/qnotables26/ - ===Q Notables 2026===

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24354950 (080018ZMAR26) Notable: Commissioner assures Bondi families she will probe Hanukkah security, police delays - Royal commission head Virginia Bell has assured survivors and families of the Bondi Beach massacre that the inquiry will examine the police response to the attack and security arrangements at the Hanukkah celebration where 15 people were killed. During a private meeting with about 80 survivors, witnesses and relatives at Bondi, Bell said the commission would investigate “how long it took police to respond” and why only two officers were present at the Chanukah by the Sea event. She also explained the inquiry could not hear eyewitness accounts that might prejudice the criminal trial of alleged gunmen Naveed and Sajid Akram. The Albanese government said it would introduce legislation granting legal immunity for intelligence and operational information provided to the commission.

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Commissioner assures Bondi families she will probe Hanukkah security, police delays

Matthew Knott - February 26, 2026

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In an intimate meeting at the site of the nation’s worst terror attack, Virginia Bell has assured survivors of the Bondi Beach massacre the royal commission she leads will probe how long it took police to respond to the shooting and the level of security protection at the Hanukkah celebration.

The former High Court judge toured the scene of the attack on Thursday morning and held a two-hour meeting with about 80 survivors, witnesses and relatives of those who died on December 14.

Her meeting came as the Albanese government announced it would introduce new laws next week to strengthen legal protections for those providing intelligence and operational information to the royal commission and strengthen its ability to handle sensitive material.

Bell said this week there had been delays in receiving information from relevant agencies as they sought legal advice on how to interact with the royal commission.

Bell used the private, invitation-only meeting at Bondi to directly explain why she would not be able to accept any evidence about the day’s tragedy that could prejudice a criminal trial into the killings of 15 people, as she revealed at the royal commission’s first public hearings on Tuesday.

One participant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was “very productive” and had largely reassured those present that Bell was determined to do everything within her power to understand why the atrocity had occurred.

“She was impressive,” the participant said.

As well as any intelligence failures that preceded the attack, Bell told those at the meeting that the royal commission would examine why there were only two police officers present at the Chanukah by the Sea event and how long it took other police to arrive at the scene after the gunmen began shooting.

Several survivors have questioned whether it took police too long to arrive at Bondi in substantial numbers after the attack started.

NSW Premier Chris Minns defended the police response to the massacre immediately after the attack. “If there’s any suggestion that NSW Police didn’t live up to their responsibilities to the people of this state, it should be rejected because it’s not consistent with the facts,” he said.

Bell held one-on-one conversations with members of the Jewish community to address their concerns.

Sources at the meeting said there was a strong sense in the room that the royal commission could be rushed as Bell scrambles to meet the government’s December 14 deadline.

While Bell said she was determined to deliver her report by the first anniversary of the attack, she said that she could request an extension to the inquiry if absolutely necessary.

She said on Tuesday: “I regard the delivery of my report on or before the first anniversary as a matter of critical importance. This imposes a tight time-frame, and it’s going to impose limitations on how the commission approaches its terms of reference.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24359209 (090145ZMAR26) Notable: Government considering request for military assistance from Gulf States attacked by Iran - Australia is considering requests from Persian Gulf states for defensive military support after Iranian drone and missile strikes targeted civilian infrastructure across the region during the second week of the Middle East war. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said several countries had sought help to protect against attacks but stressed Australia would not take part in offensive operations against Iran. Options under consideration include deploying a small Australian Defence Force detachment with NASAMS (National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System) to protect key infrastructure, according to defence analyst Malcolm Davis. Meanwhile about 11,000 Australians stranded in the region have registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs seeking assistance to return home as flights resume from Dubai following an Iranian drone strike.

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Government considering request for military assistance from Gulf States attacked by Iran

Holly Tregenza - 8 March 2026

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The federal government is considering a request for military assistance from Persian Gulf States targeted by Iranian attacks as the war in the Middle East enters its second week.

All six Gulf States including Oman, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar have been impacted by Iranian strikes since the war began, which have targeted civilian infrastructure including airports.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong told Insiders the government had received requests from some of those countries for protection against drone and missile attacks.

"Many countries who are non-participants have been attacked by Iran through this," she said.

"You would anticipate as a consequence, that we have been asked for assistance and we will work through that."

She would not provide details on the type of military assistance being considered, but said the government would be transparent if it accepted the request.

The minister maintained the government's position that it would not participate in offensive action against Iran.

Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson said he had sought a briefing about the potential deployment of defence force personnel to the Middle East in defensive roles.

"Australia had a proud record of standing with our allies and friends in times of crisis, and the Coalition will carefully consider any deployment proposals in the national interest once briefed," he said.

What military help could the government provide?

There are narrow options available to the government if they decide to answer the call for help.

Malcolm Davis, senior defence strategy analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, said it was likely the Gulf States' primary concern was the Iranian attacks on oil infrastructure by drones and missiles.

But he said Australia had limited capacity for counter-drone activity beyond a project called LAND156, which is still in early development.

The defence force does have a system called NASAMS, a short-range surface-to-air missile system, which could be deployed alongside a small detachment of soldiers.

"What they could do is deploy a small army detachment with NASAMS into the Middle East to protect critical targets," Dr Davis said.

"Theoretically they could deploy a naval vessel to help with that defence, but that would take longer. The warship would take time to get over there."

The alternative would be calling on Australian companies which have developed anti-drone products to sell to the Gulf States, which would not necessarily require support from the government.

Dr Davis said a small deployment with NASAMS to Gulf States would be the "limit" of what the government could do without an escalation to boots on the ground.

"We don't want a situation where we have Australians deployed in Iran itself, but this way they would be deployed into the Gulf States and not necessarily boots on the ground in terms of combat," he said.

"They might be able to get away with that, but I think that would be the limit. I don't see Australian troops going in Iran."

He also said it was unlikely Iran would respond beyond issuing diplomatic notes if Australia was to send a small deployment to the region in a defensive capacity.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24359367 (090232ZMAR26) Notable: TGA in the dark on use of puberty blocker drugs - Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has warned the federal government it lacks reliable data on how widely puberty blocker drugs are prescribed to gender-distressed minors because the medicines are used “off-label” and are not approved for treating gender dysphoria. Documents obtained under Freedom of Information show the regulator cannot assess the “risk-benefit profile” or calculate adverse-event rates for this use because it does not receive prescribing data for off-label indications. Health Minister Mark Butler sought urgent advice after the United Kingdom imposed an indefinite ban on routine puberty blocker prescriptions outside a proposed clinical trial following the Cass review. The TGA said it has not evaluated the drugs for gender-affirming care and relies largely on voluntary reporting of adverse events. Without comprehensive usage data, officials say regulators have limited oversight of safety, efficacy and prescribing patterns in Australian children’s hospitals treating gender-distressed minors.

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TGA in the dark on use of puberty blocker drugs

BERNARD LANE - February 23, 2026

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Australia’s medicine safety officials have warned the government they are flying blind on the use of puberty blocker drugs for gender-distressed minors.

The country’s first safety assessment of the drug use – now revealed in documents obtained under Freedom of Information law – followed news of the 2024 UK decision to impose an indefinite ban on routine use of puberty blockers outside a proposed clinical trial. This prompted federal Health Minister Mark Butler to seek urgent advice on the safety of transgender puberty suppression used by state children’s hospitals.

But Australia has no official data to show how many children identifying as trans have been given these drugs to suppress natural sex hormones and interrupt their normally timed puberty, according to the April 22, 2025 report from the medicine safety regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

This is because these drugs, known as gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogues (GnRHa), are used “off-label”, meaning they have not been tested for efficacy or safety in the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence.

For the same reason, the TGA noted on January 24, 2025 that it was “not possible to assess the risk-benefit profile [for this drug use] in the absence of efficacy data [and] it is not possible to calculate rates of adverse events for this indication as we do not have usage information from off-label prescriptions”.

“The efficacy and safety of GnRHas in gender-affirming care has not been assessed by the TGA as the TGA has not approved GnRHas for this indication,” it said.

The TGA safety report noted that the UK ban on routine provision of blockers for gender dysphoria rested on independent expert advice from the UK’s Commission on Human Medicines of “an unacceptable safety risk in the continued prescription of puberty blockers to [gender-distressed] children”.

If the TGA were to discover a new safety concern with puberty blockers for gender distress, it said it could require updating of the warnings in public product information for the drugs, but it could not suspend or cancel this use, because such use lacks approval in the first place.

Off-label use of medicines is not illegal, but “should always be in the setting of informed consent with consideration of the risks and benefits for that individual patient”, the TGA said.

The TGA-approved indications for these GnRHa drugs include prostate cancer, where suppression of the sex hormone testosterone may retard tumour growth, and the condition of central precocious puberty, when premature sexual development begins in very young children and the hormone suppression drugs are used until they are old enough to enter puberty in sync with their peers.

The use of puberty blockers for the psychological distress of gender dysphoria was pioneered in a small-group experiment in The Netherlands starting in 2000, then adopted internationally as routine treatment in children’s hospitals with low-quality treatment guidelines and no proper clinical trials.

On Friday, The Times of London broke the news that the proposed clinical trial of puberty blockers in the UK had been paused before it could start, after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) raised ethical and safety concerns about “long-term biological harms” to children who are expected to progress from blockers to cross-sex hormones. The risks cited by the MHRA included sterilisation, irreversible bone damage, and interference with normal brain development.

Queensland has stopped new hormonal treatment of gender-distressed minors in its public health sector on safety grounds until the UK clinical trial reports its results, which without the current pause were not expected before mid-2032. Up to 250 girls and boys as young as 10 were due to be recruited for the UK trial, which was recommended by pediatrician Hilary Cass following her four-year review of gender dysphoria treatment.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24359409 (090252ZMAR26) Notable: At least 2300 children given puberty blockers as states refuse to release data - At least 2387 Australian children have been prescribed puberty blockers for gender dysphoria since 2014, according to an analysis compiled from Freedom of Information data and limited figures released by some jurisdictions, as most states and territories refuse to disclose prescribing numbers. Health departments in six jurisdictions declined to provide data, leaving regulators and researchers without a comprehensive national picture of the treatment’s scale. The lack of official statistics has drawn criticism from experts who say such gaps “would not be countenanced for any other medical condition” and prevent scrutiny of long-term outcomes. Queensland reported 491 prescriptions between 2020 and October 2025 before banning new public-sector prescriptions, while Western Australia confirmed 20 new patients in 2025. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler has commissioned the National Health and Medical Research Council to review Australia’s guidelines for treating gender-distressed youth.

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At least 2300 children given puberty blockers as states refuse to release data

RACHEL BAXENDALE - 8 March 2026

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Six of Australia’s eight states and territories have refused to release any data on the number of children prescribed puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria, maintaining a veil of secrecy that prevents proper oversight of the highly controversial treatment.

Experts warn the lack of information wouldn’t be countenanced for “any other medical condition”, and is allowing claims of good outcomes to go “completely unchecked”, with little monitoring of the long-term impacts of medicalised gender therapy.

The refusal of most Australian jurisdictions to release any data stands in contrast with the position of UK Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who in recent weeks put before parliament an order requiring previously unco-operative adult gender clinics to link data for patients who received puberty blockers as children, to assist researchers in assessing the long-term safety and efficacy of the drugs.

As The Australian revealed last month, documents obtained under Freedom of Information reveal the Therapeutic Goods Administration – Australia’s medical safety regulator – is unable to assess the risk-benefit profile of puberty blockers as it does for other medicines.

This is both because public gender clinics and the health departments and governments that fund them have chosen not to collate official data about their use, and because the drugs are used “off label” in the treatment of gender dysphoria, meaning they have not been tested for efficacy or safety when used for this purpose.

Ironically this means that while there is significant regulatory oversight when the same drugs are used to treat conditions such as prostate cancer and precocious puberty, no such oversight exists of their use to treat gender dysphoria in children.

Because their use for gender dysphoria often involves years of treatment in patients who never go through puberty, at least 90 per cent of whom go on to cross-sex hormones, the health risks to this group – which include almost certain infertility, reduced bone density and cognitive impacts – are much greater than those to patients being treated for other conditions.

Puberty blockers continue to be prescribed for gender dysphoria through the public health system in every Australian jurisdiction except Queensland and the Northern Territory, where they remain available privately.

This compares with bans or heavy restrictions in the UK, New Zealand, Scandinavian countries and more than half the states of the US.

The Australian contacted the offices of every and territory health minister and/or health department, and federal Health Minister Mark Butler, asking them to confirm the number of children in their jurisdiction who have been prescribed puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria.

If they were unable to provide these figures, they were asked to provide an explanation.

They were also asked whether it was appropriate for these drugs to be prescribed in a manner that makes it impossible for the TGA to monitor their safety and efficacy given the health risks they pose.

Queensland Health, in the only state that has banned the prescription of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria in the public system, revealed that between 2020 and October 2025 (when the ban was reinstated after briefly being quashed by a court decision), 491 children were prescribed puberty blockers for gender dysphoria.

This included 471 Queensland Children’s Gender Service patients, and 20 at the Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service.

Western Australia did not provide any historic data, but confirmed that between January 1 and October 31, 2025, 20 patients had commenced puberty blocker treatment at the WA Child and Adolescent Health Service’s Gender Diversity Service.

No other states or territories provided data.

The only other way of obtaining this data is through the lengthy and sometimes imprecise process of making Freedom of Information requests to public gender clinics.

Using the information received from Queensland and WA, as well as FOI requests to Victoria’s Royal Children’s Hospital, and a large dataset spanning 2014-2023 that was collated by Queensland psychiatrist Andrew Amos using figures obtained via FOI requests made by NSW Labor MP Greg Donnelly, The Australian has sought to build as complete a picture as possible of the extent of puberty blocker prescription to treat gender dysphoria in Australia.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24359696 (090414ZMAR26) Notable: Trump officials ‘asked why Australian Jews aren’t carrying guns’ - Trump administration officials have questioned whether Australia’s Jewish community should be armed following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, highlighting Washington’s close scrutiny of antisemitism and security responses in Australia. Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said US officials, including President Donald Trump’s antisemitism envoy Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, asked why Australian Jews were not carrying firearms after the December massacre in which 15 people were killed. Ryvchin said he replied that widespread gun ownership “is just not part of our culture”, reflecting Australia’s strict firearms laws and different security mindset. The NSW government is examining whether the Community Security Group, which protects Jewish institutions, should be allowed to carry additional arms at public events. The Albanese government has launched a royal commission and security reviews following the attack.

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Trump officials ‘asked why Australian Jews aren’t carrying guns’

Michael Koziol - March 8, 2026

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Washington: Trump administration officials asked a visiting Australian Jewish leader whether Jews were seeking to be armed following the Bondi Beach terrorist attack, as the White House continues to take a significant interest in the spread of antisemitism in Australia.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin met US officials, including President Donald Trump’s antisemitism envoy, Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, during a visit last week, and briefed staff at the National Security Council, the State Department and Congress.

He said he received several questions in meetings about gun ownership in Australia and whether the Jewish community was proactively looking at taking up arms.

“I had to say to them, ‘Look, that’s just not part of our culture’,” he said in an interview in Washington. “Australians don’t think, ‘I better arm myself’. We’re not Second Amendment people; it’s not part of the mindset.”

However, the Minns Labor government in NSW is examining whether it should allow the Community Security Group, a non-profit Jewish security provider, to carry additional arms following the December 14 massacre, in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration.

Under the group’s licence, personnel are allowed to carry pistols when protecting schools and synagogues, but not at public events.

Ryvchin said the Trump administration officials showed a lot of interest in whether the Bondi Beach event was sufficiently resourced and whether it had been “left vulnerable” by being unarmed.

“The American approach, being a very individualistic society, is: What are you guys doing? Rather than waiting for the police to protect you,” he said.

“But [it] makes you think: Are we still living in an old world, thinking that threats are contained and police and ASIO have everything under control when they clearly don’t?

“I’m not saying the solution is for Jews to arm themselves, but I think we need to modernise our thinking about the threats and how to meet those threats.”

Kaploun, who was confirmed as Trump’s antisemitism envoy just days after the Bondi massacre, says the US president is closely watching how Australia responds to the worst-ever terrorist attack on its soil.

In January, he told The Australian there were concerns within the administration that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had turned a blind eye to antisemitism. “There was a level of apathy and just no interest to deal with it until a tragedy occurred,” Kaploun told the newspaper.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24360122 (090717ZMAR26) Notable: Accused Bondi gunman Naveed Akram wants a gag order to protect his family - Alleged Bondi Beach terrorist Naveed Akram has sought a suppression order to prevent publication of identifying details about his mother, brother and sister, arguing publicity surrounding the case could endanger their safety. Barrister Richard Wilson SC told a Sydney court the application aimed to shield the family’s identities, home address and associated school or workplace details from public reporting as the case draws international attention. Magistrate Greg Grogin granted interim orders and scheduled a priority hearing, noting there appeared to be “no reason” relatives should be drawn into the “arena” of the trial, but questioned whether privacy protections could still be effective given extensive existing reporting. Akram faces 15 murder charges over the Hanukkah attack, alongside attempted murder and terrorism-related offences.

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Accused Bondi gunman Naveed Akram wants a gag order to protect his family

JAMES DOWLING - 9 March 2026

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Alleged Bondi gunman Naveed Akram has sought a suppression order to protect his mother, brother and sister from public scrutiny, claiming he fears for their safety.

Barrister Richard Wilson SC appeared for the younger of the two alleged perpetrators behind the Bondi Beach terror massacre, pushing for non-publication and suppression orders that would shield the identities and address of the 24-year-old’s family.

The proposed order would also cover school and work addresses for the Akrams.

The order was opposed by News Corp Australia, the parent company of this masthead, with provisional orders granted in the interim by Magistrate Greg Grogin and a hearing set down as a ­priority for Tuesday next week.

Mr Grogin said “on first sight” there was no reason Mr Akram’s family should be drawn into the “arena” of a trial drawing international headlines, but questioned whether it was too late to protect their privacy given the extensive reporting already in the public ­domain about the family.

“To use a colloquialism, hasn’t the horse bolted on that?” he asked.

“The application is made on the basis of safety of the applicants, not only their mental safety but also for their physical safety. There is – it would appear at first sight – absolutely no reason why the relatives of the accused, Naveed Akram, should have their lives put in the arena both within Sydney, NSW, Australia, and in fact as it is now – the world.”

News Corp counsel Benjamin Regattieri said media would likely oppose the order because of its “futility”, and the “very high threshold” for safety concerns required to grant it.

Mr Wilson, a public defender provided to Mr Akram, cited the “considerable ongoing interest” in the case as a concern. He declined to comment further outside court.

A court-mandated suppression order on the identities of non-fatal victims in the Bondi Beach terror shooting was also extended, protecting wounded bystanders who had not spoken publicly about their injuries or been identified by the press.

Mr Akram and his father, Sajid, are accused of opening fire on Jewish families celebrating the first night of Hanukkah at Bondi Beach on December 14, killing 15 people. Sajid was killed at the scene.

Naveed was charged after waking from an induced coma in December with 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, committing a terrorist act, discharging a firearm with intent, displaying a prohibited terror symbol and causing explosives to be placed in or near a public place.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24360128 (090730ZMAR26) Notable: Australians reach for VPNs, find porn sites blocked as online age-restrictions take effect - Australians have begun downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in large numbers as new online age-verification laws restricting minors’ access to adult content take effect nationwide. App store data showed three of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps were VPN services, with VPN – Super Unlimited Proxy ranking ahead of any social media platform. The measures require pornography websites to verify users are over 18 and compel AI-powered chatbot services to block harmful content from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million. Canada-based company Aylo responded by blocking Australian access to RedTube and YouPorn and limiting Pornhub to a version without explicit content. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the changes aim to bring the same protections for children online as those expected offline.

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Australians reach for VPNs, find porn sites blocked as online age-restrictions take effect

Byron Kaye - March 9, 2026

SYDNEY, March 9 (Reuters) - Australians were downloading virtual private networks (VPNs) in droves, while one of the world's largest porn distributors said it was blocking users from its platforms as the country rolled out sweeping online age restrictions on Monday.

Last December, Australia became the first country to impose a nationwide ban on teenagers using social media. A separate law now requires AI-powered chatbot services to keep certain content - including pornography, extreme violence and self-harm and eating disorder material - from minors or face fines of up to A$49.5 million ($34.5 million).

The country also joined Britain, France and dozens of U.S. states requiring websites which disseminate pornography to verify users are over 18. App stores must also run age checks before allowing downloads of software labelled 18+.

The country's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said the measures aimed to afford children the same protection online as the world expected offline.

"A child today can't walk into a bar and order a drink, they can't stroll into a strip club or browse an adult shop or sit down at a blackjack table in a casino," she told the Australian Broadcasting Corp.

"This just really brings ... those protections that we put for kids in place to the digital realm."

Three of the 15 most downloaded free smartphone apps on Monday were VPNs, a chart published by iPhone maker Apple showed. The most downloaded VPN, called VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy, ranked ahead of any social media platform, the chart showed.

VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. All internet-connected devices carry an individual code which discloses their location, and VPNs hide the user's location by assigning a new code to the device.

Canada-based Aylo, owner of a large network of pornography websites, meanwhile blocked Australians from accessing the platforms RedTube and YouPorn, while presenting a version of Pornhub without explicit content.

All the websites carried a banner saying it was "not currently accepting new account registrations in your region".

Aylo said in an email it had "restricted access to our platforms in a number of locations, including the UK, France, and a number of US states, due to ineffective and haphazard age verification laws".

Tom Sulston, deputy chair of advocacy group Digital Rights Watch, said it was unsurprising that people were reaching for VPNs.

"My hope is that, not only will they discover that this works for looking at spicier internet sites, but that it's just generally a good idea to use VPNs when you're traversing the internet, because they do offer you some privacy protections."

($1 = 1.4351 Australian dollars)

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/vpns-up-porn-websites-down-australia-brings-new-online-age-restrictions-2026-03-09/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24360139 (090750ZMAR26) Notable: ‘Some of the worst’:Dozens charged as police bust online paedophile ring- Thirty-five men across Victoria and New South Wales have been charged with more than 1000 offences after police infiltrated and dismantled an encrypted online network allegedly sharing extreme child sexual abuse material. The year-long undercover investigation, known as Operation Jac Beau, involved Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police officers posing as members of the group to identify suspects who believed encryption would conceal their activities. Authorities examined more than 300 hours of video footage and about 65,000 unique images during the investigation and executed more than 30 search warrants across Melbourne, regional Victoria and parts of NSW. Twenty-six arrests were made in Victoria and nine in NSW. Police said the material shared in the network depicted severe sexual abuse, torture and murder of infants and young children and bestiality, and was believed to have been produced overseas. Investigators have added the material to the International Child Sexual Exploitation database to assist global efforts to identify victims and offenders.

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‘Some of the worst’: Dozens charged as police bust online paedophile ring

Melissa Cunningham - March 7, 2026

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Warning: distressing content

Thirty-five men across Victoria and NSW are facing more than 1000 criminal charges after police spent a year infiltrating and dismantling a secret paedophile network in one of Australia’s most significant online child sexual abuse investigations.

Members of the online encrypted group allegedly shared collections of child sexual abuse material and texted each other about depraved fantasies, including their desire to find children and infants in real life.

The material depicted the sexual abuse, torture and murder of infants and young children and bestiality.

Twenty-six men have been arrested and charged as a result of the investigation in Victoria, and another nine have been arrested in NSW.

Police said no newly generated material involving Australian children was identified during the investigation, and it was believed the offending in the material being shared occurred offshore.

The year-long undercover investigation by the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police’s Joint Anti-Child Exploitation Team (JACET) began in late 2023 after Queensland police shared intelligence about the group.

Police examined more than 300 hours of distressing video footage and 65,000 unique images as part of the operation.

Investigators said the men mistakenly believed the app’s encryption would shield them from detection by authorities.

As part of the operation, a team of investigators went undercover posing as members of the group so they could infiltrate the online network and gather evidence to identity and arrest the men.

Victoria Police Detective Sergeant Jason Regan worked on the operation, and has been a police officer in the child exploitation space for more than eight years.

“It was very horrific sex offending,” he said. “It was some of the worst stuff we’ve ever dealt with.”

“It was a group that we were able to infiltrate, but also in that space, we also had to speak like them.”

Regan said the undercover investigators faced the difficult task of maintaining conversations with the members for almost a year, while trying to identify the offenders.

“You’re just trying to get some little piece of information ... any snippet of their life that you can to work on and try and identify them,” he said.

The investigation also sparked a major international manhunt. Nineteen referrals were made to Australian and international agencies.

“We had so many offenders identified, not just in Victoria, but also in NSW and overseas as well,” Regan said.

He said that after every arrest, an offender’s devices would be searched.

Investigators would find out who they were talking to and sharing material with. Police then arrested those alleged offenders and examined their devices, triggering a cascade of arrests.

“It’s like a pyramid scheme that just starts with one person and then just spreads out,” he said.

“We’re getting a lot more offenders based on the information or intelligence we’re able to gather from people’s devices.”

Dozens of police from investigations, covert operations, digital forensics and victim identification worked on the operation known as Jac Beau.

More than 30 search warrants were executed all over Melbourne and homes were raided in suburbs including Ascot Vale, Flemington, Greenvale, Wollert, Reservoir, Kingsbury, Chirnside Park, Cranbourne West, Clyde, Kew, Richmond, South Melbourne, Williamstown and Footscray.

Search warrants were also executed in Bendigo. Police seized about 100 electronic devices during the raids.

The 35 men were charged with a range of offences including possession, accessing, transmission, solicitation and production of child sexual abuse material.

A 46-year-old Melbourne man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was identified as the group’s creator and administrator. He was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment in September 2024 at the Victorian County Court.

A Central Victorian man, who also cannot be named, was charged with more than 250 offences including transmitting, accessing, producing and soliciting child abuse material.

He was sentenced to six years imprisonment in December last year.

Several other alleged perpetrators are still being prosecuted, while others have been sentenced and jailed.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24360152 (090810ZMAR26) Notable: More than two dozen men charged with more than 1000 child abuse material offences - (Video) Twenty-six men in Victoria have been arrested and charged with more than 1000 offences after police dismantled an encrypted online group used to share large volumes of extreme child abuse material. Investigators said the network distributed more than 65,000 images and more than 300 hours of video depicting the sexual abuse, torture and murder of infants and young children, as well as bestiality. The two-year investigation by the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police targeted suspects who allegedly used encrypted messaging platforms to exchange material and discuss plans to sexually abuse children. Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason said the material uncovered was “among the worst of the worst” and reflected the “sad reality” that some offenders exploit children for “their own perverse desires”. Victoria Police Detective Superintendent Tim McKinney said investigators faced the distressing task of reviewing hundreds of hours of video material, along with written conversations where participants expressed their desire to find children and infants in real life. Detective Acting Inspector Scott Amjah said the “volume and depravity” of the material uncovered “will stay with all of us” and warned the public would be “absolutely horrified by the content of the material that is circulated online these days”.

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>>38736

More than two dozen men charged with more than 1000 child abuse material offences

Patrick Brischetto - Mar 8, 2026

Warning: This story contains references to child sexual assault.

An online group in which more than 65,000 images of child abuse material were shared has been shut down, resulting in the arrest of 26 Victorian men.

In an investigation lasting over two years, police allege the men were part of a group using encrypted messaging to share text and image-based material, as well as sourcing children to sexually abuse.

In a statement released this morning, the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police claimed images and videos depicted the sexual abuse, torture and murder of infants and young children, as well as bestiality.

No newly generated material involving Australian children was identified during the investigation.

Several of the men have already been charged, convicted and imprisoned, while others remain before the courts.

However, police could only go public with the findings now as the investigation using a covert operation has concluded.

In addition to the tens of thousands of photos recovered, police also found more than 300 hours of child abuse videos.

AFP Detective Superintendent Bernard Geason said the investigation uncovered a "sad reality" lurking in corners of the online world.

"Our society has many individuals who will exploit children for their own perverse desires," he said.

"The contents of this chat group are among the worst of the worst. This investigation has stopped people sharing violent abuse material and disrupted an online market of misery. But there is a tidal wave of this material on the internet and constant demands for more."

The 26 men who were charged were located in Victoria, and most were not previously known to police.

A Melbourne man, 46, was charged with creating and administering a group on the encrypted messaging application for the sharing of child abuse material.

He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in September 2024.

A Central Victoria man was charged with more than 250 offences relating to transmitting, accessing, producing and soliciting child abuse material through various individuals he met in the group.

He was sentenced to five years' imprisonment at the end of last year.

Detective Superintendent Tim McKinney from Victoria Police said some of the material was among the worst police had ever seen.

"Our investigators faced the distressing task of combing through 300+ hours of material," he said

"There were also written conversations where these participants expressed their desire to find children and infants in real life."

AFP Detective Acting Inspector Scott Amjah said he was stunned by the "volume and depravity" of the material his team uncovered during the investigation.

"[It] will stay with all of us," he said.

"I think members of the public would be absolutely horrified by the content of the material that is circulated online these days."

https://www.9news.com.au/national/two-dozen-men-charged-with-more-than-1000-child-abuse-material-offences-australia-victoria/270772a1-4291-49cc-83e2-ee54db76daca

>Children are being kidnapped, tortured, raped, and sacrificed in the name of PURE EVIL.

>Stay the course.

>We are FIGHTING a deeply entrenched enemy.

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24363915 (100903ZMAR26) Notable: Australia deploys aircraft to Middle East as analyst warns ‘we’re now part of this war’ - (Video) Australia will deploy an E-7A Wedgetail surveillance aircraft, advanced air-to-air missiles and about 85 troops to the United Arab Emirates after the Gulf state requested assistance following Iranian missile and drone attacks. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the deployment would focus on defensive operations, including protecting airspace and supporting Australian citizens and facilities in the region. Defence analyst Michael Shoebridge warned the move effectively tied Australia more closely to the conflict, saying “we’re now a part of this war”. The government said the Wedgetail would provide long-range reconnaissance for an initial four-week mission. Officials also noted around 24,000 Australians remain in the UAE as the conflict disrupts flights and escalates what Foreign Minister Penny Wong has described as Australia’s worst-ever consular crisis.

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Australia deploys aircraft to Middle East as analyst warns ‘we’re now part of this war’

Brittany Busch and Paul Sakkal - March 10, 2026

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Australia will deploy a surveillance aircraft, missiles and 85 Australian troops after a plea for help from the United Arab Emirates as the Gulf state endures strikes from Iran, a move analysts said tied Australia more directly into the war in the Middle East.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Tuesday that the E-7A Wedgetail and advanced air-to-air missiles would be used to defend the UAE at the request of Abu Dhabi.

The government emphasised that Australian forces would exclusively be used for defensive purposes, limiting its support in the face of calls from the Greens and Labor figures, including Bob Carr, to remain neutral.

“The Wedgetail will provide long-range reconnaissance capability, which will help to protect and secure the airspace above the Gulf,” Albanese said at a press conference in Canberra, adding it would be deployed for an initial four weeks.

“Iran’s reprisal attacks continue to escalate, already at a scale and depth we haven’t seen before.

“Our involvement is purely defensive, and it’s in defence of Australians who are in the region, as well as in defence of our friends in the United Arab Emirates … and Australians.”

Defence analyst Michael Shoebridge said the goal of protecting Australian troops at Al Minhad, Australia’s military base in the UAE, gave Labor, which opposed Australia’s involvement in Iraq in 2003, a narrow and clear justification for getting involved in the conflict.

Shoebridge warned that the government’s hope to adopt a defensive posture was complicated because Iran would not differentiate between combatants.

“We’re best just admitting to ourselves that we’re now a part of this war, not just sitting in some quarantined corner,” Shoebridge, a directer of Strategic Analysis Australia, said. “Offence and defence are just different sides of the coin of war.”

Albanese said 24,000 Australians remained in the UAE, many of whom will rely on departures from Dubai airport to return. The airport has been repeatedly targeted since the conflict began, forcing the cancellation of flights and what Foreign Minister Penny Wong has labelled as Australia’s worst-ever consular crisis.

Australia’s military headquarters in the Middle East is also located at the Al Minhad Air Base.

Albanese spoke with US President Donald Trump at 2am, Australian time, on Tuesday. The president wanted to lobby Australia to grant asylum to players in the Iranian women’s soccer team, a move the government was preparing before Trump’s intervention.

The prime minister did not say if the pair talked about Australian involvement in the conflict, which Trump said on Tuesday could end “very soon” as oil prices spiked and global markets were hit hard on Monday.

“Australia has been a part of every war the US has fought since Federation,” Shoebridge said. “The UK didn’t go to Vietnam, so not going to this one would have represented Mr Albanese breaking that record as a US ally.

“Whether this is a good war to join is an open question, but the dominant thought in the government’s mind is how do we be a part of this war but quarantine the risk.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24363919 (100909ZMAR26) Notable: No need for panic’: Bowen calls urgent summit as fuel fears grip regions - Energy Minister Chris Bowen has convened an urgent fuel security taskforce as panic-buying and supply concerns spread through regional Australia amid rising oil prices and conflict in the Middle East. Bowen said there was “no need for panic”, stressing that shipments of diesel, petrol and jet fuel to Australia had not been disrupted and that the country held roughly a month of fuel reserves. The taskforce, including farming groups, fuel suppliers and ministers Tim Ayres and Julie Collins, will examine supply chain pressures and reports of hoarding. Farmers warned fuel and fertiliser shortages could threaten upcoming winter crop planting, while the Coalition urged the government to intervene to guarantee distribution. Oil markets have been volatile as tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global supply, faces disruption.

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>>>/qresearch/24355021

‘No need for panic’: Bowen calls urgent summit as fuel fears grip regions

Mike Foley - March 10, 2026

The Coalition is uniting with farmers to demand the Albanese government ensure critical industries do not run short on fuel, as fears over price spikes and a protracted war in Iran drive widespread panic-buying in regional areas.

Energy Minister Chris Bowen assured Australians there was currently no shortage based on the fuel stocks held in Australia or in the volumes coming into the country. The government called an urgent meeting of a new fuel taskforce on Tuesday afternoon, where ministers and industries including farming and transport committed to work together to identify and address supply chain issues.

Bowen said on Tuesday that no shipments of diesel, petrol or jet fuel to Australia had been interrupted, declared that shortages of fuel were caused by panic buying in regional communities and said Australia had a months worth of petrol and diesel in reserve.

“When demand goes up so much, it puts huge pressure on supply chains, but… fundamentally Australia’s fuel security is good because of the minimum stock obligations that we have put in place.”

The taskforce includes farming organisations, fuel suppliers, Industry Minister Tim Ayres and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins, as well as the peak lobby group for the fertiliser industry, which is facing a global supply crunch. It will discuss concerns that fuel wholesalers are hoarding supplies and reports that farmers are panic-buying to avoid future price spikes.

Bowen on Tuesday clashed with Queensland’s deputy premier, rejecting Jarrod Bleijie’s suggestion that Australia’s strategic fuel reserve of 36 days’ worth of petrol had already been reduced by 10 days, and accused him of intentionally spreading fear in the community.

“The deputy premier of Queensland has intervened in the debate in an irresponsible, dishonest fashion for which he should be ashamed,” Bowen said.

“Either he doesn’t understand how the law works, or he has deliberately misled Australians and engaged in encouraging panic buying.”

The future of Australia’s energy security remains uncertain while oil tankers are unable to sail through the Strait of Hormuz – which typically carries a quarter of global oil supply – while Iran attacks neighbouring nations in retaliation for the bombardment of its country by the US and Israel.

The Middle East region also produces about 45 per cent of the global fertiliser supply.

Independent fuel suppliers have reported difficulty in filling orders, as major companies restrict distribution. Social media is awash with reports of regional motorists claiming their local service station is empty, and farmers reporting diesel price spikes and delays to orders from private suppliers.

Victorian Farmers Federation president Brett Hosking said grain growers were particularly concerned about fuel and fertiliser supplies because they will soon start planting winter crops such as wheat and barley.

“We want to see some level of government intervention to ensure robust supply chains, and that agriculture is treated with a degree of importance because we only get one window to plant a crop,” Hosking said.

While there is believed to be enough urea on hand to plant, which typically starts in April, prices were already rising, and farmers are worried about how expensive it could be to fertilise their crops as they grow.

“Government will need to act swiftly and decisively to resolve this issue for all Australians,” said NSW Farmers grains committee chairman Justin Everitt. “The next couple of weeks are a critical window for farmers to start growing next year’s bread, pasta and Weet-Bix, so this needs to be resolved this week.”

Opposition energy spokesman Dan Tehan said Bowen should have already used federal powers to commandeer supply chains.

“He’s not using those laws to get that full transparency in place to get that fuel moved,” Tehan said.

“What is he doing to make sure it’s distributed evenly across the country so that we don’t have certain areas and key industries that are missing out? And he needs to be doing the same when it comes to fertiliser.”

A meeting overnight of G7 nations and the International Energy Agency decided against releasing strategic oil reserves but said it was ready to do so in the future.

The global benchmark for oil, Brent, soared to $US116 ($165) a barrel but has since fallen to less than $US90 since US President Donald Trump declared the war would be over soon.

Regular unleaded fuel was retailing for around 219.9¢ at many service stations in Sydney and Melbourne on Tuesday morning.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/no-need-for-panic-bowen-calls-urgent-summit-as-fuel-fears-grip-regions-20260310-p5o8yx.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24363966 (101000ZMAR26) Notable: Australian footballer Barry Cable on trial for alleged sexual abuse of girl in 1960s - Former Australian football Hall of Famer Barry Cable has gone on trial in Western Australia accused of sexually abusing a girl aged under 13 at his Perth home in the late 1960s. The woman, now in her sixties, told the District Court the alleged abuse occurred when she was between eight and 11 years old after she was taken from an orphanage to stay with Cable and his family. Prosecutor Kim Jennings said the case would reveal a “dark side” behind Cable’s celebrated football career and told the court three additional women would give evidence about alleged offending. Cable, 82, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges. Defence lawyer Tom Percy said the allegations were “completely denied” and argued records and witness evidence would show the alleged incidents could not have occurred.

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Australian footballer Barry Cable on trial for alleged sexual abuse of girl in 1960s

David Weber - 10 March 2026

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WARNING: This article contains details that some readers may find distressing.

Ex-Australian football Hall of Famer Barry Cable picked up a girl from an orphanage in Perth and sexually abused her multiple times, a court has been told.

The alleged victim, who was aged under 13 at the time, told the District Court the abuse happened in Mr Cable's home in Perth in the 1960s and said "he told me that he loved me and that's how we showed each other love".

The woman, who is now in her sixties, claimed he touched her genitals, tried to have sex with her, and made her touch him and perform oral sex.

She testified Mr Cable said to her "if I told anyone they wouldn't believe me because he was Barry Cable".

But Mr Cable's lawyer said the allegations were "completely denied" and the former footballer's wife would give evidence and say the alleged victim never stayed at their home.

'Dark side' behind football career

On the opening day of the trial, lawyer Tom Percy suggested there was a financial motive as the complaint emerged at the time of a 2023 civil case which found Mr Cable sexually abused a different victim, who was awarded more than $800,000.

Mr Cable, 82, is facing a judge-alone trial, charged with seven offences involving a girl under 13.

The offences allegedly happened between December 1966 and December 1969 at times when the woman said she stayed at the Cable family home as a young girl.

The girl's age ranged between 8 to 11 during that period.

Prosecutor Kim Jennings told the court Mr Cable had an "illustrious career" playing hundreds of games in Victorian and WA football leagues, but behind that spotlight was a "dark side".

Ms Jennings said along with the alleged victim, the court would hear from three other females who would say Mr Cable offended against them.

"This other conduct shows a tendency of Barry Cable to be sexually attracted to young underage girls and to act upon that sexual interest," she told the court.

Abuse started while wife slept

The alleged victim, who testified via video-link, described to the court in graphic detail what she alleged Mr Cable did to her — which the ABC has chosen not to publish.

She claimed Mr Cable and his wife had picked her up from an orphanage and taken her to their home.

The woman said Barry Cable "treated me good" but things changed when "he started touching my body, just fondling me".

She told the court she wore dresses with no underwear when she was with him after Mr Cable told her "they don't wear underwear in the house".

The woman testified Mr Cable would come into her room when his wife Helen was asleep.

She said "he tried to put his penis inside me" but walked out of the room "because he couldn't get it in", telling her she was "useless".

Other instances happened in the lounge room, she told the court.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24367769 (110914ZMAR26) Notable: Squad member granted asylum reverses decision as Iran claims players ‘kidnapped’ - (Video) One member of Iran’s women’s football team who accepted an Australian offer of asylum has reversed her decision and chosen to return to Iran, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed, after speaking with teammates who had already left the country. Burke said Australia respected the player’s right to change her mind and confirmed authorities had immediately moved other asylum seekers to a new secure location after the Iranian embassy was informed of their whereabouts. Iranian officials accused Australia of taking the players “hostage”, claims rejected by the government. Six members of the squad, including five players who earlier escaped team minders on the Gold Coast, have sought asylum in Australia. Most of the remaining team departed on Tuesday night amid emotional scenes at the hotel and airport, with supporters protesting and police maintaining a strong presence while Department of Home Affairs officials and Australian Border Force officers ensured players could privately consider asylum options.

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>>38738

>>38739

Squad member granted asylum reverses decision as Iran claims players ‘kidnapped’

MACKENZIE SCOTT - 11 March 2026

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One of the two members of the Iranian women’s football squad who were granted asylum before the team’s flight to Sydney has changed her mind, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed, as Iranian government officials claim the players were taken ‘hostage’.

Mr Burke in Question Time said that shortly after 10am this morning, one of the women who had taken up a government offer to remain in Australia had decided instead to return to Iran.

“I was advised that one of the two who had made the decision to stay last night had spoken to some of the teammates who had left, and had changed her mind,” he said.

“In Australia, people are able to change their mind, people are able to travel. So, we respect the context in which she has made that decision.”

In the process of reversing her decision, the Iranian embassy had been informed of the location of her fellow teammates that had been issued with humanitarian visas — and those staying were urgently moved.

“I immediately gave the instruction for people to be moved and that’s been dealt with immediately,” Mr Burke said.

“I think we can all be very proud of the Australian Federal Police, of officials, of everybody who’s been involved.”

Iran’s ‘hostages’ claim

Mr Burke’s comments came as Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmail Baghaei claimed the players had been taken ‘hostage’, and said: “Iran awaits you with open arms. Come home.”

“They slaughtered more than 165 innocent Iranian schoolgirls in a double-tap Tomahawk attack in the city of Minab, and now they want to take our athletes hostage in the name of ‘saving’ them? The audacity and hypocrisy are staggering,” he wrote.

The head of Iran’s football federation, Mehdi Taj, echoed the claims of kidnap in an interview with state television.

“After the game, unfortunately, the Australian police came and intervened, removing one or two of the players from the hotel, according to the news we have,” Mr Taj said.

“They martyred our girls in Minab, 160 of them, and in this incident they are taking our girls hostage.

“They did a terrible thing. Last night, some people came and lay down in front of the car they were driving to the airport.”

The fate of the woman and the majority of the ­Iranian women’s football team is now in the hands of the regime in Tehran, with the majority of the squad flying out of Australia on Tuesday night in a dramatic departure that saw one athlete physically ­escorted onto the team bus and another heard crying in their hotel lobby.

Mr Burke confirmed on Wednesday morning that two additional members of the group, including the woman who has now decided to return, sought asylum – one player and one staff member – in Brisbane before the travelling party flew onto Sydney.

This brings the number of those defecting to six.

Mr Burke said border force officials made multiple representations to the team members before they departed, including in private meetings.

“All the players remaining and most of the support people were taken into interview rooms, without any minders present, simply themselves and the Department of Home Affairs and an interpreter. And they were given a choice,” Mr Burke said.

“Obviously, the one thing, the one pressure we couldn’t take away was the context. We couldn’t take away the pressure of the context for these individuals of what might have been said to them beforehand, what pressures they might have felt, were there (any) on other family members.

“None of those individuals made the decision to take up the offer from Australia after the plane had taken off.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24367820 (110936ZMAR26) Notable: Hundreds more Australians return as Gulf repatriation effort gathers pace - More than 2600 Australians stranded in the Middle East have returned home as repatriation efforts accelerate following the conflict sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran. A further 160 Australians arrived in Sydney on Tuesday aboard an Emirates flight from Dubai, bringing the total number of repatriation flights to 18. Foreign Minister Penny Wong said officials had been working “around the clock” to assist Australians and urged those wishing to leave the region to take available commercial flights while they remained operating. Several more flights are expected to arrive on Wednesday. Some evacuees criticised the level of assistance provided while stranded, with travellers describing cancelled flights, drone attacks near airports and costly alternative routes through Saudi Arabia to reach flights home.

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>>>/qresearch/24328519 (pb)

>>>/qresearch/24334212 (pb)

>>>/qresearch/24338592 (pb)

>>>/qresearch/24355021

Hundreds more Australians return as Gulf repatriation effort gathers pace

JACK QUAIL - 10 March 2026

The repatriation of thousands of Australians stranded in the Middle East is beginning to gather pace, with another planeload of evacuees arriving in Sydney.

More than 2600 Australians have now returned home since ­Israel and the US launched air strikes against Iranian targets in late February, triggering retaliatory action across the Gulf that shuttered airports and closed airspace, leaving tens of thousands stranded.

On Tuesday morning, 160 Australians arrived on an Emirates repatriation flight from Dubai, with flight EK412 landing at Sydney International Airport at 10.34am and bringing the total number of repatriation flights to 18.

At a press conference hours earlier, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said her department had been working “around the clock” to support affected Australians, with the small number of commercial flights still the best option for those seeking to leave the Gulf.

“We encourage those who do wish to leave, do so now. Do so while commercial flights are still available, however limited,” she told reporters in Canberra.

A further four commercial flights are expected to arrive in Australia on Wednesday.

They include Emirates flights EK412 and EK414, which both departed from Dubai Airport on Tuesday morning local time, while flight EK406 is slated to travel to Melbourne and EK420 to Perth.

Among those who have now returned to Australia is Melbourne business owner Sharon Benjamin, who had travelled to Dubai with his wife Gal for meetings with distributors for his environmentally friendly tableware company when he became caught in the crossfire.

Speaking with The Australian after finally returning to Australia on Sunday, Mr Benjamin said that while the federal government had “talked a lot on TV”, they received little practical assistance while stranded.

“We were flooded with emails from the government but there was no help, no one reached out, nothing happened,” he said. “It was very, very stressful. They don’t have shelters in Dubai so it was very scary.”

After their original flight was cancelled, the couple were eventually able to re-book seats on an Emirates service to Melbourne, paying $1700 each. Even then, their departure was delayed for five hours after a drone crashed near the airport.

“We felt like sitting ducks on the plane,” he added.

“People are still stuck there now in Dubai, in Qatar, I don’t think they’ll be getting out soon. I think we were very lucky.”

Data consultant Anthony Millican, also from Melbourne, was similarly caught in the Gulf following Iran’s retaliatory strikes and described the task of returning from Qatar to Australia as a “nightmare”.

“Compared to other countries like Germany and Italy, the support provided by Australia seemed very minimal,” Mr Millican said, adding that his hotel had organised him transport to the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh where the airport remained open.

“By the time I was on the bus, that’s when we found out it was an option (from DFAT),” he said. “It’s pretty appalling for the people still there, it seems like the government is having an each-way bet.”

At Riyadh, Mr Millican spent thousands for an airfare home.

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Ted O’Brien, who was initially critical of the government’s response to assist stranded Australians, on Tuesday said the Coalition was now more content with repatriation efforts.

“I think the government was flat – footed … (but) we are nevertheless pleased that repatriation efforts have picked up,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/hundreds-more-australians-return-as-gulf-repatriation-effort-gathers-pace/news-story/3e6bbb906ba2d6bc78194a9ef9c36dad

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24367825 (110942ZMAR26) Notable: Mastermind jailed for antisemitic firebombings ordered by overseas group to divide communities - A Sydney man who coordinated a series of antisemitic firebombings and vandalism attacks has been jailed for five years after a court found he acted on instructions from unidentified overseas figures seeking to inflame tensions between Jewish and Arab communities. Nicholas James Alexander, 32, was sentenced in the Downing Centre Local Court after pleading guilty to organising attacks including the firebombing of a Maroubra childcare centre, swastika graffiti at the Newtown Synagogue and arson targeting the former home of Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin. Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said Alexander was the “dominant figure” locally but had been directed by a foreign criminal group. The court heard he organised weapons, stolen vehicles and payments to accomplices while relaying instructions from overseas handlers.

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Mastermind jailed for antisemitic firebombings ordered by overseas group to divide communities

WILL SEITAM - 11 March 2026

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The co-ordinator of a wave of antisemitic firebombings and graffiti attacks targeting one of the country’s most respected Jewish leaders, a Sydney synagogue and a childcare centre was instructed by shadowy overseas masterminds intent on striking fear into the Jewish community, a court has found.

Nicholas James Alexander, 32, appeared via audiovisual link at the Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday before presiding magistrate Jennifer Atkinson, who sentenced him to an aggregate five-year jail term.

Magistrate Atkinson accepted Alexander was the “dominant figure” operating within Australia but that he was ultimately commissioned by “unknown persons overseas”.

“There was a deliberate tactic to divide the Arab and Jewish communities to further the aims of the larger criminal group overseas, which instructed Mr Alexander in that regard,” Ms Atkinson said.

Between late 2024 and early 2025, Alexander hired his co-accused on behalf of mysterious foreign actors, ordering them to firebomb a Maroubra childcare centre, paint swastikas on the Newtown Synagogue and torch cars outside the former home of Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin.

Months later in August, The Australian revealed the attack co-ordinated by Alexander on the former Dover Heights home of Mr Ryvchin was one of a number of such crimes being examined for links to the Iranian regime by ASIO.

Ms Atkinson noted each attack required a “high degree of planning” and rejected claims by his defence team that his principle motive was to clear a looming drug debt.

Alexander was in possession of a Porsche Macan and a $20,000 motorcycle, which were seized by police. He also had a paying job as a gas dealer during this period.

However, Ms Atkinson accepted his offending was motivated to a lesser extent by “financial reward”.

According to the court, Alexander had procured a Glock pistol to be passed on to his co-accused, Leon Sofilas and Adam Moule; organised stolen getaway cars; explained to his associates how molotov cocktails were to be made and used; and directed them to dispose of phones and delete messages.

Evidence submitted to the court showed Alexander had passed on instructions from the overseas criminal group about what to say if caught by police and that he paid his co-accused significant amounts of money.

“Here’s the spill for anyone that gets grabbed, save it, wrote Alexander to his accomplice.

“Why do you do this? To pay off drug debt. To who?” asked the accomplice.

“Arabs,” replied Alexander.

Where are they from?” asked the accomplice.

“I don’t know. I buy it from a run number. Get a SIM card,” wrote Alexander.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24367838 (110952ZMAR26) Notable: Linda Reynolds ‘delighted’ as commonwealth ordered into mediation over Brittany Higgins settlement - Former Liberal senator Linda Reynolds has welcomed a court order requiring the Commonwealth to enter mediation over her lawsuit challenging the handling of Brittany Higgins’ $2.4 million settlement. Reynolds is suing the government and law firm HWL Ebsworth, alleging she was excluded from mediation discussions that led to the payout and that officials failed to properly defend allegations against her. Federal Court Justice Craig Colvin ordered the parties to undertake mediation before the case returns to court in June. Reynolds said the Commonwealth’s legal defence suggested it believed parliamentary regulations allowed it to settle claims without regard to her wishes or reputation. The dispute follows Reynolds’ defamation victories against Brittany Higgins and her husband David Sharaz over claims Reynolds mishandled the rape complaint.

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Linda Reynolds ‘delighted’ as commonwealth ordered into mediation over Brittany Higgins settlement

PAUL GARVEY - 10 March 2026

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Former Liberal senator Linda Reynolds says MPs from all sides of parliament should be deeply concerned about the defence put forward by the commonwealth in the legal action she brought in the fallout from the Brittany Higgins saga.

Ms Reynolds is suing the commonwealth and its lawyers, HWL Ebsworth, over the way they conducted the mediation process that ended in Ms Higgins being awarded a controversial $2.4m settlement. The senator was excluded from the mediation talks, which focused on both Ms Higgins’ alleged rape by co-worker Bruce Lehrmann and the alleged mishandling of Ms Higgins’ rape complaint by Ms Reynolds and her chief of staff Fiona Brown.

The Federal Court and the WA Supreme Court have since found Ms Higgins’ complaints about Ms Reynolds and Ms Brown were without merit.

Federal Court Justice Craig Colvin on Tuesday ordered Ms Reynolds, the commonwealth and HLB Ebsworth to engage in mediation before the case returns to court in late June. In a statement to The Australian following the hearing, Ms Reynolds said she was “delighted” by the prospect of mediation.

“I am sure this irony is not lost on most Australians,” she said. “For telling the truth, I am still having to fight the Labor government in court for justice and a ­mediation, quite the opposite from their approach to Brittany Higgins’ mediation and settlement for allegations they should have known were lies.”

She said the defence flagged by the commonwealth made it clear it intended to argue that parliamentary business regulations ­allowed the commonwealth to act “not only without consideration or regard to my wishes, but to act contrary to my wishes” and “without regard for the truth or the impact their actions would have on my life”.

“That position is alarming, particularly when they intentionally deprived me of a fair opportunity to decline the financial assistance of the commonwealth on the oppressive terms it proposed,” she said.

“It should be of great concern to all members of parliament that a political opponent can use the regulations in concert with parliamentary privilege to damage political opponents by denying them natural justice, declining to defend a defendable claim, and settling spurious claims without disclosure of the terms.”

The commonwealth reached its settlement with Ms Higgins three days after Ms Reynolds put the government on notice of the concerns she had with the proposed defence. Ms Reynolds said she was looking forward to seeing the evidence of what happened inside the government and the relevant departments during those three days.

“Notably this conduct is in circumstances where the commonwealth admits that at the date it elected to take over my defence and refuse to allow me to attend the mediation it knew that Ms Higgins claim against me contained her serious allegations about my involvement in a political cover up, that my reputation was likely to be affected if those allegations were found to be true and than Ms Higgins continued to make public statements about my involvement in her alleged political cover up,” she said.

“Yet despite all of this, it failed to include any non-disparagement clauses in the deed of settlement and acceded to Ms Higgins’ request for the deed and terms of settlement to be kept confidential which meant that the fact the settlement was on a no admission basis was never made public.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24367856 (110956ZMAR26) Notable: Mining billionaire Clive Palmer re-enters politics with tilt at Queensland seat of Fadden - Mining billionaire Clive Palmer has announced a return to politics, declaring he will contest the Liberal-held Gold Coast seat of Fadden and revive the United Australia Party ahead of the next federal election. Palmer said he was motivated by what he described as a “national crisis” in Australian politics and insisted his campaign would focus on policy solutions rather than traditional left–right divisions. The 71-year-old had previously said he was too old for politics but told reporters improved health after losing weight had restored his energy. Palmer also pledged $10,000 to each member of the Iranian women’s football team who sought asylum in Australia following the Women’s Asian Cup controversy. His re-entry follows heavy spending on previous election campaigns that failed to secure lower-house representation.

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Mining billionaire Clive Palmer re-enters politics with tilt at Queensland seat of Fadden

Only last year, the mining billionaire said he was too old for politics, but it seems he’s changed his mind after announcing his plans to run for a Liberal-held seat in Queensland.

Caitlyn Rintoul - 11 March 2026

Clive Palmer has announced that he will run for the Liberal-held seat of Fadden, kicking off his return to politics with a $10,000 gift to asylum seekers from the Iranian soccer team.

The mining billionaire’s United Australia Party has resumed an advertising blitz in recent weeks outlining what Mr Palmer has dubbed a “new deal” for the country.

In a wide-ranging press conference at Parliament in Canberra, Mr Palmer said that he was making a fresh tilt after concern over what he described as a “national crisis” in politics.

“It’s time to stop the rot in Australian politics. A new era is coming,” he said.

Despite saying in 2025 that he was too old to make a return to politics, the 71-year-old said a “keto diet” had given him the stamina and capability to run again.

“I’ve lost a lot of weight. I’ve been on a keto diet. I’ve been running. I’ve been reinvigorated by not having too much sugar and too much carbohydrates,” he said.

“Every day I feel better, I feel stronger. And every day I watch the appalling situation of politics in Canberra.

“How much lower can we go as a nation with the politicians we’ve got.”

Mr Palmer said that his return at the 2028 poll would be driven from a call to duty rather than a quest for power or pay cheque.

“I’m one of the nation’s wealthiest people,” he said.

“I really don’t need further income or further wealth but I think I do need, at a time of national crisis, to provide some sort of leadership to the nation.”

Mr Palmer bankrolled the previously-unknown Trumpet of Patriots party at the 2025 election, having disbanded the UAP shortly after the 2022 poll, but it failed to win a single seat despite the $53 million campaign.

He is now seeking to re-register the UAP.

The party has one sitting senator, Victorian Ralph Babet, who is up for re-election in 2028.

Mr Palmer opened his press conference to acknowledge the plight of the Iranian women’s soccer team, with several seeking asylum in Australia after their Women’s Asian Cup silent protest.

“I want to donate $10,000 to each soccer player so they’ve got some money to spend here in Australia, so they feel welcome in our country, and they know that they’re not alone,” he said.

“I encourage other wealthy Australians such as Angus Taylor to join me and make my donation.”

Mr Palmer stated several times that he does not believe in the “left or right” debate, instead insisting he’d focus on issues rather than ideological debate.

“We don’t want to have parliamentarians not thinking about ideas or pressing the boundaries left or right to give different choices to the Australian people,” he said.

He also took a swipe at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and her ballooning support in public polling.

“All respects to Pauline Hanson, she doesn’t seem to have any policies that provide solutions to the Australian people,” he said.

“I have to recognise that Pauline Hanson spent a lot of effort over a long time pointing out what’s wrong with the Australian Government and what needs to be done to fix it.

“But, unfortunately, there hasn’t been policy development in one nation to provide you with solutions.

“What we’re trying to provide is a comprehensive way of what Australia could be.”

Mr Palmer said that he decided to run in the Lower House seat of Fadden after living there for about 15 years.

“That’s my home and I’ve been there for about 15 years,” he said.

“There’s often media that come and gather outside my house.

“Every morning, at 11 o’clock, you’ll see boats outside with tourists pointing fingers at me saying, ‘That’s where Clive Palmer lives’.”

https://thenightly.com.au/politics/australia/mining-billionaire-clive-palmer-re-enters-politics-with-tilt-at-queensland-seat-of-fadden-c-21903400

https://qresear.ch/?q=Clive+Palmer

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24371545 (120852ZMAR26) Notable: Clash over security report led to sudden resignation from royal commission - A dispute over the timing and scope of security recommendations following the Bondi massacre has led to the resignation of former ASIO chief Dennis Richardson from the antisemitism royal commission. Richardson had been preparing detailed findings on intelligence and policing failures for the interim report, but commissioner Virginia Bell opted to defer substantive recommendations until the final report due in December. Sources said Richardson believed delaying urgent security advice risked missing an opportunity to act, while Bell prioritised meeting deadlines and further evidence gathering. Richardson said his role had been reduced to that of a “highly paid researcher” and that his “value-add” was limited. The disagreement has raised concerns about the commission’s direction and its ability to deliver timely national security outcomes.

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>>38751

Clash over security report led to sudden resignation from royal commission

Paul Sakkal and Matthew Knott - March 12, 2026

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A clash over the urgency of fixing the security gaps that led to the Bondi massacre prompted the resignation that has plunged the royal commission into disarray.

The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion was thrust into the spotlight on Wednesday night when former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson quit his role as a special adviser to Commissioner Virginia Bell, saying he felt surplus to requirements.

The former spy boss and US ambassador had finished interviewing heads of the intelligence agencies in mid-January, and was focused on delivering a concrete set of recommendations about intelligence and policing failures in the commission’s interim report, due in April.

But sources with knowledge of the commission’s workings said Richardson felt his role became untenable when Bell decided the interim report would not contain substantive recommendations or findings.

Bell, according to the sources not permitted to speak about the commission publicly, wanted the interim report to leave open key questions for “further exploration”, reserving key recommendations for the final report in December.

Richardson was willing to delay the interim report to allow time for hearings to inform more substantial findings about intelligence failures.

But Bell, who prides herself on meeting deadlines, did not seek a time extension from the government.

According to sources familiar with the disagreement, Richardson believed delaying substantial recommendations on security until December would mean missing the opportunity to implement lessons from the worst terror attack in Australian history. He also feared any security recommendations would be lost in the other findings on antisemitism.

Richardson, who was being paid $5500 per day, said his resignation was “an embarrassment all around” but insisted the credibility of Bell’s royal commission remained intact.

“I didn’t necessarily see my last job of this kind being more of a highly paid researcher,” Richardson told reporters in Canberra on Thursday before conducting a round of media interviews. “I saw my job as being a little bit more than that.”

“It’s just that it’s now reached a point where I think my value-add is pretty limited.”

Sources familiar with the relationship between Bell and Richardson said they had “different views of the world” that proved irreconcilable despite their respect for each other.

“The cultural and philosophical differences were too great” between the former High Court justice and the security establishment figure, one source said.

Richardson has told confidantes he concluded he was the “odd one out” in the relationship and that he should step aside so Bell could complete the work as she saw fit.

Richardson had been contracted until May, with an option for extension.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24371560 (120907ZMAR26) Notable: Wife of Australian footballer Barry Cable takes stand in his child sex abuse trial - The wife of former AFL player Barry Cable has told a Perth court the alleged victim in his child sexual abuse trial never stayed at their home, rejecting key elements of the prosecution case. Cable, 82, is accused of abusing a girl under 13 in the late 1960s after she was allegedly taken from an orphanage to the family home. The complainant has testified the abuse occurred over multiple visits while Mrs Cable was asleep, but Helen Cable said she had never heard of the orphanage and “can’t imagine it ever happened”. Under cross-examination, she denied documents suggesting the girl had stayed with them. A relative of the alleged victim told the court she was informed of the abuse decades earlier. Cable denies the allegations and did not take the stand to testify in his own defence.

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Wife of Australian footballer Barry Cable takes stand in his child sex abuse trial

David Weber - 12 March 2026

WARNING: This story contains details about alleged sexual assault some readers may find distressing.

The wife of Barry Cable, the former footballer on trial for allegedly sexually abusing a child from an orphanage in the early stages of his illustrious career, has testified in defence of her famous husband.

Mr Cable, who was once inducted into the Australian Football League Hall of Fame, is on trial in Perth accused of sexually abusing a girl aged under 13 in the late 1960s.

The WA District Court has heard the girl was abused at Mr Cable's home, where she stayed for some weeks, after he and his wife Helen picked her up from an orphanage.

The woman, now in her 60s, testified that Mr Cable would come into her room when Helen was asleep and abuse her.

But Mrs Cable, who's been married to the 82-year-old since 1965, told the court the girl had never stayed with them in any of the suburban Perth homes they lived in before Mr Cable went to play for North Melbourne — the club where he later won two premierships.

Mrs Cable also said she had not heard of the orphanage where the girl was staying until recently, and she and her husband had never visited there.

She also said Mr Cable never spent that much time alone at their home.

"Can't imagine it ever happened," she said.

Girl 'never' stayed at Cable home

Under questioning from Prosecutor Kim Jennings, Mrs Cable repeatedly denied the girl had stayed with them.

Ms Jennings showed Mrs Cable documents from the early 1970s that suggested the girl had stayed with the Cables before, and had been welcome to stay with them on weekends.

"Never happened," Mrs Cable said.

"I wasn't well at the time."

Earlier on Thursday, a relative of the alleged victim told the court the girl had confided in her decades ago that Mr Cable "molested her".

She said the alleged victim told her Barry Cable "touched her and made her do stuff to him, sexually".

The court has heard the alleged victim was between the age of 9 and 10 when she stayed at the family home where Mr Cable forced her to perform sexual acts on him.

On Tuesday, she testified Mr Cable told her if she told anyone, "they wouldn't believe me because he was Barry Cable".

She denied claims from Mr Cable's lawyer that she only came forward to police about the abuse because she "wanted to cash in".

Damages were awarded to another woman in 2023 after a civil case involving Mr Cable.

Mr Cable was considered a champion footballer, winning three WAFL premierships with Perth in the 1960s.

He was captain-coach of the East Perth team that won the premiership in 1978.

He also won three Sandover Medals for being the WAFL's best and fairest player.

After moving to Victoria in the 1970s, he won two VFL premierships with North Melbourne, in 1975 and 1977, and returned to coach the side in the 1980s.

Barry Cable did not take the stand to testify in his own defence, and the case is expected to hear closing arguments on Friday.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-12/wife-of-barry-cable-takes-stand-in-child-sex-abuse-trial/106447342

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24371570 (120916ZMAR26) Notable: ‘He’d laugh’: Disgraced football great Barry Cable accused of abusing girls in spa - A Perth court has heard new allegations that former AFL player Barry Cable abused multiple young girls, including claims he exposed himself and committed indecent acts in a backyard spa. Cable, 82, is on trial over historical child sexual abuse charges relating to a girl aged about eight in the late 1960s, with prosecutors alleging repeated abuse at his family home. Two additional witnesses told the court Cable fondled them and exposed himself during spa incidents in the 1980s, with one alleging attempted penetration. Both said the behaviour occurred in the presence of other children and that complaints were dismissed. The defence has rejected the allegations and accused witnesses of fabrication and financial motivation. Cable denies all charges as the trial continues.

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>>38743

>>38754

‘He’d laugh’: Disgraced football great Barry Cable accused of abusing girls in spa

Aaron Bunch - March 11, 2026

Disgraced football legend Barry Cable fondled two young girls in a backyard spa and exposed himself in front of other children, a court has been told.

The 82-year-old former Australian rules player is fighting a slew of historical child sexual abuse accusations relating to a girl aged about eight in a criminal trial in Perth.

He allegedly abused the girl at his family home in the late 1960s when she was staying with Cable and his wife Helen for about a month.

The abuse allegedly involved intimate physical contact and attempted penetrative sex on multiple occasions when Cable’s wife was asleep.

A different woman told the court on Wednesday that Cable touched her breasts and pulled his erect penis from his bathers in a spa in Melbourne in the early 1980s when she was about 10 years old.

“He would always say, ‘Oh, come on girls, give me a cuddle’,” she told the judge-only trial in the WA District Court.

“When he got really confident, he actually pulled my bathers to the side [when he had] an erect penis.”

The former North Melbourne player also allegedly put the girl on his knee and tried to penetrate her with his penis, the woman said.

The incidents allegedly involved one other child.

“Every time we were in the spa, it would happen,” she said.

“We would say ... ‘Barry, stop it’ and he would laugh.”

Defence lawyer Tom Percy KC accused the woman of making up the allegations and suggested the incident never happened.

“It certainly did ... who would want to go through this?” she replied.

The woman’s childhood friend also testified about her alleged interactions with Cable at a spa when she was about 12.

“I was sitting on his knee and I remember him pulling his bathers aside, and I saw his penis,” she said.

The woman said she remembered feeling Cable’s penis against her bottom.

“I got off [his lap], it was really uncomfortable,” she said.

“Then he was, like, fondling my breasts.”

Other young children, including the first witness, were in the spa when the incident happened, the woman said.

Percy repeatedly accused the woman of exaggerating the allegations and suggested she was motivated by financial gain.

“I’ve told you my truth and what happened, and I’m under oath,” she said.

The complainant in the criminal trial alleges Cable’s abuse continued on a near-daily basis while she stayed at his home as a child.

He has denied five counts of indecent dealing with a girl aged under 13 and two counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 13 between December 31, 1966 and December 31, 1969.

Percy accused the woman of making up the allegations after she learned his client had been found guilty of similar allegations during a civil trial in 2023.

She forcefully denied trying to “cash in” during her evidence on Tuesday.

The civil trial found Cable abused another girl over five years from 1968, when she was aged 12. The woman was awarded $818,700 in damages.

The judge in that trial said there was compelling evidence the former footballer had violated other children. Cable denied the abuse.

He had an illustrious playing career in the 1960s and ’70s for Perth and East Perth in the WAFL and North Melbourne in the VFL, going on to coach in both leagues.

The criminal trial continues.

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://archive.md/QQmMD

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24379374 (140742ZMAR26) Notable: Top Iranian diplomat defected, received asylum in secret escape - Iran’s second most senior diplomat in Australia, Mohammad Pournajaf, secretly defected and was granted asylum in Australia in 2023, a development only now revealed. Pournajaf, formerly charge d’affaires at Iran’s embassy in Canberra, applied for protection before the current Middle East conflict and was granted permanent residency, according to government sources. Members of Australia’s Iranian diaspora said he had been assisting anti-regime activists prior to seeking refuge, though others were unaware of his defection. The disclosure comes amid heightened scrutiny of Iranian officials in Australia following recent unrest and the defection of members of the Iranian women’s football team. The government last year expelled Iran’s ambassador after intelligence findings linked Tehran to attacks on Jewish targets in Australia.

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>>38738

Top Iranian diplomat defected, received asylum in secret escape

Brittany Busch and Matthew Knott - March 13, 2026

Iran’s second most senior diplomat in Australia defected from the hardline regime and received asylum in Australia three years ago in a remarkable development that has stayed secret until now.

News of the defection of Mohammad Pournajaf, the former charge d’affaires at Iran’s embassy in Canberra, came after a week dominated by the dramatic escape of seven members of the Iranian women’s football team delegation, one of whom later changed her mind and decided to return to Iran.

The London-based Iran International news service, which is not aligned with the regime in Tehran, reported on Friday that Pournajaf, a diplomat at the Iranian embassy in Canberra had submitted an asylum request.

But government sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, said that Pournajaf applied for protection and was granted permanent residency in 2023, well before the latest conflict began.

His defection had not been previously reported.

Nader Ranjbar, a member of Canberra’s Iranian-Australian community, said Pournajaf was co-operating with anti-regime activists before seeking asylum in 2023.

“He decided to change his ways and help us. He decided to join the people and seek refuge,” Ranjbar said.

“No one knows where he is.”

Other active members of the Iranian diaspora in Australia said they were not aware of his defection.

As recently as February 2023, Pournajaf was hosting events in Canberra celebrating the Islamic revolution that brought the current theocratic regime to power.

According to reports from the time, Pournajaf told guests that the “Islamic Republic from the very beginning of its establishment faced extreme challenges that no other nation had to face”, and described it as “one of the very few nations in the region that has successfully conducted regular democratic elections since 1979”.

The federal government last year expelled Iran’s ambassador to Australia, Ahmad Sadeghi, after domestic spy agency ASIO concluded that Iran had orchestrated the bombings of a synagogue in Melbourne and a kosher restaurant in Sydney.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told parliament this week that 21-year-old player Mohaddeseh Zolfi had changed her mind less than an hour after he publicly announced her defection.

“Unfortunately, in making that decision, she’d been advised by her teammates and coach to contact the Iranian embassy to get collected,” he said. “As a result of that, it meant that the Iranian embassy now knew the location of where everybody was.”

The other members of the soccer team who defected had to be moved to a new secure location.

A senior Iranian diplomat based at the United Nations’ European headquarters in Geneva, Alireza Jeyrani Hokmabad, reportedly left his post and applied for asylum in Switzerland last month, claiming he was concerned about political repercussions if he returned to Iran.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/top-iranian-diplomat-defected-received-asylum-in-secret-escape-20260313-p5oa58.html

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603122641

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24379408 (140818ZMAR26) Notable: Australia to turn WWII site on ‘valuable’ Indonesian island into training base - Australia and Indonesia have agreed to redevelop a World War II-era site on Morotai island into a joint military training base, deepening defence ties as regional tensions rise. Defence Minister Richard Marles said the facility would support land and sea exercises and strengthen interoperability between the two nations, with Indonesia also set to embed a senior officer within Australia’s 1st Brigade in Darwin. The strategically located island sits near the Philippines and key maritime routes, and the base may be opened to partners including Singapore and the Philippines. The move follows a new bilateral security treaty and reflects efforts by both countries to enhance regional cooperation amid China’s rise and uncertainty around US leadership.

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Australia to turn WWII site on ‘valuable’ Indonesian island into training base

Zach Hope and Karuni Rompies - March 12, 2026

Singapore/Jakarta: Australia and Indonesia, drawing ever closer on matters of security, plan to redevelop World War II-era defence facilities on the small island of Morotai into a joint training base.

Defence Minister Richard Marles also announced in Jakarta on Thursday that an Indonesian with the rank of colonel would embed with Australian troops from early next year as a deputy commander of 1st Brigade in Darwin.

Of Australia’s three infantry brigades, 1st Brigade interacted most closely with the annual rotation of US Marines, he said.

The initiatives were flagged by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in February when he signed the Treaty on Common Security with Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, but details were scant.

The strategically located island of Morotai lies at the northernmost point of Indonesia’s North Maluku province and is just south of the Philippines. In World War II, it was captured from the Japanese by Allied forces, including Australians, and used as a base to liberate the Philippines.

Indonesia’s Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin said the facilities would also be open to Singapore and the Philippines, the latter of which faces ongoing tensions with China in the South China Sea.

In a day of announcements, Indonesia and Australia also now plan to expand their joint security cooperation to include Japan and Papua New Guinea, Australia’s new security ally.

Australia has always sought closer ties with Indonesia. The moves detailed on Thursday, however, highlight Prabowo’s eagerness to cement stronger friendships in the region amid the rise of China and an unpredictable US under the stewardship of Donald Trump.

The former general is also keen to play a bigger role in global affairs, signing up Indonesia to Trump’s Board of Peace and becoming the first leader to promise troops for any peacekeeping force in war-ravaged Gaza.

Indonesia also maintains good relations with China, and Prabowo has met several times with President Xi Jinping in Beijing, but it too has friction points with the superpower in the South China Sea.

“Indonesia wouldn’t sign up to [developing a training base with Australia] if it were going to be overtly provocative towards China,” said Dr Natalie Sambhi, executive director of Verve Research, an independent think tank.

“Given the location, it makes sense that the Philippines would be able to use it. It’s advantageous for the Indonesian armed forces to work together with the Philippines and Singapore, especially in light of the latter’s professionalism and capability.

“That said, there are questions worth raising, such as, would Indonesia be allowed to invite China or other partners to use the facility, and to what extent might it impact Indonesian sovereignty.”

Marles said the announcements were about focusing on the bilateral relationship “on our own terms”.

“This is not about any other third country,” he said. “This is about building the shared capability between Indonesia and Australia.”

In April last year, respected military website Janes caused a flap in Australia with a report that Russia had asked to base warplanes in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua. Indonesia rejected the story.

If Russia did make the request, Indonesia appeared to have said no. The country is staunchly non-aligned with military power blocs. Prabowo, however, has been perceived at home as pushing the doctrine’s limits, particularly in relation to the Board of Peace.

Sjafrie said the Morotai island development opportunity, which would be used for land and sea training, was previously put to Singapore, which declined. A separate training facility with that nation would go ahead in North Kalimantan, he said.

Echoing previous statements, Marles said the Australia-Indonesia relationship was at a high watermark, “characterised by the deepest of friendships at the highest of levels”.

“I think what is different today is … there is a clear understanding about the strategic value which each of us brings to the other,” Marles said.

“For Australia, we understand that our national security lies in the collective security of the ASEAN region, of South-East Asia – and of course Indonesia is at the heart of that. And for Indonesia, Australia provides strategic depth.”

https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/australia-indonesia-deepen-security-ties-with-joint-training-base-20260312-p5o9yk.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24379483 (140927ZMAR26) Notable: Abuse survivor Beth Heinrich wins public apology from Anglican Church for decades of failure - Abuse survivor Beth Heinrich will receive a formal public apology from the Anglican Church after decades of campaigning over its handling of her abuse by former bishop Donald Shearman and subsequent treatment by senior figures. Brisbane Archbishop Jeremy Greaves will deliver the apology at St John’s Cathedral, acknowledging institutional failures, including those of former archbishop Peter Hollingworth, who suggested Heinrich was partly at fault. Heinrich, 86, said she hoped the moment would “be an inspiration to others” to act on their own abuse and seek accountability. Greaves, who is also a survivor, said victims often carry “shame and guilt that belongs to the perpetrators” and that an apology could help Heinrich move “one more step on her journey of healing”. The case highlights longstanding criticism of the church’s handling of abuse complaints and the enduring impact on survivors.

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Abuse survivor wins public apology from Anglican Church for decades of failure

JAMIE WALKER - March 13, 2026

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Beth Heinrich had to wait more than 70 long years for this reckoning with the Anglican Church and how fitting that it’s been engineered by a man who not only understands her pain as a survivor of sexual abuse, but shares it.

On Sunday week, the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Jeremy Greaves, will formally apologise to Ms Heinrich in St John’s Cathedral for being failed by both the church and one of his predecessors, Peter Hollingworth.

The former governor-general is unlikely to attend the special service but Ms Heinrich, 86, will be there to savour the moment. She has fought a bitter and bruising battle to secure redress for the wrongs inflicted by her abuser, defrocked bishop Donald Shearman, and then by Dr Hollingworth when he suggested she was at fault.

As she sees it, the apology from Archbishop Greaves is not the end of the story – rather, the start of something positive for sexual abuse survivors who are afraid or reluctant to come forward. “I just want it to be an inspiration to others who’ve never done anything, for whatever reason,” she told The Australian.

“I’m hoping it might give them the idea to do something about their own abuse.”

Archbishop Greaves’ mea culpa is the culmination of months of talks with Ms Heinrich, who lives in regional Victoria. When he was elevated two years ago to one of the highest posts in the Anglican ministry, succeeding Phillip Aspinall, the prelate who stepped into Dr Hollingworth’s shoes as leader of the big Brisbane diocese, the 56-year-old clergyman promised to do better by the victims of predatory priests and church workers.

He has an intensely personal stake in this. He too is a survivor of sexual abuse, having been assaulted by a Scouts leader when he was a teenager in Adelaide during the early 1980s.

As Archbishop Greaves explained ahead of his installation in December 2023: “While my story is not anyone else’s story, hopefully it brings me a bit of understanding or a bit of sensitivity or compassion.”

Asked this week whether personal experience had influenced his dealings with Ms Heinrich, he said: “Victim-survivors so often carry shame and guilt that belongs to the perpetrators and others who have failed them.

“They are also at the mercy of legal and other processes that move incredibly slowly and can retraumatise people again and again as they have to re-tell the story of their abuse. I know from experience how exhausting this can be.

“If a public apology and admission of the church’s failures can help Ms Heinrich, in even a small way, move one more step on her journey of healing, then it’s a good thing. There are many parts of these processes over which I have no control, but I can do this one thing.”

Dr Hollingworth, 90, is said to be in poor health and did not respond to an interview request or written questions. He was forced to resign as governor-general in 2003, barely 18 months after trading in his clerical vestments, when the outcry over his self-interested handling of sexual abuse cases while archbishop of Brisbane made his position at Yarralumla untenable.

His behaviour towards Ms Heinrich was particularly egregious, culminating in a notorious appearance on the ABC’s Australian Story program in 2002 at the height of the crisis engulfing Government House and John Howard’s government. There, he implied she had instigated the abusive relationship with Shearman.

Ignoring the fact that Ms Heinrich was barely 15 when the married priest took her to bed, Dr Hollingworth said: “My belief is that this was not sex abuse. There was no suggestion of rape or anything like that. Quite the contrary. My information is that it was rather the other way around.”

He went on to apologise to Ms Heinrich, though in terms she considered hollow. They spoke in 2002, about 10 days after his trainwreck TV appearance. “He tried to say sorry to me by starting off with a lie,” she said.

“Every journalist in Australia was ringing me and there was the governor-general telling me that he had taken so long to call because they couldn’t find my number. It was a deliberate lie and I was not prepared to listen to someone who did that.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24382751 (150936ZMAR26) Notable: 3 Iranian soccer players abandon Australia asylum bid to return home - (Video) Three Iranian women’s football team members who had sought refuge in Australia have abandoned their asylum bids and left for Malaysia to rejoin the squad, amid claims a staff member helped persuade them to return. Iranian-Australian activist Tina Kordrostami said technical staffer Zahra Meshkinkar had acted as “a mouthpiece for the regime” and “was there the whole time to convince the girls to go back”. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government had provided “multiple opportunities” and “genuine choices” but could not remove the pressure surrounding the players’ decisions. Iranian state-aligned media cast the reversal as a rejection of the West, declaring the women were returning to the “warm embrace” of home. Concerns remain that the final three players still on humanitarian visas, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, may also decide to leave Australia.

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3 Iranian soccer players abandon Australia asylum bid to return home

Staffer ‘convinced Iranian soccer players to abandon Australian asylum’

MACKENZIE SCOTT and RICHARD FERGUSON - 15 March 2026

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Members of Australia’s Iranian community believe Iran used a support member of the Women’s Football team to convince the players who sought asylum in Australia to return home.

Iranian diaspora member Tina Kordrostami believes the team’s technical staff member, Zahra Meshkinkar, who was one of the late defectors from the national team, had stayed in Australia as a mouthpiece for the regime.

Ms Kordrostami, who was instrumental in persuading half a dozen players to stay following their short-lived campaign in the Women’s Asian Cup tournament, told The Australian that the federal government was unprepared to counter the reach of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The team member was there the whole time to convince the girls to go back,” Ms Kordrostami said. “But we were hopeful (she intended to stay) because she looked genuinely happy.

“People in Iran have been depending on each other for so long, they don’t know how to trust a Western country because it’s all they know.”

Ms Meshkinkar and the two players, Zahra Sarbali and Mona Hamoudi, left Australia on Saturday for Malaysia, where the remainder of the squad is waiting until it is safe enough to continue their journey home.

The claims by Ms Kordrostami have been supported by independent Iranian broadcaster, Iran International, which reported that Ms Meshkinkar has been encouraging the women from inside the safe house.

There are now fears among the local Iranian community that the last three players granted humanitarian visas in Australia – including national team captain Zahra Gambari – may choose to return to their war-torn homeland.

Five players of the Iranian national team, known as the Lionesses – who had been based on the Gold Coast for the tournament – managed to escape their Revolutionary Guard handlers at the Royal Pines Resort with the help of federal police last week.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revealed on Sunday morning that the squad members had decided to return despite being ­offered multiple opportunities to reconsider.

“While the Australian government can that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which the players are making these incredibly difficult decisions,” Mr Burke said.

“The Australian government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe ­future in Australia.

“Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them.”

A third player, midfielder Mohaddeseh Zolfi, returned to Iran with the team last week after previously indicating she would opt for asylum.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24382832 (151004ZMAR26) Notable: Obedient and stupid’: Iran blasts Australia as three soccer players reverse asylum claim - Three more members of Iran’s women’s football delegation who had sought asylum in Australia have withdrawn their claims and opted to return, as Iranian state-linked media hailed the move and lashed Australia as an “obedient and stupid” actor in Donald Trump’s orbit. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the women were given repeated chances to discuss their options, but the government could not remove the wider pressures shaping their decisions. Reports from Iran International and Australian-Iranian community groups raised fears that technical staff member Zahra Meshkinkar may have relayed regime messages from inside the safe house, though Iranian officials denied coercion and instead accused Australia of interference. Supporters said some players feared for relatives in Iran, with one message reportedly stating: “They have all of our families hostage in Iran.”

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‘Obedient and stupid’: Iran blasts Australia as three soccer players reverse asylum claim

Samantha Maiden - March 15, 2026

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There are fears that one of the late Iranian defectors to Australia – a football team manager – has been organising and relaying messages from the regime to the women.

Raha Pourbakhsh, a journalist at independent Iranian broadcaster Iran International has reported that Zahra Meshkinkar, a member of the team’s technical staff, has been encouraging the woman to return home from inside the safe house.

She is among the group of three members of the country’s women’s national football delegation who has backflipped on her late asylum claim and opted to return home to the war zone.

Iran blasts Aus after asylum backflip

Iran blasted Australia as an “obedient and stupid presence in Trump’s playground” after the three members reversed their asylum claims.

Iranian outlets aligned with the regime earlier reporter two more players and a support staff member — Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali, and Ms Meshkinkar — opted to return home overnight.

Midfielder Mohaddeseh Zolfi — had previously her withdrawn asylum requests returned to join the team in Malaysia.

In a post published by the Tasnim News Agency, a media organisation closely aligned with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iranian officials framed the decision as a patriotic rejection of Western influence.

The statement said in full:

“The disgraceful failure of the American-Australian project and another failure for Trump,” the statement said.

“Mona Hamoudi, Zahra Sarbali and Zahra Meshkinkar, two players and a member of the technical staff of the national women’s football team, have withdrawn their asylum application in Australia and are currently leaving for Malaysia and returning to the warm embrace of their family and homeland.

“This is while previously, Mohaddeseh Zolfi, another player of our country’s national women’s football team, with her heart for the homeland and the Iranian flag, rejected the offer to stay in Australia and decided to return to Iran.

“The national spirit and patriotism of the Iranian women’s national football team girls defeated the enemy’s plans against this team, which had been widely reflected in the hostile media with numerous projections.”

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the group had been given the opportunity to remain in Australia after several athletes indicated they feared repercussions if they returned home.

“After telling Australian officials they had made this decision the players were given repeated chances to talk about their options,” he said.

While the Australian Government can ensure that opportunities are provided and communicated, we cannot remove the context in which players make these incredibly difficult decisions.

“The Australian Government has done everything we could to make sure these women were provided with the chance for a safe future in Australia.

“Australians should be proud that it was in our country that these women experienced a nation presenting them with genuine choices and interacted with authorities seeking to help them.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24386729 (160839ZMAR26) Notable: Dire strait: No ships for Trump’s mission from Australia’s shrinking fleet - Australia has ruled out sending a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, with Transport Minister Catherine King saying it “won’t be sending a ship” even if asked, as attention turns to the Royal Australian Navy’s shrinking surface fleet. The report says the navy will fall to nine surface combatants by year’s end, with HMAS Arunta due to be decommissioned before a replacement arrives in 2029, leaving Australia with limited capacity to support any United States-led coalition. Opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said any formal request would have to be weighed against Australia’s national interests, while reiterating that the country’s “primary focus remains the Indo-Pacific”.

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Dire strait: No ships for Trump’s mission from Australia’s shrinking fleet

Matthew Knott - March 16, 2026

Australia will not send a warship to the Middle East as US President Donald Trump demands neighbouring countries join a naval coalition to give oil tankers safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

The government ruling out the possibility of sending any naval assets to the Middle East has focused attention on the navy’s shrinking fleet of warships, which will number just nine surface combatants by the end of the year, down from 11 two years ago.

HMAS Arunta, the oldest of the navy’s seven remaining Anzac-class frigates, is expected to be decommissioned this year, and will not be replaced by a Japanese-made Mogami-class frigate until 2029.

Two in three naval vessels are typically out of action for maintenance or preparations, meaning the navy could have just two available frigates at any one time when HMAS Arunta retires.

Transport Minister Catherine King said Australia had not received a request from the US to send a warship to the Strait of Hormuz, where 20 per cent of the world’s oil trade passes through, and would not send one if asked.

“We’ve been very clear about what our contribution is in relation to our requests, and so far that is to the [United Arab Emirates], obviously providing aircraft to assist with defence, particularly given the number of Australians that are in that area in particular,” Transport Minister Catherine King told ABC radio on Monday.

“But we won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz. We know how incredibly important that is. That’s not something that we’ve been asked or we’re contributing.”

This masthead reported on Sunday that the government was not keen to send any warships to the Middle East as it is focused on the Indo-Pacific region.

Defence experts also pointed out that Australia would struggle to send a vessel.

“Ideally, we should be able to support our allies on such a mission, but we simply don’t have enough ships,” Jennifer Parker, an adjunct fellow in naval studies at UNSW, said.

Over the weekend, Trump named China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain among the countries he would like to see send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to make it easier for oil tankers to pass through the crucial waterway.

Transit through the strait has collapsed since the US-Israel war against Iran began following attacks from Iranian drones and missiles, fuelling a massive surge in global oil prices.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump singled out the UK for threats if it fails to contribute to his coalition, saying: “We will remember.”

Moving on to countries in the Gulf, he said: “We need – really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory.

“It is their territory. It’s the place from which they get their energy. And they should come and they should help us protect it.”

Trump’s call for a naval coalition has so far received a tepid response.

While Britain is considering his request, China has not responded and Japan has indicated it is unlikely to send any warships to the region.

“We have not made any decisions whatsoever about dispatching escort ships. We are continuing to examine what Japan can do independently and what can be done within the legal framework,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament on Monday.

Trump called on NATO countries to do “whatever it takes” to help the US military operation in Iran, warning of dire consequences for the alliance if he is rebuffed.

“If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO,” he told the Financial Times.

He said in the interview he could delay his long-awaited trip to China to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, scheduled for March 31, if China does not help reopen the flow of tankers through the strait.

The Coalition attacked the government’s decision not to send a warship to the Red Sea in 2023 to help protect shipping routes from attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen, but has offered the government room to decline any US request with bipartisan backing.

“If a formal request is made by the United States, it would need to be assessed against our national interests, including their ability to safely operate in a highly contested strategic environment,” opposition defence spokesman James Paterson said.

“Australia’s primary focus remains the Indo-Pacific.”

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/dire-strait-no-ships-for-trump-s-mission-from-australia-s-shrinking-fleet-20260316-p5oaxj.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24386734 (160845ZMAR26) Notable: Australian expat was Chinese spy asset, jury finds - (Video) A New South Wales District Court jury has found Australian businessman Alexander Csergo guilty of reckless foreign interference after deciding he “recklessly compiled reports” for individuals he should have suspected were Chinese spies linked to China’s Ministry of State Security. Prosecutors said Csergo, approached on LinkedIn while running a business in Shanghai, produced “fake, plagiarised reports” using open-source material on mining, politics, defence and security, and falsely claimed to have interviewed figures including former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd. The reports were handed over in person, sometimes in near-empty venues, in return for envelopes containing thousands of dollars in cash. Judge Craig Smith continued Csergo’s bail until Monday, with conditions requiring him to report to police twice a day, after prosecutors sought his immediate detention.

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Australian expat was Chinese spy asset, jury finds

Miklos Bolza - March 13, 2026

An Australian businessman recklessly compiled reports for individuals whom he should have suspected were Chinese spies, a jury has found.

Alexander Csergo, 59, was running a business in Shanghai when he was approached on LinkedIn in November 2021 by a woman claiming to be from a Chinese think tank.

His decision to then prepare fake, plagiarised reports for two individuals only known as Ken and Evelyn was enough for a NSW District Court jury on Friday to find him guilty of one count of reckless foreign interference.

He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years behind bars.

But the IT consultant will get at least one more weekend of relative freedom after prosecutors relented on a request to immediately detain him.

The 59-year-old should have suspected Ken and Evelyn were working for China’s Ministry of State Security, the jury found.

The former Waverley College athletics captain and holder of a bachelor’s degree in science began working in China in 2002 after time at Telstra and Hyatt International.

He went on to work with a large American ad agency, led a data analytics infrastructure build for Shanghai Volkswagen and later helped develop systems for China Telecom and French advertiser JCDecaux.

After being approached in November 2021, Csergo used open-source information to compile reports on a variety of topics including mining, politics, defence and security.

He falsely claimed he had interviewed a number of individuals, including former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

The reports were handed to Ken or Evelyn in person – sometimes at restaurants and cafes devoid of other people – in exchange for envelopes containing the equivalent of thousands of dollars in cash.

Despite this information being worthless, the jury found Csergo guilty after being told by crown prosecutors the relationship with him and his contacts was valuable.

Ken also handed the 59-year-old a “shopping list” of sensitive topics to research when he returned to Australia in early 2023.

This document was found by domestic spies and police when they raided his Bondi home in eastern Sydney in March that year.

Csergo was the second person charged by the federal police’s Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since new laws came into effect in 2018.

In her closing submissions to the jury, crown prosecutor Jennifer Single said trust increased between Csergo and his two handlers, shown by cash payments rising from the equivalent of about $1000 to more than $6000.

After the guilty verdict, Single applied to detain Csergo again.

But it was resisted by the businessman’s barrister.

Because of the complexities of the matter and the timing, Judge Craig Smith continued Csergo’s bail until a full hearing could be held on Monday morning.

The Crown consented on the condition Csergo report to police twice a day over the weekend.

Csergo declined to comment to reporters as he left court on Friday afternoon.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/australian-expat-was-chinese-spy-asset-jury-finds-20260313-p5oaag.html

https://www.9news.com.au/national/jury-finds-expat-businessman-was-chinese-spy-asset/484f8830-4085-425e-995e-6a79031d478c

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24386745 (160856ZMAR26) Notable: ABF holds secret China talks as tobacco giant slams Australia’s black market failure - Australian Border Force deputy commissioner Tim Fitzgerald has held “friendly talks” in Beijing with Chinese tobacco regulators as concern grows over Australia’s illicit tobacco and vape trade. Chinese state media said Fitzgerald met officials from China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, though it remains unclear whether any agreement was reached or whether the talks will affect Australia’s black market. The report says toxic Chinese-made vapes and illicit cigarette brands have flooded the country, while British American Tobacco chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton argued Australia is now “the blackest of the black tobacco markets in the world” and warned illicit products account for “two in every three cigarettes”. He said collapsing excise revenue and rising criminal violence showed the policy settings had “backfired spectacularly”.

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ABF holds secret China talks as tobacco giant slams Australia’s black market failure

MOHAMMAD ALFARES - March 15, 2026

A Border Force chief has held ­secret talks with Chinese ­tobacco regulators in Beijing about the illicit trade gripping Australia.

Deputy ABF Commissioner Tim Fitzgerald travelled to Beijing this week to meet officials from China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.

Chinese state media said Mr Fitzgerald held “friendly talks” on Monday with deputy director Liu Sanjiang, alongside officials from the agency’s “monopoly supervision and e-cigarette regulatory” departments.

It is thought to be the third visit Mr Fitzgerald has made to China in 18 months, while Chinese tobacco officials have also travelled to Australia several times.

It is unclear whether any agreements were reached or whether the latest meeting will have any impact on Australia’s lucrative illicit market.

The ABF was approached for comment but did not respond.

Toxic Chinese-made vapes, particularly the Alibarbar brand, have swamped the market in the past year. The brand has been ­exploited by Middle Eastern and Chinese organised crime gangs that are known to use threats and extortion to facilitate a global distribution network.

Double Happiness cigarettes, also manufactured in China, are among the most popular illicit brands available.

The meeting comes as one of the world’s biggest tobacco companies called on Anthony Albanese to intervene, warning Australia has climbed to the “top of the podium” for illicit tobacco.

British American Tobacco chief corporate officer Kingsley Wheaton said Australia was now so overwhelmed by black-market cigarettes and vapes that legitimate companies were ­effectively locked out of the transition to so-called “smokeless” alternatives.

“Australia is now the blackest of the black tobacco markets in the world,” Mr Wheaton said. “Last year we were probably talking about it just reaching the podium. Now Australia is at the top of that podium.”

His intervention comes as crime groups battle for control of the tobacco trade following the arrest of Iraqi kingpin Kazem Hamad, known as “Kaz”.

Hamad was detained in Iraq in mid-January after running a global tobacco and drug empire from Baghdad following his deportation from Australia in 2023.

Since his arrest, police across Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia have been grappling with a surge of violence linked to the black market trade, including more than a dozen arson attacks, two shootings and a violent assault.

Mr Wheaton said the criminality was the predictable result of government policy that had pushed smokers into the black market. “Two in every three cigarettes in the country is illicit,” he said. “If you fast-forward the projections that are out there, maybe 80 per cent of the cigarette market will be illicit within a year from now. This is out of control.”

Australia’s aggressive tobacco tax regime, celebrated by Labor as a global public health success, has instead “backfired spectacularly”, Mr Wheaton said.

Federal tobacco excise revenue has collapsed from about $17bn a year to roughly $6.5bn and could soon fall to about $5.5bn. “That’s at least a $10bn excise hole,” he said. “I think that’s a scandal because it could be avoided.”

A pack of illicit cigarettes can sell for about $10, compared with $40 for legal brands.

“When you’re faced with that retail environment, I don’t think you can expect consumers to see two markets – a legitimate one and an illegitimate one,” he said. “It’s fairly simple economics.”

Mr Wheaton said responsibility for fixing the crisis sat with the Prime Minister.

“I think this is something that is on the Prime Minister,” he said.

“He has to take it very seriously, but as of yet it doesn’t seem he cares. Unless the leadership has the will to see the problem, diagnose the problem and make the bold, courageous decisions to do something about it, this will only get worse.”

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/abf-holds-secret-china-talks-as-tobacco-giant-slams-australias-black-market-failure/news-story/17283c6aa629b5b0d815d907f425bffc

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24386759 (160920ZMAR26) Notable: Error of judgment: Swans admit to script change before pre-game Bondi tribute - Sydney Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich has admitted the club changed a pre-game Bondi tribute script to remove specific reference to the Jewish community, calling it an “error of judgment” made internally in an effort to use “inclusive language”. The club said the Australian Football League was not involved in the decision, after earlier questions about whether the omission had been directed externally. Pavlich said he took “full responsibility” for the wording used before the March 5 season-opener against Carlton, and the Swans apologised again for failing to specifically name the Jewish community. Liberal senator James Paterson said the admission raised concerns about “deeply ingrained cultural problems” in sporting institutions, while Rabbi Mendy Litzman said the Swans had made affected families and community representatives feel “very loved and welcomed”.

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‘Error of judgment’: Swans admit to script change before pre-game Bondi tribute

Jon Pierik and Jonathan Drennan - March 16, 2026

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Sydney have admitted to changing the script of a pre-game tribute to victims of the Bondi terror attack to remove reference to the Jewish community, and say the AFL was not involved in the decision.

The Swans said their intention was to use “inclusive language” that recognised the impact the attack had on members of the Jewish community, other heroes and first responders in the ceremony before the March 5 season-opener against Carlton at the SCG.

Sydney chief executive Matthew Pavlich led a moving tribute to victims in front of families and first responders before the game, but the Jewish community was not referenced during the ceremony.

“As we mentioned on Saturday night, in statements from both our chairman and CEO, we were made aware that our on-field tribute neglected to specifically name the Jewish community. We apologised for this omission and have taken full responsibility for it,” Sydney’s statement said.

“The tribute was a heartfelt attempt to show compassion to everyone impacted by the terrible events on 14 December, and most of all the Jewish community.

“There was no directive or instruction from the AFL to remove or change the reference to the Jewish community in the script.

“That script change was made within our club in a genuine effort to use inclusive language by referring to the whole community.

“We acknowledge that was an error of judgment, and again we apologise.”

Pavlich reiterated the club’s apology at a press conference on Monday. He took full responsibility as chief executive, given he ultimately gave the speech.

“It went through many different edits and in the end, I saw the speech, obviously gave it and so I take responsibility for that,” he said.

“The focus of last week’s Bondi tribute was to honour those impacted by the tragedy and to stand with the Jewish community as we did in December and continue to do so. Whilst we didn’t specifically reference the Jewish community in the script, this was in the context of those people that were on the field with us that evening, which included many of the brave first responders, community heroes, and of course, those impacted the most, the Jewish community. And it was through that lens in which we finalised the words spoken.

“We apologised on Saturday night for this, and we do so again today. To be very clear, there was no directive from the AFL to remove reference to the Jewish community in the script and we’ve never suggested this was the case.”

After being asked if it was a group decision to remove specific reference to the Jewish community, Pavlich said: “I own it, as a CEO, that’s on me, I take full responsibility. We were workshopping it, clearly and as I said, it was about trying to be as inclusive as we could for many people affected as of the tragedy of 14 December.

“But, clearly, because we’re here today (at Monday’s press conference), that’s an oversight that we got wrong and we own that.”

Earlier on Monday, federal Liberal senator James Paterson confirmed he wrote to former High Court judge Virginia Bell, who is leading the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, calling for the AFL to explain the error.

On Monday evening he told this masthead that the Swans’ admission was “further evidence of deeply ingrained cultural problems in our sporting institutions that must be probed thoroughly by the royal commission”.

“It is incredibly disappointing to learn that someone at an AFL club believes it was ‘inclusive’ to remove all references to Jews in a script about the antisemitic Bondi terror attack, whose victims were overwhelmingly Jewish,” he said.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24391086 (170846ZMAR26) Notable: Bondi terrorist hangs head as vigilante threats against family revealed - Accused Bondi attacker Naveed Akram has appeared in court as his lawyer said his mother and siblings were “under siege” and “living in fear” after receiving vigilante threats and harassment following the alleged December attack. Defence barrister Richard Wilson sought final suppression orders to force the removal of identifying details about Akram’s mother, brother, sister and home, arguing they were not accused of any wrongdoing and had faced threats including calls to “torch the house”, abuse, suspected intimidation and damage. Barrister Matt Lewis, SC, for media organisations opposing the bid, said it was “futile” because the family’s identities were already widely known and argued open justice was vital as the public sought confidence the case would be handled transparently. A decision is due on April 2.

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‘Bondi terrorist’ hangs head as vigilante threats against family revealed

Perry Duffin - March 17, 2026

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Accused Bondi Beach terrorist Naveed Akram has hung his head after learning his mother and siblings are “under siege” and “living in fear” having been targeted with vigilante death threats and harassment after he allegedly murdered 15 people in Australia’s worst terror attack.

The targeting of the Akram family, who are not accused of any wrongdoing by police, emerged as part of a legal bid to suppress their identities. The move has been opposed by media including this masthead.

Akram, 24, allegedly opened fire on crowds of Jewish families at Chanukah by the Sea in mid-December alongside his father, Sajid.

Sajid, 50, was shot and killed by police. Naveed was badly injured but survived and is now in Goulburn Supermax prison charged with murder and terrorism.

Akram appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday via videolink with a freshly shaved head, in a small grey and blue metal room.

His publicly funded barrister, Richard Wilson, asked Magistrate Hugh Donnelly to make final orders that would force media and the public to take down any information identifying Akram’s mother, brother and sister, or their home.

“(Akram) is charged with the most serious and the most notorious terrorist attack this country has ever seen,” Wilson acknowledged.

“The outpouring of public grief, outrage and anger at what he and his father allegedly did are unprecedented, extraordinary and absolutely understandable.

“But there is no suggestion his mother, brother or sister has anything to do with it.”

Akram’s legal team said his surviving family were “under siege” in their Bonnyrigg home in western Sydney, and the continued media attention kept them in the spotlight.

Wilson said the threats began within 24 hours of Naveed’s alleged attack, when someone suggesting on social media people should “torch the house”.

Dozens expressed their support for the comment, the court heard.

Over the following weeks, people would call or message the family with threats and abuse; “die c*nts die” and “are you still alive?” among those aired on Tuesday.

Sometimes utes would drive past slowly with music turned up as occupants shouted more threats from behind tinted windows.

“C*nts we are coming to kill you!” one group called after parking their ute across the Akrams’ driveway.

Earlier this year, a group of large men banged on the Akrams’ door late at night. The family watched them move down the side of the home and called police, but no one was caught.

Around that time, other people were heard inside the Akrams’ garage one night. They told neighbours they were “mechanics” who lived on the street. Police were called but again no one was found.

The following morning, Akram’s mother’s car wouldn’t start.

These are not the actions of “keyboard warriors”, Wilson said, but rather “misguided and dangerous people”, would-be vigilantes and those keen to exact revenge rather than wait for the slow grind of lawful justice.

The family’s “misfortune”, Wilson said, was being related to Australia’s worst accused terrorist.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24391111 (170905ZMAR26) Notable: Grace Tame sparks outrage by saying Hamas October 7 terror attack rapes were ‘debunked’ - (Video) Israel’s embassy in Australia has condemned former Australian of the Year Grace Tame after she described claims of sexual violence by Hamas during the October 7 attacks as “propaganda” that had been “debunked” in an ABC Radio Sydney interview. The embassy said Tame had “lost [her] moral compass”, while Executive Council of Australian Jewry head of legal Simone Abel said she had engaged in “the ultimate stonewalling” by denying sexual violence recognised by United Nations bodies. The National Council of Jewish Women Australia also criticised Tame’s remarks, saying claims the allegations had been “debunked” ignored extensive evidence gathered by international bodies, survivor testimony and investigations into the October 7 attacks. Tame said she did “not support any of it” and was “outraged by all of the violence”.

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Grace Tame sparks outrage by saying Hamas October 7 terror attack rapes were ‘debunked’

WILLIAM ELLIOTT and THOMAS HENRY - 17 March 2026

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Israel’s embassy in Australia has blasted former Australian of the year Grace Tame for her dismissal of sexual abuse perpetrated by Hamas in the October 7 attacks, claiming she had “lost her moral compass”.

After Ms Tame claimed that testimony from Israeli women of horrific sexual abuse at the hands of Hamas terrorists was “propaganda” that had been “debunked”, the Israeli embassy urged her to watch the testimony and educate herself.

“When you find yourself denying documented sexual violence, turning victims into perpetrators, and drawing false moral equivalences just to fit an anti-Israel or anti-Jewish narrative, you’ve lost your moral compass,” the embassy posted on its social media.

“Israel, like any country, has the right to defend its civilians from Hamas and Iranian attacks. Blinded by self-righteous populism, this isn’t human rights activism. Watch the testimonies. Educate yourself.”

The UN Special Representative on Sexual ­Violence in Conflict had found there were reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual ­violence occurred during the ­attacks.

In an interview with ABC radio, Ms Tame dismissed corroborated reports Israeli women were raped and sexually abused by Hamas terrorists during the October 7, 2023, attack as “propaganda”.

The Former Australian of the Year, appearing on ABC Radio Sydney with host Hamish Macdonald on Monday, said claims about abuse of Israeli women during the massacre “have been debunked”.

“I’m not going to sink to the level of … of entertaining any kind of propaganda, Hamish. Let’s not do that,” Ms Tame said.

Macdonald noted the UN Special Representative on Sexual ­Violence in Conflict had found there were reasonable grounds to believe conflict-related sexual ­violence occurred during the ­attacks. “Are you saying that that is propaganda?” he asked.

Accused of being “selective in her outrage”, Ms Tame said violence had been committed by both sides in the conflict.

“Awful things are being perpetrated by both sides, but this is not about ‘whataboutism’. This is not about selective outrage. I’m outraged by all of the violence. Would that we could get it all to stop,” she said.

“I am a human rights activist who advocates for the safety of all human beings, no matter their background, whether they are Jewish, whether they are Muslims, whether they are Christian, whether they are atheist.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry head of legal Simone Abel said the comments amounted to a denial of the sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas.

“For a survivor of sexual abuse, it is hard to imagine anything worse than another survivor discrediting or denying their abuse,” Ms Abel said.

“Grace Tame has engaged in the ultimate stonewalling by denying the sexual violence perpetrated by terrorist organisation Hamas on October 7.

“In doing so she has shown that she is not an advocate for all survivors of sexual assault, but only an advocate for some.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24391128 (170916ZMAR26) Notable: Remaining Iranian soccer players join A-League training - Iran’s women’s team has left Malaysia for Oman after days of uncertainty, while the two remaining players seeking asylum in Australia joined Brisbane Roar for training. Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh were photographed at the A-League Women session in Brisbane, with chief executive Kaz Patafta saying the club was providing a “supportive environment” as they navigated “the next stages”. The departure of the rest of the squad followed the reversal of five asylum claims in Australia and their reunion with teammates in Kuala Lumpur before flying on. Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John said officials would monitor the players’ welfare with Iran’s federation and said they “didn’t look afraid”, while Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the case as a “very complex situation”.

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Remaining Iranian soccer players join A-League training

Duncan Murray - March 17 2026

The Iranian women's soccer team has left Malaysia for Oman as the two remaining members seeking asylum in Australia joined a local A-League club for training.

The departure ends days of uncertainty after five of the seven squad members who sparked a diplomatic furore by seeking asylum in Australia reversed their decisions and rejoined the team in Kuala Lumpur.

Members of the squad declined to speak to reporters as they spent several hours at the airport checking in and waiting for their flight on Monday night.

Meanwhile, the two players who remained in Australia joined a training session with the women's A-League club, the Brisbane Roar.

The club released photos of Monday's training session, with Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh smiling and wearing the Queensland team's colours.

Brisbane Roar CEO, Kaz Patafta said his club welcomed and supported the players but declined to comment further, directing questions to the Department of Home Affairs.

"We remain committed to providing a supportive environment for them whilst they navigate the next stages," he said.

Asian Football Confederation general secretary Windsor John earlier told The Associated Press his organisation was supporting the Iranian team in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the AFC was told they are flying to Oman, but that isn't their final destination and that he wasn't aware of their full travel plans.

Asked if the confederation was satisfied that the women would be safe back in Iran, Mr Windsor said the AFC and FIFA would check up on them regularly with the Iranian football federation "as they are our girls as well".

The squad flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur a week ago after being knocked out of the Women's Asian Cup in Australia, initially leaving behind six players and a support worker who had accepted protection visas.

Four players and the staffer have since rejoined the team in Kuala Lumpur, the latest flying in on Monday.

No reasons have been given for the changes of heart. The Iranian diaspora in Australia blames pressure from Tehran.

Mr Windsor said at a news conference earlier his confederation had not received any direct complaints from players about returning home, despite media reports their families in Iran could face retaliation for the team failing to sing their national anthem before the opening match.

The silence during the anthem was variously reported as an act of resistance or a show of mourning. The team didn't clarify, and it sang at the opening of a later match.

"We couldn't verify anything. We asked them and they said, 'No, it's okay,'" he said.

"They are actually in high spirits ... they didn't look afraid."

Iranian authorities welcomed the women's decisions to reject asylum as a victory against Australia and US President Donald Trump.

Iran's squad had arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the war in the Middle East began on February 28, complicating travel arrangements.

Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite described the women's plight in Australia as a "very complex situation".

"These are deeply personal decisions, and the government respects the decisions of those that have chosen to return. And we continue to offer support to the two that are remaining," Mr Thistlethwaite said.

The two players who stayed in Australia have been moved to an undisclosed safe location and are receiving assistance from the government and the Iranian diaspora community, he said.

Concerns about the team's safety in Iran heightened when the players didn't sing the Iranian national anthem.

The Australian government was urged to help the women by Iranian groups in Australia and by Trump.

The embassy in Canberra, remains staffed, despite the Australian government expelling the ambassador last year.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9200812/remaining-iranian-soccer-players-join-a-league-training/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24391161 (171010ZMAR26) Notable: Parents flock to Daniel’s Law website in overwhelming response - Queensland’s public child sex offender registry has been accessed more than 205,000 times since launching in December, with the Daniel’s Law website attracting a new visitor about every 30 seconds as parents and carers seek information about convicted offenders. The scheme gives users access to three levels of checks: a public list of reportable offenders whose whereabouts are unknown, locality searches that allow residents to view photographs of certain offenders living in their area, and parent or guardian applications to find out whether a specific person with unsupervised contact with a child is a reportable offender. Premier David Crisafulli said the early results showed the reforms were giving “parents and police the power to act”, while Daniel Morcombe’s father Bruce Morcombe said the law was “making a difference” by helping protect Queensland children. - Daniel’s Law website: https://www.danielslaw.qld.gov.au/daniels-law/

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Parents flock to Daniel’s Law website in overwhelming response

Since Queensland launched a public sex offender registry, parents and carers have flocked to the website in massive numbers.

Georgia Palgan - March 15, 2026

Every thirty seconds, a concerned parent and carer visited the Daniel’s Law website, the landmark child sex offender public registry.

Since its launch, the online website has given parents and carers access to vital information about convicted child sex offenders in Queensland - and the numbers are staggering.

One of the most significant reforms to child safety laws in Queensland’s history, the Community Protection and Child Sex Offender Public Register - also known as Daniel’s Law - came online in December.

In a little over two months, the online platform has been accessed more than 205,000 times, with a new visitor clicking through every 30 seconds.

“We promised reforms to make our community safer and that is exactly what Daniel’s Law is delivering,” Premier David Crisafulli said.

“It’s still early days but these results are already proving having this knowledge gives parents and police the power to act.”

The scheme includes three levels of information designed to protect children.

Tier one is a publicly searchable website listing offenders who’ve vanished, failed to comply with their obligations and whose whereabouts are unknown.

Their full name, photograph and year of birth are available to anyone willing to agree not to misuse the information.

Tier two lets residents apply to view photographs of registered offenders living in their local area.

Tier three allows parents and guardians to apply to check if a specific person with unsupervised access to their child is a reportable offender.

It is a criminal offence to misuse information from the registry, including engaging in vigilantism.

The registry is named in honour of Daniel Morcombe, the Sunshine Coast schoolboy whose abduction and murder in 2003 devastated a state.

His parents refused to let their son’s death be in vain and have become prominent child safety advocates.

Daniel’s parents, Bruce and Denise Morcombe, who founded the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, celebrated 21 years at the annual Dance For Daniel, a fundraising event supporting “a safer world for children.”

“A law is a law, but a law that makes a difference is truly something that we value.” Mr Morcombe said to their crowd of supporters on Saturday night,” Mr Morcombe said.

“To have it named in honour of our son is truly something special because it is making a difference, it’s protecting Queensland’s kids.”

“We owe this to Daniel, to his family, and to every Queensland child who deserves to grow up safe.” Premier Crisafulli said.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/parents-flock-to-daniels-law-website-in-overwhelming-response/news-story/0b65e8fd3431ca8e8d825bd0f0f44a66

https://www.danielslaw.qld.gov.au/daniels-law/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395459 (180847ZMAR26) Notable: Australia and European Union poised to sign trade deal - Australia and the European Union are nearing a long-delayed free trade agreement, with negotiations said to be in the “final stretch” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expected in Australia as soon as next week to help seal the accord. Talks that collapsed in 2023 over access for Australian beef, sheep meat, dairy and sugar have regained momentum amid escalating global trade tensions and United States tariff action. Trade Minister Don Farrell said he was “confident we can do a deal”, while outstanding disputes over red meat access may be resolved at leader level between Anthony Albanese and von der Leyen. The package is also expected to cover issues including mobility arrangements for skilled professionals and possible changes to Australia’s luxury car tax, which European manufacturers say prices their vehicles out of the Australian market in favour of cheaper Chinese electric vehicles.

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Australia and European Union poised to sign trade deal

Michael Read - Mar 17, 2026

Australia and the European Union could sign a long-awaited free trade deal as soon as next week, as escalating global trade tensions force them back to the negotiating table after years of deadlock.

The negotiations collapsed in October 2023 over Australia’s demands for greater market access for locally produced beef, sheep meat, dairy and sugar.

But momentum to finalise a deal gathered steam as US President Donald Trump waged a trade war and imposed swingeing tariffs globally.

The EU has also clinched deals with South American countries and India.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was expected in Australia as soon as next week to finalise the deal, after telling EU leaders on Monday that talks were “in the final stretch”, according to Bloomberg.

“This will mark yet another milestone in diversifying Europe’s international partnerships,” she said.

The accord would enhance “Europe’s ability to shape global standards and ensure resilient supply chains”.

Access for Australian red meat exports to Europe remains a sticking point, but the matter can be settled only at the leader level by Albanese and von der Leyen.

Trade Minister Don Farrell met virtually overnight with his EU counterpart, Maros Sefcovic, to cover off on outstanding issues.

“I am confident we can do a deal and look forward to continuing to work with him to reach an agreement that is in Australia’s national interest,” Farrell told The Australian Financial Review.

The deal has been held up by opposition from Irish and French farmers who are wary of the prospect of greater competition from Australian meat exports.

However, Ireland’s ambassador to Australia, Fiona Flood, said on Tuesday she looked forward to closing the trade deal with Australia.

“I think we can all be very hopeful that, in these turbulent times, it’s a beacon of hope that we can close that trade deal,” she told the ABC.

A potential compromise on meat exports could mean Australia cuts or drops the luxury car tax, which was introduced in 2000 to protect the now-extinct local car manufacturing industry and which disproportionately affects European manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The tax levies an additional 33¢ on every dollar spent above $80,567 for petrol and diesel vehicles or $91,387 for hybrids and electric vehicles sold, raising $1.2 billion a year revenue for the federal government.

Europeans, concerned their vehicles have been priced out of the Australian market by cheaper Chinese electric vehicles, want to see the tax relaxed.

The free trade deal was also expected to include a two-way mobility agreement, where highly skilled professionals and investors would be able to work in Europe more easily.

It would not, however, allow Australians to live and work freely in the EU, nor would it allow Europeans to live and work freely in Australia.

Since negotiations for an FTA began in 2018, the EU had demanded Australian businesses stop using so-called “geographical indicator” product names, arguing they should be the sole domain of European growers.

However, it appeared a compromise had been reached allowing Australian growers to continue using the product labels, according to two sources speaking on condition of anonymity, although they stressed that negotiations were continuing.

https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/australia-and-european-union-poised-to-ink-trade-deal-20260317-p5obw0

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395475 (180919ZMAR26) Notable: Winston Peters warns Australia and NZ made ‘serious mistakes’ on fuel security - New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters says Australia and New Zealand made “serious mistakes” on fuel security by allowing refineries to close and being “far too cocky” about global stability before the Iran war disrupted oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Peters said both countries should have maintained stronger contingency planning, with New Zealand holding about 52 days of fuel supply and Australia about 30. He urged Canberra and Wellington to keep “cool heads” over United States requests for support, saying they should consult closely “before we jump in and make a mistake”. Defence Minister Richard Marles meanwhile said targeting data gathered by Australia’s E-7A Wedgetail in the Gulf was being processed through the United States-led air operations centre, while reiterating Australia was “not contemplating sending a ship”.

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Winston Peters warns Australia and NZ made ‘serious mistakes’ on fuel security

BEN PACKHAM - 18 March 2026

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New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters says his country and Australia should have been better prepared for the Iran war oil crisis and made “serious mistakes” in allowing fuel refineries to close because they were “too cocky” about the state of the world.

In an interview with The Australian, Mr Peters said the trans-Tasman allies needed to keep “cool heads” on the conflict and take a cautious view of Donald Trump’s requests for support ­“because the message changes by the day”.

Mr Peters’ warning came as ­Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed targeting data on Iranian forces collected by Australia’s E-7A Wedgetail in the Persian Gulf was being fed to the US and Israel, but he insisted the aircraft was a “fundamentally defensive capability”.

Mr Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong sat down in Canberra on Tuesday for annual ANZMIN “2+2” talks with Mr Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins, at which they agreed to a new plan for the nations’ defence forces to co-operate more closely and develop capabilities together.

While New Zealand has about 52 days’ fuel supply in storage or en route to the country compared with Australia’s 30 days, Mr Peters said both countries had been caught off-guard by the conflict and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which choked off about 20 per cent of the world’s oil ­shipments.

“You’re learning that some of your refineries should have been kept open; so are we,” he said.

“These are not extremes we’re at now, but we should have always had those contingencies covered off in all of our forward planning. We made some very, very … serious mistakes by being far too cocky about the world circumstance we’re in. Here comes the present reality, right here, right now. Things are very unstable. We hope we get out of here. But it would have been … great to have the comfort of a backup just in case anything went wrong.”

Australia has two remaining refineries, down from eight in the early 2000s, while New Zealand no longer has any domestic refineries.

US allies have baulked at answering the US President’s call for help to secure oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz, with Australia ruling out sending a warship to the region before a formal request was received.

Mr Peters said it was vital for Australia and New Zealand to “keep our eyes wide open and consult with each other before we jump in and make a mistake”. “We have been in so many other theatres, but we’re watching this with the greatest of caution,” he said.

The government committed the Wedgetail aircraft, 85 crew members and an undisclosed number of air-to-air missiles to the region following a request from the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Marles said data collected by the hi-tech surveillance aircraft was being processed by the US’s Combined Air Operations Centre – making it also available to Israel – to ensure a “co-ordinated air defence of the countries of the Gulf”.

The government has sought to draw a line under the contribution, with Transport Minister Catherine King declaring this week: “We won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz.”

Mr Marles endorsed the position on Tuesday, declaring “we’re not contemplating sending a ship”. But he said the discussion was also premature as no request for a ship had been received from the US.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395481 (180926ZMAR26) Notable: PM warns Australians are stockpiling petrol causing shortages that shouldn’t exist - Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged motorists not to panic buy petrol, warning that stockpiling is creating shortages “that shouldn’t occur” and putting unnecessary pressure on supplies despite fuel continuing to arrive as scheduled. Albanese said Australians should “just take what you need, be sensible”, while insisting the country still had fuel security. He also warned service stations against profiteering, saying the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission would act against “inappropriate behaviour” and that penalties had been increased. The intervention came as major fuel companies and retailers were called to an emergency meeting with the regulator over price rises and supply concerns, and after Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to rule out rationing if the conflict driving market disruption were to continue.

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PM warns Australians are stockpiling petrol causing shortages that shouldn’t exist

Samantha Maiden - March 18, 2026

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Anthony Albanese pleaded with motorists not to panic buy petrol, warning that surging demand puts unnecessary pressure on supplies.

Ahead of a planned fuel summit, the Prime Minister delivered a blunt message to drivers as the government also considers longer term measures including extending the life of two oil refineries beyond 2027.

“My message to Australians as well is to not take more fuel than you need,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Tasmania.

“That is how you can help think of others, be a good neighbour, a good community member and a good Australian.”

In his strongest comments to date, Mr Albanese warned that recent behaviour at the bowser was causing bigger problems than the fuel supply.

“It’s not the Australian way. Just take what you need, be sensible.”

“There has been, in some places, a doubling of demand that shouldn’t occur.

“We do have fuel security here in this nation, but we need to be sensible about these issues, and that’s my message.”

Crackdown on Petrol Pricing

He also warned service stations against exploiting the situation, putting them on notice over pricing.

“My message to service stations which are overcharging is that the ACCC will take action against any inappropriate behaviour,” he said.

“There’s no place for any company to try to take advantage of this to increase their profits at the expense of Australians.”

Mr Albanese pointed to strengthened enforcement powers, adding: “Well, we’ve doubled the potential fines, and we’ve empowered the ACCC to do that, to make sure that consumers’ interests are looked after, and will continue to do so.”

Despite the surge in demand, Mr Albanese sought to reassure motorists that supplies remain stable.

“The fuel is arriving as expected,” he said.

“At this point in time, we’re continuing to monitor all of what is going on in global markets as well, but we continue to see ships arriving as has been scheduled, and that is a good thing.”

Rationing Concerns Raised

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles declined to rule out fuel rationing in Australia amid this week’s panic buying before Treasurer Jim Chalmers walked back the comments.

But asked whether the government would ever consider fuel rations as an additional measure, Mr Marles did not rule out the possibility.

“Obviously, this is a function of how long this conflict continues, and that’s not something that I can answer in terms of what’s going to happen,” he said.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395498 (181002ZMAR26) Notable: We don’t need anyone’s help: Trump lashes out at NATO allies, Australia over Iran war - (Video) US President Donald Trump has declared the United States did “not need the help of anyone” after lashing out at NATO allies and Australia for refusing to support efforts to secure shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said countries he believed had failed to assist should be remembered, and suggested Washington should think about its future relationship with the alliance when allies “don’t help us”. His comments followed decisions by countries including Australia and France not to join naval operations linked to the Iran war. The broadside came as Joe Kent, Trump’s appointee to lead the National Counterterrorism Centre, resigned, saying he could not “in good conscience” support the conflict. Trump dismissed Kent as “very weak on security” and said “it’s a good thing that he’s out”.

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‘We don’t need anyone’s help’: Trump lashes out at NATO allies, Australia over Iran war

Michael Koziol - March 18, 2026

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Washington: Donald Trump has reversed course and claimed he never needed or wanted other countries’ help in Iran, while lashing out at US allies – including Australia – after previously demanding their assistance.

He went as far as saying that the US should rethink its involvement in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, or NATO, while adding that he had no immediate changes in mind.

The US president’s latest broadside came as his top counter-terrorism official resigned, saying he could no longer “in good conscience” support the ongoing war in Iran, and accusing Israeli officials and lobbyists of sowing pro-war sentiment in the administration.

Asked about the resignation, Trump said that he always thought the man he appointed to run the National Counterterrorism Centre was “very weak on security” and “it’s a good thing that he’s out”.

Trump has been asking US allies – primarily Gulf partners and NATO members – to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help unblock the crucial shipping passage, with oil tanker traffic grinding to a halt amid the ongoing US and Israeli campaign against Iran.

But most NATO allies had informed him they would not take part, he said on Tuesday (US time), adding that it was not surprising, as he had long considered NATO to be a one-way street. “We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.”

Trump went on to say the US military had decimated Iran’s navy, air forces, defences and the regime’s leadership. “Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need’, or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance – WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump wrote on social media.

“In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”

The Australian government has ruled out sending a ship to the Strait, with Transport Minister Catherine King saying no such request had been made of Canberra.

Trump had not mentioned Australia during his previous public requests for help. Rather, he had referred to China, Japan and South Korea as countries that were dependent on oil from the Strait and should help.

The White House was contacted for clarification on whether Trump had ever explicitly sought Australia’s participation.

Later, in a bilateral meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin at the White House, the US president continued to savage the “foolish mistake” NATO was making.

“This was a great test. We don’t need them, but they should have been there,” he said. “We as the United States have to remember that - because we think it’s pretty shocking.”

Asked by a reporter whether he was rethinking the US’ relationship with NATO, or considering withdrawing from the 77-year-old alliance, Trump said: “When they don’t help us, it’s certainly something we should think about … I have nothing currently in mind, but I will say that I’m not exactly thrilled.”

After Trump again expressed his disappointment with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for not assisting at the outset of the war, Martin defended the British PM, calling him an earnest and sound person with whom Trump could repair his relationship.

The Irish leader also defended allied military support for Ukraine after Trump complained that the US helped NATO with Ukraine, but NATO was not helping him with Iran.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395505 (181011ZMAR26) Notable: Andrew Hastie hits back at Trump broadside on Western allies over Strait of Hormuz - Opposition industry spokesman Andrew Hastie has criticised Donald Trump’s attack on Australia and other allies over the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “petulant post” that showed a lack of respect for longstanding partners. Hastie said “you don’t treat allies like that” and argued the episode was a wake-up call for Australia to strengthen its own energy security and defence capabilities rather than rely too heavily on the global “rules-based order”, which he said was “dead”. He said Australia would remain close to the United States but needed to “stand on our own two feet”. The criticism followed Trump’s declaration that America did “not need the help of anyone” after allies including Australia declined to commit naval support in the Gulf.

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Andrew Hastie hits back at Trump broadside on Western allies over Strait of Hormuz

THOMAS HENRY - 18 March 2026

Senior Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie has criticised Donald Trump’s “petulant” attack on Australia and like-minded allies over their reluctance to become involved in US-led operations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

After the US President declared America “no longer” needed the help of its allies in unclogging the critical waterway – name-checking Australia, Japan, South Korea and NATO – the opposition industry spokesman said Mr Trump’s comments showed a lack of respect.

“I thought it was a petulant post from a president under immense pressure yesterday. He said from the Oval Office, I think it was, that he didn’t expect the Strait of Hormuz to be closed for this long. Well, as I like to quote Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and the enemy always has a vote,” Mr Hastie told Radio National.

“You don’t treat allies like that. Relationships that are longstanding, you show respect, and I don’t think it was a respectful post at all.”

Mr Hastie said Australia would remain close to the US, but the former special forces soldier called for Australia to be self-sufficient in energy and defence, claiming that the global rules-based order was “dead”.

“This is a president who is very unique in American history, in global history, and he’s coming up to two years this November in the role. It’s his second and final term, and I’m sure the relationship will continue regardless of who sits in the Oval Office,” he said.

“This is a new stage of history. This is a new way of doing business. I think the global rules-based order that we’ve relied upon for the last 85 years for our security is now dead. And I think it’s a wake-up call for Australia that we must take care of things that only we can take care of.

“We can’t outsource our energy security. We can’t outsource our defence force to other countries. We’ve got to be able to stand on our own two feet.”

It is not the first time Mr Hastie has hit out at the US President. Earlier this year he criticised Mr Trump’s claims that allied forces in Afghanistan hadn’t fought on the front lines.

“This is a massive slur, not just against allied troops, but against our Aussie Diggers who fought, bled and died alongside Americans,” he said at the time.

“One of the most important things in building coalitions and alliances is mutual respect. And a really important virtue in a leader is restraint. And President Trump, by dumping on allied troops, has shown neither.”

During US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last year, Mr Hastie called for caution as a “veteran of the forever wars”, describing Mr Trump as “opportunistic and transactional”.

“You never know really what he’s going to do next. And I think his social media account, it’s an instrument of statecraft for him,” he said.

On the current US campaign in Iran, Mr Hastie took a more positive view of the President’s foreign policy stance, describing him as an “apex opportunist” looking to re-establish US military dominance.

“He hit Nigeria. He’s hit Venezuela. They’ve gone into Iran, or at least they’ve struck Iran. I think part of the plan here is also to re-establish deterrence. And the US military is the apex military,” he said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/andrew-hastie-hits-back-at-trump-broadside-on-western-allies-over-strait-of-hormuz/news-story/5aeb4f91ddbe737f3daa81bb66c16455

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24395515 (181022ZMAR26) Notable: Everyone’s issue: Fetterman calls out Australia on antisemitism, Strait of Hormuz - Democratic senator John Fetterman has said Australia has a responsibility to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, arguing the issue is “everyone’s issue” and questioning why a key United States ally would not assist. Fetterman also said antisemitism in Australia was “a real issue” for him and criticised large anti-Israel demonstrations he said effectively helped Hamas. His remarks came as Donald Trump’s criticism of Australia for not backing United States operations in the Gulf exposed divisions on the conservative side of politics, with Andrew Hastie calling Trump’s attack “petulant” and disrespectful while Barnaby Joyce argued it suggested frustration in Washington over Australia’s response. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese rejected Hastie’s criticism and said he would continue to engage diplomatically with Trump.

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‘Everyone’s issue’: Fetterman calls out Australia on antisemitism, Strait of Hormuz

JOE KELLY - 18 March 2026

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Democratic senator John Fetterman has declared Australia has a responsibility to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as Donald Trump’s rebuke of Australia for failing to back his mission to get oil flowing in the Middle East split the conservative side of politics.

Senior Liberal frontbencher Andrew Hastie lashed the US President’s “petulant” post on Truth Social, in which he hit out at NATO “allies” who didn’t want to get involved in America’s war against Iran, but One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce warned the swipe raised “a lot to be concerned about”.

Mr Trump wrote: “Because of the fact that we have had such military success, we no longer ‘need’, or desire, the NATO countries’ assistance – We never did! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea.

“In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the most powerful country anywhere in the world, we do not need the help of anyone!”

Senator Fetterman said he had been alarmed by “huge” anti-­Israel demonstrations in Australia that “effectively help Hamas”, and he questioned why Australians wouldn’t stand alongside Israel and the US.

“That’s strange why you wouldn’t want to help your key ally, America, that has broken and effectively destroyed the ­Iranian regime,” he said.

“The antisemitism (in Australia) is a real issue for me. So that gives me an opportunity to speak to the Australians.

“I don’t know why our allies wouldn’t want to just assist in reopening the strait.”

Senator Fetterman is the only Democrat in the US congress to openly and strongly support the American operation in the Middle East, arguing the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was “everyone’s issue”.

Opposition industry spokesman Mr Hastie, a former SAS soldier who has criticised Mr Trump in the past, said the comments showed a lack of respect.

“I thought it was a petulant post from a president under immense pressure yesterday,” Mr Hastie told ABC radio.

“He said from the Oval Office, I think it was, that he didn’t expect the Strait of Hormuz to be closed for this long. Well, as I like to quote Mike Tyson, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and the enemy always has a vote.

“You don’t treat allies like that. Relationships that are longstanding. You show respect, and I don’t think it was a respectful post at all.”

Anthony Albanese dismissed Mr Hastie’s remarks while emphasising his own diplomacy in dealing with the mercurial president.

“Andrew Hastie can speak for himself. What I do is engage diplomatically with leaders right across the world, including President Trump. And I had a very constructive discussion with him just last week,” the Prime Minister said.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24400095 (190938ZMAR26) Notable: Colonial-style arrogance: China attacks Australia, New Zealand over Iran comments - China has condemned Australia and New Zealand for “colonial-style arrogance” after the two countries issued a joint statement criticising Iran’s missile and drone attacks and raising concerns about Beijing’s conduct on issues including the South China Sea, Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong. In response, China’s embassy in New Zealand accused both governments of hypocrisy, “bias, misinformation” and double standards, and said they were ignoring the “root cause” of the Middle East war while criticising China’s internal affairs. The embassy also pointed to Australia and New Zealand’s own records on indigenous and minority issues, repeated Beijing’s positions on Taiwan and maritime disputes, and urged Wellington to take a “clear-eyed view” of the situation. The exchange reflects a renewed use of sharp diplomatic language as tensions over regional security, human rights and the Iran conflict deepen.

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‘Colonial-style arrogance’: China attacks Australia, New Zealand over Iran comments

Nathan Schmidt - March 18, 2026

China has lashed Australia and New Zealand for “colonial-style arrogance” and accused the two nations of overlooking the “root cause” of the war in the Middle East after their joint statement condemning Iran’s missile and drone attacks.

The statement, issued on Tuesday, also condemned Beijing over “destabilising activities” in the disputed South China Sea, its treatment of minority groups in Xinjiang and Tibet, and for stifling freedoms in semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

In a retaliatory statement, China’s embassy in New Zealand accused Australia and its trans-Tasman neighbour of staying silent on their own “poor records concerning human rights and ethnic minority issues”.

“Instead, it contains unwarranted, inappropriate, and extensive comments on China’s internal affairs,” the statement said.

“As a Chinese saying goes, one should first ensure one’s own conduct is beyond reproach before criticising others. In other words, it is important to reflect on one’s own actions before casting judgement.

“The sections concerning China’s internal affairs are marked by bias, misinformation, and inexplicable colonial-style arrogance, reflecting hypocrisy and double standards on issues of global peace, stability, and the wellbeing of people worldwide.”

It continued: “The international community and their own people are well placed to form a fair judgment regarding the treatment of indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities in those countries that level unfounded accusations against China”.

The Chinese mission accused Australia and New Zealand of overlooking “blatant violation of international law and the basic norms governing international relations” during the course of the Iran War, “which have resulted in civilian casualties and disruptions to the global economy”.

The statement reiterated China’s disputed claims regarding Xinjiang, where it has been accused of imprisoning Muslim Uyghur people, Hong Kong and self-governing Taiwan.

“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China and lies at the very core of China’s core interests, and this red line must not be crossed or challenged in any form,” the statement said.

It went on to claim the situation in the “East and South China Seas remains stable”.

New Zealand was urged to “take a clear-eyed view of the prevailing situation”, while the statement noted China remained “committed to developing friendly and cooperative relations with all countries, including New Zealand”.

Chinese foreign policy was marked by so-called wolf warrior diplomacy during the late 2010s, in which ambassadors often used strong rhetoric to attack foreign governments over criticism of Chinese policies.

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/colonialstyle-arrogance-china-attacks-australia-new-zealand-over-iran-comments/news-story/d0552232f1b9e3f997e8fdc38682533d

https://nz.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/zxgxs/202603/t20260318_11876749.htm

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24400114 (190949ZMAR26) Notable: Iranian women's football team back in Iran, state media announces - (Video) Iran’s national women’s football team has returned to Iran after several players sought asylum in Australia following their Women’s Asian Cup exit. Iranian media showed the squad arriving via Türkiye and crossing by bus at the border, where officials greeted them. Most of the team had left Australia last week through Malaysia and Oman, after a number of players who initially sought asylum reversed their decisions and agreed to return. Two players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, remain in Australia and have been training with Brisbane Roar. The team had drawn international attention earlier in the tournament when some players stayed silent during Iran’s national anthem before later singing it in subsequent matches, amid wider concern about their safety if they returned during the Iran war.

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Iranian women's football team back in Iran, state media announces

abc.net.au - 19 March 2026

Iran's national women's football team has returned to the Islamic Republic after several of the players sought asylum in Australia, Iranian media is reporting.

The outlets shared footage of the players entering Iran after landing in Türkiye and taking a bus to the border. They were greeted by some officials at the border.

Most of the team's players left Australia last week, travelling through Malaysia and Oman on their way to Türkiye.

Two Iranian female players, Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh, chose to remain in Australia and have been training with the Brisbane Roar club.

Others who initially sought asylum after the team was knocked out of the Women's Asian Cup later changed their minds and said they would return to Iran.

Iran's squad arrived in Australia for the tournament shortly before the Iran war began on February 28.

The team initially gained global attention after some players stayed silent during Iran's national anthem before their first game in the Asian Cup.

The silence was cast as an act of resistance or protest by some commentators and a show of mourning by others.

The players did not publicly disclose their views or explain their actions and sang the anthem before their next two matches.

When the team was knocked out of the tournament and faced the prospect of returning to a country under bombardment, calls grew for Australia's government to offer the women asylum.

Iranian groups in Australia and US President Donald Trump were among those who expressed fears for the women's safety.

Iranian first Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref last week dismissed suggestions the women would be unsafe if they returned home, saying the country "welcomes its children with open arms and the government guarantees their security."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-19/iran-war-womens-football-team-returns-home-australia/106471200

https://x.com/Tasnimnews_Fa/status/2034269519854596168

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24406727 (210121ZMAR26) Notable: Israel’s top diplomat in Australia lays out case for war against Iran - Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Hillel Newman, has defended the war against Iran as an “urgent act of self defence” aimed at removing what he called two “existential threats” - Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and ballistic missile program. Amid escalating strikes on oil and gas infrastructure across the Persian Gulf, Newman said the conflict was not about “territory or resources” but a struggle between “barbarism and civilisation” that could no longer be delayed. His intervention came as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the objectives of denying Iran a nuclear weapon capability and weakening its capacity to attack the region had been secured, while still urging de-escalation.

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Israel’s top diplomat in Australia lays out case for war against Iran

BEN PACKHAM - March 19, 2026

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Israel’s top diplomat in Australia says the war with Iran is an “urgent act of self defence” and a struggle against “barbarism” as the targeting of critical oil and gas facilities on both sides of the Persian Gulf sparks fresh fears about global energy supplies.

Laying out Israel’s case for the war amid mixed messages from the US, ambassador Hillel Newman says Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and its vast ballistic missile arsenal posed an escalating threat that needed to be dealt with.

The justification comes after Anthony Albanese declared the US and Israel had achieved their war objectives and he hoped the conflict would soon come to an end.

But the war continued to escalate on Thursday (AEDT), with an Iranian missile damaging the world’s largest LNG hub in Qatar and Israeli strikes on Iran’s vast South Pars gas field compounding the energy crisis caused by Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Writing in The Australian, Dr Newman says the Iranian regime “posed existential threats which could not be overlooked or delayed any further”.

“This is not a war over territory or resources. It is an urgent act of self-defence for the protection of millions of innocent civilians, for regional stability, and for the values that underpin the free world. At its core, it is a struggle between barbarism and civilisation,” he says.

“The objectives of the current operation are to remove two existential threats, the regime’s nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile program. Both had reached a critical and time-sensitive stage, with efforts under way to harden and conceal capabilities deep underground, placing them beyond the reach of any future intervention.”

His case for Israeli action follows Donald Trump’s claim that Iran posed an urgent nuclear threat while arguing at the same time that US and Israeli strikes last year had “obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear program.

US national intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard’s became mired in the contradiction on Thursday (AEDT) when she refused to say whether Iran presented an “imminent threat”.

“It is not a responsibility of the intelligence community to determine what is or is not an imminent threat,” Ms Gabbard told a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, declaring only the President could make such a judgment.

Democratic Party senator Jon Ossoff interjected: “It is precisely your responsibility to determine what constitutes a threat to the United States.”

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24406859 (210157ZMAR26) Notable: COMMENTARY: Evil Islamic regime posed existential threat to free world - "Three weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched a joint operation, “Roaring Lion”, also known as “Epic Fury”, against the brutal and destabilising Islamic Republic regime in Iran. This is not a war over territory or resources. It is an urgent act of self-defence for the protection of millions of innocent civilians, for regional stability, and for the values that underpin the free world. At its core, it is a struggle between barbarism and civilisation. The objectives of the current operation are to remove two existential threats: the regime’s nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile program. Both had reached a critical and time-sensitive stage, with efforts under way to harden and conceal capabilities deep underground, placing them beyond the reach of any future intervention. The operation also targets the instruments of internal repression, including the IRGC and the Basij forces, which have brutally suppressed the Iranian people ... Millions of Israelis have lived for decades under constant threat, with mere seconds to seek shelter from incoming rockets. Australians, living more than 12,000km from our region, have also experienced the threat and impact of Iranian terror. Iranian-linked activities reached Australian soil, and the government has responded with firm diplomatic and security measures, including the designation of the IRGC as a terror entity and the expulsion of the Iranian ambassador ... Australia has acknowledged the threat and rightfully stood by its allies in confronting destabilising behaviour in the region. The dividing line today is not between religions or cultures, but between moderates and extremists. Israel, Australia and many countries across the Arab world stand firmly in the camp of moderation and want to see the circle of peace grow ... In taking action, we are not only defending our citizens, we are helping to secure a safer and more stable future for our region and for partners such as Australia who share these values." - Hillel Newman, Israel’s new ambassador to Australia - The Australian

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COMMENTARY: Evil Islamic regime posed existential threat to free world

HILLEL NEWMAN - March 20, 2026

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Over the past few weeks, I have been asked repeatedly: Why, and why now?

Three weeks ago, the United States and Israel launched a joint operation, “Roaring Lion”, also known as “Epic Fury”, against the brutal and destabilising Islamic Republic regime in Iran. This is not a war over territory or resources. It is an urgent act of self-defence for the protection of millions of innocent civilians, for regional stability, and for the values that underpin the free world. At its core, it is a struggle between barbarism and civilisation.

Prior to the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Israel and the United States maintained good relations with Iran. That changed overnight. The Islamic Republic regime declared itself an enemy of both Israel and the West, institutionalising calls of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”.

These were not empty slogans; they became a blueprint for action.

Over decades, the regime built and financed a global network of terror proxies, including Hezbollah and Hamas, to export its ideology and violence. At the centre of this effort stands the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, responsible for orchestrating terror operations, weapons proliferation and regional destabilisation.

The Islamic Republic regime has relentlessly pursued nuclear capabilities and developed vast ballistic missile arsenals. For more than 20 years, the international community has sought to resolve this through diplomacy. Negotiations were pursued in good faith and extended repeatedly to give diplomacy every possible chance.

Throughout this period, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported repeated violations and noncompliance by Iran.

These efforts failed not because diplomacy was not tried, but because the regime chose delaying tactics and an uncompromising attitude. It chose escalation over compliance. It became clear that the Iranian regime will never cease its efforts to annihilate the state of Israel and Western civilisation.

So the “Why now?” is clear. The threat grew, till it posed existential threats that could not be overlooked or delayed any further.

The objectives of the current operation are to remove two existential threats: the regime’s nuclear ambitions and its ballistic missile program. Both had reached a critical and time-sensitive stage, with efforts under way to harden and conceal capabilities deep underground, placing them beyond the reach of any future intervention.

The operation also targets the instruments of internal repression, including the IRGC and the Basij forces, which have brutally suppressed the Iranian people.

In doing so, the operation seeks to create conditions in which Iranians themselves may determine their future, free from decades of violence and oppression. We draw a firm distinction between the Islamic Republic regime and the people of Iran.

Our confrontation is not with the Iranian people, but with a regime that has oppressed them for nearly half a century.

The hope is that this moment will also open a path for Iranians to reclaim their future.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24407150 (210332ZMAR26) Notable: Elon Musk’s brutal two-word Albo spray - Elon Musk has reacted to footage of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese being heckled at Lakemba Mosque by describing him on X as a “simple man” after protesters shouted “genocide supporters” during Eid celebrations. Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were seated at the front of the mosque when the disruption occurred, with one protester later identified as Stand4Palestine activist Mukhlis Mah. Albanese said the reception from about 30,000 attendees was “overwhelmingly” positive apart from “a couple of hecklers”, and said the disturbance was handled by the community. NSW Police said officers removed a 33-year-old man from the premises and issued a move-on direction. The Lebanese Muslim Association defended inviting Albanese, saying engagement with elected leaders was not a “betrayal” of community concerns over Gaza and Lebanon.

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Elon Musk’s brutal two-word Albo spray

Abisha Sapkota - 21 March 2026

Elon Musk has responded to the dramatic scenes of Anthony Albanese being heckled at Australia’s largest mosque.

Mr Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke were heckled and accused of being “genocide supporters” during Eid celebrations at Lakemba Mosque in Sydney’s southwest on Friday morning.

The pair are seated at the front of the mosque in video obtained by the ABC when a man in the crowd shouts “genocide supporters” while others audibly boo.

When another man attempts to intervene, the heckler says “genocide supporter, man”.

“Genocide supporters. Boo,” he shouts.

Mr Musk took to X to share that, “He is a simple man”, referring to Mr Albanese.

Speaking from South Australia, Mr Albanese said there were 30,000 people at the mosque and that “overwhelmingly the reception was incredibly positive”.

“I walked through the crowd to the mosque and not a single person heckled,” he said.

“There were a couple of hecklers inside, they were dealt with … no one was rushed out, we just sat there, it was dealt with.

“It was dealt with by the community themselves because overwhelmingly they did not want that to occur.”

Mr Albanese thanked organisers for the “very warm reception that occurred”.

“Yes, there were a couple of people who were heckling. Some people don’t like the fact that we have outlawed extremist organisations like Hizb ut-Tahrir, and that brought a response from a couple of people,” he said.

“But if you got a couple of people heckling in a crowd of 30,000, that should be put in that perspective.”

The incident was absent from a subsequent social media post by the Prime Minister.

Mr Albanese can be seen smiling and shaking hands with congregants in the post, which is captioned: “Eid Mubarak.

“An honour to join thousands for Eid al-Fitr at Lakemba Mosque this morning.”

In the video, a physical altercation also appears to break out between at least two men, with one man having his mouth covered by another man’s hand at one stage.

One of the men has since been identified as Stand4Palestine activist Mukhlis Mah.

“They threw him out and the police took over, throwing him down the stairs and giving him a move-on order,” the caption on a video posted to Stand4Palestine Instagram stated.

The group claimed Mr Mah was “thrown out” and that Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) staff, who administer the mosque, put their hands on his mouth.

In the separate video, a voice shouts to get Mr Albanese and Mr Burke “out of here”.

“How dare you come here? How dare you come here? How dare you come here? This is our sacred place,” the voice shouts before being muffled by the scuffle.

In a statement, NSW Police said officers were called to the mosque after reports of a “disturbance during a meeting /service”.

“Officers attached to Campsie Police Area Command attended and removed a 33-year-old man from the premises before issuing him a move-on direction, which was complied with,” police said.

In a post, the LMA noted the Prime Minister’s visit was the first in the more than two and a half years since the October 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza, with no invitations to politicians having been issued in that time.

In a statement, the LMA said it was aware that “emotions are high”.

“But, we also need to be clear,” it stated.

“Choosing to engage with elected leadership of this country is not a betrayal of those concerns,” in regard to wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Walking away from engagement has not advanced out community, nor has it changed outcomes overseas.

“It has not reduced Islamophobia here, and it has not strengthened our ability to influence decisions that affect us.”

https://au.news.yahoo.com/musk-brutal-two-word-albo-214145060.html

https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2034963059496952007

https://qresear.ch/?q=Elon+Musk

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24411547 (220750ZMAR26) Notable: Australia joins UK, Japan pledging ‘appropriate efforts’ in Strait of Hormuz - Australia has joined 21 other countries in backing a statement expressing readiness to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, widening its public support for international action after earlier ruling out sending warships. The statement, first issued by countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada, condemned Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping and the “de facto closure” of the strait, warning of threats to global energy supply and international security. Australia’s endorsement came after ministers said Canberra had not been asked to send a ship and was instead contributing aircraft support to the United Arab Emirates. The shift also followed Donald Trump’s criticism of allies including Australia for failing to “get involved” more directly in the crisis.

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Australia joins UK, Japan pledging ‘appropriate efforts’ in Strait of Hormuz

Australia is now among 22 countries issuing a stark warning after Iran’s actions threaten global energy supply and international security.

Nathan Schmidt - March 22, 2026

Australia has joined other US allies pledging readiness to “contribute to appropriate efforts” to ensure safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz after the Albanese government said it would not send warships to the region.

The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan and Canada jointly issued the March 19 statement which condemned Iran for its attacks on commercial ships and the “de facto closure” of the Strait of Hormuz.

On Sunday, the statement was updated to include commitments from Australia, as well as New Zealand, Estonia, Romania, Sweden and Norway, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.

US President Donald Trump has been pressuring US allies, including the NATO alliance, to step up defensive actions in the strait, where about one fifth of the world’s oil transits.

The statement noted disruptions to international shipping and global energy supply chains “constitute a threat to international peace and security” under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2817, and called for a moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil and gas installations.

“We express our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait. We welcome the commitment of nations who are engaging in preparatory planning,” the statement read.

“We welcome the International Energy Agency decision to authorise a coordinated release of strategic petroleum reserves.

“We will take other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output.

“Maritime security and freedom of navigation benefit all countries. We call on all states to respect international law and uphold the fundamental principles of international prosperity and security.”

Last week, Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia had not received any request from the United States in relation to the strait.

“We’re not contemplating sending a ship, but we we’ve not received a request,” he said.

That comment mirrored remarks last week by Transport Minister Catherine King, who also noted Australia had not been asked to, and was not contemplating, sending warships to the strait.

“Been very clear about what our contribution is in relation to requests, and so far that is to the UAE, obviously providing aircraft to assist with defence, particularly given the number of Australians that are in that area in particular,” she told ABC Radio National.

“But we won’t be sending a ship to the Strait of Hormuz.

“We know how incredibly important that is, but that’s not something that we’ve been asked (or) we’re contributing to.”

On the weekend, Mr Trump told Sky News he was “very surprised” Anthony Albanese did not send troops to the Middle East.

Asked about his criticism of Australia, South Korea and Japan, Mr Trump said he would like them to “get involved”.

“I was a little bit surprised they said no … we always say yes to them.”

The Republican has ramped up criticism of US allies who he has accused of failing to meaningful enter the war on Iran after the United States and Israel’s surprise attack.

Iran overnight reportedly fired missiles towards the US-UK military installations on the Chagos Islands, also known as the British Indian Ocean Territory.

The attack is the farthest reaching yet by the Islamic Republic three weeks into the war.

https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/australia-joins-uk-japan-pledging-appropriate-efforts-in-strait-of-hormuz/news-story/d637c33ec43ebe4ead303da9eff83362

https://x.com/mofauae/status/2035326341596446810

https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/MediaHub/News/2026/3/21/UAE-Strait-of-Hormuz

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24411636 (220817ZMAR26) Notable: Coalition plans assault on One Nation’s credibility to avoid South Australia-style wipeout - Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is preparing a campaign to undermine One Nation’s credibility after the party’s surge in South Australia exposed the risk of a broader conservative collapse. Coalition figures have agreed they must directly challenge Pauline Hanson rather than pursue any right-wing alliance, with plans to highlight the economic damage of her zero-immigration policy and question the idea that One Nation could credibly govern. The move comes after South Australia’s election, where One Nation outpolled the Liberals on the primary vote, and ahead of the Farrer byelection, where the Coalition is expected to sharpen its anti-migration message while distinguishing itself from Hanson. Senior Liberals also want to pair attacks on One Nation with a clearer economic agenda, arguing voters still do not know what the Coalition stands for.

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Coalition plans assault on One Nation’s credibility to avoid South Australia-style wipeout

Paul Sakkal - March 22, 2026

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Opposition Leader Angus Taylor will lead an assault on One Nation’s credibility and warn about Pauline Hanson’s aim to form government, in a new plan to avoid a South Australia-style drubbing at a federal by-election in May.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned on Sunday against attacks on multiculturalism, the Coalition is planning to reveal big-picture economic reform, put more focus on its anti-net zero stance, and explain to voters the economic pain that would be caused by Hanson’s zero-immigration policy.

“There’ll be no ‘deplorables’ moment,” one senior Liberal source, who asked to remain anonymous in order to discuss internal party matters, said, referring to Hillary Clinton’s infamous remarks about Donald Trump’s supporters.

A Liberal MP added: “Just like Labor savages the Greens to keep progressives in the tent, we need to do the same on our side.”

South Australian Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas was re-elected with a thumping majority on Saturday. The Liberal Party will be left with about four lower house seats, with votes bleeding to One Nation, whose primary vote of 22 per cent was higher than that of the Liberals at 19 per cent.

Albanese delivered a veiled warning against One Nation’s brand of politics in a speech in Melbourne on Sunday.

“There are some, including some in political life, who want to turn back the clock to an Australia that is no longer who we are,” he said at the Immigration Museum in the CBD, warning about politicians harking back to the White Australia era.

“We need to call out those people.”

The federal Coalition’s senior shadow cabinet members held talks on Friday to formulate a strategy to claw back support from One Nation. A day later, the populist outfit rocked the political establishment by out-polling the Liberal Party in South Australia. It is also polling ahead of the Coalition nationally.

After months of confusion about how forcefully to attack Hanson and her recruit, Barnaby Joyce, the Coalition group reached consensus that it must attack Hanson and reject calls from conservative commentators to form some sort of right-wing coalition with her party.

Five sources familiar with the opposition’s strategy meeting, unable to talk about the confidential meeting publicly, confirmed elements of the discussion. The Liberal Party and Nationals directors, Andrew Hirst and Lincoln Folo, delivered briefings on voter attitudes towards One Nation, as the parties prepared to use social media to mobilise against One Nation ahead of the Farrer byelection sparked by Sussan Ley’s retirement.

Although Saturday’s South Australian election was influenced by local factors, the surge of support for One Nation proved that Hanson could turn support in opinion polling into votes, although preference distribution may mean the party ends up with only one seat.

Ahead of the Farrer byelection, Taylor is planning to announce the Coalition’s own plan to cut the migration intake. But the opposition wants to highlight the folly of reducing net migration to zero, as Hanson proposes, by warning tradespeople how badly the building sector would be hurt.

Opposition MPs intend to target what they see as Hanson’s hubris as she aims to supplant the Coalition.

(continued)

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24411700 (220839ZMAR26) Notable: Zev Serebryanski avoids further jail over child sexual abuse of Manny Waks in a Melbourne synagogue almost four decades ago - (Video) Zev Serebryanski has avoided further jail after being sentenced in the County Court of Victoria over the child sexual abuse of Manny Waks at the Yeshivah Centre in St Kilda East in the late 1980s. The 62-year-old received a 22-month sentence, but 19 months were wholly suspended for three years, while three months served in a New York prison before extradition to Melbourne were counted as time served, allowing him to walk free. A jury last year found him guilty of three counts of indecently assaulting a person under 16 and one count of sexually penetrating a child aged between 10 and 16. Judge John Kelly said the abuse caused profound harm and noted “damning admissions” and a partial apology captured in covert documentary footage. Before the hearing, Waks said the sentence made “little difference” from his perspective, adding: “My battle is over. I got him convicted for his heinous crimes against me,” and: “My ongoing battle has never been about revenge or retribution - rather, it’s about justice, accountability and prevention.”

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Zev Serebryanski avoids further jail over child sexual abuse of Manny Waks in a Melbourne synagogue almost four decades ago

A child abuser exposed making “stock pedophilic justifications” for his behaviour in a documentary has learned his fate.

Liam Beatty - March 20, 2026

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A child abuser caught on a hidden documentary camera making “damning admissions” has avoided further jail time after a jury found him guilty of four crimes.

Zev Serebryanski, 62, was sentenced to 22 months imprisonment in the County Court of Victoria on Friday morning however 19 months of the sentence was “wholly suspended” for a period of three years.

With three months spent on remand in a New York prison before his extradition to Melbourne in 2023 recognised as time served, Serebryanski walked free from court.

The convicted abuser showed little reaction but was seen at one time turned to the right with his hands cupped to his ear as Judge John Kelly read his sentencing remarks.

Almost four decades earlier and aged between 22 and 24, Serebryanski sexually assaulted Manny Waks, then a boy aged between 10 and 12, at the Yeshivah Centre in St Kilda East, a synagogue and learning centre for Melbourne’s Jewish ultra-orthodox community.

Mr Waks, now a prominent advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse in Jewish communities, has given permission to be identified in relation to the case.

The court was told on the first night of the religious Shavuot festival in 1986, 1987 or 1988, Serebryanski followed Mr Waks upstairs at the centre when he went to rest on a bench about 1am to escape the “noisy debate” of the men downstairs.

Mr Waks gave evidence Serebryanski had previously made him feel uncomfortable at community events by staring at him.

Serebryanski began groping the young boy before leading him into a women’s bathroom where he sexually assaulted him.

He was found guilty late last year by a jury of three counts of indecently assaulting a person under the age of 16 and sexually penetrating a child aged between 10 and 16.

The court was told Serebryanski, who was born in New York City, moved to Melbourne with his parents and five siblings aged six for his father to serve as a minister for the ultra-orthodox Jewish community.

He returned to the United States in 1994 where he remained working a computer programmer until his arrest on April 19, 2023.

In 2017, Serebryanski was confronted outside his brownstone apartment by Mr Waks and Israeli journalist Yuval Agassi who secretly recorded the interaction with a hidden car key-shaped camera for a documentary about pedophiles in Jewish communities outside of Israel.

Judge Kelly said Serebryanski made “several damning admissions” and a “partial apology” in the footage which was played at trial but also gave “stock pedophilic justifications” for his behaviour, including claiming he was only following Mr Waks’ lead.

“I was completely infatuated with you and wanted to do what I thought you wanted,” he said at one point in the footage.

The judge told Serebryanski: “All child sex offending is grave, aberrant, transgressive and exploitative … it does enormous damage”.

“It is an attack on innocence, it is an attack on childhood.”

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24411738 (220851ZMAR26) Notable: Velvel Serebryanski, convicted of sexually abusing Manny Waks, walks free from court - (Video) Velvel Serebryanski has walked free from the Victorian County Court after receiving a 22-month sentence, with 19 months suspended and three months already served on remand in the United States counted as time served. He was also placed on a three-year good behaviour bond and remains a registered sex offender. Manny Waks, who watched the hearing from Israel by videolink, described the outcome as a significant milestone, saying: “I feel vindicated and that justice has prevailed.” He added that although Serebryanski had “walked away today”, “for me it’s not about punishing him and making him miserable for the rest of his life”. Waks said the case “hasn’t been about revenge and retribution, it’s about justice, accountability and prevention”. Judge John Kelly said the offending was profound and involved an exploitation of trust inside “one of the most sacred sites in the Jewish community”, while rejecting Serebryanski’s attempt to minimise responsibility.

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Velvel Serebryanski, convicted of sexually abusing Manny Waks, walks free from court

Natasha MacFarlane - 20 March 2026

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A member of Melbourne's ultra-orthodox Jewish community now living in Israel says he feels vindicated and free despite his abuser walking free from court and avoiding more jail time.

Velvel Serebryanski, 61, was last December found guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual penetration of a child between 10 and 16.

On Friday the Victorian County Court handed Serebryanski a 22 month jail sentence, with 19 months suspended, meaning he would only be required to serve three months behind bars.

But because he had already spent time on remand in the United States in 2023, Serebryanski was able to walk free from court.

Serebryanski was also handed a three-year good behaviour bond and is now a registered sex offender.

Manny Waks, 49, who now lives in Israel, was of primary-school age when the assault happened in the women's bathrooms of Melbourne's Yeshivah Centre synagogue, in St Kilda East, in the 1980s. The assault occurred on the first day of Shavuot, an annual Jewish celebration.

Mr Waks watched the sentence being handed down by videolink from Israel in the early hours of Friday morning.

After the hearing, Mr Waks celebrated the outcome and described it as a significant milestone.

"I feel vindicated and that justice has prevailed," he said.

"I know he has walked away today but … for me it's not about punishing him and making him miserable for the rest of his life.

"It hasn't been about revenge and retribution, it's about justice, accountability and prevention."

Since 2011, when Mr Waks went public with the assault, he has been a vocal advocate for Jewish victims and survivors of child sexual abuse.

He founded several organisations to help support and give a voice to abuse victims within the ultra-orthodox Jewish community.

Mr Waks was an advocate for victim-survivors in the case against Malka Leifer, the former principal at the ultra orthodox Adass Israel School in Melbourne.

Mr Waks was also successful in advocating for the 2015 Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual abuse to examine the response to allegations of child sexual abuse by three people at the Yeshivah Centre and the Yeshivah College in Melbourne.

He says while he is still dealing with the ongoing trauma of the assault, he will continue to fight for victim-survivors and will move towards helping people deal with PTSD and their mental health struggles.

"Years ago, uttering the words 'child sexual abuse' wasn't really accepted. You could see people feel uncomfortable," he said.

"[But] when I started talking about this issue, we have seen there has been a significant change in society.

"There is a lot to be done, but probably the most important thing is to talk about it openly and to change the culture around these issues."

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24415993 (230903ZMAR26) Notable: EU leader touches down as PM hopes to land trade deal - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Australia for a three-day visit expected to culminate in the signing of a long-delayed free trade agreement, as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushes to secure expanded access for Australian exporters to the European market. Von der Leyen met Governor-General Sam Mostyn in Sydney after landing on Monday, while Trade Minister Don Farrell and his European counterpart Maros Sefcovic continued talks on unresolved issues. Agriculture remains the main sticking point, with Australia seeking greater access for meat exports and Europe still protective of its farmers, while disputes over geographic names such as feta, parmesan and prosecco are also expected to be settled through compromise. Albanese said a deal would deepen a relationship already worth about $109 billion in two-way trade.

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EU leader touches down as PM hopes to land trade deal

Zac de Silva and Andrew Brown - March 23 2026

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has arrived in Australia ahead of the potential signing of a long-awaited free trade agreement.

The head of the European Union's executive branch landed in Sydney on Monday, where she met Governor-General Sam Mostyn at Admiralty House and was welcomed with an Indigenous smoking ceremony.

It's the first day of a three-day visit to Australia by the president, which is expected to culminate in the final points of a trade deal being agreed to.

The deal has been years in the making, with naming products such as cheese and wine among the sticking points.

Trade Minister Don Farrell and his European counterpart Maros Sefcovic discussed the free-trade deal on Monday.

Previous negotiations have fallen apart largely because of disagreements over the agriculture sector.

The Australian side wants meat producers to be allowed to sell more of their product to the European market - a push resisted by EU negotiators who want to protect their farmers from increased competition.

Some farmers are likely to be disappointed with the level of access to European markets locked in by the deal, but the two sides have made positive progress, a source close to the negotiations who was not authorised to speak publicly told AAP.

Europe had also sought to strip Australian farmers of the right to use geographic naming indicators such as feta, parmesan and prosecco.

A compromise on the dispute is expected to be reached.

The deal is likely to be signed off on Tuesday following talks between Ms von der Leyen and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.

"This is a milestone moment for the relationship between Australia and the European Union, such an important relationship," Mr Albanese told parliament.

"Two-way trade is worth some $109 billion that represents jobs and economic prosperity and our government has been working constructively to take that to the next level."

Ms von der Leyen will become the first female foreign leader to address the federal parliament.

The trade deal would give Australian exporters better access to a market of 450 million people, Mr Albanese said.

"Agreement with Europe would, of course, strengthen that even further, but as well, we need to engage with Europe on matters of security," he said.

The drive for an agreement showed Europe and Australia were pushing back against US President Donald Trump's overturning of traditional trade systems, former Australian trade official Prudence Gordon said.

"The fact that Australia and the EU are negotiating this trade agreement now really signals their efforts to counter the chaos created by Donald Trump," the executive director of the Australian Centre for International Trade and Investment told AAP.

Mr Albanese has sought to frame the deal as a win for Australian exporters who could rake in an extra $10 billion annually.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9204610/eu-leader-touches-down-as-pm-hopes-to-land-trade-deal/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24416011 (230916ZMAR26) Notable: Anglican church apologises to sexual abuse victim Beth Heinrich - Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Jeremy Greaves has publicly apologised to Beth Heinrich, saying the church failed her both when she was abused as a teenager and when she later sought help. Speaking at St John’s Cathedral, Greaves said senior leaders in the Brisbane diocese, including former archbishop Peter Hollingworth, had compounded her suffering by failing to respond with “compassion, and justice, and accountability”. Heinrich, now 86, was abused in the 1950s by Reverend Donald Shearman while she was a minor in his care at an Anglican-run boarding house in Forbes, New South Wales. In 1995 she asked Hollingworth to have Shearman removed from the clergy, but he refused despite overseeing mediation in which the priest admitted the abuse. After the apology, Heinrich said Archbishop Greaves was “the first that appears to believe me, that I haven’t been treated properly by previous archbishops”, and added: “When they deny you something, it’s like you’re being abused again,” while expressing hope other survivors would seek justice too.

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Anglican church apologises to sexual abuse victim Beth Heinrich

Will Murray - 23 March 2026

The Anglican archbishop of Brisbane has issued an emotional apology to the victim of child sexual abuse perpetrated by a priest, saying the church failed her both as a child, and when she sought help later in life.

"Most grievously, those in positions of senior leadership within the Brisbane diocese, including former Archbishop Peter Hollingworth, failed Beth," Archbishop Jeremy Greaves told his congregation at St John's Cathedral on Sunday evening.

"Rather than responding with compassion, and justice, and accountability, the church's response compounded her suffering, and this was wrong."

Beth Heinrich, now 86, was sexually abused as a teenager by Reverend Donald Shearman in the central-west New South Wales town of Forbes in the 1950s.

She had been a minor in his care at an Anglican-run boarding house.

In 1995, after Mr Shearman had moved to Queensland, she asked the then-Archbishop of Brisbane Dr Peter Hollingworth for help to have Mr Shearman removed from the clergy.

Dr Hollingworth denied that request, despite overseeing mediation in which Mr Shearman admitted to abusing Ms Heinrich.

In 2002, after being appointed to the position of Governor-General, Dr Hollingworth was questioned during an interview with the ABC about his alleged failure to take action against Mr Shearman.

During the interview he suggested that Ms Heinrich, 15 at the time, had instigated the sexual relationship with Mr Shearman, a married priest.

Dr Hollingworth resigned as governor-general in 2003 amid findings by the church he acted unfairly over his handling of child sexual abuse.

In 2023, a subsequent Anglican Church inquiry found he committed misconduct by allowing paedophile priests, including Mr Shearman, to keep working while he was the Archbishop of Brisbane in the 1990s.

Dr Hollingworth accepted those findings and said at the time: ""I made mistakes and I cannot undo them. But I committed no crimes."

Archbishop: 'I honour your courage'

During the traditional Sunday Service, Archbishop Greaves also lamented the additional harm that was done to Ms Heinrich by the church's failure to act in a timely manner against Mr Shearman, who wasn't defrocked until 2004.

"Beth, what happened to you was not your fault," he said.

"On behalf of the Diocese of Brisbane, I apologise to you for the abuse you suffered, and for the distress, isolation and harm caused by our failure to respond with integrity and care when you sought help."

At the end of the apology, the two shared a tearful embrace.

It's a moment Beth Heinrich has waited decades for, and she travelled from regional Victoria to attend the service.

"[Archbishop Greaves] is the first that appears to believe me, that I haven't been treated properly by previous archbishops and previous church supporters," Ms Heinrich said.

"I want to encourage others … if I can do it, others can do it too."

More than 70 years on from her abuse, she spoke of the pain of trying to seek the assistance and redress through senior church officials, only to be disbelieved or pushed aside.

"When they deny you something, it's like you're being abused again," she said.

"And the more that happens, the bigger the restitution has to be because the problem in you grows and grows."

While she said the apology brought to an end her years of struggle with the church, she hoped others would be inspired to seek their own justice.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-23/anglican-church-apologises-to-sexual-abuse-victim-beth-heinrich/106483594

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24416043 (230929ZMAR26) Notable: Anglican Church issues formal apology to 86-year-old child sex abuse survivor Beth Heinrich - Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane Jeremy Greaves has formally apologised to Beth Heinrich at St John’s Cathedral, acknowledging that church leaders, including former archbishop Peter Hollingworth, failed her after years of abuse and mistreatment. Greaves said Heinrich had been abused by Donald Shearman in a context of “power and trust” and that when she later found the courage to speak, “her voice was dismissed”. He told her that “what happened to you was not your fault” and apologised for the Brisbane diocese failing to act with integrity and care. Heinrich, 86, said the apology marked a turning point after decades of being ignored, declaring: “This is the end for me. I’m making an example and I want to encourage others.” She urged other survivors to keep fighting, saying they should not “get dissuaded by knock-backs” because “you’ve just got to keep knocking at the door”, and said Greaves was the first church figure “that appears to believe me”.

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Anglican Church issues formal apology to 86-year-old child sex abuse survivor Beth Heinrich

SARAH ELKS - 23 March 2026

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Under the grand stone-vaulted ceiling of Brisbane’s St John’s Cathedral on Sunday night, Anglican Archbishop Jeremy Greaves formally apologised to church child sexual abuse survivor Beth Heinrich.

More than seven decades after her abuse at the hands of bishop Donald Shearman, and years after then-archbishop Peter Hollingworth blamed her for her own assault, Ms Heinrich, 86, sat in the cathedral’s pews and watched as Archbishop Greaves stepped down from the pulpit and said sorry.

A survivor of sexual abuse himself, Archbishop Greaves clearly and frankly apologised for the failures of his predecessor Dr Hollingworth in his handling of Shearman, who died in 2019, and that bishop’s mistreatment of Ms Heinrich.

Shearman began grooming Ms Heinrich when she was 14 in the 1950s, sexually abusing her at 15 when she was sent to a church hostel. In 1977, Ms Heinrich fled a violent marriage and returned to Shearman, where he continued to exploit her vulnerability.

At the end of Sunday’s Evensong service, Archbishop Greaves said Ms Heinrich was subjected to abuse by Shearman in the context of “power and trust” and when she found the courage to speak to the church about what happened, she wasn’t listened to and her “voice was dismissed” by Dr Hollingworth.

“Most grievously, those in positions of senior leadership in the Brisbane diocese, including Archbishop Peter Hollingworth, failed Beth,” he said.

“Rather than expressing compassion, justice and accountability … the victim-survivor was blamed, while the person responsible was defended or excused.”

He stood in front of Ms Heinrich and told her that what happened to her was not her fault, apologised for the Brisbane diocese failing to act with integrity and care, and acknowledging the response had caused her terrible pain.

When Archbishop Greaves finished, he walked towards Ms Heinrich and the pair hugged.

Dr Hollingworth resigned as governor-general in 2003 after a Brisbane inquiry found he mishandled allegations of sexual abuse against pedophile priest John Linton Elliot. His exit from the nation’s top vice-regal office came the year after he told the ABC’s Australian Story that what happened to Ms Heinrich was “not sex abuse”.

“There was no suggestion of rape or anything like that. Quite the contrary. My information is that it was rather the other way around.”

Dr Hollingworth insisted the ABC’s reporting was wrong and his statement did not refer to Ms Heinrich. He apologised to her about 10 days after the television appearance.

Ms Heinrich has campaigned for years for justice, for herself and other victim-survivors.

Outside the cathedral, Ms Heinrich said she had pleaded with the church for years for help, and for understanding, but her trauma had been ignored, until Sunday’s apology.

“This is the end for me. I’m making an example and I want to encourage others … they’re to keep fighting if that’s what they need to do, (don’t) get dissuaded by knock-backs because you’ve just got to keep knocking at the door,” Ms Heinrich said.

She said Archbishop Greaves was the first person from the church “that appears to believe me, to believe that I haven’t been treated properly … by previous archbishops”.

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Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24424596 (250848ZMAR26) Notable: Japanese ambassador signals fuel-for-LNG swap to secure Australia’s energy supply - Japan’s ambassador to Australia, Kazuhiro Suzuki, has flagged the possibility of a fuel-for-LNG swap to support Australia’s energy security, as supply pressures intensify following the Iran war. He said Japan could assist if shortages became acute, noting “maybe we could collaborate and then do something together”, while stressing any support would depend on clearer evidence of market conditions. Suzuki highlighted Japan’s significant fuel reserves but warned against new Australian taxes on LNG exports, saying “surprise… is always bad” and could deter Japanese investment. The proposal reflects growing regional interdependence, with Australia supplying liquefied natural gas to Japan while relying on imported liquid fuels. Resources Minister Madeleine King said both nations understood “we rely on liquid fuels” and must work together on energy security.

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Japanese ambassador signals fuel-for-LNG swap to secure Australia’s energy supply

BRAD THOMPSON - 25 March 2026

Japan’s ambassador to Australia has left the door open to some form of fuel-for-LNG swap as alluded to by Anthony Albanese but warned any new taxes on oil and gas exports would be “bad news” for the relationship between the two countries and for investment.

Ambassador Kazuhiro Suzuki said on Wednesday that if fuel shortages in Australia became acute, Japan might be willing to help while hitting out any the prospect of Treasurer Jim Chalmers applying new taxes on LNG exports.

Mr Suzuki said such a move could jeopardise Japan investment in Australia and that Tokyo did not like surprises.

In a pointed message to energy security obsessed Japan and other Asian nations in recent days, Mr Albanese has said “we are reliable partners when it comes to energy security, and we expect that to be a two-way flow”.

Mr Suzuki stressed that Japan had so far maintained its relatively small but important exports to Australia.

Japan would be one of the countries hit if Australia imposed new so-called windfall taxes on the oil and gas industry. Supplying liquid fuel to counter shortages in Australia might weigh against any such move by the Albanese government.

Speaking at a Minerals Council of Australia conference in Canberra, Mr Suzuki said Japan had about 250 days of fuel supply in reserve, but that 90 per cent of its supply ultimately came from the Middle East.

He said Japan would pressure the International Energy Agency to release more of its strategic reserves at the appropriate time, and that Japan’s reserves were earmarked for domestic use if the situation became dire.

On the prospect of new LNG taxes, Mr Suzuki said that Japan didn’t like surprises.

“Surprise, in the Japanese business dictionary, it’s always bad. If there’s a retrospective taxing or something, I think that is really bad news,” he said.

“Japanese investors are saying, so if there’s a surprise, they just go to other countries. We love Australia, so Australia should be the first country that we should invest in, but if there’s a big surprise, then, you know because we hate surprise, causes a problem.”

Mr Suzuki said Japan would need to have a deep understanding of any actual fuel shortages in Australia before committing to help, but said it was a possibility.

He pointed to reports of panic buying in rural areas as part of the problem and to assurances from Energy Minister Chris Bowen that Australia was managing any shortages.

“We really need to see the market situation in Australia first and then we need to deepen our communication between the two countries,” he said.

“Maybe we could collaborate and then do something together. That’s the only answer that I can give it to you now.”

Dr Chalmers has not ruled out “windfall” taxes on LNG exporters that would be passed on to customers in Japan. The price of LNG has already spiked because of the conflict between Iran and the US and Israel.

Dr Chalmers said this week that Australians deserved a “fair return on the resources they own” when asked about a windfall tax being included in his May budget.

Resources Minister Madeleine King was on stage when Mr Suzuki broached the subject of co-operation on energy security in what could in effect represent a LNG-for-liquid fuel arrangement.

Asked about the prospect of a deal on the sidelines of the conference, Ms King said: “I believe very much in that relationship between our two countries and the government of Japan is well aware of how we can best work together, and it’s all about energy security, whether that be LNG from Australia to Japan or in liquid fuel security from Japan back to Australia.”

Ms King said Japan, South Korea, Singapore and other countries in Asia clearly understood the interdependence on energy security.

“They rely on our LNG for their energy security, and we rely on liquid fuels,” she said.

“I think the agreement between the Singaporean Prime Minister and our Prime Minister is really indicative of what the region all knows – that we have to work together.”

Mr Albanese and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong released a joint statement on energy security on Monday.

Ms King noted that Singapore and Malaysia were major sources of liquid fuel for Australia, and noted that Australia was also in talks with China.

Iran has so far allowed oil tankers bound for China to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Minister (Penny) Wong has made it clear that Australia has discussed fuel security with a range of countries, including China. We have engaged with China both in Canberra and in country,” Ms King said.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/japanese-ambassador-signals-fuelforlng-swap-to-secure-australias-energy-supply/news-story/dca7c429799751730264ccfd5bd5183d

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24424601 (250852ZMAR26) Notable: Shut the door: Australia to ban Iranian visa holders citing national interest - Australia has moved to restrict re-entry for certain Iranian visitor visa holders, citing national interest concerns linked to the Iran conflict following strikes involving the United States and Israel. The Albanese government will bar subclass 600 visa holders outside Australia from returning for six months, with exemptions for spouses, de facto partners, dependent children, or parents of minors already in Australia. The government said the war has increased the risk some temporary visa holders may be unable or unwilling to depart when visas expire, while allowing “flexibility in limited cases” and case-by-case assessments. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said existing visas “may not have been issued” under current conditions. Critics, including asylum advocates, said the changes “shut the door” on people seeking safety.

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‘Shut the door’: Australia to ban Iranian visa holders citing ‘national interest’

NATHAN SCHMIDT - 25 March 2026

Iranians on temporarily visas will be restricted from re-entering Australia under controversial new powers.

The Albanese government will from Thursday restrict anyone with a visitor visa (subclass 600) linked to an Iranian passport and who is outside of Australia from re-entering the country, more than four weeks after the United States’ and Israel’s surprise attack on Iran.

Visa-holders are typically allowed to remain in Australia for up to 12 months, usually for tourism, business, or to visit family.

However, under the new rules, which will remain in effect for six months, only spouses, de facto partners, or a dependent child of an Australia citizen or permanent visa holder, or a parent of a child under 18 already in Australia, will be allowed entry.

The government claims the changes will bolster the integrity of Australia’s migration system and in the national interest.

It warned the war against Iran increased the risk temporary visa holders may be unlikely or unable to depart Australia when their visa expired, and that the new measures would afford government time to assess cases, while still allowing “flexibility in limited cases”.

“There are many visitor visas which were issued before the conflict in Iran which may not have been issued if they were applied for now,” Home Affairs Minister Tony burke said.

“Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who had booked a holiday.

“The Australian government is closely monitoring global developments and will adjust settings as required to ensure Australia’s migration system remains orderly, fair and sustainable.”

Under the changes, a person issued an active Permitted Travel Certificate – including people who may have already departed for Australia – or holding another time of visa may be allowed entry.

The changes would also not prohibit people outside Australia from applying for a new visa.

In limited cases involving parents of Australian citizens, “sympathetic consideration” would also be given, the government said.

Developed in consultation with the Iranian diaspora, the changes faced pushback when they were first introduced and passed in parliament earlier this month.

At the time, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Chief Executive Kon Karapanagiotidis said the rules “shut the door” on people seeking safety in Australia.

“If people already have a visa to travel to Australia, and this kind of violence has broken out in their home country – why would we not want to help them?” he said.

“On the very same day that the Government has acted so swiftly and compassionately to protect members of the Iranian women’s soccer team, they want to slam the door on family members of Australian citizens.”

Mr Burke offered asylum to members of the Iranian women’s soccer team earlier this month – however, only two players ultimately followed through and remained in Australia.

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/shut-the-door-australia-to-ban-iranian-visa-holders-citing-national-interest/news-story/b405403d2bb032e08cd7bae0f90fa23f

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24424623 (250901ZMAR26) Notable: Palestinian flag to be lowered from city hall after fiery debate - A Palestinian flag flown above Darebin City Council in Melbourne’s north will be removed after councillors voted to ban international flags following a heated 90-minute debate. The new policy retains only Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, with the Preston flag to be lowered within 10 working days and marked by a “brief respectful ceremony”. Councillors said community feedback from more than 500 submissions was “quite clear” in opposing international flags, describing the policy as a “careful balance” ensuring “transparency, equity and accountability”. Opponents argued the move “den[ies] our residents a right to have a say” and called it “outrageous”. The decision follows earlier disputes, including calls to replace the flag with a “peace flag” after the Bondi attack.

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Palestinian flag to be lowered from city hall after fiery debate

Rachael Dexter and Rachael Ward - March 25, 2026

A Palestinian flag flying above a council building in Melbourne’s north for more than two years will soon be lowered after months of debate over its future.

On Tuesday night, after a 90-minute debate, Darebin City Council voted on the municipality’s new flag policy, which includes no longer flying any international flags at all unless required by legislation.

The Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will continue to fly in council buildings and are not affected by the vote. However, the Palestinian flag flying above the council’s main chamber in Preston must be lowered within 10 working days, and will be marked with a “brief respectful ceremony”.

The council reached a final decision on the drawn-out dispute over how and when to fly different flags after three formal attempts to pass a motion on Tuesday. During the meeting, some people in the public gallery jeered and shouted, and were warned multiple times by Mayor Emily Dimitriadis to remain silent during debate, with one threatened with ejection.

The Palestinian flag was raised above Preston City Hall after being endorsed by councillors on December 18, 2023.

Tuesday’s successful motion, moved by independent Councillor Connie Boglis, prohibits new international flags and removes the chief executive’s discretion to approve community requests. Boglis described the policy as a “careful balance” that provides “transparency, equity and accountability”.

The policy came after a community consultation process that received more than 500 submissions. Labor councillor Kristine Olaris noted that while councillors held strong personal views, the feedback was “quite clear” that a majority of the community did not want any international flags flown. Labor councillors Olaris, Dimitriadis, Matt Arturi and Vasilios Tsalkos all supported the motion, as did Boglis.

The motion was opposed by independent Councillor Angela Villella and Greens councillors Ruth Jelley and Alexandra Sangster.

Villella was most vocal in her opposition, saying councillors should be “ashamed of ourselves” for stripping residents of the right to have different flags flown.

“We are actually denying our residents a right to have a say. I can’t understand it … it’s outrageous,” she said. “How dare we say that to the community? Who the hell do we think we are that we can say that?”

Sangster successfully moved a subsequent amendment to provide the community with a 10-day “grace period” before the Palestinian flag is removed, allowing time for residents to prepare a ceremony for what she described as a “deeply distressing moment”.

Following the Bondi terrorist attack, an urgent meeting was called in late December 2025, where chief executive Anne Howard asked councillors to take down the flag and replace it with a “peace flag” – in part due to complaints made to council staff from locals after the mass shooting.

A special council meeting was held in February to discuss the future of the flag, where councillors voted to delay a decision until adopting a formal flag policy in March.

In both meetings, councillors knocked back the “peace flag” suggestion.

Darebin Council’s policy was developed partly by examining international flag policies elsewhere in Victoria. Council documents show Greater Dandenong, Surf Coast Shire, Manningham and Yarra Ranges councils permit international flags to be flown during official visits of dignitaries or under other strict conditions.

In Greater Dandenong, international flags may also be flown as a show of support during a crisis, in the Yarra Ranges only to acknowledge a significant event, while in the Surf Coast foreign flags can also be displayed as directed by state or federal governments. In Manningham, only the flags of nations recognised by Australia can fly alongside the Australian flag.

Palestinian flags were previously raised at Darebin, Merri-bek, Dandenong and Maribyrnong councils in the early months of Israel’s war on Gaza.

Merri-bek’s flag was flown until a ceasefire in 2025. However, last September councillors voted to fly it indefinitely outside the town hall in Coburg.

Darebin Council has been contacted for comment.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/palestinian-flag-to-be-lowered-from-city-hall-after-fiery-debate-20260325-p5x6zc.html

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24424631 (250910ZMAR26) Notable: US Admiral stares down AUKUS doubters over WA’s submarine deadline - The United States Navy’s operations chief has reaffirmed confidence that Virginia-class submarines will be delivered to Australia by 2032 under AUKUS, despite concerns about production capacity. Admiral Daryl Caudle said shipbuilding rates should exceed two submarines per year by the 2030s, addressing scepticism that current output of about 1.3 annually is insufficient. He said improvements in workforce, advanced manufacturing and modularisation would support a “transformational improvement” in output. Caudle visited HMAS Stirling to assess upgrades supporting a rotating US and UK submarine presence from next year. He said US personnel would have a minimal population impact but provide a “significant” economic boost, while describing Australia as a “great partner” in shared security and naval operations.

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US Admiral stares down AUKUS doubters over WA’s submarine deadline

Hamish Hastie - March 25, 2026

The US Navy’s operations chief says his country will make good on its commitment to start delivering Virginia-class nuclear submarines to Australia by 2032, while suggesting the US industrial base will be big and quick enough by the end of the decade to fulfil those orders.

US Naval Operations Chief Admiral Daryl Caudle has been in Australia for the past few days and on Tuesday visited HMAS Stirling and Rockingham in Perth’s south to see progress on base upgrades to begin accommodating a rotating force of US and British submarines from next year.

Under the $368 billion AUKUS agreement, Australia has agreed to purchase between three and five Virginia-class nuclear submarines, with the first set to be delivered by 2032.

Sceptics of the pact, including former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, believe that timeline will be impossible to meet because of the slow rate at which the US Navy is building its own submarines, around 1.3 per year.

In order to meet the “optimal pathway” outlined by the original AUKUS agreement, the US will need to improve that build rate to 2.3 submarines per year.

During his confirmation hearing in July last year, Caudle himself said there needed to be a “transformational improvement” in shipbuilding rates of 100 per cent to reach that target.

Speaking to WA media during his visit, Caudle said he was optimistic that it would happen.

“It’s a tough thing to predict, but I would say, I can confidently say that we should be above two submarines a year by the 2030s...based on our current projections,” he said.

“Improvements in shipbuilding are slow because it took a long time for it to get to the place that it is today and the things that we’re doing, I think, take time to get it back to the place that I mentioned in my confirmation hearing.”

Caudle said the Navy was doing a range of things to improve its industrial base, including improving workforces, advanced manufacturing and using modularisation.

He also said improved shipbuilding maintenance programs would see more US submarines in the water.

Caudle said he visited areas south of Perth where US sailors will eventually live and met with Defence Housing Australia, which will facilitate the housing needs of the sailors arriving from next year.

With Perth in the grips of a housing crisis, Caudle said the number of sailors would be a “blip” in the population increases, but that US sailors would fall in love with Perth and would have a big impact on the local economy.

“The actual impact of what US sailors will bring to the local economy there, I think, will be significant and a big opportunity for your country,” he said.

Caudle revealed the name of the squadron that would be based in WA as Submarine Squadron 3, which he commanded when it was based on Pearl Harbour before it was dismantled in 2012.

With Australia purchasing Virginia-class submarines Caudle said it would be an “implicit expectation” that the two countries’ respective navies would work closely together in the decades to come.

“You’re such a great partner. You’ve been with us in conflict since World War II, just in earnest,” he said.

“When you have a great relationship with a country, and you have the same, generally, the same national interest and to protect the international rules-based order to protect sea lanes of communication, to protect critical choke points, the flow of commerce. Those types of missions are just common to like-minded navies.

“I think what comes with the selling of Virginia-class submarines is that we will just naturally work together to accomplish those missions together.

“So I wouldn’t put it too much as a hard expectation is, I would just [say it’s] what two great partners do together.

“We operate together today with your Collins class, and we’ll operate together with the Virginia class of the future.”

The Australian Government is investing $8 billion to expand HMAS Stirling’s infrastructure over a decade so it can accommodate a rotating force of UK and US nuclear submarines, as well as eventually the Royal Australian Navy’s own Virginia Class submarines and the Australian-built SSN-AUKUS.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/western-australia/us-admiral-stares-down-aukus-doubters-over-wa-s-submarine-deadline-20260325-p5xn7d.html

https://www.navy.mil/Leadership/Flag-Officer-Biographies/Search/Article/2236204/admiral-daryl-caudle/

Originally posted at >>>/qresearch/24424666 (250928ZMAR26) Notable: US Naval Operations chief Admiral Daryl Caudle confirms WA will house first nuclear-powered sub by 2034 - Western Australia is set to host its first sovereign Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarine by 2034 under AUKUS, with at least two to be based at HMAS Stirling. US Naval Operations Chief Admiral Daryl Caudle said the United States would “stick to the agreement” to rotate four submarines through Submarine Rotational Force-West from next year, forming part of a broader five-submarine rotational presence. He said construction at HMAS Stirling was progressing steadily, with facilities for maintenance, housing and operations in place and “not behind” schedule. The Australian Government’s $8 billion upgrade is expected to support thousands of jobs. Caudle said US shipbuilding rates should exceed two submarines annually by 2030, reinforcing confidence in delivery timelines and long-term defence cooperation.

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US Naval Operations chief Admiral Daryl Caudle confirms WA will house first nuclear-powered sub by 2034

Jessica Evensen and Andrew Greene - 24 March 2026

The United States top navy chief has declared Western Australia will be home to at least two nuclear powered Virginia-class submarines under the AUKUS agreement by 2034.

US Naval Operations Chief Admiral Daryl Caudle made the commitment in Perth on Tuesday afternoon following his visit to HMAS Stirling to meet with local authorities and strengthen the AUKUS trilateral partnership.

The Australian Government has already invested $8 billion into transforming HMAS Stirling into a “nuclear-ready” facility, with five nuclear-based submarines scheduled to have a rotational presence at the naval base from next year.

WA is relying on AUKUS to justify the mammoth upgrade, which is predicted to create around 10,000 new jobs.

Admiral Caudle — who was appointed to the top job by the new Trump administration in August — said he was “very pleased” with the construction timeline at HMAS Stirling.

“I wouldn’t say (construction is) ahead, but it’s certainly not behind, and I’m very pleased with where we’ve come,” he told local media.

“There’s lots of construction going on the base, we’re seeing all the facilities that we need, from secure locations, the maintenance facility and the emergency command centre.

“I got to tour ... the barracks that are on the base, where the sailors will live on the base, what they will experience (including the) galley, canteen and eating facilities.”

Admiral Caudle said the US would obey its promise to rotate four Virginia-class submarines as part of Submarine Rotational Force-West.

“You’re going to see us stick to the agreement here of what we’ve committed to,” he said.

“I wouldn’t say (the number of submarines) is going to get bigger, we’re going to stay on plan ... it’s going to be as currently designed.”

He said WA was on track to house its first sovereign Virginia-class submarine by 2034.

And when asked whether the US would meet its fleet requirements, he said: “I can confidently say we should be above two submarines a year.”

“By 2030 I would expected us to be above two submarines a year, based on current projections.”

Admiral Caudle said there was an “implicit expectation” Australia would stand with the US, and described AUKUS as a “match made in heaven”.

“(Australia is) such a great partner, you’ve been with us in conflicts since World War II,” he said.

“When you have a great relationship with a country and you have the same national interest and to protect international rules-based order ... those types of missions are just common to like-minded navies.

“We operate together today with your Collins-class (submarines), and we’ll operate together with the Virginia-class of the future.”

https://thewest.com.au/politics/aukus/us-naval-operations-chief-admiral-daryl-caudle-confirms-wa-will-house-first-nuclear-powered-sub-by-2034-c-22040981