assault charges and two sexual touching charges.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75171

>>75247

>>75259

>>75304

>>75309

Ray Hadley tells court Alan Jones targeted him over breakfast radio show

BIMINI PLESSER - 3 September 2026

Retired radio star Ray Hadley claims he was targeted by Alan Jones after his then-colleague dubbed him disloyal for going after his coveted breakfast timeslot, in his final pieces of evidence before Jones’ indecent assault trial.

In his third and final day in the witness box, Hadley discussed his “complicated” 35-year relationship with Jones, who stands accused of kissing and touching the penis and buttocks of six com­plainants between 2003 and 2020.

Although he said he probably harboured animosity towards Jones, Hadley refuted the defence’s claim he was trying to “destroy” Jones by colluding with Complainant C, one of the six alleged victims in the case.

Hadley claimed Jones was set on bringing him down well before C’s allegations were published by the Sydney Morning Herald in December 2019.

“I’d been targeted by Mr Jones when he found out that I’d signed a contract to take his position, even though I never took his position,” Hadley said.

“He was targeting me because he thought I was disloyal.”

Hadley told the court his former rival had asked 2GB staff to “dig up dirt” on him after he signed a “secret contract” to take over Jones’ breakfast show in December 2018.

“Anything they could to white ant me, white ant my program, just generally make life more difficult for me,” he said.

The court heard the former radio rivals had a “very complicated” relationship.

“We were both under tremendous pressure constantly to deliver and, as a result, it was a tumultuous relationship, sometimes warm and friendly and sometimes hostile,” Hadley said.

Asked why he sent Jones friendly texts, including things like “love, Hadley” and “35 years is a long time old mate” in 2019 and 2020, Hadley said it was “common courtesy” because Jones had sent a kind message first.

“Our relationship was very complicated. We went from being very close to very distant. He was gracious. I returned it,” he said.

Hadley said much of his success as a broadcaster was due to Jones and he was “appreciative of what he did for me”.

In saying that, he added that they also had “stand-up brawls” and Jones had said in the past “he’d never work with me again”.

In her re-examination, prosecutor Georgina Wright SC took Hadley to a text read aloud in court on Wednesday, in which he told C that Jones “needs to be destroyed”.

Asked to clarify why he said that, Hadley said the rest of the message read “for what he did to you”.

“It was in reference to the proceedings we’re here about at the moment,” he said.

“I said I’d stick by him (C) and I’d support him in every way, no matter what course of action he decided to take, and that’s why I’m here today.”

In the last part of her cross-examination of Hadley, Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir SC, suggested he had given untrue evidence about the conversation he had with Complainant C in October 2019, when the young man first alleged Jones had assaulted him.

Hadley said he rejected that entirely.

Ms Bashir also probed him on his contact with columnist Peter FitzSimons around that time.

Hadley agreed that in addition to the phone call he facilitated between FitzSimons and C, he had two further calls with the journalist in October 2019.

“I think he was pressing me on the identity of (C)’ at the time. I wouldn’t tell them (the Sydney Morning Herald),” he said.

Hadley also confirmed he had several other conversations with C in October 2019, but said that was because the man was “in a fragile state”.

On his way out of court, Hadley spoke briefly to the media but said he couldn’t answer any questions for fear of jeopardising the trial.

Hadley made his first appearance as a witness in Jones’s trial on Tuesday, when he was questioned about alle­gations Jones repeatedly kissed and touched Complainant C.

The alleged victim, who worked at 2GB, is one of six complainants who have accused Jones of assault.

Jones has pleaded not guilty to all 20 counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual touching levelled against him.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/ray-hadley-tells-court-alan-jones-targeted-him-over-breakfast-radio-show/news-story/8d641403afc1b4af50e68e719738f726

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25008695 (051203ZSEP26) Notable: CFMEU delegate charged as police seize steroids, drugs in dawn raids - A CFMEU delegate has been charged following police raids targeting alleged drug and steroid trafficking on Victorian construction sites. Taskforce Hawk investigators searched properties in Mulgrave, Heathmont and Fitzroy, arresting three people and seizing steroids, peptides, cocaine, MDMA, cannabis, cash, electronic devices and weapons. Police allege the 35-year-old CFMEU delegate and two others imported drugs and steroids through the mail before distributing them across Melbourne construction sites. The delegate and a 32-year-old man were charged with trafficking anabolic steroids and drug and weapon offences, while a 27-year-old woman was released pending summons. The CFMEU suspended the delegate. The operation follows separate raids and arrests involving union figures amid broader investigations into alleged corruption, money laundering and drug trafficking in Victoria’s construction industry.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75250

>>75257

>>75258

>>75273

>>75306

CFMEU delegate charged as police seize steroids, drugs in dawn raids

Shelby Brooks and Eleanor Campbell - September 4, 2026

Illicit drugs, steroids, weapons and cash have been seized during an early morning raid as part of a wider investigation into alleged drug trafficking on Victorian construction sites.

Three properties in Mulgrave, Heathmont and Fitzroy were raided by Taskforce Hawk investigators early on Thursday.

Police allege a 35-year-old CFMEU delegate was one of three people importing drugs and steroids through the mail and trafficking them on construction sites across Melbourne.

In footage released by police, the Mulgrave man was shown being escorted by police from a property on a suburban street in Melbourne’s south-east.

A 32-year-old Fitzroy man and a 27-year-old Fitzroy woman were also arrested.

Steroids and peptides, drug paraphernalia, a large amount of cash, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis, electronic devices, a Taser, two extendable batons and pepper spray were among the items seized by police.

The two men were charged with trafficking anabolic steroids and drug and weapon possession.

They are both due to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in January.

The 27-year-old woman was released with an intent to summons.

A spokesperson for the CFMEU said the delegate had been suspended from his duties with the union.

The arrests follow separate raids on Wednesday at the home of former sacked CFMEU boss John Perkovic, as part of a wider investigation into suspected corruption and money laundering.

In August, five CFMEU officials were arrested during a police raid on the union’s Victorian headquarters over drug trafficking and corruption allegations.

A royal commission into the state’s construction sector will be led by former South Australian chief justice Chris Kourakis.

Former union leader John Setka also appeared in court on Thursday following his arrest in November.

The sacked CFMEU leader is accused of breaching court orders and using a carriage service to menace, harass and offend the embattled union’s government-appointed administrator.

A landmark review into CFMEU corruption on Big Build projects alleged some large government-controlled construction sites were converted by bikie gangs into “drug distribution centres”.

The report by anti-corruption lawyer Geoffrey Watson, SC, published in February, described how rival gangs fought for control over the $530 million Hurstbridge Rail Line Upgrade because of its lucrative value as a drug-dealing hub, as well as an employer for taxpayer-funded jobs.

“Approximately 1000 workers were on the Hurstbridge site – 540 on day shift, approximately the same on the night shift. That many workers, placed into a confined area, made Hurstbridge a desirable place from which to distribute drugs,” Watson said in his report.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cfmeu-delegate-charged-as-police-seize-steroids-drugs-in-dawn-raids-20260904-p60ucu.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25011092 (060946ZSEP26) Notable: ‘He’s wrong’: Pauline Hanson says Andrew Hastie won’t be spared by orange tsunami in Federal Election - One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has vowed to contest Liberal MP Andrew Hastie’s seat of Canning as part of plans to run candidates in all 16 Western Australian electorates at the 2028 federal election. Following One Nation’s historic Secret Harbour state by-election victory, Hanson said Hastie should not expect to be spared and argued voters increasingly wanted alternatives to Labor and the Liberals. She praised WA Liberal leader Basil Zempilas for preferencing One Nation in Secret Harbour, describing the arrangement as a model for defeating Labor federally. Hastie has rejected suggestions that One Nation victories benefit the Liberals. Hanson said One Nation had raised $5 million for its federal campaign and would particularly target Labor-held Hasluck, Pearce and Bullwinkel.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75254

>>75291

‘He’s wrong’: Pauline Hanson says Andrew Hastie won’t be spared by orange tsunami in Federal Election

Joe Spagnolo - 6 September 2026

Pauline Hanson says Andrew Hastie will not be spared in her plan to turn WA orange at the next federal Election - warning him she is coming for his seat.

In the after wash of a shock One Nation win in the Labor heartland of Secret Harbour, Senator Hanson said she expected the Party to begin preselecting candidates in WA for the 2028 poll in the early part of next year – Mr Hastie’s seat of Canning in her sights.

“He (Andrew Hastie) is now concerned about losing his seat – and of course, what happened in Secret Harbour is a clear indication of where people are casting their vote, in part of his seat,” Senator Hanson said.

“Andrew needs to put his head down and work for his electorate.

“If he thinks he’s going to be saved, and that I won’t run a candidate in his seat, he’s wrong.”

Senator Hanson said One Nation would run candidates in all of WA’s 16 federal seats, saying it was clear West Australians wanted an option to voting either Labor or Liberal.

“Andrew Hastie has taken it personally because I’m standing a candidate in his seat,” Senator Hanson said.

“He feels insulted by that, as if I shouldn’t run a candidate in Canning.

“But he has to realise that I’m an individual political party and a lot of voters are looking to One Nation now who don’t want to vote for the Liberals, or Labor.”

In WA, Anthony Albanese’s Labor Party holds 11 out of 16 seats – with the Liberals holding four and Teal MP Kate Chaney holding Curtin.

Under Basil Zempilas, the WA Liberals preferenced One Nation in Secret Harbour – a decision that ultimately delivered One Nation its first seat in the Legislative Assembly of the WA Parliament.

Senator Hanson praised Mr Zempilas for preferencing her candidate Luke Herdegen, saying the Secret Harbour by-election was a template for how the federal Liberals should fight the next federal poll.

“What I liked about Zempilas is that he actually did work with One Nation in that seat,” Senator Hanson said.

“He could see the writing on the wall, having no chance of winning the seat.

“So, he worked with us (One Nation) to oust Labor.

“That’s what the Libs have to wake up to.

“They have to work with us, if they want to change government.”

But the idea of working with One Nation at the 2028 poll is not likely to sit well with Mr Hastie, who just a few weeks ago in a television interview with the ABC, bagged Mr Zempilas’ Secret Harbour campaign.

“This is a state election contested on state issues, and I don’t accept this idea that a win for One Nation is a win for the Liberal Party,” Mr Hastie told the ABC.

Senator Hanson said One Nation had plenty of money to splash in WA next federal election.

She has previously told The Nightly that One Nation would be specifically targeting the Labor seats of Hasluck and Pearce at the federal Election, with Bullwinkel also in her sights.

At a One Nation function in WA in June, a venue in Midland just around the corner from Labor member for Hasluck, Tania Lawrence was chosen for the event.

“We have raised $5 million in the Fire the Liar campaign,” Senator Hanson said.

“Our word was to get rid of Labor, and that’s what the money will be used for.”

https://thenightly.com.au/politics/hes-wrong-pauline-hanson-says-andrew-hastie-wont-be-spared-by-orange-tsunami-in-federal-election-c-22830467

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25014403 (070952ZSEP26) Notable: Social media giants face more than $100 million in fines as Albanese government pressures platforms to enforce under-16 ban - Social media companies face fines exceeding $100 million under Albanese government legislation strengthening enforcement of Australia’s under-16 social media ban. The bill would expand eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s information-gathering powers and impose penalties of up to $109.2 million for breaches. Communications Minister Anika Wells said more than five million under-16 accounts had been removed and urged parliament to pass the measures. The government is also preparing broader “digital duty of care” reforms requiring platforms to address harmful content, including illegal pornography. The Coalition has raised concerns about potential censorship and expanded ministerial powers. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the youth ban was not working, while communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson warned the proposed reforms could threaten freedom of expression.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75100

>>75146

>>75157

Social media giants face more than $100 million in fines as Albanese government pressures platforms to enforce under-16 ban

Shane Wright - September 6, 2026

Social media companies could be slugged with fines of more than $100 million if they fail to do more to keep under-16s off their sites under an Albanese government bill set to go before the Senate on Tuesday.

The fines are part of a push to give more power to eSafety Commission chief Julie Inman Grant to target sites such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for not lifting efforts to abide by Australia’s ban on young people accessing social media.

It forms a key part of a broader assault on social media platforms with draft laws that would force companies to take action that would prevent the platforming and sharing of harmful content, including illegal pornography, on their sites.

At the start of July, the government introduced to parliament an urgent bill it said would boost the eSafety Commission’s information gathering powers. That bill was sent to a Senate committee that, despite misgivings by non-government members, ticked off its approval.

That bill, which includes fines of $109.2 million for breaching new laws to prevent under-16s from accessing social media sites, will go to the Senate on Tuesday.

The government has come under fire over the large number of young people still on social media sites, despite its mandating of age verification.

But Communications Minister Anika Wells said more than five million under-16s accounts had been removed. She urged the upper house to back the bill as quickly as possible.

“Australian kids and parents needed these laws eight weeks ago, but the Coalition and Greens teamed up to send our four-page bill to an eight-week inquiry,” she said.

“The Coalition and the Greens ignored the pleas of parents who want social media companies held to account for harming Australian kids.

“We have to put politics to the side and pass this bill this week, so the eSafety Commissioner can hold social media companies accountable.”

The large fines at the heart of the under-16 ban will form part of the so-called “digital duty of care” reforms that the government is expected to release for public comment later this week.

The proposed legislation has the potential to split the Coalition between those who want to protect free speech and those who believe some social media outlets are deliberately causing harm among young people.

Liberal leader Angus Taylor on Sunday said while he had not seen the draft laws, he was worried about an “attempt by government to censor social media”.

He was more focused on the laws going to the Senate this week, noting the continued use by under-16s of social media.

“It’s not working. So then going off and starting off on some other thing, which risks being censorship of the internet, enormous ministerial discretion around censorship on the internet … If that’s what’s being proposed, we’re sceptical,” he told News24.

Opposition communications spokeswoman Sarah Henderson expressed deep reservations about the proposal and how it would give more powers to the government to regulate Australians’ freedom of expression.

“While we will consider the government’s exposure draft, the proposal for new ministerial powers to make regulations governing categories of online harms without parliamentary oversight is a serious threat to free speech,” she said.

“While tougher action is required to combat serious online harms and empower Australians to take greater control over what they see online, the digital duty of care, as currently proposed, appears to be a dangerous step in the wrong direction.

But opposition home affairs spokesman Jonathan Duniam said there might be merit in users not being force-fed an algorithm for their social media.

“Provided the detail stacks up and it doesn’t unnecessarily impede on people’s rights and freedoms, empowering individuals to make a choice about what they consume is absolutely where we should be at,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program.

“Empowering parents to do the same for those that are in their custody, their kids, should absolutely be something we consider.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/government-closes-in-on-100m-social-media-fines-20260906-p60uv0.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25014414 (070959ZSEP26) Notable: ‘Hurt, humiliated’: 500 kids sue over Queensland gender care ban - Up to 500 Queensland children are pursuing a class action challenging the state government’s ban on puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minors at public health services. The case, brought on behalf of a 12-year-old child, alleges discrimination and seeks an apology and $50,000 compensation for each applicant for “hurt, humiliation, embarrassment and distress”. The government argues the restrictions protect children while evidence about gender dysphoria treatments is investigated. Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal senior member Samantha Traves has ruled the complaint can proceed as a class action and that the tribunal could order steps restoring access if discrimination is established. The case comes as a national review of puberty blockers has been delayed until November amid continuing debate over their safety and effectiveness.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75111

>>75112

>>75165

‘Hurt, humiliated’: 500 kids sue over Queensland gender care ban

STEPHEN RICE - 7 September 2026

1/2

Up to 500 Queensland children barred from accessing puberty blockers are seeking to overturn the ban – and claim $50,000 each in compensation – in an unprecedented class action that challenges the power of elected governments to stop gender-affirming medical treatment for minors.

The legal case, brought on behalf of a 12-year-old child, who was four years old when first admitted as a patient of the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic, seeks to overturn a ministerial direction banning minors from receiving puberty blockers and hormone therapy at public health services if they hadn’t already started receiving that treatment.

The children, represented by the Queensland LGBTI Legal Service, are also demanding an apology from the government and compensation for each applicant of $50,000 for “hurt, humiliation, embarrassment and distress” caused by the directions.

In submissions to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal seen by The Australian, lawyers from the LGBTI Legal Service argue that the treatment is “not experimental and it is supported by major medical bodies” and that it was delivered in Queensland “in accordance with national and international guidelines”.

Other jurisdictions have banned puberty blockers for people under 18, including the UK in 2024, after the Cass Review found there was not enough evidence about the long-term effects to know whether they were safe or beneficial.

The release of a national review into the effect of puberty blockers on Australian children and teenagers has been delayed until the end of the year, despite claims by federal Health Minister Mark Butler more than a year ago that he had “expedited” the process because of the “urgency for clear advice”.

The National Health and Medical Research Council was due to deliver its interim report – first announced in January 2025 – by the middle of this year but a spokesperson for the council said it now expected to finalise and publish the advice in November.

The delay means hundreds of children outside Queensland continue to be prescribed puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones at public health services following a de-facto national guideline from the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, despite the Cass ­Review finding it lacked rigour.

As at June 2024 there were 491 patients waiting to receive treatment at the Queensland Children’s Gender Clinic, ­although the number is understood to have grown in the six months before the ban.

The class action is an opt-out model, meaning every child who meets the class definition is automatically included unless they choose to opt out. It is understood few, if any, have chosen to do so.

If each applicant received the full amount, which is considered unlikely, the Queensland government would have to pay out about $25m.

The Queensland ban on stage one puberty blockers and stage two hormone therapies for under-18s, introduced in January 2025, was overturned by the Supreme Court in October last year but within hours, Health Minister Tim Nicholls reintroduced it with a ministerial direction.

The now 12-year-old original applicant in the case was being treated for gender dysphoria but was pre-pubescent at the time of the ban and had not started treatment.

The child’s lawyers argued in QCAT that the government had discriminated against this group of children, compared with adults without the same constraints and children who did not have gender dysphoria but were being treated for other conditions such as precocious puberty.

University of Queensland emeritus professor of law Patrick Parkinson, a family law and child-protection expert, said it was “a strange claim” that the government was not entitled to decide for whom it could provide publicly funded services.

“Nothing stops any of these children getting that treatment from private doctors and specialists,” Professor Parkinson said.

He noted that QCAT had not yet made a decision on the substance of the claim, only that it could proceed as a class action.

“Is it discrimination for the government to decide for valid reasons that a treatment is not either safe or effective for its purpose and therefore should not be used?” Professor Parkinson said.

“The answer is unequivocally, of course it’s got that power to ­decide. It’s not discriminating against a child when you say: the proposed treatment hasn’t been proven to be of benefit sufficiently, the results are poor, it’s not effective and may not be safe.

“It would be bizarre to say that the government can’t make that decision.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25017334 (081036ZSEP26) Notable: Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes trial: Investigators suppress names of 723 people listed in evidence - Investigators have concealed the identities of 723 people named in evidence against Ben Roberts-Smith, prompting concerns from his lawyers about their ability to prepare his defence against five war crime murder charges. Prosecutors have provided about 4000 documents and 234 witness statements, with 723 individuals assigned pseudonyms. Defence lawyer Karen Espiner argued hundreds may have no legal requirement for anonymity and sought disclosure of which identities require protection. Judge Susan Horan declined to issue immediate orders, encouraging prosecutors and defence lawyers to resolve the dispute. The complete sensitive evidence brief is expected by mid-November. Prosecutors allege Roberts-Smith personally executed one Afghan prisoner and ordered four others killed. Four former SAS soldiers granted immunity are expected to testify against him.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75145

Ben Roberts-Smith war crimes trial: Investigators suppress names of 723 people listed in evidence

The decision by the Office of the Special Investigator suggests it plans a no-compromise approach to securing the conviction of the Victoria Cross awardee and seeking a life sentence.

Aaron Patrick - 8 September 2026

1/2

Investigators into Ben Roberts-Smith have hidden the identities of 723 people named in the evidence against him with pseudonyms, likely stretching from military officers to Afghan villagers, suggesting they intend to take a no-compromise approach to securing the conviction of the Victoria Cross awardee and seeking a life sentence.

A Local Court in Sydney heard on Tuesday prosecutors provided Mr Roberts-Smith’s legal team with what they said was a “substantial proportion” of the non-classified version of the evidence against him the day before today’s hearing, comprising about 4000 documents and 234 witness statements.

Mr Roberts-Smith’s lawyer, Karen Espiner, complained to Judge Susan Horan about the use of numbered pseudonyms by the Office of the Special Investigator, a decision that will make it harder for her team to prepare a defence against five charges of the war crime of murder. She asked the judge to order the government agency to disclose which of the names have to be kept secret under the National Security Information Act.

“Their names are redacted in every document,” Ms Espiner said. “I am concerned that the vast number of additional pseudonyms has been applied for no reason.”

Of the 723 anonymous people listed in the evidence, 149 are from Mr Roberts-Smith’s unsuccessful defamation case against Nine newspapers and three journalists, 95 have “protected identity status” covering SAS soldiers, commandos and other members of the special forces, and another 11 cannot be identified because of legal suppression orders.

That potentially leaves 468 people who could be identified to Mr Roberts-Smith’s lawyers without breaching national security, according to Ms Espiner’s submissions in court. They could include expert witnesses, police officers, lawyers, journalists and dead Afghans.

The wholesale use of pseudonyms is a significant development that suggests the Office of the Special Investigator is determined to shield the identities of people involved in the case, even in a minor way, even though there are no rules prohibiting publication of the names of ex-SAS soldiers unless they could return to service.

Pseudonyms were used in Mr Roberts-Smith’s defamation lawsuit, a system that protected the names of men who provided the media with information or were accused of executing prisoners themselves.

Judge Horan refused Ms Espiner’s request, stating that she was “reluctant” to issue mandatory instructions to the government on a busy day for the court and both sides could seek another hearing if they failed to sort out the problem.

“I don’t want to do anything inadvertent to compromise sensitive material or identities,” she said.

Prosecution barrister Chelsea Brain suggested that a compromise could be reached between prosecutors, investigators and the defence lawyers.

“The prosecution is aware there is an issue of the extent of redactions that have been applied to the brief,” she said. “We have been in communication with Ms Espiner about the issue as have the Investigator.

“I just don’t know how long it is going to take to iron out. I suggest the parties attempt to iron it out between themselves and if that can’t be done we can we return.”

The complete evidence, a confidential document known as the sensitive brief of evidence, will not be available to Mr Roberts-Smith and his lawyers until the middle of November, Ms Brain told the court.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25017364 (081107ZSEP26) Notable: Hastie comes at One Nation for ‘picking a fight with the wrong veteran’ - Liberal MP and former SAS captain Andrew Hastie has defended giving evidence in Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case, accusing One Nation and critics attacking his military record of cowardice. Hastie said he was subpoenaed and legally required to testify, alongside more than 20 other combat veterans and SAS witnesses, and accused One Nation of opposing accountability for battlefield conduct. Pauline Hanson, a prominent Roberts-Smith supporter, has vowed to challenge Hastie in his WA seat of Canning at the next federal election. Hastie said online abuse linked to the controversy had forced him to increase personal security. Meanwhile, Liberal MPs are increasingly considering Hastie the leading candidate to return as opposition home affairs spokesman following Jonno Duniam’s decision to leave parliament earlier than expected.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75145

>>75254

>>75291

>>75315

Hastie comes at One Nation for ‘picking a fight with the wrong veteran’

Brittany Busch and James Massola - September 8, 2026

1/2

Liberal leadership aspirant Andrew Hastie has defended testifying in accused war criminal Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation action against this masthead, branding One Nation and his critics who had never served their country “cowards”.

The former SAS captain has re-engaged with the populist minor party as he sits in the box seat to take on the home affairs portfolio for the Coalition, and after One Nation seized a safe Labor seat that sits in Hastie’s federal electorate in a state byelection last month.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is a staunch defender of Roberts-Smith, who is now facing war crimes charges for allegedly murdering unarmed civilians and prisoners in Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012.

An online campaign supporting Roberts-Smith following the criminal charges has put Hastie in its sights, forcing him to upgrade his personal security. He has accused One Nation of fomenting online hate and trolling.

Hastie told the Federal Court in 2022 that it was a “fairly well-established rumour” that Roberts-Smith had kicked a person under the control of Australian troops off a cliff in Afghanistan, and had a reputation as a bully among the ranks.

The MP for Canning, in Western Australia, said in a newsletter to his supporters on Tuesday that the minor party had “picked a fight with the wrong veteran” after labelling him a traitor for testifying in the Roberts-Smith case.

“I’m calling time on cowards who have never served a day in the Australian Defence Force attacking my service record, my integrity, and my loyalty to Australia,” he said, adding he was subpoenaed and legally required to testify.

“One Nation are working to unseat me because they don’t believe in the rule of law, nor do they believe in holding Australian soldiers to high standards of battlefield conduct.”

Hastie said he had testified alongside more than 20 other combat veterans and SAS witnesses.

“For that, I’ve been called a rat, a traitor, a dog c*nt, and many other things,” he said.

Hastie has developed a reputation for taking the fight to One Nation, though last month signalled for the first time he could lose at the next election and said he hoped to receive the minor party’s preferences.

He is considered Opposition Leader Angus Taylor’s main rival after he was pressured to step aside before Taylor took the leadership from Sussan Ley this year.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25017386 (081121ZSEP26) Notable: Packed courtroom for Neo-Nazi group White Australia's appeal against hate speech laws - Neo-Nazi group White Australia has begun a High Court challenge to federal hate speech laws used to declare it a prohibited hate group. White Australia, also known as the National Socialist Network, and leader Thomas Sewell argue the laws are constitutionally invalid because they burden the implied freedom of political communication, breach separation of powers and exceed Commonwealth powers. Lawyers described the prohibition regime as a “sledgehammer on a nut”, arguing it lacks safeguards and review mechanisms. The Commonwealth countered that the laws legitimately protect Australians from organisations engaged in seriously harmful conduct and threatening national security. It described White Australia as a neo-Nazi organisation associated with violent conduct and rhetoric and rejected its claim to political-party protections.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>62701 (pb)

>>62716 (pb)

>>62855 (pb)

>>62871 (pb)

Packed courtroom for Neo-Nazi group White Australia's appeal against hate speech laws

Jade Toomey - 8 September 2026

There was barely a seat spare in the gallery of the High Court of Australia's largest courtroom this morning, when one of the country's highest-profile neo-Nazi groups began making its case against new federal hate speech laws.

Members of White Australia and legal teams, 12 members strong, had quickly filled Courtroom One, spilling observers into the upstairs mezzanine and other spare courtrooms where, prepared for the overflow, a video feed of the proceedings was playing.

Even though it determines the country's most important legal decisions, it is unusual for the High Court to be so popular.

But the constitutional case it is hearing will have significant legal and political consequences.

Laws introduced by the federal government in January, in the wake of the Bondi Beach attack, are being challenged by White Australia and its leader, convicted criminal Thomas Sewell, as constitutionally invalid.

The group, also known as the National Socialist Network, had been attempting to form a political party to run in federal elections when it was effectively outlawed in May by the federal government, which used the new laws to declare the party a prohibited hate group.

White Australia and Sewell argue the laws burden the implied freedom of political communication, breach the separation of powers, and were not validly made within the Commonwealth's range of powers.

But even before the hearings got underway, the High Court forecourt was busy.

Sewell was pacing quietly near a water fountain, where a group of men dressed in suits - many bearing reflective sunglasses in bright colours - were waiting for the court doors to open.

Other supporters arrived with a dedicated camera operator to film content in front of the High Court's tall glass facade.

A visible police presence accompanied them - while there are often a couple of officers on patrol when the High Court sits, it is unusual to see so many.

And of course there were cameras, as press gallery journalists ventured down from Capital Hill to cover the case.

New laws give government too much power, group says

Several legal experts believe there is a significant prospect the federal government's ban on White Australia may be overturned by the High Court.

The group, represented by barristers Peter King and Shahed Sharify argued the total ban was like using a "sledgehammer on a nut."

Even if the group's beliefs were "unpopular or controversial", they did not justify political overreach, Mr King said, adding that its members may be "awful but lawful."

Their submissions relied on the historical legal precedent set by the federal government's failed attempt to ban the Australian Communist Party in the 1950s.

The plaintiffs also criticised the hate speech laws for lacking "tailoring" - guardrails that it argued should curtail the government's wide-ranging power to ban a group.

The laws, White Australia said, offer banned groups no reviews, no hearings, no written submissions, no sliding scale of punishment, no carve-outs for fair comment, no retrospective time limit, and no ability to subpoena the minister for their reasons behind their decision to prohibit.

"It goes too far," Mr Sharify said.

White Australia rooted in violence, Commonwealth counters

The Commonwealth, led by barrister Brendan Lim, said the laws served a legitimate purpose of protecting the Australian community from organisations that engaged in seriously harmful conduct and posed a threat to Commonwealth security.

It argued White Australia's claim to be a "political party" was a cynical attempt to attract legal protection for prohibited speech.

"[The group] is a neo-Nazi organisation that has engaged in violent conduct and violent rhetoric calculated to inspire violent conduct," the Commonwealth submitted.

The High Court will also hear from interveners, including the Free Speech Union and state attorneys-general, before White Australia is afforded a chance to respond.

The hearings will continue into Wednesday.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-08/white-australia-opens-arguments-appeal-against-hate-speech-laws/107129404

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25020102 (090920ZSEP26) Notable: Liberal MP Andrew Hastie doubles down on One Nation fight; Pauline Hanson calls him a ‘wanker’ - Liberal MP Andrew Hastie has released confidential military performance records while escalating his dispute with One Nation over criticism of his SAS service and evidence in Ben Roberts-Smith’s defamation case. Hastie accused One Nation of tolerating attacks branding him a traitor and said he testified because he was subpoenaed and believed in the rule of law. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson denied calling him a traitor but said she would call him “a wanker”. Hastie’s records contain positive assessments of his judgment, ethics and leadership, alongside details of his military performance. He has faced sustained online abuse and received additional security protection. Hanson has strongly defended Roberts-Smith and intends to field a One Nation candidate against Hastie in Canning at the next federal election.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75145

>>75254

>>75315

>>75320

Liberal MP Andrew Hastie doubles down on One Nation fight; Pauline Hanson calls him a ‘wanker’

The senior Liberal MP accused One Nation of calling him a ‘traitor’, a charged denied by party leader Pauline Hanson, who has now called him ‘a wanker’.

Aaron Patrick - 08 SEP 2026

1/2

Senior Liberal MP Andrew Hastie distributed copies of his confidential military records to supporters on Tuesday to help rebut what he said were slanderous attacks from One Nation on his military record and integrity.

The trigger for the emotional message, made in a mass email to supporters, was a Sunday newspaper article quoting One Nation leader Pauline Hanson stating that her party intended to take Mr Hastie’s Federal WA seat of Canning.

“I won’t take any more slander from One Nation,” Mr Hastie said. “Not after they called me a traitor to my own country.”

While One Nation has ridiculed the SAS veteran for being sensitive to criticism, Senator Hanson said she had never accused Mr Hastie of betraying his country.

“I’ve never called him a traitor,” she told The Nightly. “I will call him a wanker.”

Mr Hastie sent his email out around 7.30am Perth time just as a court hearing was about to began in Sydney for an update on the war crimes charges against his former SAS colleague, Ben Roberts-Smith.

Deserted by supporters

The tension between Mr Hastie and One Nation stems from his decision to testify against Mr Roberts-Smith in a defamation lawsuit in 2022. A recent survey found 69 per cent of One Nation voters admire the Victoria Cross awardee, a higher figure than for One Nation MP and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce.

In Tuesday’s message Mr Hastie said he gave evidence against Mr Roberts-Smith because he was issued with a subpoena and believed in the rule of law.

“For that, I’ve been called a rat, a traitor, a dog c*nt, and many other things,” he said in the email. “People I trusted have walked away from me or failed to defend me.

“One Nation doesn’t own ANZAC, it belongs to all Australians.

“Nor does One Nation get to redefine the profession of arms, and the standards that govern our battlefield conduct.

“One Nation are working to unseat me because they don’t believe in the rule of law, nor do they believe in holding Australian soldiers to high standards of battlefield conduct.

“Now I’m calling time on cowards who have never served a day in the Australian Defence Force attacking my service record, my integrity, and my loyalty to Australia.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25020147 (091018ZSEP26) Notable: White Australia party is ‘modern manifestation’ of Nazi movement and should be banned, commonwealth tells high court - The Commonwealth has defended its ban on the White Australia party in the High Court, describing the neo-Nazi group as a “modern manifestation” of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement that could encourage racially motivated violence. Formerly the National Socialist Network, the group was designated an illegal hate organisation in May following ASIO advice. Commonwealth barrister Brendan Lim argued its existence created harm and could inspire lone actors or fringe members to commit hate crimes. White Australia contends the laws breach the implied freedom of political communication, separation of powers and constitutional limits, citing the High Court’s 1951 rejection of a Communist Party ban. Its lawyers argue prohibition decisions should be made by judges rather than ministers and describe the current regime as authoritarian and disproportionate.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75321

White Australia party is ‘modern manifestation’ of Nazi movement and should be banned, commonwealth tells high court

The former National Socialist Network is challenging ban in high court, arguing law breaches implied freedom of political communication

Sarah Basford Canales - 9 Sep 2026

The White Australia party is a “modern manifestation” of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi movement and would motivate hate crimes against sections of the country, the high court has heard.

The White Australia party, formerly known as the National Socialist Network (NSN), was designated as an illegal hate group in May after the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) passed on its recommendation to the home affairs minister, Tony Burke.

It is challenging the ban at the high court over two days this week, with its lawyers arguing the law breaches the implied freedom of political communication and that handing the decision to Burke breaches the separation of powers.

It also argues the commonwealth does not have the power to ban political parties, citing a major cold war-era high court ruling in 1951, which overturned a ban on the Communist party of Australia.

The commonwealth’s lawyer, Brendan Lim, told the court on Wednesday that the group sought to create a political party after anti-hate laws passed in the wake of the Bondi terror attack threatened to disband it.

The hate group listing means that supporting, funding, training, recruiting and joining the group constitutes a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Lim said the group sought “protection” under the guise of creating a political party but remained the same group with the same goals.

The barrister cited a series of examples, including inflammatory rhetoric to encourage communal violence, an alleged physically violent attack by some of its members on Camp Sovereignty in 2025, and past criminal convictions of its leader, Thomas Sewell.

Justice Robert Beech-Jones asked whether the commonwealth believed the group were the “modern manifestation” of Hitler’s Nazi movement. Lim responded: “Yes.”

“There are few legitimate reasons, outside of history books and museum, that warrant the use of Nazi symbols,” Lim said.

Citing a briefing from ASIO and public speeches by its director general, Mike Burgess, Lim said the prohibited hate group listing was necessary because the group were security conscious and its operations savvy enough to work within the limits of the law.

“The existence of the group itself is the source of harm,” Lim said.

Lim said stochastic terrorism – the use of media and public discourse to demonise sections of the community – could lead lone wolves or fringe members to commit racially motivated hate crimes.

Lim said the anti-hate laws go “no further than necessary” to remove that harm.

Beech-Jones asked whether the party represented a greater threat to Australia’s nationhood than that of the Communist party in 1950 when prime minister Robert Menzies first banned the party. The ban was overturned the following year as constitutionally invalid.

Lim said the current context was different but both parties represented “great threats” to the country.

Lawyers for the party argued on Tuesday that a total ban on the party was akin to using a “sledgehammer on a nut”.

Barrister Shahed Sharify argued the law’s breach of implied freedom of political communication was “authoritarian in nature” and suggested it could be used to outlaw any political party where its members had threatened or engaged in a hate crime with the assistance of the organisation.

Sharify said the banning of hate groups was determined by a politician, based on an opinion with no judicial fairness to appeal that decision.

Sharify said the law’s purposes would be better served by handing that decision to a judge rather than a “busy minister who flicks through a brief and decides in two hours”.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2026/sep/09/white-australia-party-modern-manifestation-adolf-hitler-nazi-movement-commonwealth-high-court-ntwnfb

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25023282 (100949ZSEP26) Notable: ‘Malcolm Turnbull is wrong’: UK general hits back over AUKUS shipbuilding - Senior British AUKUS official Major General Mark Totten has rejected former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull’s claim that UK shipbuilding is in disarray and could leave Australia without adequate submarine capability. Totten said Britain was expanding industrial capacity through £64 billion in nuclear defence investment and remained on track to deliver its first SSN-AUKUS submarine in the late 2030s. He said production of nuclear propulsion systems needed by Australia was progressing strongly and reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to submarine rotations through Australia. A UK parliamentary committee has warned of industrial shortcomings and pressure on the Royal Navy, but Totten argued AUKUS co-operation was already strengthening regional deterrence. US congressman Michael McCaul separately described Australia as the Indo-Pacific “beachhead” and called AUKUS strategically vital.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75130

>>75204

>>75205

>>75228

‘Malcolm Turnbull is wrong’: UK general hits back over AUKUS shipbuilding

Nicola Smith and Emma Rapaport - Sep 9, 2026

1/2

One of the UK’s most senior AUKUS officials has fired back at Malcolm Turnbull’s criticism that British shipbuilding is in disarray, after the former prime minister stoked doubts that Britain would meet its promises on the nuclear-powered submarine pact, leaving Australian defences exposed.

“The UK shipbuilding industry is not in disarray. The UK shipbuilding industry is increasing its capacity to build,” said Major General Mark Totten, director of SSN capability at the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

“I’m very confident that Malcolm Turnbull is wrong ... it is not in disarray, and it’s being invested in at scale,” Totten told The Australian Financial Review, pointing to a £64 billion ($120 billion) investment over the next four years in the “defence nuclear enterprise”, which includes new submarines.

Turnbull’s criticism, including a warning that AUKUS left Australia at risk of a period of “zero submarine capability”, appeared in a submission to a crowdsourced inquiry led by Midnight Oil frontman Peter Garrett into the viability of the timeline, budget and strategic purpose of the $368 billion program.

AUKUS, which was secretly negotiated by former prime minister Scott Morrison and first unveiled in September 2021, controversially overturned a deal with a French shipbuilder – signed under Turnbull in 2016 – to deliver 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.

The first stage of the program’s so-called “Pillar 1” would see British and American nuclear submarines rotating through Perth from 2027 before the sale of US Navy Virginia-class attack submarines to Australia in the early 2030s. In the latter stage in the early 2040s, Australia will construct a new SSN-AUKUS fleet in Adelaide, using a British design.

Alongside operating as the primary platform designer, the UK will play a central role in the trilateral agreement with Australia and the US by providing Rolls-Royce sealed nuclear reactor units and training and maintenance assistance.

Totten joined a high-level British delegation to Australia this week to assess progress ahead of the program’s fifth anniversary on September 15. Part of the group’s mission was to offer reassurance the UK is up to the task of providing what Australia needs.

“We have been clear with Australia that we are on track to deliver our submarine in the late 2030s. The principal dependencies that Australia has on us, the production of the nuclear steam raising plant is going extremely well,” he said of the propulsion system that will power the submarines.

“We want to reassure the Australian system that our design process is progressing well,” said Totten.

“We’re being very careful to spend the right amount of time to design the right submarine that both our nations will use and make sure it can meet the future threat that we forecast.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/25023295 (101000ZSEP26) Notable: ‘Almost proudly’ anti-Alan Jones: Peter FitzSimons gives evidence in Sydney court - Author and journalist Peter FitzSimons has acknowledged being “almost proudly” anti-Alan Jones while testifying about a 2019 conversation with Complainant C in Jones’s indecent assault trial. FitzSimons said C tearfully alleged Jones repeatedly touched his groin and penis, kissed him without consent and assaulted him in a car, lift and restaurant. Ray Hadley had connected C with FitzSimons, who forwarded contemporaneous notes to investigative journalist Kate McClymont but abandoned pursuing the story after hearing C was “spiralling”. Jones’s barrister Gabrielle Bashir SC questioned FitzSimons about his longstanding public hostility towards Jones and his independence as a potential investigator. FitzSimons acknowledged his criticism but said he considered the allegations a story for McClymont. Jones denies all 22 charges involving six complainants.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

>>75171

>>75247

>>75259

>>75304

‘Almost proudly’ anti-Alan Jones: Peter FitzSimons gives evidence in Sydney court

Michaela Whitbourn and Clare Sibthorpe - September 10, 2026

1/2

Warning: Graphic content

Author and journalist Peter FitzSimons told a court he is “almost proudly” anti-Alan Jones as he gave evidence in the former 2GB heavyweight’s indecent assault and sexual touching trial in Sydney.

FitzSimons, a columnist at The Sydney Morning Herald, testified in the Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday that he had a phone call in 2019 with a then-unidentified man who is now a central complainant in Jones’ criminal trial.

He said the man, known as complainant “C” in the case, spoke to him anonymously and alleged that Jones had touched and kissed him without his consent. FitzSimons had been put in contact with the complainant by Jones’ then-2GB colleague Ray Hadley.

The court heard FitzSimons sent his contemporaneous notes of the call to the Herald’s chief investigative reporter, Kate McClymont, referring to the man as a “source”.

Jones’ barrister, Gabrielle Bashir, SC, put to him that he had published multiple articles that were critical of her client, and said: “You were at that time [2019], and you remain, publicly and unashamedly anti-Jones.”

“Almost proudly,” FitzSimons replied.

He told the court that in 2017 he wrote two articles referring in glowing terms to Jones’ skill as a rugby coach, but agreed he has also accused Jones of bullying, telling untruths, and pursuing agendas.

‘Call if you can. Double bingo’

The court heard that FitzSimons sent a text message to McClymont the day before speaking to the complainant, after a phone call with Hadley.

“Call if you can. Double bingo. See email please,” he wrote on October 15, 2019. “Source is obviously Ray Hadley. The [complainant is] calling me at 7.30[am].”

In the email, which was also sent to the Herald’s then-editor Lisa Davies, he sent notes of his call with Hadley but did not name him.

“Just put phone down after talking for 20 minutes to authoritative source,” he wrote.

Asked if Hadley wanted to be anonymous at this time, he told the court: “If I didn’t name Ray Hadley … I presume that to be the case.”

‘A Kate McClymont story’

Bashir put to FitzSimons that he was “not an independent investigator when it came to Mr Jones”.

“As at 15 October, 2019, you had a longstanding and publicly recorded dislike of Mr Jones, didn’t you?” she asked.

“My record on Mr Jones and my criticisms of Mr Jones [are] very public,” FitzSimons said. “From the first, I felt that it was a Kate McClymont story, it was not a ‘me’ story.”

He testified this was “clearly a potentially extremely important story” and McClymont is “an investigative journalist of great repute”.

It was “not a story I could possibly pursue on my own”, FitzSimons said. He was happy to help McClymont if required, and if the Herald decided “it was a credible-enough story to pursue”.

Within days of the call, however, he said Hadley told him the complainant was “spiralling”. FitzSimons said he told Hadley to tell him “we will not pursue” the matter.

FitzSimons told the court he had started looking into a potential story about Jones in about September 2019, after being contacted again by a different young man who had sent him a “very strong email” in 2017.

(continued)